Allow me to introduce you to an actually delicious healthy pumpkin bread, made with 100% whole wheat flour, sweetened with only maple syrup, and baked with extra-virgin olive oil. Don’t be fooled; it’s not what you think. This loaf cooks up incredibly moist and fluffy. It’s just sweet enough! The pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice (a whole tablespoon!) are complemented, not overpowered, by the subtly sweet maple syrup. And it’s so easy and fast to prep with one bowl – no mixers required!

My entire family was surprised to realize we prefer this not-too-sweet, healthy pumpkin bread to the more traditional, sweet, cake-like treat you usually find! And I feel good about serving it as a healthy option for breakfast or snacks to my children (and myself!). I mean, it even has vegetables in it, right?

If you know me, you know I love olive oil in almost anything, and that includes baked goods. From banana bread to lemon cake to blueberry muffins, extra-virgin olive oil can add an earthy depth to the flavor of your favorite treats. And we all know it can be a healthier option, low in saturated fats and unrefined!

...GET THE RECIPE for Healthy Pumpkin Bread (made with whole wheat, olive oil, and maple syrup)!

Kourabiedes (kourambiethes) are one of the most delicious Greek cookies, perfect for Christmas time (to me, they look like little snowballs!). Simple butter cookies with plenty of chopped, toasted almonds in the dough are baked with a festive whole clove in the center, then piled with powdered sugar for a deliciously simple, melt-in-your-mouth, classic Greek Christmas cookie.

This is my grandmother, Aggie’s, recipe, and it’s extremely simple. Some other recipes for Kourabiedes have egg, vanilla, baking soda, and other ingredients you find commonly in cookie recipes. Some recipes also include rose water or orange blossom water.

My grandmother’s recipe is more like a shortbread, with only five ingredients – butter, powdered sugar, flour, almonds, and whole cloves. It makes for a delicious texture that’s somewhere in-between melt-in-your-mouth and satisfyingly crumbly, the warm flavor and aroma of the clove imbued throughout.

Kourabiedes are popular Greek Christmas cookies, but also are made for other festive occasions like weddings. My Aunt Viki made them for my bridal shower years ago, and as the family expert in Greek cooking and recipes passed down from my grandmother, I consulted heavily with her on this recipe.

...GET THE RECIPE for Kourabiedes (Greek Butter and Almond Cookies)!

Introducing a fall twist on a decadent classic: Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu! This easy recipe features pumpkin puree added to the cream mixture, and ladyfingers dipped into chai concentrate instead of espresso (and a bit of spiced rum if you’re so inclined!). This autumn-inspired pumpkin tiramisu is perfect for all your fall gatherings, and – dare I say it? – an excellent alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert (especially because it can be made a day or two in advance). The mascarpone cream mixture also happens to be egg-free, and no baking required!

If you’re looking for a festive fall dessert to add to your repertoire, look no further! Pumpkin chai tiramisu is perfect for any occasion – Thanksgiving, halloween, Christmas, or any time that fall baking mood strikes.

But here’s the thing about tiramisu – there’s no actual baking involved. At all. I’m all about a no-bake dessert! And since it can be made in advance (and is actually BETTER if served after 24 hours or so), you’ll be thrilled at how easy and stress-free, yet impressive, this tiramisu is.

...GET THE RECIPE for Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu!

These Irish Soda Bread Scones are mini versions of the favorite Irish recipe, with a twist. Orange zest, raisins or currants, and caraway seeds are added, part whole wheat flour is used, and they’re brushed with a mixture of orange juice and butter before baking. You’ll love these delicious soda bread scones with tea or coffee or for breakfast, and they’re freezable so you can have one at a moment’s notice!

Traditional Irish soda bread doesn’t really contain any “stuff,” aside from perhaps some raisins or currants, so you can go ahead and consider this a blasphemous recipe. But these are a super fun, miniature way to enjoy a twist on the traditional recipe, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!

