These Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats combine the quintessential marshmallow treat with the newest craze: Dubai chocolate!

So admittedly in my sabbatical, I missed quite a few food trends here on the internet.

Mochi donuts, boba everything, matcha’s continued reign, croissantifying things. But I happened to show up just as Dubai chocolate was taking the world by storm. I may not have been baking, but I was paying attention! And I was also eating. For research, obviously.

If you’re new to Planet Earth or just haven’t been in the food scene, the newest, hottest girl on the block is Dubai Chocolate. What is it? It’s a thick chocolate candy bar essentially filled with ground pistachio paste, tahini, and toasted shredded filo pastry called kataifi. It’s known for being not overly sweet, both chewy and crunchy (thanks to the kataifi and pistachios) and of course, the signature green color.

Now I’m not a huge candy person, and I’m not known to pick up a candy bar and go to town. But I had to try one – again, for research purposes. I love the mild pistachio flavor and the different textures. I can see why it went viral! So I had to Dubai-ify something most Americans know and love, and that’s where these Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats came into be.

Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

So we all know about rice krispy treats, right? Butter, marshmallows, and crispy rice cereal. Easy! How do we Dubai chocolate-ify them? With pistachio paste! You can easily find this in stores like World Market, which is known for carrying an abundance of cool foreign products (and has a plethora of Dubai chocolate things already).

This is the exact paste I used. While it was just pistachio paste (without the tahini and kataifi) you can sometimes find the paste prepared with the tahini and kataifi. Either one will work! My store was just sold out, and I figured that the crispy rice cereal would mimic the crispiness of the shredded filo pastry anyway.

How to Make Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

The process is incredibly similar to regular RKT’s except you’ll stir in the pistachio paste while you make the butter and marshmallow mixture. This will turn the melted marshmallows a green color, but it will mellow out once you add the rice cereal. After the mixture has set in the pan, you’ll melt some semi-sweet chocolate chips until smooth and pour it over the top of the rice krispy treats for that chocolate element. Lastly, to really drive home some crunch and the quintessential pistachio flavor, we’ll top it with some chopped roasted pistachios.

And that’s it! The easiest Dubai-style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats. I hope you love them!

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Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

These Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats combine similar elements of the viral Dubai chocolate into a classic American favorite: the Rice Krispy Treat!

Course Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American, Middle Eastern

Prep Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
• 10 oz (1 bag) miniature marshmallows
• 7 oz (1 jar) pistachio cream/pistachio butter
• 6 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

Instructions

• Lightly grease a 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray, or line with parchment. Set aside.
• Add the butter to a large saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Once melted, add in the marshmallows and pistachio cream/paste and stir occasionally until fully melted. Fold in the crisp rice cereal and stir until the cereal is fully coated.
• Pour the coated cereal into the prepared pan and gently spread it into an even layer. Don't pack it down too much; this creates tough treats. Let cool and set for about a half hour.
• Once the treats have set, prepare your topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, add your chocolate chips and the heavy cream. Microwave on HIGH power for 30 seconds. Stop and stir, then microwave again for about 15 seconds, stopping and stirring every 15 seconds until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Pour the ganache evenly over the rice krispy treats and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.
• Allow the chocolate layer to set, about 30 minutes, before serving. You can speed this up by placing it in the fridge if desired. Store krispy treats covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Pistachio cream/paste is often found in the ethnic section at the supermarket, or at specialty stores like World Market. Sometimes you can find it with the tahini and kataifi included (in which case you are welcome to purchase that version); however, my store was out of it so I purchased the regular pistachio paste. Pistachio nut butter is also an option. This would likely be found near the peanut butters. 

I really hope you enjoy these Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats!

Want more pistachio? Check out this recipe!

Pistachio Lemon Cookies

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Dubai-Style Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

Scotcharoos are crispy rice treats fully loaded with peanut butter, butterscotch and chocolate flavors! They are SO addictive and delicious, and not your ordinary rice krispy treat!

So prior to this, I have to admit – I had never had a Scotcharoo.

Growing up, my parents did not bake. My grandparents did not bake. We did not have the family baking experience. Once in a blue moon, my mom would make my grandma’s coffee cake, but that was about it and we certainly didn’t have fun little treats like these.

