The best Potatoes Au Gratin recipe has layers of thin potatoes covered in a creamy, homemade cheese sauce. It’s a simple classic and impresses any guest. Want more side dishes? Make Air Fryer Baked Potato, Poutine, Quinoa Salad, and Roasted Vegetables! Au Gratin Potatoes vs Scalloped Potatoes: These two potato dishes are often confused since…
The best Potatoes Au Gratin recipe has layers of thin potatoes covered in a creamy, homemade cheese sauce. It’s a simple classic and impresses any guest.
If I could only pick one potatoes side dish for the holidays, it would be au gratin potatoes every time. It reminds me of delicious homemade mac and cheese, with it’s creamy and cheesy sauce–with potatoes instead of pasta–but it can pass for an elegant side dish. It’s a classic French recipe that requires basic ingredients everyone has, and it’s always a crowd pleaser.
Au Gratin Potatoes vs Scalloped Potatoes:
These two potato dishes are often confused since they are so similar. The biggest difference is that scalloped potatoes are cooked in cream, and au gratin potatoes are baked with cheese. In this recipe, we use a cheese sauce and shredded cheese on top, then bake in the oven until bubbly.
How to make Potatoes Au Gratin:
Make Sauce: For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan then stir in flour, cooking for a minute or two. Stir in milk, garlic, salt, dried onions, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Whisk until smooth, and once it is slightly thickened, stir in 2 cups of shredded cheese.
Slice Potatoes: Use a mandolin or a sharp knife to slice russet potatoes very thin. You can peel the potatoes or leave it on.
Assemble and Bake: Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a 9×13 dish and pour half the sauce over them. Add another layer of potatoes, then the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked and the cheese is bubbly.
To Store: Stores leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warm.
To Make Ahead: Follow the recipe until the baking step. Cover pan with aluminum foil then refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 1 hour before baking as instructed.
Recipe Variations:
Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes: Coat the bottom of a slow cooker with cooking spray and layer potatoes and cheese sauce. Place lid on top and cook on high for 3 hours, until the potatoes are cooked.
Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin: Layer 1 ½ cups chopped ham on top of the potatoes then cover with cheese sauce.
The best Potatoes Au Gratin recipe has layers of thin potatoes covered in a creamy, homemade cheese sauce. It's a simple classic that would impress any guests!
Cheese sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the milk, cream, minced garlic, dried onions, and season with salt and pepper. Whisk sauce on low until smooth and slightly thickened. Reduce heat and stir in 2 cups of shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Taste sauce and add additional salt, pepper, garlic or onion flakes, if desired.
Prep Potatoes: Peel the potatoes if you'd like. Slice the potatoes into very thin 1/8'' slices.
Layer: Place half of the sliced potatoes in a lightly greased 9×13 inch casserole dish. Pour half of the cheese sauce over potatoes. Layer the remaining potatoes on top. Spoon the remaining cheese sauce over the potatoes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Bake: Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked, cheese is browned, and sauce is bubbly.
Video
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe until the baking step. Cover pan with aluminum foil then refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 1 hour before baking as instructed.Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes: Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or use a crock-pot liner). Layer the potatoes and cheese, apply lid and slow cook on high for 3 hours, or until potatoes are tender.Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin: Add 1 ½ cups chopped ham on top of the potatoes, before adding cheese sauce.
Bring on the holiday nostalgia with these homemade candied almonds! With notes of cinnamon and vanilla, these sweet, crunchy almonds will fill your home with the aroma of sugar and spices and remind you of Christmas shopping trips at the mall.
If you grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, you know that the mall was the place to hang out. Even before we could drive, our parents were dropping us off at the mall for several hours each weekend.
The Christmas season was always the best: the decorations, watching the families wait in line for photos with Santa, and the heavenly aroma of candied nuts wafting through the air.
There was usually an assortment of nuts to choose from, with candied pecans being the most popular and almonds coming in second. And they were always packaged in those cute little cones!
The smell of freshly roasted candied nuts never fails to unlock some core adolescent memories for me.
My dad loves any type of nut. Cashews, pecans, macadamias, he’ll pretty much nosh on anything you put in front of him, but almonds are probably his favorite.
So as you can imagine, these sugary, cinnamon almonds are his version of snack-time bliss.
Luckily, whether you still have a mall in your area or not, you can easily get your hands on those classic candied almonds by whipping them up at home. The process is really simple and as a little bonus, the sweet blend of vanilla and almonds will fill your house with an amazing scent.
Trust me, after one whiff of the cinnamon-and-vanilla goodness, your family will be hanging out in the kitchen just waiting for these babies to cool down enough to start eating them.
Roasted beets are naturally sweet, super colorful, and surprisingly versatile, and this Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese is my favorite way to showcase their deliciousness. Roasting intensifies their sweetness and gives them a tender, buttery texture that holds its shape perfectly in salads. We pair them with crisp greens, creamy goat cheese, crunchy red…
Roasted beets are naturally sweet, super colorful, and surprisingly versatile, and this Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese is my favorite way to showcase their deliciousness. Roasting intensifies their sweetness and gives them a tender, buttery texture that holds its shape perfectly in salads. We pair them with crisp greens, creamy goat cheese, crunchy red onion, and – the best part – a creamy, peppery Arugula Dressing. It’s a flavor combo that’s both comforting and refreshing, and it’s super easy to make – perfect for everyday meals or elegant entertaining!
