Chocolate Banana Cake is the perfect dessert for when you are short on time but need a yummy dessert. The addition of bananas to this recipe makes a box mix chocolate cake into a deliciously moist and decadent treat!

When the urge for an easy decadent dessert hits, this Chocolate Banana Cake is perfect for a quick and easy treat.  It won’t last for long because everyone will want to have a second slice!

CHOCOLATE BANANA CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box cake mix
• 1/3 cup oil (or as called for on your box mix)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 3 bananas
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Follow Spend With Pennies on Pinterest

DIRECTIONS:

Full Recipes>>Chocolate Banana Cake

As much as I love banana bread, and believe me, I love it A LOT, sometimes I want something different. Something like this cake for instance.  Incredibly moist and fudgy this cake is almost brownie-like in consistency and texture.  The bold chocolate flavors mingle beautifully with the banana and the gooey pockets of melted chocolate chips are pure heaven.

This cake is perfect for snacking on since it’s made without oil or butter – applesauce only!  I make it in an 8×8 baking dish so there’s just the right amount of cake for a couple of day’s worth of snacks. Or one day if we’re really hungry.

Chocolate Banana Applesauce Cake

Ingredients

• 2 very ripe bananas
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup applesauce (no sugar added)
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Chocolate Banana Applesauce Cake

First, let’s talk about the crust. It’s starts as a sheetpan-style giant oatmeal cookie slab that’s made from butter, brown and white sugar, an egg yolk, flour, and oats. The big cookie slab is spread about 1/4- inch thick onto a sheetpan, baked for 15 minutes, cooled, and then destroyed.

That’s right, after cooling, the cookie is crumbled up with a bit more brown sugar and more butter, and packed into a pie plate as the crust.

Crack Pie

INGREDIENTS:

Pie

• unsalted butter, melted
• 1 recipe Oat Cookie (recipe follows)
• 1 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 recipe Crack Pie Filling (recipe follows)
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Oat Cookie

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
• 3 tbsp. white sugar, granulated
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/8 tsp. baking powder
• pinch baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Crack Pie Filling

• 1 c. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 c. white sugar, granulated
• 3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 c. corn powder (corn powder is defined as freeze-dried corn, ground to a fine powder)
• 1/4 c. milk powder
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 large egg yolks

DIRECTIONS:

Full Recipes>>Crack Pie

When I was newly married and highly inexperienced at cooking (this is no joke, I honestly didn’t know a thing! The cooking experience I brought along to my marriage consisted of the Lion House taffy I had learned to make at my college job. You feel bad for MyHandsomeHusband, don’t you? He did most of the cooking back then, bless him. He’s always been a keeper, that one. But that is a different story for another time…

Anyhow, I didn’t know a thing about cooking and it was Thanksgiving and my mother in law asked if I would bring a couple of pies to our family feast. So, I started to look through some cookbooks and I called my mom and I read the back of the Jell-O Pudding box and I paced a little and fretted some. I came across a recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie that looked so overwhelming hard I told MyHandsomeHusband I would NEVER make a pie like that from scratch! “Who has time to stand and stir at the stove for 100 years, just to make a pie!” I may have told him. In my mind I could see my hair turning gray and big dark circles forming under my eyes while I stirred pie filling and 100 years ticked by. I ended up making a couple of pudding pies, using the trusty Jello-O boxed pudding method…and they turned out ok. No one pushed me out of the family or anything. 

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Ingredients:

• 26 Oreo cookies
• 6 Tb butter, melted
• dash salt
• 3 C whole milk (don’t skimp here)
• 1 C semi sweet chocolate chips
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 C sugar
• 4 Tb corn starch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tb sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 large Hershey Bar

Directions:

Full Recipes>>Chocolate Cream Pie!

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes, which I’m pretty sure are everyone’s new favorite. They’re so good.

Similar to my Lemon Bar Cupcakes, these cupcakes are packed with juicy key lime flavor in every bite! They have a fabulous key lime filling and a thick, luscious key lime pie frosting that’s garnished with little sprinkles of honey graham crackers. Talk about the ultimate Key Lime Pie!

