The goal: portable, delicious, and a bit nutritious! And so banana buckwheat muffins were born! These nutty, wholesome muffins are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and easy to make with just 1 bowl and 10 ingredients required.
They’re gre…
The goal: portable, delicious, and a bit nutritious! And so banana buckwheat muffins were born! These nutty, wholesome muffins are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and easy to make with just 1 bowl and 10 ingredients required.
They’re great for after-school snacks, on-the-go breakfasts, and more! Grab your mixing bowl, let’s make muffins!
These 1-bowl buckwheat muffins begin with the wet ingredients: a flax egg, mashed banana, coconut sugar, a little oil, and vanilla.
What could possibly be so good that it keeps our team talking about it for weeks? You guessed it…these insanely delicious Oatmeal Cookies! The golden crispy edges and chewy center had us hooked! We added raisins for the classic oatmeal raisin cookie, but feel free to swap out the raisins for your own favorite cookie add-ins. I’ll share a few different options below. Just know these oatmeal cookies are the absolute best way to satisfy your sweet tooth on a budget!😉
Ingredients For Oatmeal Cookies
Here are the ingredients you need to make these delicious oatmeal raisin cookies:
Old-fashioned Rolled Oats: It wouldn’t be an oatmeal cookie without the oats! The oats provide a chewy texture to the cookies. Make sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats and not quick oats.
Butter: Butter is the base for many cookies. It gives the cookies plenty of richness and creamy buttery flavor.
Brown sugar & Granulated white sugar: I like using a combination of both brown and white sugar to sweeten the cookies.
Egg: Egg helps bind all of the ingredients together.
Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds a touch of warm flavor to the cookies.
Baking Soda: A small amount of baking soda helps the cookies rise just a little bit.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon spice adds just a little bit more flavor and the perfect finishing touch to these chewy cookies.
Raisins: Raisins are a classic addition to oatmeal cookies with the perfect contrast and sweetness. But feel free to try some other variations if you wan’t a slightly different flavor profile. We’ll list a few suggestions below.
Oatmeal Cookie Variations
Here are a few different options if you want to switch things up with your oatmeal cookies:
Dried cranberries: I love swapping the raisins for Craisins or dried cranberries whenever I can catch them on sale at my local grocery store.
Chopped nuts: Looking for a little crunch? Add about 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough.
Chocolate or Butterscotch chips: These oatmeal cookies also taste great with your favorite baking chips. My favorite combination is a few butterscotch chips and a few chopped pecans. SO good! If you’re adding chocolate or butterscotch chips, I would add them in place of the raisins.
Should You Chill The Cookie Dough?
Many cookie recipes suggest chilling the cookie dough in the refrigerator prior to baking. This is to prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven as they bake. We tested these oatmeal cookies two different ways. First, chilling the dough for 30 minutes prior to baking, and second, baking the cookies without chilling the dough. We actually preferred the texture of the cookies without chilling the dough. It yielded a thinner cookie with crispy edges and a perfect chewy center. However, this is more of a personal preference. If you prefer a thicker cookie, then feel free to refrigerate the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes prior to baking.
Storing Oatmeal Cookies
So what happens when you’re feeling snack-ish, you’re craving something sweet, and you forgot about the extra oatmeal cookies that you stashed in your freezer? You realize you just hit the jackpot!! That’s exactly what happened to us at the studio. We had extra cookies that we stored in the freezer and were super excited to gobble them up 2 weeks later. These cookies store very well in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. When you’re in the mood for a little something sweet, just take one or two cookies out of the freezer, thaw at room temperature and enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Blend the ingredients together with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and blend with the sugar mixture until smooth.
Next in a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon) until well combined. Add the rolled oats to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Add all of the dry ingredients to the same bowl as the sugar mixture. Blend the ingredients together with a hand mixer on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Next add the raisins to the bowl and fold them into the cookie dough with a spatula.
