This easy sheet cake is the perfect fall dessert. Chocolate pumpkin cake topped with almond butter frosting. And sprinkles!

I know I’ve proclaimed this on more than one occasion, but I just have to say it again just in case in honor of National Pumpkin Day. Pumpkin and chocolate is my fall version of the best combination ever, peanut butter and chocolate! This cake is an ode to this fall favorite combination and it’s just my style of cake when it comes to decorating – simple and requiring little skill.

Sure I’ve decorated a couple of cakes that I’m pretty proud of (exhibits A and B) but cake decorating tends to not be my favorite as the more intricate designs take more time than I care to wait until I can devour said cake. It all tastes the same anyway! So yes, I went ahead and very quickly slathered this cake with a layer of almond butter frosting. And okay I maybe added a couple of wrist flicks to jazz it up a bit. And sprinkles. Because sprinkles! Much more my style to go a bit heavy handed with the cake decor (exhibits C and D).

The extra special part of this cake was actually the frosting which was made with Bestie almond butter, a new product from Peanut Butter & Company. I already swoon over their peanut butter on a nearly daily basis and now they also have cashew butter and a blended almond and cashew butter in addition to the almond butter that I used here. Keep ’em coming PB & Co ;-). And make sure you enter to win a jar of your own at the bottom of this post!

One year ago: Beet Biscuits

Three years ago: Sea Salt Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups

Five years ago: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Bacon, and Apple

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN SHEET CAKE WITH ALMOND BUTTER FROSTING

Serves 24

Ingredients:

CAKE

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup milk, room temperature

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, melted

FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup Bestie almond butter

1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 11×15-inch jelly roll pan (or cookie pan with edges).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, spices, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Mix in the oil, milk, and melted chocolate. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
4. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until set and toothpick comes out clean. Place on wire rack to cool.
5. While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat butter and almond butter together until smooth. Add sugar and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar or cream to reach desired consistency.
6. When the cake is completely cool, frost and decorate as desired.

Source: Cake adapted from my Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream and frosting from Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Biscoff Frosting.
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Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary jar of Bestie almond butter from Peanut Butter & Co. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.

Pump up your usual homemade granola bars with the addition of quinoa. You can mix in whatever accompaniments you desire but this time I went with coconut and almond.

When it comes to traveling, I never skimp out on the food experience part. This fact however is the very reason my pants are a bit too snug these days after a summer of travel, eating my weight in local fare, and not working out as much. Of course when I do work out I have pumped up my squats so that’s not exactly helping my thighs and behind fit into my pants either but at least that’s a more productive flux.

Now that my calendar is starting to calm down a little bit (not completely mind you), I am making more of an effort to pay attention to what I eat. Granted, that doesn’t mean I don’t have full-fat ice cream solidifying in my freeze as we speak/read (and will be sharing tomorrow) but it does mean that during my latest rendition of homemade granola bars I decided to pump up their nutritional value a bit with the addition of quinoa.

Four years ago: Brownie Fruit Pizza

NO-BAKE COCONUT ALMOND QUINOA GRANOLA BARS

Makes 1 dozen bars

Ingredients:

BARS

1/4 cup coconut oil, soft but not melted

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup creamy natural almond butter (or homemade)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup gluten-free quick oats

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped dried fruit (I used dates and cherries)

1/2 cup chopped almonds

TOPPING (optional)

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted

Coarse Sea salt

Directions:

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a large sauce pan, add coconut oil, brown sugar, honey and nut butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Stir in the oats, quinoa, coconut, dates, cherries, and almonds. Stir until well coated. Pour into the prepared pan and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
4. Place the bars in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

Source: Adapted from my No-Bake Gluten-Free Cherry Pistachio Granola Bars.

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With all the Labor Day weekend excitement I forgot to mention two other fun things that happened. First, my friend Amber gave birth to her son on Labor Day! Talk about laboring in Labor Day. Second, my second 1st author manuscript was accepted for publication earlier last week! It is not advance e-published yet but once it does, here’s to hoping it perks up my job search.

These cookies were another gluten-free treat I whipped up for adventuring in the Smoky Mountains this past weekend. I loved that honey was used as the sweetener and also thoroughly enjoyed the dark chocolate and almond butter together. But the best part was how soft and chewy they turned out. And of course you can never go wrong with a dash of coarse sea salt on top.