A Winning Combination: Roasted Beets and Arugula Dressing
I originally created the arugula dressing used in this salad as a twist on a classic green goddess. The bold, peppery flavor of the arugula elevates the dressing to new heights, making it the perfect partner for roasted root vegetables, especially beets. After testing this roasted beet salad on Robert and a few friends, I submitted it to the independent testing group for my second cookbook, “Fresh Tastes,” and it came through with flying colors!
Why This Recipe Works
Eye-catching. A mix of colors — deep purple beets, red onion, and creamy white cheese artfully arranged atop bright greens —creates a stunning dish.
Balanced flavors. The earthy sweetness of the roasted beets complements the tangy, peppery flavor of the arugula dressing, while the creamy goat cheese adds a rich, indulgent touch without overpowering the other ingredients.
Mix of textures. A blend of creamy and crunchy, this salad is dynamic and satisfying.
Easy to prepare. This roasted beet salad is simple to make with readily available ingredients.
Make ahead. As with many of my recipes, you can prep the key components – the roasted beets and arugula dressing – several days in advance, making this dish perfect for entertaining.
Ingredients in This Roasted Beet Salad Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need to create this elegant salad:
If you mash anchovy fillets, the flavor will be stronger than mashed anchovy from a tube, as the latter has vinegar and spices added, which makes the fish flavor milder. So, I would reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon if you substitute freshly mashed anchovies
How to Make Roasted Beet Salad
Here’s how to easily make this delicious roasted beet salad:
Make the Arugula Salad Dressing. Note that the dressing tastes best if made 24 hours before serving, to allow the flavors to blend.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Prep beets. Wash the beets and trim off the ends. In a large piece of aluminum foil, place 2 beets side by side and fold foil edges together tightly to make a packet; repeat with remaining beets and foil.
Roast beets. Place the foil packets in the preheated oven directly in the oven the middle rack with the seam side up (this keeps any beet juice from dripping into your oven). Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft in the center. To test, remove one beet from the oven, and carefully open the foil just enough to pierce the beet with a fork.
Cool beets; peel, and cut. Remove beets from the oven and set aside cool. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cut each beet into 8 wedges of even thickness.
Plate salad. Divide lettuce among 6 salad plates. Place beets decoratively on top of lettuce; sprinkle with goat cheese and red onion. Drizzle with some of the dressing, passing the rest on the side.
Tips for Making the Best Roasted Beet Salad Recipe
Here are my tips for ensuring this Roasted Beet Salad comes out perfectly:
Don’t peel before roasting. Once cooked, the beet skin is easily removed – it easily slides off.
Don’t overcook. Beets can become mushy, less vibrant, and sometimes even slightly bitter when overdone.
Don’t overdress. Drizzle the arranged salad with a small amount of dressing, passing the rest on the side. Or skip the drizzle altogether! This is a fairly rich dressing and can easily overpower the other ingredients – and/or make the salad soggy.
Don’t toss. The juice from the beets can color the greens and goat cheese a light pink.
Variations and Substitutions
While I love this salad as is, you can vary it to match your lifestyle, tastes, or dietary issues. Here are a few suggestions:
Substitute feta cheese or blue cheese crumbles for the goat cheese. I would recommend using less, as these two cheeses have stronger flavor than feta.
Add toasted chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachios, pecans, or pine nuts) to add even more crunch.
Place fresh herbs (like fresh dill or thyme sprigs) inside the foil packet when roasting the beets.
Faster version: If you don’t want to roast the beets, many major grocery stores sell already roasted beets. I have found them in the produce section of my store.
Storing Roasted Beets
If roasting the beets ahead, or if you have leftovers, peel them and then place in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will last 3 to 4 days. Peeled roasted beets can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. (Many sites recommend freezing for longer, but I find most cooked food starts to lose its flavor after around 3 months.) Thaw frozen beets in the refrigerator overnight.
Serving Suggestions for Goat Cheese and Roasted Beet Salad
This salad is versatile and can be enjoyed as a side dish, a light lunch, or a main course.
What kind of beets are best in roasted beet salad?
For this recipe, I recommend using red beets because they have the strongest earthiness and the sweetest flavor once roasted. Milder golden beets will also work, but contribute less to the dish.
How long to roast beets for salad?
At 375 degrees, it will take 45 minutes to 1 hour to roast the beets.
Can I freeze roasted beets?
Yes, you can. Peeled and stored in an airtight container, they will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Roasted beets are naturally sweet, super colorful, and surprisingly versatile, and this Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese is the my favorite way to showcase their deliciousness. Roasting intensifies their sweetness and gives them a tender, buttery texture that holds its shape perfectly in salads. We pair them with crisp greens, creamy goat cheese, crunchy red onion, and – the best part – a creamy, peppery Arugula Dressing. It’s a flavor combo that’s both comforting and refreshing, and it’s super easy to make – perfect for everyday meals or elegant entertaining!
