Ultimate Pecan Pie Bars

OH MY MY!! These Pecan Pie Bars are one of the best I have EVER had.  They are rich with a warm caramel flavor.  The texture is soft and chewy with a slight crunch from the pecans and buttery crust. These need to be made for every holiday gathering from now on.  It is guaranteed you will come home with an empty platter.

I loved these plain, but my hubby chopped his up and added to ice cream and said it was the best ice cream he has ever had.  I also took them to a family get together and the plate was empty in a matter of minutes.  

You might also like:

Pecan Bars with Almond Glaze

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts

No-Bake Pumpkin Turtle Pie

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Ultimate Pecan Pie Bars
adapted from: Taste of Home
(Printable Recipe)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 (8 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate English toffee bits
1 1/4 c. roughly chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and powdered sugar.  Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press firmly onto the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish (I also like to line my pan with parchment paper).  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg, vanilla and salt and whisk until combined.  Stir in the toffee bits and chopped pecans.  Pour over warm baked crust and carefully spread out evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes longer or until lightly browned.  Cool completely and cut into bars.  Store in the refrigerator.  

No-Bake Chocolate Malt Pie

Thanksgiving is only a few days away . . . are you all ready?  This year I am in charge of the Sweet Potato Casserole (my fave) and a dessert.  I'm either going to make Banana Cream Pie or Pumpkin Pie Cake.  I've already purchased all my groceries, so whatever I decide to make, I'll be good to go.

If you are in charge of pie and want a super easy and extremely delicious pie, then you should totally make this No-Bake Chocolate Malt Pie.  I have always been a fan of the chocolate malt flavor and adding it to a pie was such a great idea.   

This pie actually has double the chocolate malt flavor.  It has chocolate malt mix and crushed up Whopper candies.  Their is no mistaking the flavor of this pie.  The crushed up Whoppers are crunchy at first, but if you refrigerate the pie overnight, they soften right up and you are left with a pillowy chocolate malt pie on top of a store-bought OREO pie crust.  

You should be able to find the chocolate malt powder down the cereal/breakfast aisle of your local grocery store.  

You might also like:

Banana Pudding Milkshake with Chocolate Malt Whipped Cream

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes with Chocolate Malt Frosting

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

No-Bake Pumpkin Turtle Pie

No-Bake Chocolate Malt Pie
adapted from: Gooseberry Patch
(Printable Recipe)

1 (6 oz.) store-bought OREO pie crust
1 (3.3 oz.) pkg. instant white chocolate pudding mix
2 Tbl. chocolate malt powder
1 c. milk
1 (8 oz.) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 1/2 c. malted milk balls, crushed and divided (Whoppers)

Mix together dry pudding mix and malt powder.  Whisk in the milk until smooth.  Fold in the thawed whipped topping and 1 1/4 cups crushed malted milk balls and spread into crust.  Garnish with remaining crushed candy.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  I like to let mine sit overnight, so the candy softens up.  I also like to use some canned whipped cream to make some swirls on top just before serving.  


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Butterscotch Pudding Pie Bars

We have a walnut tree in the backyard that produces a crazy amount of walnuts.  So, I have been using them in so many different recipes.  This crust recipe comes from my Grandma.  It's the base to one of my family's favorite desserts (some day I'll share it with you), but today, I thought it would pair nicely with some homemade butterscotch pudding.  

Homemade butterscotch pudding is a little different than making a box of butterscotch pudding.  It's not as vibrant in color and the flavor is a little more mild.  BUT, homemade butterscotch pudding is really delicious.  It tastes like homemade vanilla caramel in pudding form.  The texture is silky smooth and the walnut crust is the perfect base.  The crust does not have any sugar in it and it doesn't need any, because the pudding is sweet enough.  Try these bars topped with whipped cream and chopped walnuts . . . yummy!

 P.S. If you have any good recipes that use walnuts, send them my way.  