One year ago: Cake Batter Chocolate Bark

FLOURLESS ALMOND BUTTER DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Makes approximately 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup natural almond butter

1/3 cup honey

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (coarse sea for sprinkling if desired)

1 (3.5 oz.) dark chocolate candy bar, chopped into chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl blend together the almond butter, honey, egg, vanilla extract, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
3. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
4. Rolls tablespoons of dough into balls (I used a medium cooking scoop) and place on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes until slightly golden underneath.
6. Allow to cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted slightly from The Cooking Actress.

Holy freaking September where did you come from? Thankfully with the help of Bob, Christina, and Dave the end of August was not overlooked. We hillbilly mini golfed, saw thousands of salt and pepper shakers, wine/moonshine tasted, hiked to the tallest waterfall in the Smokies, saw a folk-rock band, grilled and just had a good time. Alas the arrival of September meant they had to return to their respective states today.

Accompanying us on this adventure were these gluten-free granola bars which came in handy on the hike. Just like the base for my favorite chocolate chip cookies, the base for these granola bars allows for all kinds of flavor options. This time I made them with almond butter, dried cherries, and roasted pistachios.

One year ago: Chicken Taco Stack

Two years ago: Buckeye “Cheese Ball”

Three years ago: Fluffernutter Blondies

NO-BAKE GLUTEN-FREE CHERRY PISTACHIO GRANOLA BARS

Makes 16 bars

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup creamy almond butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups gluten-free oats

1/2 cup gluten-free crispy rice cereal

1/2 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

1/2 cup chopped roasted pistachios

Directions:

1. Cut out an 8 x 8 inch square of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper in the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.
2. In a large sauce pan, add butter, brown sugar, honey and almond butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Stir in the oats, crispy cereal, cherries and pistachios. Stir until well coated. Pour into the prepared pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan.
4. Place the bars in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Cut into bars and serve.

Source: Adapted from No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars.

Change up your weekday breakfast routine with this easy and delicious almond butter and pear toast.

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In case you missed my updates on Facebook and Twitter yesterday, I got to bake with Heather of Dollop! We made mini pistachio cupcakes with a dark chocolate ganache and gluten-free brownies with pistachios mixed in while we were at it.

Unfortunately I forgot my copy of her cookbook, The Dollop Book of Frosting, in Memphis and missed an opportunity to have the author herself sign it. But I thoroughly enjoyed finally meeting her in person!

I will post more about our baking adventures another day, since today is single serving Sunday.

For mornings that you want something warm but don’t want to spend the time cooking anything, make this rye toast topped with almond butter and sliced pears. The almond butter melts from the warmth of the bread and the pears pair perfectly (hello alliteration) with the almond.

I left the skin on my pear as it was a softer variety, but peel if you so desire.

Looking for more quick breakfast ideas? Stock your freezer with chorizo breakfast burritos. Mix up your own smoothie with your favorite fruits. Skip store-bought and make your own instant oatmeal packets, or prep some overnight oatmeal in your fridge. Better yet let your slow cooker make breakfast for you with this decadent ice cream oatmeal. Eat a giant cookie for breakfast thanks to your microwave. Or treat yourself to something a little bit fancy and pull out a kitchen torch for this quick and easy breakfast creme brulee.

Post updated 9/9/20, photo above is the original.

Two years ago: Creamy Grape Dessert

ALMOND-PEAR PANINO

Print

Yield: 1 serving Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 slices rye or sourdough bread, toasted
• 1 Tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 pear, thinly sliced
• Cinnamon, for garnish

Directions

1. Spread almond butter on toasted bread, top with pear slices, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
2. Serve open-faced or sandwich together and eat.

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Time for no-bake granola bars to strike again, this time using almond butter. I love how adaptable this granola bar recipe is, allowing me to try all kinds of flavors and mix-ins. This most recent creation involves almond butter, chopped almonds, dried cherries, and a little bit of dark chocolate. I brought them to my cousin’s bachelorette party weekend and they turned out to be as big of a hit as the coconut pecan cookies. I should have made a double batch!

