This post was originally published eight years ago. I remade these brownies earlier this year while thinking about my friend Joan. I reshot them at the time, knowing that I wanted to share this post again on the 8th anniversary of her passing.

Chocolate for Joan

My chocolate-loving friend Joan would most definitely approve of eating brownies for dinner! This Lunch Lady Brownie recipe is one of hers that has become a family favorite for us as well.

Joan passed away unexpectedly on October 22, 2015. While crying and grieving the next day, I decided to bake in memory of her. I spent that weekend making many of her favorites and then shared the sweets with friends.

Joan was passionate about her desserts and I imagine that she would have gotten a kick out of being remembered with an abundance of chocolate.

Lunch Lady Brownies

You’ll need the following ingredients to make the brownies:

• butter
• cocoa
• light brown sugar
• white sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour

Chocolate Frosting for Brownies

You’ll need the following ingredients to make the frosting:

• butter
• powdered sugar
• cocoa
• salt
• milk

Lunch Lady Brownies Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan or line with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, cocoa, brown sugar, and white sugar.

Add the eggs and the vanilla. Whisk again until smooth. Add the flour and stir until combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread the thick batter to the corners. Bake for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Brownie Frosting Recipe

While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt.

Beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, until combined. The mixture will be mostly dry crumbs. Add the milk and beat again for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool for just a few minutes. Gently spread the frosting over the brownies while they are still quite warm. Let cool before slicing.

To know Joan was to love her and laugh with her, she impacted countless lives every single day. In her memory, chocolate recipes have been shared around the internet.

My friends, surround yourself with people who bring you joy. Hug them tight. And eat some chocolate today too, #chocolateforjoan.

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Lunch Lady Brownies

Thick, chewy, fudgy brownies with generous chocolate icing are enticing enough to have you eating these Lunch Lady Brownies for dinner. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes minutes

Total Time 34 minutes minutes

Servings 18 servings

Calories 357kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter melted
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour*

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1⅓ cup brown rice flour
• ½ cup tapioca starch
• ⅓ cup potato starch

Frosting

• ¼ cup butter softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Brownie Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan or line with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, cocoa, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Whisk again until smooth. Add the flour and stir until combined.
• Pour into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread the thick batter to the corners. Bake for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Frosting Instructions

• While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, until combined. The mixture will be mostly dry crumbs. Add the milk and beat again for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
• Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool for just a few minutes. Gently spread the frosting over the brownies while they are still quite warm. Let cool before slicing.

Notes

Frost the brownies while they are still warm. The frosting will melt down a bit into the brownies creating an irresistible crust.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 453IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

recipe adapted from and with loving thanks to Chocolate, Chocolate and More

{originally published 10/28/15 – recipe notes updated 10/22/23}

It hurts, friends. It hurts so much. Losing a friend is never easy. It shouldn’t be. Friends impact our lives in countless ways, and really great friends take a piece of our heart with them when they are gone.

I’m a better person for having known Joan Hayes. She was a wonderful friend and she will not be forgotten.

There are so many memories. The time Joan ordered ALL THE FOODS on the Snooze menu because she couldn’t narrow it down and wanted to at least taste everything. The times she refused to eat a subpar dessert because it wasn’t worth the calories.

The countless times she laughed and said that fruit isn’t dessert, chocolate is the only real dessert. Laughing as she confidently asked a chef if he was sure there wasn’t something fabulous hiding in the kitchen that wasn’t on the menu and then watching in amazement at the tray of chocolate desserts that were magically provided.

The night she said, “We should just stay up all night, we’re halfway there already.” Seven hours later, with blurry eyes and an aching side from hours and hours of laughter, we dropped her off at the airport.

Joan was a master at making every moment of life the best it could possibly be.

We walked up and down the beach in St. Thomas, talking about our kids, and dreams for the next few years, and the crazy world of blogging. Joan called this past year her “year of travel.”

She met online friends in person and made countless new friends and memories. I’m happy that so many of us were able to hug the neck of our sweet friend and get to know her in person this year, as well as online.

The last time I saw her was in Georgia while I was visiting my family there. She drove up to Augusta, over 3 hours each way, just so that we could spend a few hours together. Not because “I” was important, but because relationships were important to her.

Joan loved spending time with friends and family and she lived her life to the fullest. She was one of the least pretentious, friendliest, and absolutely real people I’ve ever known.

Wandering around Augusta, GA together, we browsed antique stores looking for old silverware. Later we found a bakery to try.

She sweet talked the staff into pulling cakes out of the cold case so she could photograph them by the window and remember them to re-create the recipes at home.

Ordering a slice of every single dessert in that bakery, so she could taste each one. Laughing as we packed and took home two shopping bags full of the remaining desserts to share with my family.

Joan was an indescribably generous person. She achieved great success professionally and she shared her knowledge, her phenomenal social media reach, her blog’s traffic, every aspect of her success was shared with others.

She believed with every bit of her heart that blogging should be part of a community and never a competition. She helped everyone she met and made everyone’s life better just by knowing her.

Joan was the most prepared for death person I have ever known. She wanted to know that her children would be taken care of no matter what. She told everyone to “put it in writing” and “make sure everyone knows your intentions.”

It breaks my heart that her message to BE PREPARED turned out to be such practical advice instead of the hypothetical wisdom I would much rather it have been.

Her family was her world and she loved her kids so much that I ache for them right now. Joan’s love of life, family, and chocolate was evident through her blog, Chocolate, Chocolate, and More.

She created a chocolate-filled legacy for her family. Her dream was that her blog would help support her family over the coming years.

Joan died of a massive heart attack in the middle of the night. She was only 49 years old. She mentioned a stomach ache before going to sleep, not recognizing this is one of the signs of a possible impending event. (Many women think they are getting the flu prior to a heart attack.)

Please read through these Heart Attack Symptoms and always get checked out if you experience any of these and share them with your friends and family.

Joan Hayes 1966-2015, Photo Credit: Shanna Schad

Most importantly, go now and hug someone special to you, kids, spouse, friend, anyone. No matter what, just do it.

Wake them up, pick them up, get their attention, and tell them you love them. I’m heartsick for the loss of my friend and reminded once again that life is short.

“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

A full list of blog posts dedicated to Joan can be found here. 