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 box key lime cake mix
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup oil
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup key lime juice
• Zest of one lime
• 1 can Duncan Hines Key Lime Pie Filling
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• About 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• Crushed honey graham cracker crumbs

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

A few days ago, my little boy had kid’s fair in his kindergarten. All children are supposed to come with masks and parents were asked to prepare cakes for sale.

The first task was easy. My son immediately decided that he wanted to be the chef, so I did not have to put too much effort to made the costume. He wanted only chef’s hat, apron and a wooden spoon. I tried to convince him to get on his pirate costume but he was so excited to be a chef. However, his wish was fulfilled and he was the cutest chef I’ve ever seen. I was very proud of my little chef.

Mini Cherry Pies

Ingredients

• 1 package (2 9″) store-bought pie crust
• 2 cups cherry pie filling
• 1 egg white-slightly beaten
• sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Mini Cherry Pies

Here’s one for the lemon lovers. Made completely from scratch, just like Grandma used to make. No artificial anything here! So much better than those artificial powder pretenders. Reminds me of Sunday suppers while growing up.

A homemade lemon meringue pie is a good reason to perfect your pastry making technique too. I always recommend that beginner bakers start with pastry pie shells before moving on to two crust filled pies.

The Very Best Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

For the Pastry. Sufficient for two 10 inch pie shells.

• 1 cup very cold butter cut into small cubes
• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/4 cup ice water or a little more. Only enough to make a dough form.

For the Filling

• 1/3 cup corn starch
• 1/3 cup cake flour
• pinch salt
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 5 egg yolk slightly beaten
• Zest of 2 lemons very finely chopped
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp butter

For the meringue

• 5 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• ¼ tsp cream of tarter
• Pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Full Recipes>>The Very Best Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie

Our closest relatives are visiting next week – the grandparents, my husband’s and my parents, and my sisters, too, because we want to make arrangements for a celebration for our little son David.

We should make some sweet treat, but my mother’s duties, as usual, don’t give me a lot of time, and what should I make?

Fall season is quickly approaching, and with it comes Apple Desserts. But, as guests who are coming tend to critic a lot, they’ll say:  Ooooh, no! Not again cake with apples ? Well, I’ll make that apple cake anyway!

Because that’s the only fruit that my David loves to eat, but this time it’s going to be something special! It has to be a sweet treat that will please the taste of both the old and the young, something traditional, classic,  and yet with some juicy addition that will give something special to apples and wow my teenage sisters!

Yes, yes, this time I’ll make APPLE PIE ENCHILADAS !

Apple Pie Enchiladas

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Homemade Apple Pie Filling or 1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
• 6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Apple Pie Enchiladas

Rather than a cake this year, I made my hubby a couple of pies for his birthday.  The first was a chocolate cream pie (which is one of his favorites) and this fabulous Lemon Cheesecake Pie.   Ok, so the Lemon Cheesecake was really for me, but it was so yummy!  Cheesecake is my ultimate favorite dessert and this one was sweet, lemony and creamy, with just a tiny bit of tartness- yum!

I’d planned on using a pre made graham cracker crust that I had in the pantry, but turns out, the pie crust was way out of date.  I didn’t want to serve a pie with a stale crust, so I ended up just using the other refrigerated pie crust left over from the chocolate pie.  I do prefer a graham cracker crust, so I’ll definitely use one next time…

Lemon Cheesecake Pie Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 8 oz bars of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• your favorite 9 inch prebaked pie crust
• extra lemon for zesting

INSTRUCTIONS

Full Recipes>>Lemon Cheesecake Pie

I am a natural born sweets lover. If loving dessert can be in your blood, it’s in mine. This cheesecake kind of reminds me of that because these frosted animal cookies have been a favorite cookie of mine for as long as I can remember. On many occasions I have picked up a bag from the store, only for it to last 48 hours in my house – at the most. It’s dangerous for me to even buy them and that was the case when making this cheesecake.

