Desserts

Find over 1,000 easy, fun, and delicious dessert recipes for you and your family!

Soft and moist, spiced pumpkin cupcakes perfectly paired with whipped Nutella buttercream.

Pumpkin Nutella Cupcakes Recipe

Soft and moist, spiced pumpkin cupcakes perfectly paired with whipped and fluffy Nutella buttercream. 

Soft and moist, spiced pumpkin cupcakes perfectly paired with whipped Nutella buttercream.

Alright you guys– where are my pumpkin freaks???

And I use the term “freaks” ever so lovingly. Because, don’t I know it, I’m one of them. And now that September is FINALLY here, and we have officially passed the Labor Day benchmark… you know what that means! Yes, my friends. It’s time to pumpkinallthethings. As all the hashtags have been no-so-subtly reminding us for the past 6 days ????.

This year, I’m especially anxious for Fall to get underway because…. I want to move into my house already!!!! I’m like a kid doing the potty dance waiting for this house to get built. Seriously. I love ya September and October– but this year, we’ve got to get a move on!

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In the meantime, we might as well talk cupcakes in order to distract me from my toe-tapping.

And what better distraction than pumpkin cupcakes?? Pumpkin cupcakes with Nutella buttercream to boot!

Not only are these cupcakes (obviously) the culmination of a perfect flavor pairing and utterly, sinfully delicious. But they are also SUPER easy. I used my favorite 2-ingredient pumpkin + cake mix recipe for the base. It’s ridiculously easy peasy.

After that, all you have to do is whip up a simple Nutella buttercream– which is at least 10 times easier than it sounds.

Soft and moist, spiced pumpkin cupcakes perfectly paired with whipped Nutella buttercream.

Happy pumpkin season babes! If you need me, I’ll be creepin’ the construction crew at my future house. ????

Kidding. I bring them donuts. They totally know I’m not weird.

???? ???? ???? ????

A recipe for quick and easy sticky buns using maple syrup, brown sugar, pecans, and store bought crescent roll dough.

Maple Crescent Sticky Buns Recipe

A recipe for quick and easy sticky buns using maple syrup, brown sugar, pecans, and store bought crescent roll dough.

A recipe for quick and easy sticky buns using maple syrup, brown sugar, pecans, and store bought crescent roll dough.

Happy Friday everyone!

Who else is so in the mood for Fall baking??

Ok, so that double question mark at the end was a little deceptively enthusiastic ????. The truth is that I’m “Fall baking” like a maniac over here, prepping for our move in a couple of months. Basically, I’ve got to get all posts for September, October, and November completely made and photographed in the next couple of weeks so I can focus on packing!

So, the truth is that I’m already a teensy, tiny, little bit burnt out. Oops!

A recipe for quick and easy sticky buns using maple syrup, brown sugar, pecans, and store bought crescent roll dough.

But let’s be real here. What I’m actually sick of is DISHES. And spending alllllllllllllll day in the kitchen. Whilst keeping my 1-year old from opening the oven and grabbing the knives out of the dishwasher.

However, I am NOT sick of eating pumpkin bread, Halloween cake, snickerdoodles, and so. much. pie. The eating part I could do all day, no sweat. ????

A recipe for quick and easy sticky buns using maple syrup, brown sugar, pecans, and store bought crescent roll dough.

If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the hunt for delicious recipes with minimal clean up involved.

Da-da-da-da! Allow me to introduce you to these ridiculous sticky buns. You’ll need…

✓Crescent roll dough (easy!).

✓Maple syrup (or a maple syrup substitute).

✓ONE pan, ONE bowl, and a whisk (reasonable).

✓10-15ish minutes (BAM).

That’s it! Enjoy fresh-from-the-oven, melt-in-your-mouth, maple sticky buns any morning (noon or night) that you need a break and some good eats.

It’s  my gift to you. ❤️

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Pumpkin Pudding Muffins Recipe

Pumpkin Pudding Muffins | somethingswanky.com

Yes, yes. I’ve put pudding mix in more baked goods.

I know some of you aren’t wild about pudding mix. Or you live in Australia where the stuff is totally unavailable (you guys should seriously put together some sort of national demand letter to Jell-O by the way, because not having instant pudding mix is crazy-talk!). But I looooooove adding pudding mix to my desserts. I totally throw it in anytime I can (obviously).

