Dessert

I’m more of a savory girl but my husband and my boys love dessert! My desserts are all easy and delicious! Perfect for an anti-baker like me!

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    Cranberry Vanilla Bean Milkshake

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    It’s that time of year – time for cranberry everything! And I’m pumped! The closer we get to Thanksgiving and Christmas, the heavier it’s on my mind. It’s a flavor that I wish was celebrated and more readily available year-round! This Cranberry Vanilla Bean Milkshake was the perfect way to welcome this warm, sunny weather we’ve been having. The Midwest is all over when it comes to weather! In the morning you’ll see frost, and by the afternoon – you’ll be walking around in a short-sleeved shirt. It’s wild. This milkshake was refreshing, sweet, tart, and super unexpected. And vanilla bean is such a next level flavor too. This is the type of drink that will have people going, “wait, what?” Something you’d never think to make but are so glad you did!

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    Brown Butter Pumpkin Crumb Cake

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    My favorite thing about this time of year? The smells, the flavors, the vibes! Fall is one of my favorite seasons – I just can’t get enough of the festivities. This Brown Butter Pumpkin Crumb Cake is the perfect thing to be eating this fall. It’s moist, spiced, nutty, and the best way to cure a sweet tooth. This is great with coffee for breakfast or for a sweet treat after lunch or dinner. A giant slice of this and it’s like an instant mood boost followed by a strong wave of nostalgia. This recipe is also a part of my pumpkin series for this year! And unlike the traditional streusel-like topping on a New York-style crumb cake, my version features a light spiced topping, allowing the rich brown butter flavor in the cake to shine through! It was so good – like pumpkin pie meets quick bread.

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    Apple Banana Bread

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    Chilly air, leaves rustling, bonfires burning – it’s a whole vibe over here in the Midwest! It’s the time of year I’m happily cranking the oven on and baking all the warm, spiced things. And when I’ve got a bunch of ripe bananas to use up, it’s a no brainer for me – I’m making something sweet and cozy. This Apple Banana Bread was packed with brown sugar and cinnamon, tart Honeycrisp apple, and sweet bananas. It’s like the banana bread you know and love, with some fall twists. This bread would be great for breakfast, snacking, or served as a sweet treat after dinner – these are flavors everybody loves!

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    Salted Carrot Cake Crunch Bars

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    With fall coming up and root vegetables flourishing, I wanted to bake something sweet, cozy, and delicious for my boys. Carrot cake is one of my husband’s favorites, and these Salted Carrot Cake Crunch Bars definitely didn’t disappoint. They’re crunchy, moist, a little lemony, and warm with cinnamon – and that peanut butter drizzle ties everything together perfectly. These bars feel fresh and bright, like they came straight from a bakery, but they also give that grandma’s kitchen vibe. Easy to make and scrumptious af – they make a great lunchbox snack for the kids, bougie breakfast, or holiday potluck treat that everybody would love!

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    Cranberry Clementine Smoothie

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    The nights are starting to get chilly out by me. Some leaves are starting to fall from the trees. The days feel like summer, and the evenings feel like fall. I love summer AND fall, so it’s bittersweet. This Cranberry Clementine Smoothie is like a mashup of my two favorite seasons. It’s got the bright citrus flavor from the clementine, with that tart cranberry flavor. It’s creamy, it’s smooth, and the banana comes through in such a gentle, sweet way. This was so easy to make and it’s pretty nutrient dense! It’s the perfect breakfast and snack for the kids and parents!

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    Cake Batter Cannoli Dip

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    The other day, I was randomly craving cake batter and so I wanted to make a fun, summery sort of dip featuring this flavor. Cannoli is another big fav of mine. I love that creamy filling and crunchy exterior. This Cake Batter Cannoli Dip is like a mash up of these two flavors and textures. You’ve got that creamy filling, those birthday cake vibes with the sprinkles in there, the white chocolate chips, and then those crunchy waffle cone pieces for dipping. This recipe was so fun! It was so easy too. My boys absolutely loved this, and it took no time at all to throw together. This would be perfect for a party, potluck, or just a fun snack for the kids!

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    Coconut Crunch Chocolate Squares

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    I’m not a huge dessert girl, but sometimes I just get a big chocolate craving. Something melty and rich, and balanced with other flavors and textures. These Coconut Crunch Chocolate Squares were so decadent and delicious! The peanuts made them crunchy, the coconut flakes made them feel tropical, the flaky salt broke up the sweetness, and the espresso powder gave an unexpected mocha taste! There was so much going on here. The best part? It’s a no bake dessert recipe! Just melt the chocolate, spread it in a pan, chill, and slice. These turned out awesome!

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    Cherry Vanilla Loaf Cake

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    It’s cherry season and I’m so here for it! My boys absolutely love them, especially my youngest who was born during cherry season! It’s wild because when he was in my belly, that is the one and only craving I ever had. Cherry! This Cherry Vanilla Loaf Cake was like a breakfast loaf that gave dessert vibes! It was dense but fluffy, bursting with delicious, dark sweet cherries, and covered in a vanilla glaze. The glaze reminded me of those cake donuts with the vanilla glaze on top! This just felt super fresh and sweet. Between my two young boys and my husband, it was all gone in a day! It felt straight out of a bakery.

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    Oven S’mores Dip

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    This time of year, I just want all the fruity drinks, grilled meats, and fun summer staples like some melty s’mores! This Oven S’mores Dip was super easy to make and totally screamed summer. And since it was broiled instead of baked, it really didn’t heat up the house too much! The toasted marshmallow topping felt just like a crunchy, golden, charred marshmallow you’d pluck from a stick after roasting. The chocolate ganache felt fancy, but without all the extra fuss! Serve it with some graham crackers, animal crackers, or however else you feel like having it! You could totally make this in a skillet or over a fire too. So much nostalgia! Yum.

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    Banana Split Frozen Yogurt Pops

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    These Banana Split Frozen Yogurt Pops were such a fun summery treat for the kids! The banana cream layer was made with Greek yogurt, banana, honey, and vanilla, the strawberry swirl features strawberries, lime juice, and sugar which makes a fruity jam, then the two were layered into popsicle molds, frozen, and dipped in a coconut chocolate shell. Chopped peanuts and crushed graham crackers were sprinkled on; they were briefly chilled again and finally served with whipped cream and maraschino cherries. These totally gave banana split vibes!

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    Watermelon Cloud Slushie

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    We’ve all been there. You buy a watermelon, cut it up, and now you have endless watermelon. My kids always want one and after a few days, they’re over it! This Watermelon Cloud Slushie was such a creative way to use up all that extra watermelon! It gives slushie meets smoothie vibes. It’s icy, yet creamy, and surprisingly really good for you! This was really easy to make, and the kids absolutely loved it.

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    Grape Salad with Candied Walnuts

    ByThe Wholesome Spoon

    This Grape Salad with Candied Walnuts had it going on! The combo of red and green grapes, the honey vanilla filling with that hint of lemon in there, the little mint bursts, the crunchy candied walnut pieces?! I mean it just hit every single texture and flavor! It was crunchy, creamy, sweet, kinda tangy, kinda herby! A total flavor bomb – exuding, cheesecake vibes?! This would drop jaws at a potluck this summer.