Magic Cookie Bars

 I am currently having a love affair with these...ohmygosh they are fantastic. Love The Girl Who Ate Everything-she never steers me wrong!

Ingredients

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup shredded coconut, (both sweetened and unsweetened work)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper or grease well.
• In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until well combined. Press crumbs into the bottom of the pan firmly in an even layer to form the graham cracker base.
• Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the crust.
• Sprinkle the chocolate and butterscotch chips on top of the graham cracker crust in an even layer. Sprinkle the nuts and coconut flakes on top.
• Press down toppings gently with a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until coconut starts to turn golden brown. Cool completely and cut into small squares.

Dr. Pepper Texas Sheet Cake

 

Together as a Family knocked it out of the park with this one! It was so rich and decadent, the perfect addition to our 4th of July meal!

Ingredients

Dr. Pepper Texas Sheet Cake

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 3/4 cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup Dr. Pepper room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Chocolate Pecan Fudge Glaze

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 cup Dr. Pepper
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. 
• First, make the cake. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. 
• In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the cocoa powder and Dr. Pepper, and whisk until combined. Heat until the mixture just starts to boil, then remove from heat. 
• Pour the Dr. Pepper mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, along with the eggs and buttermilk. Use a whisk or a wooden spoon to mix together just until combined. 
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Hot Chocolate Dip

 

This dip from Yellow Bliss Road will be a regular Christmastime treat from now on! Suuuper easy to whip up and everyone loved it! We dipped apples, pretzels, and graham crackers!

Ingredients

7.5 ounces marshmallow fluff

8 ounces Cool Whip thawed

1/3 cup hot chocolate mix 3 .85-ounce packets

To serve: Animal crackers or graham crackers

For garnish: mini marshmallows

Instructions

Using a hand mixer in a large bowl, blend together the marshmallow fluff, cool whip, and hot chocolate dip until creamy.

Serve with animal or graham crackers!

Pecan Pie Brownies

 

This one from Real Housemoms is to die for! I did edit baking time a bit after reading comments!

Ingredients

1 box family-size brownie mix plus ingredients to prepare (see note)

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups corn syrup

4 eggs

1/4 cup unsalted butter melted

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups pecans chopped or whole

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan (glass or metal) and set aside.

Prepare the brownie batter according to package directions. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

While the brownies bake, mix together the sugar, corn syrup, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in pecans.

After brownies have partially baked, remove the pan from the oven and pour the pecan pie filling over the top. Spread the topping into an even layer.

Place the brownies back in the oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the filling only jiggles slightly in the middle when you move the pan.

Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool to room temperature before cutting into 20 squares.

French Silk Slab Pie

We love slab pies because they feed so many people are are much easier to dish up! This one is a delicious chocolate pie that everyone loves! Recipe from delish.

INGREDIENTS

All-purpose flour, for surface

1 

box refrigerated pie crust

2 1/2 c. 

sugar

1 c. 

(2 sticks) butter, softened

20 oz. 

bittersweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly

2 tsp. 

pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. 

kosher salt

8 

large pasteurized eggs

8 oz. 

fresh whipped cream or whipped topping, for garnish

Chocolate shavings, for garnish

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DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450º. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crusts and line up next to each other so they just overlap. Roll out in a rectangle large enough for a 15"-x-10" sheet pan. Place crust into sheet pan and crimp sides. Prick bottom and sides with a fork and bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Turn mixer on low and drizzle melted chocolate into butter and sugar mixture. Add vanilla and salt and beat mixture until combined.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating a few minutes between each addition. After 15 minutes of beating, filling should be completely silky and smooth with no grittiness. (If mixture seems to be melting instead of whipping, let chill in fridge 30 minutes and whip again until fluffy.)
5. Pour into baked crust and smooth top. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours and up to overnight.
6. Before serving, spread whipped cream all over top of pie and garnish with chocolate shavings.

Crack Brownies

I have to admit, I don't loooove brownies. I love chocolate, but brownies aren't necessarily my first choice. I was looking for a way to dress up my brownie mix for the football game with family this weekend and stumbled across this recipe from Hello Gorgeous. Even when I made them I was unsure about them-they're surprisingly AMAZING!! Like the texture reminds me of an Andes mint...firm chocolate on the top, gooey cream center, dense chocolate on the bottom...the milk soaks in to the bottom layer and makes it gooey. Anyway, definitely give these a try. They would be so delicious over ice cream!

Ingredients

Family Size Brownie Box Mix-for a 9x13 or 2 to double an 8x8 recipe
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk(My Dollar Tree actually sells half-can size of this)
1/2 bag chocolate chips

Instructions:

Prepare and bake brownies according to instructions on box.

Once baked (toothpick should come out clean!), poke holes throughout baked brownies with a knife. While brownies are hot, pour 1/2 a can of sweetened condensed milk over brownies. Use a spatula to spread milk evenly.

