Chocoholic Anonymous

Caramel Corn Caramels

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 11 May 2026 03:43:01 +0000

This is the caramel recipe for popcorn fans, caramel corn fans, or anyone who loves the salty‑sweet flavor trend. Buttery, salty popcorn flavor is infused into every creamy, chewy bite, and the glossy caramel corn kernel on top adds a perfect crunchy contrast while deepening the popcorn notes even further.

When I started planning the flavors for my Fair Food Caramel Flight, caramel popcorn was the very first idea on my list. I’ve used infusion techniques many times – everything from cinnamon and vanilla in homemade sweetened condensed milk for my Caramel Toffee Pumpkin Pie to graham-cracker-infused ganache for my S’mores Macarons.

I’ve also seen professional chefs infuse popcorn flavor into pastry creams and ice creams, so I knew I could achieve a clear popcorn flavor in my caramel base. But flavor alone wasn’t enough for a fair entry. Presentation matters, and the base caramel doesn’t visually read much differently than a classic caramel. Even the flaky salt could simply signal “salted caramel.” I wanted something eye‑catching — something that hinted at the flavor profile and ideally enhanced it.

Actual caramel corn turned out to be the perfect solution. On its own, it fits right into the candy maker’s contest theme. Perched on top of the popcorn‑infused caramel, it creates an instantly recognizable, cohesive entry that showcases multiple caramel techniques in one bite.

If you’re planning to make these caramels yourself (and you should!), I do have a few notes:

For a firm, chewy caramel, you’d normally cook to 245°F–250°F. However, the popcorn infusion changes the caramel’s chemistry by adding starches and solids that aren’t present in a typical recipe. To compensate, I recommend cooking this caramel to a slightly lower temperature (242°F–245°F).
I chose a long overnight infusion for the popcorn, cream, and butter. This directly contributes to the structural changes mentioned above, but it also delivers a stronger, clearer popcorn flavor. You can use a shorter infusion (30–60 minutes), but in my testing the flavor wasn’t as pronounced. If you do shorten the infusion, you may need to adjust the final cooking temperature upward again since fewer starches and solids will be present.
When “gluing” the caramel corn kernels onto the caramel squares, use a light hand. Too much of the additional caramel can make that bite point a little too firm.

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Caramel Corn Caramels

Bring the county fair into your kitchen with a creamy, chewy caramel infused with buttery‑salty popcorn and crowned with a glossy, crispy caramel corn topper.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword award winning, blue ribbon, candy, caramel, egg free, fair foods, first place, gifting, party food, popcorn, wheat flour free

Category Candy, Confections

Prep Time 1 15

Resting Time 1

Total Time 1 1 15

Servings

Calories 104kcal

Equipment

8×8 inch baking pan
medium saucepan
1 quart mason jar
fine mesh strainer
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small saucepan
small glass bowl
kitchen tweezers (or very small tongs)

Ingredients

Caramel

720 g heavy cream
84 g unsalted butter
80 g lightly salted popcorn (fresh popped)
30 ml dark corn syrup
10 ml molasses
10 ml vanilla bean paste
120 g sugar
120 g brown sugar
120 ml water
60 ml light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla salt
Maldon flaky sea salt (to taste)

Garnish

50 Caramel corn kernels (whole, glossy kernels)
100 g sugar
30 g water

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Line an 8×8 inch pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper.

Making the caramel:

In a medium saucepan heat the cream and butter just to a simmer, stir in the popcorn (it will deflate and compact as you stir it in) until it is all combined with the cream and butter. Cool to room temperature, transfer to an air tight microwave safe container (a mason jar works well) and store it in the refrigerator overnight.
720 g heavy cream, 84 g unsalted butter, 80 g lightly salted popcorn
Remove the jar from the refrigerator, remove the lid and microwave in 30 second bursts until the mixture is loose enough to pour. Pour into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl – press as much of the liquid as you can out of the corn kernels – it should yield about 240-310ml. Stir in the dark corn syrup, molasses and vanilla bean paste.
30 ml dark corn syrup, 10 ml molasses, 10 ml vanilla bean paste
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, water, corn syrup and salt. Heat over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally until the amber color deepens slightly and the mixture reaches 260°F.
120 g sugar, 120 g brown sugar, 120 ml water, 60 ml light corn syrup, 1 tsp vanilla salt
Remove from the heat and immediately add the popcorn cream mixture and stir to combine (the mixture may bubble furiously and rise in the pan and temperature will drop significantly).
Return to the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches 242-245°F. Remove from the heat and pour immediately into your prepared pan. Let it cool for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt – enough to make sure each piece of caramel will have a few flakes on top to give that salty pop. Allow the caramel to set over night at cool room temperature before cutting into 1" squares.
Maldon flaky sea salt

Adding the garnish:

In a very small saucepan (1/2 quart if possible) combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, continue cooking until light to medium amber in color. Immediately transfer to a small glass bowl (microwave safe).
100 g sugar, 30 g water
Use a pair of kitchen tweezers to pick up a single kernel of caramel corn. Dip it in the liquid caramel and quickly press it into the top center of one square of popcorn caramel. Repeat until all of the popcorn caramels are crowned with individual kernels of caramel corn. If the liquid caramel gets too thick, heat it in the microwave in 5 second increments until it is loose enough to work with again.
50 Caramel corn kernels
Wrap each caramel individually in small cellophane bags or cellophane sheets twisted on the ends to close. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition

Mini Batch Caramel Corn

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 04 May 2026 04:16:34 +0000

For anyone who grew up snacking on Cracker Jack, this caramel‑candy–coated popcorn is pure nostalgia. Like the original, my caramel corn uses a molasses‑based syrup that bakes into a light, crisp candy shell around tender, freshly popped kernels. I skipped the peanuts (I always ate around them anyway), but if you try this recipe, I think you’ll agree the flavor is spot on.

What’s funny is that I never set out to create a Cracker Jack copycat. I honestly hadn’t thought about Cracker Jack since childhood — middle school at the latest. But the moment I tasted the first test kernel, I was instantly transported back to opening that little box, crunching through the sweet caramel popcorn, and digging for the prize. Cracker Jack was wildly popular for over a century, from the 1870s through the 1990s, and still holds a nostalgic niche today making that flavor instantly recognizable.

The actual goal for this recipe was much more practical: I needed a scaled‑down caramel popcorn to pair with the caramel popcorn caramel in my Fair Food Caramel Flight. I knew I’d be testing and retesting both the garnish and the base caramel, and most caramel popcorn recipes yield 10–12 cups. Even the “small batch” versions make about 8 cups. I needed fewer than a dozen perfect kernels — just enough to crown my caramels — not a full mixing bowl.

There’s a reason most recipes are high‑yield. Making less caramel means working with a smaller volume of syrup, and small‑batch caramel is notoriously finicky. Temperature changes happen fast, readings are harder to take accurately, and the margin for error shrinks. I knew I couldn’t scale down to a dozen kernels (and honestly didn’t want to — I wanted to be choosy about which ones made the final cut), so I aimed for a “mini” batch: roughly half of a typical small batch, about 4 cups.

