Adventures of Mel

Category: Cookies & Bars

Let your inner Cookie Monster out, and bake up a batch of cookies. Here you’ll find all kinds of cookie recipes, bar recipes, brownies, and even our family’s favorite sugar cookie icing.

Reader favorites include the best chocolate chip cookies ever (my family agrees), no bake peanut butter bars, wonderful oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and easy Rice Krispie treats.

15 Minute Hot Chocolate Cookies With Hot Chocolate Mix
How to make perfectly soft and chewy hot chocolate cookies filled with rich hot chocolate mix, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips and gooey marshmallow bits. This is an easy and festive holiday treat that you can make in 15 minutes or less!

It’s no secret that my kids love a good cup of hot chocolate with chocolate chips. I’ve even started keeping us stocked up on homemade hot chocolate mix so that we never run out! That’s what I use to make these hot chocolate cookies. And let me tell you, these hot chocolate mix cookies are a must-have snack or dessert for the holidays!

A lot of people are surprised to find out that you can use hot chocolate mix in baking recipes. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to add rich, chocolaty flavor to just about any dessert, and you can use any flavor you want! Even better, most hot chocolate mix already contains some sweetener, so you won’t have to add as much to this hot chocolate cookies recipe.

Ingredients & Substitutions Notes
- All-Purpose Flour – Plain all-purpose flour makes the best hot chocolate cookies. You can also make gluten free hot chocolate mix cookies by using a quality cup for cup gluten free all-purpose flour instead. If you go this route, just be sure to check all of your other ingredient labels over to ensure that they are truly gluten free!
- Hot Chocolate Mix – I prefer homemade hot chocolate mix, but sometimes I’ll buy a big can of Swiss Miss for the sake of ease. You can buy quite a few different flavors at the grocery store, including dark chocolate, salted caramel, peppermint, pumpkin spice or even cinnamon toast crunch. Don’t be afraid to try something new!
- Unsalted Butter – This recipe calls for unsalted butter, but you can also use salted butter in a pinch. If you use salted butter, I’d recommend dropping the extra salt entirely from this recipe to account for the extra salt in the salted butter.
- Brown Sugar – Thankfully there is already some sugar added to the hot chocolate mix, so you won’t need as much. That said, I do still like to add a touch of light brown sugar to my hot chocolate cookies.
- Vanilla Extract – You can use imitation vanilla, but I highly recommend using 100% pure vanilla extract for best flavor. Once you try it, you won’t go back!
- Chocolate Chips – You can use regular chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips. You can use milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or even white chocolate chips for a decorative touch! I just use whatever I have on hand.
- Marshmallow Bits – I really like the small footprint of these marshmallow bits. They add just the right amount of rich and gooey, melt-in-your-mouth marshmallow goodness in every bite! Although it won’t be quite the same, you can also use mini marshmallows if that’s all you have on hand.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Before getting started, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or one of these reusable silicone baking mats.

Mixing Up the Batter
1. Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder and hot chocolate mix in a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar ’til well combined, light and fluffy.
3. Add an egg and the vanilla extract, beating into the mixture until well combined.
4. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, beating everything together ’til fully incorporated.
Making the Cookies
1. Now you can add your chocolate chips and marshmallow bits, stirring with a rubber spatula ’til evenly dispersed throughout the cookie dough.
2. Last but not least, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet that you prepared in the first step.
How to Bake Hot Chocolate Cookies

Bake your hot chocolate cookies at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes, or ’til a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cookies comes out clean. Use a cookie spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, serve and enjoy with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea!

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

Can I use sugar free hot chocolate mix?
Yes, you can use sugar free hot chocolate mix. If you’re wanting to make this recipe sugar free, I’d also recommend swapping out the brown sugar with a sugar free brown sugar substitute.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes, you can make hot chocolate cookies ahead of time. The best way to do this is to mix up your cookie dough, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it chill in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days before dropping and baking your cookies. Some people actually prefer to chill their cookie dough ahead of time, as this can give the flour in the mixture time to “relax”, resulting in a softer, fluffier and more flavorful cookie.

Alternatively, you can also freeze your cookie dough. Mix everything up ahead of time, and then use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop the cookies onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for around 30 minutes, or ’til the cookie dough balls are hard and frozen. Then move the frozen cookie dough balls to an airtight container or freezer bag and back into the freezer for up to 3 months. Whenever you’re ready to make your hot chocolate cookies, simply remove your frozen cookie dough balls from the freezer, and bake as instructed in the recipe card below, adding an extra 2-3 minutes to account for the colder starting temperature. With this method, you can whip up a batch of hot chocolate cookies in a matter of minutes!

What’s the best way to store leftover hot chocolate mix cookies?
I recommend storing leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Add a slice of bread to the container with the cookies to keep them extra soft and moist for longer!

You can also freeze leftover hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Warm them up for 1-2 minutes in the microwave, serve and enjoy straight from the freezer!

What Else Can I Add to Hot Chocolate Cookies?
- You can always add more candies to your hot chocolate marshmallow cookies. Think M&M Minis, Reese’s Pieces, crushed Butterfingers, crushed Snickers, peppermint baking chips, caramel bits, etc.
- If you love coffee, add a touch of mocha flavor with instant Espresso powder. It’s so good!
- I really like chopped walnuts or chopped pecans in my hot chocolate cookies. Just toss them into the cookie dough with the marshmallow bits and chocolate chips. Quick, easy and delicious!
- Still not satisfied? You can get super fancy by drizzling melted white chocolate chips over the top after baking!
More Easy Christmas Cookies Recipes
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Hot Chocolate Cookies

Soft & chewy hot chocolate cookies with hot chocolate mix and gooey marshmallow bits. Easy holiday treat you can make in 15 minutes or less!
Cookie Sheets
Parchment Paper
Whisk
Medium Mixing Bowl
Large Mixing Bowl
Rubber Spatula
Cookie Scoop
Cookie Spatula
1 1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 cup Hot Chocolate Mix
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Large Egg (room temperature)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Marshmallow Bits
Before getting started, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or one of these reusable silicone baking mats.
Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder and hot chocolate mix in a medium mixing bowl.
In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar 'til well combined, light and fluffy.
Then add an egg and the vanilla extract, beating into the mixture until well combined.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, beating everything together 'til fully incorporated.
Add the chocolate chips and marshmallow bits, stirring with a rubber spatula 'til evenly dispersed throughout the cookie dough.
Finally, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet that you prepared in the first step.
Bake your hot chocolate cookies at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes, or 'til a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cookies comes out clean.
Last but not least, use a cookie spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, serve and enjoy with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea!
What’s the best way to store leftover hot chocolate mix cookies?

I recommend storing leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze leftover hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Christmas, Cookies & Bars, Dessert, Dessert – Cookies, Desserts, Holiday, Sweet Snacks
American, Christmas, Dessert, desserts
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November 20, 2024
Easy Fruity Pebbles Treats Recipe in the Microwave
How to make perfectly crispy, soft & gooey Fruity Pebbles treats in the microwave with just 4 ingredients, including mini marshmallows and cereal. Easy no bake snack or dessert that you can make in 10 minutes or less, and it’s perfect for kids!

One of my family’s favorite no bake snacks is Rice Krispie treats. The kids love them, and they use very minimal ingredients; using this Christmas tree cookie cutter, they can even be made into Christmas tree Rice Krispie treats for the holidays! Or you can make heart-shaped Rice Krispie treats for Valentine’s Day.

Inspired by my favorite Fruity Pebbles ice cream, this time I made cereal treats with Fruity Pebbles instead of Rice Krispies. Unlike regular Rice Krispie treats, these Fruity Pebbles rice crispy treats are both colorful and flavorful, packed with sweet, fruity bursts of flavor in every bite.

Ingredients & Substitutions Notes
- Salted Butter – I highly recommend that you use a good salted butter over margarine. Salted butter will give these treats a much richer flavor and texture than margarine. However, If you need to make them dairy-free, you can substitute a dairy-free butter, like this dairy free plant butter. As with any food, just be sure to double-check all of your ingredients to ensure that they are, in fact, dairy-free.
- Vanilla Extract – I always avoid imitation vanilla, instead opting for 100% real vanilla extract. In my opinion, real vanilla is far superior in flavor.
- Mini Marshmallows – While you can use big marshmallows or jumbo marshmallows, it really is best to use mini marshmallows. They melt far more quickly and efficiently than larger marshmallows.
- Fruity Pebbles Cereal – This recipe calls for Fruity Pebbles cereal, but don’t be afraid to try other flavors. In fact, Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa Pebbles, Lucky Charms, and even Reese’s Puffs would make awesome substitutes. In fact, some people use Honey Nut Cheerios!
How to Make Fruity Pebbles Treats

Before getting started, lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can also line your baking dish with parchment paper for easier cleanup.

How to Make Fruity Pebbles Rice Crispy Treats
1. Add the salted butter, vanilla extract, and mini marshmallows to a microwave-safe bowl, and heat on high in the microwave for 2 minutes, until mostly melted.
2. Stir ’til smooth.
3. Quickly stir in the Fruity Pebbles cereal.
4. Use a spatula to gently and evenly spread the mixture into the 9×13 baking dish that you greased up in the first step. Let completely cool to room temperature.
How to Serve Fruity Pebbles Treats

That’s it! Now you can cut your Fruity Pebble marshmallow treats into squares and serve. You can also cut them into different shapes with an assortment of cookie cutters instead. Sometimes I use these Christmas tree cookie cutters to cut out yummy Fruity Pebble Christmas trees!

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

Are Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispies?
Although the textures between the two are very similar, they are not the same. Fruity pebble Rice Krispie Treats are merely a sweeter, fruitier, and more colorful take on traditional Rice Krispie treats. Instead of Rice Krispies, they use Fruity Pebbles!

Why are my Fruity Pebble treats hard?
Sometimes it can be hard to tell what causes Fruity Pebble treats to be hard, but here are a few pointers to avoid that scenario… It’s best to use fresh marshmallows. Often a pack of marshmallows will become stale and hard. When this happens, it’s best to buy new. Don’t cook the mixture at too high of a heat. It’s best that you only cook until the marshmallows have melted. No more, no less. Also, don’t be tempted to add too much cereal. A mixture that is too dry becomes tough and chewy.

Why are my treats falling apart?
This is usually because the marshmallows have been overcooked; they must only be heated to the melting point. Of course, it’s also possible to use too many marshmallows. For this recipe, I recommend using about 6 cups of mini marshmallows to every 8 cups of cereal.

How do I store Fruity Pebble marshmallow treats?
Although they are best eaten the day they’re made, I recommend storing Fruity Pebbles rice crispy treats in an airtight container or plastic bag on the counter at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Do NOT store them in the refrigerator, because that will make them hard.

Can I freeze them?
Unfortunately, fruity pebble marshmallow treats do not freeze well. Crispy treats tend to get chewy and hard when frozen.

Optional Add-Ins & Variations

Here are a few optional add-ins for your Fruity Pebbles cereal treats…
- This white buttercream frosting, or melted white chocolate chips, would be SO yummy spread or drizzled over the top of these treats.
- Add freeze-dried fruits, like strawberries or blueberries.
- Sometimes it’s fun to use different marshmallow flavors. Most grocery stores offer a wide variety of different flavors, like these fruity fun mini marshmallows. Be creative!
- Try mixing in some sprinkles or candies. Candies that come to mind include chocolate chips, butterfinger bites, or M&M’s. Heck, I kind of think candy corn would be good in these.
- As I stated previously, there are many other cereals that can be swapped out for the Fruity Pebbles in this recipe. This might include Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa Pebbles, Lucky Charms, Reese’s Puffs, and more. Just about any cereal would work.
More Easy Rice Krispie Treats Recipes
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Fruity Pebbles Treats

Make perfectly crispy, soft & gooey Fruity Pebbles treats in the microwave with just 4 ingredients. Easy no bake dessert, perfect for kids!
13×9 baking dish
microwave-safe bowl
spatula
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups mini marshmallows
8 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal
Before getting started, lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can also line your baking dish with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
Add the salted butter, vanilla extract, and mini marshmallows to a microwave-safe bowl, and heat on high in the microwave for 2 minutes, until mostly melted.
Stir 'til smooth.
Quickly stir in the Fruity Pebbles cereal.
Use a spatula to gently and evenly spread the mixture into the 9×13 baking dish that you greased up in the first step. Let completely cool to room temperature.
Cut into squares and serve!
How do I store Fruity Pebble marshmallow treats?

I recommend storing Fruity Pebbles rice crispy treats in an airtight container or plastic bag on the counter at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Do NOT store them in the refrigerator or freezer, because that will make them hard.

Cookies & Bars, Dessert, Desserts, Sweet Snacks
American, Dessert, desserts, Snack
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September 25, 2024
Quick and Easy Buckeye Bars
Whip up a batch of buckeye bars in minutes. This quick and easy, no bake, chocolate peanut butter dessert is perfect for the holidays.

My family has enjoyed making buckeye peanut butter balls every Christmas for as long as I can remember. This year I decided to make easy buckeye bars instead.

And that’s exactly what these chocolate peanut butter bars are all about… They’re so easy to make. And dare I say they’re just as good? Yeah, they definitely are.

