While those are yummy, this butter cookie recipe is less crispy. These are soft butter cookies. Think of butter cookies as the perfect cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread.

Related: Snowball Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies and Christmas Wreath Cookies.

Butter Cookie Ingredients

• Butter, softened
• Granulated White Sugar
• Egg Yolks
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour
• Salt

Butter Cookie Directions:

The dough for these is very straightforward to make; mixing the dry ingredients separate from the wet and then combining them. But, the real “trick” to these is freezing the dough before baking. You can do this a few different ways.

If you want simple/plain looking butter cookies, then I recommend freezing the dough in a log shape. This way you simply slice the cookies from the log before baking.

If you’d like to shape or press the butter cookies, like I have in these photos, then do so before freezing. You can freeze for 30 minutes or up to overnight before baking with this method.

Tips for Making Butter Cookies:

• The dough will be soft before freezing, so if you are rolling it out to make cutout shapes (like I have in these photos), be sure to use more flour than the recipe card calls for. This will be for dusting the surface and the rolling pin.
• I used cookie stamps to create designs.
• You could also use a cookie press gun or cookie stamp roller to create designs.
• Another traditional method is to pipe dough using large pastry tips. I don’t recommend this method. Even if your dough is very soft, it takes a lot of hand strength to do this method. Maybe for some it works great, but I’ve never had success with it.

Other Holiday Baking Recipes

If you are looking for more recipes to bake this season, try these!

• 20 Easy Holiday Desserts
• Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
• Christmas Cupcakes – Easy Ideas
• Pinwheel Cookies
• Easy Chocolate Oreo Truffles
• Browse all our Holiday Ideas

Print

Butter Cookies – 6 Ingredients

Soft and delicious butter cookies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword butter cookies, cookies

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 20 cookies

Calories 141kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a medium to large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
• Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla extract.
• Add the flour and salt. Stir until a soft dough forms.
• If you are not planning to shape or press the cookies, then roll the dough into a log shape and cover in plastic. Freeze for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight.
• If you would like to shape or press the cookies, then roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and do so. Place them on a lined baking sheet after. Then freeze for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
• Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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I have been dessert obsessed my whole life, apparently. So if you are looking for a Christmas pudding dessert, try this easy figgy pudding recipe!

My goal with this recipe was to create a bread pudding-esque cake that heavily featured figs, but also just felt festive. The kind of Christmas dessert you might serve at the end of a fancy dinner.

The batter uses fig jam and dried figs, so if you can’t find fresh figs where you live (I couldn’t), don’t worry! The result is a sweet, nutty mini cake with a lightly spiced syrup.

History

While this recipe feels like a classic Christmas dessert to me, it does not resemble what would be traditional figgy pudding. My understanding is the traditional British dish is more like a steamed cake made with raisins, currants, and brandy; it could also include oranges, plums, golden raisins, rum and spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

I’ve also read that figgy pudding could even have referred to a savory dish made with fish. This is a different take.

This reminds me more of a Midwest “poke cake” in that I poke small holes throughout the cake before drizzling on the syrup, which makes the inside moist and gooey, more like a custard.

Ingredients

• Butter
• Granulated white sugar
• Large eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Fig jam
• Self-rising flour
• Walnuts
• Dried figs

How to make Figgy Pudding

This figgy pudding recipe (or you could call it Christmas pudding, up to you) has three components:

Cake + Syrup + Cream = Christmas pudding

Each of these is important to the final dish. The cake mixture is very easy to make—it’s just as simple as a muffin or baked donut recipe. The syrup is only three ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make on the stove, but it’s essential.

Once the cake is baked in the oven, you must use a fork or toothpick to poke lots of small holes in the cake. Then, drizzle the syrup over it. The syrup will then ooze into these small holes you created, creating a moist and sort of bread pudding-type texture.

Last, you should serve this with whipped cream or even a scoop of vanilla (or egg nog) ice cream! This adds a creamy component that I think pairs well with the flavors and also just serves to make this dessert feel all the more special.

Tips for Success

• I like to use both fig jam and dried figs (chopped up) in the cake batter. You can add chopped walnuts or another nut like pecans. All these add to the flavor and texture of the cake.
• Poking holes in the cake before drizzling on the syrup might sound trivial, but I promise it’s not! This is what reminds me of Midwest “poke cake,” which has such a great texture.
• I love to use a mini or decorative bundt pan for this! But if you don’t have one and don’t want to buy it for just this recipe, you can also bake these in jumbo muffin tins or a baked donut pan.

Serving Suggestions – Christmas Dinner

If you are looking to host a special Christmas dinner, this makes the perfect dessert. Here are some other recipes you might add to the menu:

• Bacon Wrapped Filet – How to Broil Steak
• How to cook steak
• Baked chicken
• Meatloaf
• Chicken Alfredo
• Easy Vodka Sauce – over gnocchi or any pasta!
• Overnight No-Boil Lasagna
• Stuffing Risotto
• Best Christmas Cocktails

FAQ

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Figgy Pudding – Christmas Pudding

a nontraditional take on this classic pudding

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, English

Keyword christmas pudding, figgy pudding

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cakes

Calories 448kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Equipment

• mini bundt pan optional

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup fig jam approximately 5 ounces
• ½ cup dried figs chopped
• 2 ½ cups self-rising flour
• ½ cup walnuts chopped

Glaze

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup whipping cream heavy
• ¼ cup butter

Instructions

• In a large bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup butter and sugar.
• Stir in the eggs.
• Then, stir in the vanilla extract and fig jam.
• Stir in the flour, chopped walnuts, and chopped dried figs until a cake batter forms.
• In well greased mini bundt pan, jumbo muffin tin, or baked donut pan, spoon in the batter.
• Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 15-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
• Allow to cool before inverting onto a cooling rack.
• To make the glaze, add the brown sugar and heavy whipping cream to a saucepan and whisk together over low heat.
• Allow to come to a low boil and continue to stir for a couple of minutes until thickened, probably 2-3.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, which should quickly melt into the sauce.
• Using a fork or toothpick, add holes all over the cakes. Then spoon the glaze over the tops of the cakes, so the glaze seeps into the holes.
• Serve while the glaze is still warm, with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 542IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