My first attempt was discouraging. The flavor was wonderful, but the finish was dull, matte, and crystallized — not remotely fair‑worthy. I needed a glossy, eye‑catching sheen. To get there, I made a few key adjustments:

A smaller saucepan (1 qt) gave the syrup more depth, slowed evaporation, and made temperature readings more reliable.
Boiling with the lid on allowed steam to wash down the sides of the pan, reducing crystallization and further slowing evaporation.
Switching to a Thermapen let me take quick, accurate readings without attaching a thermometer. I only needed a couple of seconds with the lid off to get a temperature reading.
Reducing agitation was essential. After adding the baking soda, the syrup needs minimal stirring to stay aerated and crisp. The same is true during baking — just a gentle toss to separate kernels. Too much stirring encourages crystallization and dulls the finish.

With these adjustments, the second test batch was nearly perfect. I finally had the glossy, crisp caramel shell I needed for my fair entry — and, as a bonus, a deliciously addictive caramel corn recipe that makes just enough to satisfy the craving without leaving you buried in leftovers.

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Mini Batch Caramel Corn

Buttery, glossy caramel sets into a delicate crisp shell transforming simple popcorn into an addictive and nostalgic treat.

Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword adaptable, caramel, dairy free, egg free, fair foods, kid favorite, nut free, popcorn, sweet, wheat flour free

Category Candy, Confections

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 319kcal

Equipment

sheet pan
casserole dish
saucepan
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.kitchen scale

Ingredients

40 g mushroom popcorn kernels fresh popped (unsalted)
110 g brown sugar
56 g unsalted butter
30 ml light corn syrup
30 ml dark corn syrup
10 ml vanilla bean paste
5 ml molasses
3 g vanilla salt plus more to sprinkle on top
⅛ tsp baking soda

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 225°F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place the popcorn in a roasting pan or casserole dish – something large and deep enough to give you room to stir and coat the popcorn with the caramel syrup. Put the pan in the oven so the popcorn will be warm when mixing with the caramel syrup.
40 g mushroom popcorn kernels
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, both corn syrups, vanilla bean paste, molasses and salt. Cook over medium low heat until the syrup reaches 250°F.
110 g brown sugar, 56 g unsalted butter, 30 ml light corn syrup, 30 ml dark corn syrup, 10 ml vanilla bean paste, 5 ml molasses, 3 g vanilla salt
Remove the pan from the heat, add the baking soda and stir quickly to combine (the mixture will fizz and bubble, you don’t want to deflate the mixture so do not overmix)
1/8 tsp baking soda
Immediately pour the caramel syrup over the warmed popcorn. Use a flexible spatula to fold and stir the popcorn until it is evenly coated with the caramel syrup.
Spread the caramel popcorn out on the sheet pan. Put it in the oven for about 10 minutes, stir gently to redistribute the mixture and separate the kernels, return to the oven for 15 minutes, stir gently again and return to the oven for a final 15 minutes. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired, stir to distribute. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, you can gently break up any remaining clumps. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

If you are using US customary measurements, the 2 tbsp of popcorn kernels refers to the un-popped kernels, it would be ~4 cups of already popped popcorn.
For a dairy free version, simply swap the unsalted butter for your favorite vegan butter sticks. If your vegan butter is salted, reduce the salt in the caramel syrup slightly – about 1/3 should be good, but “to taste” is generally the best advice.

Nutrition

A Fair Win for a Fair Food Caramel Flight

Chocoholic Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2026 03:04:01 +0000

Among other things, for me, Spring means deciding if there is anything I’d like to enter in our local county fair. I started submitting entries to the Culinary Arts competition in 2018 (when my husband convinced me to enter my Prickly Pear Lemonade Pie). Over the years, I’ve entered pies, cakes, breads, cookies, brownies, fudges and jams – and each has received a very positive and encouraging response from the judges.

Most of the entries at our fair are judged using the Danish Judging System. Simply put, this means that each entry in a particular class and division is judged against a set standard rather than against the other entries within that class and division. This judging method allows for multiple entries to receive first place awards if they all meet the blue-ribbon standard. This can be a wonderful confidence boost – if your entry receives a ribbon the award is earned entirely on the individual merit of your entry.

Sometimes, though, our fair will run special contests along side their usual competitive entry structure. Entries in these contests get judged in their home division and class with the Danish Judging System, but also against each other as part of the special contest. That means entries to the special contest have the potential to win up to two ribbons – one for their individual merit and one for the contest.

This year, I was intrigued by the Candy Makers contest. Contestants could choose to enter any kind of candy they liked, entries must be entirely homemade and would be judged on texture, flavor, technical execution and presentation and each entry must include at least six pieces. At first I was considering fudge – I had previously entered a couple of fudge recipes that had judged well (Red Velvet Fudge and Salted Caramel and Toffee Fudge) – but I wanted something that, for me, was a bit more of a challenge.

Caramel was something that I had struggled with in years past, but I never let that deter me from attempting recipes that included homemade caramel. Over time, as I gained more experience, I also gained confidence – perhaps enough confidence to enter caramels into the county fair. I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to infuse the caramels with an assortment of popular fair food flavors – specifically the flavors of caramel popcorn, caramel apples and caramel dipped churros.

^{Fair Food Caramel Flight entry with custom 3D printed Ferris wheel display}^{moments before delivery to the fair}

If you plan to submit a competitive entry to the fair, you need to pay your entry fee and provide a description of your planned entry by early March. That leaves about a month to get your entry ready for submission. I spent those weeks leading up to the fair developing my caramel recipes and refining them across numerous test batches (much to the enjoyment of my family who got the chance to pre-judge my caramels). To bring the idea to life, I ended up developing four recipes – each one inspired by a classic fair food:

Caramel Popcorn: I wanted to garnish my caramel popcorn caramels with individual kernels of glossy, crunchy, sweet caramel corn. I was doing a scaled down caramel batch for my entry, I really didn’t need a whole lot of caramel popcorn, so I created a mini batch caramel popcorn recipe that ended up tasting just like Cracker Jacks.
Caramel Popcorn Caramel: freshly popped popcorn is infused into the cream and butter elements of the recipe ensuring clear popcorn flavor in every salty, sweet bite of the caramel while the kernel of caramel popcorn on top adds a crunchy contrast to the chewy, creamy caramel.
Caramel Apple Caramel: Super concentrated apple cider gives this caramel a bold apple flavor that is complemented by the base caramel notes. I chose to tint the caramel red and finish with a sparkly edible red glitter that enhanced the gloss of finished caramel. I poured and set the caramel in apple shaped molds to hint at the flavor.
Caramel Churro Caramels: Cinnamon infused cream and toasty browned butter give the base caramel all the flavor of a caramel dipped churro. I achieved the visual impression of a churro by twisting the caramels and rolling them in sparkling cinnamon sugar.

