Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake bars are the cheesecake dreams of cookie dough monsters.

Jump to recipe

Somehow I made peanut butter cup cookie dough cheesecake bars before the classic cookie dough cheesecake bars but today I am remedying that oversight. Although given my affinity towards peanut butter I suppose it’s not entirely shocking that a peanut butter version came first. I do spend most of the entirety of fall and the start of winter celebrating all things peanut butter and chocolate during The Ohio State Buckeyes football season.

The recipe title says it all but in case you need further clarification, these cookie dough cheesecake bars have a classic graham cracker crust and egg-free chocolate chip cookie dough distributed throughout the layer of otherwise classic cheesecake. The pieces on top obviously get a little bit of a baked-cookie texture rather than cookie dough (these bars are baked after all) and I suppose I could have made no-bake cheesecake bars to avoid that, but personally I prefer the texture of baked cheesecake. Besides the cookie dough embedded in the cheesecake is perfectly doughy.

I made these before friends came to visit for the Sonic Temple 4-day rock music festival which brough me to LIFE. It’s hard to beat the euphoria seeing your favorite music performed live. And then we brought our fulfilled but tired feet home every night to these as our late night snack!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CHEESECAKE BARS

Print

Yield: 24 Servings Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (~13 sheets)
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

COOKIE LAYER

• 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

CHEESECAKE LAYER

• 16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-13 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 6 minutes, remove to a cooling rack, and keep oven on.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the cookie layer. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand. Distribute half of the cookie dough over the crust, flattening each piece to cover as much as of the crust as possible. Set aside the remaining half.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter over the cookie dough in the prepared crust. Spread to cover evenly.
5. Distribute the rest of the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter, flattening each piece to cover as much of the cheesecake as possible.
6. Bake for about 45-55 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm, is just starting to turn golden, and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
7. Lift the bars out by the overhang. Slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from my Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars.

Get the party started with this easy no-bake funfetti dessert lasagna. Tastes like my childhood, licking funfetti batter off the beaters.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

All these years of blogging and I’ve only missed posting on my birthday once. It was 2019 and I was in Italy for our belated honeymoon. I was too busy eating gelato for breakfast – good enough excuse right? For 41, I decided that every new recipe I share this month will be inspired by one of my favorite things. I started with a Hawaiian SPAM pizza because I love a fruited pizza, especially the OG.

Since my birthday is also May the Fourth be with you I often post a Star Wars-inspired recipe today for my actual birthday but decided to take my Funfetti stuffed cookie for one into a multi-serving dessert instead. No-bake dessert lasagnas are one of my favorite desserts in general especially the first one I ever made – peanut butter cup dessert lasagna. I have made several variations over the years and it was finally time to make a funfetti dessert lasagna.

I debated using birthday cake Oreos instead of graham crackers but I didn’t want this to be an Oreo and Funfetti desert lasagna because the grocery only had the classic chocolate Oreo version, none of the vanilla Oreos. Although Oreo Funfetti would be delicious I wanted the cake batter flavor to shine – and if I’m being honest I find the cake batter creme in those Oreos is extra artificial tasting. I’d rather a classic Oreo than the birthday ones and that defeats the purpose of using the Oreos in the first place. But I digress.

This Funfetti dessert lasagna is pretty simple but has all the birthday vibes. Layers of graham cracker soften overnight between layers of a filling reminiscent of Funfetti batter/cheesecake Finished with a layer of whipped toping and lots of sprinkles! And yes I did eat a slice of this for breakfast this morning.

FUNFETTI DESSERT LASAGNA

Print

Yield: 2 dozen Prep Time: 6 Hours 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (3.4 oz.) package vanilla instant pudding
• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup white or yellow dry cake mix*
• 1 tsp cake batter flavor (or vanilla extract)
• 24 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 1 (14 oz.) box classic graham crackers
• 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles**, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whip together the heavy cream and instant pudding mix. Add cream cheese, cake mix, and vanilla. Whip for 2-3 minutes until fully combined and smooth. Add 16 ounces of the thawed whipped topping, 1 cup at a time. Continue to whip until fluffy and light. Fold in the rainbow sprinkles. Set aside.
2. In a 9 x 13 inch dish place one layer of graham crackers (I used 7-1/2 per layer). Spread 1/3 of the filling mixture over the graham crackers. Gently press the next layer of graham crackers into the filling and repeat, ending with the final third of the filling.
3. Cover and chill for at least 4-6 hours (overnight for best results). When ready to serve, top with remaining 8 oz. of whipped topping and decorate with more rainbow sprinkles before cutting into 24 squares.