9 to 10 cups Boston, Bibb or Butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/3 cup sliced red onion, or more to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Wash the beets and trim off the ends. In a large piece of foil, place 2 beets side by side and fold foil edges together tightly to make a packet; repeat with remaining beets and foil.
Place wrapped beets in the preheated oven directly in the oven the middle rack with the seam side up (this keeps any beet juice from dripping into your oven). Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft in the center. To test, remove one beet from the oven, and carefully open the foil just enough to pierce the beet with a fork.
Remove beets from the oven and set aside cool. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cut each beet into 8 wedges.
Divide lettuce among 6 salad plates. Arrange sliced beets decoratively on top of lettuce; sprinkle with goat cheese and red onion. Drizzle with some of the dressing, passing the rest on the side.
Notes
Note on anchovy paste: If you mash anchovy fillets, the flavor will be stronger than mashed anchovy from a tube, as the latter has vinegar and spices added, which make the fish flavor milder. So, I would reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon if you substitute freshly mashed.
Variation: Place lettuce on a large serving platter. Arrange sliced beets decoratively on top of lettuce; sprinkle with goat cheese and red onion. Pass dressing on the side.
Make ahead: The dressing can be prepared and the beets roasted up to 3 days ahead, covered and stored in the refrigerator.
Author:From “Fresh Tastes” by Lee Clayton Roper
Category:Side salads, healthy, gluten free, easy
Method:Roasting
Cuisine:American
[This recipe was updated in April of 2018 and again in November of 2024.
Linzer cookies: my most recent discovery for yet another way to fill my life with jammy-almond shortbread-ish cookies. They are delicate, buttery, and dusted with powdered sugar like a Christmas village. Too often Linzer tart cookies are dry and crunchy. But this recipe is oh-so-tender, delicate, and bursting with buttery-almond flavor. And that’s before we…
Linzer cookies: my most recent discovery for yet another way to fill my life with jammy-almond shortbread-ish cookies. They are delicate, buttery, and dusted with powdered sugar like a Christmas village. Too often Linzer tart cookies are dry and crunchy. But this recipe is oh-so-tender, delicate, and bursting with buttery-almond flavor. And that’s before we smash them together with jam! The perfect addition to a tea party, Christmas or Valentine’s Day plate!
I have a pretty bad track record with boys’ haircuts. As in, I have absolutely zero skills in this area of life, and also hate spending money on it. But sometimes when things get desperate, I have to take matters into my own hands.
When my children are subject to a hair cut by yours truly, it erases any possibility of them being mistaken as “the cool kid” for a solid two weeks while the atrocity grows itself into something less-outrageous.
I recently hoisted Edison up on the counter for a cuttin, when I noticed I couldn’t find his eyes anymore. It took just a minute and then I went off to finish dinner.
Later when I rang the dinner bell, we couldn’t find him. That’s when we realized that he utterly refused to come downstairs. We could see him cowering on the landing in shame. YOU RUINED MY HAIR he screamed, with the melodrama that only a 4-year-old can muster. This, coming from a kid who routinely wears his underwear backwards, and loves to sport yesterday’s outfit, spilled lunch and all. Evidently my appalling haircuts are where he draws the line.
In other news…Happy Halloween my friends!! I’m here with Christmas cookies for you! (Are you confused because today is Halloween? Try to keep up. 😂) Okay fine, I’m a mini amount of sorry about this.
But I am SO excited for the holidays this year, I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve been working ahead to get my new Christmas recipes to you before the big day (big month? big quarter? Let’s not forget the Filipino mantra, any month that ends in a “ber” is a Christmas month…words to live by, my friends)
So, let’s dive in. Have you ever heard of Linzer cookies?
What are Linzer cookies?
Linzer cookies are a buttery sandwich cookie filled with jam and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. The top cookie has a hole cut in it so you can see the jam peeking out. I’m a little obsessed.
Aren’t they adorable? They look SO impressive stacked up on a plate. These cookies are from Austria originally, based on a full-pie-size tart called a Linzertorte.
The biggest difference between regular butter or shortbread cookies and Linzer is that there is almond flour called for in the dough, which brings an absolutely delightful texture and flavor. Like I mentioned, I am the biggest sucker for the almond-shortbread flavor combined with jam. If you MADE me pick my favorite Christmas cookie of all time, it might be these Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies, and Linzer Cookies have the same flavor profile. (They might be my new favorite??)
Linzer cookies are traditional at Christmas time, and I’m obsessed with my tiny baby 1-inch Christmas trees. But with the right cut-outs in the center you could adapt these for any occasion. Like hearts for Valentine’s Day:
And the other fun thing you can switch up is what flavor of jam you are using. I love raspberry or blackberry jam for cookies like this usually, but check out at how amazing these look with apricot preserves!!
These look absolutely sunshine-y, right? Perfect for any time of year. You can’t usually find apricot jam that is smooth and doesn’t have pieces of fruit in it. So I pressed the preserves through a strainer to make a smooth jam, then spread them on the cookies.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s a quick glance at what you’ll need to make this! The full recipe is at the bottom, scroll down.
seedless jam (raspberry jam is my favorite, but you can use any kind you want!)