With the flavors finalized, the next challenge was figuring out how to present them in a way that captured the whimsy of fair food. I finally came up with the idea of the caramels riding on a Ferris wheel in groups of three, one of each flavor, with three more waiting in line to get on the ride. The entry needed to be labeled with the title, as well as key ingredient information in case of allergies – I tied together the fair theme with a sandwich-board style label in black with the title information on the front in metallic acrylic marker and ingredient information on the back. I thought it was perfect positioned just behind the three “in line” caramels giving both a menu board and ride entry vibe. I need to give full credit and a shout out to my sons and husband who took the 3D printable Ferris wheel I found and tweaked and modified it until it suited my vision.

With all the elements that needed to come together for the final submission, we were literally down to the wire in getting this entry to the fair. In a final flurry of wrapping, labeling, printing and assembling we finally delivered my entry exactly at noon – right when the window for entries closed. With the entry turned over to the judges, there was nothing more to do but wait to see how it performed.

The fair opened on April 16th. We couldn’t make it out there on the opening night, but I really wanted to see how my caramel entry had done – in person and before any of my friends or acquaintances could tell me. So, on April 17th, our whole family trooped out to the fairgrounds. I was thrilled – and honored – to discover that my caramel flight was awarded a first-place ribbon in the Culinary Arts candy class and division and the first-place ribbon for the special Candy Makers contest. Seeing those two ribbons on my entry was an exciting and validating milestone – I really had conquered not just basic caramel, but innovative and fun caramel flavor combinations.

Now, over the next several weeks, I will be sharing all four of the recipes that went into these award-winning caramels. You can look for my weekly posts on Sunday evening, or you can always come back to this post and find the updated links in the carousel below.

Mandalorian Macarons

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:36:40 +0000

These delicate blue-tinted macarons are inspired by the “Nevarro Nummies” Grogu famously uses the Force to steal from a fellow student in Season 2, Episode 4: “Chapter 12: The Siege” of The Mandalorian. While the on-set prop version reportedly had very little flavor, these are packed with bright lemon and raspberry goodness. I swap the traditional vanilla extract in the classic French meringue shell for lemon juice and raspberry emulsion then fill them with a tart-creamy vanilla-lemon buttercream and a dollop of sweet raspberry jam. Whether you’re a lifelong Star Wars fan or simply a macaron lover, these little treats are a joyful way to celebrate May the Fourth.

We are very much a Star Wars family. My husband and I grew up on the original trilogy, watched the prequels together while we were dating, and have since introduced all the movies to our kids. My husband and kids are also active participants in the 501st Legion and the Galactic Academy – amazing costuming organizations that bring Star Wars characters to life at conventions, themed events, and community charity and volunteer work. So, when Disney launched its first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, on their brand new streaming service back in 2019, of course we were all in from day one.

Recreating food from our favorite shows and movies is a natural extension of fandom—it gives us a tangible connection to a character or moment and taps straight into nostalgia. Just think of the chocolate cake from Matilda, or Butterbeer everything from Harry Potter. It’s no surprise that within days of Grogu pilfering his classmate’s cookies on the silver screen, the internet was flooded with copycat recipes.

Over the past nearly six years (can you believe it’s been that long?), I’ve made the Mandalorian Macarons many times, testing a handful of recipes from around the internet before finally settling into my own version. This year, my husband asked if I could make a batch for him to share with fellow Legion members at May the Fourth events. With the holiday falling on a Monday, the timing is perfect – I’ll have the weekend to devote to making a big, beautiful batch for our Star Wars community.

I’m sharing this recipe today, a week in advance, so you have plenty of time to whip up your own batch of “Nevarro Nummies” and join in the May the Fourth fun.

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Mandalorian Macarons

Bright lemon‑raspberry macarons inspired by Grogu’s stolen “Nevarro Nummies”—a May the Fourth treat worthy of the Force.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword adaptable, almond, cookie, dairy free, Grogu, lemon, macaron, Mandalorian, meringue, raspberry, sandwich, Star Wars, wheat flour free

Category Cookies

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 18

Resting Time 30

Total Time 1 48

Servings

Calories 127kcal

Equipment

pastry bags (up to 3)
pastry tip (1/2 inch round)
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whisk
electric mixer (hand or stand)
mixing bowl (large)
spatula
2 medium bowls
small bowl
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measuring spoons
2 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.silicone mats (macaron template)
2 large baking sheets

Ingredients

Shells:

180 g powdered sugar
140 g almond meal
1 pinch fine salt
100 g large egg whites from 2-3 large eggs
10 ml lemon juice
4 drops raspberry bakers emulsion
2-4 drops sky blue food coloring
60 g baker’s sugar
5 g dehydrated egg white powder

Filling:

84 g unsalted butter cool room temperature (or dairy free butter sticks)
6 ml heavy cream (or dairy free heavy cream)
18 ml lemon juice
⅛ tsp fine salt
210 g powdered sugar
1-2 drops sky blue food coloring
200 g raspberry jam

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the macaron shells:

Have a pastry bag fitted with ½-inch round tip ready. Line two large
In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, almond meal and salt until they are uniform in color. Sift the mixture 3 times, discarding any bits that are too large to pass through the sifter, and set aside.
180 g powdered sugar, 140 g almond meal, 1 pinch fine salt
In a small bowl, whisk together the baker’s sugar and dehydrated egg whites, set aside.
60 g baker’s sugar, 5 g dehydrated egg white powder
In a large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, continue beating, while gradually adding the sugar and dehydrated egg white mixture until all of the sugar mixture has been added.
100 g large egg whites
Add the lemon juice and raspberry baker's emulsion and continue beating until the mixture is shaving cream consistency.
10 ml lemon juice, 4 drops raspberry bakers emulsion
Add the food coloring, starting with 2 drops and adding one drop at a time until it is the desired shade of blue.
2-4 drops sky blue food coloring
Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites in 3 batches. Continue to fold until the batter falls from your spatula in a continuous ribbon and slowly sinks back into itself.
Scrape the batter into the pastry bag and pipe 1” circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Rap the sheets on the counter firmly a few times, then let sit for about 20-60 minutes or until a skin forms on the surface and they are no longer tacky to the touch.
While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300°F. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, the surface should be smooth, dry and set, there should be a defined foot around the bottom of each cookie and the cookies should lift easily from the silicone mat. Cool completely before removing from baking sheets.

For the macaron filling:

In a medium bowl, beat the butter, heavy cream, lemon juice and salt until creamy and lightened in color.
84 g unsalted butter, 6 ml heavy cream, 18 ml lemon juice, 1/8 tsp fine salt
On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar a little at a time until it has all been incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue beating until the frosting is a light, fluffy, spreadable consistency.
210 g powdered sugar
Add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until the frosting reaches the desired shade of blue (it should match the macaron shells, but keep in mind that the frosting will get darker as it dries/sets)
1-2 drops sky blue food coloring
Scrape the blue lemon buttercream into a piping bag and put the raspberry jam in another piping bag.
200 g raspberry jam

To assemble:

Pipe a thin dam of blue lemon buttercream around the outer edge of the bottoms of half of the macaron shells. Then pipe a small amount of the raspberry jam into the center of each, inside the buttercream dam. Sandwich with the remaining half of the macaron shells.