In case you’re a little late to the pudding mix scene, here are couple of reasons I love using it in my baked goods and one untested suggestion for a substitution if it’s not available to you…

Pumpkin Pudding Muffins | somethingswanky.com

So here’s the deal with pudding mix going into cookies, breads, muffins, and more: it makes the end result super moist… in the best possible way. “Moist” is such a risky word to use, isn’t it? But sometimes it’s the word for the job! And no way around it– moist baked goods = yummy baked goods.

The second thing I love about adding pudding mix is that it enhances the flavor of the treat. It either adds an extra layer of flavor (like chocolate pudding in a chocolate cookie = double the chocolate! Yum!), or it actually adds a NEW flavor (like cheesecake pudding in peanut butter cookies = peanut butter cheesecake!!). I love both functions.

And in regards to a substitute for pudding mix in baked goods? Well… I don’t think there’s much you can do to replace it for it’s flavor properties. But Averie once mentioned to me that she found using cornstarch worked in cookies in a way that might be similar to how pudding mix does! I haven’t tested that myself, and I’m not sure if she’s done it in more than the one cookie recipe. But it might be something worth trying if instant pudding mix is totally unavailable to you!

Pumpkin Pudding Muffins | somethingswanky.com

Thanks to pudding mix, these muffins are extra soft and fluffy, perfectly moist, and a little extra pumpkin-y. Give them a quick dunk in butter and cinnamon sugar for a perfectly cozy and sweet Fall breakfast!

Yellow Birthday Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting Recipe

This is the perfect birthday cake recipe! Buttery golden yellow cake with creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting. And lots of sprinkles, of course!

This is the perfect birthday cake recipe! Buttery golden yellow cake with creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting.

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t do birthday cakes.

I don’t make my husband’s birthday cakes. I don’t make my kids’ birthday cakes. And I don’t make my own birthday cakes. It’s a very firm personal policy that I established a few years back.

Why? It’s just too much unnecessary stress. And I can’t emphasize the unnecessary part enough. I mean, between planning a party, buy and wrapping gifts, and setting up the whole DAY in general, whyyyyyyyyyyy go through the ordeal of making a cake too? After enough birthdays of ending up grouchy and tired in a sticky, messy kitchen, I decided to abandon the practice of birthday cake-making altogether. I’d rather spend the day in celebration and eat a delicious cake from one of my favorite bakeries.

If you ask me, there’s absolutely no shame in that (especially when I’m baking cakes nearly every other day of the year!).

But, back when I used to make birthday cakes for myself, this is what I would make. A perfect, simple yellow cake with glorious fudgy frosting and a ridiculous amount of sprinkles! It’s everything that a birthday cake should be!

This is the perfect birthday cake recipe! Buttery golden yellow cake with creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting.

When I was in college, we’d make this cake on each roommate’s birthday. But we used a box cake and store-bought frosting and pink crystal sprinkles.

This is my grown up version of that.

Moist and tender, butter yellow cake made extra soft by using whole milk and incorporating sour cream into the batter (is there anything not made better by sour cream??). It’s thick and puffy, and crazy delicious.

The coup de gras of this cake, however, is the chocolate frosting on top. I took my favorite chocolate fudge frosting and made one teensy-weensy, but oh-so-significant alteration… I omitted 3/4 cups of the powdered sugar from the recipe.

What does that mean?

It means that we’re taking out just enough powdered sugar to make this frosting extra creamy by increasing the ratio of fat to dry ingredients. You wouldn’t want to frost a free-standing cake with this frosting, because it wouldn’t firm up well enough to stay where you put it. But if you’re frosting a sheet cake? That’s a different story! It’s the perfect vessel for all that creamy, indulgent goodness.

This is the perfect birthday cake recipe! Buttery golden yellow cake with creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting.

This rich, indulgent, fudgy frosting is the perfect compliment to that buttery yellow cake underneath. The only thing that could make it any better?

SPRINKLES. And lots of them. So don’t forget to add plenty of those!

And hey– Happy Birthday 🙂

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Ice Cream in a Bag Recipe

Ice Cream in a Bag?!?!? No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Oh man, you guys! I can’t believe I haven’t posted this recipe yet!!

It’s practically pumpkin season (which I’m late posting for every year as it is), and here I am with two summer-y ice cream recipes left to post. Sometimes I just get so obsessed with making more and more and more recipes, that I forget what I’ve already got on hand. ???? *palm to the head*

Anyway. I don’t want to delay sharing this recipe any longer with you guys, so I’m going to jump on in!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Making homemade ice cream was on our bucket list for this summer, but I kept forgetting to put the ice cream canister in the freezer. And I knew the overnight recipe wouldn’t fly with this kid, because… you know. We’d have to wait. ????

