I have been making this delicious peanut butter fudge with Oreo chunks for years. I call it the “Parent Trap” fudge. If you know, you know! Even though oreo and peanut butter fudge can be enjoyed all year round, I love making it at Christmas! It’s perfect for a dessert table or super cute wrapped in a plastic bag with a festive ribbon. This fudge is the kind that melts in your mouth, and it’s hard to stop at one piece! 

I promise after December, I am going to be bringing all the fresh and healthy recipes back to the blog! I just LOVE baking all the yummy treats at Christmas time!
You can also make this recipe without the Oreos, especially if you already have all the ingredients in your pantry!
Peanut butter and Oreos go together. When I was a kid, I was influenced by the Parent Trap, and my best friend and I always snacked on Oreos with peanut butter after school. This fudge takes that combo to the next level! 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

The key to making this recipe successful is having all the ingredients measured and ready to go!

In a saucepan, add your butter, sugar, and milk.

Crumble Oreos in a bowl.

Grease two bowls and add in the marshmallow cream and peanut butter

Add flour to another bowl.

You must add the ingredients fast, so it’s better to have it all next to the saucepan.

You can watch my video to see how I do it! 

 
This fudge recipe is so easy to make! Anyone can do it.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and 8-10 crushed Oreos.

Bring sugar, milk, and butter to a boil. Set a five-minute timer.

THE EASIEST PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

Once the timer goes off, remove from the heat, and mix in the peanut butter and marshmallow cream.

Once the peanut butter has fully melted, mix in the flour and crushed Oreos.

Mix quickly, immediately transfer to the baking dish, and spread out using a greased metal spoon.

Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. 

Let the fudge cool for about an hour at room temperature before slicing.

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The Best Peanut Butter Fudge With Oreos!

I call this the "parent trap fudge" If you know, you know! This fudge is so easy to make, absolutely delicious, and a great last-minute holiday gift idea.

Course Dessert

Keyword Peanut Butter, Fudge, Holidays, Oreos, Christmas, Cookies and Cream, Fudge recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 48 Pieces

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Granulated Cane Sugar
• 1 Cup Whole Milk
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
• 7 Ounces Marshmallow Creme
• 1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter
• 2/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Family Size Double-Stuffed Oros
• 1 Pinch Sea Salt

Instructions

• Line a 9 x 13-inch dish with parchment paper.

  _{NOTE: If you do not have parchment paper, spray with cooking or butter.}
• Crumble 8 to 10 Oreos at the bottom of the baking dish on top of the parchment paper. Set aside.

  Crush the rest of the Oreos and place them in a bowl.
• Add the sugar, butter, and milk into a saucepan and keep stirring until you bring the mixture to a complete boil.

  _{NOTE: It will look like the mixture is boiling along the sides, but it will not be boiling until the bubbles reach the center.}

  Once the mixture is completely boiling, set a timer for 5 minutes, and continue to stir. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat.
• Quickly add in the peanut butter and marshmallow cream.

  ^{NOTE: The peanut butter will melt faster than the fluff, so do not worry if there are still large pieces of marshmallows in the fudge.}

  Quickly mix in the crushed Oreos (leaving a few to crumble over the top) and the flour. The fudge will start to thicken immediately. As soon as the flour is incorporated, instantly transfer it to the baking dish, and top it with Oreo crumbles and a pinch of sea salt.

  _{NOTE: Use a greased metal spoon for spreading.}

  _{NOTE: It helps to keep all the ingredients pre-measured and next to the boiling pot to make sure you have enough time to add in all the ingredients.}
• Allow the fudge to cool for one hour at room temperature.

 
This fudge recipe has been in my family for many years, and it’s fun to experiment by adding in Oreos, nuts, and even sprinkles. My go-to peanut butter for this fudge is the Creamy Skippy. I think it tastes the best, and I always use the double-stuffed Oreos. 
In the top right corner, I made the peanut butter fudge without the Oreos! The only thing you won’t add is sea salt. 

Gumdrop cookies
Lemon Linzer Cookies
Oreo Balls
Gingerbread Bars
Sugar Cookies

I have been loving seeing all of your recipe photos on Instagram! Thank you all for tagging me and coming back to rate them!  

I hope you all have the BEST HOLIDAY!!!!

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite flavor of fudge?
2. Do you have a designated fudge maker in your family?
3. What are you most excited about this week?

VIDEO HOW TO MAKE GINGERBREAD OATMEAL COOKIES WITH A CHAIR TEA LATTE BUTTERCREAM FILLING

YES! I’ve made my oatmeal pies with all-purpose gluten-free flour and certified gluten-free oats times! You can hardly tell the difference. 