Why You’re Going to Love This Recipe
- They’re quicker and easier because there’s no rolling of balls or dipping in chocolate involved. Just layer the peanut butter mixture, then cover with melted chocolate and let set.
- It takes a minimal amount of ingredients to make them, 6 actually.
- You can make them gluten-free if you want, by using gluten-free graham crackers (and checking your other ingredient labels to make sure they’re truly gluten-free).
- They’re budget-friendly. It should cost less than $10 to make these amazing treats.
Ingredient Notes
- Salted Butter – Use real butter, not margarine. And use salted butter so you get that extra boost of flavor from the salt.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – You can use crunchy peanut butter, but try to avoid all natural peanut butters. All natural peanut butter is more oily, and it will mess up the set and the texture of your finished bars.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs – Just crush graham crackers in a blender or Ziploc bag (use a rolling pin).
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – I prefer the flavor of semi-sweet chocolate, but you are more than welcome to use milk chocolate, white chocolate, etc. I do recommend using a good quality chocolate chip, like Nestle Toll House or Ghirardelli.
Optional Variations You May Want to Try
- While the chocolate is still melty, you could lightly sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for more of a sweet and salty flavor.
- Again while the chocolate is still setting, top the bars with Reese’s Pieces or M&M’s. Festive candies add even more holiday fun.
- Sprinkle nuts on top, maybe chopped pecans or almonds or peanuts.
How to Make Buckeye Bars

Before you get started making this peanut butter chocolate bars recipe, go ahead and line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper, overlapping the sides of the pan. Then set it aside ’til you’re ready for it; that way it’s ready to go.
1. In a large mixing bowl or using a mixer, mix together the butter, vanilla extract, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.
2. Add in the graham cracker crumbs, and mix well.
3. Spread the peanut butter mixture into the paper lined baking dish, and press it into a fairly smooth and even layer.
4. Add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl and melt, starting at 30 seconds, then stirring every 15-20 seconds, ’til melted and smooth. Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer.
At this point, you can immediately chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until the bars are firm; or you can wait until the chocolate has just about set at room temperature, and cut into bars before chilling.

When you are ready to serve your no bake chocolate peanut butter bars, just lift them out of the pan by the paper, peel it back, slice the bars, and serve.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

What can I use instead of graham crackers?
You can use Rice Krispies. Or you can leave out the graham crackers altogether, and cut the butter down by at least half.

How do I keep the chocolate from cracking?
I mentioned this above, but in order to keep it from chipping off or cracking, don’t chill the bars until you’ve sliced them. You’ll want to wait until the chocolate has just about set; then cut into bars.

How should I store them?
I definitely recommend keeping them in a cold place, like the fridge or an un-heated room. When I was growing up, we kept our Christmas candy in the stairwell leading up to my room because it wasn’t insulated or heated. They should last for 1-2 weeks.

Can I freeze no bake chocolate peanut butter candy?
Yes, you can. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container so it doesn’t get freezer burn. It should keep for at least 2-3 months.

More Peanut Butter Recipes

If you love chocolate peanut butter bars, you’ll love these chocolate peanut butter treats too…
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Buckeye Bars

Whip up a batch of buckeye bars in minutes. Quick and easy no bake chocolate peanut butter dessert recipe, perfect for the holidays.
Mixer
Parchment Paper
9×9-Inch Baking Dish
Glass Measuring Cup
6 tablespoons salted butter (melted)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Line an 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, overlapping the sides of the pan. Then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla extract, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.
Add in the graham cracker crumbs, and mix well.
Spread the peanut butter mixture into the paper lined baking dish, and press it into a fairly smooth and even layer.
Add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl and melt, starting at 30 seconds, then stirring every 15-20 seconds, 'til melted and smooth.
Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer.
At this point, you can immediately chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until the bars are firm; or you can wait until the chocolate has just about set at room temperature, and cut into bars before chilling. When you're ready to serve them, just lift them out of the pan by the paper, peel it back, slice the bars (if you didn't already slice them), and serve.
*You can make the bars gluten-free if you want, by using gluten-free graham crackers (and checking your other ingredient labels to make sure they’re truly gluten-free).

How do I keep the chocolate from cracking?

I mentioned this above, but in order to keep it from chipping off or cracking, don’t chill the bars until you’ve sliced them. You’ll want to wait until the chocolate has just about set; then cut into bars.

How should I store them?

I definitely recommend keeping them in a cold place, like the fridge or an un-heated room. They should last for 1-2 weeks.

Desserts
American
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December 15, 2021
Mom’s Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
How to make the best cut out sugar cookie recipe. My mom’s recipe for crisp, soft sugar cookies you can decorate with icing and sprinkles.

Cutout sugar cookies are definitely one of my favorite Christmas treats. I’ve made these soft cut out sugar cookies every Christmas for as long as I can remember.

What makes this recipe special is that my mom taught me how to make it, just like a lot of recipes I love to make. She’s the best at making these yummy Christmas sugar cookies, and she taught me everything I know about baking them.

To make these cut out cookies special, all the Christmas cookie cutters come out, along with my old friend, the rolling pin. We roll and re-roll the dough, cutting out snowmen, Christmas trees, bells, and stars.

After the cookies have baked and cooled, it’s time to decorate, and the kids have so much fun with this. Jaden’s cookies are usually decorated to the hilt; they make my teeth hurt just looking at them.

We keep the decorating simple, using butter knives to spread the icing on… Then sprinkle a few of our favorite sprinkles to add a little crunch.

Rolled sugar cookies, along with our favorite mint chocolate crinkle cookies and reindeer thumbprint cookies, usually end up on a plate with a glass of milk come Christmas Eve. And they always disappear, so apparently, Santa likes them too.

Of course, like my pumpkin sugar cookie recipe in the fall, you can also make these cookies for other holidays (like Valentine’s Day) and even in between as an everyday cookie recipe. My boys love using their race car, dinosaur, and Bigfoot cookie cutter too. And sometimes I even use this recipe to make sugar cookies for mini fruit pizzas!

WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?

If you’d rather skip all of my cookie baking tips, important info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the soft cut out sugar cookie recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
- All-purpose flour – I use my favorite gluten-free flour, along with xanthan gum, to make them gluten-free cut out cookies. Works like a charm.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Pure cane sugar – or granulated sugar.
- Ground nutmeg – I added this ingredient on my own because I love the flavor kick it gives to the cookies.
- Unsalted butter
- Buttermilk – I make my own by adding about a tablespoon of vinegar to a glass measuring cup, then adding milk to the 1/2 cup line. The vinegar sours the milk, so it becomes an excellent substitute for buttermilk.
- Vanilla extract
- Large eggs
- Sugar cookie icing, optional – Again, my mom’s recipe, and I’ve gotcha covered with how to make it.
Keep in mind, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.

KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED:

Sifter – to sift the flour and other dry ingredients together.

Pastry Blender – to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.

Mixer – My stand mixer makes mixing up cookie dough so much easier.

Rolling Pin and Christmas Cookie Cutters – for cutting out all sorts of festive shapes.

Cookie Sheet – for baking the cookies.

Wire Rack – This will give your cookies a place to cool.

HOW TO MAKE THIS CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

Before you get started, be sure to gather all of your ingredients. This recipe has multiple stages, from mixing up the dough to rolling it out and cutting out the cookies.

HOW TO MAKE THE SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH
1. Sift, then measure the flour.
2. Sift or mix the flour with the baking soda, salt, sugar, and nutmeg.
1. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
1. Work the butter in until the mixture is as fine as corn meal.
1. Give the eggs a slight beating with a whisk.
1. Then in a separate mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract with the slightly beaten eggs.
1. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients.
1. Mix ’til you have a smooth cookie dough.
HOW LONG TO CHILL THE DOUGH

At this point, you’ll need to cover the dough closely with wax paper or plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator overnight or at least 3-4 hours.

HOW TO ROLL SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH AND CUT OUT SHAPES

Be sure to pre-heat your oven to 425°F.
1. When you’re ready to roll out the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, coating the dough with flour and kneading it until it’s less sticky and more pliable.
1. Then roll the dough out to about a 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness.
1. Cut out the cookies with floured cookie cutters.
1. Place the cutout cookies on an un-greased baking sheet, and bake at 425°F for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies begin to turn slightly golden. Allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Icing Alternative: If you don’t want to decorate your cookies with icing, you can sprinkle each cookie shape with sugar before baking. Colored sugar is especially festive.

WAYS TO DECORATE CUTOUT SUGAR COOKIES

As I’ve said before, around here, baking cutout sugar cookies is a family tradition. Every Christmas I always looked forward to decorating these cookies with my mom, and now it’s no different with my own kids.

Decorating sugar cookies is a great way to spend some much-needed time with the family, and there is no limit to creativity with this recipe. Here are some of the ways that we like to decorate our own cookies.
- Sugar cookie icing – I make my own powdered sugar icing, but you can even use a can from the store if desired. You can use cream cheese frosting, buttercream frosting, whipped cream frosting, or even a simple powdered sugar glaze.
- Sprinkles – This is another no-brainer, and it’s easily my kids’ favorite decoration, probably due to the wide variety of different shapes and colors available in the supermarket. With kids, they also make a big mess!
- Rainbow Nonpareils – This is my personal favorite way to decorate after icing the cookies. These tiny sprinkles give a little crunch to each sugar cookie.
- Colored sugar – This is a great option if you’d like to keep it easy; you can even use regular sugar. Just sprinkle it on before the cookies are loaded into the oven.
HOW TO STORE DECORATED SUGAR COOKIES

Decorated sugar cookies must be stored in layers in between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. The wax paper is essential in keeping the icing in-tact, preventing the cookies from sitting on top of each other and bleeding into each other.

Rolled sugar cookies are best enjoyed the first few days after baking.

WHY ARE MY SUGAR COOKIES HARD?

There are many possibilities as to why your cut out cookies are hard, but the most common and overlooked reason is that they’re overcooked.

Sugar cookies are fully cooked when the edges have just reached a light golden brown and the middle has begun to form miniature cracks, around 8-10 minutes at 425°F for this recipe. Any more than this will result in sugar rocks, not cookies.

It’s also possible that you’re overworking the dough; this can work the gluten in the flour to the point of elasticity, which makes for a hard, chewy cookie. When it comes to working the dough, keep it to the bare minimum!

HOW TO PREVENT CUT OUT COOKIES FROM SPREADING

Although this is a very common problem, it can be easily avoided. Here are some tips to keep your sugar cookies from spreading.
- Chill the dough – Chilling the dough helps tremendously to prevent spreading. The colder the temperature, the less greasy your dough will be; this is essential.
- Don’t over-mix – Over-mixing will destroy the natural structure of your cookies, and they simply won’t hold together; in fact, the excessive amount of air introduced into the dough during this process can actually cause your cookies to collapse in the oven! Don’t mix any more than you have to.
- Use colder butter – Using room temperature butter is best. If the butter is too warm, it will melt into the dough and create a greasy mess with no structure whatsoever.
- Work the dough properly – Don’t overwork the dough, and don’t roll it out more than you have to. As you work the dough, the heat of your hands will melt the butter, creating an excessive amount of grease that will most certainly cause your cookies to spread in the oven.
- Use plenty of flour – Having enough flour is crucial in baking a spread-resistant sugar cookie. These cookies are naturally fatty, and they need just the right amount of flour to soak up any grease that forms; be precise.
CAN YOU FREEZE SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH?

Yes, there are a couple of ways to freeze raw sugar cookie dough, depending on whether you plan to freeze the entire dough ball or freeze individual cutout cookies. Raw dough will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To freeze the dough before cutting out the cookies, simply roll it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in an airtight container in the freezer.
- Otherwise, you can go ahead and cut out the cookies beforehand, placing them in between alternating layers of wax paper in an airtight container.
Bake the frozen cutout cookies as normal, adding a few minutes to make up for the frozen state. On the other hand, a glob of uncooked dough will need to be thawed until you are able to cut through the dough with a sharp knife, around 30 minutes at room temperature, or several hours in the refrigerator.

CAN YOU FREEZE BAKED OR DECORATED COOKIES?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze baked and decorated sugar cookies.

Once they are decorated, place the completely cooled cookies in sealed freezer bags, ensuring that they each have plenty of space. Next, stack these freezer bags into airtight containers in the freezer.

When you pull the cookies out of the freezer, let them thaw for several hours at room temperature. Never let your decorated cookies thaw in the refrigerator, as the resulting condensation will ruin your icing.

MORE CLASSIC CHRISTMAS COOKIES
- Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Jello sugar cookies – Make them in festive colors!
- Chocolate Lover’s Christmas Light Cookies
- Butter Almond Snowball Christmas Cookies
- 30 Classic Christmas Cookies
You can find even more holiday recipes on my list of favorite Christmas recipes!

GET THE PRINTABLE RECIPE

If you love these Christmas cut out cookies as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest!

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Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

How to make the best cut out sugar cookie recipe. My mom's recipe for crisp, soft sugar cookies you can decorate with icing and sprinkles.
Stand Mixer
Pastry Blender
Rolling Pin
Cookie Sheet
Cookie Cutters
Wire Rack
Cookie Dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cane sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
Cookie Icing:
4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whole milk
6 cups powdered sugar
Food coloring ((optional))
Sugar Cookies:
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ground nutmeg, salt, and sugar.
Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it is as fine as corn meal.
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and slightly beaten eggs.
Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients, mixing ’til you have a smooth cookie dough.
Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 4 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 425° F.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, coating the dough with flour and kneading it until it's less sticky and more pliable.
Then roll the dough out to about a 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness.
Cut out cookies with floured cookie cutters.
Place the cutout cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet, and bake at 425° F for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies begin to turn slightly golden.
Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Cookie Icing:
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Add the milk to the mixture.
Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing it in as you go; the finished icing should be smooth, creamy, and spreadable.
Optional Step: At this point, you can add food coloring, if desired.
Decorate the sugar cookies with icing, sprinkles, and nonpareils.
*I make my own buttermilk or sour milk by adding about a tablespoon of vinegar to a glass measuring cup, then adding milk to the 1/2 cup line. The vinegar sours the milk, so it becomes an excellent substitute for buttermilk.