The post Lunch Lady Brownies appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Chewy Coconut Cookies

These are chewy cookies with crunchy edges, filled to the max with almost all of my favorite cookie flavors. I’ve made them three times in the past month! It clearly takes very little excuse for me to stir together a batch of these cookies.

There’s a little bit of oatmeal tucked inside as well, adding to that terrific texture and chewiness.

White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you don’t happen to be a fan of white chocolate, feel free to replace it with semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate. While I am very rarely a fan of white chocolate myself, I do enjoy it in these cookies.

The white chocolate chips add creamy sweetness, while the darker chocolate chips contribute rich, bitter notes. Their contrasting flavors create a great balance in these cookies.

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• butter
• light brown sugar
• egg and egg yolk
• vanilla
• all-purpose flour
• old fashioned rolled oats
• baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
• white and semi-sweet chocolate chips
• shredded sweetened coconut

If you aren’t sure what to do with the leftover egg white, Cinnamon Roasted Pecans are a great plan.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

 Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, remove it from the heat and add the sugar.

Stir until the sugar is well incorporated and mostly smooth. Let cool for a few minutes.

While the mixture is cooling, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.

Whisk together the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and then add to the sugar and butter mixture.

Slowly add the dry ingredients in three stages and stir to combine. COOL COMPLETELY before adding the chocolate chips and coconut.

Stir well to make sure the chocolate chips and coconut are evenly distributed.

Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roll it into balls with your hands. Press down lightly to flatten each one before baking.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate and coconut is such a great pairing. I never can resist combining the two ingredients in recipes. These cookies were inspired by these Dark Chocolate Coconut Blondies.

Almond Joy Brownies are gooey fudgy brownies filled with plenty of chocolate, almonds, and coconut. I have a weakness for just about any almond and chocolate combination. So, when I combined that with my fondness for coconut, the result was a rich chocolate, almond, and coconut brownie that is completely and totally me.

Toasted coconut, toffee bits, and chocolate chips create an outstanding cookie with an unexpected crisp toffee surprise on the bottom of each of these cookies. The cookies are extra chewy from the combination of coconut and toffee bits.

Chocolate and toasted coconut stuffed inside chewy blondies? Yes, please! These coconut cookie bars just plain make me happy.

No-bake cookies have met their match with these no bake chocolate peanut butter bars with oatmeal and coconut. It doesn’t get much easier than just stirring everything together and pouring it into a pan.

The chewiness of pudding cookies and the decadence of toffee and chocolate create a decadent treat in these Toffee Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is an easy cookie recipe that’s perfect with each and every bite.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Fudge is filled with sweet, chewy bits of coconut and then topped with a generous sprinkling of coconut.

Rich, chocolatey, and nutty with plenty of light, flaky coconut, homemade Almond Joys are easier to make than you’d expect.

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Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

These coconut chocolate chip cookies are loaded with both white and dark chocolate, in addition to a good amount of coconut.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 36

Calories 135kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1¾ cups light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour*
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¾ cup white chocolate chips
• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup coconut

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1¾ cups brown rice flour
• ½ cup tapioca starch
• ¼ cup potato starch
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Instructions

•  Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, remove it from the heat and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is well incorporated and mostly smooth. Let cool for a few minutes.
• While the mixture is cooling, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk together the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and then add to the sugar and butter mixture.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients in three stages and stir to combine. COOL COMPLETELY before adding the chocolate chips and coconut. Stir well to make sure the chocolate chips and coconut are evenly distributed.
• Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roll it into balls with your hands. Press down lightly to flatten each one before baking.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Don’t miss all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website too!

{originally published 7/2/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/18/23}

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If you’re anything like my family, peach season means that many of your favorite desserts are about to be made. This peach crunch recipe has been a favorite since long before this blog was a thing.

Peach Oatmeal Crisp

It doesn’t matter how many other varieties of fruit desserts I make, I always come back to the chewy sweet awesomeness of a fruit crunch.

This is basically a peach oatmeal crisp, but with an extra layer of that irresistible crisp topping.

Almost firm enough to cut into bars and yet just fruity enough to still resemble a crisp, a fruit crunch is simply a fruit crisp with both a top and bottom crust layer.

Don’t be intimidated by the crust layers or the topping, no cutting in cold butter is required. Melted butter is poured into the dry ingredients. Just stir with a fork to form perfect buttery sweet oatmeal crumbs to top this dessert.

Peach Cobbler with Oats

If you’ve ever made a southern-style peach cobbler (and if you haven’t made this recipe, you’re truly missing out!) you’ll notice that the ingredient list is very much the same.

You’re just going to add oats to the usual lineup of cobbler ingredients.

Peach Filling Ingredients

• peaches
• sugar
• cinnamon
• cornstarch
• kosher salt
• lemon juice

Crust Ingredients

• all-purpose flour
• light brown sugar
• old-fashioned oats
• melted butter

Peach Crunch Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the fruit in a mixing bowl. Add the white sugar, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, salt, and cornstarch.
2. Stir to coat and add the lemon juice. Stir again and let the peaches rest while preparing the crust.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, and brown sugar. Add the melted butter. Stir to combine.
4. Press half of this mixture into a buttered 9×13 pan.
5. Pour the fruit over the bottom crust and then sprinkle the rest of the dry mixture on top.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust turns golden brown. Serve warm from the oven or let cool completely and slice into servings.

Peach Dessert Recipes

This time of year, peaches and watermelon are the fruits I crave. And today is all about the peaches.

I will happily start any day with Peaches and Cream Oatmeal or Baked Peach Oatmeal. Both of those are 10-minute prep breakfasts that my whole family loves. And if you have a few extra minutes to prep breakfast, I recommend the Peaches and Cream French Toast Casserole.

The quintessential summer flavor combination of peaches and cream has been transformed into cold and creamy scoops of Peaches and Cream Ice Cream and it is everything I imagined it would be.

You need just three ingredients to make this Homemade Peach Sauce. The deliciousness begins with ripe, juicy, peaches. When the peaches grow fragrant and soften, that’s the signal that it is time to start making our favorite peach recipes.

Next time you heat up the grill, try Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream for a seriously easy and mouthwatering treat too. The peaches tastes just like the peaches in cobbler, but without any of the effort or extra ingredients.

Check out the rest of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!

