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Biscoff Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These Biscoff-filled chocolate crinkle cookies are pure holiday magic - crisp on the outside, molten cookie butter inside, and easy to freeze or gift!

These are even better than my Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodles. I made this crinkle cookie recipe no-chill because waiting overnight for these cookies (or even 2 hours in the fridge) isn't my favorite thing to do. Waiting for the dough to chill for pies or pastry makes sense but cookies?? Nuh bruh. Not today.

Baked biscoff filled chocolate cookie in half.

This dough is pretty soft (like my sugar cookies with pumpkins) when first mixed because of the melted chocolate, so it's important to let it rest 10 minutes or so to firm up a little while I crush the Biscoff cookies (and eat some).

Instead of chilling the dough like most other recipes, I add melted dark chocolate to the batter to help that lovely rich chocolate flavor shine through.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: Nice soft chocolate cookie with REAL melted chocolate in the dough and a melty cookie butter center.
Ease: Intermediate since there is stuffing required. Once you practice it's not too difficult though .
Time: About 10-15 to mix and rest dough, 10 to stuff, 10 to bake and a few more minutes to cool. About 40-45 minutes start to finish.

🛒 Key Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for biscoff filled chocolate cookies in dishes on metal baking tray.

Biscoff Cookies - or speculoos are a Belgian cookie that taste like buttery brown sugar cookies with a little cinnamon now widely found all over the world in many grocery stores.
Cookie Butter - made from Biscoff cookies!

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Use peanut butter instead of cookie butter!
You could also try nutella, but I would freeze it into teaspoon sized portions first.
Use crumbled graham crackers (cinnamon or chocolate) to use as the crumbly outside.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Photos of butter and sugar in a bowl and vanilla and egg in butter mixture.

Step 1. In a mixing bowl combine butter, brown sugar and white granulated sugar and mix on high speed with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

Step 2. Add eggs one at a time and mix on high speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt and mix well.

Pictures of melted chocolate and chocolate and dry ingredients in bowl of sugar and butter.

Step 3. Melt ⅓ cup (50g) chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second increments mixing well in between. Once fully melted, pour into batter.
Step 4. Add in cocoa powder and mix well on low speed. Add flour and baking soda and mix on low speed until well combined and no flour pockets are left.

Pictures of chocolate dough and pressing teaspoon into scoop of chocolate dough.

Step 5. Last, add in mini chocolate chips and mix until combined. Dough will be soft. Let sit for 10 minutes to firm slightly.
Step 6. Use a 1.5 inch scoop to scoop a ball of dough. For less mess, use a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon to press a DEEP indent/hole into the dough while dough is still inside the scoop.

Chocolate dough with cookie butter inside and chocolate dough balls rolled in cookie crumbs.

Step 7. Place 1 teaspoon of Biscoff cookie butter into the hole ( I use two spoons so I don't get my fingers messy). Pinch together the dough to seal all edges, and squeeze out of cookie scoop. You may need to roll dough ball in hands a little bit to seal edges properly.
Step 8. Crumble the Biscoff cookies into very fine crumbs by either placing in resealable bag and crushing with a rolling pin, or pulsing in blender until fine crumbs. Roll dough ball into very fine Biscoff cookie crumbs to coat evenly.

Step 9. Place 12 dough balls on prepared baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 9-11 minutes, the edges and tops will crack. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Best served warm!

TIP: Underbaked is best. Bake for 9 minutes and if the cookies are juuust starting to crack, take them out!

📌 Troubleshooting

Crumbly: too dry of dough or overbaked. Fix - add a teaspoon or two of milk to the dough and mix, make sure to bake just until cracks start to form. Underbaked is best with this cookie.

❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips

Room temp: in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Freeze: raw or baked for up to 3 months.

Bake from frozen : if raw, add 2-4 minutes onto the baking time.

Hand holding halves of melty chocolate cookie butter cookie.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Would this work with peanut butter?

Yes! It would work the same as the cookie butter.

How do I stop Biscoff filling from leaking out of crinkle cookies?

You can freeze teaspoon sized portions ahead of time to put into the dough, or just make sure you don't overbake the cookies and have the correct amount of dough to cookie butter.

How long can I freeze pre-made filled cookies and bake from frozen?

Freeze up to 3 months raw, then bake from frozen by adding 2+ minutes onto the bake time.

Did You Try This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Make sure to leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers! Better yet, share it with family and friends. Thank you!!

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake

Warm, buttery, Cinnamon Walnut Cake uses a tender sour cream batter and a cinnamon-walnut streusel, for a bakery-style cake at home. Perfect for breakfast or brunch!

I like a big slice in a bowl with milk poured over it, almost like cereal. It's similar to Banana Coffee Cake and is so soft and yummy. The milk soaks into the cake and it's delicious!

Slice of baked coffee cake with strawberry on plate.

This old fashioned coffee cake with walnuts was affectionately known as "Breakfast Cake" in my childhood and is adapted from an old edition of Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. The coffee cake is similar to a yellow cake, but the cinnamon, oat, and nut crumbly topping is what makes it addicting. It has a more open crumb that is perfect for soaking up milk poured on top of it warm from the oven.

This coffee cake is SO EASY to make ahead overnight and bake in the morning. There is quite a bit of vegetable oil in the original recipe my family used, but I replaced it with plain greek yogurt (or sour cream) and it's so much better.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: A soft and buttery cake with a crumbly oat walnut topping. Cinnamon is in the topping but not the cake.
Ease: Not very complicated. Baking required. Mix the wet and dry ingredients, then the topping before baking.
Time: 10-15 minutes to make, then 45-50 minutes to bake. Plan for at least an hour total or make the night before.

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Labeled ingredients for cinnamon walnut coffee cake on metal pan in glass dishes.

Main Batter

Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt
Butter, sugar, eggs
Sour cream or Greek yogurt (adds moisture-Pro Tip: don't skip this for best texture)

Cinnamon Walnut Streusel

Chopped walnuts
Cinnamon, brown sugar, butter

Optional Glaze

Powdered sugar, milk/cream, vanilla

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Sour cream and plain greek yogurt are interchangeable in this recipe.
Milk! Any plant based or dairy based milk will do, just make sure it's unsweetened and unflavored.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350℉ and prepare a 9x9 inch square pan with parchment paper or baking spray.

Sugar, egg, vanilla, greek yogurt, oil, and milk in bowl.

Step 1. In medium sized mixing bowl whisk together milk, sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), egg, oil, vanilla, white granulated sugar, and salt. Mix well.

Flour, salt, and baking powder on we ingredients in bowl.

Step 2. Add flour and baking powder, mix together until fully combined and no flour pockets are left but do not overmix.

Raw coffee cake batter in pan with spatula.

Step 3. Place batter in prepared 9X9 inch pan.

Walnut cinnamon streusel ingredients in bowl.

Step 4. In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix well, then spread over cake batter evenly to cover.

Step 5. Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes (glass or heavy ceramic pans may take a few minutes longer), until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Pro Tip: Tent with foil halfway through baking if top browns too quickly.

Why Walnuts Make Coffee Cake Better

Flavor depth from toasted nuts.
Crunchy texture against soft cake.
Alternatives: pecans, almonds, or nut-free streusel.

❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips

Room Temperature: up to 3 days.

Refrigerate: for freshness up to a week.

Freeze: baked and cooled, sliced or whole for up to 3 months wrapped tightly or in a freezer safe container or bag.

Baked coffee cake with slices removed in pan.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make cinnamon walnut coffee cake ahead of time?

Yes-assemble the batter and streusel, refrigerate overnight, then bake fresh in the morning.

Can I substitute sour cream in coffee cake?

Greek yogurt is the best swap-it keeps the same tang and moisture.

Why does my coffee cake sink in the middle?

Usually underbaking, or adding too much streusel to the middle is the culprit. Make sure the cake is fully baked in the middle before removing from the oven, especially if the recipe is doubled in a 9x13 pan.

Can I make cinnamon walnut coffee cake overnight?

Yes!
1. Make recipe as directed.
2. Place in refrigerator overnight, and when ready to bake increase baking time by 5-10 minutes.
3. Insert toothpick every 5 minutes after 45 minutes to check doneness.

Can this recipe be doubled?

Can be doubled in a 9x13 inch pan. Simply increase baking time to 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

🍽️ Serving Ideas

With fruit like sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.
With your favorite warm beverage like hot cocoa, tea, coffee, milk, juice, etc.
As a breakfast spread with things like homemade sourdough biscuits and green chile sausage gravy or a ham and cheese egg casserole.

☀️ More Delicious Breakfast Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Pistachio Pudding Cookies

This is a pistachio pudding cookies recipe with creamy white chocolate, folded into soft chewy cookie dough with lightly salted crunchy pistachios.

Soft and buttery pistachio cookies you say?? I got you. These are the cousin of my original Vanilla Pudding Mix Cookies, a huge hit at every gathering. The textures are phenomenal and they're freezer friendly! This recipe makes about 3.5 dozen, and I love to freeze the dough.

Baked pistachio pudding cookies on metal baking sheet.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that I can make the cookie dough ahead, freeze it, and bake it easily. It turns out that frozen cookie dough only takes a few more minutes to bake than regular dough! Normally I bake these cookies 11-12 minutes. When the cookie dough is frozen into balls I can bake them in about 15 minutes. Win win win.

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Why We Love This Recipe

Easy! There's no frosting to make, no fillings, and no rolling out or cutting. This pistachio cookie recipe makes an impression without a lot of fuss.
Freezer friendly - you can easily freeze the dough for pistachio cookies ahead of time and bake them fresh whenever you want to eat them!
You only have to dirty one bowl to make this simple cookie recipe.
These have a soft and chewy texture with melty white chocolate and crunchy pistachios in every bite!

🛒 Ingredients

Pistachio Pudding Mix - Instant pistachio pudding mix is best for these cookies, it can be sugar-free (1 oz) or a regular 3.4 oz box.
Sugar - a combo of white granulated sugar and brown sugar is used to make these cookies nice and soft without being cakey.
Pistachios - lightly salted roasted pistachios are used for this recipe, but you can use unsalted. Roasted pistachios taste the best texture-wise. If you can get the pre-shelled ones, GET THEM. It's so annoying to shell them all!
Almond extract - just a touch of almond extract really makes the flavors pop in pistachio cookies, and is much easier to find than pistachio extract, but if you can find the pistachio extract then use it! I like to buy a larger bottle of almond extract because I use it so often.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions

Regular pudding mix and sugar free pudding mix can be used interchangeably as long as they are the instant version.
Add in a few drops of green food coloring if you want a more green appearance! I prefer to leave it out.
White chocolate chips can be swapped with regular chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips for a dark chocolate pistachio cookie.
Pistachios can be subsituted for macadamia nuts or almonds, but pistachios are definitely best for this recipe!
For extra melty white chocolate, chop up a bar of white baking chocolate instead of using the white chips.
Add in 1 cup dried chopped cranberries for a fun cranberry pistachio cookie.
Do NOT substitute margarine or shortening in this recipe, the cookies will not turn out correctly.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Sticks of butter with brown sugar and white sugar in mixing bowl.

Step 1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the brown and white sugar with the softened butter with an electric mixer high speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and creamy.

2 eggs in creamed butter and sugar in mixing bowl with cookie mixing paddle.

Step 2. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract to the creamed butter and sugar, and mix well until the mixture is fluffy again.

Pistachio pudding mix and baking soda in raw pistachio cookie dough.

Step 3. Add in the pudding mix, salt, and baking soda, and mix well.

Chopped pistachios and flour in pistachio cookie dough in mixing bowl.

Step 4. Add in the flour, and chopped pistachios and mix on low speed until all flour is mixed in and no flour pockets are left.

Raw pistachio pudding cookie dough in mixing bowl.

Step 5. . Add in the white chocolate chips last and mix well. The cookie dough should be a soft play dough texture, not dry or crumbly at all.

Raw cookie dough balls on metal baking sheet with green hot pad underneath.

Step 6. Using a 1.5 Tablespoon scoop, scoop onto a baking sheet 12 to a pan. Bake at 350 ℉ for 10-12 minutes, 11 is usually perfect. The cookies should be just starting to crack around the edges.

Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make this dough ahead of time?

Yes! To freeze: make the dough as directed, and scoop onto a metal baking sheet small enough to fit into a freezer.
Make sure the edges are not touching. Freeze for 30 minutes to harden the outsides, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Will sugar free pudding mix work instead of regular?

Yes! As long as it is instant pudding mix and not the cook and serve, the sugar free would work fine.

Can you freeze these cookies?

Yes! You can either freeze the dough or freeze the cookies baked. Make sure they are cooled completely, then transfer to a freezer safe container with wax paper or parchment paper in between layers as needed. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Do you use unsalted or salted pistachios?

This recipe uses lightly salted roasted pistachios, but either will work, whatever your preference is.

📌 Baking Tips and Storage

Cream the butter and sugar on high speed for at LEAST 3 minutes. Light and fluffy is what we want! When adding the flour, start with the minimum amount and then add more if needed. The dough is a soft play dough texture and pulls away from the sides of the bowl easily, it is not crumbly at all.
Don't over bake the cookies! I bake them for 10-12 minutes, usually 11 minutes is perfect. Edges of the cookies should be barely golden brown when removed from the oven, and the tops barely beginning to crack.
Use a large cookie scoop. You can't go wrong with big cookies. I use a heaping 1.5 Tablespoon scoopful.
When scooping, do rows of 3 and 2 on the baking sheet, so you can bake a bakers dozen (thirteen) at a time instead of twelve cookies.
Storage: Store at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Raw pistachio cookie dough balls in freezer bag.

Make recipe for dough as directed.
Scoop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat close together but so edges are not touching.
Freeze 30 minutes to harden the outsides, then place into a freezer safe bag to use later.
To bake thawed: Place cookie dough balls in refrigerator overnight and then onto prepared cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake as directed in recipe.
To bake while frozen: Preheat oven to 350 F. Place frozen cookie dough balls Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges are barely golden brown and the tops are barely beginning to crack. At 14 minutes check every minute until done.

📝 Printable Recipe

Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies (extra soft)

Make the best chocolate chip cookies ever with one secret ingredient: vanilla pudding mix! Easy, chewy, and foolproof recipe.