Prepared snack cakes and packaged cookies were more our speed, and hey, there’s nothing wrong with that! But a lot of these classic childhood treats everyone requests from me are above my head because I just never grew up with them. But now I’m here as a professional to fix that and experience them as a thirty-something year old. You’re never too old!

The Low-Down on Scotcharoos

What are scotcharoos, exactly? Good question! They’re basically glorified rice krispy treats that get a fancier treatment. Instead of marshmallows and butter like a regular RKT, these have a boiled candy mixture of granulated sugar, peanut butter and corn syrup as the “sauce” mixed with the crispy rice cereal, and a butterscotch and milk chocolate layer as the topping.

In another word, they’re scrumptious. 

How to Make Scotcharoos

You’ll simply melt the granulated sugar, peanut butter and corn syrup together in a medium saucepan until the sugar has dissolved and everything has become melted and smooth. You won’t bring it to a boil, but you want it to be hot and no longer grainy from the sugar. Once it has reached this stage, you’ll pour it in a bowl with your crispy rice cereal and toss it to coat.

Press the coated cereal mixture into a greased pan and then make your topping. The topping is just melted butterscotch chips and melted milk chocolate chips stirred together. Pour it over the top and let the topping set before cutting into squares to serve.

These bars are sweet, salty, chewy and so decadent. They really taste like a gourmet rice krispy treat from a fancy bakery or candy shop, but are surprisingly simple to make!

Tips & Tricks

How do I make sure my scotcharoos stay soft and chewy? The key to ensuring your scotcharoos stay soft and chewy is to not boil the peanut butter mixture. You just want to make sure the sugar has dissolved but take it off the heat before the mixture boils.

How can I store completed scotcharoos? Finished scotcharoos can be kept at room temperature covered airtight up to a week.

These Scotcharoos are so delicious – you and your kids will love ’em!

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Scotcharoos

These Scotcharoos are seriously DIVINE! Combining peanut butter, butterscotch and chocolate, they elevate basic rice krispy treats into a gourmet childhood favorite!

Course Bars, Candy

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 24 bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 6 cups rice krispy cereal
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Instructions

• Liberally grease a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray, or line the pan with parchment paper or foil and then grease. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, peanut butter, and corn syrup and stir together over medium-high heat. Continue cooking and stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is melted and smooth, about 10 minutes. Do NOT allow the mixture to boil. If the mixture begins to bubble, pull it off of the heat. It shouldn't be super grainy from the sugar. While this cooks, add your cereal to a large bowl and set aside.
• Pour the peanut butter mixture into the bowl with the cereal and toss to coat completely. Pour the coated cereal into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Be careful, as the mixture may be hot.
• In a medium microwaveable bowl, combine the butterscotch and milk chocolate chips. Microwave on HIGH power for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave again in 30 second intervals, stopping to stir every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the bars and spread in an even layer.
• Allow the chocolate to set, about 1 hour, before cutting into squares.

If you love sweet and salty flavors, you’re going to fall in LOVE with these irresistible scotcharoos!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Scotcharoos first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

This Chocolate Mousse is incredibly creamy, airy, cloud-like and SO chocolaty – and the best part is, there’s no eggs or complicated steps!

It’s been so hot here that I have been dreading any time I have to cook, whether it be a simple lunch or an actual baked good.

My kitchen is basically off-limits until October when it’ll finally, mercifully, cool down. Or until I can figure out how to microwave everything and make sure it’ll taste good. That’s the kicker!

But thankfully I have hacked this mousse recipe so you don’t have any complicated steps and it tastes AMAZING. Easily one of the best mousse recipes I’ve ever had… and no hard labor required.

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate mousse reminds me of a cross between pudding and souffle of sorts. It’s got the rich pudding flavor, but the airy, cloudy, whipped texture of a souffle. It’s a lovely combination of the two, but some recipes require you to separate eggs, temper egg yolks, whip egg whites – the whole enchilada. Not this one!

I made sure my recipe was plenty easy with a simple hack to ensure your mousse didn’t compromise on texture or flavor, but still tasted like a proper, gourmet mousse. The secret ingredient? Heavy whipping cream! It replaces the need for whipped egg whites and tempered egg yolks and works beautifully.

And if you’re wondering if it tastes like a glorified chocolate whipped cream – no! It tastes like a proper mousse!