Butterscotch Pudding Pie Bars
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)

Crust
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. (8 Tbl.) cold unsalted butter
3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Butterscotch Pudding
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
4 c. milk (I used 1%)
4 large egg yolks
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For Serving
whipped cream, opt.
chopped walnuts, opt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the Crust: Add the flour to a medium bowl.  Cut the cold butter into the flour until it's the size of peas or smaller.  Stir in the chopped walnuts.  Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan and press evenly until it covers the bottom of the pan.  It will be very crumbly, but it bakes up perfectly.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

For the Pudding Layer: Add the sugar, cornstarch and salt to a medium saucepan and whisk together until well combined and no lumps of cornstarch remain.  Whisk together milk and egg yolks and gradually whisk into brown sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble, stirring frequently.  Cook and stir another few minutes or until the mixture has thickened (it's thick enough when it coats the back of a wooden spoon and if you run your finger through it, the line remains and doesn't run back together).  

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter has melted.  Mixture should be very smooth and creamy. Pour over cooled crust and spread out evenly.  Cover and refrigerate until mixture is completely chilled, at least two hours.  Slice and serve with whipped cream and chopped walnuts, if desired.  Serves: 12-15.  

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Mini Apple Pie Cups

I am so happy that it's September.  This time of year is my favorite.  The weather is nice and the food is so comforting . . . apple treats, pumpkin treats, soup, chili, etc . . .

Today, I have one of those comforting recipes for you.  It's a really easy and very yummy twist on a mini apple pie.  Instead of pie crust, you will use thawed Rhodes Roll Dough. It totally works and turned out fantastic.  The crust is soft and chewy, the cinnamon-spiced apple filling is sweet and the caramel and whipped cream add even more rich sweetness on top.  The caramel and whipped cream are optional, but I think they're the perfect finishing touch.

Get your kids in the kitchen and whip up these apple pie cups this weekend.

Let me show you how easy they are to make.

Roll out thawed rolls on a lightly floured surface.

Use a large round cookie cutter and cut out a circle from each roll.  Discard scraps of dough.

Press dough circle into a standard-size muffin tin, pressing up the sides of the cup.  Using a toothpick, poke several holes in each roll.   

Fill each cup with apple pie filling.  

Bake in preheated oven.  Remove, cool slightly, top with caramel and whipped cream and serve.

I am sharing this amazing recipe over at Rhodes Kids Baking Blog today.  Click HERE to get this delicious RECIPE. 

This post is sponsored by Rhodes Bread.  All opinions are my own and I have always been a fan of Rhodes Rolls.  Thanks for allowing me to work with the brands that I love.  

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No-Bake Berry Vanilla Bean Pudding Pie

I picked up a big carton of raspberries at the store the other day.  It was only $1 more to get double the raspberries, so I ate some plain, put some on ice cream and used the rest on top of this delicious no-bake pie. 

It's so easy to make and starts by mixing together a box of pudding mix and some milk.  I went with cheesecake flavor, but you can really use any flavor of pudding. Vanilla or white chocolate mixed with the vanilla bean would be fantastic or a lemon version would be incredible too.  You, then fold in some vanilla bean whipped cream and spread it into a graham cracker crust and top with more vanilla bean whipped cream, berries and strawberry jam.   

The sweet vanilla bean cheesecake pudding mixture mixed with the slightly tart raspberries and blueberries is so yummy.  This pie screams Summer and with the 4th of July next week, it also makes for a pretty Red, White and Blue dessert too.

What plans do you have for the 4th?

You might also like:

Yogurt Pie

Lemon Raspberry Zucchini Bread

Vanilla Bean Custard Over Fresh Fruit

No-Bake Berry Vanilla Bean Pudding Pie
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)

1 (3.4 oz.) box Cheesecake Instant Pudding (or desired flavor)
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
3 Tbl. sugar
1 Tbl. vanilla bean paste
6 oz. store-bought graham cracker crust
6 oz. fresh raspberries, washed and dried
1/2 c. fresh blueberries, washed and dried
2 Tbl. strawberry jam

In a medium bowl, combine dry pudding mix and milk and whisk until combined, it will be very thick.  In a separate medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the whipping cream until frothy.  Add the sugar and vanilla bean paste and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.  Fold about 2/3 of the whipped cream into the pudding/milk mixture (You can whisk a small amount of whipped cream into the mixture first to loosen it up and then fold in the remainder of the whipped cream). Spread evenly into pie crust.  