But I’m glad we didn’t go that route, because we had so much fun making this ice cream in a bag recipe! Plus, it is absolutely DELICIOUS. I was really pleasantly surprised at how good this ice cream is. I mean… it’s cream and sugar, so how bad can it be, right? But still, I had kind of assumed it might be a little runny or a little icy or a little…. something or other.

But it actually turned out just right. Like, perfect-o.

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

So how does this magic work? Well, let me tell you all about it!

First, you need some basic ingredients:

✓ Half & half

✓ Sugar

✓ Vanilla extract

✓ Ice

✓ Rock salt (not much)

✓ Gallon sized zip top bags

✓ Toppings

✓ Little helping hands to shake the bag!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

You’ll mix together the cream (half & half), sugar, and vanilla and pour it all into a bag– zip that up tight! Then you’ll put that bag into another bag filled with the ice and rock salt (and I’d suggest double bagging here).

And then…. shake, shake, shake, shake!

For 10 whole minutes. You can even play a game of hot potato and toss the bag to each other, which is what we ended up doing, to keep your hands from freezing!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Voila! Open the bag, scrape down the sides, and like magic… perfect homemade ice cream in less than 10 minutes without an ice cream machine! (unless you count child labor as a machine… which I don’t ????).

Add toppings and dig in!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Hopefully it’s still warm enough and summer enough wherever you are that you can enjoy a little more homemade ice cream.

I’ve got one more summer-y ice cream recipe coming your way this week, and then hello!  all-things-pumpkin and velvety rich cakes and Thanksgiving pies!

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Toasted coconut, crunchy toffee, and chocolate chips enveloped in a sweet, buttery cookie with golden crisp edges and soft chewy middles. What’s not to love??

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

About 6 years ago, I decided to have a bake sale in conjunction with a yard sale we were having. I emailed all my favorite bloggers at the time and asked them to send me their top bake sale recipe. My plan was to “market” my bake sale as a “blogger bake sale,” and have all the recipes submitted by my friends made up and ready to sell.

Several people saw my signs and excitedly showed up, hoping to meet really cool food bloggers with samples of their recipes… ????.

And instead, they found me (just me) with a table of baked goods I had clumsily made in our little apartment kitchen. Mind you, this was back when I used margarine instead of butter ????– so there was still quite a bit of development in my baking abilities yet to occur.

Woops.

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

Annnnnnyway. Embarrassing memories aside– I only bring it up, because it was that bake sale that landed me with this cookie recipe. A friend of mine gave me the recipe, and I fell instantly in love with it!

Albeit, I’ve tweaked it a little bit to use my favorite Quick & Easy CCC as the cookie base instead of her original recipe. But it’s the same concept– toasted coconut, toffee bits, and chocolate chips. So, so good!

I was pleasantly surprised at the texture of these cookies. The toffee, of course, lend a buttery crunch to each bite. But, to me, the real star of the show is the toasted coconut! Besides being deliciously fragrant and tasty, the coconut adds another layer of crispy texture to the cookies.

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, because it's so quick and easy and delicious!

I absolutely adore these cookies. Crisp, buttery, golden edges. Crunchy, crispy toffee and coconut mixed with warm, melty chocolate in every bite. Believe me, you are going to fall head over heels for this recipe too!

PS- did I mention this is a spin-off of my Quick & Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies?? That means NO mixer, NO chilling, and NO spreading! Seriously, best. recipe. everrrrrrrrr.

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

We DEVOURED this bread. Inhaled it.

Like… it didn’t even last two days. It barely stuck around past the 24 hour mark.

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

It’s incredibly moist thanks to THREE CUPS of zucchini and the brown sugar.

And can you see how shiny the chocolate chips are? That’s my favorite part. In both banana bread and zucchini bread, I love how the moisture seeps into the chocolate chips creating a little chocolate “bubble” around each chip. I know I’m not doing a great job describing this, but you know what I’m talking about right?

I don’t know why, but that just gets me every time. ????

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Now, I’m no nutritional expert…. ahem, clearly ????… but I figure all the green veggies here make this bread a pretty square meal. Who’s with me?!

Enjoy a thick slice of this delicious zucchini bread warm or day-old, smothered in butter, with a tall glass of milk. And try it with my Maple Cinnamon Butter. You’ll be in heaven!