How to Make Chocolate Mousse

This mousse recipe is totally simple and requires a couple pantry staples that will be easy to source, including:

• Semi-sweet chocolate: I like using semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use bittersweet chocolate if you want a less sweet chocolate flavor.
• Heavy whipping cream: aka, what will be our structure for this mousse recipe and will substitute any eggs in this recipe!
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: adds a little extra chocolaty richness to the mousse
• Vanilla extract: for flavor
• Salt: to balance all the sweetness!
• Confectioners’ sugar: to help stabilize and sweeten the whipped cream

The mousse has two components that come together as the mousse. The first component is melting down the chocolate mixture and letting it cool. The second component is whipping the heavy whipping cream until it reaches stiff peaks. You’ll incorporate the chocolate and whipped cream mixture together in three parts (so as not to deflate the whipped cream) and then you’ll essentially have mousse!

Chocolaty, rich, decadent – but addictively light and airy, this Chocolate Mousse cannot be beat! You’re going to LOVE it!

You guys are going to swoon over this stunning mousse recipe!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post The Best Chocolate Mousse first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

If you’re looking to nix the boxed pudding mix and make banana pudding from scratch, this Homemade Banana Pudding is the recipe you need! It’s light, creamy, SO delicious and totally the BEST.

If there’s one dessert in my top 3 (because I simply cannot narrow down my top 3!), it would have to be banana pudding.

I go ga-ga for the stuff. It’s absolutely addicting. In fact, any banana dessert is A-OK in my book. There’s something about the banana flavor that just gets me every single time!

I’ve made some banana puddings in my day (in fact, our family loves this recipe of mine!) but I haven’t made one entirely from scratch before until now. And good news: it’s surprisingly easy to do! So if you’ve been wanting to ditch the pudding mix in favor for a scratch-made version, this is it!

Homemade Banana Pudding

This recipe for banana pudding from scratch is pretty straightforward, which I love. It uses simple pantry ingredients you probably have on hand, or at the very least, can find at your neighborhood grocery store. Those ingredients are:

• Half-and-half: half & half is used instead of milk because I love the additional richness from the cream in the half & half as opposed to straight milk.
• Large egg yolks: for creamy richness and that quintessential pudding texture
• Sugar: for sweetness
• Cornstarch: acts as our thickener
• Salt: to balance the sweetness
• Butter: to add richness to the pudding, and also a velvety texture
• Vanilla extract: adds the flavor to the pudding

You’ll essentially cook this mixture on the stovetop until it is nice and thickened. Once thickened and pudding-like, you will assemble the pudding in a baking dish in layers with Nilla Wafer cookies and sliced fresh bananas.

The hardest part about this recipe was waiting for it to set in the fridge overnight. It was pretty much excruciating!

Banana Pudding Questions

Can you freeze this banana pudding?

You can freeze the pudding by itself, but note that the texture may change slightly when thawed. I recommend freezing the pudding without the cookies and bananas, as those will not thaw out properly.

I thought banana pudding was banana flavored!

Banana pudding traditionally is a vanilla-flavored pudding layered with fresh bananas. Some restaurants make a banana-flavored pudding which is just as delicious, but not traditional. If you want a banana-flavored pudding, consider swapping the vanilla extract in the recipe for banana extract.

This pudding is extremely creamy, light and luscious and layered with fresh bananas and sweet vanilla wafers in the most incredible Homemade Banana Pudding recipe ever! I can’t wait for you to try it!

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Homemade Banana Pudding

This Homemade Banana Pudding is absolutely INCREDIBLE! Layers of creamy, luscious homemade vanilla pudding mixed with vanilla wafer cookies and sliced, fresh bananas come together for a delicious no-bake treat.

Course Dessert, No Bake Desserts

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups half and half
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1½ cups granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 box vanilla wafer cookies
• 4 large ripe bananas, sliced

For the Whipped Cream Topping:

• 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions

• Whisk together the half-and-half, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, about 15 minutes or so until the mixture has thickened to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and vanilla extract, stirring until the butter melts completely.
• In a 2-qt/8x8" baking dish, add the vanilla wafer cookies in an even, single layer, followed by half of the sliced bananas. Spread half of the warm pudding evenly over the banana and cookie layer. Repeat with another layer of cookies and the remaining bananas; top with the remaining pudding mixture.
• Place plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding mixture to prevent a pudding "skin" from forming. Place the dish in the fridge to chill and set overnight, or at least 8 hours.
• Just before serving, make your whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream and confectioners' sugar together with the whisk attachment for 5-7 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the banana pudding layer. Crush some remaining vanilla wafer cookies in your hands and sprinkle the crumbs over the top.
• Serve immediately, or store leftovers covered in the fridge.