Using a medium cookie scoop or your hands, scoop the cookie dough into roughly 2 Tbsp portions then roll into a ball. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart. You'll likely need to cook the cookies in two batches, so keep the remaining dough chilled until ready to roll and bake.*
Bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. The center of the cookies may look too soft when you remove them from the oven, but keep in mind the cookies will continue to set as they cool. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, add 10 Tbsp of softened butter, 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Blend the ingredients together with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the bowl and blend with the sugar mixture until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon until well combined.
Add 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Add all of the dry ingredients to the same bowl as the sugar mixture. Blend the ingredients together with a hand mixer on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Next add 3/4 cup of raisins to the bowl and fold them into the cookie dough with a spatula.
Using a medium cookie scoop or your hands, scoop the cookie dough into roughly 2 Tbsp portions, then roll into a ball. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart. You’ll likely need to cook the cookies in two batches, so keep the remaining dough chilled until ready to roll and bake.
Bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. The center of the cookies may look too soft when you remove them from the oven, but keep in mind the cookies will continue to set as they cool.
Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these irresistible oatmeal cookies with a glass of milk or simply enjoy by themselves and don’t forget to share with your family and friends!😊
Our Easy Homemade Cornbread, which is like the classic Jiffy cornbread mix, has been a reader favorite on Budget Bytes for years, but I was craving a richer, more decadent cornbread to go with my Black-Eyed Peas this year. So, I crafted this super rich cornbread that is less on the sweet side and full of golden buttery goodness. It’s the perfect compliment to a bowl of chili, to serve with your Thanksgiving feast, or drenched in honey and butter for breakfast.
Ingredients for Super Moist Cornbread
Here’s what you’ll need to make this super rich, moist, and buttery homestyle cornbread:
Yellow Cornmeal: This is the base for the cornbread. For this recipe, we use slightly more cornmeal than flour to give the bread even more corn flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: Mixing just a bit of flour into the cornmeal helps keep the cornbread soft, moist, and not too crumbly.
Salt: Salt is very important in cornbread, which can otherwise be a little bit bland. The salt helps the flavor of the corn pop!
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Baking powder and baking soda keep this rich cornbread from being too heavy and dense by adding just the right amount of leavening. We use a mix of baking soda and powder because of the acidic pH of the sour cream.
Milk & Sour Cream: I used a mix of whole milk and sour cream to moisten the cornbread and give it tons of rich flavor. Sour cream adds flavor similar to buttermilk, but is an ingredient we’re much more likely to already have in our fridge!
Egg: Egg helps give the cornbread strength so it doesn’t fall apart, and it adds just a little bit of fluff to the texture.
Butter: Instead of just using cooking oil for this cornbread, I used melted butter for extra rich flavor.
Oil: Butter gives the cornbread tons of flavor, but just a little bit of oil helps keep the bread super moist after baking in a way that butter alone does not. You can use any neutral cooking oil like canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or corn oil.
Sugar: I tested this recipe both with and without sugar since sugar is a VERY controversial ingredient in cornbread. I will say that I prefer just a little sugar in my cornbread, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
What Bakeware to Use
You have a few options when it comes to what to use to bake this cornbread. I used a simple 8×8 metal baking dish, but if you prefer super crispy edges you can bake the cornbread in a preheated cast iron skillet. You can also bake it in a 9-inch round pie plate, if preferred. It all depends on what shape you want the pieces (square or wedges) and if you like those super crispy edges!
What to Serve with Cornbread
Cornbread is a staple recipe that goes with just about any meal, and because it’s so easy to make it is definitely one of my go-to side dishes for dinner. That being said, cornbread is a must with Thanksgiving dinner, a hearty bowl of chili, bean soup, vegetable soup, or black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. I also love cornbread with butter and honey as a side to my fried eggs for breakfast!
How to Store Leftovers
Make sure to let the cornbread cool completely to room temperature before packing to prevent condensation, then place it in an air-tight container for storage. Cornbread can be kept at room temperature for about three days, or refrigerated for about five days. You can rewarm cornbread in the microwave briefly to make it steaming hot and ready to melt a pat of butter!