*Icing Alternative: If you don’t want to decorate your cookies with icing, you can sprinkle each cookie shape with sugar before baking. Colored sugar is especially festive.

WAYS TO DECORATE CUTOUT SUGAR COOKIES

As I’ve said before, around here, baking cutout sugar cookies is a family tradition. Every Christmas I always looked forward to decorating these cookies with my mom, and now it’s no different with my own kids.

Decorating sugar cookies is a great way to way to spend some much-needed time with the family, and there is no limit to creativity with this recipe. Here are some of the ways that we like to decorate our own cookies.

Sugar cookie icing – I make my own powdered sugar icing (linked in the ingredients list above), but you can even use a can from the store if desired. You can use cream cheese frosting, buttercream frosting, whipped cream frosting, or even a simple powdered sugar glaze.

Sprinkles – this is another no-brainer, and it’s easily my kids’ favorite decoration, probably due to the wide variety of different shapes and colors available in the supermarket. With kids, they also make a big mess!

Rainbow Nonpareils – This is my personal favorite way to decorate after icing the cookies.

Colored sugar – this is a great option if you’d like to keep it easy; you can even use regular sugar. Just sprinkle it on before the cookies are loaded into the oven.

HOW TO STORE DECORATED SUGAR COOKIES

Decorated sugar cookies must be stored in layers in between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. The wax paper is essential in keeping the icing in-tact, preventing the cookies from sitting on top of each other and bleeding into each other.

Rolled sugar cookies are best enjoyed the first few days after baking.

HOW TO PREVENT CUT OUT COOKIES FROM SPREADING

Although this is a very common problem, it can be easily avoided. Here are some tips to keep your sugar cookies from spreading.

Chill the dough – Chilling the dough helps tremendously to prevent spreading. The colder the temperature, the less greasy your dough will be; this is essential.

Don’t over-mix – Over-mixing will destroy the natural structure of your cookies, and they simply won’t hold together; in fact, the excessive amount of air introduced into the dough during this process can actually cause your cookies to collapse in the oven! Don’t mix any more than you have to.

Use colder butter – Using room temperature butter is best. If the butter is too warm, it will melt into the dough and create a greasy mess with no structure whatsoever.

Work the dough properly – Don’t overwork the dough, and don’t roll it out more than you have to. As you work the dough, the heat of your hands will melt the butter, creating an excessive amount of grease that will most certainly cause your cookies to spread in the oven.

Use plenty of flour – Having enough flour is crucial in baking a spread-resistant sugar cookie. These cookies are naturally fatty, and they need just the right amount of flour to soak up any grease that forms; be precise.

CAN YOU FREEZE SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH?

Yes, raw dough will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

To freeze the dough before cutting out the cookies, simply roll it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in an airtight container in the freezer.

Otherwise, you can go ahead and cut out the cookies beforehand, placing them in between alternating layers of wax paper in an airtight container.

Bake the frozen cutout cookies as normal, adding a few minutes to to make up for the frozen state. On the other hand, a glob of uncooked dough will need to be thawed until you are able to cut through the dough with a sharp knife, around 30 minutes at room temperature, or several hours in the refrigerator.

CAN YOU FREEZE BAKED OR DECORATED COOKIES?

Yes. Once they are decorated, place the completely cooled cookies in sealed freezer bags, ensuring that they each have plenty of space. Next, stack these freezer bags into airtight containers in the freezer.

When you pull the cookies out of the freezer, let them thaw for several hours at room temperature. Never let your decorated cookies thaw in the refrigerator, as the resulting condensation will ruin your icing.
Cookies & Bars, Desserts
American
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November 5, 2020
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
These are the best chocolate chip cookies from scratch, and my favorite dessert. Easy to make, they’re slightly crispy around the edge, soft and chewy in the middle.

Chocolate chip cookies from scratch are the one dessert I love to make the most. Partly because this is such an easy recipe, but also, there’s just something so delicious about a batch of homemade chewy chocolate chip cookies.

The following recipe is adapted from an old cookbook we received as a wedding gift from Dan’s Gram, one of the best gifts we’ve ever received. It’s the 1st printing 1972 Pennsylvania State Grange Cookbook, and in it are recipes from women and families all over the state of PA, over 1500 recipes to be exact.

Just about every recipe I can remember making from this cookbook has been amazingly delicious. This particular chocolate chip cookie recipe has been our absolute favorite.

If you love oatmeal cookies AND soft chocolate chip cookies, combine them together to make the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Yum!

More cookie recipes you may enjoy include Jello cookies, soft and chewy monster cookies, and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

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WHERE CAN I FIND THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE?

If you’d rather skip all of my baking tips, important baking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the deliciously easy chocolate chip cookies recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card with a longer how-to video.

MAKE A FEW TWEAKS TO YOUR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE…
- I substitute unsalted butter (NOT margarine) for shortening. If you use margarine, your cookies will not be the same. You can also use salted butter; sometimes I use homemade salted butter. Just know that you can’t control the amount of salt that goes into your cookies, quite as well, with salted butter.
- You can use light brown or dark brown sugar, but here’s a tip… I highly recommend light brown because it makes a more raised cookie with a slightly crispy edge and soft, chewy middle. Dark brown makes a flatter cookie with a crunchier, chewier texture.
- I use a heaping teaspoon of salt.
- As for chocolate chips… I use a full 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips. The more chocolate, the merrier.
- Lastly, while it’s not required, I prefer to chill the cookie dough for about 2 hours before baking. This makes a very chewy cookie.
TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Before you get started, gather your ingredients… You’ll need unsalted butter, light brown sugar, pure cane sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, unbleached all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Nuts are optional.

WHAT KIND OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS SHOULD I USE?

While you can use any kind of chocolate chips you prefer, including milk chocolate chips, I highly recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips.

In fact, this is one recipe where I tend to be brand loyal because I prefer to use Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. They make the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

But as you can see in my longer, how-to video in the recipe card below, I don’t always have them on hand. So whatever you have, whether it’s semi-sweet, your favorite brand, or not… They’ll work just fine.

MAKING EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Cream together (or mix together) the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and pure cane sugar. Again, I highly recommend light brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to your creamed mixture, mixing well.

In a separate mixing bowl, you’ll need to sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Mix the sifted dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.

Add the chocolate chips, thoroughly mixing the chocolate chips into the dough.

At this point, nuts are an optional add-in. We’ve used walnuts, but pecans would be delicious too.

Chill the cookie dough for about 2 hours or more.

Using a cookie scoop, drop cookies onto your cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and done.

When you remove each batch from the oven, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Serve with a nice tall glass of ice cold milk; or make into ice cream sandwiches with vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream.

HOW TO KEEP COOKIES SOFT IN THE COOKIE JAR

When you store cookies, place a piece of bread in the cookie jar with them. This will keep your cookies soft and chewy, especially if they browned a little too much while baking.

LOOKING FOR MORE SCRUMPTIOUS COOKIE RECIPES?

Grab a cookie and enjoy when you bake up a batch of chewy peanut butter cookies. And one of my family’s favorite recipes are my grandma’s famous chocolate gobs.

If you prefer white chocolate in your cookies, Sugar Dish Me has a scrumptious recipe for Marry Me Cookies with white chocolate and macadamia nuts. And if you’re trying to stay on the wagon, Moscato Mom has you covered with these yummy keto chocolate chip cookies.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Mixer or Hand Mixer – Your mixer will be your best friend if you love to bake.

Measuring Spoons and Cups – for measuring out your ingredients.

Large Mixing Bowl – You’ll need a bowl if you’re mixing by hand or with a hand mixer. It also comes in handy when sifting.

Sifter – for sifting the dry ingredients together.

Cookie Scoop – I wasn’t sold on my cookie scoop at first; Dan wanted me to use it, but I was used to just using a spoon and my fingers. But he was right… It saves dough, makes a smaller cookie, and lends to a rounder cookie.

Cookie Sheet – Mine comes in handy for so many things, including baking cookies.

Cookie Spatula – for removing the hot cookies from the cookie sheet.

Wire Rack – This allows the cookies to rest and cool before you put them in the cookie jar.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

If you love this chocolate chip cookie recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies from scratch are my favorite dessert. Easy to make, they’re slightly crispy around the edge, soft and chewy in the middle.
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup cane sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (heaping)
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
Cream (or mix together) the softened butter, cane sugar, and brown sugar.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.
Stir the chocolate chips in by hand, thoroughly mixing the chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
Optional Step: Cover and chill the cookie dough for about 2 hours. This helps make a very chewy cookie.
Using a cookie scoop, drop cookies onto a cookie sheet.
Bake at 375° F for 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and done.
Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet, and let them cool on a wire rack.
Serve with a nice tall glass of ice cold milk.
Nuts are an optional add-in. We’ve used walnuts, but pecans would be delicious too.

Cookies & Bars, Desserts
American
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January 11, 2019
Buttermilk Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Mix up a batch of buttermilk oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips. Quick and easy cookie recipe that makes perfectly soft and chewy cookies. Simple ingredients and easy dessert you can make in a jiffy.

My oldest loves it when I make my grandma’s oatmeal raisin cookies recipe. But sometimes I like to switch things up and add chocolate chips instead of raisins, making the most scrumptious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Oatmeal buttermilk cookies are a little bit soft, a little bit chewy; and they’re made with simple ingredients like buttermilk (I’ll show you how to make your own), brown sugar, and old-fashioned oats.

Why Make This Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe?
- You can make oatmeal cookies just because… Or rather, for an occasion, like a party with friends or family gatherings.
- I love baking old-fashioned oatmeal cookies with buttermilk because they’re such an easy dessert to make.
- They’re the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to make for a bake sale or concession stand. My favorite easy cookie recipes also include chocolate chip cookies and chewy peanut butter cookies.
- Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies make a very yummy after school snack.
- If you want, you can even swap out chocolate chips for raisins. We’ll talk about more swaps as you keep reading.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes

You’ll need a few simple ingredients to make buttermilk oatmeal chocolate chip cookies…
- Unsalted Butter – Soften the butter to room temperature before you start. If you’re like me and you forget to get it out, just pop it in the microwave and soften it up a bit. You can also use salted butter; but it’s easier to control the amount of salt in your cookies by using unsalted. Keep in mind if you use margarine, it will change the texture of the finished cookies, and they may not turn out as expected.
- Light Brown Sugar – While you can use dark brown sugar, just keep in mind it’ll produce a flatter, thinner, crunchier, cookie with a chewy texture. Light brown sugar makes a more raised cookie with a slightly crispy edge and soft, chewy middle.
- Cane Sugar – You can also sub granulated sugar; I just prefer to use pure cane sugar.
- Large Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, my momma taught me this trick to make buttermilk or soured milk, and it works just fine for these cookies. You’ll need white vinegar and milk, about a tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of milk. This recipe calls for 1/4 cup milk, so you’d need to add about 1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar to the milk to sour it. Step 1: To make sure you have the right amount of liquid, add the vinegar into a liquid measuring cup first. Step 2: Then add the milk to the desired level or measurement. Step 3: Stir it and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. And that’s it! Before you know it, your milk will be perfectly soured just like buttermilk.
- Baking Soda
- All-Purpose Flour – It’s best to use a good unbleached all-purpose flour. If you want to make gluten-free buttermilk oatmeal cookies, use a good gluten-free flour (<< this one’s the best); of course, always check your other ingredients to make sure they’re truly gluten-free.
- Sea Salt – You can use regular table salt, but I really prefer the flavor of Redmond Sea Salt.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Rolled Oats – or old-fashioned oats. You can also use quick oats, but I love how thick and chewy these cookies turn out with old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats can make cookies softer and more cake-like. Baking Bites has a great article about regular vs. quick cooking oatmeal for baking. And The Kitchn has another great article explaining the difference between steel-cut, rolled, and instant oats.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – Of course, you can always swap chocolate chips for raisins. If you opt for chocolate chips, be sure and use the full bag of chocolate chips. Of course, you’re going to sneak a few, but don’t skimp on the chocolate. It’s one of those “the more, the merrier” scenarios.
How to Make Buttermilk Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Buttermilk oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are such easy oatmeal cookies to make. You basically have to mix up the dough, scoop it onto a cookie sheet, and bake.

Before you get started, pre-heat the oven to 350° F, and prep a baking sheet, though there’s no need to grease it.

How to Mix up the Cookie Dough and Bake It
1. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream (or mix) together the butter, brown sugar, and cane sugar.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, and mix well.
3. Stir the baking soda into your buttermilk (or sour milk) and set aside.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the flour, salt, and ground cinnamon.
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.
6. Fold in the oatmeal and chocolate chips, mixing them into the dough.
1. Using a cookie scoop, drop dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheet. As you scoop the cookies onto the cookie sheet, press them down just a bit; you can do this with the flat bottom of a glass.
1. Bake at 350° F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies turn a nice golden brown.
2. When you remove each batch from the oven, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a cooling rack or wire rack.
Warm chewy oatmeal cookies fresh from the oven are the absolute best, especially when you serve them up with a tall glass of ice cold milk. Yum!

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

Do you need to chill the dough before baking?
There’s really no need to chill the dough, though you can if you want. It *could* lend to an even chewier cookie.

How should oatmeal cookies be stored?
Just store then in an airtight container or cookie jar on the kitchen counter.

Can you freeze buttermilk oatmeal cookies?
Yes, you can. In fact, you can freeze oatmeal cookie dough in an airtight container; or you can freeze the baked cookies, also in an airtight container to help prevent freezer burn. Both should keep up to 3 months in the freezer.

Why are my homemade oatmeal cookies hard?
They’re probably over baked. You might bake for less time, as they’ll continue to bake the longer they sit on the cookie sheet, even after removing from the oven.