We’ll also show you the secret to making cake pops in just minutes if you want a handy shortcut to get the decorating part faster, so look for that below …

Looking for more Christmas desserts? Check out:

• Christmas Wreath Cookies
• Melted Snowman Cookies
• Grinch Cookies (With Cake Mix!)
• Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
• Eggnog French Toast
• Spiced Gingerbread Waffles
• Eggnog Pie

What You Need to Make Christmas Cake Pops:

• Cake mix: You can use any flavor cake mix: chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, yellow, etc. Be sure to check your cake mix to ensure you have whatever other cake ingredients the mix recommends for baking (eggs, butter, oil, etc.).
• Can of frosting: You will also need one container of store-bought frosting. I like to use anything with a simple texture like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. You can also mix flavors like cream cheese frosting with red velvet cake for a festive flavor. If you have a favorite buttercream recipe you want to use, you can use that in place of store-bought.
• Cake pop sticks: While it’s most common to use sticks like this, you can also use forks or edible items like pretzel rods!
• Candy melts: These discs of chocolate are the easiest way to get that chocolate coating as they melt easily and come in lots of color options.
• Microwave or Double Boiler: You can melt candy melts in the microwave, but you can also use a double boiler to do it on the stove top or a chocolate melter like this one.
• Edible decorations: For these Christmas cake pops, you’ll want mini pretzels, candy eyes, and red M&Ms for the reindeer, chocolate coins, Rolo or mini Reese’s cups, and orange sprinkles for the snowmen, and sprinkles or mini M&Ms to decorate your Christmas tree.

Looking for more cake pops? Check out our Chocolate Cake Pops, Birthday Cake Pops, Halloween Cake Pops, and Oreo Cake Pops!

How to Make Christmas Cake Pops

1. Bake the cake: Create your batter by using an electric mixer and incorporating the listed ingredients for that boxed cake. Bake your cake batter according to the package instructions and allow to fully cool in the pan.

2. Add the frosting and mix: Spoon the baked cake into a large mixing bowl and break up a bit by hand so you have crumbled cake. Add 2/3 of the container of frosting (using the full container makes the cake pops a bit too soft and harder to work with once we dip them in chocolate). You can mix the cake and icing with clean hands, a wooden spoon, or use an electric mixer on low speed to help combine them. The frosting is how you get cake pops to stick together, so after mixing the cake pop batter is going to be pretty soft, but moldable.

3. Roll cake balls: Form your cake pop batter into small balls (about 3-4 tablespoons each). You don’t want them to be too big, just so they easily fit in the palm of your hand.

Once you have formed all your pops (a standard size cake will make around 35-40 cake pops), put them in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes.

4. Melt your candy melts: Melt candy melts in the microwave in 30-second increments on half power. You could also use a double boiler to do it on the stove top or a chocolate melter like this one. If you need to thin your candy melts, you can stir in a teaspoon of canola or vegetable oil once melted and can reheat the chocolate for 15 seconds at a time to remelt if it starts to set up at any point.

5. Attach the cake pop stick: First, put your lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and push the stick 2/3 through a cake pop cold from the fridge.

6. Dip the cake pop: Dip the attached cake pop into the melted chocolate and allow any excess chocolate to drip off the pop. Gently tap the cake pop stick on the side of your bowl to also shake off extra chocolate. Then, add any extra decorations and store the cake pop upright while it sets (unless you don’t mind a flat bottomed cake pop then you can just place them on parchment paper on baking sheets).

You can keep them upright in a number of ways, like sticking them into a container that is filled with granulated white sugar or rice or you can stick them into a block of styrofoam.

How To Make SUPER EASY Cake Pops:

• To make your cake pops even faster and easier, try using Little Debbie Snack Cakes or Zebra Cakes! Just crumble them into a bowl and mash them together with a mixing spoon until you get a thick dough (it will be the taste of vanilla cake with bits of chocolate throughout). Use your small cookie scoop to scoop out balls of cake and continue to chill, dip, and decorate just like you would with the regular recipe! Such a time saver and you get about one cake pop per snack cake.

How To Make a Reindeer Cake Pop:

• Follow directions above to make a general cake pop and dip the cake pop into brown chocolate (or dark chocolate if you prefer that to milk chocolate).
• Add two mini pretzels to the head for the pretzel antlers (or break off a section of a regular size pretzel), two candy eyes, and a red M&M or red candy melts for the nose. Make sure to work quickly before the chocolate candy coating sets!
• Allow the chocolate to set and your cake pop is ready!

How To Make a Christmas Tree Cake Pop:

• Follow directions above to make a general cake pop but shape the cake into a cone rather than a ball. Dip the cake pop into green chocolate. Allow the chocolate candy coating to set.
• Add some melted green chocolate to a piping bag (or ziplock bag with the tip cut off) and lay the cake pop on some wax paper. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the tree back and forth and add sprinkles or small candies to decorate.
• Allow the chocolate to set and your cake pop is ready!

How to Make a Snowman Cake Pop:

• Follow directions above to make a general cake pop and dip the cake pop into white chocolate.
• Glue your Rolo or mini Reese’s cup to your chocolate coin with a little melted chocolate to make a hat and add to your snowman’s head. Add your sprinkle nose and allow chocolate to set.
• Once chocolate is set, melt a small amount of black or brown chocolate to pipe the eyes and mouth (or you can use black sprinkles or mini chocolate chips placed before the chocolate sets!).
• Allow the chocolate to set and your cake pop is ready!

Other Christmas Cake Pop Ideas:

• Leave the cake balls round and decorate the dipped cake balls like Christmas tree ornaments with melted chocolate drizzled in other colors, sugar pearls, or dipped in sparkling sugar.