Sprinkle 1/2 a bag of milk chocolate chips on top. (I gently spread the melted chocolate chips to make a smooth top).

Recipe Notes

You can use any combination of brownies and chips that you want. I’ve made several batches now and my favorite combination has been dark chocolate brownies with milk chocolate chips. They melted into the most incredible ooey gooey dessert I’ve ever tasted. Topped with ice cream, they are the closest thing your taste buds will get to heaven.

If you don’t like gooey brownies, then go with a traditional brownie mix (like pictured above) and follow the instructions for cake-like brownies. Personally, I don’t think this version comes anywhere near close to the gooey version, but my hubby prefers this style. To each your own!

Chocolate Workout Brownies

I love anything Chocolate Covered Katie makes, and these were eaten up pretty quick by everyone in my house! Give them a try!

Ingredients

1 cup overripe mashed banana or applesauce (for low carb, try these Keto Brownies)
2/3 cup nut butter of choice, or allergy-friendly sub
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp chocolate protein powder (such as this one), OR sub additional cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave, OR additional banana
optional mini chocolate chips, crushed walnuts, etc.

Instructions

Notes: If using applesauce or unsweetened protein powder, or if planning to eat the brownies unfrosted, I recommend including the sweetener of choice. Using peanut butter gives a peanut-butter flavor, while almond or cashew butter taste more neutral. Sunbutter or pumpkin seed butter can be used for allergy-friendly brownies. You can use regular unsweetened cocoa or a combination of regular and dutch.
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. If using natural nut butter, gently warm it until it is easily stir-able. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir until completely smooth, and spread into the prepared pan (see video). Bake on the center rack 20-25 minutes (20 for super fudgy brownies) – they will be undercooked when you take them out. Let cool, then loosely cover with a paper towel and place in the fridge overnight, during which time they will firm up without losing their fudginess. They are also much sweeter the next day! Once cut, the brownies can either be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. You can even eat them straight out of the freezer if you wish! As mentioned, they are more of a healthy snack than a decadent dessert – if you enjoy healthy desserts and snacks, hopefully you will love these!

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe and photo from Six Sisters'. Guys you gotta stop what you're doing and make these right now. They are so delicious! Peanut butter and chocolate-c'mon, but these are done in THE best way! 

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups peanut butter, divided
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar together.

Add vanilla, eggs, and 1 cup peanut butter; stir to combine.

Add oats, flour, baking soda and salt and mix until well combined.

Spray a baking sheet (half sheet jelly roll pan that is approximately 17.8 x 12.8 x 1 inch) with nonstick cooking spray and spread out dough in an even layer.

Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.

Drop remaining peanut butter by spoonfuls on top of warm bars and spread when peanut butter has begun to melt.

Let cool until peanut butter has set up.

While cooling, mix together frosting ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and spread on top of bars.

Cut into bars and serve.

Dark Chocolate Detox Bites

Photo/Recipe from Hayley Hobson. These are perfect snacks to make ahead for the week and even store in the freezer. We love them! 

Chocolate-Dipped Almond Butter Banana Bites

These are one of my favorite indulgent, guilt-free snacks! I bought these, loved them, and quickly realized the price tag didn't reflect the ingredients so I made my own! This specific recipe/technique comes from A Healthy Slice of Life, but the basic idea is a peanut butter-banana sandwich dipped in chocolate and then frozen. You can sub the peanut butter with a nut butter, you can sub the dark chocolate for milk, you could even add jam with the filling! It's just enough sweet and protein to satisfy your cravings, minus any sugar hangover!

Ingredients

• 3 large bananas
• 1/3 cup nut butter of choice
• 1/2 cup melted chocolate of choice

---

Instructions

1. Slice bananas into slices about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
2. Spread a little nut butter onto a slice and sandwich two slices together.
3. Place on wax paper on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid, at least an hour.
4. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and remove frozen banana bites from freezer.
5. Dip each banana bite in chocolate and place back on wax paper. Freeze for another hour.
6. Transfer and keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Paleo Double Chocolate Turtle Bars

 

These are brought to you by Paleo Running Momma. They are DEFINITELY worth your time to make! Oh my gosh you'll never know these are a "healthier" treat! Mmmm! (Grain-free and paleo!)

Ingredients

for the chocolate cookie layer:

1/2 cup creamy cashew butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao
pinch salt

for the caramel pecan layer:
1 and 1/3 cups full fat coconut milk*
5 Tbsp organic coconut sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dark chocolate morsels I used Enjoy Life Brand or your favorite dark chocolate chips/chopped chocolate

Instructions

1. Make the cookie layer first. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8" baking dish with parchment paper along the bottom and up the sides.

2. Mix together the cashew butter, coconut sugar, and eggs until creamy. I used a hand mixer for this part. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut flour, cocoa powder and salt, then stir this mixture into the wet ingredients until fully combined. The dough will be sticky - chill it in the fridge for about 5 minutes - this will firm it up a bit as well as give the coconut flour time to settle and absorb moisture.