Notes

*Heat treat raw flour before consuming. Toast it in the oven at 350F for about 5 minutes, or microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds, until an instant thermometer reads 160F. **Use jimmies as the nonpareils color bleeds easily.

Source: Adapted from my No-Bake Peaches and Cream Dessert Lasagna.

The adorable carrot cake crepes will be the star of your brunch spread this spring season, made easy with premade crepes.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

It’s the last day of Spring Sweets Week and I saved the cutest recipe for the end – carrot cake crepes that look like carrots! Seriously, how stinking cute are these? And they are so simple to put together using premade crepes.

The filling is a blend of cream cheese, whipped topping, pulverized carrot cake flavored Oreos (but you can substitute dry carrot cake mix), fresh shredded carrots, and pecans. Add a little orange for extra flavor and you’re ready to spread that creamy carrot cake filling over half a crepe to then be rolled up into a cone/carrot shape.

But the real trick is saving some of that filling before adding the smashed Oreos, carrots, and pecans, adding food coloring to dye it orange, drizzling on top and then sticking in some fresh parsley, cilantro, or maybe you have some carrot greens leftover from the carrot you shredded.

If you did happen to snag some carrots with the greens still attached, chances are you have a ton left (and carrots), so you should just go ahead and make carrot gnocchi with carrot top pesto to use them up and then serve these carrot cake crepes for dessert. Although I guess crepes are for breakfast? Do whatever feels right. Just know these don’t store well and are best enjoyed immediately.

Check out even more Spring Sweets Weeks recipes to serve along with these carrot cake crepes:

• Orange Poppy Seed Muffins by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Pineapple Pistachio Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Deviled Egg Sugar Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Carrot Cake Tamale by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Dubai Chocolate Easter Eggs by Magical Ingredients
• Kentucky Derby Pie by Art of Natural Living
• Fresh Strawberry Snacking Cake with White Chocolate Chips by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Lemon Raspberry Pound Cake by Rave About Food

EASY CARROT CAKE CREPES

Print

Yield: 20 Crepes Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 2 Tbsp orange juice (~1/2 orange)
• Red and yellow food coloring
• 3/4 cup chopped carrot cake Oreos* (~8 cookies)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans**
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 10 crepes, halved (I used Melissa's Produce brand)
• 2 tsp milk
• Fresh cilantro, parsley, or carrot top greens, for garnish
• Orange zest, for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, blend together the cream cheese, whipped topping, and orange juice. Remove 1/2 cup of mixture and place in a small bowl; set aside. To the medium bowl of filling, fold in the carrot cake cookies, chopped walnuts and shredded carrots until evenly distributed.
2. Spread 2 Tbsp of filling over each crepe half, leaving 1/2-inch around the edges. Starting at one end, roll the crepe up to create a cone/carrot shape. Repeat with each crepe half***.
3. To the small bowl of reserved filling, add a couple drops of red (~2) and yellow (~4) food coloring and stir to create an orange color. Add 2 teaspoons of milk to thin it enough to drizzle over the crepes.
4. Insert the stems of the carrot greens, mint, or parsley into the top of each crepe with leaves sticking out to resemble a carrot. Sprinkle with orange zest, if using, and serve immediately.

Notes

*If you cannot find the carrot cake Oreos, swap for 2/3 cup carrot or spice cake mix, but make sure to heat treat by heating in microwave to 160 degrees F - about 1 minute stirring every 15 seconds. **You could also add/substitute nuts for toasted coconut or raisins if you prefer. ***If not serving immediately, keep components separate until ready.

Source: Adapted from my Carrot Cake Dip, Cake Batter Fruit Dip, Oreo Cheesecake Fruit Dip, and A Season to Smile.