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Peach Crunch

Fresh sweet peaches are tossed together with sugar and spices, then baked in between layers of brown sugar and oats to form a chewy sweet crust on this Peach Crunch.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 -16 servings

Calories 407kcal

Ingredients

Peach Filling Ingredients

• 8 peaches peeled and thinly sliced, about 6 cups
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves optional
• ¼ teaspoon ginger optional
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Crust Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour*
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1½ cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup butter melted

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1⅓ cups brown rice flour
• ⅔ cup tapioca starch

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the peaches in a mixing bowl. Add the white sugar, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, salt and cornstarch.
• Stir to coat and add the lemon juice. Stir again and the let the peaches rest while preparing the crust.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, and brown sugar. Add the melted butter. Stir to combine.
• Press half of this mixture into a buttered 9×13 pan. Pour the fruit over the bottom crust and then sprinkle the rest of the dry mixture on top.
• Bake for 34-36 minutes, until the crust turns golden brown. Serve warm from the oven or let cool completely and slice into servings. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

{originally published 9/24/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 8/7/23}

The post Peach Crunch appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

This cobbler is loaded with strawberries and then topped with a generous cinnamon sugar crust that is both buttery and flaky while never becoming soggy, even after a day or two in the refrigerator.

Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of desserts at the dinner table. Money was tight, and there were a lot of mouths to feed. So, it always felt like a special treat when dessert was something other than Jell-O.

My mom wasn’t much of a baker, and cobblers were among the best desserts she made. So, this strawberry cobbler recipe fills me with nostalgia. I remember digging into similar desserts after Sunday dinners.

I think most of us have a dessert like that. Something that reminds us of those sweet moments in our childhood, when a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream and a fruit cobbler was the highest kind of joy.

I like to top each serving of Strawberry Cobbler with fresh Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream or Homemade Ice Cream. Don’t get me wrong though, storebought whipped cream and/or ice cream works beautifully too.

There is no wrong way to eat a fruit cobbler! While the Peach Cobbler of my dreams will forever rule fruit desserts, the Strawberry Cobbler is rapidly becoming a close second.

How to Make Strawberry Cobbler

I try to freeze a few cobblers worth of fruit each year, so we can enjoy this fresh taste of summer throughout the year.

To freeze strawberries for cobbler, combine the filling ingredients: strawberries, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a gallon size zip-close freezer bag.

Add the lemon juice to the berry mixture and stir to combine. Alternatively, you can seal the bag and shake gently to coat the fruit.

Place the bag flat in the freezer. I like to prepare and stack several bags of cobbler filling in the freezer each summer.

When you’re ready to bake the cobbler, thaw the fruit mixture in the refrigerator. Pour the strawberries and all liquid from the bag into the baking pan. Bake the fruit and proceed with the recipe as written.

Cobbler Topping

The cobbler topping in this recipe is absolutely perfect. It is inspired by the topping I’ve made for many years now for this Southern Peach Cobbler.

In addition to grating cold fresh butter into flour to create the crumb texture I love in cobbler, just a touch of boiling water helps the whole thing attain a crusty texture as it bakes.

A simple cinnamon sugar combination is added to the top of the cobbler crust. This cinnamon sugar topping adds a little crispiness to the cobbler that’s so satisfying to bite into.

Using a cheese grater to “grate” cold butter is my favorite hassle-free wait to cut in the butter. It takes just a moment and I think it’s simpler than the more traditional methods.

If you choose not to use the grater, simply cut the cold butter into small pieces and then blend it into the flour mixture, using a pastry blender or your fingertips.

Strawberry Cobbler Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a large baking sheet covered in foil on the lowest rack in the oven. This cobbler may overflow and the baking pan will catch the drips and prevent a mess in the oven.
2. In a large bowl, combine the berries with the lemon juice and then add the rest of the filling ingredients. Stir to coat and then pour into a 9×13 baking dish.
3. Bake the berry mixture for 10 minutes.
4. While the strawberries are in the oven, combine the dry topping ingredients and whisk to combine. Toss the grated butter in the flour mixture. Stir in the boiling water, just until combined, leaving plenty of little lumps of butter.
5. Remove the berry mixture from the oven and drop the topping over them in spoonfuls. (I like to use my smallest cookie scoop to do this.)
6. Sprinkle the cobbler topping with the cinnamon sugar topping. Bake until the crust is golden and a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fruit Cobbler Recipes

Sweet and juicy, loaded with fresh apples, and just the right hint of spices, this apple cobbler is a fall and winter dessert favorite that we enjoy throughout the entire year.

With a sweet, buttery, crispy, cake-like topping and a filling of sweet, warm berries, this blueberry cobbler is dessert perfection with a scoop of ice cream on top.

Juicy fresh pears are topped with a generous cinnamon sugar crust to make this cinnamon spice pear cobbler. This unforgettable cobbler manages to be both buttery and flaky while never becoming soggy, even after a day or two in the refrigerator.

If you’re lucky enough to have any fruit cobbler leftover, I recommend stashing a bit of it away to make this cobbler ice cream.

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Strawberry Cobbler

Fresh strawberries are tossed with sugar and cinnamon before being layered under a sweet biscuit crust to make this Strawberry Cobbler. If you're a fan of classic strawberry shortcake, this berry-filled dessert is going to thrill you.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 509kcal

Ingredients

Berry Filling

• 10 cups sliced strawberries, about 4 pounds
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

Crust Topping

• 2 cups all-purpose flour*
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup butter, chilled and grated
• ½ cup boiling hot water

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1¼ cup brown rice flour
• ⅔ cup tapioca starch
• ⅓ cup potato starch

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a large baking sheet covered in foil on the lowest rack in the oven. This cobbler may overflow and the baking pan will catch the drips and prevent a mess in the oven.
• In a large bowl, combine the berries with the lemon juice and then add the rest of the filling ingredients. Stir to coat and then pour into a 9×13 baking dish. Bake the berry mixture for 10 minutes.
• While the strawberries are in the oven, combine the dry topping ingredients and whisk to combine. Toss the grated butter in the flour mixture. Stir in the boiling water, just until combined, leaving plenty of little lumps of butter.
• Remove the berry mixture from the oven and drop the topping over them in spoonfuls. (I like to use my smallest cookie scoop to do this.)
• Sprinkle the cobbler topping with the cinnamon sugar topping. Bake until the crust is golden and a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 105.8mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2.5mg

{originally published 7/26/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/7/23}

Strawberry Desserts

Want a few more ways to use strawberries this summer? Try a Strawberry Coconut Crisp. It is pretty amazing on its own and it’s even better with a melty scoop of ice cream on top.