How To Make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Making zucchini bread is an efficient way to use up fresh zucchini, and it’s a recipe that’s both simple and rewarding. The process begins by combining the key wet ingredients in a large bowl—zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs. The grated zucchini adds moisture and a subtle, earthy flavor, while the sugar and oil ensure the bread will be sweet and tender. The vanilla and eggs bind everything together, creating a rich and flavorful base for your batter.

In a separate bowl, you’ll mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. These ingredients not only give structure to the bread but also infuse it with warm, spiced flavors. The cinnamon and nutmeg add a cozy, aromatic touch that complements the zucchini perfectly. Once the dry ingredients are well combined, gently fold them into the wet mixture. It’s important to mix just until a batter forms—overmixing can lead to dense, tough bread.

To make your zucchini bread extra special, fold in a generous amount of chocolate chips. The chocolate adds a delightful sweetness and a bit of indulgence to each slice. Once the batter is ready, divide it evenly between two prepared loaf pans. As the bread bakes, the kitchen will fill with the irresistible aroma of spices and chocolate. After about 45 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaves. If it comes out clean, the bread is ready. If the tops are browning too quickly, cover the loaves with foil and continue baking until fully cooked.

Allow the zucchini bread to cool in the pans before slicing. This ensures the loaves firm up nicely and are easy to remove. Once cooled, slice into thick pieces and enjoy the soft, moist texture combined with the rich flavors of chocolate and warm spices. This zucchini bread is perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert, making it a versatile treat that everyone will love.

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Thin Mint Brownies Recipe

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

This post is sponsored by Pillsbury.

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Top 5 things I learned in Girl Scouts:

  1. Be careful when hot gluing pennies to hair clips. ????
  2. Send the cookie order form to work with your Dad immediately upon receiving the form.
  3. Show up to meetings twinning with your best friend. With a matching side braid if possible.
  4. Surprisingly, moving up to ‘Brownies’ doesn’t mean you actually get brownies. Who knew?
  5. Always, always, ALWAYS stash the Thin Mints in the freezer as soon as the shipment gets in!

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Is there anything in this world better than frozen Thin Mints?!

How about a frozen Thin Mint Brownie?

You guys… THIN MINT BROWNIES! And I don’t mean Thin-Mint-Brownies-that-you-have-to-wait-all-the-way-until-Girl-Scout-Cookie-season-to-make.

I mean whip-em-up-brownies made RIGHT NOW with a whisk and a bowl in your very own kitchen with just 4 simple ingredients. Interested?

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Of course you are. Aren’t we all?!

The NEW Pillsbury™ Girl Scout Cookie™- Inspired Baking Mixes provide a way to recreate the crave-worthy flavors of Girl Scout Cookies® at home in the form of brownies, blondies and cupcakes with the ease of a convenient Pillsbury™ Girl Scout Cookie™ Flavored Baking Mix.

I mean, really. It’s about time somebody came up with this! amiright??

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

Rich fudgy brownies that taste like your favorite Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies!

I think you’ll love these brownies no matter when you eat them. But my personal opinion is that you should really wait until they’ve cooled completely and given the flavors time to marry a bit before you dig in.

And if you really want them at their very best… just remember Girl Scout Lesson #5. ????

Enjoy! And big thanks to Pillsbury for sponsoring this post.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You’ll never believe they’re full of vegetables!

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

My CJ is a muffin fiend. It is the only bread I can get him to eat. He won’t touch sandwich bread, buttery soft rolls, fluffy buttermilk pancakes… turns up his nose at all of it.

Don’t ask me how he knows the difference between a muffin and a cupcake, but he does. And apparently the appeal of the cupcake doesn’t even come close to how he feels about muffins. I guess I should feel pretty good about that… but really it just makes me wonder, is he really mine??

I suppose the 25 hours of grueling labor it took to bring him into the world should be enough proof, but his carb snobbery seriously has me questioning things.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

These muffins take a big step toward bringing our two worlds together, because these chocolate zucchini muffins really are BETTER than cupcakes. They are ridiculously soft, so fudgy, and utterly indulgent.

You’d never believe that there’s a cup and a half of shredded veggies in there.

So sneaky! ????

My other secret ingredient? Pudding mix!

You know how it makes cakes crazy stupid soft and moist? It does the same thing in muffins.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

Did I mention that these freeze really well? They do! So when you’re up to your eyeballs in zucchini this summer, make a double (or triple!) batch of these to stash in the freezer. And just set them out at room temp to thaw when you are ready to dig in.