3. Now it's time to press the chocolate cookie dough into the parchment lined baking dish. The dough will still be sticky to work with even after chilled - I recommend wetting your hands just slightly to press/spread the dough evenly into the bottom of the dish. After pressing in the cookie dough, bake it in the preheated oven for 10 minutes**

4. To make the caramel, heat the coconut milk* and coconut sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil (I typically raise the heat to medium/hi for this, you can increase the heat depending on your stovetop) while stirring. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer (this might be med/low or med depending on your stove, it should be bubbling but not boiling over) and continue to cook, stirring to avoid the sugar burning, until the mixture is thickened and deep caramel in color***

5. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt and chopped pecans, then spread the caramel pecan mixture over the chocolate cookie layer (after baking 10 minutes) and return to the oven to bake for another 12 minutes or until the middle begins to bubble.

6. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Once they melt, use a toothpick to gently swirl the melted chocolate all over the top of the bars. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until completely cooled, then cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*I chill the can prior to opening, discard half the "water" and blend up the rest before using
**be careful not to overtake since you'll be baking it again with the caramel layer
***This can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes depending on your stove, mine seems to take less time than others!

Glazed Chocolate Cake Donuts

I bought myself a donut pan and couldn't be more excited! I have loved trying out new donut recipes and this is our favorite so far! You will definitely want to double this recipe! (Photo and recipe from Sprinkle Some Sugar.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 20 donuts

Ingredients:

Chocolate Donuts:
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt
8 tbs unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
1-1/2 cup buttermilk

Glaze:
1-1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbs milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a donut pan very well and set aside.

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, both sugars, nutmeg and salt very well. Add melted butter, eggs and milk and beat until mixture is smooth. Add batter to a ziploc bag and cut a corner off to pipe into donut pan wells. Fill them no higher than 2/3 of the way up so they don't bake over. Bake donuts for 12-13 minutes or until they are firm and spring back when you touch them. Pop them out of the donut pan and onto a cooling rack to cool until warm to the touch.

Whisk glaze ingredients in a small bowl and dip one side of warm donuts. Place on a cooling rack to allow glaze to dry. Glazed Chocolate Cake Donuts are best served immediately because they cannot be covered or the glaze will dissolve into the donuts.

No-Bake Reese's Krispy Cookies

I make these every time I have a lot of extra candy around--after Halloween or Christmas especially! It's a great way to use up those Reese's in a yummy way! These are our favorite no-bake cookies! Recipe and photo from My Incredible Recipes.

Ingredients

4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
5 regular sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside and place your Rice Krispies in a large mixing bowl
2. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine your corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until your mixture is evenly combined
3. Pour your peanut butter mixture over your Rice Krispies and mix
4. Now mix in your chocolate chips
5. After a couple minutes, mix in your crushed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to avoid them fully melting
6. Spoon your treats out with a ice cream scoop and onto your lined baking pan, let cool, then using your hand or a spatula, slightly flatten them. (So they look more like a thick cookie instead of a ball)
7. ENJOY!

Easy Mousse--2 Ingredients!

This is so dang good and the texture is amazing! Recipe and photo from InstruPix. You won't regret making this one!

Ingredients

• 1 box instant pudding (any flavor and size)
• 2-3 cups heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Using a hand mixer, make the instant pudding according to the package directions, only substitute heavy cream for the milk. 
2. After the pudding and heavy cream are well combined, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes, and mix again until it's super thick. 
3. Store it in a covered container in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it! I usually freeze half of it, and refrigerate the rest. It's a really nice, cold treat frozen with a slightly different texture. 

Sugar Cookie M&M Bars

These could not be easier! I actually have made them without M&Ms, too, and then frost when cooled--either way! This is an easy way to make sugar cookie bars festive; just buy seasonal M&Ms for whatever you're celebrating! Recipe and photo from Betty Crocker!

1 pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1egg
1 cup white vanilla baking chips
1 cup M&M's® chocolate candies

Steps:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. (I like using a 12x16 jelly roll pan so they are thinner, just depends on preference).
2. In large bowl, mix cookie mix, butter and egg with spoon until soft dough forms. Stir in white vanilla baking chips and 1/2 cup of the candies. Press dough in bottom of pan. Sprinkle remaining candies over top.
3. Bake 22 to 24 minutes or until edges are golden brown (center will look soft). Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in airtight container.

3-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-free & Dairy-free)

These are my new go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I'm always game for a recipe that tastes delicious and doesn't dirty up my kitchen or use a lot of ingredients! You'll love these! Recipe and picture from Babble.

Makes: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix (can substitute a gluten-free and/or dairy-free mix)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups chocolate chips (can substitute dairy-free chips)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix all ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in a bowl, either by hand or using a mixer. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
• Drop batter by tablespoons onto your prepared baking sheet(s). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms and sides are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.