Everyone has that go-to cookie recipe. Chocolate chip cookies with vanilla pudding are dearly beloved in our house. I have the recipe memorized I've made them so often over the last 12 years. This recipe WORKS besties.

This is a no chill cookie recipe, ideal for large batch baking because they make between 40-50 cookies and don't need frosting or anything special on top. They're easy to cool, stack, and transport easily, making them fantastic for parties, bake sales, cookie exchanges, or cozy nights in. Some people like their cookies crispy, I do not. I like mine chewy and soft, and not dried out or crunchy with too much flour. That's where the pudding mix comes in!

It's similar to its dark and handsome cousin, Chocolate Pudding Mix Cookies which are also soft and delicious.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: You can actually taste the salt in these cookies which is why they're so addicting. They're soft, with a nice vanilla flavor from the pudding mix.
Ease: Beginner friendly. Creaming the butter and sugars, adding the eggs & vanilla, then the dry ingredients. Bake bake bake and you have delicious cookies!
Time: Takes 10 minutes to mix, and 10 minutes to bake per pan, 3-4 pans. So 45-50 minutes to bake all of the cookies.

Why Add Vanilla Pudding to Cookies?

Instant vanilla pudding mix adds cornstarch and stabilizers that create a soft, pillowy interior while still allowing crisp edges-it's the easy way to get a "bakery cookie" texture at home. I don't add pudding mix to my frosted heart cookie but I do add cornstarch for a similar result. Perfectly soft cookies!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for pudding mix cookies on metal pan.

Ingredient Notes

Pudding mix - I usually use vanilla or french vanilla, but white chocolate and cheesecake pudding mix are AMAZING in these cookies. Just make sure it's instant pudding mix, and don't prepare the pudding with milk! We're just using the powder for this recipe.
Chocolate chips - semi sweet is my go to, but you could also use dark or milk chocolate, white or butterscotch chips. Chopped up melty chocolate is also lovely.
Salted butter - I will ALWAYS use salted butter in my cookies, it tastes better.
Salt - it is not too much salt. That is all. If you're really worried about it start with less and add more.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Add chopped pistachios and pistachio pudding mix for Pistachio Pudding Cookies!
Butterscotch Chip Cookies are the same with pudding mix and butterscotch chips.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in metal mixing bowl.

Step 1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment combine butter, white sugar, and brown sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Eggs in vanilla pudding cookie dough in mixing bowl.

Step 2. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.

Vanilla pudding mix in cookie dough in mixing bowl.

Step 3. Add salt, baking soda, and pudding mix . Mix well.

Flour in raw cookie dough in mixing bowl.

Step 4. Add flour a cup at a time and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in chocolate chips on low speed last. The cookie dough should be the texture of soft playdough and pull away from the sides of the bowl. It should not be stiff or crumbly at all.

Step 5. Using a 1½ inch scoop (1.5 Tablespoon), drop 12-13 cookies onto prepared baking sheets.

Step 6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, do not over bake. The bottoms/edges of the cookies should be barely golden brown and tops beginning to crack.

Expert Tips

Time may depend on number of pans in oven and racks being used. I recommend rotating pans halfway through baking time if using a no-fan oven.
Let cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. The bottoms of the cookies should be golden brown and tops will be barely golden brown.
We love to bake a pan or two, then freeze the rest of the dough into balls for later!

📌 Troubleshooting

Cookies too cakey: likely too much flour or overmixing; fix: reduce flour slightly, mix minimally.
Cookies spread too thin: dough too warm or not enough flour. You can either chill the dough for 30-60 minutes or add a Tablespoon or two more flour.
Cookies dry after a day: store properly (airtight) and add a slice of bread to the container for moisture retention; pudding usually keeps them soft longer.
Grainy texture: make sure you mix the dough until it's soft, about 1 minute after you add the pudding mix and flour. Start with less flour and add more until it's no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Make recipe for dough as directed.
Scoop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper close together but so edges are not touching.
Freeze 4 hours or overnight, then place into a freezer safe bag to use later.
To bake thawed: Place cookie dough balls in refrigerator overnight and then onto prepared cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake as directed in recipe.
Bake while frozen: Preheat oven to 350 F. Place frozen cookie dough balls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges are barely golden brown and the tops are beginning to crack. After 14 minutes check every minute until done.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shelf life for pudding cookies?

Baked: soft for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container. Pudding cookies often stay softer for longer thanks to cornstarch.

Can vanilla pudding cookies be made ahead?

- Yes! Flash-freeze raw dough scoops on a tray, then bag-great for baking fresh cookies on demand. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Best served within 3 days of baking.

Can I substitute cornstarch for pudding mix in cookies?

Yes, cornstarch helps with softness, but boxed pudding adds flavor and powdered milk/stabilizers that have been tested many many times in this recipe.

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Soft Fluffy French Bread

This is my easy soft fluffy french bread recipe, it makes one loaf but is easily doubled for a crowd. It's crusty and golden on the outside and so soft and chewy inside.

This recipe is AMAZING. It is definitely my most used bread recipe. It pairs wonderfully well with pasta, like my savory Pumpkin Pasta!

Originally published September 17, 2017.

Classic French Bread Recipe

Everyone needs a classic homemade french bread recipe. There's nothing like fresh from the oven warm bread to have with dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast! One of my favorite things to make with leftover french bread is Lemon Blueberry Bread Pudding. And eat it for breakfast.

I worked at a bakery for three years, and it was easily my favorite job. It was there I learned to knead two loaves at the same time, roll out dinner rolls with two hands, and appreciate the smell of baking bread. And of course, learn how to make french bread.

How to make soft french bread

Proof yeast. Mix together warm water (90-110 F), sugar, and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.
Mix and let dough rise. In a stand mixer (or large bowl if making by hand) measure in salt, oil, flour and add the yeast mixture last. Mix 3-5 minutes in mixer or knead 5-7 minutes by hand until dough is smooth. Place in greased bowl, cover with dish towel and let rise 45 min or until doubled in size.
Shape and let rise again. Roll dough out with a rolling pin and then roll lengthwise using the "sleeping bag" method, shown below. Place on baking sheet and rise 45-60 min, until almost doubled in size.
Bake. Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice top of loaf 5-7 times with sharp knife about .25 inch deep. This helps the loaf expand while baking. Bake for 20-25 min, and don't forget to brush a beaten egg on the loaf the last few minutes for that divine golden crispy crust!

Tips for soft fluffy french bread:

Make time for two rises! Rising time is key for soft, fluffy bread. Double in size is the rule of thumb for most bread recipes.
Stiffer dough for a taller loaf. If the dough is too sticky and wet, it spreads flat as it rises.
Roll the dough into a loaf shape using a "sleeping bag" rolling method. This tightens up the outside of the loaf nicely, so the edges don't spread too much during the second rise.
Use a beaten egg brushed on the outside of the loaf for a crusty, golden brown outside. No need to use the whole egg, just make sure the tops and sides of the loaf are brushed.

You can speed up the rising process by turning the oven on for a minute or two, and then turning it off and placing the dough inside to rise in the warm (but NOT hot) oven. Although this speeds the rising process, the most flavorful bread comes from dough that ferments (or rises) longer. If you watch The Great British Baking Show and have heard of Paul Hollywood, a professional baker, you know he says this multiple times.

To get a taller loaf, make sure that the dough is not too elastic. This is a stiffer dough, not sticky at all. Kneading time of 5-7 minutes and a little extra flour helps to get the right consistency. The technique I use I learned working at the bakery. Roll the dough out flat with a rolling pin, then roll tightly lengthwise, kind of like a bedroll or a sleeping bag. Gentle pressure only, pulling the dough too tight will rip it and damage the gluten strands.

The reason I like this recipe so much is that it makes a reasonably large loaf of french bread, and it's easily doubled to make two loaves if I'm making it for company. I usually make two loaves anyway, because I could eat slice after slice. IT'S THAT GOOD.

How to make french bread without a stand mixer:

Simply follow the recipe using a medium sized mixing bowl and knead by hand for 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth. This recipe is for thick dough, you'll need your bread muscles for sure! 💪🏻

What to serve with french bread

Freezer Instructions for french bread

If you have any leftovers or if you doubled the recipe and have 2 loaves, you can wrap loaves (completely cooled) in saran wrap or tinfoil, place in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

📝 Printable Recipe

Baked loaf of fluffy french bread on wood table with towel, butter, and knife.

Soft Fluffy French Bread

Sara Smith | Eat Dessert Snack

This recipe for Fluffy French Bread is my go-to bread recipe. It makes one loaf and is easily doubled to make for a crowd.

4.90 from 86 votes

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Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 2

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 88 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup warm water approx 90-110 degrees F.
▢ 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
▢ 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar or honey
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 Tablespoon oil
▢ 2½ to 3 cups all purpose flour
▢ 1 egg, beaten for top of bread

Instructions

In bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if mixing by hand), combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5-7 minutes or until foamy.
Mix in salt, oil, and 2 cups flour on low speed until combined. Add half cup flour at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and is only slightly sticky. Mix on low to medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or hand knead 5-7 min.
Place dough in greased bowl and let rise for 45 minutes at room temperature, it should be almost double in size. Roll out into a 9X13 inch rectangle and then roll tightly up into a long roll, about 2-3 inches high and 13 inches long.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Place the roll of dough on baking sheet and slice slits in top of bread 2-3 inches apart, and about ¼ inch deep. Let rise one hour, or until about doubled in size.
Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, top should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Brush egg onto top of loaf and bake for another 2-3 minutes. This gives the outside of the loaf a nice shine and a little crunch.

Notes

Placing dough in the oven and preheating it to 200 F and then shutting the oven off and propping the door open with a wooden spoon can decrease rising time by 15-20 minutes on either rise.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 224mgPotassium: 58mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Tag me @eatdessertsnack or tag #eatdessertsnack

Strawberries and Cream Bars

Strawberries and Cream Bars are made with a soft cookie like base, cream cheese fruit filling, and topped with a creamy glaze. Best fruit dessert bars ever!

This is one of my all time favorite summer strawberry desserts! Right up there with Strawberry Pop Tart Cookies and Strawberry Banana Bread.

Strawberries and Cream Bars

I've made these strawberry bars more times than I can count, with lots of variations like Easy Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars.

They make a full cookie sheet sized batch and are the BEST for parties and potlucks. This is such a cute Valentines dessert! The base is sugar cookie like with a creamy smooth filling, strawberries for filling and a little more cookie topping with a vanilla icing on top.

Key Ingredients

Here are the basics! As always, full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.

Butter - salted
Granulated white sugar
Eggs - large
Vanilla extract
All purpose flour
Strawberries- fresh, chopped
Cream Cheese
Sour cream - or plain greek yogurt
Lemon
Powdered Sugar
Milk

Step By Step Instructions

Chop strawberries and letting them sit with fresh lemon juice and sugar to release all of the yummy juices while I prepare everything else. Sometimes I do this ahead of time and refrigerate until I need them.
Make the dough. I lightly flour the rolling pin and top of the dough as I roll it straight into the pan. ALWAYS reserve a heaping cup of dough for the end to spread over the filling and strawberries! The nice thing is that if you forget and roll it into the pan, you can just remove some and roll the crust out thinner. No harm done!
Make cream filling to top the crust with. I found that using sour cream or plain greek yogurt worked better than using more cream cheese, it made the filling more creamy and less chewy and jelly like.
After the strawberries have released their juices, I sprinkle them over the creamy filling and crust.
Use the reserved cup of dough to spread in flattened pieces over the filling, it makes for less mess when serving.
Bake!
Make the icing while the bars are baking and put it in a small plastic ziploc bag. After the bars have cooled 15-20 minutes I snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle in an "X" shape across the bars for a pretty lattice glaze pattern.

I kid not when I say that the Mancub has eaten his weight in these bars over the years. They're one of his very favorite desserts!

Variations

It's so easy to customize these delicious strawberry dessert bars.

Try different fruits! Our favorites include raspberries, blueberries, peaches, and cherries.
Use fresh citrus juice in the cream cheese filling and/or the glaze. I love to use lemon and orange juice.
Top with walnuts, sliced almonds, or pecans for some extra crunch. So delicious!

Don't forget to share the love and Pin or share on your favorite social media if you enjoyed this recipe!

Can you freeze these bars?

You can, but it may change the consistency due to the dairy content. If you wish to freeze them, simply slice after they have cooled completely, transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months.

📝 Printable Recipe

Chocolate Pudding Mix Cookies

Chocolate Pudding Mix Cookies are the best cookies ever, because PUDDING. Makes 3.5 dozen and are perfect for parties and bake sales. Freezer friendly too!

I talk a lot about cookies but it's for a good reason. THEY'RE AMAZING. If you're new here, let me introduce you first to my Classic Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies. There. Now that you know each other, let me introduce you to their dark and attractive cousin, the Chocolate version!

Baked Chocolate Pudding Mix Cookies on metal baking sheet.

They're super easy cookies to make and freeze ahead and bake when ready (directions below). They look like ordinary cookies but OH MY LANTA. They are so fudgy and are fantastic fresh out of the oven and stay fresh tasting for days. Pudding mix really does change the rules of the game here, you'll never have a flat cookie again.

Raw ingredients for chocolate chip pudding cookies in blue kitchenaid mixer.

Ingredients for double chocolate cookies

Here's the basic list of ingredients for these cookies.

Butter - salted
Granulated white sugar & brown sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Salt
Chocolate pudding mix - instant, sugar free can be used
Cocoa powder
Baking Soda
All purpose flour
Chocolate chips

Step By Step Instructions

Cream the butter & sugars together until fluffy on high speed, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and mix well.
Add pudding mix, cocoa powder, and baking soda and mix well.
Add in flour and mix, and add chocolate chips last.
Bake!

Raw Chocolate pudding cookie dough balls on a pan.

Tips for the best ever chocolate pudding mix cookies:

Always use excellent quality ingredients!
Cream the butter and sugar together for at LEAST 3 minutes. Light and fluffy it must be for the best cookies.
Don't overbake! It's difficult to tell because of the dark color of the cookies, but the tops will only be slightly cracked when done baking. They finish baking for another minute or two out of the oven.