Looking for a seasonal cocktail? Check out:

• Cranberry Spiced Hot Toddy
• Apple Cinnamon Hot Toddy
• How to Make Mulled Wine
• Grinch Punch or Sherbet Punch (Nonalcoholic)
• Spiced Apple Cider Recipe
• Spiked Hot Chocolate (With A Secret Ingredient!)

FAQ

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Birthday Cake Pops

Create fun birthday cake pops for your next party!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword birthday cake, cake pops

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 35 cake balls

Calories 55kcal

Author Laura Gummerman

Cost $15

Equipment

• 1 small cookie scoop optional
• 35-40 cake pop sticks
• 1 microwave or double boiler

Ingredients

• 1 boxed Funfetti or vanilla cake mix and whatever other ingredients you need to make the cake (eggs, oil, etc.)
• 1/2-3/4 of a 16-ounce can of vanilla frosting (add little by little until you have right consistency)
• candy melts in white
• sprinkles

Instructions

• Bake the cake: Bake your cake according to the package instructions and allow to fully cool.
• Add the frosting and mix: Spoon the baked cake into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2-2/3 of the container of frosting. Using the full container makes the cake pops a bit too soft and harder to work with once we dip them in chocolate. But, this is how you get cake pops to stick together—with frosting. Use clean hands to mix together the frosting and cake. The cake pop batter is going to be pretty soft, but moldable. Should feel like play dough consistency.
• Roll cake balls: Form your cake pop batter into small balls (about 3-4 tablespoons each). You don’t want them to be too big, just so they easily fit in the palm of your hand. Once you have formed all your pops (a standard size cake will make around 35-40 cake pops), put them in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Melt your candy melts: Melt candy melts in the microwave in 30-second increments on half power. You could also use a double boiler to do it on the stove top or a chocolate melter like this one. If you need to thin your candy melts, you can stir in a teaspoon of canola or vegetable oil once melted and you can reheat the chocolate for 15 seconds at a time to remelt if it starts to set up at any point.
• Attach the cake pop stick: First, put your stick into the melted chocolate and push the stick 2/3 through a cold cake pop.
• Dip the cake pop: Dip the attached cake pop into the melted chocolate and allow any excess chocolate to drip off the pop. Gently tap the cake pop stick on the side of your bowl to also shake off extra chocolate. Then, add any extra sprinkle decorations and store the cake pop upright while it sets (unless you don’t mind a flat bottomed cake pop).

Notes

*You can keep them upright in a number of ways while they set like sticking them into a container that is filled with granulated white sugar or rice or you can stick them into a block of styrofoam.

 

Tips for Making Cake Pops:

• • Add your icing to your cake crumble in small quantities so you just get the point of having enough for it to stick together. It should feel like play dough.

• • Use a small cookie scoop to scoop cake mixture so you get even portions for each cake pop.

• • Make sure your cake balls are well chilled before coating.

• • Have your decorations nearby and prepped to go so you can attach them while the chocolate is still melted.

• • You can use a tall glass to pour your melted chocolate in (or melt it in a microwaveable mug) so you have a little dunk tank to fully submerge your cake pop into.

Nutrition

Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 6g | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Related: Next up, try my sweet potato casserole or no-bake pumpkin pie.

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes
• Mascarpone cheese
• Granulated white sugar
• Brown sugar
• Salt
• Eggs
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• Butter
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

I often use store-bought pie crust, BUT if you want to make your own please try our favorite pie crust recipe.

In the recipe card below, I also share how to make the boozy homemade marshmallows you see pictured here.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie

First, bake the sweet potatoes unless you are able to find canned sweet potatoes (for some reason, I never have much luck finding canned). Set out the mascarpone cheese so it can soften while you bake the potatoes.

In a stand mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese until creamy (the goal is to eliminate lumps in the final filling). Add the mashed sweet potatoes and beat until combined. Add the sugars and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs, half-milk, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and beat until incorporated.

I used a store-bought pie crust this time. Simply follow the directions to pre-bake the crust slightly. Then add the filling to the crust.

Once you’ve poured the filling into the crust, bake at 350°F for 48-50 minutes, until the center is set but the pie may still have a slightly jiggle to it if you were to shake it. A little jiggle is OK, but you don’t want the pie to look like liquid (like it did before baking). Allow to cool before serving or storing.

More Reader Favorite Pie Recipes

• Apple Pie
• Vanilla Cream Pie
• Rhubarb Strawberry Pie
• Blueberry Pie
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• Pumpkin Swirl Slab Pie
• Peach Pie
• Coconut Chess Pie
• Strawberry Poppy Seed Pie

Tips for Success

• Really mash the sweet potatoes well before beginning to make the pie filling. You can use a food processor or immersion blender to puree them so no lumps remain.
• I like to whip the softened mascarpone before incorporating to get a silky smooth texture.
• If you notice the edges of your pie crust beginning to look burnt, wrap them in aluminum foil or use a pie shield as the pie finishes baking.
• You can store leftover sweet potato pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you topped with marshmallows, these will harden in the cold temperature, so you may want to rewarm in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving again. If you are using whipped cream, don’t add it until you’re ready to serve.