Fresh Strawberry Frosting is so flavorful and berry filled, you’re going to be slathering it on cakes, cupcakes, and pretty much everything you can think of. I’ve been known to dip a spoon into it, in addition to topping a few graham crackers with this loveliness every time I make it.

Strawberries Romanoff is a dressed-up version of strawberries with whipped cream – it tastes so much fancier than it actually is!

This Fresh Strawberry Pie by Bless This Mess Please is positively dreamy. And this No Bake Sour Cream Berry Pie by Country Cleaver needs to be on the must-try list soon as well.

Last but not least, you’ll want to set aside some Strawberry Cobbler to make ice cream. I can’t get enough of the Strawberry Crisp Ice Cream. So, naturally, I’m already planning a batch of Strawberry Cobbler Ice Cream.

The post Strawberry Cobbler appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

As long as I can remember, I’ve seen the well-known chocolate cake recipe on the side of the Hershey’s cocoa box and I’ve made it countless times. On a whim, I decided to try making a gluten-free version of the famous Hershey Cake a few years ago.

WOW. It turned out beautifully the very first time and I have made this cake many more times since then, both the original recipe and the gluten-free variation.

There is nothing quite like having a lightning-fast homemade cake recipe that turns out perfectly every single time. 

Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake

The cake is sturdy enough to hold together in layers, as cupcakes or to slice as a bundt cake. I’ve made this recipe into cupcakes and topped them with Fresh Strawberry Frosting.

I’ve made a layer cake filled with strawberry frosting, and a layer of berries, and then topped the cake with chocolate frosting.

I’ve made bundt cakes and simply poured the warm frosting over the cake. Every way I’ve served this cake, it has disappeared in no time at all!

Hershey Chocolate Cake

Nothing sparks that warm fuzzy feeling like the aroma of chocolate cake baking in your home. Put something chocolatey in the oven and watch as all the members of your family suddenly flock to the kitchen like moths to an iridescent light.

Don’t get me wrong. I love an adventurous dessert ( hello, Flourless Hot Chocolate Cake) and sometimes you need an elegant showstopper like Chocolate Lava Cakes to wow a table.

But at the end of the day, it’s hard to beat the familiar pleasure of a simple Hershey’s chocolate bundt cake.

The original version of this recipe has been on the side of Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa box for decades so chances are you grew up eating this cake or something close to it.

There’s something fun and a little magical about recreating a familiar dessert from childhood! And if you didn’t get to experience this deliciously perfect Hershey cake recipe as a kid, now’s your time.

Is Hershey’s cocoa powder gluten free?

YES! Baking without gluten shouldn’t mean having to live without enjoying a classic Hershey’s chocolate cake, which is why I am sharing this gluten-free version of Hershey’s famous cake.

For another ultra-rich and unforgettable gluten-free chocolate cake, be sure to try this gluten-free chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting too. It’s a little bit fussier, but the payoff is worth it.

Cake Frosting Recipes

This Hershey’s Perfect One Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe includes directions for making a creamy chocolate icing that you pour over the cake once cooled. It’s an easy way to create a visually appealing cake without a ton of extra fuss.

That said, this cake is an amazing vehicle for all kinds of frostings. Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting would be a dream on top of this Hershey’s cake, as would Fresh Strawberry Frosting.

This recipe makes awesome cupcakes as well. Simply fill two cupcake pans evenly with batter and bake for slightly less time than you would a sheet or bundt cake.

Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan and lightly flour it with a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder. (Alternatively, grease (2) 9″ round pans or prepare (24) cupcake liners.)
2. Stir together the sugar, flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Slowly pour in the boiling water and continue stirring to combine. The batter should be very thin and watery. Pour into the prepared bundt pan or divide between two round pans or cupcake holders.
4. Bake the bundt cake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (2) 9″ rounds will bake in 30-35 minutes and cupcakes will bake in 22-24 minutes. Cool completely.

Hershey‘s Chocolate Frosting

1. Heat the cream on the stove-top over low heat until steaming, or in a medium size glass bowl in the microwave until simmering. (About 2 minutes at high heat was all it took in the microwave.)
2. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the hot cream. Let this sit for a few minutes. Stir or whisk to combine, until the chocolate mixture is smooth and glossy.
3. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk or stir until completely smooth. Pour the frosting over the cooled cake. Serve immediately or place the cake in the refrigerator to chill until the frosting is set. 

Make this one-bowl cake over and over again and have fun experimenting with different toppings.

Hershey’s Perfect One Bowl Chocolate Cake is:

• Rich and chocolatey
• Easy and quick to make from scratch
• Versatile
• Easily made gluten-free 

Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this site!

Hershey’s Cocoa Recipes

Want a few more recipes that use Hershey’s cocoa? Try a scoop of homemade chocolate ice cream over your cake for a chocolate lover’s dream dessert.

Flourless chocolate brownie cookies and this cold chocolate snacking cake are must-try recipes too. Grandma’s old-fashioned crazy cake is a recipe my kids always loved to make and so is this striped zebra cake.

It’s hard to go wrong with a Hershey cake recipe. They’re classics for a good reason.

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Hershey’s Perfect One Bowl Chocolate Cake

This cake is truly the most versatile and easiest perfect one-bowl chocolate cake recipe I have ever made. Traditional and gluten-free recipes are included.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings or 24 cupcakes

Calories 389kcal

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour*
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup light flavored olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1¼ cups brown rice flour
• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ cup tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 6 ounces worth
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan and lightly flour it with a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder. (Alternatively, grease (2) 9" round pans or prepare (24) cupcake liners.)
• Stir together the sugar, flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Slowly pour in the boiling water and continue stirring to combine. The batter should be very thin and watery. Pour into prepared bundt pan or divide between two round pans or cupcake holders.
• Bake the bundt cake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (2) 9″ rounds will bake in 30-35 minutes and cupcakes will bake in 22-24 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting Instructions

• Heat the cream on the stove-top over low heat until steaming, or in a medium size glass bowl in the microwave until simmering. (About 2 minutes at high heat was all it took in the microwave.) Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the hot cream. Let this sit for a few minutes. Stir or whisk to combine, until the chocolate mixture is smooth and glossy.
• Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk or stir until completely smooth. Pour the frosting over the cooled cake. Serve immediately or place the cake in the refrigerator to chill until the frosting is set. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg

{originally published 4/30/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/30/23}

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Coconut Blondies

Oh, how I love blondie cookie bars. From classic chocolate chip blondies to fully loaded cookie bars with coconut and pecans, or a dark chocolate and cashew combination, there are endless ways to make a pan of blondies extra special.