More Cookies Recipes to Enjoy

If you love this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, you’ll love these recipes too…

One of my all time favorite recipes is an old recipe my family has made for years, Grandma’s chocolate sandwich cookies. Another oatmeal cookie favorite that’s also full of chocolatey goodness, is this recipe for chewy monster cookies.

Dinner Then Dessert has a delicious recipe for super chewy oatmeal raisin M&M cookies. And Lil’ Luna has an old fashioned recipe for iced oatmeal cookies.

I’m getting hungry just thinking about fresh baked cookies.

If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Buttermilk Oatmeal Cookies

How to make the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Made with old fashioned oats, they’re a little soft, a little chewy, and full of chocolatey goodness.
Liquid Measuring Cup
Mixer
Cookie Scoop
Cookie Sheet
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk (*)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned oats
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, cream (or mix) together the butter, brown sugar, and cane sugar.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract to your mixture, and mix well.
Stir the baking soda into your buttermilk (or sour milk) and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the flour, salt, and ground cinnamon.
Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.
Fold in the oatmeal and chocolate chips, mixing them into the dough.
Using a cookie scoop, drop cookies onto your cookie sheet, pressing/patting the cookies somewhat flat with the flat bottom of a glass.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies turn a nice golden brown.
When you remove each batch from the oven, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Serve with a nice tall glass of ice cold milk.
*You can make buttermilk (or sour milk) by mixing together about 1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar with the 1/4 cup of milk. To make sure I have the right amount of liquid, I’ll usually pour my vinegar into the measuring cup first; then add the milk to my desired level or measurement.

Cookies & Bars
American
easy oatmeal cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookie recipe, oatmeal cookies
December 21, 2018
Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
Fun and simple holiday recipe for kids! How to make Christmas tree Rice Krispie treats with a cookie cutter, gooey marshmallow treats, and candy.

Rice Krispie squares are such a simple, classic dessert. They’re the quintessential kid-friendly dessert.

They’re also really easy to decorate and reinvent every time a holiday or special event rolls around. I mean, how cute are these snowman Rice Krispie treats, these festive Fruity Pebbles Christmas treats, and heart shaped Rice Krispie treats?

You only need 5 ingredients to make ordinary Rice Krispie treats. If you’re decorating and making special rice crispy treat shapes, you may need a few more decorative ingredients like icing, marshmallow cream, and candy.

Christmas tree Rice Krispies treats are super easy to make, and they’re a festive addition to the holiday dessert table.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS TREE RICE KRISPIE TREATS?

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the Christmas Tree Rice Krispie treats recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

HOW DO I MAKE RICE KRISPIE TREATS?

You can follow this Rice Krispie Treats recipe to make a full pan of Rice Krispie treats.

I usually fill a 9″x13″ pan with this recipe. Sometimes I’ll use a regular cake pan, but if I know I’m cutting out shapes, I’ll use my more shallow brownie pan.

HOW TO MAKE RICE KRISPIE CHRISTMAS TREES

Once you’ve spread your Rice Krispies treats mixture in your pan, you can go ahead and start cutting out Christmas tree shapes with a Christmas tree cookie cutter.

Be careful because the treats will still be quite hot, so just take your time. Cutting out the Christmas trees will help them to cool more quickly, though.

WHAT SHOULD I USE TO DECORATE MY CHRISTMAS TREES?

First you’ll want to gather a few ingredients together, different candies and decorating icing.

And here is where I improvised… I had no icing on hand, and I didn’t really feel like making my usual favorite sugar cookie icing either. I looked around me, and happened to look over inside a cabinet, and what did I see?

A jar of Marshmallow Fluff… That’s right… Instead of using icing, I used Marshmallow Fluff, and it worked like a charm. I highly recommend it.

Other ingredients you may want to gather are M&M’s Minis, spice drops, sour straws, and Christmas sprinkles.

TIPS FOR HOW TO DECORATE CHRISTMAS TREE MARSHMALLOW TREATS

You can decorate these treats however you want. It’s a really fun thing to do with your kids too. Give them a buffet to work from, and watch their creative forces at work.

You can pipe a bit of marshmallow fluff on as tinsel, then place M&M’s Minis on the fluff as ornaments. The fluff will hold the candy in place.

Cut spice drops in half, which will give you a super sticky end to work with. Press that sticky end onto the Christmas tree and form a sort of spice drop tinsel (and even a star).

Sour straws are really sticky, so you can stick pieces of sour straws onto your trees as tinsel.

Then add sliced spice drops as ornaments.

Use Marshmallow Fluff to hold special sprinkles on the tree… I love these little snowflake sprinkles.

Marshmallow Fluff will pretty much hold anything on your cutout Rice Krispie trees that just won’t stick. It’s amazing stuff and works so much better than decorating icing, in my humble opinion.

LOOKING FOR MORE NO BAKE CHRISTMAS TREATS?

We absolutely love making these Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls every Christmas. Another one of our absolute musts at Christmas time are these Ritz Cracker Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

Mommy Hates Cooking has a scrumptious looking recipe for Peppermint Mocha No Bake Cookies. Sprinkle Some Fun has a recipe for the cutest ever Grinch Rice Krispie Treats.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE CHRISTMAS TREE RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Dutch Oven or Sauce Pot

Heat-Resistant Spatula – This one is my go to spatula.

9″x13″ Baking Dish or Brownie Pan

Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter

Decorating Bag and Small Round Tip

CHRISTMAS TREE RICE KRISPIE TREATS RECIPE

If you love this Rice Krispie treats recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats

Fun and simple holiday recipe for kids! How to make Christmas tree Rice Krispie treats with a cookie cutter, gooey marshmallow treats, and candy.
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup Marshmallow Fluff
20 Sour Punch Twists (or Straws)
10 ounces M&M’s Minis
1 cup spice drops
1 cup sprinkles
Grease a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large sauce pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over low to medium heat on the stove.
Stir the vanilla extract and salt into the butter.
Add the mini marshmallows to the melted butter mixture, stirring until the marshmallows have fully melted.
Remove the mixture from the heat, and quickly stir in the Rice Krispies cereal.
Spread the Rice Krispies mixture in the prepared baking pan.
Cut out Christmas tree shapes with a Christmas tree cookie cutter, and place the Rice Krispie trees on a wire rack to cool completely.
For tinsel, pipe marshmallow cream back and forth on the trees, or pipe it onto the back of Sour Punch Twists (or Straws) to hold them on the trees.
Use M&M's Minis, spice drops, and sprinkles as ornaments for the trees. Cut spice drops in half, which will give you a sticky side you can stick onto the Christmas trees; or use a little marshmallow cream to hold the candies in place.
When you're all finished decorating, have fun serving and eating these festive treats!
*You can also use decorating icing, but Marshmallow Fluff works really well. You can use a regular cake pan, or to make cutting shapes easier, you can use a more shallow brownie pan. Be careful cutting out the trees because the treats will still be quite hot, so just take your time.

Desserts
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Christmas recipes, Christmas treats, Christmas tree, marshmallow treats, no bake Christmas treats, Rice crispy treats, Rice Krispie Christmas trees, Rice Krispie squares, Rice Krispie treats, Rice Krispie treats recipe, Rice Krispies, Rice Krispies treats
December 14, 2018
Easy Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
How to make the best Rice Krispie Treats ever! Easy recipe for kids too. Makes a chewy, gooey, deliciously perfect dessert!

If it’s a classic treat you’re after, Rice Krispie treats are the perfect choice. And they don’t just taste good; they’re super easy to make too.

The best part is it only takes 5 ingredients to make these yummy Rice Krispie squares. And quite possibly, ingredients you already have in your pantry.

One of my favorite things about making marshmallow treats is they require only a teensy bit of stove time. If you’ve followed more of my recipes, you know how I feel about stove time.

My boys love it when I make Rice Krispies treats; and truth be told I love making them. They’re something I can make in a pinch, and something we can easily carry with us if we’re headed out on the road or just going outside for a picnic.

I love that they can be dressed up too. While original rice crispy treats are delicious all on their own, I also love making holiday Rice Krispie treats like a Rice Krispies snowman and Christmas tree Rice Krispie treats and Valentine Rice Krispie treats. Sometimes I use Fruity Pebbles instead of Rice Krispies to make my kids’ favorite Fruity Pebbles treats!

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WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the Rice Krispie treats recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card with a longer how to video.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
- Salted butter – I prefer to use salted sweet cream butter for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract – This adds a nice vanilla flavor to the treats. And as usual, I love using my La Vencedora Mexican Vanilla.
- Salt – Just a tiny amount of salt really adds to the flavor.
- Mini marshmallows – We’ll talk more about the marshmallows below.
- Rice Krispies cereal – or any brand of crisp rice cereal. We’ll talk more about this too.
Remember, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.

KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED:

Dutch Oven or Sauce Pot

Heat-Resistant Spatula – This one is my go to spatula.

9″x13″ Baking Dish

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Before you get started, prepare your baking dish by spraying it well with cooking spray.

Making Rice Krispie treats is a quick 3 step process…
1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop.
2. Stir the vanilla extract and salt into the melted butter.
1. Then add in the mini marshmallows, stirring until the marshmallows have fully melted.
1. Remove the mixture from the heat, and quickly stir in the Rice Krispies.
And that’s it! Just spread the Rice Krispies treats into a greased baking dish and let them cool.

Tip: When you’re spreading them into the pan, just lightly press them into the pan. Don’t overly compress them down.

We’re going for soft, chewy treats. Lightly pressing them down will help with keeping the treats soft and chewy, rather than hard and tough as nails.

WHAT KIND OF MARSHMALLOWS SHOULD I USE TO MAKE MARSHMALLOW TREATS?

While you can use either big marshmallows, jumbo marshmallows, or mini marshmallows, I definitely recommend using the minis. You can also use marshmallow fluff, although I’ve never tried that with this particular recipe.

You have to melt the marshmallows before mixing everything together with the Rice Krispies cereal. The mini marshmallows are an easier choice, as they melt a lot quicker than the jumbo marshmallows.

Plus if you have leftovers, you can put a handful in a cup of hot chocolate.

DO I HAVE TO USE RICE KRISPIES BRAND?

No, you don’t have to use brand name. You can use pretty much any crisp rice cereal for this Rice Krispie squares recipe, whether you choose to use the original Rice Krispies cereal, a generic brand, or a store brand.

Personally, I love using Aldi’s version of crisp rice cereal because it’s completely gluten-free and labeled as such.

CAN I USE MARGARINE INSTEAD OF BUTTER?

Make sure you use salted butter over margarine. Butter will give your Rice Krispies treats a richer flavor and texture.

WHAT CAN I ADD TO RICE KRISPIE TREATS?

There are a lot of different ways you can change up Rice Krispie treats to make them even more delicious, and sometimes more colorful too.

Try a few of the following options:
- M&M’s or other chocolate candies – I love Rice Krispie treats with M&M’s. My Valentine Rice Krispie treats are just one example of this, and they are so yummy.
- Use colorful marshmallows instead of plain old white marshmallows to add some color.
- Or try adding food coloring for special occasions, like these pink Rice Krispie treats. Hosting a baby shower? Make pink or blue.
- Add freeze-dried berries. Case in point, strawberry Rice Krispie treats are the absolute best!
- Make s’mores Rice Krispie treats by adding in chocolate chips and crumbled Golden Grahams cereal.
HOW TO COLOR RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Adding color to Rice Krispie treats is as easy as pie. It’s an easy way to dress up these treats for a special occasion like a wedding, baby shower, birthday party, or holiday.

Just be sure to add the coloring after your marshmallows have melted but before you add the cereal to the melted marshmallows. Stir that coloring into the melted marshmallow mixture, and then stir in your cereal, and you’ll have colorful treats for whatever occasion you’re celebrating.

HOW TO STORE RICE KRISPIE SQUARES

For best results, be sure to store your treats in an airtight container; they should keep on the counter for about 2-3 days.

If you want to freeze them, again store them in an airtight container, or wrap each square in wax paper and place them in a freezer bag. They should keep in the freezer for about 2-3 months.

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Easy Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

How to make the best Rice Krispie Treats ever! Easy recipe for kids too. Makes a chewy, gooey, deliciously perfect dessert!
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven With Stainless Steel Knob and Loop Handles, 6 Quart
Cook N Home 5 Quart Stainless Steel Lid Stockpot
The Pampered Chef Classic Scraper
Anolon Bronze Nonstick Baking Pan With Lid / Nonstick Cake Pan With Lid, Rectangle – 9 Inch x 13 Inch
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal*
Grease a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
Melt the butter in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop.
Stir the vanilla extract and salt into the butter.
Add the mini marshmallows to the melted butter mixture, stirring until the marshmallows have fully melted.*
Remove the mixture from the heat, and quickly stir in the Rice Krispies cereal.
Spread the Rice Krispies mixture into the greased baking dish and let them cool.
Cut into serving size pieces and serve!
*You can use any crisp rice cereal, whether you choose to use the original Rice Krispies cereal, a generic brand, or a store brand. Personally, I love using Aldi’s version of crisp rice cereal because it’s completely gluten-free and labeled as such.

*I recommend using a heat-resistant spatula for stirring the marshmallow mixture. This will allow you to easily scrape the sides of your pan and keep the mixture from burning.

WHAT KIND OF MARSHMALLOWS SHOULD I USE TO MAKE MARSHMALLOW TREATS?

While you can use either big marshmallows, jumbo marshmallows, or mini marshmallows, I definitely recommend using the minis. You can also use marshmallow fluff, although I’ve never tried that with this particular recipe.

You have to melt the marshmallows before mixing everything together with the Rice Krispies cereal. The mini marshmallows are an easier choice, as they melt a lot quicker than the jumbo marshmallows.

CAN I USE MARGARINE INSTEAD OF BUTTER?