Top pie with remaining 1/3 of the whipped cream.  Top with raspberries and blueberries.  Heat jam in the microwave for around 10 seconds or until slightly melted.  Drizzle over pie.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.  Slice and serve.  Pie stays fresh for several days.  

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Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Umm . . . so in case you didn't notice, Thanksgiving is next week.  Yes, NEXT WEEK.  Oh my gosh, where does the time go???

If you haven't decided which pies you will be making this year, this chocolate banana cream pie is absolutely delicious.  The base chocolate recipe is one I have been using for a few years and it's rich and creamy and divine.  It's super simple to make.  No need to be intimidated by making a cream pie, follow the directions and you will have a fabulous pie.  Bananas and chocolate are a perfect pair, so it only seemed natural to combine them into one amazing pie :)

This really does need the full four hours to set up.  I thought it seemed firm enough at two hours, but when I cut into it, it wasn't very pretty.  So, I tried again at four hours and it was just right.

You might also like:
The Lion House Chocolate Cream Pie
No-Bake Pumpkin Turtle Pie
Banana Cream Pie Bars
Yogurt Pie

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 c. sugar
5 Tbl. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. half-and-half
3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
1-2 bananas, sliced
1 (9-inch) Deep Dish Pie Crust, baked and cooled

For Serving:
whipped cream
mini chocolate chips
  
Bake pie crust according to package directions; set aside and cool completely.  In a 3-quart saucepan, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Slowly whisk in the milk and half-and-half.  Add the chocolate chips.  Heat over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture thickens, stirring constantly. You know it is thick enough if it coats the back of a wooden spoon and if you run the back of another spoon through it, the line stays and doesn't run back together.  

Gradually add about 1/2 cup of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, while whisking constantly.  Then, pour egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan.  Whisk and continue cooking for another two minutes.  

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.  Stir until butter is melted.  Slice bananas and place into the bottom of the prepared pie crust and pour chocolate mixture over the top.  Depending on how many bananas you use, you might have a little too much chocolate filling for the pie crust.  I just pour the extra into a bowl and enjoy that on its own. 

Cover pie with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pie and refrigerate until set, around 4 hours.  Serve with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips.  

Jenn's Notes: This really does need the full four hours to set up if you want a nice clean slice that holds its shape.   

Base chocolate recipe adapted from: The Lion House

No-Bake Pumpkin Turtle Pie

This is a perfect no-fail pie recipe.  You can not mess this up.  No baking is required and all you do is mix a few ingredients together and layer everything on top of each other.

This pie is amazing.  The flavor is soooooooo GOOD!!!!    

Chocolate Pie Crust, Gooey Caramel, Crunchy Pecans, Creamy Pumpkin Filling, Whipped Topping and Mini Chocolate Chips make up this tall stunning pie that holds its shape.

I'm not a big fan of regular pumpkin pie, but this version is fantastic.  It has a light pumpkin flavor that is not overpowering and the texture is thick and creamy.  

It doesn't leave you feeling weighed down after a big slice, so it's a perfect option to have after a big Thanksgiving dinner.  

You will probably find yourself sneaking to the fridge over and over again to sneak a few bites of this pie.  

Switch things up this holiday season and impress your guests with this fabulous Pumpkin Turtle Pie.  All I know is if I am ever asked to bring pumpkin pie, this is what they will get.  It's incredible.    

You might also like:

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Mousse Cupcakes

The Lion House Chocolate Cream Pie

Yogurt Pie

No-Bake Pumpkin Turtle Pie
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 store-bought chocolate pie crust
1/3 c. caramel ice cream topping, plus more for serving
1/2 c. chopped pecans, divided
2 (3.4 oz.) boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
1 c. milk
3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, scant
1 (8 oz.) carton Cool Whip, thawed
2 - 3 Tbl. mini chocolate chips

Pour 1/3 cup of caramel topping into the bottom of the pie crust.  Top with chopped pecans, reserving a little for garnish.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding mix, milk, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined.  Gently fold in around 1 1/2 cups of the thawed whipped topping.  Pour into pie crust and spread out evenly.  Refrigerate at least one hour.  When ready to serve, top with remaining whipped topping and garnish with some chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips.  Serve with an additional drizzle of caramel, if desired.