Notes

If you have a dairy sensitivity or allergy, these cookies can be made 100% dairy free with two simple ingredient swaps in the lemon buttercream:
- Replace the unsalted butter with your favorite unsalted dairy free butter sticks (I would avoid the soft butter spreads typically sold in tubs)
- Replace the heavy cream with dairy free heavy cream
If you expect these macarons may be served more than a day or two after assembly, you may want to spread a thin layer of the buttercream on the surface of the macaron shells before piping the buttercream “dam.” This will create a barrier between the raspberry jam and the macaron shell preventing the shell from becoming soggy.
While the dehydrated egg white powder is not strictly necessary (or particularly traditional), it creates a more stable and dense foam structure which helps avoid hollow shell issues. You will still be able to get great results without it, I just like to think of it as a little bit of insurance.
If you find you have extra lemon buttercream after filling all of your macarons, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge (for several weeks) or freezer (for several months) to use for another purpose.

Nutrition

Double Chocolate Chip Sourdough Cookies

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:03:06 +0000

These rich, fudgy, intensely chocolaty cookies are the perfect way to use sourdough discard. While discard recipes often lean toward pancakes, waffles, quick breads or muffins, the subtle finishing tang imparted by the sourdough is an unexpectedly perfect foil for rich, complex chocolate. If you have discard to use up, love all things chocolate and are ready for a more grown-up soft-baked double-chocolate cookie, this recipe was made for you.

About seven months ago, my younger son decided he wanted to experiment with creating a sourdough starter and baking sourdough bread. This wasn’t an area of baking I had delved into previously, so I thought it would be fun for us to explore together. While we haven’t quite perfected our sourdough technique, we have tried basic loaves, soft pretzels, bagels, a variety of dinner rolls and even pizza dough. Sometimes, the biggest challenge is figuring out what to do with the discard – other than simply discarding it.

Usually, my son goes back to his tried-and-true sourdough pancake and waffle recipes (if you are interested, I’d be happy to share – especially the waffle recipe since that is our own creation and uses a generous amount of discard). But when he’s busy and it is my turn to tend the starter you know I’m going to tinker. And when I tinker, it’s almost always something sweet, indulgent and – more often than not – chocolate.

Most recently, I decided to dip my toe into the realm of sourdough cookies. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, so I read dozens of recipes, forum posts and articles before getting started. I landed on this Sourdough Chocolate Cookie Recipe from Make It Dough as my starting point, though as usual, I treated it more as a guideline than a blueprint.

I had more discard to use than the original recipe called for, so I began by scaling the ingredients — some by exactly 50%, others by slightly different amounts. I eliminated the added moisture from the liquid espresso and used espresso powder instead, which let me increase the amount of melted chocolate in the dough. I also tweaked the method: melting the butter and chocolate in the microwave for convenience, adding the egg and vanilla with the sugars to help dissolve them, and chilling the dough longer for better hydration, deeper flavor, and easier handling.

I made these cookies while the rest of my family was out of the house so I was able to sneak the first taste. I couldn’t have been happier with the result – the chocolate flavor is intense, the texture is soft, fudgy perfection and right at the end comes a subtle sourdough tang that highlights the depth and richness of the chocolate. My family must have agreed because these cookies didn’t stick around long once they had the chance to try them.

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Double Chocolate Chip Sourdough Cookies

These cookies are thick, fudgy, oh-so-deeply chocolatey with a subtle sourdough tang that hits right at the end and makes the chocolate taste even richer.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword baked, chocolate, chocolate chip, cookie, fudgy, nut free, sourdough discard

Category Cookies, Sourdough

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 8

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 58

Servings

Calories 184kcal

Equipment

mixing bowl (large, microwave safe)
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large baking sheets
#30 cookie scoop

Ingredients

170 g butter
110 g bittersweet chocolate
1 g espresso powder
225 g brown sugar
75 g sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
20 g vanilla
270 g flour
84 g sourdough discard
15 g baking powder
9 g salt
38 g cocoa powder
260 g chocolate chips plus more for garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place chopped butter, chocolate and espresso powder in a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Use a chocolate melting setting (or 30 second bursts) in the microwave – stir when prompted (or after each burst) until the chocolate and butter are fully melted and smooth. Set aside and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
170 g butter, 110 g bittersweet chocolate, 1 g espresso powder
Whisk the brown sugar, sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture until the sugars are dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and glossy.
225 g brown sugar, 75 g sugar, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 20 g vanilla
Add the flour, sourdough discard, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder into the mixing bowl. Stir until no traces of discard and no dry bits of flour remain.
270 g flour, 84 g sourdough discard, 15 g baking powder, 9 g salt, 38 g cocoa powder
Fold the chocolate chips in until they are evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate, flavors to mature and the dough to firm up.
260 g chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and portion the cookies out using a firmly packed #30 cookie scoop. Slightly flatten the top of each mound of dough to form a thick disc. Arrange the cookie dough on your prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. If you'd like, press a few extra chocolate chips into the surface of each cookie. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are set, the center is soft and puffed and the surface looks dry. Avoid overbaking, the cookies should have a soft fudgy texture even after cooling completely.

Nutrition

Cookies ‘N Cream Cheesecake

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:04:58 +0000

If you’re the kind of person that loves to dunk your chocolate sandwich cookies in an ice-cold glass of milk you’re probably also a Cookies ‘N Cream ice cream loyalist – which means this cheesecake is a dessert tailor made for you. It is a tall, velvety vanilla cheesecake loaded with chunks of sweet, chocolatey Oreo cookies, baked in an Oreo cookie crust and topped with silky smooth ganache and (of course) more Oreos. Every bite is pure vanilla and cookie bliss.

The flavor “Cookies ‘N Cream” first emerged in the late 1970s with several companies claiming credit within just a few years of each other. Initially, it took off as an ice cream flavor which quickly skyrocketed into the top five most popular ice cream flavors nationwide. From there, it didn’t take long for the flavor to spread everywhere: milkshakes, candy bars, cereals, cakes, and naturally, cheesecakes.

My take on Cookies ‘N Cream cheesecake actually evolved from the Carrot Patch Cheesecake published by Delish in 2019. I loved their idea of cheesecake as an Easter centerpiece – crushed Oreos as “soil,” strawberries dipped in orange tinted white chocolate as carrots and colorful Easter egg candies scattered on top. I made it that way for a few years, but eventually realized my family didn’t care about the decorations at all. They simply wanted the cheesecake.