Make sure you use salted butter over margarine. Butter will give your Rice Krispies treats a richer flavor and texture.

HOW TO STORE RICE KRISPIE SQUARES

For best results, be sure to store your treats in an airtight container; they should keep on the counter for about 2-3 days. If you want to freeze them, again store them in an airtight container, or wrap each square in wax paper and place them in a freezer bag. They should keep in the freezer for about 2-3 months.

WHAT CAN I ADD TO RICE KRISPIE TREATS?

There are a lot of different ways you can change up Rice Krispie treats to make them even more delicious, and sometimes more colorful too. Try a few of the following options:

M&M’s or other chocolate candies

Use colorful marshmallows instead of plain old white marshmallows to add some color.

Try adding food coloring for special occasions. Hosting a baby shower? Make pink or blue.

Add freeze-dried berries.

Make s’mores Rice Krispie treats by adding in chocolate chips and crumbled Golden Grahams cereal.

HOW TO COLOR RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Adding color to Rice Krispie treats is as easy as pie. It’s an easy way to dress up these treats for a special occasion like a wedding, baby shower, birthday party, or holiday.

Just be sure to add the coloring after your marshmallows have melted but before you add the cereal to the melted marshmallows. Stir that coloring into the melted marshmallow mixture, and then stir in your cereal, and you’ll have colorful treats for whatever occasion you’re celebrating.
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marshmallow treats, Rice crispy treats, Rice Krispie squares, Rice Krispie squares recipe, Rice Krispie treats, Rice Krispie treats recipe, Rice Krispies, Rice Krispies treats
December 10, 2018
Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Make the best chocolate crinkle cookies ever! Made with cocoa powder, they’re a classic, family favorite Christmas cookie with a yummy chocolate mint twist.

Every Christmas I make a few of our favorite Christmas cookies, including cutout sugar cookies, hot chocolate cookies and crinkles. This crinkles recipe has become a staple Christmas dessert, even making it into Thanksgiving festivities this year.

While I used to make chocolate crinkles with a brownie mix, I don’t anymore. In fact, I’m actually pretty proud of this recipe for perfectly gooey chocolate mint cookies.

While the cookie dough is easy to mix up, it is a thicker, stickier dough. It’s a lot like brownie dough in that way.

The cookies themselves are coated in powdered sugar and infused with peppermint flavor. They’re best when they’re warm and gooey from the melted chocolate chips and mint baking chips.

If you enjoy these Christmas cookies, you may also enjoy these reindeer thumbprint cookies, butter almond snowball Christmas cookies, and chocolate lover’s Christmas light cookies.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES?

If you’d rather skip all of my baking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the scrumptious crinkles recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE CRINKLE COOKIES

Your first step will be to soften the butter, which you can do by either getting it out of the fridge ahead of time and letting it sit or putting it in the microwave for a few seconds.

After creaming (or mixing) together the butter and sugar, mix in the eggs and the flavored extracts.

Sift the dry ingredients, and add them to the mixture.

Then comes the best part… Fold in the chocolate chips and mint baking chips, making sure they’re mixed into the dough really well.

DO I NEED TO CHILL THE COOKIE DOUGH?

You can if you want to, but you don’t have to. Here’s a tip, though.

These cookies are best when they’re warm out of the oven. In fact, they can be a little stale after a day or two (unless you pop them in the microwave and warm them up).

However, when you chill the dough, it helps to keep the cookies fresher for longer. I chilled my dough for about 4 hours the last time I made a batch, and the cookies were still fresh as a daisy and quite delicious 2 to 3 days later.

So… My recommendation is to chill the cookie dough for a good 3 to 4 hours before baking.

HOW DO I FORM THE CHOCOLATE CRINKLES FOR BAKING?

Once you have your baking sheet out and ready to go, oven pre-heated, and cookie scoop in hand, take the following steps:
- Scoop about a tablespoon or so of cookie dough.
- Drop that scoop of cookie dough into a small bowl of powdered sugar and roll the dough ball around, making sure it’s good and coated.
- Then just place each sugar coated dough ball on your baking sheet and you’ll bake according to the recipe instructions below.
These really are the best Christmas cookies ever; they’re one of my favorite Christmas recipes.

I dare you to try and stop at just one.

CAN I FREEZE THESE COOKIES?

You can freeze the cookies, but I’m not sure how fresh they’ll taste later on… I’d almost recommend freezing the cookie dough over the already baked cookies if possible.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer with Mixing Bowl

Sifter

Cookie Scoop

Cookie Sheet

Wire Rack

Christmas Cookie Jar or Festive Christmas Tin

LOOKING FOR MORE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES?

Nothing says Christmas quite like a warm batch of gingerbread cookies.

Mommy Hates Cooking has a scrumptious alternative to milk chocolate with these White Chocolate Christmas Cookies. And Around Our Family Table has a super easy recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.

CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES RECIPE

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Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Make the best chocolate crinkle cookies ever! Made with cocoa powder, they’re a classic, family favorite Christmas cookie with a yummy chocolate mint twist.
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups cane sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mint baking chips
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream or mix together the softened butter and sugar.
Mix the eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract into the butter mixture.
In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mixing well.
Fold the chocolate chips and mint baking chips into the mixture by hand.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop about a tablespoon of cookie dough, and drop it into a small bowl of powdered sugar; roll the dough ball around, making sure it’s coated with powdered sugar.
Place each sugar coated dough ball on the cookie sheet, and bake at 350° F for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are set.
Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
*I normally use an ungreased cookie sheet, but depending on the kind of baking sheet you use, you may want to spray it with a little cooking spray.

Cookies & Bars, Desserts
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December 6, 2018
Red-Nosed Reindeer Thumbprint Cookies
Bake a yummy batch of reindeer thumbprint cookies, decorated with pretzels and strawberry jam. Easy recipe for your Christmas party or cookie exchange!

One of my favorite old-time Christmas specials, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, inspired these li’l reindeer thumbprint cookies. Strawberry jam really does make the brightest red nose.

Thumbprints are must have Christmas cookies. Just like our favorite cut out cookies, hot chocolate cookies and mint chocolate crinkle cookies, they’ve become tradition every year in our kitchen, and my boys look forward to the Christmas tins being filled with all our favorite holiday cookies.

While these reindeer cookies may seem like a lot of work, they’re actually really easy. All you need is a little time, and really, baking and cookie decorating are great ways to spend quality time with your kids this holiday season.

This festive thumbprint cookie recipe is just the thing for a holiday party or cookie exchange. They also make the best homemade gifts for your neighbors, as well as cookies for Santa.

They’re just one of many family favorite Christmas recipes.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR REINDEER THUMBPRINT COOKIES?

If you’d rather skip all of my baking tips, important cookie decorating info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the scrumptious thumbprint cookie recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE REINDEER THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Your first step is to mix up your cookie dough.

Start by creaming together (mixing together) the butter and sugar. Then mix the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract into the creamed mixture.

Sift together your dry ingredients, and then gradually mix them into the creamed mixture.

HOW TO FORM THE THUMBPRINTS
- Using a cookie scoop, take about a tablespoon or just slightly smaller scoop of dough, and roll it into a ball.
- Repeat the above step with the rest of the dough, placing the dough balls on an un-greased cookie sheet. Be sure to leave enough room between each cookie for your antlers. We’ll get to those in a minute.
- Using a smooth bottomed glass, you’re going to press each cookie flat.
- Then press your thumb into the center of each cookie, leaving enough room for eyes above and mouth beneath.
Life Made Sweeter has an awesome tip in her recipe for Easy Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies… She uses a round 1/4 teaspoon to make the perfect indentation in the middle of her thumbprints. So brilliant!

NOW LET’S GET TO THE COOKIE DECORATING TIPS

Once your thumbprint indentations are made, you’ll fill each thumbprint with a tiny spoonful or dab of strawberry jam. You can add as little or as much as you prefer, but don’t overfill because the jam may run out of the cookies as they bake.

Also, try to use a thicker jam. This will help prevent any mishaps with Rudolph’s nose during baking.

Break mini pretzels in half, and place one on each side of your thumbprint cookies, to serve as antlers.

You’ll need to bake the cookies at this point and allow them to cool before adding tiny eyes and a mouth with black frosting or decorating gel (though I prefer frosting because it hardens). If you don’t want to use black frosting, you can use candy eyeballs instead.

And then just give them a sprinkling of powdered sugar, using a powder shaker.

CAN I FREEZE THESE DECORATED CHRISTMAS COOKIES?

So if you’re wanting to make these holiday cookies ahead and freeze them, I’d recommend freezing the dough… Or you can freeze the already formed reindeer thumbprints.

I don’t know that I’d recommend freezing them decorated and all because I’m not sure how the pretzels would handle freezing and thawing.

But you can definitely freeze the dough or unbaked cookies themselves.

IF YOU LOVE THESE REINDEER COOKIES, YOU MAY ALSO LOVE SOME OF OUR OTHER FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES:

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Chocolate Lover’s Christmas Light Cookies

Butter Almond Snowball Christmas Cookies

30 of the Most Scrumptious Classic Christmas Cookies Ever

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer with Mixing Bowl

Sifter

Cookie Scoop

Wire Rack

Powder Shaker

Christmas Cookie Jar or Festive Christmas Tin

RED-NOSED REINDEER THUMBPRINT COOKIE RECIPE

If you love this red-nosed reindeer thumbprint cookie recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest!

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Reindeer Thumbprint Cookies

Bake a yummy batch of red-nosed reindeer thumbprint cookies, decorated with pretzels and strawberry jam. Easy recipe for your Christmas party or cookie exchange!
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup cane sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry jam
2 cups mini pretzels
1/4 cup black decorating icing
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream or mix together the softened butter and sugar.
Mix the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the creamed mixture.
In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, a little bit at a time.
Using a cookie scoop, take about a tablespoon of dough, and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing the dough balls on an un-greased cookie sheet. Be sure to leave enough room between each cookie for the antlers.
Using a smooth bottomed glass, press each cookie flat.
Press your thumb into the center of each cookie, leaving enough room for eyes above and mouth beneath.
Fill each thumbprint with a tiny spoonful or dab of strawberry jam.
Break mini pretzels in half, and place one on each side of each thumbprint cookie, to serve as antlers.
Bake the cookies at 350° F for about 15 minutes, or 'til the cookies are set.
Remove the cookies from the oven, and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
After the cookies have cooled, use black decorating icing to add eyes and a little smile.
Finally, using a powder shaker, sprinkle the reindeer cookies with powdered sugar.
*You can use any flavor of red jam you prefer, including strawberry, raspberry, cherry, etc.

*I recommend using black decorating icing, decorating gel, or candy eyeballs for the eyes. If you want homemade frosting, you can make an easy sugar cookie icing; but you won’t need very much just for eyes and smiles.

Christmas, Desserts
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Christmas cookie recipes, Christmas cookies, cookie decorating, cookie recipes, holiday cookies, jam thumbprint cookies, reindeer cookies, reindeer thumbprint cookies, thumbprint cookie recipe, thumbprint cookies, thumbprints
November 30, 2018
Easy Peanut Butter Corn Flake Bars
Mix up a batch of Corn Flake bars with peanut butter, marshmallows, peanuts, and candy corn. Quick and easy treats you can make in a jiffy; they make the best Halloween treats for kids!

If you love candy corn and peanuts, peanut butter cereal bars are another really yummy treat with that same sweet and salty flavor. They’re also chewy, which I don’t know why, but I love chewy when it comes to sweets.

There are a few reasons why I love this recipe and why I love to make them in the fall.

Why You’ll Love These Treats As Much As I Do
- They’re no bake. I mean, who doesn’t love a good no bake snack, especially during one of the busiest seasons of the year?
- Like my favorite chocolate-y granola bars, these no bake snacks are super easy to make.
- They’ll fit the bill for both fall and Halloween festivities.
- You can easily add a little pizzazz by drizzling a little chocolate or white chocolate on top.
- They’re a fun snack to make with kids.
- They make a great snack to take on outdoor adventures together, like kayaking the Jacks Fork or hiking with your family.
Ingredient Notes

Corn Flakes – You can use any brand of corn flakes you prefer. You can even try making these treats with other types of cereal, like Cheerios, Rice Krispies, etc. The texture will be quite a bit different, but it’s really up to you to decide what texture you want for your cereal bars.

Peanuts – I’d recommend using dry roasted or cocktail peanuts for the best flavor.

Candy corn – If you want to make these candy corn bars at other times of the year, you might pick up a few extra bags so you have them on hand.

Creamy peanut butter – Yes, you can use crunchy peanut butter instead; it’ll just add a little more crunch to your treats.

Light corn syrup

White chocolate melts – You can use melts or white chocolate chips. Either one will work.
You’ll find a complete ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Corn Flake Bars

There are only a few steps to making these no bake easy desserts. Before you get started, be sure to grease an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.
Then mix up the treats…
1. Start by mixing together the cereal, peanuts, and candy corn in a large mixing bowl. That way you’re ready to go after you’ve cooked your sticky syrup mixture.
1. Melt together the peanut butter and corn syrup in a saucepan on the stove, constantly stirring to keep it from scorching on the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. The peanut butter and corn syrup will melt together and form more of a syrupy liquid.
2. Remove the peanut butter mixture from the stove, give it a good stir, and pour it over the cereal mixture.
3. Stir everything together really well, making sure all of your cereal, peanuts, and candy corn are coated with the peanut butter syrup.
1. Put the mixture into the greased dish, and pat it down really well. Allow your pan of no bake snacks to cool… You can even put it in the fridge if you’d like it to cool quicker.
1. Once the bars have cooled, go ahead and slice them into approximately 9 bars. Then drizzle with melted white chocolate, and decorate the top with candy corn!
I actually drizzled white chocolate on our no bake cereal bars because I love how it complements the flavors of both the peanuts and the candy corn. It’s so delicious!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

Can I make these in the microwave?
Yes, you can melt together the peanut butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Just cook the mixture on High in 15-second increments, stirring after every cooking cycle, ’til everything is melted. The peanut butter and corn syrup will eventually melt together and form a syrupy liquid.