That’s no robin’s egg on top, these Cadbury mini egg cheesecakes use spring’s favorite candy for a festive take on miniature cheesecake.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

Today is the official first day of spring but some of my bulb flowers already bloomed last week because of the extra freakish weather we’ve been having in Ohio. Legit it was in the 70s one day and snowing the next. Thankfully a friend gave me the novel idea of cutting them to put in vases inside. How I did not think of this on my own is a bit pathetic but they are safe indoors for as long as cut flowers can last – certainly longer than frost bitten ones.

Besides erratic weather, spring brings the best thing since the Reese’s pumpkins in the fall – Cadbury mini eggs! Personally, I prefer the royal dark ones because most mass produced milk chocolate is hardly chocolate anymore (I’m looking at you, Reese’s), but I also enjoy the dark chocolate as a contrast to an otherwise overly sweet treat. That being said, cheesecake isn’t overly sweet so you could use either type of Cadbury chocolate in these mini egg cheesecakes based on your preference.

Other than that I don’t really know what else you need to know to be convinced to make these mini egg cheesecakes, unless you are a purist and eat them straight out of the bag with no exceptions. If so, I respect that. But if you are willing to part with half a bag I think these are worth it. They are quicker to prepare than a full-sized cheesecake, can be made ahead (basically have to be due to chilling time), and are cute but not too cute to eat! But if cheesecake isn’t your jam then I also have recipes for Cadbury mini egg cookies, 7-layer bars, gooey butter cake, and rice treats.

CADBURY MINI EGG CHEESECAKES

Print

Yield: 1 dozen Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 Minutes 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1 sleeve (2 oz, 4 sheets) graham crackers, finely ground in food processor (~1 cup)
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted

FILLING

• 12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 24 mini candy coasted chocolate eggs*, chopped (~1/2 cup)

GANACHE

• 1/2 cup chopped dark* chocolate
• 1 Tbsp heavy cream

TOPPING

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted
• 36 mini candy coasted chocolate eggs*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ground chocolate graham crackers and melted butter into a bowl until well combined.  Spoon into 12 mini cheesecake cups** that have been sprayed with cooking spray.  Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat.  Partially bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven.
2. In a stand or electric mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate eggs.
3. Pour mixture evenly into the 12 cups, filling about 3/4 way full. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through. Let cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl add the chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds until melted.
5. Once cooled, remove cheesecakes from pan and top each with a teaspoonful of chocolate ganache, a sprinkle of toasted coconut, and 3 chocolate eggs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

*I like Cadbury royal dark, but you can use milk chocolate if you prefer. **Can also use regular muffin pan with cupcake liners. Yield and cook time may differ.

Source: Adapted from my Mini Chocolate Chip Oreo Cheesecakes and decoration inspired by A Pumpkin and a Princess.

Don’t let the racks in the powdered sugar fool you, these basil lime gooey butter cookies are as chewy as they are flavorful.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

Second to Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite holidays for which to cook and bake. I feel like they both lend themselves to so much creativity and are often overshadowed by all the festive and/or traditional creations for the bigger holidays. Most people don’t have set things that they make for Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day so I can usually get away with more than I could otherwise.

These basil lime gooey butter cookies might not be the most festive thing I’ve ever made in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day but they are green and that’s the most important part, right? They are based on my lemon gooey butter cookies but with some basil added in for a little something special. Also since I didn’t have lime extract, I added more lime zest and used lime juice instead. The result may be a more subtle flavor than with the lemon version but they are still quite delicious.

These basil lime gooey butter cookies are slightly bigger than normal as well as I was just feeling a slightly larger cookie, but I left directions in the notes if you want to stick to the classic little guys. I did use a small amount of green food coloring as well – just enough to give them a slight green hue. If you are not a fan of food coloring, even the more “natural” food coloring, then feel free to leave it out. Just be prepared for them to not be very green so don’t say I didn’t warn you :-P.

BASIL LIME GOOEY BUTTER COOKIES

Print

Yield: Approximately 3 dozen Prep Time: 2 Hours 30 MInutes Cooking Time: 12 Minutes 12 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• Zest from 2 limes (about 4 tsp)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh minced basil
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• Green food coloring, optional
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed (or handheld electric mixer and a large bowl), cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in sugar, zest, juice, and basil until light and fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk (and a few drops of green food coloring if using) and beat until creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
3. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, arrange oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
5. Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls (I used a medium cookie scoop*), flatten slightly, roll in powdered sugar to coat, shake off excess, and place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and crackly. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cooled, transfer cookies to an airtight container.