For these cookies I prefer to use chocolate fudge pudding mix but regular chocolate pudding mix works wonderfully! For the best cookies, make sure you follow the tips above.

The texture of the cookie dough should be nice and squishy, and slightly stiff like fresh play dough. It shouldn't be dry and crumbly. It's super easy to make these into a fun Halloween cookie like my Chocolate Spider Web Cookies.

Gooey baked Chocolate pudding mix cookies

Make recipe for dough as directed.
Scoop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat close together but so edges are not touching.
Freeze 4 hours or overnight, then place into a freezer safe bag to use later.
To bake thawed: Place cookie dough balls in refrigerator overnight and then onto prepared cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake as directed in recipe.
To bake while frozen: Preheat oven to 350 F. Place frozen cookie dough balls Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges are barely golden brown and the tops are barely beginning to crack. At 14 minutes check every minute until done.

Chocolate pudding cookies are great Valentines cookies, Christmas cookies, or for fun cookies. If you try them and like them, make sure you spread the love by sharing!

📝 Printable Recipe

Blackberry Pear Salad

Fresh blackberries and juicy pears with crunchy pistachios and parmesan make this salad a perfect mix of sweet and savory!

This is a light and summery salad for all occasions! It pairs well with a slice or two of Soft Fluffy French Bread or Sourdough Discard Crackers if you're feeling fancy!

Blackberry salad with spinach/spring mix is a copycat recipe for a salad from an italian style restaurant back home. Crunchy pistachios, purple onions, fresh basil and fresh parmesan cheese complete this masterpiece. It's got lots of color and a citrus vinaigrette, similar to Spring Roll Salad.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: Fresh lemon vinaigrette, juicy pears and blackberries, and crunchy pistachios over fresh greens. The parmesan is a really nice touch!
Ease: Beginner, no cooking required.
Time: 10 minutes to prep the ingredients and put together the dressing!

📝 Ingredient Notes

Glass bowls with labeled ingredients for blackberry pear salad on metal baking tray.

Greens - It's a simple mix for the fresh greens. You can use a spring mix (arugula, spinach, baby lettuce) or a combo of romaine, spinach, and basil.
Pistachios - I use lightly salted, roasted pistachios.
Pears- fresh is best, but canned can be used if thoroughly drained. I like Bartlett or Anjou for the firmer texture and flavor.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Cheese - parmesan is easily switched out for pecorino romano, asiago, goat cheese, or feta.
Honey - you can use agave nectar in place of honey.
Nuts - switch for toasted pecans, sliced almonds.
Fruits - sliced apples, figs, or pomegranates would be delicous!

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Ingredients separated in a bowl for blackberry pear salad.

Step 1. Slice lettuce, onion, pears, and parmesan and place into a bowl together with pistachios, lemon zest, and blackberries.

Olive oil, lemon, honey, salt and pepper in bowls on marble.

Step 2. Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk thoroughly.

TIP: Slice everything thinly! The pears, the onion, and shave the parmesan vs grating it.

Edible lemon slices, pears, and blackberries on salad.

Step 3. Drizzle dressing over salad and gently toss ingredients to distribute dressing. I usually save a few ingredients to sprinkle over the top of the salad before serving. Tiny slices of lemon are delicious in it!

TIP: If making ahead, save the dressing to put onto the salad right before serving.

❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips

Stays fresh separate from the dressing for 2-3 days depending on the age of the greens.

📌 Troubleshooting

Soggy salad: sitting in dressing/fruit - add dressing at table or last 10 min before serving.
Pears browning too fast: usually from oxidation - add lemon juice on cut fruit before mixing into salad.
Berries falling apart: probably overripe - handle the berries very gently and add them to the salad last.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

What pears work best in a blackberry pear salad?

I prefer Bartlett or Anjou since they are easily accessible in most grocery stores, are sturdy and hold up well in salads. Red pear or asian pears would be lovely too!

How do I prevent my salad from getting soggy?

Wait to add the dressing until serving. This salad only takes a few minutes to whip up, you can add the pears and blackberries last too if that helps.

Can I add protein to this salad?

Yes, I would go with a mildly seasoned grilled chicken breast, salmon fillet, or a few shrimp.

🍽️ Serving Ideas

Protein options: grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp!
Breads: warm soft french bread or sourdough.
Drinks: brown sugar peach lemonade, coconut limeade, or minty cucumber ice water.

🥗 More Delicious Salad Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

Orange Cranberry Coffee Cake with almond streusel is a great holiday cake for brunch! Can be made with fresh, frozen, or dried cranberries.

This is a cranberry sour cream coffee cake born of my love from cake for breakfast, and some of my favorite festive flavors. It's not a traditional Classic Coffee Cake but is one of our favorites around the holidays! The almond streusel and orange glaze on top of the cranberry cake is my FAVORITE.

Baked cranberry orange coffee cake with bite removed on white plate.

Cranberry and orange cake is now a favorite weekend (breakfast) and holiday treat for us, especially Christmas and Thanksgiving when we aren't making The Best Orange Rolls Ever.

This recipe uses fresh or frozen cranberries, not canned. If you're looking for a great dessert with cranberry sauce, I'd try easy cranberry jello.

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What To Expect

Taste: Cranberry almond cake is moist and not too sweet, with fresh tart cranberries and orange zest (and juice) in it with a crunchy almond sugar streusel on top. It's a lovely combination!
Ease: This is a pretty straightforward recipe, mixing wet ingredients first and then dry ingredients before combining them.
Time: It takes a few minutes to mix up the cake, 35-45 minutes to bake, and another 10-15 minutes to cool before putting on the glaze. It's easy to make ahead and refrigerate before baking in the morning!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Ingredients for cranberry coffee cake in glass dishes on metal pan.

Cranberries - can use fresh or frozen, just make sure they're thawed first. If using dried, make sure you rehydrate them using my recipe notes below.
Oranges - both zest and fresh juice are used in the cake, and orange juice concentrate is in the delicious glaze on top!
Sour Cream - makes the cake light and moist when baked.
Almonds - sliced, are AMAZING in the perfect sugary streusel on top of the cake!
Almond Extract - adds a little boost in flavor to the cake and helps the cranberry flavor pop! It's delicous. You can add a little to the almond streusel topping too if you really love almond flavor like we do.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Sour Cream - can be substituted with plain greek yogurt, or even buttermilk. I would reduce the amount to ⅓ cup if using buttermilk however.
Granulated white sugar - can be swapped out with coconut sugar.
Some readers have successfully used gluten free flour (Bob's Red Mill) to make this recipe gluten free.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Make sure you preheat the oven to 350 ℉ and line a 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with baking spray.

Step 1. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy.

Eggs, vanilla, and sour cream in metal bowl with sugar and butter.

Step 2. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract, mixing well for 1 minute.

Squeezing orange into metal bowl with orange zest.

Step 3. Add sour cream, zest of one orange, and fresh squeezed orange juice (should equal about ¼ cup - 60 mL) and mix well.

Dry ingredients for cranberry orange coffee cake in glass bowl.

Step 4. In separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined and all flour pockets are gone, careful not to overmix.

Raw cranberries in cake batter and spatula spreading batter into lined metal pan.

Step 5. Gently stir in cranberries (above left image), then spread into prepared 9X9 baking dish (above right image) .

Butter and flour being mixed together with fork and almonds in glass bowl.

Step 6. In small bowl combine the butter, sugar, and flour and mix with a fork, breaking up the butter in to small pieces (above left image) . Add in the sliced almonds and mix well (above right image). The streusel and glaze are optional but SO GOOD.

Spreading almond mixture over raw cranberry orange cake batter.

Step 6. Sprinkle evenly over cake batter. Bake on a middle shelf in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes or the glaze will melt into the cake.

Ingredients for orange glaze in white bowl.

Step 7. While the cake is cooling, combine ingredients for the orange glaze: the orange juice concentrate, powdered sugar, and vanilla (above left image) and mix until smooth. (above right image). Drizzle over cake evenly, slice, and enjoy!

Baked cranberry orange cake with orange glaze on top.

📌 Top Tips & Hacks

Make in a muffin tin for cranberry orange muffins! Bake at 350℉ for 16-18 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
If you use frozen cranberries, make sure they are completely thawed before adding to your cake batter.
Make the cake batter ahead and refrigerate overnight to make it super easy to bake in the oven in the morning for a lovely holiday breakfast or brunch! It will take a few minutes longer to bake from a cold fridge but it's worth it.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

How do you rehydrate dried cranberries?

1. Measure out desired amount of dried cranberries into heat-safe mixing bowl. ¾ cup dried cranberries would equal about 1 cup fresh cranberries in a recipe.
2. Pour boiling water over dried cranberries in a bowl until covered.
3. Wait 15-20 minutes, drain the cranberries, and then use in recipe.

Can I double this Cranberry Orange Cake recipe?

Yes! Just make sure you double all of the ingredients ingredients. Follow instructions and bake in a 9x13 inch pan at 350 ℉ for 50-60 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. You may want to cover lightly with tinfoil the last 15 minutes or so to protect the almonds from getting too toasted on top.

Can you make cranberry orange cake overnight?

Yes! I have made the cake and refrigerated it overnight before baking it in the morning. It adds a few minutes on to the baking time, but it's so nice to have it already made.

Why does my orange cake taste bitter?

It could be because the orange zest may be a little overbaked, or there is too much pith (the white underlayer on the orange under the peel) in the cake.

🎄 More Holiday Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

Butterscotch Chip Pumpkin Cake is a perfect one bowl cake with buttery caramel notes from the butterscotch chips, baked in 40 minutes!

The buttery scotchy chips and the lil sugar crunchies on top of the cake ARE PERFECTION. I like to drizzle a little Instant Pot Pot Dulce De Leche on my slice(s) with an extra large glass of milk.

Baked slice of butterscotch pumpkin cake on spatula.

We've made this cake for years, the mancub has eaten up to but not limited to half the cake in a day. We're a butterscotch family (his other favorite butterscotch treat is Butterscotch Chip Cookies). If you like butterscotch and pumpkin, this cake is for you bestie.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: Warm cinnamon pumpkin cake with butterscotch buttery caramel notes. My personal favorite is the little crunch from the sugar topping.
Ease: No mixer required! One bowl recipe. Mix dry ingredients, then wet ingredients, then into a pan to bake!
Time: About 10 minutes to mix up, and 40 minutes to bake.

🛒 Key Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for butterscotch pumpkin cake in glass bowls in pan.

Pumpkin puree - make sure it's NOT the canned pumpkin pie mix, just the 100% puree. It's easy to make that mistake! Ask me how I know.
Sugar - brown sugar for the cake batter, white sugar for the crunchy topping! Brown sugar on top won't bake to be crunchy because of the moisture in it, so make sure you use white for the top of the cake.
Cinnamon - I only use cinnamon for this cake. Here's why: it doesn't need pumpkin pie spice! I prefer to keep it simple so it doesn't overpower the butterscotch taste.
Baking soda - this is my chosen leavener for the cake, combined with the greek yogurt or sour cream to act as an acid that will help create lift.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Sour cream - easily replaced with unflavored plain homemade greek yogurt, I make this substution all the time.
Butter - you can definitely use a mild flavored oil like olive oil for the cake. I love the salted butter because of the flavor! When cooled the cake can seem stiffer because of the butter but I like to serve the cake warm so it's never been an issue.
Finishing touches: toasted pecans/walnuts, flaky sea salt, candied ginger, or whipped cream dollops

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin and greek yogurt in bowl.

Step 1. In large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, greek yogurt, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in melted butter last.

Cinnamon, flour, salt, and baking soda on top of pumpkin mixture.

Step 2. On top of wet ingredients, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until combined and no flour pockets are left. Be careful not to overmix, or your cake will be tough and chewy.

Step 3. Fold in 1 cup of butterscotch chips last.

Sugar and butterscotch chips on cake batter in pan.

Step 4. Spread into a 9x13 inch pan, sprinkle white sugar on top, and remaining butterscotch chips. Bake for 30-35 min, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Glass or ceramic pans may take a 5-10 minutes longer to bake than dark pans.

TIP: For cleaner slices, chill 30-60 minutes before slicing.

📌 Troubleshooting

Dry cake: causes (overbake, too much flour, insufficient fat) + fixes (simple syrup soak, reduce next bake time).
Soggy center: underbaked edges, too much liquid from butterscotch - bake longer, tent with foil.
Chips sinking or clumping: fold gently and flour toss.

❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips

How to make ahead: bake the day ahead and cover until ready to slice and serve.

Freezing tips: Wait until cake is completely cooled to freeze, you can flash freeze individual slices for easy and convenient small serving desserts.

Shelf life : up to 3 days at room temperature.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?

Yes, but homemade is typically more runny. Make sure and adjust to use ¼ cup more of flour if you use homemade puree.

How much pumpkin purree is too much in cake batter?

Keep pumpkin to about 20-25% of total batter volume, more puree than that can weaken the structure of the cake and have too much moisture in it. For this cake we don't want it too moist, it needs to be a thicker batter to support the sugar on top and prevent the butterscotch chips from sinking.

Serving Ideas

With a maple caramel glaze like in my Caramel Apple Cinnamon Maple Glazed Scones
With a cream cheese frosting like on my Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls.
With white chocolate or mini semi sweet chocolate chips!

🎃 More Easy Pumpkin Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Besties, here's creamy chicken wild rice soup! Easy stovetop or slow cooker recipe with rich flavors and perfect hearty texture.

The macros in this soup are AMAZING. Easy soup recipes are all the rage, this one is a family favorite! We love it with Flaky Sourdough Discard Biscuits and a melty Honey Butter Spread for a cozy fall vibe.

Bowl of creamy chicken wild rice soup with herbs.

We're really enjoying the slightly different flavor of the creamy chicken and wild rice in this soup. It's also better for you than white rice, which is an added benefit. Butternut squash, peas, and mushrooms also give it an amazing flavor profile. I also use aromatics like carrots and celery and a little bit of fresh thyme to lift this soup to a lovely level!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: Savory from the chicken and onion, a little sweet from the carrot and butternut squash, and the texture from the wild rice is so nice!
Ease: Chopping and prepping the veggies is the hardest part. Then it's dump and cook!
Time: It takes 10 minutes to chop all the

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Labeled ingredients for creamy chicken and wild rice soup in bowls on metal pan.