Why are my corn flake squares falling apart?
They shouldn’t be falling apart, but it might be that your cereal bars weren’t pressed down into the pan as firmly as they needed to be. You want to press them firmly enough to compact the treats but not so much that it causes the treats to be completely dense. It’s kind of a balance. It’ll also help to cool the treats before you try to eat them; warm cereal bars tend to fall apart easier.

How should I store them?
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them if you want to make them ahead; just be sure to place them in an airtight container or bag, so they don’t get freezer burn.

More Quick and Easy Treat Recipes:
More easy last minute ideas –>> 20+ Halloween movie night snacks – including Halloween brownies, party punch, cookies, no bake desserts, treats on a stick, Halloween cupcakes, and more!

If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Peanut Butter Corn Flake Bars

Mix up a batch of Corn Flake bars with peanut butter, marshmallows, peanuts, and candy corn. Quick and easy treats you can make in a jiffy!
Large Mixing Bowl
Small Saucepan
8×8 Baking Pan
4 cups Corn Flakes cereal
1 cup peanuts
1 cup candy corn
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup white chocolate melts ((or white chocolate chips))
Grease an 8"x8" baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cereal, peanuts, and candy corn.
In a small saucepan over low to medium heat on the stovetop, melt the peanut butter and corn syrup, constantly stirring to keep it from scorching on the bottom of the pan.
Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, constantly stirring. The peanut butter and corn syrup will melt together and form more of a syrupy liquid.
Remove the peanut butter mixture from the stove, give it a good stir, and pour it over the cereal mixture.
Stir everything together really well, making sure all of the cereal, peanuts, and candy corn are coated with the peanut butter syrup.
Spread the mixture in the greased dish, and firmly pat it evenly into the pan.
Allow the treats to cool. Then slice the bars for serving.
Drizzle the top of each bar with melted white chocolate, and add a piece of candy corn for decoration.
*You can use either white chocolate or regular/dark chocolate for a drizzle. I actually drizzled white chocolate on our no bake cereal bars because I love how it complements the flavors of both the peanuts and the candy corn. It’s so delicious!

Can I make these in the microwave?

Yes, you can melt together the peanut butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Just cook the mixture on High in 15-second increments, stirring after every cooking cycle, ’til everything is melted. The peanut butter and corn syrup will eventually melt together and form a syrupy liquid.

How should I store them?

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them if you want to make them ahead; just be sure to place them in an airtight container or bag, so they don’t get freezer burn.

Cookies & Bars, Desserts
American
corn flake bars, Halloween treats, no bake peanut butter bars, peanut butter cereal bars, peanut butter cereal bars recipe
October 1, 2018
Chewy Monster Cookies
How to make soft and chewy monster cookies from scratch, loaded with peanut butter, oats, M&M’s, and chocolate chips. Easy dessert recipe you can easily customize for Halloween and other holidays. But watch out, cuz they’ll disappear fast!

Monster chocolate chip cookies made with loads of chocolate are one of my favorite cookies. Partly because they remind me of a childhood neighbor and partly because they’re just so soft and chewy.

When I was a kid, my neighbor would make the most delicious soft and chewy monster cookies filled with oatmeal, peanut butter, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and M&M’s. I mean, she loaded those puppies up with all kinds of sweet chocolaty goodness.

Why You’ll Love M&M Monster Cookies

There are a handful of reasons to love this scrumptious monster cookies recipe…
- They are easily customizable… You can make them festive for any occasion. Halloween? Add a spooky touch with candy eyeballs. Christmas? Use Christmas M&M’s that are red and green. Easter? Use pastel colored M&M’s.
- These cookies are especially fun to make with kids, and this is an easy recipe for that exact purpose.
- You can add other mix-ins besides chocolate chips and M&M’s. Try Snickers bars, Reese’s Pieces, Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, Milky Way, mini marshmallows, and more!
- They’re thick, soft, and chewy. What’s not to love about soft monster cookies that are also thick and chewy?
- They’re very similar to another reader favorite oatmeal cookies recipe, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes

You’ll need to gather a few ingredients to mix up this monster cookie dough…
- Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter rather than salted when baking, so I can more easily control the amount of salt that goes into the recipe. Also, be sure to soften the butter, so it will mix well.
- Light Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is just one of the things that helps give these cookies their soft and chewy texture.
- Peanut Butter – You can use creamy or crunchy, but I highly recommend creamy, mainly because we’re already adding other crispy ingredients that will give a lot of crunch. It is best to use a regular peanut butter that doesn’t require stirring every time you use it. I do use Skippy Natural creamy peanut butter, but it only requires stirring upon opening the jar the first time around. The problem with other natural peanut butters is that all of the oil can be too much for the dough, and your cookies may spread more while baking.
- Egg – You’ll need a large egg.
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour – I recommend using an unbleached all-purpose flour. If you want to make these cookies gluten-free, use a good gluten-free flour that bakes well; <<– the one I link to here is my go to.
- Baking Soda
- Sea Salt – I recommend Redmond Sea Salt.
- Oats – You can use quick oats or old-fashioned oats. Either kind of oatmeal will work just fine.
- Chocolate Chips – While I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, feel free to use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
- Peanut Butter Chips
- M&M’s – Feel free to use Reese’s Pieces instead.
- Other Optional Candies – Crushed Mini Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or other candies. And candy eyeballs, especially if you’re making these cookies for Halloween.
How to Make Chewy Monster Cookies

These cookies are really easy to make. Here’s how to mix up the dough…
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream, or mix together, the softened butter and brown sugar.
2. Then mix the peanut butter into the butter sugar mixture.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well.
6. Mix the oats into the cookie dough.
7. Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, M&M’s, and other candies (except candy eyeballs) into the dough, mixing everything together well.
8. Using a cookie scoop, drop the cookies onto a cookie sheet.
9. Bake at 375° F for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and done.
1. If using candy eyeballs, gently press the eyeballs into the tops of the cookies while they’re hot, adding as many or as few as you want. This has a dual purpose… 1) Great for decorating Halloween cookies and 2) It allows you to gently press the cookie down into a flatter cookie while still warm.
1. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Then serve with a nice mug of cold milk and enjoy!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

Should I chill monster cookie dough?
It’s really not necessary for this cookie recipe. These cookies are already pretty chewy, and I prefer to just go ahead and bake the cookies while the dough is nice and soft.

Why do my monster cookies go flat?
There may be a few reasons… 1) If you use natural peanut butter, the extra oil can make the cookie dough spread flat while baking. 2) If your oven is too hot, the cookies may bake flatter, due to the butter in the dough melting too quickly. 3) Did you measure out the ingredients correctly? When measuring flour, it helps to spoon the flour into measuring cups, then use a knife’s edge to scrape off extra flour.

Can I make this recipe into monster cookie bars instead of cookies?
Yes, you can. Spread the dough into a greased 9×13 baking dish, and bake for at least 20-25 minutes, probably longer, ’til the cookie bars are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

How should you store these cookies?
Store then in an airtight container on the counter. They should keep for 4 to 5 days.

Can you freeze monster cookies?
Yes, you can make them and freeze them. Just allow enough time for the cookies to thaw before serving time. You can also freeze the cookie dough; just be sure to wrap it in plastic wrap, as well as place in an airtight container or freezer bag so it doesn’t get freezer burn. It should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Really Yummy Mix-In Ideas for Monster Cookies

We touched on this just a bit in the ingredients section, but this cookie dough is really versatile, and there are several mix-ins you can add to make them even more bulky, sweet, and monster-like…
- Mini M&M’s
- Crushed Mini Snickers
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Reese’s Pieces
- White chocolate chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Bits of graham crackers, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips to make s’more monster cookies
Just use your imagination; the sky’s the limit with these cookies.

More Reader Favorite Cookie Recipes (and Cookie Bars Too)

If you love this monster cookies recipe, you’ll love these cookie recipes too!
More easy last minute Halloween ideas –>> 20+ Halloween treats – including Halloween brownies, party punch, cookies, no bake desserts, treats on a stick, Halloween cupcakes, and more! And if it’s a costume you need, why not make a DIY Garfield costume?

If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Chewy Monster Cookies

How to make soft and chewy monster cookies from scratch, loaded with peanut butter, oats, M&M's, and chocolate chips. Easy dessert recipe!
Mixer
Cookie Sheet
Cookie Scoop
Wire Rack
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup M&M'S
1/2 cup candy eyeballs (optional)
Pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
Cream, or mix together, the butter and brown sugar.
Mix the peanut butter into the creamed mixture.
Add the egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well.
Mix the oats into the cookie dough.
Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, M&M'S, and any other candies you want into the cookie dough, mixing everything together well.
Using a cookie scoop, drop cookies onto a cookie sheet.
Bake at 375° F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and done.
While the cookies are still on the cookie sheet, gently press the candy eyeballs into each cookie.*
Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Serve with a mug of ice cold milk!
*Gently pressing the candy eyeballs into the cookies will also allow you to gently press the cookies a bit flatter while they’re still nice and warm.

Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter. They should keep for 4 to 5 days.

Cookies & Bars, Desserts
American
halloween cookies, halloween desserts, monster cookies, monster cookies recipe
September 20, 2018
Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
Make a batch of soft pumpkin spice sugar cookies, perfect for a cozy fall dessert. You can roll cookie dough in sugar before baking or spread with frosting after baking. Delectable autumn cookie recipe everyone will love!

Fall is in the air, and so is pumpkin spice. Along with my favorite pumpkin gooey butter cake, these soft pumpkin sugar cookies are a scrumptious way to welcome fall.

We make a lot of pumpkin recipes around here, so easy pumpkin sugar cookies fit right in.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Pumpkin spice sugar cookies are soft and delicious.
- You have options if you don’t have pumpkin on hand; we’ll talk more about this in the ingredients notes below, but you can use canned pumpkin, homemade mashed pumpkin, or even various types of squash.
- Enjoy these soft pumpkin sugar cookies with frosting or without. If you don’t want to frost them, just do like I do, and roll the dough balls in sugar before baking. Easy peasy and still just as good.
- This pumpkin sugar cookie recipe is great for fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. Bake a batch for potlucks, parties, or bake sales.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes

Gather up a few ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand.
- Unsalted Butter – You can use salted butter too; just keep in mind you may not need to add quite as much salt. Unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt that goes into the cookies. You’ll need to be sure to soften the butter before mixing.
- Cane Sugar – You can also use granulated sugar. Just be sure to use the appropriate amount of sugar as specified by the recipe, because extra sugar can make your cookies spread and flatten, as well as be really sweet with a super chewy texture.
- Light Brown Sugar – Brown sugar helps give a cookie its texture and flavor. In the case of fall flavors, brown sugar is where it’s at when you’re trying to get those yummy fall flavors into a recipe.
- Egg – You’ll need a large egg.
- Vanilla Extract
- Pumpkin – While I make the cookies with canned pumpkin, you can also make your own homemade pumpkin puree. A lot of times, I will also substitute other types of squash if I don’t have pumpkin, especially when I make my grandma’s pumpkin pie recipe.
- All-Purpose Flour – I prefer to use an unbleached all-purpose flour. And if you want to make gluten-free cookies, use a good gluten-free flour.
- Cream of Tartar – If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute lemon juice or white vinegar; for every 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, you’ll need 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Baking Soda
- Sea Salt – I recommend and use Redmond Fine Sea Salt.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – You can buy this at the store, or make homemade pumpkin pie spice with individual spices and use that.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

Before you mix up the cookie dough, be sure to pre-heat your oven to 375° F.

Mix up the Dough
1. Cream or mix together the softened butter, cane sugar, and light brown sugar.
2. Then mix both the egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture.
3. Next add in the pumpkin puree, and mix everything together well.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
5. Then stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, and mix really well, being sure to scrape the sides of your bowl.
Bake the Cookies
1. Using a cookie scoop, scoop 1-inch balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
1. Press each cookie with the bottom of a glass coated in pure cane sugar. If you want to frost the cookies, you can omit the sugar.
1. Bake the flattened cookies at 375° F for about 12 minutes, or ’til the edges of the cookies begin to turn a nice golden brown.
1. Remove the baked cookies from the cookie sheet, and place them on a wire rack to cool before serving. If you want to ice the cookies, just spread your favorite icing on the top of each cooled cookie.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

Do you have to chill the cookie dough?
No, but you can if you want a cookie that’s a bit more chewy in texture. If you choose to chill the dough, put it in the fridge for about 1-2 hours before baking.

Can you freeze pumpkin spice sugar cookies?
Yes, and actually, you can freeze the dough itself, the dough balls once you’ve scooped with a cookie scoop, or the unfrosted cookies. However you plan to freeze them, be sure to store in an airtight container so they don’t get freezer burn.

How do you store pumpkin sugar cookies?
If they’re unfrosted, just keep them in an airtight container on the counter. If you do frost them, you’ll need to store them in an airtight container in the fridge, since the frosting will likely have either cream cheese or milk in the ingredients.

Additional Ingredients or Recipe Options

There are a few ways you can add to this pumpkin sugar cookie recipe…
- Coat the cookies in a cinnamon sugar mixture, rather than just sugar.
- We talked about this a little bit above, but just like with my regular sugar cookies, instead of coating the cookies in sugar, you can actually frost these cookies with an easy sugar cookie icing or a cream cheese frosting.
- If you want to make the icing even more fun and flavorful, you can add maybe 1/2 teaspoon of caramel extract or maple extract. Mmmm, can you imagine? Yum!
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans to your cookie dough before baking.
- Dust the top of your freshly baked, warm out of the oven, pumpkin sugar cookies with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar.
More Pumpkin Spice Recipes:
You’ll find even more pumpkin recipes on my list of family favorite Thanksgiving recipes!