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

Absolutely! Swap the butter for vegan butter! It’s that simple, and it works great. The Earth Balance butter sticks are what I use to make recipes dairy-free. 


These cookies are so simple to make. You’ll need to print this recipe or bookmark it so you can make them over and over again.

Fortunately, my son thinks my baking is entertaining. I turn up the Christmas music and dance around for him. He usually hangs out in his bouncy chair and laughs at me. Including him helps me get things done! Hopefully, he’ll be able to help me next year. 

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Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies with a Chai Tea Latte Buttercream Filling

These are the perfect Christmas cookie! They pack a punch of spice, soft and perfect with a cup of coffee.

Course Dessert

Servings 18 Cookies

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookie

• 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 3 Cups Oats quick oats or whole work
• 1 1/2 Tsps Baking Soda
• 1/2  Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2  Tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Ground Ginger
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cloves
• 1 Cup (+ 1 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter
• 1 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Cup Molasses
• 2 Large Eggs room temperature

Chai Tea Latte Buttercream

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
• 7 Ounces Marshmallow Fluff
• 4 Cups Powdered Sugar or more if needed
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Cup Chai Tea Concentrate
• 1 Shot Espresso optional

Instructions

Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a large bowl.
• Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about two minutes.) Mix in the molasses and vanilla on high speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the eggs (30 seconds on medium speed.)
• Add the dry ingredients to the electric mixer with the wet ingredients. Mix until thoroughly combined.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add heaping tablespoon-sized dough balls onto the sheet two inches apart.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. When you remove them from the oven, they will be slightly undercooked, but they will continue to cook on the baking sheet. Do not remove them until they have cooled.

Chai Tea Latte Buttercream

• Whip the butter and marshmallow fluff for 2 minutes using the electric mixer.
• Mix in the powdered sugar and cinnamon at a low speed.
• Mix in the vanilla, chai tea concentrate, and espresso. If the buttercream isn't thick enough, add in extra marshmallow fluff and powdered sugar.

  You want the buttercream to be extra thick, so it doesn't fall out of the cookie.
• Once the cookies have completely cooled, spread 2-3 tablespoons of buttercream on the bottom of one cookie, and add another cookie to make a cookie sandwich.
• Store in the refrigerator or on the countertop. ENJOY!

 I am going to make more of these for my cookie gifts this year with my peanut brittle, peanut butter fudge, and lemon Linzer cookies!  I hope you enjoy this recipe, and please tag me on Instagram or come back to rate these if you make them. I love seeing your creations. 

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite holiday flavor?
2. Have you ever made a dessert board?
3. Should I make a blueberry version of these?

browse more holiday recipes

Last weekend, I had my girlfriends over for a cookie-decorating lunch party. We try our best to make time during the busy holiday season to do something fun each year. I decided to host a cookie-decorating lunch party, and it was so fun putting everything together! I wanted to share the photos to inspire you to have your girlfriends over for a fun holiday-themed get-together. Life is busy for everyone, but it’s important to make time for friendships. This party theme was super simple to put together! I had most of the supplies, but I picked up a few things to make it extra special. 

I decided to make everything gluten-free and vegetarian to fit my friend’s dietary needs. I put together a giant salad with spring mix, baby kale, avocado, dried blueberries, cranberries, glazed almonds, raspberries, blueberries, cucumber, tomatoes, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. I put the Publix brand of gluten-free and vegan chicken strips in the oven to make them super crispy to go on top of the salad. They tasted just like chicken strips! 

I filled mini muffin liners with an assortment of sprinkles and then filled up two bottles with royal icing. 

Each cookie container came with a plastic wrap and ribbon, so when the cookies were dry, you could put them back in the container, wrap them up, and add a gift tag. 
 I put all the supplies on a baking sheet as decorating space. I supplied a plate to put the finished cookies on while they dried. 
It was cold and rainy outside, so the Christmas music playing and the candles lit had us all in the Christmas spirit. 

I baked the cookies and set up the decorating station the night before to make it easier!

Decorating the cookies was so fun! My stomach hurts from laughing when someone messed up on a cookie. There were so many that did not make the photos! My Santas are a little scary looking, but it was tough. Professional cookie decorators do not get enough credit. I plan to do cookies again this year because it’s one of my favorite things to do with my mom. 
 We had a much-needed coffee break to help us power through the rest of our cookies. I have so many Christmas coffee mugs, and the collection keeps getting bigger each year. My solution is to store them with the holiday decor after Christmas. World Market and Anthropologie make some of my favorites. Target has stepped it up, too! If you’re making Christmas cookies this year, I would love for you to tag me on your Instagram posts! I love seeing Christmas cookies!!  
My favorite places to buy sprinkles are TjMaxx, Target, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Walmart. Some of the cookie cutouts are from when I was five! My mom gave me a bunch that she had saved. 