Notes

*In the past I have used a small cookie scoop, baking 10 minutes, with a yield over 4 dozen

Source: Adapted from my Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies.

Keep you eyes on the pies, especially when it is this no-bake white chocolate pie topped with fresh raspberries. It will disappear before you know it.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

Not to be confused with the raspberry-white chocolate icebox pie this is another type of no-bake raspberry white chocolate pie. Even if the biggest differences are only in the crust (Oreo instead of vanilla wafer), the form of white chocolate in the filling (spread instead of melted), and raspberry garnish (whole instead of pureed).

The most important ingredient used was a new white chocolate spread Bob’s sister gifted to me – Nucolato white chocolate spread. We both love white chocolate so when we find something we buy it for each other. It’s the consistency of Nutella but obviously white chocolate. It’s incredibly delicious on its own but I wanted to finally make something with it.

With a pack of Post Malone Oreos form the crust (technically in a tart pan), I made this cheesecake-like no-bake white chocolate pie and topped it with fresh raspberries. As you can see I did also add a swirl of caramel on top but that’s totally up to you.

I brought this to my neighbors cocktail party and it was annihilated. For some reason actually worried it wouldn’t be eaten because cocktail parties usually involve more finger foods than things requiring a plate and utensils. Evidently that wasn’t as much of a deterrent.

Side note: yes that kitchen towel is perfect and you can get your own from my friends over at Love and Olive Oil (not at all sponsored I bought it myself).

NO-BAKE RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE PIE

Print

Yield: 12 Servings Prep Time: 4 Hours 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 24 Oreo cookies, finely crushed (about 2-1/2 cups)
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

• 1 cup Nucolato white chocolate spread*
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
• 8 oz. fresh raspberries

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together with a fork. Press crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie plate**. Chill for 30 minutes before filling.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the white chocolate spread, cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Gently mix in 2 cups whipped topping until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture into pie shell. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to edges of pie.
3. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve topped with raspberries and remaining whipped topping.

Notes

*Or whatever brand you can find. **I used a 10-inch tart pan but a 9-inch pie pan will also work, it will just be thicker.

Source: Adapted from my No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Pie.

Make hearts literally melt with these chewy chocolate blossom cookies coated in festive sprinkles and topped with Reese’s mini hearts peanut butter cups.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

After successfully finding the Reese’s mini trees shaped unwrapped peanut butter cups for the holidays, I failed to ever make a fun recipe utilizing them. So when the Reese’s mini hearts hit the shelves I made sure to grab them and whip something up in time for Valentine’s Day.

While a peanut butter blossom cookie would have been a classic option, I have done something similar with the full-sized Reese’s hearts on peanut butter cookie bars in the past. With Valentine’s coming up I figured chocolate blossom cookies were in order.

February is also Chocolate Lovers Month so it seemed fitting to make a chocolate version of a classic blossom cookie even if I technically do not consider myself to fall into the category of a “chocolate lover”. The addition of peanut butter is what gets me through life as made evident by my many peanut butter cup creations.

I also ended up rolling these chocolate blossom cookies in three different types of sprinkles and everyone who tried them had their own preferences between them as some sprinkles were a bit crunchier than others. Yes that means they tried all three. It was like the Golidlocks of sprinkles.

Do I have to roll the chocolate blossom cookies in colorful sprinkles or sugar?

Not at all! While myself and many who tried them loved the texture of the sprinkles in contrast to the chewy cookie, that may not be you. Regular granulated would work as well for slightly less texture but if you prefer these cookies to be as soft as can be you can skip it altogether. They will spread a tad more – just fair warning.

REESE'S MINI HEARTS CHOCOLATE BLOSSOM COOKIES

Print

Yield: 4 dozen Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 8 Minutes 8 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2-1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup festive sprinkles, or coarse sugar
• 1 (7.6 oz.) bag Reese's mini hearts unwrapped peanut butter cups

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a stand mixer or large bowl with electric hand mixer, blend together the butter and cream cheese until incorporated. Add sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla, beating until incorporated. Slowly add the dry flour mixture and mix until combined.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (I used a medium cookie scoop). Roll in sprinkles to coat and place on a wax paper-lined tray. Cover and chill dough in refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
5. Place cookie dough balls on prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes.
6. Immediately after removing from oven, lightly press a Reese's mini heart-shaped candy into the center of each cookie.
7. Let cool slightly before transferring to wire rack to cool completely (2-3 hours)*. Once the chocolate is set, enjoy or store in an air-tight container.