Unless you are a coconut hater (completely inconceivable to me!), you are likely to adore these coconut blondies.

I typically cut these bars small, basically just so that I can keep going back into the kitchen for repeated tastings. Plus, they are pretty rich, so smaller servings work well with this recipe.

Blondies with Chocolate Chips

If you love bakery-style chocolate chip cookies with crisp edges and perfectly chewy centers (and you’re anything like me with less time on your hands with every passing day), these blondies with chocolate chips are likely to be made more often than those cookies we all love so much.

Blondies give you the crisp edges (especially the awesome edges pieces!) and the chewy centers of chocolate chip cookies, and they do it in less time with far less effort. No rolling or scooping is required, just stir the dough together and press it into the pan.

These dark chocolate coconut bars have earned a much-loved place in our dessert lineup. The fact that the bars freeze very well and thaw perfectly is just one more reason to love them.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• butter
• light brown sugar
• eggs
• vanilla
• flour
• salt
• shredded sweetened coconut
• dark, bittersweet, or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Coconut Cookie Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk together the flour and salt and set aside. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and beat until well combined.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir well. Slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in the coconut (reserving the amount for topping) along with the chocolate chips.
3. Scrape the batter into a well-greased 9×13 pan. Spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining coconut on top.
4. Bake for 28 minutes, or until the bars are lightly browned around the edges and set in the middle. Cool slightly before serving.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: Cool completely before cutting them into bars if you will not be eating them immediately. Store in zip-close bags or an airtight container. These bars freeze beautifully.

Crunchy, chewy, sweet, and buttery pecan praline blondies are a dessert that I still crave several years later. (They’re extra sweet, so slice them small and serve a crowd!)

And these walnut chocolate chip blondies are a perfect balance of flavors, not a fan of walnuts? Just swap in pecans.

For something a little further off the beaten path, try Biscoff blondies, white chocolate macadamia nut, or these mouthwatering apple blondies.

However you choose to make them, blondie cookie bars are never a bad idea!

Looking for more dessert ideas? This heartwarming Arroz con Leche with cinnamon offers a taste of tradition and comfort to anyone lucky enough to taste its creamy goodness.

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Coconut Cookie Bars

Chocolate and toasted coconut stuffed inside chewy blondies, could any dessert possibly make me happier? For the moment, not a chance. These dark chocolate coconut blondies just plain make me happy.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 28 minutes minutes

Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 438kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter melted
• 2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour*
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2½ cups shredded sweetened coconut divided
• 1⅔ cups dark, bittersweet, or semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1⅓ cups brown rice flour
• ⅓ cup tapioca starch
• ⅓ cup potato starch

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a bowl and beat until well combined.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and stir well. Slowly add the flour and the salt. Stir to combine and then add 2 cups of coconut along with the chocolate chips.
• Scrape the batter into a well-greased 9×13 pan. Spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining coconut on top.
• Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the bars are lightly browned around the edges and set in the middle. Cool slightly before serving.

Notes

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: Cool completely before cutting them into bars if you will not be eating them immediately. These bars freeze beautifully.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 394IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Coconut Cookie Bars appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

German Pancakes with Apples

I added apples to a batch of these pancakes for the first time over ten years ago and my family went absolutely crazy over them. I made this recipe one morning a couple of weeks ago to reshoot the photos and fell in love with these pancakes all over again.

I enjoyed the German apple pancakes so much that I’ve already made them again for family dinner. Whether it’s my grandmother’s traditional recipe or a grain and gluten free variation, we just plain love German pancakes.

For a fun change, try making miniature German pancakes in a muffin tin or these cranberry almond German pancakes during the holidays. (You know I can never have enough cranberry recipes!) However you make them, they are always delicious.

My grandmother handed down a recipe for sweet orange sauce that has become traditional in my family when eating German pancakes. I love that sauce, both because it is delicious, and because it reminds me of her.

But, honestly, I like these German pancakes with apples best on their own. Sweet enough from the apples, all the finished pancake required was a light dusting of powdered sugar. (My kids sure do like them with a drizzle of maple syrup though.)

A word of warning when you’re making the apples for these pancakes, you may want to make extra. It’s hard to resist tasting a few straight from the saucepan–just try not to eat them all before you can bake the pancakes!

Apple Dutch Baby

Depending on where you’re from, you might know these pancakes by a different name. I’ve heard them called Dutch babies and Dutch puffs, and they’re also quite similar to popovers.

The Dutch baby apple pancake highlights the fabulous sweetness and flavor of the fruit, much as you might find in an apple pie. But the apple Dutch baby recipe has a lot less added sugar.

We might have different names for this recipe, but anyone who tastes a Dutch apple pancake calls it delicious. Light and airy because of the way that the egg puffs up in the oven, and with an endless array of available toppings, this is a breakfast I’ll happily eat as often as possible.

German Apple Pancake Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• apple
• lemon juice
• milk
• eggs
• butter
• flour
• salt and ground cinnamon
• light brown sugar and powdered sugar

To begin this recipe, preheat the oven to 500°F. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown–about 5 minutes.

While the apples are cooking, whisk together the flour, salt, and milk. Add the eggs, then whisk again and set aside. Place the butter in a glass pie plate and melt it in the oven, this should take about 2 minutes.

When the butter has melted, carefully remove the hot dish from the oven and turn it in your hands to coat the bottom and sides. Add the apples to the dish and spread them out on the bottom. Pour the pancake mixture over the apples.

Return the pan to the oven and reduce heat to 425°F. Bake for 18 minutes; the sides of the pancake will rise over the rim of the pie plate and brown slightly.

Remove from the oven and place a large plate on top of the pancake. Invert the pie dish over the plate to release the pancake. Dust them generously with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.

I triple this recipe for my family and it easily serves six. When making this, I divide the tripled recipe between a pie plate (⅓ of the mixture) and a 9×13 baking dish (2/3 of the mixture).