Enjoy!

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifles Recipe

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won’t believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

I’m all about the easy in the summer time, let me tell you.

Part of me kind of thought that summer might be a little easier than the school year. I mean, I knew it would be challenging having both kids home all day every day. But I guess I still thought that just maybe I would feel like I had more hours in the day to get stuff done.

Since I figured the days would feel longer and all.

Turns out, I was part right. And part so, so, so very wrong. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this… the days are NEVER ENDING. Never, ever ending. And yet somehow, there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done.

WTH? If someone figures that math out, let me know.

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

In the meantime, I’m doing lots of quick-and-easy around here. I average cooking a real meal about once a week. Cleaning just doesn’t get done. And I let the kids pretty much rule the roost all day.

Seriously. As I sit here and type, I can see a (LARGE) milk puddle in the carpet that I haven’t sponged up since lunch time (that’s gonna be fun), CJ is rubbing in applesauce on the rug at my feet, clothes and knick knacks and what nots litter every inch of living space as far as the eye can see, my empty fast food cup of soda is leaving a water ring on the table to my left, and there’s a sticky bottle of infant’s Ibuprofen stuck to a book on my right. I still don’t know what we’re having for dinner, Chris will be home in about 15 minutes, and then I’m leaving for a baby shower.

I’m not complaining. But at some point… the situation does become comical.

So when it comes to prepping recipes for the blog? It’s gotta be EASY. We’re talking the minimum amount of effort here.

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

And friends, it does NOT get any easier than this recipe for Peanut Butter Brownie Parfaits.

You’ll need pudding mix, peanut butter, Cool Whip, and milk for the mousse part. And you’ll layer that with brownie bites (home baked or store bought, box mix or from scratch, my recipe or yours, WHATEVER) and chocolate chips.

Guys, this recipe is the very definitely of minimal effort. And it’s SO GOOD. And it looks so fancy too. People will never know that you whipped this up whilst standing in a pile of smushed grapes and animal crackers in your yoga pants!

…not that I did that or anything. ????

One bowl, no mixer, no chill time, NO FUSS chocolate chip cookies. This recipe calls for melted butter, so all you need is a sturdy spoon and a bowl for fresh cookies right out the oven in under 15 minutes!

Quick & Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

One bowl, no mixer, no chill time, NO FUSS chocolate chip cookies. This recipe calls for melted butter, so all you need is a sturdy spoon and a bowl for fresh cookies right out the oven in under 15 minutes!

One bowl, no mixer, no chill time, NO FUSS chocolate chip cookies. This recipe calls for melted butter, so all you need is a sturdy spoon and a bowl for fresh cookies right out the oven in under 15 minutes!

I’ve had several readers mention to me recently that they miss the chocolate chip cookie experiment.

And you know what? I do too.

You guys know that warm, fresh chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven are my very favorite dessert in the world.  Donuts, pancakes, yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and homemade bread all have a special place in my heart. But nothing, NOTHING, ever beats out a warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie in my book. Ever.

One bowl, no mixer, no chill time, NO FUSS chocolate chip cookies. This recipe calls for melted butter, so all you need is a sturdy spoon and a bowl for fresh cookies right out the oven in under 15 minutes!

In doing the chocolate chip cookie experiment, I’ve found several recipes that I’ve really loved and have made on several different occasions. But last weekend when I was craving my favorite cookie, I didn’t feel like doing my usual 10-second increments and rotations in the microwave to speed soften the butter to the exact perfectness of room temperature.

Annnnnd I just didn’t feel like dirtying up the KitchenAid mixer and dough paddle that I would have to hand wash. I was just feeling that lazy.

But I really did want cookies.

So I did some online research looking through cookie recipes that called for melted butter with no chill time, and patch-worked together my own version.

One bowl, no mixer, no chill time, NO FUSS chocolate chip cookies. This recipe calls for melted butter, so all you need is a sturdy spoon and a bowl for fresh cookies right out the oven in under 15 minutes!
This is butter straight from the fridge after 45 seconds in the microwave. It’s 90% melted, but some of the butter is still retaining a solid form (albeit very soft).

Typically, you don’t melt the butter in a cookie recipe unless you plan to chill the dough before baking, because the cookies will spread all over the baking sheet into a flat mess.