 TjMaxx has all the cute pans and sprinkle holders, and Hobby Lobby has the best table decor.  Cheers! Of course, little bug hung out with us, too! 

I hope this inspired you to text your friends and set up a cookie-decorating lunch date! 

Questions for you!

1. Do you have any holiday traditions you do with your friends?
2. Which cookie shape is your favorite to decorate?
3. What are some bucket list holiday things you have planned for this year?

I’m not sure which I enjoyed more, eating these frosted gingerbread cookies, taking the photos, or making them! Can you believe it’s December already? This year, I’m going all out. It’s my first year celebrating Christmas as a mom, and I have to make up for not celebrating last year. I’m going in full decorating mode, visiting Christmasy activities, and doing all the baking. My son thinks baking is the funniest thing. I like to play music, let him chomp on the measuring cup, and dance around for him while he sits in his bouncing chair In the kitchen. He also loves watching the electric mixer! I have found that including him in the process makes it easier for me to get things done.
Last week, I made these deliciously soft, chewy, frosted gingerbread cookies, and so many of you messaged me asking for the recipe. I’m glad I can finally share them with you; these cookies will be in our family for years to come. We are so obsessed! 

When it comes to gingerbread, I like mine to be filled with spice. I want a powerful punch of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. That screams “Christmas” to me. If you like a subtle cookie, you can always halve the spices in this recipe! I think the frosting suits the spices perfectly.  I know most gingerbread cookies are notorious for being on the harder side, but these are soft, chewy, and (sorry, I have to do it…) moist. 

VIDEO

I’ve been baking Christmas desserts using this Kitchenaid mixer for the past fifteen years! She’s been around since the blog was born. She’s made many Christmas cookies, brownies, cakes, truffles, and so on! I love pulling her out of my pantry, turning on the Christmas music, and baking away!

How to Make Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about 2 minutes on a medium speed if the butter is at room temperature. 

Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl.
Mix the vanilla and molasses, and don’t forget to scrape the edges.

Slowly mix in the egg.

Fold in the all-purpose flour, and mix on a low speed for about 15-20 seconds. Do not over-mix the flour. Scoop 2-tablespoon-sized dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Keep them about two inches apart from one another. 
Bake the cookies for about 10-11 minutes. The edges will be golden, and the middle will be super soft. Let them cook on the baking tray once you remove them from the oven.  If you’re a regular reader, then you already know cream cheese frosting isn’t my favorite or my first choice. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat it, but I prefer buttercream.  I make carrot cakes, pumpkin bars, and other cream cheese frosting-style desserts with buttercream. 

How to Make the Best Frosting for Gingerbread Cookies

Adding marshmallow fluff is one of my favorite ingredients for making buttercream frosting thicker. Whenever I make a frosting for cookies, marshmallow fluff is always incorporated. It creates a glossy coat on top of the cookies, making them stackable while locking in the moisture so you can still get the “frosting” style on top.

Mix the butter, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla together on high speed for the frosting. Slowly fold in the powdered sugar. Gradually mix in the milk.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, you can start frosting them! You can make them fancy by using a piping bag, or spread the frosting with a knife and top with sprinkles! I keep so many sprinkles in my pantry, and it’s fun to dress them up.

It’s love at first bite with these frosted gingerbread cookies. I prefer them chilled and stored in the refrigerator, but you can also store them in a container outside of the fridge. They are SO GOOD with coffee or a peppermint mocha hot chocolate. I bought the Andes peppermint crunch chips to top a few of these cookies with, and if you’re a peppermint at Christmas type of person, you need to try that combo. I plan to make another batch of these and top them with peppermint chips. 

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Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies with Whipped Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting!

These soft and chewy gingerbread cookies pack a punch of spice and are so cute and festive for holiday celebrations. They are the easiest cookies to make, and I promise you'll want to make them again and again.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, German

Keyword Christmas Cookies, Gingerbread, Frosted Gingerbread, Cookies, Baking, Holiday Desserts, Ginger, Cinnamon, Buttercream

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Cookies

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cookies

• 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (Room Temp)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Molasses
• 1 Tsp Vanilla
• 1 Large Egg (Room Temp)
• 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour (1:1 gluten-free flour)
• 2 1/2 Tsps Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsps Ground Cinnamon
• 2 1/2 Tsp Ginger
• 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 Tsp Cloves

Whipped Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter (Room Temp)
• 2 Tsps Vanilla
• 8 Oz Marshmallow Fluff
• 2 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 3-4 Tbsps Milk

Instructions

Gingerbread Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the butter and sugar together on high speed for about two minutes.
• Mix in the molasses and vanilla for 20 seconds at high speed. Scrape the edges.
• On a low speed, mix in the egg. Scrape the edges.
• In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until combined.
• Fold the flour into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed for about 15-20 seconds. Scrape down the edges, and blend for an additional 10 seconds. Don't over-mix the flour.
• Place two tablespoon-sized dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper two inches apart.