German Apple Pancakes

If you liked these German apple pancakes, and want to try some other breakfasts with apples, you’ve got to give this old fashioned apple crisp, a try. It’s truly wonderful. (And yes, an apple crisp can be breakfast. Oats + apples = my kind of way to start the day.)

You also might like this recipe for apple cinnamon oatmeal. (I love a hearty bowl of steaming hot oatmeal!) But I also like the texture oatmeal gets when it is baked, like in this apple pie baked oatmeal.

I’m considering these apple cinammon muffins for my next breakfast. The recipe reminds me of banana bread, which I adore.

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German Apple Pancake

Forget about leftovers with this German Apple Pancake. You won't believe how easy it is to make such a scrumptious breakfast treat.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 28 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 377kcal

Ingredients

To Cook the Apples

• 1 medium apple cored and very thinly sliced, about 1 cup
• 1½ tablespoons light brown sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

To Make the Pancakes

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour * (see note below for GF alternative)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅓ cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• powdered sugar for serving

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 500°F. In a  small saucepan, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
• While the apples are cooking, whisk together the flour, salt, and milk. Add the eggs, whisk again, and set aside. Place the butter in a glass pie plate and melt it in the oven, this should take about 2 minutes.
• When the butter has melted, carefully remove the hot dish from the oven and turn to coat the bottom and sides with the melted butter. Add the cooked apples to the butter and spread them across the pie plate. Pour the pancake mixture over the apples.
• Return the pan to the oven and reduce heat to 425°F. Bake for 18 minutes; the sides of the pancake will rise over the rim of the pie plate and brown slightly.
• Using hot pads, remove from the oven and place a large plate on top of the pancake. Invert the pie plate over the plate to release the pancake. Dust generously with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

Notes

* Gluten-Free flour blend: Mix together ⅔ cup brown rice flour and ⅓ cup tapioca starch. Use ⅓ cup of this flour for each batch of pancakes that you make. Store the extra flour in the freezer and use it wherever a small amount of all-purpose flour is called for in a recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 822IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg

{originally published 7/12/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/10/23}

The post German Apple Pancake appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

I have a huge grin on my face today and I am positively giddy to tell you that this cake, this fantastically moist, perfectly sweet blueberry coffee cake with a hint of lemon, is the best blueberry coffee cake I have ever tasted.

I am so happy with this cake, I practically danced across the kitchen after I tasted it. I ate a slice of this cake right after I finished photographing it this afternoon and I ate another slice after dinner.

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake

Coffee cake, in my opinion, doesn’t get nearly the amount of hype it deserves. A good coffee cake has a tender moist interior with a crisp, crumbly topping. This one is also stuffed to the brim with fresh juicy blueberries.

I was surprised to learn recently that in some parts of the world a “coffee cake” is a cake with actual coffee in it. While I’ve been known to bake a cake with coffee in it from time to time, like this Chocolate Mocha Cake, a true coffee cake is one designed to be eaten alongside a cup of coffee.

Blueberry Coffee Cake with Sour Cream

This blueberry coffee cake with sour cream is ideal for sipping with a Spanish Cafe con Leche or for sharing with friends alongside a pot of coffee. The blueberries in it make me think of summer afternoons, gathered with friends for an afternoon chat on the porch.

Coffee cake is also the kind of cake you can happily eat for breakfast. It’s basically a muffin in cake form, right?

Do I even need to tell you what I’ll be eating for breakfast tomorrow? This is a dangerous kind of awesome, my friends.

Easy Blueberry Coffee Cake

Another thing to love about this easy blueberry coffee cake is that there’s no icing required. It’s sweet and moist all on its own. While I love the taste of icing, I’m not the world’s best cake decorator. So, any easy cake recipe that lets me just bake and go is a winner.

This coffee cake smelled so good while it was baking that I could hardly wait for it to cool to grab myself a slice. After realizing how good it was, I had to put the rest of the cake out of sight.

I cannot wait to enjoy this blueberry coffee cake for breakfast tomorrow with my first cup of coffee.

Gluten Free Blueberry Coffee Cake

Once I discovered how good this blueberry coffee cake recipe is, I decided to see if I could make it gluten free. As it turns out, substituting gluten free flours and starches was super easy and resulted in a cake that we all liked just as much as the traditional version.

I’m always excited when I can share a new favorite recipe with my family members and friends who avoid gluten. Check out more of my Gluten Free Dessert Recipes too.

Moist Blueberry Coffee Cake

Nothing disappoints me more than digging into a slice of coffee cake to find that the inside is dry and crumbly. That is not a problem with this wonderfully moist blueberry coffee cake.

What’s the secret? Sour cream keeps this blueberry coffee cake moist, even a few days later. 

If you love this blueberry coffee cake as much as I do, chances are you’ll hardly have any leftovers after a couple of days. It doesn’t last long when it’s great for dessert and then again the next morning for breakfast.

But, if you DO end up with a few extra slices, rest easy knowing that this cake will taste delicious each and every time you come back for more. And if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, this pan with a lid is fantastic for both baking and storing cake.

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

Cake Ingredients

• butter
• sugar
• eggs
• lemon juice and zest
• vanilla extract
• flour
• baking powder
• sour cream
• blueberries

Coffee Cake Topping

• flour
• brown sugar
• butter

Recipe for Blueberry Coffee Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8″ baking pan with butter. You’ll want a big mixing bowl for the batter. Start by beating the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Then, stir in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix in the eggs one at a time, just until combined. Combine the flour and baking powder in another bowl and lightly coat your blueberries with the dry ingredients.

Then mix the dry ingredients into your batter, one half at a time. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour it all into your greased pan.

For the topping, mix the flour and sugar together before adding the melted butter. Stir it together lightly with a fork, then sprinkle the sugary crumbs on top of the batter in the pan.

Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

Making this blueberry coffee cake recipe is as simple as mixing together the batter, pouring it into a pan, and adding a crumb topping. Fresh blueberries in the batter add a sweet, tart flavor and beautiful color to this coffee cake.

The crumb topping comes together with just a little flour, sugar, and melted butter. I mix it up in the same bowl I used for the cake batter so that I’m only getting one bowl dirty.

I love baking, but hate cleaning up! Can I get an amen?

Easy Coffee Cake Recipes

I’m definitely a coffee cake enthusiast, and this one has already been added to my list of favorite easy coffee cake recipes. I love Layered Pumpkin Coffee Cake, Lemon Coffee Cake, and straight-up Cinnamon Coffee Cake. The satisfaction of sticking your fork into the crisp crumb topping and tasting the moist, sweet interior is unbeatable.