Butternut Squash - used for fall purposes. Acorn squash or pumpkin is another great one to use!
Mushrooms - for the umami! And more fall purposes. You can use any you like, but I use button and portobello the most.
Rice- pure wild rice vs wild rice blend
- Pure wild rice takes 45-50 minutes to cook, blends take 30-40 minutes. I like to use a wild rice blend, but brown rice will work in a pinch and has the same cooking time.
Aromatics - carrots, celery, and onion.
Chicken broth - I love to use homemade Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth but it's super easy to use store bought OR use 1 cup water with 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon as a substitute.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

For a vegetarian option, simply omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth/bouillon.
For a gluten free option, make sure to use 1-2 TB cornstarch instead of flour to thicken.
Use a variety of mushrooms and other fall vegetables! I've used acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, leeks, and parsnips.
Creamy soup isn't for everyone, if you want a dairy free version, simply replace the milk with the same amount of chicken or vegetable broth or even a plant based milk.
Gluten free, simply use cornstarch in place of flour (half the amount of flour).

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Raw chicken and onions in pot with olive oil.

Step 1. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced chicken and onions, and cook until onions are soft and chicken is cooked through.

Pouring chicken broth into pot of raw vegetables.

Step 2. Add chicken broth, rice, peas, mushrooms, squash, carrots, celery, and all spices. Bring soup to boil, then turn to low heat, cover, and let simmer for 30-40 minutes until rice is soft.

Milk and flour with whisk on marble countertop.

Step 3. Whisk together milk and flour in small bowl, making sure mixture is smooth.

Step 4. Slowly pour into soup, stirring constantly. Cook for another 5 minutes, until soup has thickened. Serve warm with some crusty, cheesy irish soda bread or homemade yeast rolls for the coziest dinner ever, shire style.

Rice Mechanics - avoid gummy or undercooked rice

Wild rice behaves differently because of the starch content and hulls on the outsides that white rice doesn't have. Because of that it needs nearly double the cooking time to be nice and soft.
You can prevent rice from absorbing all of the broth a few different ways:
- Reduce the amound of rice (1 cup to ¾ cup).
- Increase the amount of broth used.
You can par-cook rice or add pre-cooked rice at the end.

Pro Tip: For a more soupy finish, cook rice separately and add to bowls when serving - best for make-ahead or freezing. After cooling the soup becomes more of a stew texture, so reheat with a little extra broth or water.

📌 Troubleshooting

Gummy rice → overcooked or cooked too long in concentrated broth → fix: cook rice separately next time.
Broken/separated soup (curdled milk) → too high of heat or added dairy too early → fix: remove from heat, whisk in little cold cream or an emulsifier.
Bland soup → under-reduced stock, or missing acid/umami → add lemon juice, vinegar, or a splash of soy/Worcestershire; finish with fresh herbs.
Too thin → reduction or appropriate thickener; too thick → thin with hot chicken stock.

Pot with creamy wild rice soup and wooden spoon in it.

⏱️ Three Tested Methods

Stovetop Method (best texture & my preferred method)
- Sear chicken and veggies → add stock → simmer rice until al dente → finish with milk/thickener.
Slow Cooker Method (set-and-forget)
- Browning veggies/chicken first, add spices, then add rice and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Method (fast & flavorful)
- Same prep as for slow cooker: saute chicken and veggies first, add other ingredients (in at least an 8 qt pressure cooker), cook 15 minutes and natural release. Stir in milk/thickener last.

❄️ Make Ahead, Freeze, Reheat

Freeze: up to 3 months, thaw overnight in fridge and reheat gently.
Refrigeration: 3-4 days.
Reheating tips to restore creaminess (whisk in splash of stock or cream, re-emulsify with butter).

❓Frequently Asked Questions

What can I serve with wild rice soup?

Crusty bread, garlic cheddar drop biscuits or a simple lemon caesar salad.

What's the best way to keep the soup creamy after reheating?

You can whisk in warm whole milk, greek yogurt, or cream off heat, or blend part of the soup.

How long does wild rice take to cook in soup vs separately?

In the soup, about 35-40 minutes. Separately, about 30-35 minutes.

🥣 More Cozy Soup Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake

This is a single serve pumpkin mug cake, made in under 5 minutes in the microwave! It's soft, delicious, and perfectly spiced.

BESTIES. This is the perfect single serve dessert, mug cakes are the best kept secret. When I don't have the time or don't feel like making an entire pumpkin butterscotch cake or a loaf of pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting I make a mini pumpkin cake in a mug! There's NO egg or oil, so it's safe to eat even when it's a little undercooked.

Bite of spiced pumpkin mug cake on gold fork above mug.

Pumpkin mug cake is one of my favorite pumpkin recipes to make in the fall because of how quick and easy it is. Around Christmas time it's eggnog mug cake, always with whipped cream on top! Mug cakes are easy and convenient, no oven required, which makes them my favorite single serve dessert ever.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: Fluffy, pumpkin flavored mug cake with brown sugar. The cinnamon and pumpkin are the dominant flavors.
Ease: Beginner friendly, so simple for kids to do as well with supervision. No oven required.
Time: Less than 5 minutes! Yee haw!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Ingredients for pumpkin mug cake labeled in glass bowls.

Pumpkin puree - make sure it's the puree, not the canned pumpkin pie mix.
Brown sugar - makes the most delicious moist mug cake.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

PUT A CARAMEL IN IT. Caramel stuffed mug cake is heaven. Put in TWO caramels or a chocolate covered caramel in the middle before cooking it. You'll thank me later.
I use dairy for my mug cakes usually, but you can use any plant based milk too to make it a vegan pumpkin mug cake.
Maple syrup in place of brown sugar is a delicious substitute and doesn't effect cook time much.
You can add any kind of chocolate chip in this cake and it will taste delicious. Ask me how I know.
Chopped nuts are also delicious!

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1. In a 12 oz. microwave safe mug, combine milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and sugar.

Dry ingredients on top of wet ingredients in mug.

Step 2. Add cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, flour, baking powder, and salt. Can substitute with ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Mix well.

Pro Tip: Use a microwave-safe mug that holds at least 10-12 oz so batter can rise safely and cook evenly.

Whipped cream and pumpkin candy on top of cooked pumpkin spice mug cake.

Step 3. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes. Sometimes the mug cake rises a little above the edge of the mug, it shrinks back down as it cools. It's never overflowed for me. If it seems a little underdone, add 10 more seconds to the cook time. (I actually like it a little underdone, it reminds me of pumpkin pie).
Add whipped cream and sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on top. You could also drizzle a little maple syrup or caramel sauce over it for a maple pumpkin mug cake. Yum!

TIP: Use a bowl or ramekin for a bigger surface area to hold a generous amount of whipped cream on top!

📌 Troubleshooting

Rubbery/chewy center: overcooked or overmixed, → reduce cook time by 10-20 seconds.
Gummy/wet bottom: undercooked, add 10-15 seconds to cook time.
Too dense: too much pumpkin/liquid or not enough leavening → add ⅛-1/4 teaspoon baking powder next time.
Soggy after adding topping: add toppings after a 1-2 minute rest to avoid steam softening.

❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips

Batter: refrigerate up to 24 hours in sealed container. Make sure to stir before microwaving.

Cooked mug cake: refrigerate 2 days. Reheat 10-20s in microwave or 5-6 min in 300°F oven to refresh.

Freezing: not great for fully cooked microwave mug cakes (it changes the texture). A better option would be to freeze batter portions in silicon molds and microwave from partially thawed, 3-4 minutes or more if needed.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a pumpkin spice mug cake without eggs?

Yes, this recipe doesn't use egg and doesn't need it. It's perfect without it!

Why is my mug cake rubbery and how do I fix it?

The biggest reasons are overcooking and overmixing. When the top gets too hot it can cause it to have a rubbery texture. Try to reduce the cooking time or cook it in a bowl next time.

🎃 More Fall Pumpkin Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling

An easy Blueberry Pie Filling recipe from scratch for fresh or frozen blueberries that only takes 20 minutes to make!

I love this recipe because of the vanilla and lemon in it. It REALLY makes that blueberry flavor pop. This recipe is similar to my Homemade Cherry Pie Filling, but I added more blueberries because they cook down quite a bit, more than cherries would.

Some fruits (mainly citrus) also have more natural pectin than others, which is why I added a little more corn starch to this recipe. It also happens to be naturally gluten free and vegan, just like my Homemade Apple Pie Filling. Lovely in No Churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream , for cheesecake cookie topping, pancakes & waffles, and of course, pie using Cream Cheese Pie Crust!

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What To Expect

Ease: This is a pretty straightforward beginner recipe with simple steps.
Taste: This filling is made with fresh or frozen blueberries and has some added sugar and lemon juice to balance everything out. It's on the sweet side, with the beautiful blueberry flavor as the hero. The vanilla enhances the flavor and doesn't overpower it.
Time: Since this recipe is prepared on the stovetop, it cooks in just a few minutes! If you're using fresh blueberries, it won't take quite as long for the pie filling to cook.

🛒 Ingredients

Blueberries - you can use fresh or frozen, wild blueberries or regular, as long as they are weighed they will work wonderfully.
Lemon - adds much needed acidity to the pie filling and helps the blueberry flavor pop!
Cornstarch - the gluten free thickener used to help make the pie filling have a gel like consistency.
White Granulated Sugar - the easiest sweetener to use, some readers have used brown sugar and coconut sugar with success.
Vanilla - this adds flavor and makes it the BEST blueberry pie filling ever!

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

You can leave out the lemon in the recipe, but it really does brighten up the flavor!
You can use coconut sugar in place of the white granulated sugar.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

It's super easy to make blueberry pie filling, I'll walk you through the process.

Raw bluberries in white bowl with dishtowel.

Step 1. Wash blueberries carefully and remove any extra stems or leaves.

If using frozen make sure you weigh them to get the correct amount as they are larger when frozen and cook down.

Raw blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest in a metal pan.

Step 2. In medium size saucepan, combine blueberries, water, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, and salt.

Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 5 minutes, only stirring occasionally. Mixing too much will crush the blueberries as they cook.

Cooked blueberry pie filling in metal pot with lemon zest.

Step 4. After pie filling has come to a gentle boil and has thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and lemon zest gently.

Step 5. Allow to cool to room temperature before using as a topping or pie filling.

📌 Top Tips For Success

Cool completely before filling a raw pie crust, otherwise it could melt the butter in the pie dough and cause problems baking.
Add the lemon zest before cooking for more lemon flavor, and after for a more mellow lemon flavor.
Weigh your blueberries to get a more accurate ratio of liquid to fruit. I do this with apples in homemade apple pie filling and peaches in homemade peach pie filling

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can homemade blueberry pie filling be frozen?

Yes, you may have to heat it up after thawing to make the starches shiny and not jelly like.

What is blueberry pie filling made of?

Blueberries, water, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, a little salt, and lemon.

Why is my blueberry pie filling runny?

Pie filling must boil to activate the starches in the thickener, and once activated will help it thicken as it cools down.

Will pie filling thicken as it cools?

Yes! The blueberry pie filling will seem more runny if it is hot.

Can you can or bottle blueberry pie filling?

You can make canned blueberry pie filling but it's not recommended to use corn starch. Heat distribution can be uneven inside the jars if cornstarch is used, which can prevent the bacteria being killed, possibly making it unsafe to eat.
- Instead, a modified food starch called ClearJel can be used, which distributes heat better and doesn't insulate bacteria against the heat.

However, I have no experience canning this recipe using ClearJel, so I haven't posted instructions.

🫐 More Ways To Use Blueberries

There are MANY ways to make blueberry pie filling desserts, but one of my favorites is to use it in place of the raspberries in Easy Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars, or in Frozen Blueberries with Yogurt for a snack. If you need more ideas, I got you covered!

📝 Printable Recipe

Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling

Sara Smith | Eat Dessert Snack

A Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling recipe for fresh or frozen blueberries. Great for ice cream or cheesecake toppings, pancakes and waffles, or of course, pie!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 121 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries approx. 800 g
▢ 1 cup water 236 mL
▢ ½ cup granulated white sugar 116 g
▢ 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (about ½ lemon) 30 mL
▢ 5 Tablespoons corn starch 40 g
▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
▢ 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

Wash blueberries carefully. If using frozen, at least partially thaw before using.
In medium size saucepan, combine blueberries, water, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, and salt.
Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 5 minutes, only stirring occasionally. Mixing too much will crush the blueberries as they cook.
After pie filling has come to a gentle boil and has thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and lemon zest gently. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before using as a topping.

Notes

If using as a pie filling, allow to cool completely (to room temperature) before pouring into raw pie shell.

Refrigerate for up to 5 days

Freeze for up to 3 months - reheat after thawing to bring a glossy shine back, add a few Tablespoons of water if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 1gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gSodium: 39mgPotassium: 73mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 50IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.3mg

Tried this recipe?Tag me @eatdessertsnack or tag #eatdessertsnack

Sourdough Discard Brownies

Sourdough discard brownies are soft and fudgy, and take 35 minutes to bake! Uses ½ cup unfed sourdough discard and are super easy.

Discard brownies are a simpler version of brownie than Cherry Cheesecake Brownies or Cheesecake Brownie Bars. All you need for these babies are basic pantry ingredients and some sourdough discard. And OF COURSE, chocolate chips!

Baked sourdough discard brownies sliced into squares.

These are sourdough discard brownies with cocoa powder, and they're RICH (as all good brownies are). Testing this recipe was so much fun. I discovered that brown sugar can add too much moisture to the batter, especially with the addition of sourdough discard, so I used all white sugar, which makes the recipe simpler AND ensures the crackly top on the brownies.

I adjusted the measurements to use 2 whole eggs, because I don't like using just a yolk like many other recipes and wasting the whites. Especially in this economy!

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What To Expect

Taste: These are a little like dark chocolate brownies, NOT overly sweet, a little tangy with the discard in them, and it's SO good.
Ease: Melting the butter and "blooming" the cocoa powder, mixing the wet ingredients, and adding the dry ingredients are all it takes before you bake. Pretty straightforward!
Time: It takes 5-10 minutes to make the batter and 35 to bake the brownies. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool to eat them!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for sourdough discard brownies in glass bowls on metal baking sheet.