And when it comes to cheesecake, I always want the creamiest, silkiest custard possible – one that slices cleanly but still melts on the tongue. The Delish base recipe was a bit denser than my ideal, so I made a few adjustments to dial in the texture:

Swapped 2 tbsp flour for 1 tbsp cornstarch. Both stabilize the custard, but cornstarch creates a finer, silkier texture with no gluten formation.
Increased sour cream from ¼ cup to ¾ cup and added ¼ cup heavy cream. This reduces sweetness and creates a lighter, more luxurious mouthfeel.
Increased the eggs from 3 to 4. This restores structure after reducing the flour and aligns with the classic ratio of 1 egg per 8 oz cream cheese.
Boosted the vanilla from 1 tsp to 1 tbsp. I wanted the custard to be unmistakably vanilla‑forward.
Folded chopped Oreos directly into the batter. Not for structure — just because if you’re committing to Cookies ’N Cream, you might as well go all in.

There were absolutely zero complaints when this cheesecake replaced the Carrot Patch version on our Easter menu. Honestly, I got the sense everyone wished I’d made the switch sooner. And I’m confident you’ll get the same reaction – whether you’re making it for a holiday or simply because you’re craving a truly spectacular Cookies ‘N Cream cheesecake.

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Cookies ‘N Cream Cheesecake

A velvety vanilla cheesecake packed with Oreo pieces, nestled in an Oreo crust, and topped with glossy chocolate ganache and extra cookies for good measure.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword baked, cheesecake, chocolate, cream cheese, ganache, nut free, Oreo, sweet, vanilla, water bath

Category Cakes, Custards, Pies

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 40

Cooling Time 3

Total Time 5 20

Servings

Calories 709kcal

Equipment

9” round cheesecake pan (3” deep)
small food processor
electric mixer
mixing bowls
12” or larger round pan or roasting pan (for a water bath)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.silicone cheesecake pan protector (or heavy duty foil)

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Crust:

264 g Oreos regular, not double of mega stuff (24 cookies)
50 g sugar
8 g cornstarch
2 g salt
70 g butter cut into chunks
1 egg white well beaten (optional)

Cream Cheese Custard Filling:

300 g sugar
8 g cornstarch
6 g salt
180 g sour cream room temperature
60 g heavy cream room temperature
15 ml vanilla
907 g cream cheese room temperature
4 large eggs room temperature
165 g Oreos regular, not double of mega stuff (15 cookies)

Chocolate Ganache Topping

170 g chopped chocolate semi-sweet or bittersweet
170 g heavy cream
10-12 Oreos

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° F. If you do not have a silicone cheesecake pan protector, tightly wrap your cheesecake pan with heavy duty foil to prevent any water from seeping into the pan during baking.

For the chocolate cookie crust:

Place the Oreos, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small food processor. Pulse until combined and a medium fine crumb.
264 g Oreos, 50 g sugar, 8 g cornstarch, 2 g salt
Add the butter, pulse until the mixture resembles wet, coarse sand.
70 g butter
Press the crust mixture into the bottom and just slightly up the sides of a 9” round cheesecake pan
Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and brush lightly with the beaten egg white, return to the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes to set the egg white (the egg white helps seal the crust and keep it from becoming soggy from contact with the custard filling, if you choose not to use the egg white, simply bake the crust for 12 minutes). If you have a silicone cheesecake pan protector, insert the pan into the protector (otherwise, it should already be wrapped in foil). Lower the oven temperature to 300° F.
1 egg white

For the cream cheese custard filling:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt – set aside
300 g sugar, 8 g cornstarch, 6 g salt
In another medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla – set aside
180 g sour cream, 60 g heavy cream, 15 ml vanilla
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese at medium low speed until soft and creamy
907 g cream cheese
Add in the sugar mixture, mix until combined – avoid overmixing, you do not want to aerate the batter
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the egg is incorporated before adding the next.
4 large eggs
Stir in the sour cream mixture at the lowest speed or by hand, just until combined.
Tap the mixing bowl on the counter to help release trapped air
Coarsely chop the Oreos. Fold the chopped Oreos into the cream cheese mixture – just until they are evenly distributed.
165 g Oreos
Pour the batter into the prepared crust, tap on the counter to release any trapped air – if there are bubbles visible on the surface that do not pop, you can pop them with a toothpick. Place the pan in a larger round pan or a roasting pan. Fill the outer pan with water until it reaches about halfway up the side of your cheesecake pan. Bake at 300° F for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the edges are set and the center has a slight wobble.
Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 1 hour to cool
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath, run a very thin flexible spatula around the upper edge of the cheesecake to ensure the filling is not stuck to the pan.

For the chocolate ganache topping

Place the chocolate in a medium heat safe bowl. In the microwave or a small saucepan, heat the cream just to a simmer. Pour it over the chocolate and let sit for a couple minutes. Stir gently in a circular motion working from the center outward until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is silky and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
170 g chopped chocolate, 170 g heavy cream
Cut 7 of the Oreos into neat halves (a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion work best for this). Coarsely chop the remaining 3-5 Oreos.
10-12 Oreos
Pour the ganache over the surface of the cheesecake. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out to the edges of the cake. Arrange the half Oreos around the edge of the cake so they are upright on their cut edge and evenly spaced (this should result in 1 half Oreo on each slice of the cheesecake). Sprinkle (or pile) the remaining coarsely chopped Oreos in the center of the cheesecake, keeping them contained within the ring of Oreo halves.
Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill and set for at least 4 hours or overnight before removing from the pan and serving.

Nutrition

Salted Turtle Fudge Pie

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:29:16 +0000

This Salted Turtle Fudge Pie is a decadent twist on a classic candy. It eats like a mashup of a traditional Southern fudge pie and a pecan pie — a thick, rich, dark‑chocolate custard on the bottom, a buttery caramel loaded with toasty pecans on top, and just a hint of flaky sea salt to keep everything in balance.

I adapted this recipe from B.Sweet Dessert Boutique’s Salted Pecan Whiskey Caramel Fudge Pie. Their version has a slimmer fudge layer and leans heavily into that thick luscious caramel. When I scaled it up completely fill a deep-dish pie crust, I decided to give the fudge layer a generous boost while keeping the caramel layer fairly close to the original. The result is a pie where the intensely chocolatey base stands shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the salty caramel and toasted pecans — a more equal partnership that I absolutely love.

The original recipe caught my eye as a modern alternative to a classic pecan pie. Pecan pie was a staple on my mother’s holiday table when I was growing up and my favorite variation was when she’d stir chocolate chips into the custard. That chocolate-pecan version baked into an almost fudgy layer beneath the crunchy pecans and this pie hits many of those same nostalgic notes. It’s become one of my go-to “pecan” pie recipes – familiar enough to feel traditional but elevated with deeper chocolate, salted caramel and a texture that feels like a grown-up candy bar in pie form.

And it is not only grown-ups who love this pie – it’s a hit with the whole family. I often make this as one of several desserts for Christmas dinner, and my younger son, who usually needs to be reminded that he really did enjoy the chocolate pecan pie the last time he had it (let’s be honest – the craggy, brown top of a pecan pie isn’t exactly kid-bait), never hesitates to request a slice of this pie. The shiny caramel-pecan topping drizzled with glossy chocolate win him over every time.