How to make Linzer cookies
Just as for any decent cookie, we’re starting off with some butter and sugar. Beat it together for a few minutes to make sure it gets nice and creamy. This recipe uses powdered sugar to get that delicate, melt in your mouth texture, and some untraditional brown sugar, which brings in some flavor and moisture.
Add in some almond extract, the key flavor for these cookies! Then add in a couple large egg yolks. Using just the yolks gives us all the flavor and binding we need, and none of the rising properties of the whites. These cookies don’t need to rise much, we want them nice and thin. (The better to eat a dozen at a time..)
Add in the regular flour and the almond flour. I experimented with sifting the almond flour, because it’s so gritty, but didn’t notice a difference. The cookies bake up just fine with no sifting. Which is nice because it was actually super annoying to get all that almond flour through the sifter!!
Divide the dough on two sheets of plastic wrap and then wrap each one up into a little disc. (I just lost my mind going down the rabbit hole of whether a disc of dough like this is spelled disk or disc and I still can’t figure it out. 😂 ) Chill the discks for an hour or two in the refrigerator, until firm.
Let the dough rest out of the fridge for a hot minute so that it’s easier to roll, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out pretty thin, like 1/8 inch thin. Can you see in the photos, how thin it should be? Don’t make these cookies too thick, or they won’t be tender.
Now it’s time to cut the dough! Here is the rough size of cookie cutters you need, to get a visual.
Then, use a 1-inch cookie cutter to cut out the centers of HALF of the cookies. Don’t do all of them! Or you won’t have any whole bottom-cookies to make a sandwich with. And all the jam would fall out. You’re no fool.
Place the shaped cookies on the pan, you can put them pretty close together. Toss them in the freezer or fridge for a few minutes if you have the space! COLD dough going into a HOT oven is a huge part of what makes these cookies tender and flaky, instead of tough. If you can’t make room to chill the cookies once cut, then just hurry your butt up and get them in the oven!
These cookies only bake for about 5-6 minutes. Don’t over do it!!
Once they are completely cooled, add the jam on the whole cookies. You can use any kind of jam that you like! It’s helpful to stir it up in a bowl before adding to the cookies, so the jam goes on smooth. Black current jam is traditional in Austria, but tougher to find here! Strawberry jam is a favorite with my kids. Lemon curd would also be an AMAZING filling idea. Other options…Nutella? Biscoff? I mean, right??
Use a strainer to dust the tops of the cookies (the ones with the center cut out) with powdered sugar.
I think it would be so fun to mix a little cinnamon or cardamom into your powdered sugar before dusting the cookies (but it would mute the almond flavor) So many options!
Then, smash!
Just look at these beauties. What neighbor would not be totally floored to receive this as a Christmas treat??
Storing Linzer cookies
Keep your Linzer cookies on the counter for 4-5 days. If you’d like to freeze them, the best method is to freeze the cookies themselves with no jam or powdered sugar. If you do want to freeze the cookies with the jam in them, place them flat between layers of parchment paper. Definitely dust with powdered sugar after you defrost them so the sugar doesn’t melt into the cookies!
Linzer cookies FAQs
Do Linzer cookies need to be refrigerated?
No, Linzer cookies don’t need to refrigerated. You can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. If you’d like the cookies to stay crisp, I recommend filling them with jam right before serving them. In that case, you’d refrigerate the jam or jelly (as usual) and then add it to the room temperature cookies.
What is a Linzer cookie made of?
Linzer cookies are a buttery cookie made with regular all purpose flour and almond flour. They’re dusted with powdered sugar and filled with the jam!
What nationality are Linzer cookies?
Linzer cookies are Austrian-American. They’re a cute little version of a Linzer torte, an almond crust pie filled with jam. Austrian immigrants made tiny versions of the pie when they came to the United States, because they understood the assignment: everything is better mini. (Which means I can eat 5 in a row, right?)
More cookies you’ll love!
Coooookies. Good for the soul! Here are some special treats way beyond chocolate chip (not that I’m above chocolate chip any night of the week).
Linzer cookies: my most recent discovery for yet another way to fill my life with jammy-almond shortbread-ish cookies. They are delicate, buttery, and dusted with powdered sugar like a Christmas village. Too often Linzer tart cookies are dry and crunchy. But this recipe is oh-so-tender, delicate, and bursting with buttery-almond flavor. And that's before we smash them together with jam! The perfect addition to a tea party, Christmas or Valentine's Day plate!
Make the dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 1 cup slightly softened butter. Beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.
Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Beat again for about 3 minutes, until light in color and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once halfway through.
Add 2 egg yolks, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons almond extract, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat again until everything is incorporated, scraping down the sides.
Use the spoon-and-level method (spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off the top) to add 2 cups of all purpose flour to the bowl. Don't stir it in yet.
Spoon and level 1 and 1/4 cups almond flour into the bowl, still no stirring.
Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the flours, and gently stir it into the flour and almond flour with a small spoon (this is to make sure we don't get any pockets of salt.) If you only have table salt, use half the amount.
Use the mixer to blend the wet and dry ingredients, just until combined. Do NOT over mix! Once you have stopped to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and you don't see any more streaks of white flour, stop the mixer. Over-mixing cookie dough makes the cookies tough.