Notes

*Place in the refrigerator to speed up the process of the chocolate resolidifying.

Source: Adapted from my Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.

No-bake peanut butter buckeye pie is ready for game day! With an oreo crust filled with a fluffy peanut butter and chocolate filling.

Jump to recipe

Will today be the day the Buckeyes put and end to the four year winning streak of That Team Up North? I thought for sure it would have been last year but turns out we needed that loss for the kick in the pants to go on and win the National Championship. If that’s the price to pay, honestly, I would pay it every year.

Some people disagree, they would rather beat *ichigan than win a National Championship and I think they are delusional. I also think we would be crazy to fire Day if we don’t beat them today. My Penn State alum husband keeps hoping we will so that they can finally beat us (and maybe scoop him up for themselves). Sometimes you don’t know appreciate you have.

What I do appreciate is having family willing to drive to us for Thanksgiving this year. We typically travel for every holiday and family event and are happy to be there but it can be quite exhausting – especially after a long month at work with a taxing finale and after last years fiasco getting stuck in the Erie snowpocolypse at a strangers house overnight thus missing The Game last year.

To be fair that meant family from Rochester had to drive through Erie but thankfully nothing exciting was happening in Erie this time around. So we had our little gathering with some of my immediate family (sad to not have our CA portion with us) with the usual Thanksgiving suspects on the table but I got a little creative for dessert.

I made three pies for 7 people because why not? First was a date-walnut pie I had made for cookbook club awhile back. second was a masala chai spiced pumpkin pie where I just subbed the pumpkin pie spice for a homemade masala blend. And last but not least was this no-bake buckeye pie! My pumpkin pier loving father actually said the buckeye pie was his favorite.

It’s just like a classic peanut butter pie but I split the filling in half and added a little cocoa powder to one half which was then spooned into the crust to resemble the top of a buckeye nut. Of course I then had to omit the final layer of whipped topping or else you wouldn’t be able to admire the visage of this buckeye pie but feel free to add some to yours when serving.

Thirteen years ago: Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Burgers

Fourteen years ago: Red Velvet Crème Brulee Cupcakes

NO-BAKE BUCKEYE PIE

Print

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST*

• 24 chocolate sandwich cookies**, finely crushed (about 2-1/2 cups)
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together with a fork. Press crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie plate. Chill for 30 minutes before filling.
2. In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar until well combined. Divide evenly between two bowls, add cocoa powder to one, and beat until combined. Gently mix in half of the whipped topping into each bowl until thoroughly combined. Spoon chocolate mixture into outside rim of the pie shell, followed by the peanut butter in the center. Using a spatula, smooth mixture in a circular motion to not blend the two, maintaining the appearance of a buckeye.
3. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, until ready to serve.

Notes

*Or use a prepared chocolate cookie pie crust. **I used peanut butter creme filled Oreos because why not?

Source: Adapted from my Cookies and Cream Peanut Butter Pie.

No matter how you slice it this buckeye banana bread is a winning combination for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Jump to recipe

Will I ever run out of peanut butter and chocolate recipe ideas? Who knows but today is not that day!

Inspired by my Buckeye Bundt cake, this buckeye banana bread has a chocolate banana bread base and a peanut buttercream cheese filling that when sliced resembles a buckeye. Of course I had to also drizzle the top with peanut butter and mini buckeye candies while I was at it.

I have actually been waiting to make this recipe for over a week as the bananas at the grocery store were all very underripe and it took that long for them to finally ripen enough to make this buckeye banana bread of my dreams. But some dreams are worth waiting for, and banana bread made with underripe bananas is not worth rushing it.

Speaking of waiting, even though banana bread is usually considered a breakfast item, the peanut butter cream cheese filling pushes it into the dessert category in my mind. But no judgement if you cannot wait and want to eat it for breakfast before the game.

Speaking of the game (not to be confused with THE game next week), Ohio State’s last home game of the season is today against Rutgers. Unfortunately two of our star receivers are out but I have a feeling we will do just find in their absence. Sorry Rutgers.