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Salted Turtle Fudge Pie

A classic candy turned into a decadent pie: flaky pastry, rich fudgy custard, buttery gooey caramel, and toasty pecans — all finished with a sprinkle of flaky salt and a drizzle of dark chocolate.

Adapted from B.Sweet Dessert Boutique: Salted Pecan Whiskey Caramel Fudge Pie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword baked, candy, caramel, chocolate, deep dish, fudge, pecan, salted caramel, sea salt

Category Pies

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 55

Cooling/Chilling Time 5

Total Time 6 35

Servings

Calories 682kcal

Equipment

9½–10‑inch deep‑dish pie plate
rolling pin
2 medium saucepans
mixing bowl
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.candy thermometer
kitchen scale (or measuring cups/spoons)

Ingredients

Crust

1 deep‑dish pie crust for a 9½–10‑inch pie plate

Fudge Layer

150 g unsweetened chocolate
196 g unsalted butter
525 g granulated sugar
7 eggs
30 g light corn syrup
6 g sea salt
30 g vanilla bean paste

Salted Pecan Caramel Layer

225 g granulated sugar
50 ml water
68 g light corn syrup
135 g heavy cream
126 g unsalted butter
30 g vanilla bean paste
6 g sea salt
112 g pecans toasted and chopped

Garnish

Flaky sea salt
60 g dark chocolate melted and slightly cooled

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare the crust

If your crust isn’t pre‑rolled, roll it into a 14‑inch circle about ⅛‑inch thick.
1 deep‑dish pie crust
Fit the dough into a deep‑dish pie plate, pressing gently into the corners.
Flute the edges, dock the bottom with a fork, and freeze while preparing the filling.

Make the fudge layer

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together.
150 g unsweetened chocolate, 196 g unsalted butter
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla.
525 g granulated sugar, 7 eggs, 30 g light corn syrup, 6 g sea salt, 30 g vanilla bean paste
When the chocolate mixture is fully melted, remove from heat and whisk it into the sugar mixture until smooth. Pour into the chilled pie shell.
Bake 35–40 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly puffed and the center has a gentle wobble.
Cool completely, then refrigerate while preparing the caramel layer.

Make the caramel layer

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup over medium‑high heat. Bring to a boil and continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until the mixture reaches a deep golden amber.
225 g granulated sugar, 50 ml water, 68 g light corn syrup
Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the butter and heavy cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously and may seize — this is normal.
135 g heavy cream, 126 g unsalted butter
Return to heat, attach a candy thermometer, and cook until the caramel reaches 240–245°F. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans, vanilla, and salt. Let cool 3–4 minutes, then pour over the chilled fudge layer. After about 10 minutes, sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
30 g vanilla bean paste, 6 g sea salt, 112 g pecans, Flaky sea salt
Let the pie sit at least 2 hours, then drizzle with melted chocolate and allow to fully set before slicing.
60 g dark chocolate

Notes

This recipe fills a true deep‑dish pie plate. A standard 9‑inch plate will overflow.
Toasting the pecans is non‑negotiable — it makes the flavor pop.
I think this pie is best eaten at room temperature. You can store it in the refrigerator, but I recommend allowing it to warm up before eating for the best flavor and texture.
- If you store the pie in the fridge, the caramel layer will usually stay put. At room temperature, though, the caramel will eventually start to drift toward the empty space left by the first slice. If you’re lucky enough to own a commercially made pie slice support insert (I have two from the now‑defunct Beta Bake company), you can slip it into the gap and press the panels firmly against the cut surfaces to keep everything in place. If not, a simple folded piece of parchment paper pressed snugly against the cut sides works surprisingly well as a low‑tech alternative.

Nutrition

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:34:56 +0000

My Triple Chocolate Cheesecake is a true show-stopper dessert. From the crisp chocolate cookie crust to the ombré layers of velvety dark, milk and white chocolate cheesecake, to the elegantly marbled ganache topping it’s a chocoholic feast for the eyes and taste buds.

This recipe actually began its life as a pressure cooker cheese cake – specifically Marci’s recipe on TIDBITS & Company (originally shared on Pressure Cooking Today). While I love my instant pot for many things, after several trials I realized it wasn’t the ideal method for me when it comes to cheesecake.

In theory, pressure steaming sounds like a fantastic idea. Moisture rich cooking methods enhance the texture of cooked custards and pressure steaming promises to significantly shorten baking times. In practice I ran into two recurring issues:

Excess moisture: Steam condenses on the lid and drips onto the cheesecake, and pressure forces moisture through the seams of the spring form pan steaming both crust and the filling (no more crisp crust).
Temperature control: If the cook time, release method or custard composition isn’t perfectly dialed in, the filling can boil instead of gently setting – and, once that happens, there is no fix.

I tried many of the recommended solutions, and I’m sure they do work for some bakers. But ultimately, I don’t like not being able to see my cheesecake as it cooks or make adjustments along the way. Instant Pot cheesecake always felt like a mix of Russian roulette and a blind box toy – you never quite knew what you were going to get.

After a series of inconsistent results, I adapted the recipe back to a traditional oven bake. Along the way, I tweaked the ingredients, ratios and method. It’s now closer to my New York Cheesecake in both texture and reliability, and the results are beautifully consistent from bake to bake.

I also decided that the top needed a little glow-up. I typically serve this as a holiday dessert, so I wanted it to look the part. A white chocolate ganache preserves the ombré effect when the cake is sliced, and the swirl of dark and milk chocolate on top adds an elegant, decorative finish.

And the best part of returning to the oven? I can scale this up to a 10-inch cheesecake – which makes my family very happy, because it means there’s even more cheesecake to enjoy.

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Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Perfect layers of dark, milk, and white chocolate cheesecake baked in a crisp chocolate cookie crust and finished with a silky marbled ganache. An indulgent dessert that tastes as stunning as it looks.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword baked, chocolate, cookie crust, cream cheese, creamy, ganache, indulgent, layered, nut free, white chocolate

Category Cakes, Custards, Pies

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 1 20

Resting Time 2

Total Time 4 10

Servings

Calories 667kcal

Equipment

8-inch cheesecake pan 3-inch deep (or springform pan)
food processor
electric mixer
medium mixing bowl
5 small bowls
small roasting pan (for a water bath)
silicone cheesecake wrap (optional)

Ingredients

Crust:

168 g Oreo cookies 14 cookies
12 g sugar
3 g corn starch
1 pinch salt
42 g butter melted

Filling:

680 g cream cheese room temperature
135 g sour cream
60 ml heavy cream
15 ml vanilla extract
225 g sugar
½ tsp salt
3 large eggs room temperature

Dark layer:

113 g bittersweet chocolate as dark as you can find
20 ml heavy cream

Milk layer:

113 g milk chocolate

White layer:

113 g white chocolate

Topping:

113 g white chocolate
90 ml heavy cream divided
14 g milk chocolate
14 g dark chocolate

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare the crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Pulse the cookies, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a food processor until finely ground.
168 g Oreo cookies, 12 g sugar, 3 g corn starch, 1 pinch salt
Stir in the melted butter, then press the mixture firmly into the bottom and just slightly up the sides of the pan.
42 g butter
Bake 10 minutes, set aside to cool.