This pudding is seriously DREAMY! I know you’re going to LOVE it.

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post The Best Homemade Banana Pudding first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

This is truly the BEST Homemade Tiramisu I have EVER had. Made with the most insane homemade mascarpone cream, coffee-soaked ladyfingers + cocoa powder, it is rich yet surprisingly light, simple, and so satisfying.

I realllllllly popped off with this recipe today. So much so that I’m coming to you live from a Friday when I normally only post once a week.

I just really had to share it. It could not wait. And on the release date of Barbie and Oppenheimer, no less! YOU’RE WELCOME!

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I never pass up a tiramisu. I am such a sucker for it. It’s so simple, yet so satisfying every single time. I have a couple tiramisu recipes on here, but none that are truly homemade from scratch and it was time that changed.

This recipe changes EVERYTHING. It is mind-blowingly good.

Making Homemade Tiramisu

Tiramisu essentially has just two components: the mascarpone cream filling and coffee-soaked ladyfingers. Yes, there’s a little more to it – like the addition of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings if you’re fancy, but really, it boils down to the coffee-soaked ladyfingers and cream filling.

This is a homemade tiramisu, but I didn’t go all Betty Crocker on you and make the ladyfingers from scratch. That sounds a little intense, ha. I picked up some from the supermarket which is what I recommend you do as well. You can find them in the cookie aisle, often next to other European cookies like stroopwafels.

Because tiramisu is so simple and has basic pantry ingredients, it’s important to use high-quality ingredients whenever possible. When I make recipes that are really simple and straightforward, I like to use really premium ingredients to let those flavors shine. This is no exception!

Some of the ingredients you’ll find in this tiramisu are:

• Egg yolks: the base of the mascarpone cream. Because they are not cooked, I recommend using pasteurized eggs.
• Sugar: for sweetness
• Mascarpone cheese: like a mix between cream cheese and ricotta, it’s sweetened and traditional in tiramisu. Find it either in the specialty cheese section at your grocer, or by the cream cheese.
• Heavy cream: part of the mascarpone cream filling.
• Good espresso or coffee: this is what you’ll dip your ladyfingers into, so make sure it is actually a good coffee you’d drink!
• Ladyfingers: you can buy these almost anywhere!
• Cocoa powder: unsweetened is best to balance out the sweetness of the dessert

The most laborious task (besides that of waiting for this to set in the fridge) is making the mascarpone cream, which I hardly consider difficult. I believe in you!

When it is assembled, and after taking a nap in the fridge for a few hours, you’ll get a beauty like this…

I mean, I’m practically drooling. She’s a beaut!

Enjoy!

This tiramisu is LIFE CHANGING! I hope you’ll try it soon!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post The BEST Homemade Tiramisu first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

This Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake combines your fave nostalgic strawberry shortcake ice cream bar flavors with a delicious no-bake icebox cake into one amazing dessert!

Boy howdy, do I have an amazing recipe for you today.

(Side note: do people actually say ‘boy howdy’?)

Whatever greetings are popular nowadays, hi. I’m here today with a brand spankin’ new recipe you’re gonna wanna bookmark and/or print immediately. If you love strawberries, easy desserts, icebox cakes, or those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars from your childhood, this is your recipe.

Icebox cakes are such a cinch to make and usually have a Cool Whip or an ice cream filling and a base/layering of some kind of graham cracker or pound cake situation. This one is no different, but it has those nostalgic flavors of strawberry shortcake!

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake

So this cake is really simple and just requires some layering aspects! The main components are:

• The Cake: for this, we’re using a frozen (but thawed) store-bought pound cake that we’ve cut into thirds lengthwise
• The Filling: the filling consists of Cool Whip that’s been thawed and some softened strawberry preserves, as well as…
• The Topping: the topping is my blend of strawberry shortcake crunch, which gives it that nostalgic ice cream bar flavor. You’ll sprinkle some in between the layers of cake, but we’re really gonna layer it on thick for the topping part!

