A Nerd Cooks

... and bakes and mixes the occasional cocktail!

Dessert

No-Bake Bourbon Balls

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These No-Bake Bourbon Balls are the perfect sweet and boozy treat. Best yet? You don’t even have to turn on the oven to make them!

No-Bake Bourbon Balls | A Nerd Cooks

Some may consider it a little early in the year to break out the bourbon balls. But I’m of the opinion that it’s officially Fall, which means that it’s basically Thanksgiving. And if it’s Thanksgiving, then Christmas is right around the corner. Right?

Okay so maybe this is a stretch. But I still think that there’s no wrong time to make bourbon balls.

I was recently tasked with concocting a variety of bourbon-based sweets for a bourbon-themed (!!) 40th birthday party. These No-Bake Bourbon Balls were one of the treats that I whipped up. Even after decreasing the amount of bourbon in the recipe slightly, the bourbon flavor is still pretty potent. Watch yourself!

No-Bake Bourbon Balls | A Nerd Cooks

Need more no-bake cookie action? How about these Hot Chocolate No Bake Cookies?

I found this recipe on Saving Room for Dessert. After testing this recipe out on my lab, the only change that I made was to use 3 tbs of bourbon instead of 4.

No-Bake Bourbon Balls | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Bourbon Balls
Prep Time
30 mins
rest time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 40 cookies
Ingredients
  • 3 cups vanilla wafers (12 oz. box), crushed
  • 1 cup pecans, ground
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, divided
  • 1.5 tbs cocoa powder
  • 3 tbs light corn syrup
  • 3 tbs bourbon
Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the vanilla wafers, pecans, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine.

  2. In a mixing cup or small bowl, whisk the corn syrup and bourbon together.

  3. Add the corn syrup/bourbon mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.

  4. Place the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then immediately roll them in the powdered sugar. Set them aside on a baking sheet for 1 hour.

  5. After 1 hour, roll the cookies in powdered sugar again. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

Notes: I ran the vanilla wafer cookies and pecans through a food processor to ensure that they were finely ground.

No-Bake Bourbon Balls | A Nerd Cooks

Homemade Cherry Crisp

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Before you start baking pumpkin everything, honor the remaining days of Summer by baking and enjoying a Homemade Cherry Crisp. You will not be disappointed.

I’ve talked about it before (see my Strawberry Crisp post) but a crisp/crumble really is pie’s less fussy cousin. It still delivers the same sweet, juicy flavor that you get from a pie. But there’s no chilling and rolling of dough involved. Just mix up a crumbly topping, sprinkle it on your fruit, bake, and you’re done!

Homemade Cherry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

September is a weird month for me, food-wise. You’re just as likely to find me making a summer fruit-filled crisp or whipping up a hearty mushroom risotto or turkey pumpkin chili. <shrug emoji>

I’m doing my best to not rush into Autumn (even though I love it) and to savor the last bits of summer. Starting with this Cherry Crisp. While still warm (or reheated), top it with some vanilla ice cream. It’s the right thing to do.

Homemade Cherry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

The topping for this Cherry Crisp is based on the one from my Strawberry Crisp.

5 from 1 vote
Homemade Cherry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Homemade Cherry Crisp
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Author: Lauren Pacek
Ingredients
For the filling
  • 5 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 3 tbs bourbon, optional but recommended
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
For the topping
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the filling

  1. Add all of the filling ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine.

  2. In an even layer, spread the filling into a 9-inch pie plate. Set aside.

To make the topping

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping. Mix until crumbly and everything is incorporated. 

  2. Sprinkle the topping over the cherries in an even layer.

  3. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the cherries and juices are bubbling around the edges.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

  • 2 lbs of cherries will yield approximately 5 cups after pitting
  • I'd recommend investing (~$10) in a cherry pitter to make your job easier

 

Homemade Cherry Crisp | A Nerd Cooks

Firecracker Pudding Cookies

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These Firecracker Pudding Cookies are soft, sweet, and all dressed up for the Fourth of July. Happy birthday, America.

Firecracker Pudding Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

I know I post about pudding cookies pretty often (go ahead and take a look). But there’s a good reason for it. They are consistently delicious! Plus I think that they come out being good looking cookies just about every time, too. There’s nothing wrong with an ugly cookie (provided that it tastes good), but ugly cookies aren’t exactly photogenic for a food blog.