You can also freeze cornbread for longer storage. Make sure to wrap the cornbread tightly in plastic or waxed paper, then place it in a freezer-friendly container (like a freezer bag). Frozen cornbread will stay good for about three months. It can be thawed at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Add 1.5 cups yellow cornmeal, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and 2 Tbsp sugar (optional) in a bowl. Stir until the dry ingredients are really well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup whole milk, 4 Tbsp melted salted butter, one large egg, and 2 Tbsp cooking oil until smooth.
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir just until they are combined. Try not to over-stir the batter.
Spread the cornbread batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
Bake the cornbread in the preheated 400ºF oven for about 20 minutes or until it’s golden brown on top.
Let the cornbread cool in the pan, then slice into nine squares and serve.
I love cornbread with butter and honey, but it goes with a variety of savory meals as well!
Our Chai-Spiced Nut Butter makes a great gift, but can we blame you if you decide to keep it all for yourself? No way. Especially now that cookies are on the table! And not just any cookies…Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Cookies that come together in 1 bowl in ju…
Our Chai-Spiced Nut Butter makes a great gift, but can we blame you if you decide to keep it all for yourself? No way. Especially now that cookies are on the table! And not just any cookies…Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Cookies that come together in 1 bowl in just 25 minutes!
These chewy, flourless, spiced cookies are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, wholesome, and SO delicious!
Cranberry Orange Bread is a wintertime classic. The tart cranberries and sweet citrus are both in season and they offer such a bright and welcome contrast to the usually heavy foods of winter. In our house, this was a staple every Thanksgiving and Christmas morning, but it’s great to have a slice with coffee any day of the year. And since this Cranberry Orange Bread freezes beautifully, you can take a slice out and warm it up whenever you need a little taste of sunshine. :)
If you love to have a little sweet baked treat along with your homemade cup of coffee, this cranberry orange bread recipe is going to be your new fav. The loaf is sweet, rich, filled with orange essence, and dotted with fresh tart cranberries. The sweet glaze on top makes the perfect juxtaposition to the tart cranberries and the whole thing is absolutely addictive!
Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Bread
Here’s what you’ll need to make a loaf of this delicious cranberry orange bread:
Butter: Butter keeps the loaf rich, moist, and dessert-like. We use salted butter because it’s easier to keep just one kind of butter in your fridge!
Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar in the bread to sweeten everything up, and powdered sugar to create the thick orange glaze on top.
Eggs: Eggs help leaven the loaf and give it strength so it doesn’t collapse after baking.
Sour Cream: Sour cream is added to give the loaf moisture, richness, and even more flavor.
Orange: We use both the orange juice and zest in this bread, in the batter and in the icing that is drizzled over top.
All-Purpose Flour: Would it be “bread” without flour? Regular all-purpose flour is used to give the loaf body and strength.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Because of the acidic ingredients in the batter (sour cream, orange juice, and cranberries), we use a combination of both baking powder AND baking soda to leaven the bread.
Salt: A little salt always helps make the individual flavors pop and allows you to taste every element.
Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this bread. If using frozen, allow them to thaw before folding into the batter.
How to Store Leftovers
This cranberry orange bread will stay good in the refrigerator for about five days, or you can freeze it for longer storage. To freeze, slice the bread and then stack the slices with parchment between each slice. Place the stacked bread in an air-tight container, like a freezer bag, and then store it in the freezer. You can take out one or as many slices as needed and thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving or microwave until warm.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Zest and juice the orange. You'll need about ⅓ cup juice (divided) and a ¼ tsp zest for this recipe. Wash and slice the cranberries in half.