Jenn's Notes: Make sure you use instant pudding.  I used 1% milk.

Slightly adapted from: Kraft

Easy Ham and Broccoli Quiche

Did you all have a fun Easter weekend?  Do you have any leftover ham?  Well, this is just the breakfast you need to make. 

This was the first quiche I have ever made.  My Father-In-Law made a quiche on Christmas morning last year and it was great.  The crisp buttery crust mixed with the creamy eggs and cheesy filling was fabulous.  This version is loaded with ham, broccoli and lots of cheese.  To finish it off, it's sprinkled with smoked paprika.  It not only gives the top a beautiful orange color, it adds a light smokey flavor.  If you don't have any leftover Easter ham, deli ham works great too.   You can really add any fillings you like . . . mushrooms, sausage, bell pepper and spinach are a few that crossed my mind. 

This is a cinch to throw together.  The hardest part is knowing when it's cooked all the way through AND you have to let it rest before slicing into it.  Once you remove it from the oven, it continues to cook a bit while it cools, so resist the urge to slice into it early.

I even ate this for a few days in a row, so it is great re-heated.   

Easy Ham and Broccoli Quiche

adapted from: All Recipes Magazine

(Printable Recipe)

1 (9-inch) Deep-Dish frozen pie crust

1 Tbl. butter or olive oil

½ c. onion, finely chopped

2 c. fresh broccoli, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 c. diced cooked ham (leftover or deli ham)

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

¼ c. Feta cheese

4 eggs

1 c. milk

salt and pepper

1 tsp. smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and broccoli and saute for a few minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and saute for 30 more seconds. Stir in the ham and pour mixture into frozen pie crust. Top with Cheddar and Feta.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour over fillings in the crust. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Place pie crust over a cookie sheet and bake for around 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Slice into 6 wedges.

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Banana Cream Pie Bars

You are going to love today's recipe.  Can you believe Thanksgiving is in only 15 days???  I know, and tomorrow is Christmas.  Ha - that's what it feels like - time is just flying bye.  Have you planned out your meal yet?  If you need a good roll recipe, these Cloud Like Crescents were easy, buttery and delicious and this Sweet Potato Casserole is irresistible. 

Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without some kind of Banana Cream Pie.  It is my all-time favorite pie EVER.  Even though it is really easy to make, I usually only get to enjoy it once a year, BUT I see myself making these bars all year long.

My family loved each and every layer of these luscious bars.  Nilla Wafers, Cream Cheese, Bananas, Pudding, Cool Whip and Caramel are all combined into one delicious dessert.  If you want to try something a little different this year, try serving these bars instead of pie.   

You might also like:

Banana Pudding Milkshake with Chocolate Malt Whipped Cream

Magnolia Bakery's Famous Banana Pudding

Banana Roll with Cheesecake Filling

Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

Yogurt Pie

Banana Cream Pie Bars

recipe idea adapted from: Kraft

(Printable Recipe)

45 Nilla Wafers, finely crushed (around 1½ cups)

¼ c. unsalted butter, melted

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

½ c. powdered sugar

1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

3 large bananas, sliced

2 (3.4 oz.) pkgs. vanilla instant pudding mix

3 c. cold milk

caramel ice cream topping

Combine wafer crumbs and melted butter and toss until crumbs are coated in butter. Press crumbs into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Refrigerate until ready to use. Refrigerating the crust hardens it and helps it stick together.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Fold in 1½ cups of whipped topping. Spread evenly over chilled crust. Top with sliced bananas. Next, beat pudding mixes and milk for two minutes until slightly thickened. Spread over bananas. Top with remaining whipped topping and carefully spread out evenly.

Refrigerate for 3 hours before slicing. Drizzle with caramel topping before serving. Note: For easy removal, line baking pan with parchment paper before pressing in the crust, with a slight overhang, so you can lift the bars out of the pan for cutting and serving.

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