Pudding cookies are also endlessly customizable. Switch up the mix-ins and pudding flavors to suit your needs. I obviously went red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July, but you can switch things up for any holiday or occasion.

Firecracker Pudding Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

This recipe is adapted from one found on Crazy for Crust.

Firecracker Pudding Cookies | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Firecracker Pudding Cookies
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
11 mins
Chilling time
1 hr
Total Time
26 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3.4 oz (1 box) instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup red, white, and blue sprinkles
  • 3/4 cup red, white, and blue M&Ms, plus more for pressing into the top of the cookies
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2. Add the pudding mix, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix until combined. Add the flour. Mix again until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. Add the sprinkles and M&Ms and mix on medium-high speed until they are well distributed throughout the cookie dough.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop ~1.5 tbs balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
  4. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the chilled balls of cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets, approximately 2 inches apart. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn brown.
  5. Remove the cookies from the oven and press additional white chocolate chips into the warm cookies, if desired. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

 

Firecracker Pudding Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

Firecracker Pudding Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Some days, there are few things more satisfying than the simplicity of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Sure, the flavors aren’t particularly complex. But they’re sweet and chewy, and totally delicious. Complexity can be overrated, I say.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

I haven’t really addressed this yet, but here goes… You may have noticed that things are looking a little different around here lately. I finally took the plunge and decided to take my blog self hosted! Basically this means that I now have all the creative control over the functionality and appearance of A Nerd Cooks that I could ever want.

It’s a bit of a work in progress since it’s just me working on this, not a team of people. So if you happen to come across broken links or missing photos (or anything else that looks wonky), please bear with me. Also feel free to also shoot me an email to let me know! I’m steadily working through my blog posts to freshen things up and make sure that everything is working the way that it should so that you can have the most enjoyable experience possible.

Stay tuned for more updates and lots of good stuff. Thank you so much for reading and for coming along on this journey with me! I appreciate you all very much.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

In the meantime, please enjoy some of these chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies! I think that you’ll be pretty pleased with them. I know I am. In fact, I’m eating one as I type this.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

This recipe comes from Bunsen Burner Bakery. If you haven’t been to her blog yet, I strongly suggest that you do. Of course the photos are beautiful, and the food looks and sounds delicious. But I’m also a fan because she, like me, is a scientist by day. Check it out!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
27 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. One at a time, beat in the eggs, followed by the vanilla extract.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until just combined.
  5. Add in the oatmeal in batches, stirring after each addition, until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
  6. Drop the dough by the 1.5 tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown.
  7. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Haven’t had your fill of cookies? Check out these Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, and Lemon White Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes | A Nerd Cooks

These Carrot Cake Cupcakes are PERFECT for ushering in Spring. it’s officially here, folks! The weather is warm and my allergies are really starting to act up.

What better way to mark the start of Spring than with some sweet, super moist, carrot cake cupcakes? The recipe calls for freshly shredded carrots. While this might involve a little more effort than cutting open a bag of store bought shredded carrots, trust me when I say that taking the extra step is worth it.

The store bought shredded carrots are dry and pretty thick compared to what you’ll end up with if you grate them yourself. Just make sure to peel your carrots before taking a box grater to them. I use this one, and love it.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes | A Nerd Cooks

Once these carrot-flecked, moist spice cupcakes have baked and cooled, it’s time to frost them generously with cream cheese frosting. Get fancy and pipe the frosting, or go freeform, like I did. You can’t go wrong.

These cupcakes would make an excellent addition to your Easter table.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes | A Nerd Cooks

This recipe comes from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Cooling time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 5 mins
 

These cupcakes are sweet (but not too sweet), moist, warmly spiced, and flecked with shredded carrots.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people
Ingredients
Cupcakes
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup carrots freshly grated
Frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar plus more if you want a stiffer frosting
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
To make the cupcakes

  1. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Set this aside.

  3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and shredded carrots together.

  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until they are completely combined. The batter will be pretty thick.

  5. Fill the prepared cupcake liners approximately 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick, when inserted into the center, comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting

  1. Use either a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer to cream the cream cheese and butter together until they are smooth and creamy. 

  2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, then on high speed for about 2 minutes. If you want a stiffer frosting, add a bit of extra powdered sugar and beat to combine.