Often when buying ingredients, I get plenty extra. Of course there are always endless bags of flour, sugar and packages of butter. But when I need things like animal cookies, I also have to buy several bags. I’m not a fan of running to the store over and over again. And I still had to make a couple trips to replenish these cookies as I was testing out this recipe.

FROSTED ANIMAL COOKIE CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST

• 2 1/4 cups (302g) frosted animal cookie crumbs
• 2 tbsp (28g) salted butter, melted

FILLING

• 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (207g) sugar
• 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (230g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups (208g) chopped frosted animal cookies, divided

WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

6 oz (169g) white chocolate chips

• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream
• Pink gel icing color
• Sprinkles

WHIPPED CREAM

• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 4 tbsp (29g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Full Recipes>>Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake

Growing up, my family’s go-to recipe anytime we made chocolate chip cookies was the classic, original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe found on the back of every package of Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate morsels.

I’ve tried making many other chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years, and while all of them are delicious (really – how could a chocolate chip cookie NOT be delicious?) the Toll House recipe is still my favorite!

So given how much I love those classic chocolate chip cookies, I never thought it could be improved upon. That is – until – I tried today’s recipe for a Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie!

Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• Vanilla ice cream (optional but highly recommended, for serving)

INSTRUCTIONS

Full Recipes>>Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie

You knew it was only a matter of time before I made Pumpkin Gooey Bars right? I mean, the wild success of my Funfetti Gooey Bars (I so did not see that one coming) has made it so that I will make every flavor of Gooey Bar I possibly can.

I might have to say – these are my favorite so far. I know I said that after the chocolate ones, lemon ones, and the peanut butter ones, but these are seriously the best. (Although I have so many gooey bar recipes it’s hard to choose.)

These are Fall in a bite, and I want it to be Fall so bad I ate lots of bites in case it would make it be here sooner. (Seriously, still forecast 90s this week. I’m so over it.)

TOFFEE PUMPKIN GOOEY BARS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup toffee bits
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (I use fat-free)

DIRECTIONS:

Full Recipes>>Toffee Pumpkin Gooey Bars 

I couldn’t stop eating the cookies and they’re a spinoff of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies but made even easier and dare I say better.

One bowl, no mixer, and just four main ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla. The previous recipe called for creaming the ingredients using a mixer but all you need is a spoon for these cookies.

What sets this recipe apart from many other peanut butter cookie recipes is that there’s no flour and no butter making them naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Since there’s no butter and no flour what you’re left with is a cookie that’s full of bold, robust peanut butter flavor.

The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large egg
• 1 cup creamy classic-style peanut butter or honey-roasted peanut butter (Jif, Skippy, or similar rather than natural or homemade versions. Sometimes natural versions work fine but not always; classic peanut butter is more trustworthy. I use honey-roasted.)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

Full Recipes>>The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

My food freedom is corn. I know, that sounds completely and insanely stupid, but let me explain.

I love popcorn. I love blue corn tortilla chips. I love corn Chex. I love corn on the cob. I love corn tortillas. Yep, corn for this girl does a body good.

And I love sweet potatoes almost a much as I love corn. So what happens when this paleo, corn-lovin’ momma has a fever, and the only thing that can cure it is more cowbell (or in this case, sweet potatoes)? PLEASE tell me I’m not the only one that ‘gets’ that SNL reference…

Paleo Sweet Potato Tortillas

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• *optional spices to add: cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Paleo Sweet Potato Tortillas

My favorite form of chocolate is arguably brownies. Their dense, fudgy, chewy texture is just how I want my chocolate. With Valentine’s Day in sight, I decided to add some color to my brownies and topped them with fresh strawberries.

When I think of romantic Valentine’s Day foods, chocolate-covered strawberries instantly come to mind. They’re fresh and sweet, but not too indulgent.