If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

Make a batch of soft pumpkin spice sugar cookies, perfect for a cozy fall dessert. Can be rolled in sugar or frosted. Delectable recipe!
Mixer
Cookie Scoop
Cookie Sheet
Cookie Spatula
Wire Rack
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup cane sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
Cream or mix together the butter, cane sugar, and light brown sugar.
Then mix both the egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture.
Next add in the pumpkin, and mix everything together well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, and mix really well, being sure to scrape the sides of your bowl.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop 1-inch balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Press each cookie with the bottom of a glass coated in cane sugar. If you want to frost the cookies, you can omit the sugar.
Bake at 375° F for about 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn a nice golden brown.
Remove the baked cookies from the cookie sheet, and place them on a wire rack to cool. If you want to frost the cookies, just spread your favorite frosting on the top of each cooled cookie.
You can use either canned or homemade pumpkin purée to make these cookies.

If the cookies are unfrosted, just store them in an airtight container on the counter. If you do frost them, you’ll need to store them in an airtight container in the fridge, since the frosting will likely have either cream cheese or milk in the ingredients.

Cookies & Bars, Desserts
American
pumpkin cookies, pumpkin spice, pumpkin sugar cookies
August 14, 2018
Golden Snitch Cookies on Sticks
Fellow book lovers unite with Golden Snitch cookies, the perfect fun dessert for your next Harry Potter themed party!

If you love the Harry Potter books and movies, you’re going to love this creative recipe for Golden Snitch cookie pops. Even my oldest child, who doesn’t eat a lot of sweets, absolutely loved these homemade snickerdoodle pops.

While they do take a little time, like our favorite chocolate sandwich cookies and peanut butter cookies, they’re actually really easy to make. It’s as simple as mixing up your favorite recipe for snickerdoodle cookies, then decorating them to look like the Golden Snitch.

I used just a smidge of cinnamon in the cookie dough but instead of rolling the cookies in a cinnamon/sugar mixture, I rolled them in cereal. Then I rolled them in golden sugar crystals.

It gave just the right amount of cinnamon flavor and golden sparkle. The cookies even cracked just a little bit to give that worn appearance the Golden Snitch seems to have.

Below you’ll find the printable recipe and a video tutorial, and I’ll share where you can find the printable wings I used for these scrumptiously magical cookie pops.

More Harry Potter theme recipes you may love: Polyjuice Potion and Butterbeer.

Ingredient Notes:
- Salted butter and unsalted butter – I prefer the texture that real butter gives over margarine.
- Pure cane sugar – You can also use granulated sugar, but I prefer to use unrefined cane sugar.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour – You can make these gluten-free, as well, by using a gluten-free flour (and making sure all your other ingredients are gluten-free).
- Cereal – I use Cinnamon Frosted Flakes for this recipe; you can use just about any type of cinnamon flavored cereal, for example, Cinnamon Life or Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
- Gold colored sugar crystals – I found these at the craft store.
- Sugar paper – to make the wings.
How to mix up this snickerdoodle cookie recipe:

First things first, pre heat your oven to 400°.

Then you’ll start mixing together ingredients…
1. Start by creaming (or mixing together) the butter, sugar, and eggs.
2. Blend in the dry ingredients, including the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
1. Crush whatever cereal you decide to use… We put ours in a plastic baggie and crushed it with a rolling pin. Once it’s crushed, put it in a bowl.
2. Add a little bit of water to a separate bowl, and add the golden colored sugar crystals to yet another separate bowl. Shape the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Then roll the balls first in the water to moisten them up just a bit. Next, roll them in the cereal, patting the crushed flakes into the surface of the cookie ball. Finally, roll each cookie ball in the golden sugar crystals, again patting the sugar crystals into the surface of the cookie ball.
3. Place each cookie ball on an un-greased cookie sheet. Then stick a cookie/cake pop stick into each one.
1. Bake the cookie pops for 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies will flatten out somewhat but still stay in a fluffy, rounded shape.
2. Once the cookies have baked, allow them to cool.
How to decorate Golden Snitch cookies

First Cut out the Wings

Use this Golden Snitch wing template to cut wings out of the sugar paper. You’ll want 2 wings for each cookie pop. How to do this…
1. Print the wing out on a printer; then cut it out using a craft knife.
2. Place the paper wing on your sugar paper (on a cutting board), and cut the wings out with your craft knife. Make sure to position your paper wing while cutting so you have one for each side of your cookie pop.
1. Once you have all your wings cut out, peel the backing off each one.
2. Then add slits for feathering in each wing (see my video in the recipe card below if this seems confusing).
Then Attach the Wings with Candy Melts
1. Once all of your wings are cut out, melt your candy melts according to package directions.
2. Then you’ll add just a couple drops of melted candy on both sides of your cookie, and press the wings in place.
3. At this point, it’s important to let the candy harden so the wings will stay in place. This will take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.
And that’s it! Now you have Golden Snitch Snickerdoodle Cookie Pops to share with your kids, ready to munch on while they read their favorite book.

More Harry Potter theme recipes you may love:
- Butterbeer Pancakes from Scratch
- Dreamy Butterbeer Buttercream Frosting
Golden Snitch Cookies

Fellow book lovers unite with Golden Snitch cookies, the perfect dessert for your next Harry Potter themed party!
1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
2 cups cinnamon Frosted Flakes* (crushed)
1/3 cup gold sugar crystals
1/2 cup salted caramel candy melts (melted)
1 piece sugar paper
Pre-heat the oven to 400°.
Mix together the softened butter and sugar.
Then add in the egg, mixing well.
Mix together the dry ingredients, including the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing well.
Crush the cereal you decide to use… You can put it in a plastic baggie and crush with a rolling pin. Once it's crushed, put it in a bowl.
Also, add the water to a separate bowl; and add the golden colored sugar crystals to another separate bowl.
Shape the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.
First roll the dough balls in the water to moisten them up just a bit. Next roll them in the cereal, patting the crushed flakes into the surface of the cookie ball. And finally, roll in the golden sugar crystals, again patting the sugar crystals into the surface of the cookie ball.
Place each cookie ball on an ungreased cookie sheet. Then stick a cookie/cake pop stick into each one.
Bake the cookie pops at 400° for 12 to 14 minutes (oven times may vary). The cookies will flatten out somewhat but still stay in a fluffy, rounded shape.
Once the cookies have baked, allow them to cool.
Meanwhile, use a Golden Snitch wing template to cut wings out of the sugar paper. You'll want 2 wings for each cookie pop. Make sure to position your paper wing while cutting so you have one for each side of your cookie pop.
Once you have all your wings cut out, peel the backing off each one.
Then add slits for feathering in each wing (see the video if this seems confusing).
Once all of your wings are cut out, melt your candy melts according to package directions.
Add just a couple drops of melted candy on both sides of your cookie, and press the wings in place. An easy way to do this is to use an old medicine dropper.
At this point, it's important to let the candy harden, so the wings will stay in place. This will take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.
And that's it! Now you have Golden Snitch Snickerdoodle Cookie Pops, ready for your kids to munch on while they read their favorite book.
*I use Cinnamon Frosted Flakes for this recipe; you can use just about any type of cinnamon flavored cereal, for example, Cinnamon Life or Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Desserts
American
Golden Snitch cookie pops, Golden Snitch cookies, Golden Snitch snickerdoodles
July 27, 2018
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, made with brown sugar and creamy or crunchy peanut butter, have a crispy outer edge and a soft, chewy middle. Delicious cookie recipe!

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are yet another cookie recipe we’ve made for years. While they might not rank quite as high in my mind as my favorite chocolate chip cookies (remember, they’re my favorite), they’re still a very delicious cookie.

These peanut butter cookies have a slightly crispy edge and a soft, chewy middle. The key is to smash them down just a little bit with your fork before baking… If you leave a little thickness, though, you’ll have a much chewier cookie.

While I prefer to use creamy peanut butter, you can also use crunchy. I’ve also made these with the honey-infused peanut butter, and they’re always so good when I make them that way. The choice is totally up to you.

Another favorite peanut butter cookie recipe of mine is this monster cookies recipe. So soft and chewy!

You may also enjoy this recipe for oatmeal buttermilk cookies.

Tips for how to make Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies:

First you’ll need to gather your ingredients… You’ll need unsalted butter, light brown sugar, pure cane sugar, eggs, peanut butter, vanilla extract, unbleached all-purpose flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Pre-heat your oven to 375°.
- Cream together (or mix together) the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and pure cane sugar.
- Beat the eggs; then add them to the mixture, mixing well.
- Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the dry ingredients into your cookie dough.
- Use a cookie scoop to add rounded teaspoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet.
- Press each each of the dough balls with a sugar coated fork, first one direction, then the other.
- Bake the cookies at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and done.
- When you remove each batch from the oven, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
- Serve with a nice tall glass of ice cold milk.
- And here’s another tip: When you store them in the cookie jar, place a piece of bread in the cookie jar with them; this will keep your cookies soft and chewy, especially if they browned a little too much while baking.
Alternative options for this peanut butter cookie recipe:
- Again, while I prefer to use creamy peanut butter, you can definitely use crunchy.
- Another option is to use honey-infused peanut butter; they’re always so good when I make them that way.
- Add chocolate chips to your cookie dough to make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
More cookie recipes I know you’ll love:
Kitchen tools you may need to make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mixer or Hand Mixer – Your mixer will be your best friend if you love to bake.

Measuring Spoons and Cups – for measuring out your ingredients.

Large Mixing Bowl – You’ll need a bowl if you’re mixing by hand or with a hand mixer. It also comes in handy when sifting.

Sifter – for sifting the dry ingredients together.

Cookie Scoop – I wasn’t sold on my cookie scoop at first; Dan wanted me to use it, but I was used to just using a spoon and my fingers. But he was right… It saves dough, makes a smaller cookie, and lends to a rounder cookie.

Cookie Sheet – Mine comes in handy for so many things, including baking cookies.

Cookie Spatula – for removing the hot cookies from the cookie sheet.

Wire Rack – This allows the cookies to rest and cool before you put them in the cookie jar.

Print the recipe for Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, made with brown sugar and creamy or crunchy peanut butter, have a crispy outer edge and a soft, chewy middle. Delicious cookie recipe!
1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup pure cane sugar
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
Pre-heat your oven to 375°.
Cream together (or mix together) the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and pure cane sugar.
Beat the eggs; then add them to the mixture, mixing well.
Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Mix the dry ingredients into your cookie dough.
Use a cookie scoop to add rounded teaspoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet.
Press each each of the dough balls with a sugar coated fork, first one direction, then the other.
Bake the cookies at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and done.
When you remove each batch from the oven, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Serve with a nice tall glass of ice cold milk.
And here’s another tip: When you store them in the cookie jar, place a piece of bread in the cookie jar with them; this will keep your cookies soft and chewy, especially if they browned a little too much while baking.
Cookies & Bars
American
chewy peanut butter cookies
Pin this recipe to save it for later when you’re craving a sweet treat!
February 17, 2018
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and oatmeal, these oatmeal raisin cookies have a crispy outer edge and a soft, chewy middle. Delicious cookie recipe!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are one of my oldest’s favorite cookie recipes. They’re so yummy with a slightly crispy outer edge and a soft, chewy middle.

While I make these cookies with raisins, you can make buttermilk oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips too.

I really do love the oatmeal, cinnamon, and raisins in this cookie; the flavors meld together to form a delicious cookie.

This recipe is actually adapted from an oatmeal cookie my grandma used to make. While I’ve made a few changes, like using butter instead of shortening, adding less sugar, and a few other ingredient changes… They’re still very reminiscent of her delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

This recipe can be mixed up with a mixer, but when you get to the point where you’re adding in the oatmeal and the raisins, it may be easier to mix by hand. The dough gets quite stiff and can sometimes climb up the mixing paddle (at least on my mixer).

Whether you’re making these for a potluck, get together, or just to share with your family, they’re fun to make and equally fun to eat, especially with a tall glass of ice cold milk. Let’s do some baking, shall we?

Tips for how to make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Before you get started, gather your ingredients… You’ll need brown sugar, pure cane sugar, unsalted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, milk, vinegar, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, ground cinnamon, old fashioned oats, and raisins.
- Begin by making the sour milk… Add the vinegar to the milk to sour it, and set it aside to rest while you start mixing the dough.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
- Cream (mix) together the brown sugar, pure cane sugar, and softened butter.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to your mixture, and mix well.
- Stir the baking soda into your sour milk and set aside.
- Sift together the dry ingredients, including the all-purpose flour, salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour milk.
- Add the oatmeal and raisins, mixing them in well (this is where you may need to mix by hand).
- Using a cookie scoop, drop cookies onto your cookie sheet, pressing/patting the cookies somewhat flat with your fingers.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies turn a nice golden hue.
- When you remove each batch from the oven, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
- Serve with a nice tall glass of ice cold milk.
Looking for more scrumptious cookie recipes?
Kitchen tools you may need to make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Liquid Measuring Cup – I use mine all the time when baking; it’s perfect for mixing the milk and vinegar together.

Mixer or Hand Mixer – Your mixer will be your best friend if you love to bake.

Large Mixing Bowl – You’ll need a bowl if you’re mixing by hand or with a hand mixer.

Measuring Spoons and Cups – for measuring out your ingredients.

Sifter – for sifting the dry ingredients together.