Make the filling

Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. Place the pan in a silicone cheesecake wrap or wrap tightly with aluminum foil.
Beat the cream cheese on low until completely smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
680 g cream cheese
Add the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla; mix to combine.
135 g sour cream, 60 ml heavy cream, 15 ml vanilla extract
Add the sugar and salt; mix on low until smooth, avoid overmixing and aerating the batter.
225 g sugar, ½ tsp salt
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
3 large eggs

Build the layers

Divide the batter evenly into 3 bowls (about 400–420 g in each).
Melt each chocolate in a small bowl: Microwave 30 seconds, stir, then heat in 15–30 second bursts until smooth. Let each cool to room temperature before adding to the batter.
Dark layer: Whisk the dark chocolate and heavy cream into one bowl of batter. Pour into the crust and refrigerate while preparing the next layer.
113 g bittersweet chocolate, 20 ml heavy cream
Milk layer: Whisk the melted milk chocolate into the second bowl. Gently pour it over the dark layer. Refrigerate again.
113 g milk chocolate
White layer: Whisk the melted white chocolate into the final bowl. Pour gently over the milk layer.
113 g white chocolate
Place the pan in a water bath. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble.
Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1–2 hours.
Remove from the oven, run a thin spatula around the top edge, and refrigerate until fully chilled.

Make the marbled topping

White ganache: Heat the white chocolate and 2 oz heavy cream in 30 second bursts until smooth. Cool slightly.
113 g white chocolate, 60 ml heavy cream
Milk ganache: Heat milk chocolate with the cream in 10 second bursts until smooth. Cool slightly. (Note: tiny amounts melt fast — avoid overheating.)
14 g milk chocolate, 15 ml heavy cream
Dark ganache: Repeat with the dark chocolate and cream.
14 g dark chocolate, 15 ml heavy cream
Pour the white ganache over the chilled cheesecake and smooth into an even layer.
Drizzle the milk and dark ganache in lines or swirls. Drag a toothpick through the surface to create a marbled pattern. Refrigerate overnight to set.
Remove the collar from the pan and transfer the cake to a serving platter. Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Notes

This recipe makes a very tall cheesecake — it easily fills a 3‑inch‑deep 8‑inch pan. If your pan isn’t deep enough, you have a few options:
- Hold back a little batter from each layer. You can swirl the extra into one or two small ramekins and bake them as individual cheesecakes (a fun baker’s treat).
- Use an 9‑inch or 10‑inch cheesecake pan. The layers won’t be quite as dramatic, and you’ll need to reduce the bake time — start checking around 45–50 minutes.
- If you want a tall 10‑inch cheesecake with the same impressive height, scale the entire recipe up by one‑third.

Nutrition

Chocolate Crunch Brownies

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 03:37:30 +0000

Chocolate Crunch Brownies are a classic layered brownie treat – the kind you’d spot at a potluck or on a church-basement dessert table. They borrow from several dessert favorites – brownies, Rice Krispie treats, Scotcheroos – and regional ingredients like Marshmallow Fluff – and smash them together into something that is more than the sum of its parts. Each bite moves from fudgy, chocolatey base to creamy marshmallow-y center to crispy, crackly chocolate-peanut butter top.

I’m not certain exactly when or where Mom picked up this recipe. I know it couldn’t have been before the late ’90s – she never made these while I was still at home – and it doesn’t look like one of her online finds. This is one of those recipes that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere: no single clear creator, but plenty of evidence of it being passed around, copied and shared. It likely made its online debut in a mid-2000s Food.com submission where it was attributed to an earlier print version in Country Woman magazine, and by the early 2010s, variations were all over the blogosphere. All of which made finding Mom’s handwritten version feel like uncovering a little piece of both culinary and family history.

I came across mom’s version of this recipe when my daughter and I recently visited my dad. I was looking for a sweet treat to make that we could all enjoy during our relatively short visit – and one that would leave enough leftovers for Dad to enjoy after we returned home. Mom’s Chocolate Crunch Brownie recipe was tucked in with her New Year’s eve recipes in her holiday binder. I was immediately struck by the similarity to a recipe I had already shared here: Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies. Basically, Mom’s Chocolate Crunch Brownies replace the peanuts and peanut butter cups from my Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies with marshmallow crème.

I was intrigued – I love peanut butter and chocolate, I also love peanut butter and marshmallow crème, why not marshmallow, peanut butter and chocolate? Dad had most of the ingredients, although we did have to sub in some mini Reese’s Puffs cereal for the Rice Krispies – so I decided this was the perfect thing to make.

I was a little wary of the Marshmallow Fluff – as I mentioned in my previous post, Fluff has a tendency to go where ever it wants, not where you put it. Sure enough, the moment we cut the brownies it started oozing down the sides. We managed to arrest the flow (mostly) by refrigerating the bars, but then I felt like I had to wait for my brownie to warm back up before enjoying it – Dad decided he liked them straight from the fridge.

When my daughter and I got home, I knew I wanted to try the recipe again – this time with a marshmallow layer that stayed put. Enter last week’s Marshmallow Crème recipe. Swapping the store-bought Fluff for my homemade version solved the oozing immediately. Since I was already experimenting, I tested a mini-marshmallow version and even merged it with my Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies by adding chopped peanut butter cups and peanut butter chips under the marshmallow layer. I’m happy to report that all variations were equally successful and delicious!

^{[Left to right] Mini-marshmallow variation, plain; mini-marshmallow variation with peanut butter cups and chips; homemade marshmallow crème} ^{variation, plain; homemade marshmallow crème} ^{variation with peanut butter cups and chips.}

Variations to mix and match:

Try a different kind of cereal
- Any flavor of Rice Krispies or other puffed‑rice cereal
- Mini cereals (like Cascadian Farm Mini Cookies ‘N Creme)
- Lightly crushed flaked cereals such as Corn Flakes or Frosted Flakes
Choose your marshmallow layer
- Store‑bought marshmallow crème: expect some oozing; cut as needed or refrigerate the bars
- Homemade marshmallow crème: stays exactly where you put it
- Mini marshmallows: melt 8–10 oz onto the brownie base during the last 5 minutes of baking the marshmallow layer
Add more flavor and texture
- Layer any of these under the marshmallow:
  - Mini/chopped peanut butter cups
  - Peanuts
  - Peanut butter chips
  - Chocolate chips
  - Chopped candy bars (Butterfingers, Snickers, Twix, etc)

One final note: I did adjust the brownie base from the original recipe. I wanted a fudgier texture and deeper chocolate flavor, so I reduced the flour, added melted chocolate and chocolate chips, and included a touch of espresso powder. This brings the base closer to my Fudgy Brownies. If you prefer the original version, you can find it handwritten on Mom’s recipe card above or online at Taste of Home.