Assembling the Icebox Cake

Assembly is really easy, if not a touch labor intensive! You could even enlist the kids to help because you really can’t mess it up!

You’ll line the same pan the pound cake came in with foil or parchment and extend the foil or parchment over the edges of the pan – this will create a ‘sling’ effect which will make the cake easier to remove later. Add in a single layer of the cake, and top with some Cool Whip and a couple spoonfuls of strawberry preserves. Then you’ll sprinkle on a little strawberry crunch and repeat the layers, finishing with a big layer of Cool Whip and a tooooon of strawberry crunch.

This recipe needs to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or until the layers are set and firmed before you can slice it! You can also freeze this if you’d like, but it will obviously be a lot more icy and firm.

If you loved those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars from your childhood, you’re going to LOVE this Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake! It’s seriously DELISH!

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Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake

This Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake tastes just like those ice cream bars from childhood but in a quick and easy ICEBOX CAKE! You're going to love this no-bake cake!

Course Cakes/Cupcakes, No Bake Desserts

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

• 18-20 Golden Oreos
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 oz strawberry gelatin mix (just the dry powder)
• 1 Sara Lee frozen loaf cake, thawed (keep the loaf pan it comes in)
• 8 oz tub Cool Whip, thawed
• 1/2 cup strawberry preserves (I used seedless)

Instructions

• To make the strawberry crunch: in the bowl of a food processor, pulse the Golden Oreos until they are coarse crumbs. Add in the melted butter and gelatin powder and pulse again until the mixture is combined and has a finer crumb. This will make MORE than you need - but save the extra for topping ice cream sundaes, yogurt parfaits, pudding, oatmeal, etc.
• Remove the pound cake from the pan but save the pan. Line the pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing the edges of the foil or parchment to hang over the edges of the pan. Slice the pound cake carefully into thirds lengthwise using a serrated knife. Place the bottom slice of cake into the bottom of the lined pan.
• Spread the top of the cake layer with 1 cup of Cool Whip in an even layer. Top with 1/4 cup of strawberry preserves and spread or swirl it into the Cool Whip with a knife or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of the strawberry crunch.
• Repeat with another slice of cake and the same layering process. Lastly, top with the third piece of cake and frost with the remaining 1-1.5 cups of Cool Whip. Top with 3/4-1 cup of the strawberry crunch and pat it down gently into the Cool Whip topping.
• Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate until firm and set, at least 4 hours. Gently lift out of the loaf pan and cut into slices to serve.

Notes

This recipe will give you extra strawberry crunch, so here are some suggestions on how to use it: mix it into cereal/oatmeal, top yogurt parfaits, ice cream sundaes, or milkshakes, sprinkle onto cupcakes, make my Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake.

This recipe is so simple and delicious – I hope you enjoy!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

These Brown Butter Vanilla Rice Krispy Treats are easily the BEST RKTs I have EVER made, hands down. Just a few simple tweaks transform a humble recipe into a gourmet creation!

I hope you guys had a relaxing Memorial Day Weekend!

I spent it partially by the pool, partially dating (yes, dating!), and partially with friends grabbing dinner. I’d say it was a good one!

And now that summer is practically here, it’s time for all the no-bake treats. Starting with arguably one of my favorite no-bake treats, the rice krispy treat!

Everyone has made a rice krispy treat before – they’re basically just three ingredients – but you can easily elevate them to make them out of this world AMAZING. That is what this recipe is all about today, and I’ll teach you how!

Brown Butter Vanilla Rice Krispy Treats

So brown butter vanilla rice krispy treats have a couple components that are different than your average RKT. The first part being brown butter. What is brown butter? It is butter that you cook past the melted point until it browns and gets nutty and caramelized. The butter will foam, fizzle and pop and then begin to cook and get caramelly browned bits in the bottom of the pan. This is what you want!

To the browned butter, you’ll add in your marshmallows (of course), but also some secret weapons for the best RKTs ever: pure vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk. I know what you’re thinking – sweetened condensed milk whaaaa-?! But I PROMISE you, this extra special ingredient (and one of my FAVE secret weapons in the kitchen) gives these squares a buttery, caramelly, vanilla-y flavor that is just incredible.