Once todays game is over it is officially the start of Beat *ichigan Week! Which means I have to have something extra special up my sleeve for the last game of the regular season. Especially since family will be in town for the holiday weekend to help us eat it!

Six years ago: Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Eleven years ago: Buckeye Brownie Cookies

Twelve years ago: Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

Thirteen years ago: Individual Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Fourteen years ago: Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup (2011)

Fifteen years ago: Veggie Lasagna

BUCKEYE BANANA BREAD

Print

Yield: 1 loaf Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

FILLING

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp milk

BREAD

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup mini Buckeye candies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. For the filling: In a medium bowl, blend together the peanut butter filling with a hand mixer until smooth. Scoop the filling into a pastry bag (or a zip top bag with the corner snipped off*). Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas with melted butter and sugars, mixing well. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix!
5. Spread 3/4 of the batter evenly in prepared pan. Using the pastry bag that has the peanut butter mixture, carefully pipe a thick line of the filling over the center of the chocolate batter. Pour the remaining batter on top.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs (but no batter).
7. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Heat peanut butter in a small microwave safe bowl for 10 seconds. Drizzle over cool bread, decorate with mini buckeyes, and let set before slicing and serving.

Notes

*No piping tip necessary as we want a nice big opening.

Source: Adapted from my Banana Peanut Butter Cup Muffins and Buckeye Bundt Cake.

There’s no reason to fear these Graveyard Halloween Brownies unless you are afraid of Reese’s tombstones and mini pumpkins, gummy hands and pumpkins, and candy bones.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to recipe

I know graveyard Halloween brownies are not a novel idea but usually they are made with Milano cookies with chocolate RIP lettering added to them. I swapped them out for little tombstone-shaped Reese’s peanut butter cups I found along with some other fun edible decor like mini Reese’s pumpkins, gummy zombie hands, gummy jack-o-lanterns, and candy bones.

Another thing I noticed about most other graveyard brownies was the loose Oreo dirt on top. So instead I added some green frosting to resemble grass and doubled as a sticky surface to which the Oreo dirt would hold onto instead of spilling all over when you take a bite.

While I was on the train of modifications, I also added peanut butter creme Oreos to the brownies. I figured it made sense since I already had two types of peanut butter cups on top to include some more peanut butter action within. You could use regular Oreos, but why when the peanut butter ones exist?

I suppose I could have taken the peanut butter to another level by making peanut butter frosting instead of cream cheese, but I wanted the frosting to be green not brown.

I suppose the real reason these graveyard Halloween brownies are so peanut butter themed is because today is most importantly #PBchocSat! The Ohio State Buckeyes are away today playing Wisconsin and while Halloween is still just under 2 weeks away, our next game against Penn State isn’t until November 1st as we have a bye next weekend. So the buckeye Halloween themed treat, which normally lands for PSU, must be today!

Technically I made these for a friends birthday in September but it’s really never too early to celebrate Halloween in my book. Added bonus that my friends expect this from me at this point and are not phased.

GRAVEYARD HALLOWEEN BROWNIES

Print

Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 Minutes 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BROWNIES

• 1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix (and ingredients listed on box)
• 1 pkg peanut butter Oreos*, 4 crushed and set aside for topping

TOPPING

• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Green food coloring
• 9 Reese's tombstones
• Pumpkin shaped mini Reese's
• Gummy hands and/or pumpkins
• Candy bones

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 335 degrees**. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together brownie mix and directed ingredients.
3. Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Top with a single layer of Oreos (about 24). Pour remaining brownie batter over the Oreos. Bake for 30-35** minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
4. While the brownies cool, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until it reaches desired consistency. Add food coloring and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 
5. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (Ateco 826). Pipe small blobs of frosting all over the top of the brownies to resemble patches of grass. 
6. Insert Reese's tombstones over the brownies, sprinkle crushed Oreos over the frosting grass to resemble dirt. Decorate with pumpkin Reese's, gummy hands and pumpkins, candy bones, or other favorite spooky candies. Slice in 24 bars and serve.

Notes

*You can use regular Oreos or other flavors you prefer, but since I was using shaped Reese's to decorate I used the peanut butter creme filled. **Or as directed on the box for a 9x13-inch pan.

Source: Inspired by Your Home Made Healthy.