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Sweet Potato Pie

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword sweet potato pie

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Calories 742kcal

Ingredients

For the pie:

• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese softened
• 2 cups sweet potatoes mashed
• ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup butter melted
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pie crust

For the marshmallows:

• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ packets of gelatin 3 1/2 teaspoons
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon bourbon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• First, bake the sweet potatoes unless you are able to find canned sweet potatoes. Set out the mascarpone cheese so it can soften while you bake the potatoes.
• In a stand mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese until creamy. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and beat until combined.
• Add the sugars and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs, half-milk, and melted butter, and beat until combined.
• Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and beat until incorporated.
• If using a store-bought pie crust, simply follow the directions to pre-bake the crust slightly. Then add the filling to the crust.
• Once you’ve poured the filling into the crust, bake at 350°F for 48-50 minutes, until the center is set but the pie may still have a slightly jiggle to it if you were to shake it. A little jiggle is OK, but you don’t want the pie to look like liquid (like it did before baking).
• Allow to cool before serving or storing.
• Here’s how to make the boozy marshmallows.
• Spray a 8×8 pan with nonstick cooking spray and lightly dust with half of the powdered sugar (2 tablespoons). Set the rest aside.
• Set up your stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Pour 1/2 of the water and the gelatin into the bowl and allow that to sit for 10 minutes (don’t mix it). In the meantime, in a pot over high heat stir together the remaining 1/4 cup water, the sugar, the corn syrup, and salt. Attach your candy thermometer and allow mixture to reach 240 F. Remove from heat.
• Start your mixture on low and pour the hot sugar water into the mixer as it is running. Be careful! I always use my splash guard for this step. Once you’ve poured in all the sugar water, turn the mixer on high and beat until white and fluffy (7-10 minutes). You can add the bourbon and vanilla extract to the mixer as it’s running during the first few minutes.
• Then pour the marshmallow batter into your prepared dish, sprinkle with the remaining powdered sugar, cover and allow to set overnight.
• Go around the edge of the pan with a knife and plop the marshmallows out onto a cutting board. Cut with a pizza cutter or kitchen shears. You can store these in an airtight container or plastic bag.
• Once you are ready to serve your pie, top with the marshmallows and toast with a kitchen torch or for a few minutes under your kitchen broiler, just until the marshmallows look nice and toasty.

Notes

You can top this sweet potato pie with store-bought marshmallows or whipped cream instead. 

Nutrition

Calories: 742kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 79g | Vitamin A: 7201IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 1mg

Caramel apples also make great gifts so you can make a batch to hand out at Halloween parties, as a thank-you present, or just make a few for your family on a crisp fall day. Add fun toppings to make it a gourmet treat!

Looking for more fall recipes? Check out:

• 15 Pumpkin Desserts To Bake This Fall
• Candy Apples
• Classic Hot Toddy
• Overnight Cinnamon Rolls – Small Batch
• Soft Pumpkin Muffins

What kind of apples are best for caramel apples?

The variety of apple that you choose for your caramel apple depends entirely on your taste! If you have a sweet tooth, you would probably enjoy a sweeter variety like a Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, or a Pink Lady as your apple base. For a more tart contrast to your sweet caramel topping, Granny Smith apples are the most popular choice. These are all firmer choices than say a softer Macintosh variety and give you a better crunch factor when eating your treat.

Caramel Apple Ingredients:

• Wrapped Caramels: Using premade caramels is the fastest and easiest way to go about making your caramel apples. Most grocery stores sell these in the baking area or right next to the apples in fall, but you can also get them online if your local store doesn’t carry them.

• Fresh Apples: Choose a firm apple that is either more sweet or more tart depending on how much sweetness you want to add to the caramel layer. Make sure to wash off the wax before dipping your apple so that the caramel has a better chance of sticking and won’t slide off.

• Heavy Cream or Milk: Just adding a little heavy cream or milk to the caramel will help thin it out a bit to make it more “dippable.”

• Toppings (optional): For a gourmet caramel apple, you can do a second dip after the caramel into fun toppings like crushed candy bars like Butterfingers or mini M&Ms, pretzels, sprinkles, flaked sea salt, chopped pecans or other nuts, crushed Oreos, or coconut! You can also use chopped dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate chips as well.

Looking for a delicious caramel dip to eat with apples? Try our Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (4 Ways!)

Tools You Need To Make Caramel Apples:

• Skewers: While the classic caramel apple is usually perched upon a wooden stick, you can also use a popsicle stick, or, in a pinch, even just stick a fork into it if you don’t have any thick skewers at home.

• Melting tools: To melt your caramel, you want either a microwave and microwave-safe bowl, a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass Pyrex-type bowl to set on top of a saucepan of boiling water.

• Nonstick Cooking Spray: You’ll want to make sure your apples don’t stick to the plate or pan you are placing them on, so use some nonstick cooking spray on the surface first to make sure you can remove them easily. You can also use a lined baking sheet to cool your apples on, so just lay some wax paper on a baking sheet or flat surface.

• Dipping container (optional but helpful): While you can just roll your apple around in the bowl or pot you melted the caramel in, for smaller batches it’s also nice to have a Pyrex glass measuring cup to melt the caramel in so you have a nice little container to dunk the apple right in to.

Tips for Making Caramel Apples:

• Remove the wax from your apples. You’ll want to wash your apples and try to remove the wax from the apples before dipping them so the caramel will stick better. Run the apples under some hot water and use a fruit wash or dish soap and a clean scrubby pad or textured towel to rub vigorously over the apples to help remove some of the wax. Dry apples very well so no moisture remains.

• Chill apples before and after dipping. After you add your skewer, you can chill your apples in the fridge so that the caramel sets up faster and less will run off the surface when dipping (and then put them back in the fridge so the caramel will set up faster).

• Have toppings already prepped. If you are dipping your apple into toppings, make sure you already have your bowls of toppings ready so the caramel doesn’t set before you can get your toppings together.

• Drizzle chocolate after cooling: You can also drizzle melted chocolate over your apple for a yummy addition, but wait until the apples are cool so the warm caramel doesn’t melt the chocolate.

How to Make Caramel Apples:

Prepare the apples: Once clean, make sure the apples are thoroughly dry before dipping! Skewer your apple with your stick or fork and set aside.

Melt the caramel: Put your caramels and heavy cream/milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating session, until the caramel is smooth and melted. If the mixture seems thin, let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up a bit before dipping.

Can I make caramel apples on the stovetop without a microwave?

Yes! If you don’t have a microwave, you can still make caramel apples easily in a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass Pyrex-type bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water (it will take longer to melt this way, so be patient).