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Chocolate Crunch Brownies

A rich brownie base and crackly, chocolate, peanut butter rice-crunch topping sandwich a layer of perfectly fluffy and creamy marshmallow — three perfect textures in every bite.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword bar, chocolate, heirloom recipe, layered, peanut butter, Rice Krispie, rich, sweet

Category Bars, Brownies

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 28

Cooling/Chilling Time 1

Total Time 2 3

Servings

Calories 242kcal

Equipment

9"x13" brownie pan
small bowl
medium bowl (microwave/heat safe)
2 large bowls (1 microwave/heat safe)
saucepan (or double boiler)
measuring cups (or a kitchen scale)
measuring spoons

Ingredients

Brownies:

¾ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
12 oz chocolate chips divided
4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp espresso powder

Filling:

7 oz marshmallow creme

Topping:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups Rice Krispies

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with non-stick foil (or parchment paper).

Make the brownies:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt – set aside.
3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp salt
Place the butter and half the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl heat in 30 second bursts stirring in between until the butter and chocolate are fully melted and smooth. (You can also do this in a heat safe bowl over a saucepan of simmering water)
2 sticks butter, 6 oz chocolate chips
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, both sugars, vanilla and espresso powder on low speed; mix until it is thick and syrupy and all the sugar has dissolved.
4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp espresso powder
Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until it is uniform in color, thick, smooth and glossy.
Stir in the flour mixture just until combined and no pockets of dry ingredients remain. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
6 oz chocolate chips
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 28 minutes. The top should be dry and glossy, the edges should be set and slightly puffed, there may be some cracks in the surface. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Add the filling:

Spread the marshmallow cream over the surface of the cooled brownies to within about 1/2 inch – 1/4 inch of the edge.
7 oz marshmallow creme

Make the topping:

In a large bowl, melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips together, either using 30 second bursts in the microwave or on the stovetop over a saucepan of simmering water.
1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Quickly stir in the Rice Krispies cereal and immediately spoon the mixture over the marshmallow creme layer. Use a spatula to gently spread the Rice Krispies mixture until it is an even layer that completely covers the marshmallow.
3 cups Rice Krispies
Refrigerate until fully set before slicing into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

Variations:
- If you don’t want to use store bought marshmallow cream and you don’t want to make your own marshmallow cream, you can substitute mini marshmallows instead.
  - When the brownies are about 5 minutes away from being done baking, remove them from the oven and distribute 8-10oz of mini marshmallows evenly over the surface.
  - Return the brownies to the oven to finish baking – the marshmallows should puff up a bit and form a melty, soft layer.
  - Follow the remainder of the recipe instructions for topping, cooling and cutting the brownies.
- If you want to really take these brownies over the top, you can scatter a layer of mini/chopped peanut butter cups and peanut butter chips on top of the baked brownies and underneath the marshmallow layer.

Nutrition

Marshmallow Crème

Chocoholic Anonymous — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:13:37 +0000

Anyone who grew up in New England definitely knows the sticky, creamy magic that is “Fluff”. It is the essence of the gooey, melty center of a toasted marshmallow captured at its peak and tucked into a jar. Yet, for all its sweet, nostalgic perfection, commercial marshmallow fluff has one major flaw – at least when it comes to baking. It simply won’t stay where you put it.

This recipe aims to preserve all the gooey glory of our childhood memories while fixing that one fatal issue. This homemade marshmallow crème holds its shape beautifully, stays exactly where you spread or pipe it and doesn’t weep or separate…even after several days. It is creamy, sticky, vanilla-sweet goodness that is stable enough for brownies, bars, cakes and fillings but still soft, spoon-able and absolutely worthy of a Fluffernutter (or eating straight off the spoon – no judgement).

I grew up on Fluffernutter sandwiches. That sweet marshmallow meets salty peanut butter is pure childhood lunchbox nostalgia for me (much to my children’s confusion since I’ve never let them have marshmallow fluff for lunch). So any recipe that leans into that flavor pairing gets an automatic spot on my “must try” list. However, problems start when a recipe calls for using unaltered fluff as a filling or topping.

Picture a layered cake with a marshmallow crème filling or brownies topped with a beautifully swirled layer of fluff and peanut butter. You cut the first piece – it’s gorgeous, gooey, perfect. Then you come back the next day only to discover that the once-beautiful layer has oozed into the empty space leaving only a thin, forlorn smear behind.

That’s exactly where this recipe shines. A small amount of gelatin stabilizes the marshmallow crème so it stays put – whether piped, swirled, layered or spread – without turning chewy or altering the classic sticky, creamy texture we all expect and love. It also makes this recipe incredibly make-ahead friendly: it won’t deflate, weep or separate even after several days.

So the next time a recipe calls for marshmallow crème, do yourself a favor. Skip the store-bought jar and make this recipe instead. No sliding, no melting, no messy surprises – just perfectly fluffy, vanilla-forward marshmallow crème that behaves (and tastes) exactly the way you want it to.

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Marshmallow Crème

All the creamy, sticky goodness of Fluff, but with real vanilla flavor and incredible stability — no weeping, sliding or running, just perfectly fluffy marshmallow crème. Use as a filling, a topping or eat it straight off the spoon – I promise I won't tell.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword creamy, dairy free, fluff, fluffy, homemade, italian meringue, meringue, nut free, sweet, topping, vanilla, wheat flour free

Category Fillings, Spreads, Toppings

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 40kcal

Equipment

saucepan
large mixing bowl
small microwave safe bowl
electric mixer
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.candy thermometer
kitchen scale (or measuring cups)
measuring spoons

Ingredients

150 g sugar
180 ml corn syrup
60 ml water
¼ tsp salt
2 large egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 ½ sheets gold leaf gelatin bloomed
10 ml vanilla bean paste or extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a medium heavy‑bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt. Heat over medium‑low until the mixture reaches 240°F.
150 g sugar, 180 ml corn syrup, 60 ml water, 1/4 tsp salt
While the syrup heats, add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (a hand mixer works well so you can stay close to the stove), beat the whites to medium peaks.
2 large egg whites, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Once the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low. Slowly stream the hot syrup into the egg whites, taking care not to hit the whisk — the syrup can splatter and cause burns.
Melt the bloomed gelatin (about 10 seconds in the microwave). With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour the melted gelatin into the meringue.
1 1/2 sheets gold leaf gelatin
Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the mixture becomes thick, glossy, bright white, and has cooled to about room temperature. This typically takes about 10 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla until fully incorporated.
10 ml vanilla bean paste
Use the marshmallow crème immediately, or transfer it to a jar for later use. Yields about 4 cups of marshmallow crème (465g [16oz]).

Nutrition