  Bake for 10-11 minutes. The edges will be golden.

  Allow the cookies to continue cooking on the baking tray; remove them once completely cooled.

Whipped Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

• Mix the butter, vanilla, and marshmallow fluff on high speed until completely creamy and combined.
• On a low speed, fold in the powdered sugar and milk. Once the powdered sugar is mixed in, turn the speed to high for about 60 seconds.
• Frost the gingerbread cookies (once cooled!) and top with festive sprinkles.

  Store in the refrigerator or on the countertop.

  Enjoy!

First, let me apologize for the number of photos in this post. I couldn’t choose which ones I liked the most, so I included them all!

I love keeping bins of sprinkles in my house. 

I find them at Target, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Homegoods, Amazon, and Walmart! 

Today, my girlfriends are coming over for a cookie-decorating lunch party, and I love having so many sprinkles to choose from! I’ll take some photos of the setup just in case you need inspiration or a Christmas get-together with your friends. I’m super excited to see my friends and catch up! It’s so hard getting together as a group when everyone’s lives are on different paths, but the holidays always bring us together.

I hope you all enjoyed this post! I will try to get some more blogs out this season with fun recipes. If you try this recipe, come back and rate it! I think you’re going to LOVE it.

Questions for you!

1. Do you like your gingerbread cookies to be extra spicy or subtle?
2. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
3. Are you a peppermint fan?

It’s going to be 75 degrees today! After hitting “publish” on this blog post, I’m closing up the laptop, putting on some shorts, and spending the rest of the day outside with my best friend, vitamin D.
My mom used to make these cinnamon sugar sticky buns on special occasions. They were our favorite growing up! It was a smart way to get my brother and me out of bed in the morning. Waking up to the smell of baked cinnamon buns is nostalgic! She made these buns on Christmas morning, Easter, and the first day of school.

What is the difference between a cinnamon roll and a sticky bun?

In my opinion, I prefer these buns over cinnamon rolls. They are much easier to make, but they are like eating the centers of cinnamon rolls without all the uncoated breading. They are so good that they don’t even need icing! You could add it, but I’m telling you, you don’t need it! And that says a lot since I’m the type of person that will eat icing out of the tub.

To make the recipe even easier, my mom let the rolls defrost on the counter overnight. That way, she could coat the rolls, pop them in the oven, and they were ready to go! I can’t wait to make these for my kids one day! I made them for Kyle for the first time a month ago, and he said it was the best thing he’s ever had. You’ll have a hard time returning to regular cinnamon rolls after this treat!

VIDEO

They’re perfect when you have guests staying (imagine waking them up to this smell ) and an excellent dish for a morning work potluck or friend’s brunch.

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4-Ingredient Cinnamon Sticky Buns

Delicious cinnamon sticky buns for special occasions! My mom always made these sticky buns on special occasions, and they were our favorite!

Course Breakfast

Keyword cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, cinnamon buns, 4-ingredients, breakfast recipe, cinnamon sugar, special occasion, easy party recipe, holiday breakfast tradition, easter, christmas, budget-friendly

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Sticky Buns

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 Bag Frozen Dinner Rolls Bridgford Dough, Parkerhouse Style Rolls
• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Ground Cinnamon or more if you want it extra cinnamon-y

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
• Defrost the Dinner Rolls (approximately 2 hours)
• Dip the defrosted rolls into butter, flatten and heavily coat with cinnamon and sugar, add to a baking dish with the rolls close together.
• Bake for 40-minutes.
• Spoon the glaze at the bottom of the baking dish over the top of the cinnamon buns. Make sure to do this while the buns are still hot.

I hope you all have a great weekend, and you should probably add this recipe to your grocery list

Questions for you!

1. Did you have a special tradition breakfast growing up?
2. Extra cinnamon or extra icing?
3. What is one thing you’re looking forward to this weekend?