For a regular saucepan, add caramels and milk to the pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. If using the double-boiler or bowl on top method, just bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, set the top of the double boiler or glass bowl on top with your caramel and milk, reduce the heat to a low boil/simmer and stir occasionally until melted.

Dip apples: Now that your caramel is melted, spray a tray or plate with nonstick cooking spray and dip your apple into the melted caramel at an angle, twisting it around until the apple is coated as well as you would like.

Lift the apple to let the excess caramel drip off and scrape the bottom over the side of the bowl to get extra excess. As the caramel gets lower in the bowl, you can also use a spoon to pour the caramel over the apple to cover the sides or tilt the bowl or pan so the caramel pools in one spot.

After dipping in your caramel, you can do a second dip into your topping of choice to give it some added flavor before setting it on your tray or plate. Try some black and orange sprinkles for a Halloween caramel apple treat!

If your caramel starts to set as you continue dipping your apples, reheat it for 15 seconds at a time in the microwave until the texture is dippable again.

Let the caramel set: Let your apples cool in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to allow the caramel to fully set on your nonstick sprayed parchment paper or lined wax paper surface. Now your apple is ready to eat!

How do I store caramel apples?

You can store caramel apples in the fridge for up to two weeks and you can also wrap them in cellophane or clear treat bags individually to give as gifts!

Looking for more apple recipes? Check out:

• Apple Dumplings
• No-Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake
• Baked Apple Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar
• 5-Minute Apple Crisp (For One!)
• Apple Dumpling Monkey Bread
• Easy Apple Pie Bars

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Easiest Homemade Caramel Apple

Make delicious caramel apples at home and add gourmet toppings

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apples, caramel apple, fall, halloween, halloween desserts, halloween party

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10 people

Calories 97kcal

Author Laura Gummerman

Cost $15

Equipment

• 8-10 wooden skewers
• microwave or saucepan or double boiler if using the stove
• microwave or heatproof bowl

Ingredients

• 2 11-ounce bag of wrapped caramels like Kraft brand
• 8-10 small to medium apples
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
• chopped toppings of your choice

Instructions

• Prepare the apples: Make sure the apples are thoroughly dry before dipping! Skewer your apple with your stick or fork and set aside.
• Melt the caramel: Put your caramels and heavy cream/milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating session, until the caramel is smooth and melted. If the caramel seems thin, let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up a bit before dipping.
• Dip the apples: Now that your caramel is melted, spray a tray or plate with nonstick cooking spray and dip your apple into the melted caramel at an angle, twisting it around until the apple is coated as well as you would like. Lift the apple to let the excess caramel drip off and scrape the bottom over the side of the bowl to get extra excess. As the caramel gets lower in the bowl, you can also use a spoon to pour the caramel over the apple to cover the sides or tilt the bowl or pan so the caramel pools in one spot.

  After dipping in your caramel, you can do a second dip into your topping of choice to give it some added flavor before setting it on your tray or plate. Try some black and orange sprinkles for a Halloween caramel apple treat!

  If your caramel starts to set as you continue dipping your apples, reheat it for 15 seconds at a time in the microwave until the texture is dippable again.
• Let the caramel set: Let your apples cool in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to allow the caramel to fully set. Now your apple is ready to eat!

Notes

Can I make caramel apples on the stovetop without a microwave?

Yes! If you don’t have a microwave, you can still make caramel apples easily in a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass pyrex-type bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water (it will take longer to melt this way, so be patient). For a regular saucepan, add caramels and milk to the pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. If using the double-boiler or bowl on top method, just bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, set the top of the double boiler or glass bowl on top with your caramel and milk, reduce the heat to a low boil/simmer and stir occasionally until melted.

 

You can store caramel apples in the fridge for up to two weeks and you can also wrap them in clear treat bags individually to give as gifts!

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.2mg

This pumpkin cheesecake has a graham cracker crust and a thick and creamy cheesecake that is perfectly spiced for the season. This is like if pumpkin pie and cheesecake got together and had an easy-to-bake baby.

Related: Love pumpkin? Next, try Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Pasties, Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Butter or Pumpkin Juice. You may also want to make your own homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Ingredients

• Graham crackers
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Granulated white sugar
• Brown sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Vanilla extract
• Pumpkin puree
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Eggs
• Salt

You will also want whipped cream for the topping.

How to make Pumpkin Cheesecake

First, make the crusts by grinding up the graham crackers. This is super easy in a food processor. Stir together with the melted butter. Press into your pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.

Cream together the softened cream cheese, sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour and pumpkin puree. Stir in the spices, vanilla extract and salt. Now stir in the eggs, one at a time until it is all just combined. Do not overmix this, but watch out for any lumps. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as you can should cut back on those pesky lumps.

Pour batter over the prepared crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Allow to cool and refrigerate until chilled (about 3 hours).

Tips & Substitutions

• I line the square baking pan with one square piece of parchment that is larger than the pan and then I cut slits in each corner. Another option is to line the pan with two pieces of parchment cut into rectangles and overlapping each other in the center.
• Pumpkin puree is not the same as pumpkin pie filling, but the cans look very similar at the grocery store. Pumpkin puree should only have one ingredient: pumpkin.
• To soften cream cheese, I leave it out on my kitchen counter overnight, still in the package. Another option is to microwave it in a microwave-safe container for 30-45 seconds until soft. You want it softened as this will help prevent lumps in your cheesecake.
• This cheesecake will look puffed up after baking, but as it cools it will settle back down.
• If you’d like even more seasonal flavor you could swap the graham crackers for gingerbread or gingersnap cookies. Any dry cookie, like a graham cracker, can work in this recipe.
• You can bake this pumpkin cheesecake recipe in a standard 9-inch springform cheesecake pan if you prefer. Simply reduce the baking time to 1 hour instead of 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• You can store this cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for at least 3 days and likely longer. I would wait to add whipped cream until you are ready to serve.