If you like this coffee cake recipe, you should also give this  Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze a try. I’ve also got my eye on these Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins.

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Blueberry Coffee Cake

Blueberries and lemon come together perfectly in a Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake that is truly worthy of any occasion.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 315kcal

Ingredients

Coffee Cake

• ½ cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest or the zest of (1) large lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour*
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• ⅔ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup tapioca starch
• ¼ cup potato starch
• ½ teaspoon xantham gum

Coffee Cake Topping

• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour**
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter melted

**Gluten-Free Topping Alternative

• ⅔ cup brown rice flour

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and the sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.
• Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Place the blueberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the dry ingredients, stir gently to coat the berries.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and mix again. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and mix just until combined.
• Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the batter into a greased 8" square pan. Place the flour and sugar for the topping in the same small bowl that was holding the berries and add the melted butter. Stir lightly with a fork to combine. Sprinkle the sugary crumbs over the batter in the pan.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 461IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

{recipe originally published 8/14/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/25/23}

The post Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Several years ago, a sweet friend of mine requested a Flourless Chocolate Cake for her birthday. I’d never heard of it before, but she told me that she had fallen in love with it at a restaurant once and wondered if I could make her one.

I found a number of different recipes and I tried a couple of them. Then I made this one and it took my breath away. This cake delivers the most intense chocolate flavor you can possibly imagine.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I’ve made this cake many times over the past 10+ years and every time this is served, the room goes silent. There isn’t a better compliment than knowing that your guests are reveling so happily in what you’ve served them that no one is talking while they eat it.

And when the plates are empty? Oh my, the raves over this cake are always over the top. It’s a timeless recipe for a good reason.

This flourless cake is creamy and smooth, not at all dry. The serving size truly is the tiniest sliver. The slice pictured here served two people.

This recipe for flourless chocolate cake uses dark bittersweet chocolate instead of the traditional combination of chocolate and cocoa powder. The dark chocolate here intensifies the chocolate flavor in the cake and the result is a creamy, almost truffle-like cake with a creamy velvet smooth interior.

If you’re already a fan of this easy flourless chocolate cake and want to try something a little different, this version is sweet, cold, creamy, chocolate cake combined with a hint of unexpected heat as you finish each bite; it is unforgettable.

The heat will increase marginally, after a night or two in the refrigerator, but the cream balances it out nicely. I made the flourless “hot” chocolate cake for my family and then sliced the remaining cake into slivers and sent it to work with my husband.

The reviews from everyone who tried it were fantastic. (Even my non-spice-loving children went a bit crazy for it.)

Flourless Cake

I call this an “accidentally gluten-free” recipe, as it requires no special ingredients and zero fuss. Because this type of gluten-free recipes are always appreciated, I’ve gathered up a whole collection of the best gluten free recipes that require no special ingredients. And don’t miss the rest of our Gluten Free Dessert Recipes if that’s something that is a fit for you.

Speaking of that dark bittersweet chocolate, even if you aren’t usually a fan of dark chocolate, trust me when I say it is a requirement here.

I made this once with regular semi-sweet chocolate chips that I had on hand and most of us were barely able to eat it. It was crazy levels of sweetness. My youngest boys (who both have a pretty strong sweet tooth) enjoyed it, but we all agree that the dark chocolate version is much better.

Chocolate Flourless Cake

You’ll need just six ingredients to make this recipe:

• sugar
• salt
• water
• bittersweet dark chocolate
• butter
• eggs

Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, salt, and water.

Simmer, stirring frequently, until completely clear and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave at 50% power for 1 minute intervals), melt the chocolate.

Pour the melted chocolate into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. 

Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and slowly beat the butter into the melted chocolate one piece at a time. (It’s okay to have some tiny unmelted butter pieces in the chocolate mixture.)

Pour the hot sugar and water mixture into the chocolate. Beat to combine.

Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg is added to the mixture.

Pour the batter into the well-greased springform pan.

Prepare a pan larger than the springform pan and set the springform inside it.

In the past, I’ve used the broiler pan from my oven. This is the easiest option, but unfortunately, I no longer have an oven with a broiler pan like that.

Now I use a large foil catering pan with a baking sheet underneath. As you can see in the photo below, it isn’t the prettiest option, but it works well.

Pour about 4 cups of boiling water into the bigger pan, or enough water to fill the pan about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Carefully set the pans in the oven and bake the cake in the water bath for 45-48 minutes. The center of the cake will still look wet when it is finished baking.

Chill the cake overnight in the pan. Carefully slide a knife around the edges of the pan and remove the springform ring prior to serving.

Slice into very thin pieces and serve sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with freshly whipped cream and berries.

How to Use a Springform Pan

If you’re new to using a springform pan, I have a tip for you. Some springform pans will allow water to pass through to the bottom of the cake.

If you are concerned about that happening or aren’t certain how tight your pan will seal, you can wrap the outside bottom and sides of the pan very tightly with foil.

The foil ensures that water will not be able to enter the pan. I’ve done that in the past with water-bath recipes and different springform pans and it works well.

I almost always wrap my springform pans in this way, just in case. It only takes a minute and your dessert will have no risk of turning out less than perfect.

Easy Chocolate Cake

Texas Sheet Cake is a fabulously moist and decadent chocolate cake smothered in a pourable chocolate frosting. There is a copious amount of butter here and it is 100% worth every ounce of it.

Chocolate Lava Cake is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. With a gooey center and a crackling cake-like crust, there is no other dessert that compares.

The classic recipe for Hershey’s Chocolate Cake (straight off the side of the box) is truly the most versatile and easiest perfect one-bowl chocolate cake recipe I have ever made. I’ve adapted it for gluten-free baking as well, so both variations are included.

Chocolate Quinoa Cake (I kid you not) has the texture of a traditional cake, yet no special flours are required. This is pure, sweet chocolate cake. This cake has blown my mind. Just writing about it here makes me grin as I think about how perfectly moist, rich, and chocolatey it is.

Designed to be served cold from the refrigerator, this Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake is a rich dark chocolate cake topped with an absolutely amazing chocolate frosting. It’s wonderfully unique and completely unforgettable.