Mix in your rice krispies cereal and a couple extra marshmallows for some gooey pockets of goodness, then you’ll press the mixture into your prepared pan.

The hardest part is letting them set and firm up, but thankfully it doesn’t take very long.

Rice Krispy Treats are seriously one of my ultimate weaknesses, and these ones are no exception. The sweetened condensed milk + nutty browned butter + rich vanilla flavors are mind-blowingly delicious and so simple. They take no real extra time at all but totally elevate the heck out of these humble squares.

Whatever you do, you MUST make these!

*modestly adapted by Jessie Sheehan’s book Snackable Bakes

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Brown Butter Vanilla Rice Krispy Treats

These Brown Butter Vanilla Rice Krispy Treats are seriously MIND-BLOWING! A few simple tweaks transform humble squares into gourmet treats with the addition of brown butter, vanilla and a secret ingredient.

Course Bars, No Bake Desserts, No-Bake Treats

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12 squares

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• Pinch salt
• 10 oz bag miniature marshmallows, plus 2 extra cups for stirring into the final mixture
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal

Instructions

• Line an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with parchment paper or foil, extending the sides of the parchment or foil over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease with cooking spray; set aside.
• Add the butter to a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat until melted. Pay close attention, because at this point butter will brown quickly and it can go from browned to burned fast. Butter will start to foam, fizz and sizzle for a few minutes and then you'll begin to notice little browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Swirl the pan occasionally to prevent scorching and to pick up those browned bits. Once the butter is nutty, fragrant and amber in color, remove from heat.
• Stir the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt into the butter mixture, then add in 10 oz of the marshmallows and stir until totally smooth and combined.
• Add the crispy rice cereal to a large bowl with the remaining 2 cups of mini marshmallows. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the top and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine until the crispy rice cereal is fully coated.
• Using greased hands, carefully pat the mixture into the prepared pan (caution, as it may be hot). Pat it into an even layer, but don't compress it too much - the key to great RKTs is to have some air pockets in there. Allow the mixture to set for about an hour before cutting into squares.

These RKTs are seriously phenomenal! My neighbors and I devoured them and I know your fam will love them as well!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Brown Butter Vanilla Rice Krispy Treats first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

This No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake is a cookies & cream lovers DREAM! A cool and creamy no-bake cheesecake stuffed with chocolate cookie pieces on a chocolate cookie crust.

Memorial Day is this weekend which means it will be the unofficial kickoff to summer… and you know what that means?

It means it’s hot as heck outside and it’s time to break out all the no-bake recipes!

Thankfully Sacramento has been pretty kind to us lately weather-wise but I know the brutality is coming. I’ll be holding onto the mild spring for just a wee bit longer if you need me!

But let’s talk about this cheesecake, because we all know that’s why you’re here. And I don’t blame you – this stuff is seriously mind-blowing!

No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

This cheesecake starts with an Oreo cookie crust which is made from crushed Oreo cookies and melted butter. Normally a graham cracker crust would also have some sugar, but since the cookies have plenty of that, we don’t need it here. You’ll simply combine the crushed cookie crumbs with the melted butter and pat it into an even layer into your lightly greased springform pan.

The filling consists of cream cheese (obviously), granulated sugar for sweetness, pure vanilla extract for flavor, and some sour cream for some quintessential cheesecake tanginess. You’ll also fold in some freshly made whipped cream or Cool Whip, if that’s your fancy. And of course, you cannot forget the Oreo crumbs! This is what creates that addictive cookies & cream cheesecake filling.

You’ll fold all the ingredients together until they’re smooth, creamy and fully incorporated, and then pour them into the prepared crust into an even layer. The hardest part is waiting for the cheesecake to chill and set completely, which takes about 8 hours. I like to do this the night before and let it set in there overnight so it’s ready the next day.

Once ready to serve, garnish with some more fresh whipped cream and little Oreo cookie pieces and you’re done!