Frost the cupcakes

  1. Frost the cupcakes. I went freeform with my frosting, rather than using a piping bag and tip. Either way, it's all good.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes | A Nerd Cooks

Carrot Cake Cupcakes | A Nerd Cooks

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Bars

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 This post contains affiliate links.

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Bars | A Nerd Cooks

I love cereal. Like, to an unhealthy, almost unnatural degree. It really doesn’t matter what kind of cereal, either. Super sugary children’s cereals? Yes, please. Healthier options? Also yes. I’m not exactly sure what it is that I love so much, but I can’t help myself. We don’t keep in the house for this reason.

An exception was made for these bars. Lucky Charms (for which I have a particular affinity) replace puffed rice cereal in a traditional Rice Krispie Treat recipe to make Lucky Charms Marshmallow Bars. These were perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, and seriously couldn’t be easier to make.

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Bars | A Nerd Cooks

Lucky Charms Bars | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Lucky Charms Marshmallow Bars
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Author: laurenpacek
Ingredients
  • 3 tbs butter
  • 4 cups mini marshmallows
  • 6 cups Lucky Charms cereal
Instructions
  1. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In large saucepan or pot (I used a Dutch oven), melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until they are completely melted. Remove from heat.
  3. Add the Lucky Charms cereal. Stir until the cereal is well coated.

  4. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into the prepared 9x13-inch pan. 

  5. Allow the bars to cool before cutting into squares.

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Bars | A Nerd Cooks

Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies

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These Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies are soft chocolate cookies, studded with mini chocolate chips, dunked in an Irish cream glaze, and topped with green sprinkles.

Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

St. Patrick’s Day is nearly upon us! While you’ll never catch me doing a drunken bar crawl, or even drinking a Guinness (dark beer is not my jam) to celebrate the holiday, I am totally on board with holiday-appropriate boozy treats.

Luckily for me (and you!), all of the classic boozy flavors like whiskey, Guinness, and  Irish cream work really well in baked goods. These Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies have double the chocolate (cocoa powder + mini chocolate chip) and double the Irish cream flavor (in the cookie dough + the glaze). Top everything with some festive AF green sprinkles, and you have yourself a tasty cookie that’s sure to please.

Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Chilling time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 20 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 cookies
Author: laurenpacek
Ingredients
For the cookies
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
For the glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbs Irish cream liqueur
  • green sprinkles optional
Instructions
To make the cookies
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set this bowl aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together for a few minutes until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and add the vanilla extract and Irish cream.
  4. Little by little, add the dry ingredients to the wet, on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the mini chocolate chips and turn the speed up a bit higher to incorporate them throughout the thick dough.
  5. Next, you’re going to want to scoop and chill the cookie dough. Unfortunately, the chilling is necessary. But trust me, it's worth it!
  6. Scoop and roll the cookie dough into 1.5 tbs-sized balls. Place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours, and up to overnight. When slightly impatient, I've been known to put my cookie dough that requires chilling into the freezer (for 1-2 hours) instead of the fridge. I haven't run into any issues yet!
  7. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Move half of the dough balls over to the other cookie sheet, leaving a couple of inches between each dough ball.
  8. Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes or so before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
To make the glaze

  1. When the cookies are cool, mix the powdered sugar and Irish cream in a bowl. Dip, dunk, or drizzle your cookies with the glaze. 

  2. Top with green sprinkles, if you're feeling festive. Bonus: the sprinkles that I used add a bit of crunch to these otherwise soft cookies.

 

Need more boozy baked goods for St. Patrick’s Day? Try Guinness Brownies with Caramel Fudge Frosting or some Chocolate Guinness Cheesecake with Chocolate Whiskey Ganache!

Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies | A Nerd Cooks

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

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This Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie has it all: cool and creamy peanut butter filling, a sweet chocolate graham cracker shell, and crunchy toppings! 

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks

We can all agree that chocolate and peanut butter are flavor soulmates, right? I’d be hard pressed to identify a more complementary flavor duo. And I bet you would be, too.

Chocolate and peanut butter come together in this cool, frozen pie. It’s fast and easy enough to make on short notice. Plus it requires almost no baking. Just pop the crust into the oven for ~12 minutes, and the rest is just mixing, freezing, drizzling, and you’re done!

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks

But also! Pi Day is nearly upon us! You know, pi = 3.14 … March 14th … 3/14.