More Seasonal Recipes

• Caramel Apple Cheesecake
• No-Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake
• No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
• 50+ Christmas Cookies
• Strawberry Pretzel Salad
• Apple Tart
• Apple Cobbler
• Apple Pie Filling

Serve cold with a little fresh whipped cream on top. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Note: Back in 2013, when I first published this recipe, I baked it as individual cheesecakes in a special pan I got as a wedding gift. It wasn’t a standard pan, not easy to find, so although this recipe hasn’t changed all that much it has been retested for a standard 8×8 square baking pan, which is much more common and easy to find. I hope this update makes this recipe all the more accessible. That being said, many of the older comments reflect questions around that original pan or the individual cheesecake size.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cheesecake, pumpkin

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Calories 572kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Equipment

• 8×8 square baking pan

Ingredients

• ½ cup graham cracker crumbs 24 graham crackers
• ¼ cup butter melted
• 32 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs

Instructions

• First, make the crusts by grinding up the graham crackers. This is super easy in a food processor. Stir together with the melted butter.
• Press into your pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
• Cream together the softened cream cheese, sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
• Stir in the flour and pumpkin puree. Stir in the spices, vanilla extract and salt.
• Now stir in the eggs, one at a time until it is all just combined. Do not overmix this, but watch out for any lumps. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as you can should cut back on those pesky lumps.
• Pour batter over the prepared crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Allow to cool and refrigerate until chilled (about 3 hours).

Notes

I line the square baking pan with one square piece of parchment that is larger than the pan and then I cut slits in each corner. Another option is to line the pan with two pieces of parchment cut into rectangles and overlapping each other in the center.

To soften cream cheese, I leave it out on my kitchen counter overnight, still in the package. Another option is to microwave it in a microwave-safe container for 30-45 seconds until soft. You want it softened as this will help prevent lumps in your cheesecake.

This cheesecake will look puffed up after baking, but as it cools it will settle back down.

You can bake this pumpkin cheesecake recipe in a standard 9-inch springform cheesecake pan if you prefer. Simply reduce the baking time to 1 hour instead of 1 hour and 10 minutes.

You can store this cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for at least 3 days and likely longer. I would wait to add whipped cream until you are ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 188mg | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 5855IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 1mg

Candy apples may look like an impressive dessert (and hard to make), but it’s actually pretty easy (just like our Easy Caramel Apples!)! We’ll show you how …

And just as a side note, since the sugar is extremely hot and you can get burned if not careful, we don’t recommend doing this project with kids. Just let them eat the final result rather than help with this one.

Looking for more fall treats? Check out:

• Easy Pumpkin Cookies
• Make Your Own Autumn Trail Mix
• Homemade Caramel Sauce
• Baked Apple Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar
• Overnight Cinnamon Rolls – Small Batch
• Apple Cinnamon Hot Toddy

What are candy apples?

Candy apples are a whole apple on a stick dipped in hot melted sugars which hardens to form a thin candy shell. While usually red, they can also be dyed other colors and they first appeared in 1908 in New Jersey when candy maker William Kolb created them. Red Hots candies were a popular choice to use for the outer coating, so some prefer to make theirs a cinnamon flavor coating to mimic that nostalgic flavor.

Ingredients for candy apples:

• Apples: Using smaller apples will get you more finished apples out of one batch of candy coating. Try and pick ones with a nice round shape for the best looking candy apples.
• White sugar: This candy apple recipe uses plain granulated white sugar to give the candy coating its sweetness.
• Light corn syrup: Corn syrup helps you get that smooth candy finish.
• Water: The water mostly boils off while the candy rises up to the proper hard crack stage temperature.
• Red food coloring: Gel food coloring is preferred if you have it since it’s more concentrated so the color is brighter for the best candy apples.

Supplies for candy apples:

• Apple skewers: You can also use popsicle sticks or even sticks from branches for your skewers, but we like these bamboo ones since they already have a point for easy insertion.

• Candy thermometer: Having a candy thermometer with a pot clip is super helpful. You can also use a multi purpose digital thermometer but you’ll have to stand there and hold it if you don’t have a clip.

How to prepare your apples:

Wash and dry apples: You want to try and remove any wax coating that’s on the apples so your coating will stick and you can avoid getting annoying bubbles that pop out of the coating.

You can scrub them really well with a clean textured scrubber after rinsing them in hot water and rub them dry with a textured towel to try and remove as much wax as you can, or some people like to boil water and dip the apples in the water for about 5 seconds before rubbing dry (longer than 8-10 seconds can start to cook the apples, so don’t leave them in too long!).

Make sure the apples are fully dry before dipping as any amount of water will create bubbles in your coating.

Add skewers: Push or tap your wooden skewers or lollipop sticks halfway into the top of your dried apples and set aside.

How to make candy apples:

Prepare your pan: Prepare a sheet pan or parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray or butter so you’ll be able to remove the apples easily once cooled.

Cook your coating: Combine sugar, water, corn syrup, and food coloring in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula and bring the sugar mixture to a boil with a candy thermometer clipped to your pot (make sure it’s not touching the bottom of the pot or it won’t be an accurate read).

Bring coating up to 300°: Let the mixture boil for about 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat until it reaches between 300°-310°. Remove the coating from the heat and allow the bubbles to settle down for a minute until smooth.

Dip your apples: Working quickly, tilt your pan to the side and dip an apple in the candy mixture, swirling the apple to get each side coated. Pull the apple out and let the excess drip off before placing on a prepared baking sheet, wax paper, silicone mat or parchment paper (just coat whichever one you use with cooking spray).

If the candy coating starts to harden before you are done dipping all your apples, put it back on medium heat until it thins out again.

Let cool: Once all your apples are dipped, let the coating harden (it just takes a few minutes) and your apples are ready to eat! Remember, candy apples have a hard sticky coating, so eat with caution!