Tips for Oreo Cheesecake

• For the smoothest cheesecake batter, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature and not too cold. Cold cream cheese will be lumpy.
• I recommend using freshly-whipped whipped cream in this recipe as it maintains the structure of the cheesecake. Make sure you whip your whipped cream to stiff peaks. Depending on whether or not you use a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, this could take anywhere from 5-7 minutes.
• Store leftover cheesecake covered with plastic wrap or foil in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake is rich, creamy, chocolaty and SO delicious! You’re going to LOVE the insanely addictive cookies & cream vibes!

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No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

This No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake is giving all the cookies & cream ice cream vibes! Cool, creamy, no-bake and SO delicious!

Course Cheesecake, No Bake Desserts

Cuisine Dessert

Prep Time 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST:

• 28 regular Oreo cookies, finely crushed
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

• 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
• 16 oz (2 packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 6 regular Oreo cookies, coarsely crushed
• Additional fresh whipped cream and Oreos for garnish, optional

Instructions

• Lightly grease the bottom of a 9" round springform pan with cooking spray; set aside. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and the melted butter and stir until moistened. Pour the crumbs into the prepared pan and pat into an even, compact layer with your hands. Freeze for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Spoon the whipped cream into a medium bowl and set aside.
• To the stand mixer bowl you just used, cream together the cream cheese and granulated sugar with the paddle attachment until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed. Stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixer, then add in the vanilla extract and the sour cream and mix well, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Stir in the coarsely crushed Oreo crumbs.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks of whipped cream remain. Spread the filling evenly over the crust layer. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until set and firmed, about 8 hours, or overnight.
• Just before serving, if desired you can garnish with more fresh whipped cream and Oreo cookie pieces.

This cheesecake is so sinfully delicious! If you’re a fan of cookies & cream, you’re going to LOVE this!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

This Easy Almond Roca Toffee is SO incredible, is surprisingly simple to make and is the perfect combination of sweet and salty!

I cannot believe Christmas is just three weeks away!

If you need me, I’ll be cranking out as many Christmas recipes as I can in the little time I have left. But first, I had to kick off this week with this Easy Almond Roca! If you’ve never made homemade candy before, it can seem intimidating. Believe me – I avoided candy thermometers like the plague for the longest time. But I promise, this toffee is very simple!

Easy Almond Roca

This Easy Almond Roca has a few simple ingredients that you probably have on hand, including:

• Butter: I use unsalted since I’m adding salt to the toffee mixture
• Granulated sugar: for sweetness and the structure of the toffee
• Water: to help with the cooking process
• Salt: to counter some of the sweetness
• Pure vanilla extract: for flavor and sweetness

You’ll simply boil your toffee ingredients, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until your toffee reaches 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer. While I don’t recommend making toffee without a thermometer, it can be done if you’re more experienced. 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer is known as “hard crack stage” and your toffee will be richly golden brown, almost like the color of a raw almond.

Then, to make it Almond Roca, we’ll add semi-sweet chocolate on top when the toffee is still hot and allow it to melt. While it is still wet, we’ll sprinkle on some toasted chopped almonds. Using roasted almonds is preferred because it really adds a little something extra.

This Almond Roca is buttery, crunchy, sweet, salty and SO irresistible and will make excellent gifts for the holidays!

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Easy Almond Roca

This Easy Almond Roca can be made from a few simple pantry ingredients and yields snappy, sweet and salty gourmet candy!

Course Candy, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup chopped roasted, unsalted almonds

Instructions

• Line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper and allow the parchment sides to hang over the edges of the pan for easier removal later. Set aside. Meanwhile, measure out your vanilla and set it out next to your stove so it is ready when you are.
• In a medium heavy bottomed pot, add the cubed butter, granulated sugar, water, and salt and turn the stove to medium heat. Cook, stirring gently occasionally with a wooden spoon, until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Once the mixture begins to come to a boil, attach a candy thermometer to the pot.
• Allow the mixture to boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until mixture reaches 305° degrees F on the candy thermometer, also known as hard crack stage. The toffee should be the color of a raw almond. Depending on your stove, this could take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Once it reaches 305° degrees, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract; note that the vanilla will cause the mixture to bubble and foam violently, so be careful.
• Pour the toffee into the prepared parchment-lined pan in an even layer. Let set for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, sprinkle the top of the toffee with the semi-sweet chocolate chips in an even layer. Cover the pan with foil and let set for another 5 minutes. Remove the foil and spread the now melty chocolate chips in an even layer using an offset spatula. Sprinkle with the chopped almonds.
• Allow the toffee and chocolate to set completely at room temperature, or you can expedite this process by refrigerating the pan.