Which is what I fully expected to pull out of the oven when I experimented with the first batch of this recipe. But instead, when I opened the oven door, I found thick, puffy, PERFECT cookies! I made the recipe two more times, just to be sure it wasn’t a fluke. And every single time, I’ve been rewarded with the same results.

One bowl, no mixer, no chill time, NO FUSS chocolate chip cookies. This recipe calls for melted butter, so all you need is a sturdy spoon and a bowl for fresh cookies right out the oven in under 15 minutes!

Using melted butter and getting to forego the chill time speeds up the cookie making process considerably. And it eliminates a couple of extra dishes that can’t be tossed in the dishwasher (if you usually use a KitchenAid mixer or similar like I do).

It’s literally as simple as microwaving the butter, add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, and stirring with a spoon. Which takes all of maybe 5 minutes. Pop ’em in the oven for 9 more, and ta-da! It’s cookie time!!

I’m in love with this recipe. It might be my favorite yet, just for the simplicity of it.

However, I’m dying to know how it works in YOUR kitchen! It seems like every oven does things a little differently, and I’m wondering if anyone will make these and find that they spread out a ton. So I’m going to turn on the comments for this post below, and I’d love for you guys to whip up a batch one of these days and let me know what kind of results you get. ????????????

One bowl, no mixer, no chill time, NO FUSS chocolate chip cookies. This recipe calls for melted butter, so all you need is a sturdy spoon and a bowl for fresh cookies right out the oven in under 15 minutes!

Speaking of favorite recipes… a lot of you have been emailing me wanting to know what the updated favorites are in my quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. So here are my latest Top 5:

  1. Today’s Quick & Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies (I can’t help it, I’m so lazy that to me these are just too perfect!)
  2. Chewy Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
  3. KAF Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
  4. DoubleTree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookies
  5. KAF Chocolate Chip Cookies
My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

Peanut Butter Nutella Banana Muffins Recipe

My mom’s famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn’t have a crumb left!

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

If you need me to convince you that peanut butter and Nutella and banana muffins are a match made in heaven.. then you are possibly on the wrong site. ????

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

People ask me all the time what I do with all the treats I bake. All.the.time.

I guess I should be flattered that people don’t take one look at me and think that I eat every single thing that comes out of my kitchen. But, oh, if they only knew how many of my baked goods never quite make it out the door to all the places I intend to send them.

Well, I’d be horrified. So I’m glad that they don’t know. But what I’m confessing is: I eat a lot of it myself.

Case in point: these muffins.

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

I took one bite, and I was gone. Or rather… the muffins were gone! ????

Super soft, moist banana bread bursting with peanut butter flavor and swirled with Nutella. A LOT of Nutella. So, so, so, good.

And so comforting! I don’t if it’s just me, but these are all flavors that just make me feel good and cozy on the inside. My mom’s banana bread always makes me feel that way. But adding the peanut butter and the Nutella added to that even just a little bit more.

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

Of course, OF COURSE, the key to any great banana bread recipe is to use incredibly ripe bananas (how to quickly ripen bananas). Like, almost rotten ripe. I mean, if they’re moldy and leaking… then no. Gross.

But soft and squishy and super brown– YES. Those are exactly the bananas we want in this recipe. Overripe bananas will add a tremendous amount of natural sweetener and moisture to any recipe. So we definitely want them in these.

🍌🍌🍌 CELEBRATE BANANAS with us: our favorite Banana Bread Recipes 🍌🍌🍌

My mom’s recipe that I’m basing this variation on typically calls for a little additional oil. But we’re going to skip that this time, since we’re adding peanut butter which will take care of the fat needed to help keep the bread soft. Plus, it tastes good ????.

My mom's famous banana bread muffins made with peanut butter and swirled with Nutella. We didn't have a crumb left!

When it comes time to swirl in the Nutella, I actually like to step a little outside of the box here. Instead of just adding the Nutella directly to the batter, I actually like to mix it INTO a portion of the batter, and then swirl the Nutella batter into the remaining batter.

Nutella batter = more Nutella taste = better.

These muffins are great warm out of the oven. But like all banana bread recipes, they’re even better at room temp. Something about cooling and sitting for a while really gives the flavors a chance to stand out!

Enjoy!

Creamy, sweet, unbelievably honey butter with a heavy touch of cinnamon. Just like the stuff you'll find at Texas Roadhouse!

Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter Copycat Recipe

Creamy, sweet, unbelievably honey butter with a heavy touch of cinnamon. You’ll love this Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter copycat recipe I put together!