Sourdough discard - unfed, it can be cold from the fridge or room temperature. Make sure it's stirred, and preferably weighed to get the correct amount.
Sugar - I used only white sugar in this recipe to avoid too much moisture content, which could prevent the brownies from having the crackly top. Since there's discard in the recipe, there's extra water in the batter.
Cocoa powder - unsweetened cocoa powder is the chocolate base, and it's "bloomed" in the melted butter to help enhance the flavor. You can use regular or dark, like in Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Sourdough discard substitution: this recipe calls for ½ cup, but you can use ¼ cup (34g) of flour and ⅓ cup (80g) water.
Nuts! They're my favorite thing to add to brownies. Walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or almonds would be my first choices but macadamia nuts or something unique like pine nuts are also delicious.
Favorite chocolate bars or cookies like Snickers, Oreos, Reeses, or Kit Kats would be great chopped up and mixed into the batter.
Drizzled peanut butter, Nutella, or caramel would be amazing!
Try different chocolate chips. White chocolate, milk chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips. Toffee or mint chips would be delicious too.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Melted butter and white bowl of cocoa powder on marble countertop.

Step 1. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, melt butter and mix in cocoa powder to let it "bloom". Set aside.

Eggs, sugar, vanilla, and sourdough discard in white bowl.

Step 2. In a mixing bowl, combine white sugar, eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla and mix for 2-3 minutes until the sugar is dissolving and getting fluffy. The longer you mix it, the more the sugar dissolves and helps with the crackly top when it's baked. You can whisk or use an electric mixer. If you don't have a stand mixer, a handheld electric mixer is a great alternative!

Mixing cocoa powder and butter into wet ingredients in white bowl.

Step 3. Add in the butter/cocoa powder mixture to the eggs, sugar, and discard and mix well.

Flour and salt in brownie batter mixture.

Step 4. Add in the flour and salt and mix well until all the flour pockets are gone.

Raw discard brownie batter in parchment paper lined baking pan with chocolate chips on top.

Step 5. Fold in chocolate chips last. Transfer to prepared 9x9 inch baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until inserted knife comes out clean. Dark pans take less time than heavy ceramic pans or glass pans to bake. And keep in mind that if you use an 8x8 inch pan they will be thicker and take a few more minutes to bake as well. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing for neater slices. Enjoy!

📌 Top Tips & Hacks

"Bloom" the cocoa powder in the hot melted butter. It helps to release and intensify the flavor in the cocoa powder. It makes a difference!
I use only eggs as the leavening agent. Any baking soda/powder will create a fluffier texture and structure more like cake.
Weigh your ingredients! That way it's easier to get consistent results every time. I have used this kitchen scale for years and love it.
Line your pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup!

Baked sourdough brownie slice on parchment paper.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Should I leave out the salt if using salted butter?

Nope. Don't do it. This recipe has just a little extra salt besides the salted butter, making the brownies perfect.

Is sourdough good for desserts?

Yes! They add more flavor and richness to desserts, depending on the recipe. I LOVE sourdough discard desserts.

If I were to double this recipe how long should I cook it? And what size of pan should I use?

I would use a 9x13 inch pan, and bake for 50-55 minutes.

How do I store sourdough discard brownies?

Room temperature: up to 3 days in an airtight container
Freeze: up to 3 months separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

🥣 More Easy Sourdough Discard Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Chicken Zucchini Tomato Recipe

This Italian Chicken Zucchini Mushroom recipe is an easy, healthy, 20 minute dinner. Add tomatoes, fresh parmesan and basil for best results.

I love delicious healthy Italian dinners like Tuscan White Bean Soup for weekdays, but this one is even quicker to make and such a good chicken zucchini recipe for meal prepping! It's mediterranean style, and focuses on fresh summer vegetables and chicken, kind of like Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Veggies.

Cooked chicken, zucchini, tomatoes, and mushrooms in metla pan with wooden spoon.

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Why You'll LOVE This Recipe

It's FAST. It takes about 20 minutes to cook, and a few minutes to chop everything up.
It's very nutrient-dense, packed with protein, veggies, and flavor, this easy zucchini tomato recipe checks all the boxes.
Easy to make! Saute the chicken, then the veggies, add the spices, and voila!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Ingredients for chicken mushroom zucchini tomato skillet in glas bowls on marble countertop.

Zucchini - be sure to use fresh, not frozen for this recipe. This is a great zucchini recipe for when it's in season!
Mushrooms - brown or white baby bella mushrooms are a good size and easy to find in stores.
Italian Dressing - I use the restaurant Olive Garden brand, but your favorite Italian dressing is fine!
Grape/Cherry Tomatoes - fresh is best! Canned diced tomatoes can be used in a pinch but fresh is SO much better. This recipe was MADE for in-season summer veggies.
Parmesan - I love good fresh grated but pre-shredded is fine for this recipe.

✏️ Substitutions

Mushrooms - use your favorite variety or leave out if you don't like them! You could use ½ a yellow onion in their place.
Italian Dressing - can be replaced with 1 Tablespoon dry Italian dressing mix (not Italian seasoning), but I prefer dressing for more sauce if I'm serving over pasta or rice.
Use yellow squash in place of zucchini for a different spin.
Parmesan - switch for mozzarella, zucchini chicken with mozzarella and tomatoes is a killer combo.

🆒 Variations

Use portobello mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or any other variety you like!
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little bit of spice!
Add a Tablespoon or two of Red Pesto Sauce for extra flavor.
Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze for some extra loveliness!

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Raw chicken in metal pan with wooden spoon.

Step 1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium/high heat. Add chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes.

If you are using cast iron or stainless steel, let the chicken cook until it unsticks from the pan, it will come loose when it is cooked on one side. It does not need to be cooked all the way at this point! Cooking it all the way now will dry it out later.

Cooked chicken, raw zucchini, mushrooms, and spices in metal pan.

Step 2. Before the chicken cooks all the way, add in the zucchini and mushrooms with the garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Keep the heat high and sauté the veggies another 8-10 minutes until tender.

Metal pan with cooked chicken zucchini, and mushrooms with raw tomatoes.

Step 3. Add in the tomatoes and Italian dressing, cooking 2-3 minutes, long enough for them to heat through. Overcooking can cause the tomatoes to get mushy.

Step 4. Remove from heat and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.

📌 Top Tips

Don't forget to prep and wash your veggies properly.

Chicken - cubed
Zucchini - sliced thin matchstick ¼ inch (~.5cm) or less thick
Tomatoes - sliced in half lengthwise
Mushrooms - sliced thin or quartered if you prefer

Use fresh vegetables! Frozen ones are not your friends and can taste rubbery.
Add the tomatoes last so they don't turn to mush as everything else is cooking.
Use fresh parmesan or pecorino romaano to sprinkle on top. SO delicious!
Balsamic glaze drizzled on top will not do you wrong either.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

How to store chicken zucchini and tomatoes?

Refrigerate: in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Freeze: In a freezer safe container up to 3 months.

Is all the liquid normal?

Yes! I like it saucy, but if you don't like it then use Italian dressing mix instead of italian salad dressing. Another option is to serve it over pasta or rice!

What to serve with italian chicken and zucchini?

A side of rice or pasta is my go to, but we also love it with Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits or Soft Fluffy French Bread

Can you use frozen zucchini?

You can, it just may have a different texture than fresh zucchini. When I have used frozen, it is slightly rubbery, but some people don't mind that at all!

🍝 More Italian Recipes

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Brazilian Limeade

Creamy Brazilian Limeade (Limonada) is a sweet condensed milk, family friendly nonalcoholic summer drink. Made with 5 ingredients!

We're a little obsessed with lemonade variations and fun mocktails. Watermelon Lemonade is one of my loves, and Blackberry Pear Lemonade might make you swoon.

Brazilian limeade in glass cup with gold straw and lime slice on edge on marble coaster.

This limeade recipe has been a family favorite for many years, especially with our Cinco de Mayo crowd. I use a whole can of sweetened condensed milk, and less sugar than a lot of other recipes out there. I also add good quality vanilla because it makes a HUGE difference in taste and I love it. Even more than when I have it at Fogo de Chao!

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Why You'll LOVE This Recipe

Easy! It takes a little time to juice the limes, but it really is so simple to mix together.
Tastes like key lime pie! No joke, it's heaven in a glass.
This creamy limeade is nonalcoholic, and is one of my FAVORITE family-friendly summer party drinks!
Only FIVE ingredients! No fussy measurements either, I use a whole can of condensed milk for this drink and less sugar since the milk is sweetened.
Doesn't use a blender so no weird pulp or bitter taste. This is easier than the blender version in my opinion, you don't have to peel the limes or strain the juice to get the pulp out!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Ingredients for brazilian limeade in glass bowls on marble countertop.

✏️ Substitutions

Sweetened Condensed Milk - can be fat-free.
White Granulated Sugar - coconut sugar can be used.
Limes - 8-10 limes make 1 cup of juice, it depends on the size of the limes. I always buy a few more than I think I'll need, and use extra for slicing into the pitcher for garnish.
Vanilla - this is what makes it taste like a little creamy key lime pie mocktail! SO delicious!

🆒 Variations

Add mint for a minty limeade mocktail.
Lemons instead of limes? Absolutely! Use lemons to make Brazilian lemonade!
Add a little coconut milk and coconut extract for a creamy coconut lime drink.
This makes it taste like a creamy key lime pie without the crust. Yum!
A pinch of cinnamon is quite delightful in it!

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1. In a large pitcher (at least 3 quarts) combine the water (it's okay if it's cold) and white granulated sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Pouring lime juice into pitcher of water.

Step 2. Add lime juice and vanilla and mix well.

Pouring sweetened condensed milk into pitcher of water and lime juice.

Step 3. Add sweetened condensed milk last and whisk until it's smooth and creamy.

Brazilian limeade in pitcher with lime wedges on marble countertop.

Add ice to equal 3 quarts and lime slices to serve!

📌 Top Tips

Start with cold water with no ice and mix the sugar into it until dissolved. I do this first because once you add everything else and ice it takes longer for the sugar to dissolve, and we don't want crunchy bits in our drink.
Use a lime squeezer to make quick work of getting the lime juice ready!
VANILLA. Trust me. It makes it taste like a creamy key lime pie without the crust. Yum!
Put them in cute little glasses with lime wedges and gold straws and it's a classy limeade mocktail!

❓Frequently Asked Questions

What is Brazilian lemonade made of?

Limes or lemons, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and water. I add vanilla to make it even more divine!

Why does Brazilian lemonade separate?

It separates over time because of the acid in the lime or lemon juice. No problem! Just whisk it up again and it will be just fine.

Why is my Brazilian limeade bitter?

Some recipes put the entire lime in a blender, which means the peel and "pith", the white part of the peel, makes the juice not just sour, but bitter too.
This recipe doesn't use a blender however, so that isn't a problem here!

Can you make Brazilian limemade in a blender or food processor?

I don't, here's why. The peels and "pith", the white part of the peel, make the drink bitter every time I've used a blender.
To prevent that, I peeled the limes first, which is more fussy to me than just juicing the limes in the first place and kind of defeats the purpose of using a blender to make it easier.
I just make it the traditional way to guarantee it will be delicious every time and not bitter!

What type of alcohol goes well with this drink?

I haven't tried it with alcohol as we don't drink, but I don't think you'd go wrong with a little coconut rum.

🌴 More Delicious Summer Recipes

Nonalcoholic drinks and lemonade mocktails are my favorite! Here are a few refreshing drink recipes we love with some other fun summer treats!

📝 Printable Recipe

Brazilian Limeade

Sara Smith | Eat Dessert Snack

Creamy Brazilian Limeade (Limonada) is a sweet condensed milk, family friendly nonalcoholic summer drink. Made with 5 ingredients!

4.84 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 0

Total Time 15

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings people

Calories 140 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 2 quarts (8 cups) cold water
▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
▢ 1 cup fresh lime juice (8-10 limes)
▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla
▢ 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
▢ ice to serve

Instructions

In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine water and granulated sugar and stir until dissolved.
Add lime juice, and vanilla and mix well. Then add in the sweetened consed milk and whisk until it's creamy and smooth. Add ice to total 3 quarts.

Notes

This recipe separates little due to the acid in the lime juice if refrigerated overnight. Simply stir again before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal

Tried this recipe?Tag me @eatdessertsnack or tag #eatdessertsnack

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Creamy Tuscan White Bean Soup is a hearty 30 minute dinner, packed with veggies and protein. Slow cooker/freezer friendly!

This is one of my favorite rustic fall soup recipes to dunk buttery Soft Fluffy French Bread or Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits into. I love this soup to meal prep and make double batches to freeze!

Bowl of cooked tuscan white bean soup on wooden cutting board with basil and shredded parmesan.

This white bean tuscan soup recipe is similar to ribollita, a hearty Italian tuscan white bean stew that is thickened with day old bread. This recipe however, is a creamy version thickened with a "slurry" made of milk and flour or cornstarch, and I'd say the flavors are similar to tomato white bean tortellini soup with spinach.

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Why This Recipe is The Best

Packed with veggies. Celery, carrots, tomatoes, and it would be easy to add peas or toss in a couple handfuls of kale for even more lovely veggies.
Easy to make ahead and freeze. I like to make double batches in the crock pot and save some for later for another easy dinner.
Made in 30 minutes! Honestly my favorite thing about this soup is how quickly it goes from stove to tummy...plus cheese.
Great any time of the year! Nice in the fall and winter, but also easy to make on the stovetop or slow cooker in the summer.
Easy to make in the crock pot! Instructions are in the recipe card below.

🛒 Ingredients

White Beans - I use white navy beans or great northern beans, but honestly butter beans or white cannellini beans would work too.
Tomatoes - canned tomatoes are used for this recipe to make it easier, but fresh garden tomatoes or frozen tomatoes thawed would work as well. Just weigh out the correct amount with a kitchen scale.
Spices - salt, pepper, chicken bouillon, Italian seasoning are flavor giving life of this soup. See substitutions below for vegetarian options.
Milk - Whole milk is best,it adds more rich flavor as well as making the soup creamy.
Flour - this acts as the thickener for this recipe, it makes the soup slightly thicker, almost a stew texture.