Tips for Making Candy Apples

• Use organic apples if you can since some companies don’t use wax on their apples so you don’t have to try to remove it. Or use apples from a local orchard that doesn’t wax their apples.

• Make sure your sugar reaches the 300° mark or the coating won’t harden and it will be more of a taffy texture.

• Try and keep the candy shell thin when you dip; it doesn’t need to be super thick and will be harder to eat.
• If you want to add a topping to your apples, just roll them in chopped coconut, nuts or sprinkles before the candy coating sets.

• You can make your candy apples a color other than red if you want! Just remember the color of the apple comes through a bit and may muddle your final color depending on what shade you pick, but purple or black for Halloween is fun!

What the best way to clean your pot after making candy apples?

Now that your candy apples are made, you may be staring at your pot thinking “Now, how am I ever going to clean that?!” It’s actually pretty easy!

• Fill your pot with water.
• Boil the water on the stove, stirring every so often.
• Once the candy leftover is dissolved, pour the water out and the hardened sugar is gone!

If you have some sugar up on the sides of your pot above the boiling water line, just use a spatula to keep pulling up some of the hot water over that spot until it starts to dissolve.

You can also dip your thermometer into the water as it boils to remove any hardened candy for the tip of that as well.

How do you store candy apples?

Candy apples can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator, although they are usually best eaten in the first 24 hours. The outer hard shell will last longer than three days, but the hole that is poked into the apple is what starts to oxidize the apple after a few days and makes it mushy inside.

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Easiest Candy Apples

Create homemade easy candy apples at home—perfect for fall and Halloween!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apples, fall, halloween desserts

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 347kcal

Author Laura Gummerman

Cost $10

Equipment

• wooden skewers
• saucepan
• candy thermometer

Ingredients

• 8-10 apples
• 2 cups white sugar
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon red gel food coloring

Instructions

• Prepare your pan: Prepare a sheet pan or parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray or butter so you’ll be able to remove the apples easily once cooled.
• Cook your coating: Add the sugar, water, corn syrup, and food coloring to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together and bring to a boil with a candy thermometer clipped to your pot (make sure it’s not touching the bottom of the pot or it won’t be an accurate read).
• Bring coating up to 300°: Let the mixture boil for about 15-20 minutes until it reaches between 300°-310°. Remove the coating from the heat and allow the bubbles to settle down for a minute until smooth.
• Dip your apples: Working quickly, tilt your pan to the side and dip an apple in the coating, swirling the apple to get each side coated. Pull the apple out and let the excess drip off before placing on a sheet pan or parchment paper.

  If the candy coating starts to harden before you are done dipping all your apples, put it back on medium heat until it thins out again.
• Let cool: Once all your apples are dipped, let the coating harden (it just takes a few minutes) and your apples are ready to eat! Remember, candy apples have a hard sticky coating, so eat with caution!

Notes

NOTE: Remember, this sugar is very hot, so be sure to keep your skin away from the sugar to avoid burns. You can also have a bowl of ice water nearby just in case you make contact with the sugar so you can quickly dip your hand in that, or even use heatproof gloves made for cooking.

How to prepare your apples:

Wash and dry apples: You want to try and remove any wax that’s on the apples so your coating will stick and you can avoid getting annoying bubbles that pop out of the coating.

You can scrub them really well with a clean textured scrubber after rinsing them in hot water and rub them dry with a textured towel to try and remove as much wax as you can, or, some people like to boil water and the dip the apples in the water for about 5 seconds before rubbing dry (longer than 8-10 seconds can start to cook the apples so don’t leave them in too long!).

Make sure the apples are fully dry before dipping as any amount of water will create bubbles in your coating.

Add skewers: Push or tap your skewers halfway into the top of your dried apples and set aside.

Tips for Making

• Use organic apples if you can since some companies don’t use wax on their apples so you don’t have to try to remove it. Or use apples from a local orchard that doesn’t wax their apples.
• Make sure your sugar reaches the 300° mark or the coating won’t harden and it will be more of a taffy texture.
• Try and keep the candy shell thin when you dip; it doesn’t need to be super thick and will be harder to eat.
• You can make your candy apples a color other than red if you want! Just remember the color of the apple comes through a bit and may muddle your final color depending on what shade you pick, but purple or black for Halloween is fun!

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 85g | Vitamin A: 98IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.2mg

This recipe delivers perfect dough for cutout shapes (similar to sugar cookies) with all the cinnamon and spice flavor you love from gingerbread.

Gingerbread cookies are my husband’s favorite cookie, and I make this recipe multiple times each holiday season. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Related recipes: Snowball Cookies, Pinwheel Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies:

1. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and all spices. Set mixture aside.
2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat until mixture is fully combined—about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides if needed.
3. Slowly add the molasses, egg and vinegar until fully combined. It’s normal for the mixture to appear curdled.
4. Add the flour mixture slowly, scraping sides as needed. Be sure the bottom and top of your bowl are both fully combined. If the dough is crumbly, it is not fully mixed.
5. Divide the dough into 3-5 flattened balls and cover in plastic wrap.
6. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Chilling is an essential step to create cutout shapes with nice edges. If you skip this step, your cookies may lose some shape while baking.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Roll dough using as small amount of flour as necessary. I use parchment paper to roll if my dough is sticky at all. Dough should be about half an inch thick for a nice, soft cookie.
9. Place cutout shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Gather and re-roll shapes as needed. You do not need to chill your dough again unless it becomes very soft.
10. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring.
11. Decorate your cookies as you like. I used this royal icing recipe. We also have a vegan royal icing recipe.

Tips for Making Gingerbread Cookies:

• If you prefer crispy gingerbread, simply roll the dough thinner (1/4 inch) and bake for 12 minutes instead of 10.
• You can use light or dark molasses, but do not use blackstrap or cooking molasses or your cookies will be bitter. I used the brand Grandma’s Original Molasses, which is easy to find in the U.S.
• Here’s a link to Christmas cookie cutters I used.