Creamy, sweet, unbelievably honey butter with a heavy touch of cinnamon. Just like the stuff you'll find at Texas Roadhouse!

You’ve been to Texas Roadhouse right?

And you’ve inhaled a basket of their rolls smothered in this ridiculous cinnamon honey butter right?

If you haven’t, stop what you’re doing right now, and GO. It’s ok. I’m not going anywhere. I can wait.

Creamy, sweet, unbelievably honey butter with a heavy touch of cinnamon. Just like the stuff you'll find at Texas Roadhouse!

Ok, AH-mazing, right?! Like, the best thing that’s happened to fresh, warm, yeasty bread E-V-E-R.

And the best part is (who am I kidding?! the best part is how good it tastes!! But the NEXT best part is…) how easy this copycat version of Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter is to make at home. It tastes EXACTLY the same. And you get a whole lot more than the tiny little scoop they give you at the restaurant.

Because we obviously need more butter than that!!

First, you’ll need softened butter. Whip it into oblivion. Then add honey, cinnamon, and powdered sugar.

Creamy, sweet, unbelievably honey butter with a heavy touch of cinnamon. Just like the stuff you'll find at Texas Roadhouse!

And I like a little pinch of sea salt too, just to cut through all that sweet.

Creamy, sweet, unbelievably honey butter with a heavy touch of cinnamon. Just like the stuff you'll find at Texas Roadhouse!

Creamy, sweet, unbelievably honey butter with a heavy touch of cinnamon. Just like the stuff you'll find at Texas Roadhouse!

Your waistline isn’t going to thank me for this, I won’t lie. But your tastebuds most certainly will!

Enjoy this Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter responsibly!

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd recipe!

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

You guys. Is there seriously a less appetizing word out there than CURD? I mean, really. ????

But rest assured, for a word that so closely resembles curdled and cheese curds, this dreamy homemade lemon curd recipe is nothing of the sort.

If lemon is your thang and you’ve already made Ina’s Lemon Bars, Lemon Poke Cake, Lemon Berry Scones, Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, and Lemon Poppyseed Banana Bread… then it is time to make your own lemon curd, my friends.

🍋🍋🍋 Celebrate LEMONS with us in this roundup of our best LEMON DESSERTS! 🍋🍋🍋

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

This recipe is so ridiculously easy. Four simple ingredients is all you’ll need:

  • sugar
  • lemon juice
  • egg yolks
  • butter

What You Need

Now, a lot of recipes will have you making this over a double boiler. This supposedly prevents any egg lumps in the mixture. I don’t own a double boiler, and frankly, I don’t have room for anything else in the pots and pans and bowl department in my little kitchen. So, I didn’t use a double boiler.

And it was just fine.

I cooked my curd over medium-high heat and stirred it constantly (just like you would have to do with a double boiler anyway). Well, I did end up with a few little lumps, but nothing that wasn’t easily strained through a small sieve.

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

I feel like I’ve read a million times, “no straining required!” “no sieve needed!” like it’s such a hassle to strain the curd. But really, it’s just not a big deal at all.

Pour the mixture through the sieve over the container you plan to store it in. The curd passes through, and the lumps stay out. Easy peasy. And you can buy a small sieve for less than ten bucks at any superstore.

Seriously. Just buy the sieve. Use it. Save yourself a headache. It’s not a big deal. And it makes this process so much easier and keeps that lemon curd smooth and creamy!

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

Ok, so now that we’ve talked about how to make it… what exactly is lemon curd? And how do you use it??

Lemon curd is sort of like the filling in a lemon meringue pie. It’s sweet and tart and creamy.

And what to use it on? How about everything.

Spread over Pancakes.

Fill donuts.

With crepes.

Mix it with granola and yogurt.

On strawberry shortcake.

Or, my personal favorite, serve spoon it over angel food cake and top with berries and whipped cream! This is such a yummy summertime treat. And the berries compliment the sweet of the curd, while the whipped cream balances the tart, and the cake soaks it all up.

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!
Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

No matter how you use it, you really can’t go wrong with homemade lemon curd! Enjoy 🙂

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Nutella Brownie S’mores Cookie Bars Recipe

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow and Nutella swirl, graham cracker crust layer, and milk chocolate chips.

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

If you’ve been hanging around Something Swanky for any amount of time at all really, you know my love of these brownie cookies. And if you’ve been stopping by for a little longer than that, then you also know that I’m obsessed with s’mores.

Bringing the two together was simply the natural progression of things.