✏️ Substitutions

Italian white bean soup can easily made vegetarian/vegan and gluten free! Here are a few suggestions that have been tried by readers, I have not personally tested them.

Flour - Can be switched for corn starch as a gluten-free option, just use half the amount.
Butter - swap for olive oil.
Milk - can be switched out for unsweetened unflavored almond milk, oat milk, or vegetable broth. One reader has cooked a potato, mashed it, and mixed it in to have a creamy texture instead of the milk/flour mixture due to dairy allergies.
Parmesan Cheese - leave out or add nutritional yeast to taste (not active or instant yeast, it's different) it has a cheesy flavor.
Chicken Bouillon - switch for vegetable bouillon for a vegetarian soup option.
You can also add a few spoonfuls of homemade red pesto sauce to up the flavor factor!

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Onions, carrots, and celery in a pot with butter.

Step 1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add butter to melt. Add onions, garlic, celery, and carrots and sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add all spices.

Tomatoes, beans, spices, and cooked carrots, celery, and onions in a pot.

Step 2. Add tomatoes, white beans, salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon and simmer for 15 minutes until all veggies are tender.

Step 3. While soup is simmering, whisk together milk and flour in a measuring cup or small bowl.

Pouring milk into pot of cooking italian white bean soup.

Step 4. Slowly stir the milk mixture into the soup and simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the soup is thickened.

Ladle lifting beans, tomatoes, and carrots over pot of soup.

Garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil to serve! It's delicious.

📌 Top Tips

Make sure to cook the vegetables until completely tender before adding the creamy milk mixture, after adding the milk it takes much longer to cook them further.
Add chopped rotisserie chicken for a chicken tuscan white bean soup!
Add a couple of handfuls of chopped fresh or frozen kale to make a kale tuscan bean soup.
Add in italian sausage for a flavorful meat addition!

❓Frequently Asked Questions

What's the thickener in a white bean soup?

This recipe uses a "slurry" made from flour or cornstarch and milk. Substitutions are listed in the post.

How do you thicken tuscan bean soup?

If it's not thick enough for you, add another Tablespoon or two of flour to ¼ cup of milk and whisk stir together until smooth before adding it to the soup, stirring constantly.
Other gluten free options are mashing up cooked beans or potatoes and stirring into the soup.

Are cannellini beans the same as white beans?

They are a version of white beans that are slightly larger than Navy beans or Great Northern Beans, like a white version of the red kidney bean. Italian white beans are also called cannellini beans.

Can I make this in the slow cooker?

Yes! To make in a slow cooker, simply combine all ingredients except for milk and flour (or cornstarch) in a crock pot. Set on high temperature for 3 hours. Whisk together the milk and flour and mix slowly into the soup and cook on high for another hour.

🥣 More Creamy Soup Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Strawberry Banana Bread

Easy Strawberry Banana Bread, with fresh strawberry glaze. Fresh or frozen strawberries work, and it's made in ONE bowl!

It has soft, juicy strawberries in every bite and the bananas and sour cream make it nice and moist! The fresh strawberry icing on top is my favorite part. If you're a fan of easy strawberry desserts like Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies or Strawberry Cream Cheese Bars you'll LOVE this bread.

Baked loaf of strawberry banana bread with icing and strawberry on top.

Banana strawberry bread is a quick bread like Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread, which means there is no rising time involved like there is with yeast breads. You just make the batter and bake it! It does have a longer baking time, but it's worth it and STILL takes less time to make than yeast bread.

This is a one bowl recipe because ONE BOWL. This recipe has been tested with a few different methods, i.e. mixing wet and dry ingredients separately and then together. In the end this was easiest and the results are excellent!

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What To Expect

Taste: Banana bread with strawberry chunks has a pound cake-like texture, and juicy strawberries throughout the bread. The strawberry icing on top is fresh and lovely!
Ease: It's as simple as mixing the wet ingredients, then adding the dry ingredients on top, adding in the strawberries, and baking.
Time: It takes 5-10 minutes to put together the loaf batter and then 50-55 minutes to bake. Plan on at least an hour!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for banana strawberry bread in glass bowls on metal pan.

Butter - salted butter is best for this recipe, since we want a loaf cake texture we melt it first.
Strawberries - fresh or frozen, make sure if you use frozen to thaw completely before using.
Sour Cream - helps to make the strawberry bread nice and moist, slightly acidic to help create lift in the bread with the baking powder.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Strawberries can be swapped out for fresh blueberries, raspberries, cherries, or pomegranates (yum!).
Butter can be switched out for a mild flavored oil (vegetable or olive) or melted coconut oil.
Add lemon or orange zest to the icing for a nice pop of flavor!
Sour Cream - I switch it out for plain greek yogurt all the time!

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Brown sugar, egg, sour cream, vanilla, and bannaa in white bowl.

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), egg, 2 mashed bananas, vanilla, and sugar. Whisk until smooth.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in white bowl with wet ingredients.

Step 2. On top of wet ingredients add flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until just combined.

Flour tossed strawberries in raw banana bread batter.

Step 3. Fold in strawberries that have been tossed in flour. Batter will be thick.

Raw strawberry banana bread batter in loaf pan.

Step 4. Bake at 350℉ in a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan prepared with parchment paper for 50-55 min or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Mashed strawberries in bag on marble countertop.

Step 5. In a bowl or plastic resealable bag, mash fresh strawberries into a puree, then add vanilla and powdered sugar.

Gold spoon with strawberry icing on baked banana strawberry bread loaf.

Step 6. After the bread has cooled for 20 plus minutes, snip the tip of the icing bag or drizzle icing over the bread with a spoon.

📌 Top Tips & Hacks

Wait for the bread to cool to put the icing on, or it will melt into the bread.
Line your loaf pan with parchment paper. SO much easier to remove the bread when it's finished baking!
Use overripe bananas. I wait until they have brown spots, that's the prime time to use them for maximum banana flavor.
Use greek yogurt or sour cream to better activate the baking powder, the rising agent in the recipe.
Thicker batter makes fluffier, less dense banana bread. I use a slightly higher flour to banana ratio to keep my bread nice and fluffy.

Sliced strawberry banana bread with icing.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Is banana bread healthier than bread?

Not this banana bread. It's pretty sweet and is meant as a treat or dessert. It has added butter, sugar, and fruit, which means there's just more calories per square inch than normal bread.

What is the number one mistake when making banana bread?

Overmixing! Mixing the batter just until the dry ingredients and any added in fruit or chocolate chips is correct. Mixing over and over past that will make the bread tougher and it won't rise as much in the oven.

Can I freeze strawberry banana bread?

Yes! You can transfer it to a freezer safe container and it freezes well for up to 3 months.
You can also store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can this recipe be made into muffins?

Yes! I would add half a cup of milk to the recipe to thin out the batter and make for easier baking. You can bake the muffins at 350 for 16-18 minutes.

🍓 More Delicious Strawberry Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Best Orange Rolls Recipe

An overnight friendly orange sweet roll recipe that makes 12 rolls with orange cream cheese glaze. These rolls are soft, fluffy, and perfect!

These orange rolls have been a reader favorite since it was published in 2019. It has been updated with new photos and more streamlined step-by-step instructions in April 2024.

The Best is right! I entered these Orange Rolls in my local county fair this summer and I WON a BLUE RIBBON FIRST PLACE for BEST SWEET ROLL! And they are THE BEST! Thank you for such delicious recipes!....⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- Pamela

If you've never had homemade orange rolls before, let me introduce you to these lovely, bakery worthy orange buns. These are tied as favorites of our family with Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls, and we've alternated between these and Cranberry Orange Almond Cake for Christmas breakfast.

Baked and frosted orange roll on wood cutting board.

This recipe is special because I use fresh orange juice and zest in the dough and filling. I also use a secret ingredient that really makes the orange flavor POP. Any guesses on what it is?? It's GINGER. Ground ginger makes these the absolute best orange rolls I have ever made, and they wrecked my husbands life. These rolls are soft, fluffy, and perfect.

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Why They Are The Best

Orange zest filling stays inside! I'll tell you my trade secrets in the tip section of the post below.
Homemade orange cream cheese glaze! It is QUITE nice.
Using yeast in orange rolls makes them soft, tender, and fluffy.
This recipe uses orange juice AND orange zest in the dough and filling to maximize orange flavor.
The secret ingredient in the filling (spoiler, it's ginger) is just enough to be amazing, not overpowering.
Dozens of 5 star reviews from readers!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Ingredients for homemade orange rolls in glass bowls on metal baking sheet with green dish towel.

Oranges - I use regular navel oranges for this recipe, you'll need at least 2, but 3 if you want extra zest on top. I like to slice the extras up after using the zest to serve with the orange rolls once they're baked!
Ginger - This is my secret ingredient for the filling! It's not too strong, just enough to enhance the orange flavor.
Orange Juice Concentrate - This is just for the orange glaze, it is fantastic.
Active Dry Yeast - Or instant yeast can be used for a slightly faster rise time.
Butter - Salted butter tastes the best in this recipe, unsalted can be used to reduce sodium.
Egg - Used as a binder in the dough.
Milk - Used to enrich the dough to make it soft and fluffy.

✏️ Substitutions

Ginger - You can replace the ginger with cinnamon if you wish, it will change the flavor profile to a cinnamon orange roll.
White granulated sugar - can be replaced with coconut sugar.
Milk - can be replaced with an unsweetened nut milk.

🆒 Variations

Lemons in place of the orange zest and orange juice would be amazing!
Put in 1 cup chopped dried cranberries for a cranberry orange version!
Add 1 cup chopped walnuts to the filling if you want a little added texture.
Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the icing for a slightly different flavor profile.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Milk, sugar, and yeast in glass bowls in one picture, mixed together in another process picture.

Dough - Step 1 (above). In a small bowl combine warm (not hot) milk (between 100-110 ℉), sugar, and active dry yeast and let sit 5 minutes or until foamy. Milk that is too warm can kill the yeast, and it won't activate and the dough won't rise.

TIP: If using instant yeast, simply combine all dough ingredients. Just keep the yeast away from direct contact with the salt when combining ingredients (salt slows yeast growth).

Orange roll dough ingredients in white bowl with wooden spoon, and hands mixing dough ingredients.

Dough Step 2. (above) In a stand mixer with a dough hook (or large bowl if mixing by hand) combine salt, butter, egg, orange zest, orange juice, and 4 cups of flour. Pour foamy yeast mixture in and mix with dough hook on low speed for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic (if mixing by hand, simply mix with a wooden spoon until you can't mix anymore and then begin kneading by hand 8-10 minutes).

Dough Step 3. (above) Add up to another ½ cup of flour to make dough consistency only slightly sticky. Dough should pull away from sides of bowl in an electric mixer. Oil a large bowl, place dough inside and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for one hour or until doubled in size.

Sugar, orange zest, and ground ginger in a bowl.

The Filling - Step 1 (above). In a medium bowl combine sugar, orange zest and ground ginger. Mix in the orange zest for a minute or two so that the sugar turns orange from the orange zest oils, then mix in the flour. Set aside.

Spreading butter over rolled out orange roll dough then sprinkling orange zest and sugar over butter and raw orange dough.

Filling Step 2. (above)On a floured work surface, roll dough into roughly a 24 inch by 12 inch rectangle. I stop occasionally and shape it with my hands to keep a rectangular shape. Spread softened butter over dough, then sprinkle and spread sugar mixture evenly over butter.

Raw orange roll dough in a spiral with orange zest and sugar inside on marble countertop, and raw orange rolls on baking sheet.

Step 3. (above) Carefully roll dough lengthwise into a long roll.

Step 4. (above) Use a piece of clean string or dental floss and slide the string underneath the roll. Pick up both ends of the string, cross them, and pull tight to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Place rolls cut side down into an oiled 9x13 inch pan or large 18 x 11 inch baking sheet. (In the smaller pan they are a bit closer together and take a little longer to bake but are a little more moist.)

Step 5. Cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 45 minutes to one hour until almost doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 ℉ and Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown on top. Using a glass or thick ceramic pan takes a little longer, using a dark pan or large baking sheet takes less time.

Bowl of powdered sugar, cream cheeese, and butter in bowl. Mixed together

For the Icing - In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, butter and mix until most of the lumps are gone. I microwave them for 10-20 seconds to soften them enough to mix. Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange juice concentrate until smooth. I like my icing thicker like frosting. Add another 1-2 Tablespoons orange juice concentrate if you prefer a thinner glaze.

Drizzling icing over baked homemade orange rolls.

Once the orange buns are out of the oven and have cooled for 10-15 minutes, generously drizzle or spread icing over rolls. Serve warm for maximum deliciousness. Overnight orange roll recipe instructions are in the Frequently Asked Question section below!

📌 Top Tips

Use 2% or whole milk in the dough. It enriches the dough with the egg and butter and makes the rolls soft, even the next morning.
Use ginger (my secret ingredient) in the filling. This spice seriously lifts these rolls to a whole new level.
Don't skimp on rising time! I cannot stress this enough. It really does make a difference.
My bakery style tip: the flour in the orange zest/sugar filling keeps all of that lovely filling inside the rolls instead of oozing out into the pan as they bake. The flour acts as a thickener as the butter and sugar melt and caramelize.
For an extra orangey kick, use frozen orange juice concentrate in the frosting. Trust me.
Use an orange juicer to make quick work of getting the orange juice you need for the dough. 1 Orange makes about ¼ cup of juice.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make Orange Rolls overnight?

Yes!
- Follow recipe to make dough, fill, roll, and cut dough into 12 rolls and place cut side down onto a baking sheet or 9×13 inch pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate immediately. Do not let rise first or they will deflate in the refrigerator. Cooling the dough simply slows yeast growth, it does not kill it.
- Place in fridge overnight.
- Remove from refrigerator and let rise for 30-40 minutes in warm place before baking. I like to turn on the oven to 200 F for 2 minutes, then turn off the oven and set the rolls inside to rise with the door cracked open.
- Bake at 350 F for 25-30 min. Glass pans will take a few more minutes to bake than dark pans.

How do you freeze Orange Sweet Rolls?