Not that I really need much of an excuse to make pie… but I made this in celebration of the day. May your Pi Day be filled with this and other tasty, tasty pies.

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks

The recipe for this pie comes from Handle the Heat.

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 20 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the crust
  • 14 whole chocolate graham crackers
  • 1 tbs light brown sugar
  • 7 tbs unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
  • melted peanut butter
  • melted chocolate
  • mini Reese's cups, roughly chopped
  • peanut butter chips
Instructions
To make the crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and sugar until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Alternately, put the graham crackers in a large zip top bag and pulverize them with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, add the melted butter, and mix until combined.
  2. Press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool the crust completely on a wire rack.
To make the filling
  1. In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and peanut butter until it is light and fluffy.
  2. In a separate bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
  3. Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter/cream cheese mixture. Pour it into the prepared pie shell and freeze for 3 hours.
To make the topping
  1. Drizzle the top with melted peanut butter and melted chocolate. Top with chopped mini Reese’s cups and peanut butter chips. Serve frozen or refrigerated.

Looking for more pies? Go sweet with Key Lime Pie or Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Pie. Or maybe go savory and handheld with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Feta Hand Pies.

Almost No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie | A Nerd Cooks

Turtle Brownies

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These Turtle Brownies are fudgy and topped with sweet and salty caramel and crunchy pecans. All of these factors combine to make one delicious, sweet treat.

Turtle Brownies | A Nerd Cooks

There isn’t a whole lot to say here. I think that we can all agree that “turtle” anything is great. Slap some salted caramel, chocolate chips, crunchy pecans, and flaky sea salt on a brownie and you have a very delicious, very messy treat.

Want more brownies? Guinness Brownies with Caramel Fudge Frosting, Triple Chocolate Raspberry Brownies, and Double Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes all have you covered.

Turtle Brownies | A Nerd Cooks

Turtle Brownies | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Turtle Brownies
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 brownies
Ingredients
For the Simple Fudge Brownies
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbs vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups miniature chocolate chips
To finish the Turtle Brownies
  • 2 - 13 oz bags of caramel candies, unwrapped
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • sea salt
Instructions
To make the brownies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract. This will be a bit difficult, so don’t worry. You’re not doing anything wrong.
  3. Add the granulated sugar to the melted butter and stir until combined. Add the butter/sugar to the cocoa/egg mixture and stir until combined.

  4. Add the flour and miniature chocolate chips, stirring until the flour just disappears and everything is smooth.

  5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick, when inserted into the center, comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the brownies to cool for a bit in the pan.
To finish the Turtle Brownies

  1. Add the caramels and heavy cream to a medium, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir continuously until the caramel is melted and smooth.

  2. Pour the hot caramel over the brownies, smoothing into an even layer. Top with mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, and sea salt.

  3. Wait as long as you can manage for the caramel to cool and set up a bit. Cut into bars and eat.

Want more salted caramel and caramel-y applications? Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies, Salted Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Blondies, and Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars ought to do the trick!

Turtle Brownies | A Nerd Cooks

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies – Updated

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Pumpkin and chocolate were meant to be together, especially in these pumpkin chocolate chip blondies!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies | A Nerd Cooks

When asked which recipe you would like to see next, and given the choice between these blondies and some buffalo chicken dip in informal polls on Facebook and Instagram, these blondies were the clear winner.

I can’t really blame you. Look at them.

And yes, I know that what is traditionally thought of as “pumpkin season” has come and gone. But I maintain that pumpkin should be consumed year-round. In addition to that, pumpkin and chocolate should be consumed together, year-round. Need more proof? Take a look at these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Chocolate Sauce, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. I think you see what I’m talking about.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies | A Nerd Cooks

I made these blondies for the first time going on 6 years ago and felt like they deserved a face lift. The original blog post can be found here.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies | A Nerd Cooks
Print
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
  • 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups white chocolate chips, plus more for topping the blondies
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping the blondies
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave some overhang on the long sides. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth.
  4. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
  5. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until combined.
  6. Reduce the speed to low, and, little by little, add the dry ingredients.
  7. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are distributed throughout the batter.
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick, when inserted into the center, comes out clean.

  9. Allow the blondies to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Recipe Notes

Note: Once you beat in the pumpkin puree, the mixture will look kind of curdled, and that this is completely normal. You're doing just fine.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies | A Nerd Cooks