Cookie Scoop – I wasn’t sold on my cookie scoop at first; Dan wanted me to use it, but I was used to just using a spoon and my fingers. But he was right… It saves dough, makes a smaller cookie, and lends to a rounder cookie.

Cookie Sheet – Mine comes in handy for so many things, including baking cookies.

Cookie Spatula – for removing the hot cookies from the cookie sheet.

Wire Rack – This allows the cookies to rest and cool before you put them in the cookie jar.

Print the recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and oatmeal, have a crispy outer edge and a soft, chewy middle. Delicious cookie recipe!
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pure cane sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raisins
Begin by making the sour milk… Add the vinegar to the milk to sour it, and set it aside to rest while you start mixing the dough.
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Cream (mix) together the brown sugar, pure cane sugar, and softened butter.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract to your mixture, and mix well.
Stir the baking soda into your sour milk and set aside.
Sift together the dry ingredients, including the all-purpose flour, salt, and ground cinnamon.
Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour milk.
Add the oatmeal and raisins, mixing them in well (this is where you may need to mix by hand).
Using a cookie scoop, drop cookies onto your cookie sheet, pressing/patting the cookies somewhat flat with your fingers.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies turn a nice golden hue.
When you remove each batch from the oven, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Serve with a nice tall glass of ice cold milk.
Cookies & Bars
American
oatmeal raisin cookies
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January 4, 2018
Easy Sugar Cookie Icing
This easy sugar cookie icing is made with powdered sugar and a flavorful secret ingredient. So creamy delicious, my favorite recipe for cookie decorating.

This easy sugar cookie icing is a cookie icing recipe that’s been with me since I was a little girl. While the main ingredients are butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and heavy whipping cream, it also uses a secret ingredient.

That secret ingredient is almond extract. I can’t imagine making this icing without it.

In fact, I also use almond extract in my favorite buttercream frosting recipe and my chocolate buttercream frosting. Just the right amount gives icing a scrumptious flavor kick.

I can usually mix this cookie icing up in minutes; and when I’m using it with my mom’s cut out sugar cookie recipe that we make every single Christmas, I’ll sometimes add a little food color for cookie decorating purposes.

Though I have been known to skip the food coloring and go with sprinkles on white icing instead… Those tiny rainbow sprinkle dots that crunch in your teeth when you bite into the cookie? I love those!

I usually make these sugar cookies the way my mom taught me when I was younger. I’ve never been that patient with a decorating bag.

So I take the easy way out and use a butter knife to spread the cookie frosting on… Then spread sprinkles all over the cookie.

Just writing up this recipe is making me wish we still had a few of those soft sugar cookies left in the cookie jar. It’s one of my favorite Christmas recipes!

I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR EASY SUGAR COOKIE ICING!

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the scrumptious sugar cookie icing recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE SUGAR COOKIE ICING
- First, soften the butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to the mixture.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing it in as you go.
- Once everything is mixed together, the icing should be smooth and creamy, free of any lumps. It’s important to get the right consistency. You don’t want the icing to be too thick (it won’t spread well) or too thin (it’ll run right off your cookies).
- At this point, you can add food color, if desired.
- Have fun decorating cookies together!
CAN I FREEZE COOKIE ICING?

Yes, you can. In fact, I usually do have leftover icing, and I’ll stick it in the freezer for next time we need it.

It freezes just fine, as long as you cover it well so it doesn’t get freezer burn.

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES THAT USE THIS COOKIE FROSTING:
KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING

Large Mixing Bowl – You’ll need a large bowl to mix up your icing, and you’ll use it for so much more.

Hand Mixer – A hand mixer comes in so handy for so many things, especially mixing up cookie icing.

Spatula – Because I’m never without my spatula.

Food Color – Allows you to make a few different colors, especially for Christmas cookies.

8 ounce Bowls – These would be perfect for separating your icing to make different colors.

Cookie Decorating Kit – Just in case you want to add more detail to your cookies.

EASY SUGAR COOKIE ICING RECIPE

If you love this cookie icing recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest!

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Easy Sugar Cookie Icing

Easy Sugar Cookie Icing, made with powdered sugar and a flavorful secret ingredient. So creamy delicious, my favorite recipe for cookie decorating.
4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
6 cups powdered sugar
Soften the butter.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Add the heavy whipping cream to the mixture.
Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing it in as you go.
Once everything is mixed together, the icing should be smooth and creamy, free of any lumps.*
At this point, you can add food coloring, if desired.
Have fun decorating cookies together!
*It’s important to get the right consistency. You don’t want the icing to be too thick (it won’t spread well) or too thin (it’ll run right off your cookies).

Cookies & Bars
American
Christmas cookie icing, cookie decorating, cookie icing, cookie icing recipe, sugar cookie frosting, sugar cookie icing, sugar cookie icing recipe
December 2, 2017
Heart Shaped Chocolate Whoopie Pies for Valentine’s Day
Remember when you were a kid and Valentine’s Day meant school parties with homemade Valentine boxes, gobs of Valentines, and yummy heart shaped treats like heart shaped chocolate whoopie pies?

With the holiday of love and hearts and sprinkled cupcakes just around the corner, Heart Shaped Chocolate Whoopie Pies are a most scrumptious treat, as are heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes.

This Recipe Has a Story

This recipe happens to be my grandma’s recipe for chocolate whoopie pies.

We didn’t really call them whoopie pies. Ever. I’m not sure why.

But that’s really what they are. Only our icing is more of a creamy sugar cookie icing made with powdered sugar.

I think original whoopie pies have a sort of marshmallow cream icing. Either way, they’re one of my favorite cookies.

Grandma would mix these up and pop them in the oven. When they came out, the entire kitchen smelled like chocolate.

We’d smooth a bit of icing on one cookie and sandwich them together.

To this day, they’re still a family favorite. Her recipe lives on.

How to Make Heart Shaped Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Below is the printable recipe.

You can make these round or heart shaped. To get the heart shape, I used a Wilton heart shaped whoopie pie pan.

If you don’t want to buy the pan, I imagine you could use a heart shaped cookie cutter to form each shape with dough. Just be sure to remove the cookie cutter before baking.

This is the most scrumptious cookie… If I could call it the king of cookies (besides my favorite chocolate chip cookies), I totally would. Enjoy!

MORE VALENTINE TREATS YOU’LL LOVE
- Valentine’s Day Rice Krispie treats
- Valentine snack cakes
Pack up your treats and Valentines in a DIY dinosaur Valentine box, and carry them to school.
Heart Shaped Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chocolate sandwich cookies are a favorite family recipe passed down from generation to generation. Whether you call them sandwich cookies or whoopie pies, Heart Shaped Chocolate Whoopie Pies really do make a yummy Valentine's Day treat.
Cookie Dough:
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
2 cups cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
Icing:
2 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups powdered sugar
Cookies:
Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
Cream (or mix) the butter and sugar together.
Then add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
Whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt.
Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. If the batter is too thin, you may need to add just a bit more flour.
Spray the whoopie pie pan with cooking spray. Drop 1-2 teaspoonfuls of cookie dough into each heart and smooth out.
Bake at 350° F for about 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool.
Icing:
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Add the milk to the mixture.
Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing it in as you go. You want a good consistency, not too runny or the cookies will slide apart; you want the icing thick enough to stay on the cookie but not so thick that it breaks the cookies apart when trying to spread it. Once everything is mixed together, the icing should be smooth and creamy, free of any lumps.
After the cookies have cooled, sandwich them together with the icing.
Serve and enjoy!
Valentine’s Day
American
chocolate whoopie pies, heart shaped chocolate whoopie pies, heart shaped whoopie pies, Valentine whoopie pies
Can’t bake them just yet? Pin it for later!
January 20, 2017
Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
It’s been so long since I’ve actually made gingerbread cookies. We usually always make our family recipe for soft cut out sugar cookies, hot chocolate marshmallow cookies, Jacob’s favorite mint chocolate crinkle cookies, and our favorite reindeer thumbprint cookies.

But we hardly ever make gingerbread cookies. I’ve made them before, but they’ve always been either a really difficult recipe or frankly, just haven’t tasted that great.

Not so with this recipe. These cookies are slightly chewy with a somewhat crunchy edge. You are going to love it!

These chewy gingerbread cookies have disappeared from our cookie jar rather quickly. In fact, I’ve considered making another batch.

Though these cookies are cutout cookies, don’t let that stop you from making them. Like my grandma’s gingerbread loaf recipe, they’re so simple. I’m definitely adding this recipe to my list of The Best Christmas Recipes for Your Holiday Celebrations.

Kid-Friendly Recipe for Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

We actually have all sorts of things planned for this week (or rather, I have a few surprises up my sleeve).

The week before Christmas we usually do a little Christmas school, where instead of hitting the books, we do fun Christmas-y things, like make all sorts of goodies, start a Christmas puzzle, put together a gingerbread house, read Christmas books, go shopping for any last minute gifts, go see Christmas lights, and just spend time together.

Baking together is one of our favorite things.

With this recipe, we chose to make Christmas trees, gingerbread men, and stars.

Creating recipes like this gives opportunity to teach kids a few cooking skills… For instance, they can learn how to roll out dough. Warning: They may even fight over who gets to roll the dough.

They can also cut out the cookies and put them on the cookie sheet. My boys love to actually decorate cookies with Easy Sugar Cookie Icing, though I’m not sure how much decorating gets done vs. eating.

Looking for more Christmas cookie recipes?
You can find even more holiday recipes on my list of The Best Christmas Recipes for Your Holiday Celebrations!

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Below you’ll find the printable recipe. This gingerbread cookie recipe is adapted from the Gingerbread Boys recipe in the old 1969 version of Betty Crocker’s Cookbook. Don’t you just love vintage cookbooks? Within the pages are treasures to be found.

I tweaked and added a few things to give the recipe my own touch. Also, just a helpful note, the cookies are even better the next day. I hope you enjoy!
Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Grab the ingredients, a few decorations, and your family, and make Chewy Gingerbread Cookies together. They're scrumptious classic holiday treats inspired by a vintage cookbook.
Cookie Dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Cookie Icing:
4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
6 cups powdered sugar
Gingerbread Cookies:
In a large mixing bowl, cream or mix together the softened unsalted butter, sugar, and dark brown sugar.
Add the molasses, milk, and lemon juice, mixing well.
In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice.
Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, mixing well.
Cover the dough, and chill in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, coating the dough with flour and kneading it until it's less sticky and more pliable.
Then roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut out cookies with floured Christmas cookie cutters.
Place the cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet, and bake at 375° F for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set.
Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Cookie Icing:
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the softened salted butter and vanilla extract.
Add the milk to the mixture.
Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing it in as you go; the finished icing should be smooth, creamy, and spreadable.
Decorate the gingerbread cookies with icing, sprinkles, and nonpareils.
Christmas, Desserts
American
chewy gingerbread cookies, gingerbread cookies, homemade gingerbread cookies
December 19, 2016
30+ of the Most Scrumptious Classic Christmas Cookies Ever

Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without my family’s traditional recipes, especially when it comes to classic Christmas cookies. I’m thinking of my mom’s Christmas sugar cookies, my favorite thumbprint cookies, and more.

Holiday cookies bring a touch of cozy to the season. There are so many delicious holiday recipes.

The Internet makes it really easy to swap recipes back and forth with people near and far. I love that, don’t you?!

As we embark upon the Christmas holiday, I hope you are enjoying every moment. Nothing says Christmas like tried and true, stand the test of time, traditional, classic Christmas cookies.

Below you’ll find a collection of 30 Classic Christmas Cookies to inspire your holiday season. Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Classic Christmas Cookies – Recipes 1-10

1. Slovak Christmas Honey & Spice Cookies by Kid World Citizen
2. Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies by This Silly Girl’s Kitchen
3. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with M&M’s by Creations by Kara

4. Red-Nosed Reindeer Thumbprint Cookies by Adventures of Mel
5. Pfeffernusse Cookies by Clever Pink Pirate
6. Traditional Spritz Cookies by Cincy Shopper

7. Ultimate Soft Chocolate Drop Cookies by The Baking ChocolaTess
8. Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies by Mom Endeavors
9. Christmas Candy Cane Cookies by Home Cooking Memories
10. Apricot Pinwheel Cookies by Create & Babble

Classic Christmas Cookies – Recipes 11-20

11. Gingerbread Cookies by The Kitchen is My Playground
12. Butter Almond Snowball Christmas Cookies by Adventures of Mel
13. Clementine and Clove Spritz Cookies by Wholefully

14. Easy Sugar Cookies by Blooming Homestead
15. Granny’s Hard Boiled Egg Cookies by The Ugly Duckling House
16. Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by Adventures of Mel

17. Peppermint Twist Macarons by Savory Experiments
18. Chewy Lemon Snowdrop Cookies by Wholefully
19. Linzer Thumbprint Cookies by Healthy Seasonal Recipes
20. Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies by The Country Chic Cottage

Classic Christmas Cookies – Recipes 21-30

21. White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies by Finding Zest
22. Shortbread Jam Thumbprint Cookies by Bless This Mess
23. Chocolate Cherry Blossom Cookies by Baking Beauty

24. Toffee Shortbread Cookies by Love to be in the Kitchen
25. Crumbly Walnut Crescent Cookies by Living Sweet Moments
26. Hot Chocolate Cookies by Big Bear’s Wife

27. Melted Snowman Sugar Cookies by Smashed Peas and Carrots
28. Old Fashioned Snowball Cookies by To Simply Inspire
29. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by Today’s Creative Life
30. Cutout Sugar Cookies by Adventures of Mel

If you want even more holiday recipe inspiration, you may enjoy my list of The Best Christmas Recipes for Your Holiday Celebrations.

What’s your favorite Christmas cookie recipe?

December 8, 2016