I didn’t know what to do with the rest of my day because I originally planned on spending my day traveling, so I started cleaning, repacking, and thought, “heck, why not blog since I’ll be leaving my computer behind!” I will get lost in a new book this weekend instead of spending it on screen time. One of my goals for the new year is to start my book club again, but maybe with fewer books each month to keep the expectations reasonable! Hoping this weekend sparks my book club interest back up.
Yesterday, I made one of my mom’s recipes for a fun snacking tray. My parents are staying at our house while we are gone, so I stocked up the fridge with a few of their favorites. Since I was a little girl, my mom has been making this cheeseball recipe. She made it on Christmas Eve, Superbowl, and anytime we had people over for a party. If you’ve been a long-time reader, you’ve probably already seen it on the blog. I usually keep it in a ball shape or form it into a football. I thought it would be fun to reshape it into a tree to keep it festive for the holidays. I was so happy with how cute it turned out! You should make this if you have any holiday parties coming up. It’ takes about 20-minutes, doesn’t have a ton of ingredients, and it’s delicious. People will be begging you for the recipe! During my demonstration speech class my senior year, I made this recipe, and it was a big hit.

I always use red and green bell peppers to make it seasonal in December. The combination of the red and bell pepper adds so much more flavor to the dip. If you’re not a big fan of peppers, you can leave them out or add less. If you want to spice this recipe up, you can add jalapeno peppers or jalapeno powder.

This dip reminds me a lot of the pimento cheese dip you get at the grocery store (but way better.)
 You can use your hands to mix all the ingredients or an electric mixer. Definitely keep the mixer on low if you decide to go that route. Make sure to grab your spoon and give it a taste test. Determine if you need more garlic, onion, orange, lemon, or pepper! I always end up adding more orange or garlic.

If you’re going the low-carb route this Christmas, this cheeseball is deliciously dipped with cucumber, carrots, and celery! If you choose all gluten-free crackers and pretzels, this is a great gluten-free friendly recipe.

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Holiday Tree Cheese Spread

The best recipe to spice up any holiday party this year!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese, party, dip, charcuterie, appetizer, cheese and crackers, finger food, holiday, christmas

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 16 Ounces Plain Cream Cheese
• 2 1/2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Yellow Onion finely chopped
• 1 Medium Green Bell Pepper finely chopped
• 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
• 1 Tablespoon Orange Juice freshly squeezed
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Dill
• 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Walnuts finely chopped

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese, chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, lemon juice, orange juice, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, and dill together.

  *you can use your hands or an electric mixer to combine. If you use an electric mixer, keep the speed on low.
• Use a spoon to give your cheese spread a taste test. It may need more citrus, garlic, or other seasonings to get it to your liking.
• Form the cheese mixture into a christmas tree (or any shape!)
• Coat the tree with chopped walnuts.

  You can add tomatoes and bell peppers to make it even more festive.
• Surround the tree with crackers and vegetables for dipping. This cheese spread is also good with carrots.

How cute did this tree turn out?! You can shape this into a tree, a heart, a football, or an Easter bunny! I can’t wait to see what you do with this recipe. You’re going to love it!

Cheers to the cheese lovers!

Questions for you!

1. Do you have a recipe you’ve been making since you were a kid?
2. Do you like dips on the sweet side or the savory side?
3. Do you have holiday plans for this weekend?

Yesterday was a big baking day over here. I made peanut butter oreo fudge, these frosted gingerbread muffins, Little Debbie Christmas tree cake balls, and more! I plan to spend more time blogging recipes and holiday-themed posts instead of focussing on Vlogmas (like I did the past three years.) I can’t wait to spend more time creating holiday recipes and revamping some of the recipe favorites.
Today, I’m sharing one of my favorites, the frosted gingerbread muffins! If you want something easier than cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, these babies are it! You don’t need any fancy mixers or baking equipment! Grab a few mixing bowls and the ingredients. I love when I don’t have to break out the KitchenAid mixer. I have already made three batches of these muffins this past week, and my favorite part is warming them up in the morning for a delicious treat. I’m still not drinking coffee yet, but I imagine these would be delicious with a cup.

 

Every December, I throw out my year-old spices and replace them! I always want the ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to be at their full potential!
These muffins came out perfectly after 18-20 minutes at 350-degrees in my oven. All ovens cook differently, so use the toothpick method around the 18-minute mark to make sure they done! You won’t want to overcook these. I did that with the first batch, and they came out super hard and dry. It’s better to take them out a bit undercooked and let them continue to cook in the pan as they cool.

Icing is always optional, but I say everything is better frosted! The icing is so easy to make. Just use a small mixing bowl to combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk! You dip the muffin in and let the extra icing melt off at the center. 

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Frosted Gingerbread Muffins - So Easy to Make!