What’s you favorite mix-ins for granola bars? I’m always looking for new ideas!

DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY ALMOND GRANOLA BARS

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup creamy no-stir almond butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups quick oats

1/2 cup crispy rice cereal

1/2 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped

1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (or chips)

Directions:

1. Line the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing for an overhang on two opposite sides.
2. In a large sauce pan, add butter, brown sugar, honey and almond butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Stir in the oats, crispy cereal, cherries and almonds. Stir until well coated. Pour into the prepared pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the dark chocolate over the top and gently press into the granola bars with your hands.
4. Place the bars in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Cut into bars and serve.

Source: Adapted from No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars, originally adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod.

You’ll never guess that these chocolate almond cupcakes are both gluten-free and vegan! Topped with a real raspberry almond butter frosting.

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It’s Secret Recipe Club time! This month I was assigned to Melissa’s blog, Smells Like Brownies. Originally I wanted to try her cake in a cup, because I have never tried that before, but then this recipe captured my eye because the name reminded me of one of the flavors served at the local frozen custard in Rochester, NY where I grew up – Abbott’s Frozen Custard‘s Chocolate Almond.

That particular flavor is my dad’s favorite, but unfortunately I cannot share these cupcakes with him due to being 6 hours away by car. However I know that he would’ve enjoyed them, especially with the raspberries mixed into the frosting (we are both huge fans of berries).

Speaking of the frosting, that makes it taste like another of my favorite flavors from Graeter’s – black raspberry chip! Not the same berry, but close enough in cupcake form.

Fun fact, this recipe both gluten free and vegan! Sure enough, in addition to the lack of gluten flour there is no dairy or egg in these cupcakes. Initially, I was so confused when there were no eggs listed as an ingredient for the batter. Once I realized, I decided to follow through and swap the butter in the frosting for margarine to seal the deal.

Even though I am not gluten-intolerant or vegan, and did not bake these for the usual suspects in my life who are, I still enjoy playing around with gluten-free and/or vegan recipes from time to time.

Unfortunately I was unable to locate an almond blend of gluten-free all-purpose flour called for in the original recipe, so I subbed 1/4 cup of the gluten-free flour I use regularly (Bob’s Red Mill) for almond meal because I didn’t want to miss out on any of the almond flavor captured in this cupcake.

I was surprised by how I would have not been able to detect that these were gluten-free had I not make them. Totally delicious cupcakes and they also surprised other people, both who require gluten-free and those who do not.

Next, I would love to try Melissa’s feta alfredo recipe.

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE ALMOND CUPCAKES WITH RASPBERRY ALMOND BUTTER FROSTING

Print

Yield: 12 Servings Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CUPCAKES

• 1 cup unflavored almond milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1-1/4 cups gluten free all-purpose baking flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal/flour
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt

FROSTING

• 1/4 cup margarine*, room temperature
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp almond butter
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries, pureed**, plus extra for garnish
• 1-1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• Sliced almonds, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tray with paper liners.
2. In a mixer bowl, stir together almond milk, oil, sugar, cider vinegar, and flavorings.
3. Sift the dry ingredients together into a separate bowl. Whisk to combine. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Beat for at least 2 minutes, until all clumps are gone.
4. Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake tray, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Drop the cupcake tray onto the counter several times from a height of about 3 inches, to help smooth the tops of the batter and release any latent air bubbles.
5. Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until the cupcake slowly springs back when pressed with a finger. Cool completely before frosting.
6. To make the frosting, cream margarine, almond butter, and salt in a mixer bowl. Scrape the sides of the bowl at least twice.
7. Add 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar and blend well. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Blend the raspberry sauce into the frosting. Add the remaining confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time, alternating with additional raspberry puree, if desired. When the frosting is not runny, but still a bit thick, but has reached the desired flavor/sweetness, continue whipping for another 5–10 minutes so the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Refrigerate for an hour then Pipe or spread frosting on cool cupcakes. Garnish with sliced almonds if desired.

Notes

*Or preferred butter substitute. **I did not run the puree through a fine mesh sieve a the original recipe called for because seeds don't bother me. But do so if you desire.

Source: Adapted slightly from Smells Like Brownies.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Post updated 12/8/2022, photos above and below are the originals.