Chill the dough: Lay out 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Divide the dough between the sheets, scraping it all out of the bowl. Pat each dough into a disc using the ends of the plastic wrap, then wrap each disc. Put the 2 discs in the fridge and chill for about 1-2 hours, until the dough is firm.
Take the discs out of the fridge and let them rest on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften a bit.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Roll out the dough: On a pastry cloth or an extra large silpat, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough very thin, to about 1/8 of an inch. See photos! If you are rolling out on a countertop, dust your work surface with flour but use as little as possible so as to not dry out the dough. Another method is to roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
Use cookie cutters. Working quickly so the dough is as cold as possible, use a 2-inch round cookie cutter or 2-inch fluted cookie cutter to cut as many circles as you can from the dough you have rolled out.
Cut out centers of HALF the circles. With a smaller, 1-inch cookie cutter (of a Christmas tree, circle, or heart), cut out the centers of HALF of the larger circles. Don't cut all of them! You need a "bottom" for each cookie, that doesn't have a hole in it. (Reserve the cut-out-centers to bake separately into tiny cookies, if you like. But I usually just re-roll them with the remaining dough.)
Use a small spatula to transfer the cut dough onto the lined baking sheets. You only need to leave about an inch of space between cookies; they don't rise or spread much at all.
Chill the dough again. If possible, chill each pan of cookies in the fridge or freezer for 5-15 minutes, until the cut out dough is completely chilled again. COLD dough going into a HOT oven is an important part of the magic of what makes these cookies tender and flaky, not tough.
Gather up the scraps of dough and mound them into a new disc again. Wrap them up and chill them until they are firm enough to roll. Repeat the cutting process with all the remaining dough.
Bake the COLD cookies at 350 for about 5-6 minutes. They should no longer be shiny on top, but they shouldn't be getting brown on the edges either. Do NOT over bake, or they will be too crunchy.
Take them out of the oven and let them set up on the pan for a couple minutes before transferring them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Dust the cut-out tops with powdered sugar. Lay your cut-out cookie tops on a separate baking sheet or piece of parchment paper. Add powdered sugar to a mini strainer, and gently sprinkle the cut-outs with powdered sugar so they are completely dusted.
Add about 1/2 cup seedless jam to a small bowl. You can eyeball this, no need to bust out a measuring cup. Stir the jam with a spoon until it is smooth.
Fill with jam. Add a little more than a teaspoon of jam to the top of the whole-circle cookies. Add a powdered sugar cookie top to each circle cookie spread with jam, and gently press them together. Aren't they so cute?? Try not to eat them all immediately, just wait until you stack them all on a plate. So pretty.
Storage: Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter. If you don't plan to eat all the cookies right away, wait until the last minute to fill the cookies with jam.
White chocolate brownies are like Blondies in disguise. You THINK they are just a less-cool, less-flavorful version of chocolate brownies, but oh are you wrong. They are basically Clark Kent with the glasses. Let’s see you take that shirt off Clark. Okay it got weird, just try these brownies, the white chocolate flavor is unreal!…
White chocolate brownies are like Blondies in disguise. You THINK they are just a less-cool, less-flavorful version of chocolate brownies, but oh are you wrong. They are basically Clark Kent with the glasses. Let’s see you take that shirt off Clark. Okay it got weird, just try these brownies, the white chocolate flavor is unreal! They are rich, fudgy, not at all cake-y, and taste exactly like true white chocolate because we are using the real stuff, no chips here 🙅♀️
Last weekend I was on the team in charge of throwing our church’s annual Trunk or Treat and Chili Cookoff, it was so much fun! I was running around like a crazy person checking carnival games, restocking utensils, and making sure there was enough hot apple cider for 150 people. Here I am last year as Weird Barbie, stirring my cauldron:
This year Eric and I dressed as The Swedish Chef and his Popcorn Shrimp. The kids are obsessed with The Swedish Chef (specifically that popcorn video) and when we surprised them with our costumes, they cheered as if we were celebrities for a solid 2 minutes. 😂 (Charlotte is Disgust from Inside Out, and Truman spent HOURS making his own homemade proton pack for his Ghostbusters costume!! I love how into it my kids are!)
Happy anniversary to The Food Charlatan!
More fun: October marks 13 years since I started this little blog! Sharing recipes here at The Food Charlatan has been one of the funnest parts of my life, truly!
I call the blog my 5th baby, because I like to love on it, just like a little baby (maintaining it takes up about the same time and attention as a fussy baby, too 😂) The blog, in it’s teen-hood, has grown into something that can sustain our family, and we are so grateful.
Eric and I run the blog together these days, and just like real parenthood, it makes us want to tear our hair out sometimes!! But it’s always worth it in the end. I just don’t think I’ll ever run out of recipes I want to share with you, the ideas never stop.
I can’t let another year pass without telling you how much your support of my blog and business means to me! A blog without a community is nothing, and I’m so grateful for all your comments, emails, photos, tags, etc., that let me know you are enjoying and using the content we work to hard to create. It makes me so incredibly happy to think that people all over the world (18 million so far this year) are making my own family’s beloved recipes. What an honor! Thank you for being here.