Trade in your holiday-cinnamon rolls for this delicious frosted gingerbread muffin recipe! These muffins are so easy to make.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword muffins, gingerbread, ginger, nutmeg, gluten-free, cloves, allspice, holiday baking, christmas, dessert, breakast muffins, morning, on-th-go, baking

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 14 Muffins

Author Taralynn McNitt

Equipment

• oven
• Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

Gingerbread Muffins

• 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Allspice
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/3 Cup Melted Butter
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 1/3 Cup Molasses
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

Icing

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
• 2 Tbsps Milk

Instructions

Gingerbread Muffins

• Preheat the oven to 350-degrees and prepare the muffin pan with liners.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
• Melt the 1/3 cup of butter.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg lightly. Add milk, melted butter, molasses and vanilla.
• Add the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix lightly and slowly fold in the brown sugar.
• If you're using tall liners, fill the muffin almost to the top of the pan. If you're using standard-sized muffin liners, fill about 3/4 full with batter
• Bake 18-20 minutes.

Icing

• In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.

  If the icing is too watery, add in more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add in more milk.
• Dip the tops of the muffins (once they are cooled) into the icing and let the icing drip off from the center.

I cannot wait to hear what you think of these! My mom and I are making gingerbread cookie sweaters this weekend, so stay tuned for that recipe! I guess gingerbread is the theme over here this season.

It feels so good to be back to blogging recipes again! If there are any recipes you want to see up on the blog this December, let me know in the comments!

Questions for you!

1. What holiday recipes would you like to see up on the blog this year?
2. Has it snowed yet where you live?
3. Do you have your decorations up yet?

more holiday favorites!

This is one of the oldest yet most popular recipes on my blog! It’s been up for about eight years, but I figured I’d give it a little update since it’s been shoved into the deep and dark archives of this blog. I am going to make these cinnamon rolls tomorrow with a new video, too! You can look out for that. I made these cinnamon rolls again on Christmas morning for a few neighbors, us, and my parents. I only make them a few times a year, but every time it’s pure magic! They taste almost identical to Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls!

The best part about these cinnamon rolls is that they don’t require a lot of ingredients. I love recipes that you can make with what you most likely already have in the house. I bet you could probably make them without going to the grocery store right now! I can’t wait to continue this cinnamon roll tradition when I have kids of my own. My mom always had cinnamon rolls for us on the first day of school and Christmas morning. It’s the small things in life that bring the most joy. I’ve never been a big lover of cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. I prefer them with buttercream, and that’s why I love these cinnamon rolls so much!

Customize them!

Gluten-free- I have made these cinnamon rolls many times using all-purpose gluten-free flour. They take a few more minutes for the dough to rise, but they turn out just as fluffy.

Add custom spices– You can add nutmeg, cloves, orange zest, and other spices to add a sophisticated taste to your cinnamon rolls. In the fall, you can add pumpkin purée to the frosting.

Make it fruity – You can totally make these cinnamon rolls perfect for summer months by adding blueberries to the filling, lemon zest, and even white chocolate chips!

Make them dairy-free – That’s right! You can use oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk with this recipe! The Earth Balance vegan butter works as a great substitute in the frosting and the dough.

Make then savory- You’re thinking what? Yes, make them savory! Swap out the cinnamon sugar filling and add mozzarella cheese, chives, garlic, sea salt, and olive oil! Perfect for dipping in marinara sauce. You can use this recipe to impress the guest during the Superbowl.

If you’re team extra icing, definitely double up the recipe! It tastes so good that you’ll want to dip your fingers right into the bowl before getting to the actual cinnamon roll. I made a few batches of cinnamon rolls using baking sheets and also using casserole dishes to bring over to the neighbor’s house on Christmas morning.

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The BEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls that are EASY to Make!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon rolls, breakfast, baked goods, baking, breakfast rolls, frosted, frosting, homemade, the best cinnamon rolls,

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Warm Water
• 2 Packages Active Dry Yeast 1/4 ounce packets
• 1 Tsp Salt
• ½ Cup Sugar
• ⅓ Cup Melted Butter for Dough unsalted
• 6 Cups Flour
• 2 Large Eggs
• ¼ Cup Melted Butter for Filling unsalted
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsps Ground Cinnamon

Ingredients for Frosting

• ½ Cup Butter
• 4 Cups Powdered Sugar or more
• 5 Tbsps Milk or more
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• Pinch of Salt

Instructions

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• Mix yeast and warm water in a large bowl. Once the yeast is dissolved, pour in the sugar and combine well. Mix in ⅓ cup of melted butter and only 3 cups of the flour.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together, and then add them to the yeast mixing bowl with the yeast. Once the eggs are mixed in, add the remaining flour and salt.