Old-fashioned Chocolate Crazy Cake is one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make. This cake is both egg and dairy free, making it the perfect dessert to make on a whim with little more than a handful of things from the pantry.

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

Have you tasted a Flourless Chocolate Cake? If so, you'll likely never forget that first bite. Unassuming in appearance and almost ridiculously easy to make, this cake is a fantastic decadent treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 48 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 8 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 222kcal

Ingredients

• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup water
• 18 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate I use Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Bittersweet baking chips
• 1 cup butter
• 6 eggs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Generously grease a 10” round springform pan and set aside *. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, salt, and water. Simmer, stirring frequently, until completely clear and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave at 50% power for 1 minute intervals), melt the chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. 
• Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and slowly beat the butter into the melted chocolate one piece at a time. (It's okay to have some tiny unmelted butter pieces in the chocolate mixture.)
• Pour the hot sugar and water mixture into the chocolate. Beat to combine. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg is added to the mixture. Pour the batter into the well-greased springform pan.
• Prepare a pan larger than the springform pan and set the springform inside it. Pour about 4 cups of boiling water into the bigger pan, or enough water to fill the pan about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• Carefully set the pans in the oven and bake the cake in the water bath for 45-48 minutes. The center of the cake will still look wet when it is finished baking.
• Chill the cake overnight in the pan. Carefully slide a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the springform ring prior to serving. Slice into very thin pieces and serve topped with freshly whipped cream or fresh berries.

Notes

* Some springform pans will allow water to pass through to the bottom of the cake. If you are concerned about that happening or aren’t certain how tight your pan will seal, you can wrap the outside bottom and sides of the pan very tightly with foil to make sure water can not enter the pan. I’ve done that in the past with different water-bath recipes and it works well.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 298IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 0.5mg

{originally published 2/13/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/11/23}

The post Flourless Chocolate Cake appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Before I tell you more about these amazing homemade candy bars, I’d better confess that no-bake cookies and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I love how easy no bake cookies are to make; I hate how unattractive they tend to be. I love how rich the chocolate and peanut flavors can be; I hate the raw oatmeal that frequently overwhelms the cookies.

(That whole raw oatmeal situation is balanced with the addition of coconut in these no bake chocolate coconut cookies or bars or bites… whatever you call them, the coconut changes the texture (and improves it!) in the best way possible.)

When I ran across these no-bake bars, (a.k.a. “the best recipe I’ve ever messed up“) I couldn’t believe I’d never thought to try making the cookies into bars. At least they would look better, right?

I’m going to be flat-out honest here and tell you my thinking when I started making these treats. (My friend Donna can attest to it because we were talking on the phone at the time.)

I thought, “I’ll make these because the kids will love having a dessert over the weekend and I won’t be tempted to eat more than one.”

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Bars

That is seriously funny in hindsight. I almost licked the saucepan clean as I was waiting for the bars to harden in the refrigerator.

The additional coconut, honey, and nuts in these bars take them far out of the league of traditional no-bake treats.

That oatmeal that I dislike in other cookies? It is providing structure and just a bit of flavor, instead of being the dominant ingredient.

No Bake Chocolate Coconut Cookies

There are plenty of options with these bars. If you prefer a completely unprocessed ingredient list, use pure dark chocolate, natural peanut butter, and unsweetened coconut.

No-bake cookies and bars benefit greatly from the addition of coconut. The texture and the flavor can’t be beaten. If you are like me and have no plans to give up your refined sugars (and are too impatient to make a special trip to the store), use whatever ingredients happen to be in the house.

I found that a 1″ square piece of these bars satisfied my chocolate craving. (One square at a time, that is. I can’t even describe how much I enjoyed these treats!)

As I was enjoying one of these with my husband late last night, we both agreed that they put store-bought candy bars to shame.

These no bake chocolate peanut butter bars are a naturally gluten free treat too! Check out all of our gluten free dessert recipes here.

For more no-bake desserts, try these Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies, Monster Cookie Dough Bites, and the Chocolate Zebra Cake.

Kitchen Tip: I use these bowls, this spatula, and this pan to make this recipe.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• peanut butter
• honey
• coconut oil 
• rolled oats
• shredded coconut
• chopped pecans
• dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• vanilla extract

To make the chocolate coconut bars, melt the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently as the mixture melts.

When it has melted, remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth.

Add the oats, coconut, and pecans. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into an 8×8 pan. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, at least 3-4 hours.

Slice into 1″-2″ square pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

To make this in the microwave, combine the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, and chocolate chips in a large glass mixing bowl. Microwave 90 seconds at high power. Stir and return to microwave. Heat for an additional 90 seconds, only until the chocolate has almost melted. Stir until smooth.

No Bake Cereal Bars

Rice Krispies Treats are the original no-bake cereal bar and I know very few people who can resist them. Want to know how to make gooey, soft, and chewy Rice Krispie Treats?

Chocolate-drizzled peanut butter cup rice crispy treats, coconut lover’s rice crispy treats, even chocolate-covered pretzel rice crispy treats – I love them all.

No bake cereal bars like these no bake crunch bars and these crispy chocolate bars can made with rice krispies or corn flakes. And for the ultimate treat for any peanut butter lover, no bake peanut butter bars can be made in mere minutes.

Those chewy, slightly crunchy, peanut butter cereal bars are loaded with pockets of gooey marshmallows and they are a huge hit every time we make them.

Print

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Bars

Chocolate and peanut butter are a perfect match in these chewy no-bake treats.

 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 60 bite-size pieces

Calories 93kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 1¼ cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups rolled oats (not instant oats)
• 1 cup coconut
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions

• Melt the peanut butter, honey and coconut oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently as the mixture melts.
• When it has melted, remove it from the heat and add the chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until completely smooth. Add the oats, coconut, and pecans. Stir to mix well.
• Pour into an 8×8 pan. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, at least 3-4 hours. Slice into 1″-2″ square pieces. Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Notes

Alternate microwave directions:

Combine the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract in a large glass mixing bowl. Microwave 90 seconds at high power. Stir and return to microwave. Heat for an additional 90 seconds, only until the chocolate has almost melted.

Stir until smooth. Add the oats, coconut, and pecans. Stir to combine. Pour into an 8×8 pan. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, at least 3-4 hours. Slice into 1″-2″ square pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

{originally published 3/3/13 – notes and photos updated 3/29/23}

The post No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.