If baked: cool them completely on a rack, wrap well, and store in the freezer.
If unbaked: as soon as the rolls are assembled and sliced, place them in a pan, cover, and freeze immediately. Do not let rise first or they will deflate in the freezer.
- Once frozen, You can transfer to a freezer bag or smaller freezer safe container.
- Freeze until ready to use up to 3 months. Do NOT microwave dough to thaw. It will kill the yeast, and the rolls won't rise.

• Regular rise method: Remove from freezer, thaw in warm place (covered) for 3-5 hours or until almost doubled in size.
• Quicker rise method: Turn ON oven to 200 degrees for 2 minutes then turn OFF oven. Place rolls in oven, let thaw and rise 2-3 hours until almost doubled in size.
- Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Glass pans will take a few more minutes to bake than dark pans.

Do Orange Rolls have cinnamon?

This recipe does NOT, it does not need it! It has both an orange filling and orange frosting. Orange cinnamon rolls usually have a cinnamon filling and an orange frosting.

How do you reheat Orange Rolls?

Oven: Cover with foil and place rolls in a 350 ℉ oven. Heat for 10-15 minutes.
Microwave: for about 30-45 seconds.
If the rolls have been frozen, let them thaw at room temperature overnight and then reheat as stated above.

Does the dough need to rise twice?

For the best results, yes. It will have a better texture, be fluffier, and have a finer crumb. Also, the longer the yeast grows and ferments the more flavorful the dough will be.

Can I leave salt out?

I don't recommend it. It impacts the flavor and rise time of the orange rolls (salt slows yeast growth slightly), so the dough rises slightly more rapidly if you leave salt out.

More Delicious Sweet Treats

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Chicken Mushroom Stroganoff with Greek Yogurt

This is a chicken stroganoff recipe with cream cheese, greek yogurt, and mushrooms. Quick family dinner, ready in 30 minutes!

This lightened-up version of creamy chicken and mushroom stroganoff with pasta is one of our favorite quick chicken dinners, that I love to make with Instant Pot Greek Yogurt to make it creamy and packed with protein!

Cooked Chicken Mushroom Stroganoff on white plate with fork.

We like this creamy mushroom pasta for many reasons. I understand not everyone likes chicken and mushrooms with onions, but we LOVE them, and it really wouldn't be a true stroganoff without them.

Chicken mushroom stroganoff is crock pot friendly and freezer friendly too, which makes it awesome for meal prepping and making ahead.

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Why We Love It

Plenty of creamy sauce to serve over rice or pasta!
The Greek Yogurt lightens it up and adds protein!
Super creamy with milk and a little cream cheese.
Added veggies! I'm always looking for ways to include more veggies in meals for our family, and adding peas makes this a complete meal.
Ready in 30 minutes! Honestly, my favorite part of the whole thing.
NO canned soup! This easy chicken stroganoff is made with pantry staples and no canned ingredients.

🛒 Ingredients

I use baby bella mushrooms in this recipe, but you could also use shiitake, oyster, or white mushrooms.
You can use bowtie noodles or most other noodles of a medium size such as egg noodles, penne, rotini, ziti, shells, macaroni, etc.
A yellow onion or other sweet variety like white is best to use for their milld flavor.
I use a full fat cream cheese but fat free or ⅓ fat would work as well!
Make sure to use unsweetened unflavored Greek Yogurt or sour cream, anything with vanilla will taste weird!
I use two medium sized (8-12 oz) chicken breasts for this recipe, diced into bite sized cubes. You could also use 2-3 chicken thighs!

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

✏️ Substitutions

The cream cheese can be substituted with more greek yogurt or sour cream.
Greek yogurt can be substituted with sour cream.
Chicken bouillon can be swapped for vegetable bouillon.
Milk can be substituted with unsweetened almond milk or chicken broth, it just won't taste quite as creamy.
Flour can be switched with HALF the amount of cornstarch.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Don't forget to start the noodles cooking at the very beginning while you're making the chicken stroganoff!

Raw chicken and butter in black frying pan with wooden spoon.

Step 1. In a large frying pan, heat butter over medium heat. When melted, add diced chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until there is no pink on the outside left.

Cooked chicken with raw mushrooms, onions, and spices in black frying pan.

Step 2. Add sliced onion and mushrooms, and mix in the spices: chicken bouillon, salt & pepper, garlic & onion powders, and thyme. Cook on high heat for another 5 minutes, until the onion and mushrooms are tender.

Measuring cup with milk and flour on marble counterop with whisk.

Step 3. Separately in a small bowl, whisk together milk and flour until there are no lumps left and it's smooth.

Pouring milk and flour mixture into frying pan with cooked chicken, onion, and mushrooms.

Step 4. To the pan, add cream cheese and greek yogurt and let the cream cheese sit and melt into the sauce. Slowly pour the milk mixture into stroganoff, stirring constantly.

Black frying pan with stroganoff and peas on top with wooden spoon.

Step 5. Add frozen peas and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened and the peas are cooked through.

Chicken mushroom stroganoff in black pan with wooden spoon.

Serve over cooked bowtie farfalle pasta or pasta of choice. Enjoy!

📌 Top Tips

Soften the cream cheese prior to starting, it melts in so much easier and is more creamy and won't leave lumps.
Start the pasta before starting the stroganoff to be efficient with time.
Store the noodles and chicken mushroom stroganoff separately so they don't get soggy.
Chicken thighs are juicier and more tender generally than chicken breasts, so splurge and use them if you can!

Spoonful of stroganoff above metal black pan.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze chicken and mushroom stroganoff?

Yes! It can be frozen in an airtight container separate from noodles and stored for up to three months.

Can this be made in the crock pot?

Combine all ingredients (except noodles; cook those separately) in slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every two hours until creamy and tender. If chicken is frozen it may take longer.
Serve over noodles and enjoy!

What do you serve with Chicken Stroganoff and Mushrooms?

• Over pasta or rice
• With veggies like steamed peas, green beans, broccoli, carrots, etc.
• With some nice, soft french bread or Roasted Broccoli Salad.

How do you thicken stroganoff sauce?

You can use a Tablespoon or two of cornstarch or all purpose flour mixed with ¼ cup of milk and stirred into the stroganoff slowly over heat until it thickens.

How can I add more flavor to chicken stroganoff?

Add a little squirt of mustard (½ teaspoon) or more to add a little acid and flavor pop. Stir it into the sauce before serving.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes

Some of these are dinner recipes with mushrooms, others are our favorite easy dinners using rotisserie chicken. I hope you try at least one!

📝 Printable Recipe

Potato Leek Cauliflower Soup

Creamy potato leek cauliflower soup made with simple ingredients and is naturally lighter because of the cauliflower. Ready in under 30 minutes!

This shire inspired soup is my favorite paired with herb & cheese irish soda bread or cheesy garlic biscuits, because they're both cheesy and crusty and delicious. A cheese toasty would be great too!

Bowl of cooked cauliflower leek potato soup on plate with wooden spoon.

Cheesy potato cauliflower soup freezes really well, which is a huge plus. I like to make a double batch and freeze some for later! I also try to have frozen chicken bone broth on hand to make soup like this or creamy chicken wild rice soup, another super hobbity cold weather soup we love.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: You can taste the potato, cheese, mild leek flavor, and just a little cauliflower. It's delicious made smooth, but we love it more with some texture to it.
Ease: Slow cooker version is easiest, just set it and forget it! Stove top is also pretty simple and beginner friendly.
Time: It's pretty quick! About 10 minutes to prep the veggies and seasonings, and 20-25 to cook. About 30 minutes total.

🛒 Key Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for potato leek cauliflower soup in bowls on baking sheet.

Chicken Broth - I like to make this with some frozen homemade chicken bone broth, but when I don't have any on hand it's super easy to make with chicken bouillon and water or store bought chicken broth!
Potatoes - Russet or Idaho work really well for this soup, although yukon gold would also be nice.
Chicken broth - can be low sodium, homemade, or store bought.
Milk - I use whole milk to help the soup be creamy but not too rich.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Milk - can be substituted with coconut milk or unsweetened oat or almond milk. It will have a slightly different flavor, but still be delicious!
Cream cheese - vegan cream cheese or sour cream would work well.
Chicken Broth & bouillon - switch out for vegetable broth to be vegetarian friendly.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1. In a large pot, melt butter and saute chopped leek until soft, about 5 minutes.

Raw potatoes and seasonings in pot with cooked leeks.

Step 2. Add cauliflower florets, chopped potatoes, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, black pepper, and salt.

Pouring chicken broth into pot of raw cauliflower and potatoes.

Step 3. Add in the chicken broth. Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes, until potatoes and cauliflower are tender.

Mashing potatoes and cauliflower in soup with potato masher.

Step 4. Remove from heat and use immersion blender or potato masher and blend until mostly smooth, I like a few chunks left. You can also spoon into a heat compatible blender and blend until smooth.

Mashed cauliflower and potatoes with cream cheese and cheddar on top.

Step 5. Stir in cheddar cheese and cream cheese until melted.

Step 6. Stir in milk last. Add more salt if needed to taste. Add alll the yummy toppings! Bacon bits, chopped green onion, cheddar cheese, cracked pepper, etc.

PRO TIP: You can use an immersion blender recipe out of convenience but I've also used a potato masher for a chunkier soup, and my blender for a more smooth-textured soup.

📌 Troubleshooting

Too thin: add a slurry (cornstarch + milk) or extra potato mashed in.
Too thick: add broth or milk slowly until you get your preferred consistency.
Bland: add in a little salt, fresh cracked pepper, or garlic to boost flavor. I also like to add a little chicken bouillon for more flavor as well.

Creamy cheesy potato soup with green onions in a red cast iron skillet. Comforting and delicious for all seasons.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make cauliflower potato leek soup dairy free?

Yes you can! Here are a few ways to make your dairy-free soup dreams happen. It may impact flavor or texture.
- Use more chicken or vegetable broth in place of dairy.
-Use unsweetened plant based milk
- Use vegan cream cheese

Can I make cauliflower leek soup in the slow cooker?

Yes! Crockpot/slow cooker and Instant Pot instructions are in the section below.

🥣 Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Instructions

Slow Cooker Instructions: Follow recipe instructions listed below, in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours. Blend with an immersion blender or in a regular blender that is heat safe in portions until soup is desired consistency.

Instant Pot Instructions: Follow recipe instructions listed below MINUS the dairy. in a pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release. Add in butter, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and milk and blend using an immersion blender or heat safe blender.

🍽️ Serving Ideas

Bread - a nice loaf of easy french bread, a basket of homemade yeast rolls, or a few sourdough discard biscuits, or buttery sourdough discard cornbread can't go amiss with soup.
Salad - a vibrant golden beet salad, or simple lemon caesar salad with chicken would be amazing with this soup!
Veggies - super easy glazed carrots with brown sugar and honey, a pan of green beans with bacon and onion, or cheesy baked asparagus, would be pretty easy to add and make this muy elegante.

🍲 More Delicious Soup Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Banana Coffee Cake

Banana Coffee Cake with a crumbly cinnamon walnut streusel topping and simple creamy glaze. Super easy brunch or breakfast for the weekend!

If you're a fan of Cinamon Walnut Coffee Cake,you're going to love this version of coffee cake with bananas. It's where coffee cake meets banana bread and it's divine.

Baked banana coffee cake on plate with fork.

Banana streusel cake is SUPER easy to mix with a mixer or by hand in a bowl. It's the perfect pan of fluffy banana cake heaven. It has a nice crunchy walnut and cinnamon streusel on top, and a creamy vanilla glaze because WE CAN.

We like to make this a nice, moist banana coffee cake with sour cream or greek yogurt, it helps to make the cake tender with a lighter crumb than banana bread.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Taste: a buttery banana crumb cake, the topping has the crunchy cinnamon oat and walnut topping that's just lovely.
Ease: I have a few tips to make it easier with less dishes! Baking required, not difficult as far as complicated techniques go. Just mixing wet and dry ingredients and the topping.
Time: Takes 10 minutes to prep and 45-55 to bake!

Why Bananas Make This Coffee Cake Better

Natural sweetness - less sugar needed.
Adds moisture for a lovely soft texture.
Healthier twist compared to a classic coffee cake.

🛒 Key Ingredients

Labeled ingredients in glass dishes on metal pan.

For the Cake Batter

Bananas - overripe preferred, the riper the better. Black spots mean they have more sweet banana flavor.
Sugar - brown and white granulated for the streusel and cake.
Sour Cream or plain greek yogurt (you can make it homemade!) - this and the bananas make the cake nice and moist!
Baking Powder & Soda - the combo helps to make the cake fluffy but not brown too much since it has such a long baking time.
Milk - dairy or plant based is fine, it helps the cake not be super dense from the sour cream and bananas.

For the Cinnamon Streusel

Brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, butter
Optional walnuts or pecans for crunch

Optional Glaze

Powdered sugar + milk/cream + vanilla

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Pro Tip: Use overripe bananas for sweeter cake, under-ripe for a milder flavor.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Banana Nut Coffee Cake - add pecans instead of walnuts, or even macadamia nuts!
Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake - fold chips into batter.
Banana Cream Cheese Coffee Cake - swirl cream cheese mixture between layers made of 8 oz cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar mixed well.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Butter, sugar, and brown sugar in metal bowl.

Step 1. Use an electric mixer (handheld or stand) to cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Eggs and vanilla in butter and sugar creamed in mixing bowl.

Step 2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Bananas and sour cream in mixing bowl with paddle.

Step 3. Add sour cream and mashed bananas (I peel them and put them straight into the mixer, they get mashed as they mix).

Flour in mixing bowl of banana cake batter.

Step 4. Add in flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

PRO TIP: If your bananas are soft (ripe) enough, just break them into pieces and add them to the mixing bowl and let the mixer do the work of mashing them. It saves a few minutes and a dirty dish from mashing separately!

Butter, oats, cinnamon, sugar, and flour in bowl.

Step 5. In a medium bowl combine flour, brown sugar, softened butter and cinnamon and mix well. Stir in walnuts.

Step 6. Sprinkle evenly over coffee cake batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 15-20 minutes before glazing.

Powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in glass bowls.

Step 7. Mix together ingredients for glaze and put into a plastic bag or small bowl.