In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugar, and ¼ tsp orange zest with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high until the mixture is soft and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
Add the sour cream and ¼ cup of the orange juice to the batter and beat again for about 2 minutes. Save the remainder of the orange juice to make the glaze later.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add about half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat with low speed until combined. Add the rest and beat until combined again. Finally, fold the sliced cranberries into the batter.
Grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch bread pan and then dust lightly with flour. Spread the cranberry bread batter into the bread pan and smooth out the surface.
Bake the cranberry orange bread for 60 minutes in the preheated 350ºF oven, or until it is browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay, just no wet batter).
Allow the bread to cool in the bread pan while you make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar with just enough orange juice to create a thick glaze (about 1.5 to 2 Tbsp). You can add a pinch of orange zest to the glaze, if desired.
When the bread has mostly cooled, use a knife to loosen the edges, then remove it from the bread pan. Drizzle the glaze over top, then slice and serve.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Zest and juice one orange. For the bread batter and icing you’ll need about ⅓ cup juice (divided) and about ¼ tsp zest (or more if desired). Wash and slice 2 cups of fresh cranberries in half.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together 8 Tbsp room-temperature salted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and ¼ tsp orange zest on high until soft and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add one large egg and beat together until smooth and creamy (another 2 minutes).
Add ¼ cup orange juice and ½ cup sour cream, then beat together until smooth and creamy once again.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt.
Add about half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat them together on low speed until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until a smooth batter forms. Do not overmix.
Fold the sliced cranberries into the batter.
Grease an 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan, then dust it lightly with flour. Spread the bread batter into the loaf pan.
Bake the bread in the preheated 350ºF oven for 60 minutes or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (it may have a few crumbs but should not have wet batter coating it). Allow the cranberry bread to cool in the pan.
When the bread is mostly cool, prepare the icing. Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar with 1.5-2 Tbsp orange juice, and a pinch of orange zest if desired. Add just enough orange juice to create a thick glaze. Remove the bread from the pan, then drizzle the glaze over top.
I don’t know if anything can get me in the holiday mood more than baking (and decorating) a batch of Gingerbread Cookies. Their warm, spicy aroma just smells like Christmas, and decorating them is SO. MUCH. FUN. This recipe for gingerbread cookies will make plenty of soft, chewy, spiced cookies for you and your friends and family to decorate, so bookmark this Gingerbread Cookie recipe and make them this weekend. And don’t forget to take a photo and show us your creations on social media!
What Are Gingerbread Cookies?
Gingerbread cookies are a cookie made with rich molasses and plenty of warm spices, like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. The gingerbread cookies are often cut into the shape of a man (aka gingerbread men), but can also be cut into a variety of holiday-themed shapes. Decorating gingerbread cookies is a popular holiday activity and my personal favorite!
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies have many of the same ingredients as most basic cookies but include a variety of rich and warm spices. Here’s what you’ll need to make gingerbread cookies:
Butter: Butter is the base for many cookies. It gives the cookies plenty of richness and creamy buttery flavor.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives these cookies a deeply rich sweetness, and helps keep the cookies soft.
Molasses: Molasses sweetens the cookies, adds an amazingly deep flavor, and gives the cookies a rich brown color.
Egg: Egg helps give the cookies structure and helps them rise just a little bit while baking.
Vanilla: Vanilla adds to the warm flavor profile of the cookies.
Baking Soda: A small amount of baking soda helps the cookies rise so they are nice and soft.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure and bulk.
Spices: A mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt gives the gingerbread cookies tons of warm flavor in every bite! Cinnamon also helps deepen the cookie’s classic brown color.
How to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies
While you don’t have to decorate gingerbread cookies, I think that’s half the fun. I like to keep things simple with a basic powdered sugar icing. To make the icing, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 Tbsp water, or just enough for it to form a thick icing. You can make multiple batches of the icing and color each one separately with a couple drops of food coloring, for even more decorating fun. Then just spoon the icing into a plastic bag, cut off just a sliver of the corner of the bag to create a piping tip, and then decorate away!