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Ok, so… Brownie Cookie Bars. You may be wondering why I took brownies and turned them into cookies and then took those cookies and turned them back into bars. Yeah?

And the answer is… I wanted something a little firmer than brownies, like a cookie, but still basically brownies. Ergo: my favorite brownie cookie recipe baked into bars.

So, yeah. They’re basically still brownies. A little firmer on the tops and bottoms than a brownie, but still just as rich and fudgy in the centers. I know it’s a little backwards, but just trust me on this. It works.

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Speaking of centers… would you get a load of that?! ????

Sandwiched in between these rich and fudgy brownie cookie bars is a thick and gooey layer of marshmallow cream, Nutella, and a ridiculously perfect, buttery graham cracker crust.

YES. All that. ????

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

These are so, so, SO easy to make. You’ll only need one bowl– and you can make the graham cracker crust layer in a ziplock bag like I did, so there aren’t even any extra dishes needed there!

Starting with the brownie cookie dough. It’s simply a variation on a box mix recipe. You will need an actual box mix, but don’t follow the recipe on there for brownie batter. I’m giving you a different set of ingredients and measurements that will create a different texture than what you’d get using the recipe on the box. More cookie-like, remember?

Next up, a dreamy graham cracker crust. I ALWAYS make graham crusts in a bag. It’s so much easier, less mess, less fuss, so it really just makes sense. Place the graham crackers in a gallon-sized zip bag and crush them up using a rolling pin until they are fine crumbs. Toss in the butter and sugar, and then nuke the whole bag for about 30-60 seconds, until the butter melts. After that, all you have to do is mush the mixture in the bag until the crust comes together! Dump it out over the brownie layer and press it down, easy peasy.

The marshmallow cream and Nutella layer is probably the hardest part, because they’re both so sticky. But if you have a release ice cream or cookie scoop, that pretty much solves all your problems. I just scoop on what I need and spread it just a little with an offset spatula.

Add some more brownie cookie to the top and your milk chocolate chips, and…

Bake.

Drool.

And then top with ice cream.

Chewy, fudgy brownie cookie bars with a marshmallow swirl, and graham cracker crust layer, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Obviously.

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

Reese’s Cup Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese’s cups. You’ll love every last bite.

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

This bread is dangerously delicious. If you love peanut butter and chocolate (and banana bread!), then you are in the right place, friends.

…or the wrong place. Depending on your self control (er, or lack of, as the case may be ????).

🍌🍌🍌 CHECK OUT more of our favorite Banana Bread Recipes 🍌🍌🍌

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

This banana bread is dense and indulgent and bursting with some of the best flavors of all time ever: peanut butter, chocolate, and bananas. And Reese’s Cups. This bread is PACKED with Reese’s Cups.

Who’s on board?? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ????????

If you’re the healthy sort, you should know that it’s packed with FOUR hefty bananas as well. So… you know. It’s basically health food. ????

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

What’s the Secret?

The key to super moist banana bread? Really, really, REALLY ripe bananas. In fact, I usually let mine get even more brown than what you see in this picture. I let these guys sit on the counter for an additional few days before turning them into another drool-worthy banana bread creation (recipe coming soon guys!).

If you’re lucky, you can snag over-ripe bananas that are on their way out in some grocery stores for clearance pricing. Which is always the best thing ever.

Or, if you really can’t wait for bananas to ripen on their own, try this trick for ripe bananas in less than 30 minutes.

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

The other ingredient that contributes to INCREDIBLE moist bread in this recipe is the peanut butter. This banana bread is simply my mom’s recipe with an additional 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter. So I left all the ingredients we normally use in her banana bread– which is moist already– and just added to that!

More good fat (PB) + 4 whole bananas = the most heavenly moist banana bread of all time.

Plus, this recipe is really super easy. It takes kind of a long time to bake, but the prep is a breeze (you don’t even need a mixer)! And all that time in the oven means your house is going to smell ah-mazing while it’s baking.

You’re gonna fall in love, I’m telling you.

Super moist banana bread made with peanut butter and Reese's cups. We loved every last crumb!

We haven’t even talked about all the stuff inside the bread yet!!

Although, I guess there’s not all that much to say. There are A LOT of chocolate chips and Reese’s Cups in this bread. Like, a lot.

Annnnnnd that pretty much sums up that. ????

slice of banana bread with Reese's

If have been looking for a wow-your-pants-off-delicious banana bread recipe… well, let me tell you– this is THE ONE.

Enjoy!! 🙂