  ^{If you are having trouble mixing the flour in, add a tablespoon of warm water one at a time.}

  Cover the dough with a sheet of wax paper and a towel on top. Place the dough in a warm area for about 45-minutes to rise.

  ^{If the dough doesn't rise, the area is not warm enough. I placed mine by the fireplace.}
• Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

  Lay down a pastry cloth. (or use your counter with flour) Sprinkle flour on top and roll out the dough.

  Once the dough is rolled out, melt ½ stick of butter and brush it onto the dough layer. Spread the brown sugar and cinnamon over the buttered layer.

  ^{You can add more brown sugar and cinnamon if you feel like it needs it. I like there to be about a 1 cm layer. I add extra cinnamon every time!}
• Tightly but gently, roll the dough layer up. Cut the rolls about 1 inch thick. Use floss to cut or gently with a knife.

  Place the rolls on a greased or non-stick baking sheet 3 inches apart if baking on a cookie pan.

  Place the rolls an inch apart in baking in a casserole dish.
• Bake 14-16 minutes.

  ^{Keep an eye on them. All ovens bake differently. The outside should be lightly brown. They’ll continue to bake once they are taken out of the oven, so don’t hesitate to take them out if the middles are gooey and the outsides are brown.}

Perfect Cinnamon Roll Frosting (tastes like cinnabon!)

• In a mixing bowl, add melted butter (if you don't want to melt the butter, use an electric mixer), powdered sugar, and stir lightly.

  Slowly mix in the milk, salt, and vanilla.

  If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add more milk.

  You can frost the cinnamon rolls when they are warm or when they are cooled down! Both taste delicious.

I cannot wait for you to try these out (& maybe again for some of you!) I’ll make sure to let you know when the video is live tomorrow.

Questions for you!

1. Have you ever made cinnamon rolls from scratch?
2. What fun twist do you have for these?
3. What is one breakfast tradition you had as a kid?

I’ve officially eaten more pumpkin pie in the past week than I have in my entire life.  I had to make a few versions of this recipe until it was perfect. I also have the same pie recipe coming out next week but with its dairy-free substitutions! I’m extremely excited to share this recipe with you all and I cannot wait to hear what you think after making. This is a pumpkin pie recipe that may convert the non-pumpkin lovers. I caught Kyle many times going into the fridge with a fork to steal a few bites. Mr. “I don’t really like pumpkin flavor” may have changed his mind  I look forward to making this pie recipe for Thanksgiving! It’s hard to decide whether I like the crust more or the pumpkin filling, but this combo is mouthwatering. I am going to be making this same crust with my apple pie filling over the weekend. I’m absolutely hooked, and it’s so easy to roll out. I may get fancy and do the leaf shapes on top. The recipe is also very easy to make, which you all know I love EASY. You can make the dough the night before, or even weeks before and store it in the freezer to save time on Thanksgiving day. If you’re looking for an amazing pumpkin pie recipe to bring to the Thanksgiving table, THIS IS IT. You could also use regular flour if you don’t need to use gluten-free. Pie Crust Ingredients:

Pumpkin Pie Filling:
Vanilla Extract, Cloves, Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon, Sea Salt, Brown Sugar, Sweetened Condensed Milk (coconut cream condensed milk will also work!) Eggs, Pumpkin Puree. Make the crust first because it needs to chill in the fridge for an hour in advance.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, sugar, and salt together.
2. Dice the chilled butter and use your hands to work it into the flour mixture.
3. Use a fork to mash the sour cream and almond extract into the flour and butter mixture.
4. Once the sour cream is combined the best you can with the fork, use your hands to form the dough into a ball.
5. Slice the ball in half and form into small disk-like shapes.
6. Sprinkle flour on both sides and wrap them in plastic wrap.
7. Store them in the refrigerator for an hour.

Once the dough has chilled, cover your counter surface or a dough cloth with flour. Roll out into a circle to form the crust. You can place the pie pan on top and cut around the edges. I’m not a pie crust expert like my grandpa was. I may need to watch a few tutorials next time to make the edges look prettier, but it all tastes the same in the end! Pretty or not. Make the pie filling!

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add in the cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spices, vanilla, sea salt, brown sugar, pumpkin, and condensed milk (or sweetened condensed coconut milk.)

Pour the filling into the pie crust until it reaches the edges, but not too high!

I had a bit extra dough to make a mini pie for taste-testing the night before. Turn your oven to 425-degrees and bake the pie uncovered for fifteen-minutes.