Anniversaries from yesteryear
Every year, I bake myself a cake for my blog anniversary. (Or brownies, this year!) If you want to take a walk down memory lane, here is my first blog post, and all of my anniversary posts over the years:
These White Chocolate Brownies, you guys!!! I can’t even explain how good they are. I know what you are thinking: they can’t possibly be as good as a regular brownies. But oh boy, are you wrong.
They are a true brownie, with all the fudginess and texture you are looking for, but the taste is completely different. White chocolate and regular chocolate are just not the same! They have totally different flavor profiles.
I started out making Absolutely the Best Brownies I Have Ever Made, and just swapping the chocolate bar called for in the recipe with white chocolate. It was a bust. Browning the butter overwhelmed the flavor (white chocolate is delicate) and the texture was not right. They barely baked up properly. Several tests later, we have our winner.
We’re adding 12 ounces of white chocolate to a 9×9 square pan. It’s a LOT of chocolate, because I really wanted these brownies to bring the flavor, and white chocolate is pretty subtle. To compensate for all the extra chocolate, we are adding in a higher ratio of eggs, a bit more flour to make them hold together, and skipping browning the butter (the crowning technique of my favorite regular brownies) because browned butter overwhelms the white chocolate flavor.
We are even tossing the vanilla out of this recipe. (I know, WHAT?) We are so used to all white desserts being vanilla flavored, it just seems natural to add it in, and I did on my first 3 tests. But I realized eventually, after trying over and over to amp up that white chocolate flavor, that even gentle, subtle vanilla was overwhelming the white chocolate in this recipe.
So! Off with the vanilla and a 7 ingredient recipe becomes a 6 ingredient recipe. When you have a recipe with so few parts, you HAVE to make sure those parts are high quality. And that means: REAL white chocolate, my friends.
White Chocolate Chips are not White Chocolate. I will die on this hill.
Not going to lie, these brownies are a bit of an investment. REAL white chocolate does not come cheap. But I swear, it’s worth it.
The only white chocolate I ever had growing up was in the form of white chocolate chips, or as a coating on cheap candy. I’ve never been a fan. It’s waxy and kinda bland tasting to me.
But a few years ago I was researching white chocolate for this Penuche Fudge recipe, and discovered that White Chocolate Chips are not made from white chocolate; it is mostly sugar and palm kernel oil. Whaaaaatt
The only way to know if you have REAL white chocolate is if Cocoa butter is listed in the ingredients. There is no grocery-store brand of white chocolate chips that has Cocoa butter in the ingredients (this is because real white chocolate is too delicate to hold its shape as a chocolate chip.)
I like to use chopped Ghirardelli Premium Baking White Chocolate for these brownies, Lindt or Guittard will do as well. The flavor, texture, and smoothness of the melted chocolate is absolutely incomparable to white baking chips.
Can I substitute white baking chips for white chocolate?
NO. I mean fine, I guess you can. They will still be great brownies. But they will not have reached their full potential! White chocolate baking chips are made from sugar and palm kernel oil and other solidifiers that help them maintain the chip-shape. They do not melt well and are rather chalky. They are a cheap and sugary substitute for the real thing. A high quality bar of white chocolate that you chop yourself is going to be infinitely better. Save up your pennies, and join the real white chocolate lovers!
Here’s what you need to make this:
This is just a quick glance. Head down to the recipe card for all the recipe details!
butter
real, actual white chocolate bars
sugar
kosher salt
eggs
flour
How to Make White Chocolate Brownies
You only need two bowls and a microwave for this recipe! It’s so easy. I mean, 6 ingredients, come on.
First up, add some sugar, salt, and eggs to a large bowl:
Use a hand mixer (or even just a whisk and some elbow grease) to beat the eggs and sugar together for about 2 minutes, until it looks light and fluffy, like this:
Meanwhile, add 2 bars of white chocolate and a stick of butter to another microwave safe bowl. Melt until allllllmost melted, not more. You don’t want to scorch it. White chocolate is delicate, be careful! I stopped when it looked like this:
Stir it until the white chocolate melts. Then scrape it into the bowl with the beaten eggs.
Now for the last ingredient: flour.
Do NOT over-mix your flour. This will make your brownies tough! Scrape the batter into the pan.
Then, chop up your last bar of chocolate and dump it on top of the batter. Gently fold it into the batter with a spatula. I like this method better than stirring the chopped chocolate directly into the batter (in the bowl) because white chocolate melts SO easily. If your batter is still warm at all, it could melt all your “chips.”
Then: the hour long bake time. Feels weird, I know. Regular brownies usually take about half the time! There is so much chocolate in this recipe (and so little flour, necessary for that FUDGY texture) that they need a long, lower bake time in order to set up.
And now: a waiting game. These brownies absolutely unequivocally must come to near-room temperature before cutting into them. Trust me. They will melt into a complete mess if you cut into them while warm. (You can chill in the fridge if you’re impatient.)
Once they have set up, you can reheat a single serving of brownies in the microwave if you want to eat it warm, no problem!
And voila! That’s it! Super easy.