Well, I wanted to make them indulgent.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED STRAWBERRY BROWNIES

 Prep Time 15 minutes

 Cook Time 35 minutes

 Resting Time 2 hours

 Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

Fudgy Brownies

• 7 ounces (200 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup (113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
• 3 tablespoons (18 g) cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

• 1 cup (150 g) fresh strawberries, diced
• 1/2 cup (90 g) chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon shortening

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies

I hate to break it to your waistline, but the holidays are coming. Don’t fight it. Resistance is futile. 🙂 I’ve long since given up swearing off holiday sweets… it always ends with me breaking down and scarfing a bunch of holiday fudge at 3 AM. Nope, I’ve learned that the trick to enjoying the holidays without packing on the pounds is moderation. One of my secrets? Go with bite sized desserts like the these easy homemade truffles instead of big slices of cake and pie.

Of course, this chocolate Christmas candies recipe has benefits other than being bite sized. First off, they’re delicious. Seriously, if you’re a Godiva fan you’ve got to try these easy homemade truffles. They’re just as tasty and far cheaper.

Easy Homemade Truffles: Nutella Hazelnut Chocolate Truffles

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups hazelnut wafer cookies
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped toasted hazelnuts
• Coating:
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts

DIRECTIONS

Full Recipes>>Easy Homemade Truffles: Nutella Hazelnut Chocolate Truffles

You could say this one is special because it’s vegan, whole-grain, oil-free. Or, that it’s special because it has nutrient-dense sweet potatoes in both the frosting and cake. But, I think it’s special in that the whole is far more than the sum of its parts. And, it’s special because of how readers are embracing it, and celebrating special family times with this recipe!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sweets Frosting

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup peeled, cooked, and cooled orange sweet potato (see note)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole-grain spelt flour
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup mini or regular nondairy chocolate chips
• 1/2 scant teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 scant teaspoon baking soda

Intructions

Full Recipes>>Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting (vegan, oil-free)

This recipe originally came from a childhood friend’s mother in Wisconsin.  It is the lemon bar my mother always made and it is the one I always make.

I am pretty picky about my lemon bars.  The best lemon bars need to have the right texture.  Not too gooey, not too dry.  It also has to have the right amount of lemon.  Not too sweet and not to tart.  For me this lemon bar recipe is perfect.

The Best Lemon Bars

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 C butter cold
• 1 C flour
• 1/4 C powdered sugar
• 1 C sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 3/4 C powdered sugar
• lemon juice to make soft glaze

Instructions

Full Recipes>>The Best Lemon Bars

Well hello there! If you’re after the easiest recipe for Millionaire’s Bars ever, you’re in the right place! These little beauties will take you less than 10 minutes to make

But first, how was your weekend? I was visiting my family to celebrate my birthday – gin and tonics, cake (so much cake!) and walks in the country! Tonight I’m off out for pizza and cocktails. I see a post birthday diet on my horizon!

NO-BAKE MILLIONAIRE'S BARS

PREP TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME

10 mins

INGREDIENTS

For the base:

• 300g shortbread biscuits
• 100g melted unsalted butter

For the caramel:

• 397g condensed milk
• 150g unsalted butter
• 150g light brown sugar

For the topping:

• 200g plain chocolate
• 50g milk chocolate
• 50g unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Full Recipes>>No-Bake Millionaire's Bars

Today is my first post since the holiday break (I missed you guys!!!), and this one is for all you marshmallows lovers out there! These (store bought) marshmallows are drenched in a homemade salted caramel sauce, dipped in luscious dark chocolate, then topped with a pinch of crushed graham crackers. They are loaded with flavor, texture, and personality!

The best part? Despite being a little bit messy (melted chocolate always is…), these Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Dipped Marshmallows are a cinch to make.

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Dipped Marshmallows

Ingredients

• (1) 16 oz bag of large marshmallows
• (2) batches of Six-Minute Salted Caramel Sauce (link to recipe in post)
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted
• 2 teaspoons coconut or canola oil
• 1/4 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Dipped Marshmallows