Turn the temperature down to 350-degrees, cover the pie crust with tin foil to protect it from burning, and bake an additional 30-minutes. If the knife comes out clean in the center, then it is fully-cooked! I wanted to cry after the first bite of perfection!

After taking the pie out of the oven, you’ll want to let it cool on the countertop for at least two hours. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. 

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie with Flaky Crust

The most delicious gluten-free pumpkin pie that will simply melt in your mouth!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 Slices

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

Flaky Gluten-Free Pie Crust

• 2 Cups Gluten-Free Flour Bob's Red Mill
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter 2 sticks (vegan Earth Balance as a substitute)
• 1/2 Cup Full-Fat Sour Cream (or high-fat dairy-free yogurt)
• 2 Drops Almond Extract Optional

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 3 Large Eggs
• 3 Tbsps Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 Tbsp Ground Cloves
• 1 Can Pumpkin Purée 15 OZ
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Can Condensed Sweetened Milk 14 OZ(Condensed Coconut Milk also works)

Instructions

Flaky Gluten-Free Pie Crust

• In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sea salt, cinnamon, and sugar together.
• Dice the chilled butter and use your hands to work it into the flour mixture.
• Use a fork to mash the sour cream and almond extract into the flour and butter. Once the mixture resembles a crumble, use your hands to form the dough into one large ball.
• Slice the ball with a knife and form each side into a disk-like shape. Sprinkle with flour and place it into the fridge for an hour.
• Once the dough is chilled, add flour to your surface and roll the dough out. Place the pie pan on top of the dough and cut around the edges to form a pie pan shape.
• Pinch the edges of the dough until it's even all the way around.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• Preheat oven to 425
• Whisk the eggs and the brown sugar together.
• Slowly mix in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt, vanilla, and cloves.
• Mix in the pumpkin and condensed sweetened milk.
• Pour the mixture into the pie pan until it reaches below the edges of the crust.
• Place the pie (uncovered) in the oven and cook at 425 for fifteen minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350-degrees, cover the edges of the pie, and bake for an additional 30-minutes. If you place a knife in the center of the pie and it comes out clean, that's how you know it's done.
• Let the pie chill for two hours outside of the fridge before eating.

  Store in the fridge to keep it fresh longer!

I hope you all love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you’d want me to share the apple pie recipe with the little leaf cut-outs on top! & don’t forget to tag me in your recipe pictures if you make this one! xo

This is a photo of the gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin pie I made and it turned out just as good! I’ll make sure to get that recipe up soon. I was going to add the substitute details to this post, but I used coconut milk and had to add different amounts of sugar and spices to make up for the taste of the condensed milk. Plus, I think a pie this good deserves a post of it’s own!

Questions for you!

1. Are you a pumpkin pie fan?
2. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
3. Pie with whipped cream or ice cream?

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Strawberries n' Cream Pretzel Salad

This is the perfect dish to make for a potluck, summer party, or any holiday occasion. It's always a big hit with guests, and so easy to make. My mom has been making this recipe for us for the past 30 years.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword strawberry, dessert, fruit salad, jello, pretzel salad, strawberry pretzel salad, whipped cream, cream cheese, potluck, party food

Servings 20

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 6 Ounce Strawberry Jello Box
• 2 Cups Boiling Water
• 10 Ounces Frozen Strawberry Halves
• 3 Cups Salted Pretzel Sticks Crushed
• 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
• 4 Tbsps Granulated Sugar For the Crust
• 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar For the creamy filling
• 12 Ounces Whipped Cream Topping Defrosted

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350-degrees
• Prepare the jello. Mix the jello packet with the two cups of boiling water. Add the frozen strawberries to the jello mixture (do not pre-defrost.)

  Place the strawberry jello in the refrigerator (about one hour)
• Crush the pretzels (see photos for size reference)
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Mix in the four tablespoons of sugar. Add the crushed pretzels to the butter bowl and coat.
• Pack the pretzels down in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for ten minutes.

  Place in the refrigerator to speed up cooling process if the jello is starting to firm.
• Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese with one cup of sugar. Beat on a high speed until there are no lumps. Once you get a creamy texture, mix in the whipped topping.
• Once the pretzel crust has completely cooled, spread the cream filling evenly on top of the pretzel layer.
• Pour the semi-firm jello mixture on top of the creamy layer.
• Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

You can easily make this recipe gluten-free and dairy-free by swapping the pretzels for gluten-free pretzels, and by using dairy-free cream cheese and whipped topping!
I added blueberries this year for the 4th of July! We had all of our friends over, and there wasn’t a bite left! I included a video into the post so you can see how easy this recipe is to make! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.