You can also add tons of other fun items to the gingerbread cookies, like sprinkles, red hot candies, peppermints, or any other type of small candy. These extras will take your gingerbread cookies to the next level!
Storing Gingerbread Cookies
Once cooled and decorated (and once the icing has dried), the gingerbread cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for about one week. …But I’m sure they’ll all get eaten before then!
Add the butter and brown sugar to a bowl and use a mixer to beat them together until light and creamy. Add the molasses, vanilla, and egg, and beat until creamy again.
In a separate large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, then beat on low speed until incorporated. Repeat until all of the flour has been added to the batter. It should form a very soft cookie dough.
Transfer the cookie dough to a large piece of plastic, shape it into a ball, and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to one day.
When ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Divide the cookie dough in half to make it easier to work with (keep the other half in the refrigerator until ready to use). Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it's about ⅛-inch thick. Cut the dough into your desired shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, at least one inch apart.
Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or until slightly puffed in the center and they are just beginning to brown on the outer edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
Icing (optional)
While the cookies are cooling, place the powdered sugar in a bowl and add 1 Tbsp water. Stir to combine, then continue to add water, a very small amount at a time, until it forms a thick icing (about 1-2 Tbsp total).
Place the icing in a plastic bag and cut a very small piece off the corner to create a piping tip. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies in your favorite design!
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies – Step by Step Photos
Using a mixer, beat together 12 Tbsp (¾ cup) room-temperature salted butter and ¾ cup brown sugar until light and creamy. Add ½ cup molasses, one tsp vanilla extract, and one large egg, then beat until smooth again.
In a separate bowl, stir together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tsp cinnamon 1 Tbsp ginger, ½ tsp cloves, ½ tsp nutmeg, and ½ tsp salt.
Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, then beat on low speed until combined. Repeat until all of the flour and spices have been added to the cookie batter.
When all of the flour and spices have been added, you’ll have a very soft cookie batter.
Place the cookie batter on a large sheet of plastic wrap, shape it into a ball, and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours (it can stay refrigerated for up to a day).
When you’re ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Divide the dough in half to make it easier to work with and place the other half in the refrigerator until ready to roll. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/8-inch thick, then cut into your desired shapes.
Place the cut cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet with at least 1 inch between each cookie (they will expand a little). Gather up the dough scraps, roll again, and cut more until there is little or no dough left. Keep any unused dough in the refrigerator so it stays chilled.
Bake the cookies in the preheated 350ºF oven for 8 minutes, or until slightly puffed in the center and the outer edges are just beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.
While the cookies are cooling, prepare the simple powdered sugar glaze. Add 1 cup powdered sugar to a bowl and add 1 Tbsp water. Stir to combine. Continue to add water, a little at a time, until it forms a thick glaze (1-2 Tbsp total water).
Spoon the icing into a plastic bag and cut off a very small piece of the corner to use as a piping tip, then have fun!
Want a more budget-friendly way to get your pumpkin spice fix than going to Starbucks for a PSL? Then you’ve got to make a batch of these Pumpkin Muffins. These muffins are moist, subtly sweet, full of warm spices, and have a hidden dollop of sweet cream cheese in the middle. They’re totally indulgent and you get a whole batch of twelve pumpkin muffins for about the price of one pumpkin spice latte. Plus, they’re freezer-friendly so you thaw one at a time to have with your morning coffee from now until the end of pumpkin season! 🙌
What Are Pumpkin Muffins Like?
Pumpkin purée is kind of magic because it can be added to both sweet and savory dishes, and it attracts moisture, which helps keep baked goods super soft, tender, and moist. The pumpkin flavor is slightly earthy with a subtle sweetness that, when paired with the warm pumpkin pie spice, is absolutely COZY. Bake up a batch of these pumpkin muffins on a weekend morning to make your house smell amazing and have the coziest of cozy fall experiences. 🥰
Ingredients for Pumpkin Muffins
Here’s what you’ll need to make this incredible pumpkin muffin recipe:
All-Purpose Flour: Flour gives the batter strength and body. It’s the vehicle for all that pumpkin-y goodness!