Notes

I recommend using roasted, unsalted almonds for a great toasted almond flavor. If you can't find these, you can lightly toast your own almonds by purchasing raw almonds and toasting them over medium-low heat in a dry skillet for a few minutes or until nutty and fragrant. 

This sweet and salty toffee is sure to be a huge hit in your Christmas gift baskets!

Love candy recipes? Check out this recipe…

CHURRO TOFFEE

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Easy Almond Roca first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

If you need an extra something for your holiday cookie tray, look no further than these Easy Peanut Butter Balls! Only a few pantry ingredients and SO tasty!

Before you know it, December will be here and I need to be planning my annual Christmas cookie trays for my neighbors and friends.

I usually have a couple different cookies, a candy or truffle, and maybe bar of some kind. This year I may scale it down some since I was diagnosed with my autoimmune illness, but overall I still want them to be spectacular, and one way to do that is to include these Peanut Butter Balls!

If you LOVE peanut butter, you’re going to want to bookmark this recipe!

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Balls have only a few simple pantry ingredients and they come together quickly, so this is officially one of the easiest recipes you’ll have on hand for holiday gatherings, parties or cookie trays. Plus, you can easily double it which makes it great for big events.

The ingredients you’ll need are:

• Peanut Butter! I recommend using a traditional no-stir kind, like the classic JIF or Skippy. Oily ones you have to stir to combine are too liquid-y and prone to separation which may cause the truffles to lose their shape and weep.
• Butter: I use unsalted, softened butter – it adds flavor and structure to the truffles.
• Vanilla extract: for flavor, of course!
• Powdered sugar: this is basically the binding ingredient that will hold everything together and turn it from a gloopy mess into a coherent truffle consistency!
• Chocolate candy coating: also known as almond bark, chocolate candy coating or chocolate melting wafers – this has a higher melting point and is less prone to seizing, so it is ideal for dipping things like truffles. You can find it at any grocer nowadays by brands like CandiQuik, Loghouse Foods, or Ghirardelli.

You’ll simply combine the peanut butter, softened butter, and vanilla together in the bowl of a stand mixer until nice and combined. Then add in your powdered sugar until the mixture gets some more structure. Using a cookie dough scoop, you’ll drop heaping Tablespoonfuls out into your palm and roll them into neat little balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze them for a hot sec to firm up, then dip them in the melted chocolate coating.

Et voila! The easiest Peanut Butter Balls like ever.

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Peanut Butter Balls

These Peanut Butter Balls taste SO amazing, but no one will know how seriously EASY they are to make! With only a few pantry ingredients, you can make these at home in under 1 hour.

Course Candy, Dessert, No-Bake Treats

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 30 balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy no-stir peanut butter (such as Skippy or JIF; see Note)
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered (confectioners') sugar
• 1 pkg (16oz) chocolate candy coating (such as Candiquik or chocolate almond bark)

Instructions

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract with the paddle attachment until just combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the confectioners' sugar and mix on low speed until combined and a soft dough has come together.
• Using a Tablespoon-size cookie dough scoop, portion out Tablespoon-size balls of dough. Roll them one at a time in your hands to smooth out and place on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 10-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the candy coating according to package directions or until smooth and melted. Dip a truffle into the chocolate candy coating one at a time and use a fork to lift it out of the chocolate mixture and allow excess chocolate to drip off. Return the truffle to the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining truffles. If you have any leftover chocolate, spoon it into a small ziploc baggy, snip off a corner of the baggy and drizzle it over the truffles. Allow the chocolate coating to set before serving.

Notes

I recommend using a classic, no-stir peanut butter such as JIF or Skippy for this recipe. These are not as oily and are perfect for this recipe. A natural peanut butter that requires stirring is far too oily and will likely cause the truffles to weep or not hold their shape well.

Peanut buttery, chocolaty, and so delicious – you’re going to absolutely LOVE these!!

Craving more chocolate and peanut butter?! Check out this recipe…

The Best Muddy Buddies

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Easy Peanut Butter Balls first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.