More Holiday Recipes:

Other recipes you may like:

• Mistletoe Punch
• Eggnog Pie
• Meringue Cookies
• Puppy Chow Mix
• Mulled Wine

FAQ

P.S. Love this post? Check out my Gingerbread House Decorating Party.

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Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

flavorful holiday cut out cookies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookies, gingerbread cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Calories 160kcal

Author Elsie Larson

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter room temperature
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cloves

Instructions

• Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and all spices. Set mixture aside.
• In your stand mixer bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat until mixture is fully combined, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides if needed.
• Slowly add molasses, egg and vinegar until fully combined. It’s normal for the mixture to appear curdled.
• Add flour mixture slowly, scraping sides as needed. Be sure the bottom and top of your bowl are both fully combined. If the dough is crumbly, it is not fully mixed.
• Divide the dough into 3-5 flattened balls and cover in plastic wrap.
• Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Chilling is an essential step to create cutout shapes with nice edges. If you skip this step your cookies may lose some shape while baking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll dough using as small amount of flour as necessary. I use parchment paper to roll if my dough is sticky at all. Dough should be about half an inch thick for a nice, soft cookie.
• Place cutout shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Gather and re-roll shapes as needed. You do not need to chill your dough again unless it becomes very soft.
• Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring.
• Decorate your cookies as you like. I used this royal icing recipe. We also have a vegan royal icing recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

Related: Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, Peanut Butter Bars, Peanut Butter Fudge, Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

Ingredients

• Peanut Butter – You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter. I used crunchy this time.
• Softened Butter – Use salted butter.
• Powdered Sugar – For sweetness and texture. This makes the peanut butter balls melt in your mouth.
• Graham Cracker Crumbs – You may also use cookie crumbs.
• Milk
• Vanilla Extract
• Salt
• Melting Chocolate – You can use any type of melting chocolate including dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate. I used Ghirardelli.

This recipe is so decadent and indulgent. Don’t skip the vanilla extract or the pinch of salt—it really makes a difference. I used dark chocolate for mine and they were delicious.

How to Make Peanut Butter Balls

In a stand mixer (or bowl), combine peanut butter and softened butter on medium speed until it is smooth.

Slowly add powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs, milk and vanilla extract to the peanut butter mixture as you mix the batter at medium speed.

Roll the dough into balls and place them on a piece of parchment paper. Freeze the balls for at least 10 minutes before moving on to the chocolate coating.

Use your microwave in 30-second intervals to melt the chocolate. Stir between each interval. Once the chocolate is completely melted, it’s time to dip.

Dip each ball halfway into the chocolate, giving it a shake over the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Place it on a parchment paper covered baking sheet or cooling rack to harden. Once each half has hardened, dip the other half into chocolate. Be careful to cover every part of the ball with chocolate.

Lastly, use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over the top of each ball, creating a textured design. Optionally, you can also add festive sprinkles to your peanut butter balls to match the holiday or occasion.

This recipe makes 20-25 balls depending on how large you make them. If you are a perfectionist, you can use a dough scooper to measure out each ball. I personally like to eyeball it.

Tips For Making

• If you don’t have melting chocolate on hand, you can melt chocolate chips or candy bars to use as your chocolate coating.
• You may swap the graham cracker crumbs for cookie crumbs of any flavor. Choose peanut butter cookies for even more delicious peanut butter flavor. They taste just like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Or choose chocolate cookies to create a nice flavor variation.
• If you don’t have a microwave, try a double boiler to melt your chocolate or use an electrical melting pot.
• If you want to dip your balls all in one step, try using a spiral dipping tool or a fork.
• Don’t like peanut butter? You can use any type of nut butter including almond butter, cashew butter or even cookie butter to make this recipe.
• Add festive sprinkles if you are celebrating a holiday.

More Chocolate & Peanut Butter Recipes

• Oreo Truffles
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Chocolate Banana Smoothie
• Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
• Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Martini

Print

Peanut Butter Balls

Learn to make creamy Peanut Butter Balls using peanut butter, graham cracker, butter, salt, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla and melting chocolate. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword buckeye recipe, nutbutter balls, Peanut Butter Balls

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Freezing time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 20 balls

Calories 159kcal

Author Elsie Larson

Equipment

• 1 microwave or double boiler to melt chocolate

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ¾ cup graham cracker crumbles
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 10 ounces melting chocolate

Instructions

• In a stand mixer (or bowl), combine peanut butter and softened butter on medium speed until it is smooth.
• Slowly add powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs, milk and vanilla extract as you mix the batter at medium speed.
• Roll the dough into balls and place them on a piece of parchment paper. Freeze the balls for at least 10 minutes before moving on to the chocolate coating.
• Use your microwave in 30-second intervals to melt the chocolate. Stir between each interval. Once the chocolate is completely melted, it's time to dip.
• Dip each ball halfway into the chocolate and place it on a parchment paper to harden. Once each half has hardened, dip the other half into chocolate. Be careful to cover every part of the ball with chocolate.
• Lastly, use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over the top of each ball, creating a textured design. Optionally, you can also add festive sprinkles to your peanut butter balls to match the holiday or occasion.

Notes

• If you don’t have melting chocolate on hand, you can melt chocolate chips or candy bars to use as your chocolate coating.
• You may swap the graham cracker crumbs for cookie crumbs of any flavor. Choose peanut butter cookies for even more delicious peanut butter flavor or chocolate to create a nice flavor variation.
• If you don’t have a microwave, try a double broiler to melt your chocolate or use an electrical melting pot.
• If you want to dip your balls all in one step, try using a spiral dipping tool or a fork.
• Don’t like peanut butter? You can use any type of nut butter including almond butter, cashew butter or even cookie butter to make this recipe.
• Add festive sprinkles if you are celebrating a holiday.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 72IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.4mg