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These muffins get a one-two punch of leavening to help them bake up light and airy, despite the density of the pumpkin purée.
Pumpkin Pie Spice and Vanilla: A simple mix of pumpkin pie spice and warm vanilla extract is all you need to flavor these delicious muffins.
White Sugar & Brown Sugar: A combination of white sugar and brown sugar gives the muffins sweetness with a slightly warm richness from the molasses in the brown sugar. The sugars also help keep the muffins moist.
Eggs: Eggs also help leaven baked goods when the water in the eggs turn to steam in the oven. When the egg solidifies as it bakes, it helps the muffins hold their puffed shape.
Pumpkin Purée: Pumpkin purée provides color, flavor, and moisture to the muffins. It’s the star of the show!
Cooking Oil: Oil helps the muffins stay moist and tender, and gives the muffin an extra rich flavor.
Cream Cheese & Sugar: A little dollop of sweetened cream cheese in the center of each muffin makes them extra special! But you can skip the cream cheese filling and make plain pumpkin muffins if you prefer.
How to Store Leftovers
This recipe makes a batch of 12 muffins, but that’s no reason to not make them for yourself if you live alone. Simply let the muffins cool completely to room temperature, then transfer to an air-tight food storage container. They’ll last about three days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them for about three months. Thaw and reheat the frozen muffins with a quick 30 seconds in the microwave, or let them thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Quick, easy, homemade muffins on demand!
Pumpkin Muffin Variations
You can take this basic pumpkin muffin batter and add so many different twists. Here are a couple of fun ideas for making this recipe your own:
Skip the cream cheese center and fold in chocolate chips
Top the muffins with a mixture of coarse sugar and cinnamon
Add chopped pecans to the batter or on top of each muffin
Make a quick cinnamon sugar glaze (powdered sugar + cinnamon + milk) to drizzle over the muffins (I did this during testing and while it didn’t look so pretty, it made them taste like cinnamon-coated donuts!)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, oil, and vanilla extract.
Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir together just until combined. A few small lumps are okay, just try not to overmix.
In a separate small bowl, stir together the cream cheese and sugar for the cream cheese filling.
Grease a muffin tin or line with muffin liners. Fill each well in the muffin pan about ⅓ full. Add a small dollop of the cream cheese to each well, in the center of the muffin batter. Divide the remaining muffin batter between each well, covering the cream cheese. Each well in the muffin pan should be filled about ¾ full.
Bake the muffins for about 24 minutes, or until fully puffed in the center and slightly cracked on top.
Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before gently removing them from the muffin pan and allowing them to finish cooling on a wire rack.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice until evenly combined.
In a separate large bowl, stir together one 15oz. can of pumpkin purée, 2 large eggs, ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup cooking oil, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir them together just until combined. A few small lumps are okay, just be careful not to over-stir.
To make the cream cheese filling, stir together 4oz. room temperature cream cheese and 2 Tbsp white sugar.
Grease a muffin tin or line with paper liners. Fill each well in the tin about ⅓ full with pumpkin batter, then add a dollop of the sweetened cream cheese on top. Fill the rest of the way with the remaining pumpkin batter. Or, if choosing not to do the cream cheese filling, simply divide the pumpkin batter among the 12 wells of the muffin tin.
Bake the muffins in the preheated 350ºF oven for about 24 minutes, or until the muffins are fully puffed in the center and cracked slightly, and a little golden on the edges. Let them cool for about 5 minutes in the muffin pan before gently transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
When mornings are too rushed to make a wholesome breakfast (we get it!), enter seedy quinoa breakfast cookies! These chewy, satisfying, lightly sweetened cookies feature whole grains and nutrient-packed seeds to keep you nourished on the go.