How to store fudgy white chocolate brownies
Store these white chocolate brownies on the counter at room temperature! Just make sure they are in a container with an airtight lid or wrapped well in plastic wrap. They will last 3-5 days before they start getting stale.
Can you freeze these brownies?
Totally my friend! Just like most cookies and bars, they hold up really well in the freezer. The best way to do it is to cut whatever is left into squares, place them on a cookie sheet, and flash freeze for about 30 minutes. At that point, they should be frozen enough to handle (and not stick to each other), so you can place all the pieces in a freezer ziplock bag. The brownies will stay fresh in the freezer for about 2-3 months. To eat, set the bag out on the counter to thaw for an hour or two. You can also take one piece at a time for those surreptitious snacks when the kids aren’t looking! ;)
Frequently asked questions
what is white chocolate?
White chocolate comes from the same cocoa beans as regular chocolate but doesn’t have the same kind of processing. Specifically, it does not have cocoa solids, which are the dark portion of the cocoa bean. White chocolate is made with only cocoa butter (which is why it’s SUPER important to look at your ingredients before buying), sugar, and milk.
What is a blondie vs a brownie?
A typical pan of brownies has cocoa powder mixed in, as well as chocolate chips. These white brownies are a riff on that, leaving out the cocoa powder and replacing the semi-sweet chocolate chips in most versions with delicate white chocolate. A true brownie, just white!
A blondie is really similar! Typically, the base of the bar uses brown sugar and vanilla to create a butterscotch-y, caramel-y flavor. Even if chocolate chips are added, the flavor of the base balances out and holds its own with the chocolate – unlike brownies, where even if other things are added the chocolate (whether dark or white) is the main flavor.
More brownies and bars you’ll love
I’m a sucker for bars. Just as tasty as cookies, but so much easier and faster to throw together. Check out some of my favorites!
White chocolate brownies are like Blondies in disguise. You THINK they are just a less-cool, less-flavorful version of chocolate brownies, but oh are you wrong. They are basically Clark Kent with the glasses. Let's see you take that shirt off Clark. Okay it got weird, just try these brownies, the white chocolate flavor is unreal! They are rich, fudgy, not at all cake-y, and taste exactly like true white chocolate because we are using the real stuff, no chips here.
8ounceswhite chocolatetwo 4-ounce bars, high quality
1/2cupbutter
1 and 1/2cups + 2 tablespoonsall purpose flour
4ounceswhite chocolateone 4-ounce bar, high quality
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×9 inch square GLASS* pan with parchment paper. You can also line it with aluminum foil (be sure to spray the foil with nonstick spray). Or you can just spray the pan.
In a medium bowl, (or stand mixer) add 1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 large eggs, and 1 large egg yolk.
Use a hand mixer (or the whisk attachment on your mixer) to beat the eggs and sugar together. Beat well for about 2 minutes until very light and fluffy.
Meanwhile, in a medium microwaveable bowl, add two (4-ounce) bars of white chocolate, roughly broken up with your hands. Add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick). Melt in the microwave for about 1 minute, stirring halfway. Melt until the butter is mostly melted, but the white chocolate still has some solid pieces. Then stir it together completely until the butter is incorporated, and the white chocolate has all melted completely.
Beat the egg and sugar mixture one more time, to make sure it's good and whipped. Pour the white chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir it all together.
Add 1 and 1/2 cups PLUS 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled. That means take a large spoon and add flour to your measuring cup, then level off the top with something flat like a butter knife. Stir in the flour with the rubber spatula until just barely incorporated.
Do NOT over mix. Over-mixed batter makes for a tough brownie, which is not what we're going for. You want soft, tender brownies! Once you don't see any more flour streaks, stop messing with it.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread to the edges.
Use a knife to chop the remaining bar of white chocolate. Sprinkle it evenly over the batter. Use your spatula to gently fold it in. If you add the chocolate chips to the batter before pouring it into the pan, they tend to melt and swirl on you, and we want these chunks to hold their shape.
Place the brownies on the center rack of the oven that is preheated to 325. Gently place a sheet of foil over the top of the pan, not touching the brownies.
Bake for about 55-65 minutes. YES, really, it's a long bake time! Remove the foil from the top of the brownies about 10 minutes before they are done, especially if the top of the brownies look raw still.**You will know the brownies are done when the edges are completely firm, set, and golden. The center of the brownies will still be white. The center of the brownies will wobble a little bit when you shake the pan, but it should not look sloshy or too liquid-y. The center of the brownies will still be a little shiny. See notes for more cues.
When the brownies are done, remove from the oven and let cool for at least 2-3 hours. I know, I KNOW, it's torture. But this recipe needs a little TLC. The brownies need time to set up, or they will just melt into a hot mess.
To cut these into nice looking squares, once the brownies have cooled, lift the parchment paper or foil out of the pan. Cut with a sharp knife, wiping the knife on a clean wet towel in between slices.
Store covered on the counter!