Baked banana coffee cake with streusel and glaze.

Step 8. When the cake has cooled for 15-20 minutes, snnip off a tiny corner of the bag or use a spoon and drizzle glaze over the cake diagonally one direction, then diagonally the other direction like a letter X. Slice and serve!

📌 Troubleshooting

Why cake sinks: too much banana, underbaked center.
How to get crunchy streusel: use cold butter.
Dry cake: overbaked! Make sure to check at the minimum baking time with a toothpick.

❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips

Room temp: 2-3 days in airtight container.
Refrigerate: up to 1 week.
Freeze: Slice, wrap, and store up to 2 months.

Sliced banana coffee cake on parchment paper.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen bananas for banana coffee cake?

Yes, thaw fully before using them. Frozen bananas once thawed won't affect the texture of the cake, just make sure you have the right amount of mashed banana by measuring.

How do I keep the streusel from sinking into the batter?

Use thick batter and chill streusel before sprinkling. Streusel usually sinks because of thin batter.

Can I make banana coffee cake without sour cream?

Greek yogurt is the best substitute, but buttermilk can work with adjustments.

🍽️ Serving Ideas

Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Serve warm with coffee, hot cocoa, tea, or milk.
Great for holiday mornings, brunch, or potlucks.

🍳 More Delicious Breakfast Recipes

📝 Printable Recipe

Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Double chocolate chip cookie bars are chewy, soft, and thick, easier to make than cookies, no scooping required!

These are different than my Chocolate Pudding Mix Cookies, there isn't any pudding mix in these but they ARE loaded with chocolate flavor and dark chocolate chips. They are more like a cookie than a brownie in texture, but just as delicious!

Stack of baked chocolate chocolate chip cookie bars on white plate.

I LOVE chocolate chocolate cookie bars because you can customize them for so many holidays. Valentine's cookie bars? Add pink and red m&m's. St. Patricks? Add mint and green m&m's (you could also make pistachio white chocolate bars). Easter? Add chocolate Cadbury eggs on top. Fourth of July? Red white and blue m&m's. Christmas? You know the answer. Put your favorite red and green candy or sprinkles on top.

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What To Expect

Taste: Chewy and thick, a cross between a cookie and a brownie with chocolate chips throughout. Rich right out of the oven, but PERFECT when cooled.
Ease: The same preparation method as making cookies, but instead of scooping, just spread it into the pan and bake! Beginner friendly!
Time: It takes about 5 minutes to make the dough and 25 minutes to bake. Just a little cooling time and they're ready to slice!

🛒 Key Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for chocolate chocolate chip cookie bars on metal baking sheet.

Sugar - I use both brown sugar and white granulated sugar, so these would have a more cookie like texture than brownie.
Cocoa Powder - you can use regular Hershey's brand cocoa powder, or a generic store brand. Both have worked fine for me!
Butter - make sure to stay away from spreadable butters, margarine, or anything that's not real butter when baking brownie chocolate chip cookie bars.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Chocolate Chips - you can use any color and flavor of chocolate chips. Peanut butter (YUM), butterscotch, dark chocolate, white chocolate, you name it, you can use it.
Add mint extract for a fun Christmas holiday version. ½ a teaspoon should add enough flavor, and add some fun Christmas sprinkles on top!
Rocky Road - add marshmallows and chopped almonds for a fun rocky road version. Or graham crackers for s'mores!
Add toppings - you can drizzle homemade quick Dulce De Leche over the tops, flaky sea salt, melted peanut butter, Biscoff cookie butter, or Nutella. Yum!
Turn into a cookie cake! Bake in a 10-11 inch round cake pan for 25-30 minutes, cool, and then frost around the edges. Yum!
Add chocolate kisses to the top like my Peanut Butter Blossom Bars. Delicious.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Don't forget to preheat oven to 350 ℉. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with either baking spray or parchment paper.

Eggs, brown sugar, and white sugar in mixing bowl.

Step 1. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together and mix on medium/high speed using an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. It'll look whiter and should look slightly fluffy.

Eggs and vanilla in metal mixing bowl with butter and sugar.

Step 2. Add vanilla and eggs, mixing well until eggs are mixed in well, for 1-2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Flour and cocoa powder in metal mixing bowl with cookie batter.

Step 3. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix slowly until a dough forms and all of the flour pockets are gone, 1 minute or more.

Chocolate chips in raw double chocolate chip cookie batter in metal mixing bowl.

Step 4. Add in the chocolate chips last, save about ¼ cup or a handful to sprinkle over the top.

Smashing raw chocolate cookie dough into metal baking pan.

Step 5. Spread into the prepared 9x13 inch pan, you can use a flat cup to help press it into the pan.

Raw chocolate chocolate cookie dough in metal pan sprinkling chocolate chips on top.

Step 6. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips (optional). Bake at 350 ℉ for 25-30 minutes. Dark pans for 25 min, and thick ceramic pans will take 28-30 minutes.
Cool for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing, it's much easier if they are cooled completely to room temperature. Enjoy!

Baked double chocolate cookie bars on parchment paper.

📌 Top Tips & Hacks

Don't overbake! The edges will be set and the middle will look slightly underdone, just like the best cookies. The bars will finish cooking as they cool. Overbaking can cause the cocoa powder to become a little bitter, make sure you take them out at the correct time. 👍🏻
Use weight measurements for consistent, accurate results.
Use a flat cup to help spread the chocolate cookie dough flat into the pan to bake, it can be easier than using hands.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze this dough, thaw, and then bake?

Yes! You can either freeze it raw pressed in the pan (with parchment paper underneath) and remove to freeze in a large freezer bag,
- OR you can freeze it in a freezer bag and then thaw it completely (do not microwave) before pressing it in to the pan before baking.

Can you make these with Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa?

You can, but they will definitely taste more like dark chocolate and won't be as sweet, so be prepared for that!

How do you store double chocolate cookie bars?

Room temperature: 1-2 days in an airtight container, they tend to go a little stale and dry out after a day or two. I find that placing a slice of bread in the container with them overnight helps to soften them back up.
Freeze: up to 2 months. Make sure you cool them to room temperature before freezing.

Can I use country crock butter?

I haven't tested it with that, margarine, or shortening so I can't say how it would turn out. You can try and let me know!

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Hi, I'm Sara!

Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

Read about Sara

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

The BEST Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese icing that can be frozen or overnight. Makes 12 soft, fluffy rolls. Perfect for fall baking! If you want to make them ahead, overnight, or freeze them before baking, you can find the instructions below!

If you've ever had my award winning Best Ever Orange Rolls Recipe, you know what a big deal these are! These are huge, delicious, bakery style cinnamon rolls with pumpkin filling and pumpkin in the dough, which make them SUPER soft and delicious.

Baked frosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls in metal pan.

I have a Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls and Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls recipe that I love that are also delicious, they're so soft! We bake them in the fall around Thanksgiving for weekend breakfast, and it's hard to decide between them or pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.

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What To Expect

Taste: Real pumpkin in the dough to make them SUPER soft, a buttery pumpkin filling, and a lovely cream cheese frosting to to drizzle over the top. All the flavors of a pumpkin pie cinnamon roll!
Ease: Cinnamon rolls with pumpkin are relatively easy/medium level difficulty to make, they just take time, patience, and practice!
Time: Pumpkin cinnamon rolls take about 3 hours to make from start to finish, which mostly involves the 2 hours of rising time for the first and second rise.

🛒 Key Ingredients

Ingredients for pumpkin cinnamon rolls labeled in glass bowls on metal baking sheet.

Pumpkin Puree - make sure to get 100% pumpkin puree, NOT canned pumpkin pie filling, which has a lot of added sugar and spices. This recipe has its own blend!
Sugar - brown sugar for the filling helps make a nice deeper flavor, and powdered sugar is in the cream cheese icing.
Spices - a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg are used for the pumpkin spice flavored filling.
Egg - acts as a binder and enriches the dough to make a nice pillowy roll once they're baked!
Yeast - I use active dry yeast, but instant yeast can be used as well!
Milk - I use 2% or whole milk in this recipe.
Butter - used in the dough to enrich it and make it soft and tender and the filling, to make it nice and gooey!

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

✏️ Substitutions & Variations

Cream Cheese - used in the icing and can be full fat, ⅓ fat, or fat free.
Frosting - substitute out milk with maple syrup or add a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon for maple frosting or spiced cream cheese frosting.
Milk - can be replaced with plant based milk or water.
Spices - in place of the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg you can use pumpkin pie spice in the cinnamon roll filling. It would be equal to about 2 Tablespoons.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1. In a small bowl combine warm milk (between 100-110 F), brown sugar, and active dry yeast and let sit 5 minutes or until it's foamy. Temperature of the milk is important! If it's too hot it will kill the yeast, and too cold and it will have a hard time activating the yeast.

Pouring yeast mixture into white bowl and kneaded pumpkin dough in white bowl.

Step 2 (above left). In a stand mixer (or large bowl if mixing by hand) combine pumpkin puree, salt, butter, egg, cinnamon, and 4 cups of flour. Pour foamy yeast mixture in and mix with dough hook on low speed for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic (if mixing without a mixer, simply mix with a wooden spoon until you can't mix anymore and then begin kneading by hand 8-10 minutes). Add another ½ to full cup of flour to make dough consistency thick and only slightly sticky. Dough should pull away from sides of bowl and not stick to fingers very much.
Step 3 (above right). Oil a large bowl, place dough in it and cover with plastic wrap or dish towel. Let rise at room temperature for one hour or until doubled in size.

Pumpkin filling ingredients in white bowl and mixed filling with gold spoon.

Step 4 (above left image). In a medium bowl combine softened butter, pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and mix until smooth and creamy (above right image). Set aside.

Rolling pin on pumpkin dough and spreading pumpkin filling on pumpkin dough.

Step 5 (above left). On a floured work surface, roll dough into roughly a 24 inch by 10-12 inch rectangle. I stop occasionally and shape it with my hands to keep a rectangular shape.
Step 6 (above right). Spread the pumpkin filling onto the dough to coat the entire rectangle.

Sprinkling brown sugar over pumpkin dough and rolling up filling inside dough.

Step 7. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the filling.
Step 8. Carefully roll the dough up lengthwise into a long roll, keeping the filling inside. It should be about 24 inches (61cm) long.

Cutting pumpkin cinnamon roll and raw cinnamon rolls on pan.

Step 9. Use a piece of clean string or dental floss and slide the string underneath the roll. Pick up both ends of the string, cross them, and pull tight to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 2 inches (5cm) wide each.
Step 10. Place rolls cut side down into an oiled 9x13 inch (or 11x18 in) pan, being careful not to crowd the rolls so they have room to rise. Cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 45 minutes to one hour until almost doubled in size.

Cream cheese icing ingredients in bowl, and mixed in glass bowl.

Step 11. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine softened cream cheese and butter and mix until most of the lumps are gone. I microwave them for 10-20 seconds to soften them enough to mix. Mix in powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk, one Tablespoon at a time until smooth. I like my icing thicker like frosting. Add 2-3 more tablespoons milk if you prefer a thinner glaze.

Raw pumpkin cinnamon rolls and baked rolls with icing.

Step 12 (above left). Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown on top. Using a glass or dark pan may take more or less time. Cool 20 minutes before icing.
Step 13 (above right). Generously spoon icing over rolls to coat evenly. Serve warm for maximum deliciousness.

📌 Top Tips & Hacks

Use 2% or whole fat milk instead of water in the dough and icing. Always. It tastes better and enriches the dough along with eggs and butter for soft and tender cinnamon rolls.
Allow enough time for both rises. The rolls will be fluffier and less dense, and the longer the yeast grows and ferments the more flavorful the dough will be.
Add maple syrup to the glaze instead of milk for a maple frosting!

Gold fork in iced pumpkin cinnamon roll on white plate.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make pumpkin cinnamon rolls overnight?

1. Follow recipe to make dough, fill, roll, and cut dough into 12 rolls and place cut side down onto a baking sheet or 9x13 inch pan.
2. Cover with plastic wrap. Do not let rise first or they will deflate in the refrigerator. Cooling the dough simply slows yeast growth, it does not kill it.
3. Place in fridge overnight.
4. Remove from refrigerator and let rise for 30-40 minutes in warm place before baking. I like to turn on the oven to 200 F for 2 minutes, then turn off the oven and set the rolls inside to rise with the door cracked open.
5. Bake at 350 F for 35-30 min. Glass pans will take a few more minutes to bake than dark pans.

Can you freeze pumpkin cinnamon rolls?

Yes!
1. Follow directions to make dough, fill, roll, and cut dough into rolls and place into foil lined pan so edges are not touching, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer immediately, do not let rise first or they will deflate in the freezer. 2.Once frozen, transfer to freezer bag or airtight freezer safe container.
3. Freeze until ready to use up to 3 months. Do NOT microwave dough to thaw. It will kill the yeast.
4. Regular rise method: Remove from freezer, thaw in warm place (covered) for 3-5 hours or until almost doubled in size.
Quicker rise method: Turn ON oven to 200 degrees for 2 minutes then turn OFF oven. Place rolls in oven and let thaw and rise 2-3 hours until almost doubled in size.
5. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Glass pans will take a few more minutes to bake than dark pans.

Can I use pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon?

Yes! I'd replace the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and and nutmeg with the pumpkin spice, it would equal about 2 Tablespoons of pumpkin spice.

Does it matter if I use bread flour vs all purpose flour?

I've used both and haven't noticed a large difference. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which helps in gluten development and makes bread light and chewy. I use it more for whole wheat breads or homemade soft pretzels.

What's the difference between active dry yeast and instant (rapid) yeast?

Active dry yeast has a larger granule that needs to be activated by liquid such as water or milk before adding to other ingredients. I prefer to use this kind of yeast because the slightly longer process of fermentation makes more flavorful doughs.
Instant or rapid yeast has a smaller, finer granule can be mixed directly into ingredients. It is slightly more potent than active dry yeast however, and about 25% less is needed in any given recipe. ¾ teaspoon instant (rapid) yeast = 1 teaspoon active dry yeast.
Any baker worth their salt will also tell you to keep the instant yeast away from direct contact with the salt while mixing together though, because salt slows yeast growth.

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