Nut-…
When mornings are too rushed to make a wholesome breakfast (we get it!), enter seedy quinoa breakfast cookies! These chewy, satisfying, lightly sweetened cookies feature whole grains and nutrient-packed seeds to keep you nourished on the go.
Nut-free and meal prep-friendly, these tasty cookies are perfect for school lunches, snacks, or any time you’re too rushed to make breakfast! Just 1 bowl and 25 minutes required.
This Lemon Pound Cake will make you swoon! It’s moist, tender, tart, and tangy. The light fluffy crumb is the perfect texture for soaking up the sweet and sour lemon glaze. Even better- it’s the absolute easiest cake to make. I bet you have everything you need in your pantry right now!
What is Lemon Pound Cake?
This classic dessert is baked in a loaf pan and is bursting with refreshing citrus notes that cut through the buttery sweetness of the cake. This easy recipe for Lemon Pound Cake is also one of my favorite ways to use up extra lemons, as the batter and glaze are loaded with lemon juice and zest.
Ingredients for Lemon Pound Cake
This cake is gorgeous and the flavors are zippy and balanced. It’s the perfect easy dessert recipe for a casual dinner or a fancy get-together (or if you’re in the mood for cake that isn’t too sweet.) Here’s what you need to make Lemon Poundcake:
Butter: creates a light, tender texture and helps the cake rise.
Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar: these sugars do more than sweeten the cake and the icing. Granulated sugar softens the cake crumb, adds moisture, and balances the tartness of the lemon juice in the batter. Powdered sugar creates structure in icing and helps mellow out the sourness of lemon juice.
Eggs: create structure that helps the cake rise and keeps the crumb airy.
Flour: the base of our batter, it creates the structure of the crumb. While we have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour should be a great substitute.
Lemons: are the heart of this recipe. If lemons are out of your budget, you can try bottled lemon juice, and though it won’t taste quite as tart and refreshing, it will still be a good cake. If lemons are too tart for you, leave them out and just make plain, buttery, pound cake!
Place leftovers in an air-tight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also wrap leftovers tightly in a layer of parchment paper and a second layer of aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. While you can refrigerate pound cake, it does dull the flavors and changes the texture of the cake. If you choose to refrigerate or freeze it, try warming it in a 350°F with a touch of butter brushed on each slice. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried frozen cake, but it’s delightful straight out of the freezer as well. The crumb stays soft and it’s a perfect treat for a hot summer day.
1cuproom temperature salted butter (plus more for greasing)$2.01
1.5cupsall-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)$0.22
1/2tspbaking powder$0.03
1/4tspbaking soda$0.01
1/4tspsalt$0.02
1cupgranulated sugar$0.39
4largeeggs, beaten$0.36
1/4cupbuttermilk$0.16
3lemons, juiced and zested, divided$1.32
1cuppowdered sugar$0.33
Instructions
Place an oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×4 loaf pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment. Butter the parchment and dust with flour, shaking off excess flour.
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs, buttermilk, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon zest. Mix until incorporated.
Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture in thirds, mixing after each addition and scraping down the sides before the next addition.
Add batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated 350°F oven until the cake springs back when you press the center and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the pound cake from the oven and cool for ten minutes before removing it from the pan and placing it on a cooling rack.
To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest.
Drizzle the glaze on the cooled pound cake and serve!
How to Make Lemon Pound Cake – Step by Step Photos
Place an oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×4 loaf pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment. Butter the parchment and dust with flour, shaking off excess flour.
Mix 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl.
Mix 1 cup of room-temperature salted butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 4 beaten large eggs, 1/4 cup of buttermilk, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon zest. Mix until incorporated.
Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture in thirds, mixing after each addition and scraping down the sides before the next addition.
Add batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated 350°F oven until the cake springs back when you press the center and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the poundcake from the oven and cool for ten minutes before removing it from the pan and placing it on a cooling rack.
To make the glaze, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest.
Drizzle the glaze on the cooled pound cake and serve!