Notes
*A metal pan will work fine, it just browns the edges more aggressively. **It’s tricky to know when these brownies are done. They could potentially look quite undone on top when the instructed bake time is over. This is okay. If they have been in the oven at least an hour, and still look too-wobbly, take them out (you can go up to 65 mins). Then let cool completely before cutting into them. They will firm up, and be ultra tender and soft in the middle.On one of my tests, a small amount of butter pooled on the top of my brownies. If this happens, don’t worry, just take it out at the normal bake time and it will melt into the brownies as they cool.Remember to use bars of REAL white chocolate! White chocolate chips are not the same.
Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Cones with creamy cheesecake filling and crunchy white chocolate coated waffle cones are an easy homemade treat your family will love!
Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Cones with creamy cheesecake filling and crunchy white chocolate coated waffle cones are an easy homemade treat your family will love!
Our easy Bananas Foster recipe follows the traditional version with caramelized bananas served with vanilla ice cream. It’s an impressive dessert that tastes less than 15 minutes to make. Want more dessert recipes? Try Baked Apples, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Panna Cotta, Bread Pudding, or Caramel Popcorn! How to make Bananas Foster: Make Sauce: Slice bananas…
Our easy Bananas Foster recipe follows the traditional version with caramelized bananas served with vanilla ice cream. It’s an impressive dessert that tastes less than 15 minutes to make.
I’ve had the privilege of enjoying Bananas Foster made table-side, at Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans where it was invented in 1951. Watching anything being flambéed is mesmerizing and seems intimidating, but I’m here to tell you, there’s not an easier dessert to make. Bananas Foster is impressive and deceivingly simple. The sauce is just 5 basic ingredients, made in a skillet. It’s straight caramel heaven, in a bowl. Here we go!
How to make Bananas Foster:
Make Sauce: Slice bananas in half vertically then in half horizontally. Add butter to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium high-heat, stirring constantly for a few minutes until bubbly and slightly thickened to syrup consistency. Stir in vanilla then add banana slices and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Flambé*: Tilt pan away from you and add rum. Use a long lighter to immediately and carefully ignite a flame, to flambé the bananas foster. While the fire is going, carefully lift pan a few inches above the stove burner and shake/swirl it gently back and forth, until the flames subside.
Serve: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to a bowl, place banana slice on each side and spoon caramel sauce on top. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of homemade bananas foster, if desired.
Recipe Variations:
Rum: You could also substitute bourbon, banana liqueur, or brandy. Add more if you like a boozier flavor.
Alcohol Free: The flames cook off the alcohol, but if you need a substitute, add 1 ½ teaspoons rum extract, or more, to taste, at the same time as the vanilla. You won’t be able to flambé the sauce.
Bananas Foster French Toast: Stir in a splash of heavy cream to the sauce then serve over French toast.
Our easy Bananas Foster recipe is just like the original from Brennan's restaurant, with caramelized bananas served with vanilla ice cream. This impressive dessert is ready in less than 15 minutes.
Prep all ingredients and set them on the counter next to the stove where you will prepare the bananas foster. Also have a longer lighter withing reach, for the flambé. Tie hair back, and lift any loose sleeve up.
Slice each banana once in half vertically, and once in half horizontally.
Caramel Sauce: Add butter to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium high-heat, stirring constantly, just a few minutes until bubbly and slightly thickened to syrup consistency. Stir in vanilla.
Add banana slices and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Flambé*: Tilt pan down slightly away from you and add the rum. Use a long lighter to immediately and carefully ignite a flame, to flambé the bananas foster. When the fire is going, carefully lift pan flat, a few inches above the stove burner and shake/swirl it gently back and forth, until the flames subside.
Serve: Add one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream to the center of a bowl. Add one banana slice to each side to cradle the ice cream. Spoon caramel sauce on top. Top with chopped walnuts, if desired.
Notes
Rum: You could also substitute bourbon, banana liqueur, or brandy. Add more if you like a boozier flavor.Alcohol Free: The flames cook off most of the alcohol, but if you need a substitute, add 1 ½ teaspoons rum extract, or more, to taste, at the same time as the vanilla. You won’t be able to flambé the sauce. Flambé: Make sure to have hair tied back, sleeves rolled up, and no other burners on, next to the pan. Bananas Foster French Toast: Stir in a splash of heavy cream to the sauce. Serve over French toast.
A tangy cream cheese base and cherry pie filling make an easy and delicious dessert in this cherry cheesecake dip. Serve it with graham crackers, cookies, fruit, or pound cake for a treat that will disappear in no time.
I’ve said it time and time again: dessert dips are one of my very favorite things.
In fact, I don’t think there’s enough appreciation for them. I’ve unofficially made it my mission to make sure everyone I know appreciates just how good and how versatile they are.
Most of my dessert dip recipes, such as cream cheese caramel apple dip or nutella fruit dip, take only a few minutes to mix together. So they’re one of the quickest and easiest treats you can make.
Plus, they are great for making ahead of time. Whip them up a few hours or even a day before your party, holiday dinner, or kid’s play date and you’re ready to go once it’s time to eat.
Since I love these sweet dips and I also love cheesecake, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I was eventually going to come up with a cheesecake dip recipe.
This cherry cheesecake dip is everything you love about cherry cheesecake in a quick, no-bake, dippable version!
The best Potatoes Au Gratin
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