This recipe allows the raisins/currants, caraway seeds, and orange zest to soften up a bit in orange juice before adding to the mixture, allowing the flavors to bloom and everything to soften. The soaking liquid from that wonderful mixture is mixed with butter and brushed on top of the scones before baking. It’s a bit of an extra step that is so worth it!

Let’s get to it.

Why is it called “soda bread,” anyway?

...GET THE RECIPE for Irish Soda Bread Scones (with raisins, orange, and caraway)!

These Peppermint Sparkle Sugar Cookies are the cool, minty holiday cookie you’ve been looking for. Just whip up a simple sugar cookie mix, coat in crushed peppermints and white sugar, and bake! One bowl, no chilling, and a special trick to make these peppermint cookies perfectly circular. Perfect for anytime during the holiday season, and the perfect cookie to leave for Santa.

You can use crushed peppermint candies for these peppermint cookies – easily crush round peppermints or candy canes yourself, or buy them pre-crushed (I found crushed peppermint at HomeGoods, but you can also get them on Amazon).

A simple sugar cookie with crushed peppermint candy both in the dough and rolled on the outside, along with sparkly white sugar, these cookies have an awesome crunch, festive color, and refreshing flavor.

Let’s get to it!

Ingredients needed

• Crushed Peppermint – from candy canes, peppermint candies, or pre-crushed peppermint.
• Flour
• Butter – I prefer salted but unsalted will also work.
• Sugar
• Egg
• Salt
• Baking Powder

How to make Peppermint Cookies

Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg.

...GET THE RECIPE for Peppermint Sparkle Sugar Cookies!

Fresh Ginger Date Cookies are the perfect cookie for Christmastime, or anytime! Made with fresh ginger, which adds a zingy spiciness to it, along with powdered ginger, lots of dark molasses, and chopped chewy, gooey dates, these cookies have a lot of really interesting flavors happening. They’re coated with turbinado sugar which adds a gorgeous sweet, sparkly coating and a delightfully crunchy texture.

If you’re looking for a unique, easy cookie recipe to add to your repertoire, look no further than these fresh ginger and date cookies. You’ll be surprised at how much flavor can be packed into an innocent little cookie! With the fresh, spicy ginger, chewy and sweet dates, and warm, smoky molasses, these cookies are anything but ordinary.

I like making these year-round, but they’re especially festive around the holidays. I’ve got a batch in my freezer right now just waiting to make an appearance at a Christmas party in a few weeks… and it’s taking all my self control to not dive in and grab one (or four) to much on right now!

These are healthier than many other cookies since they use half the amount of sugar than your average cookie.

...GET THE RECIPE for Fresh Ginger Date Cookies!

This super moist Apple Cake is studded with fresh diced apples throughout, bursting with spiced cinnamon and nutmeg flavor. With Mediterranean inspiration, this rustic cake features extra-virgin olive oil and Greek yogurt for a healthier option. Apple cider is reduced for concentrated apple flavor, used both in the batter and mixed with honey and spices for a finishing glaze.

Inspired by Milopita, or Greek Apple Cake, this cake features the Mediterranean standards for baking – extra-virgin olive oil and Greek yogurt, which both add healthy fat and protein to the mix. The rustic Italian apple cake Torta di Mele also uses extra-virgin olive oil in the batter. The earthy, rich flavor of the oil is so lovely with the sweet apples. This cake is healthy enough for breakfast with hot coffee, but delicious enough for a rustic dessert!

Not only that, but the oil add tons of moisture to the cake. Because olive oil stays liquid at room temperature, using it instead of butter in cakes and quick breads leads to a result that stays moist in texture for days at room temperature.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I have an armada of baked goods that use olive oil in them (see below).

...GET THE RECIPE for Spiced Apple Cake with Cider Honey Glaze!

If you’re looking for a stand-out Thanksgiving side dish or even vegetarian main dish Thanksgiving recipe, look no further than this Hasselback Butternut Squash with Maple Miso Butter! Butternut squash is halved and cut cross-wise but not all the way through. It’s brushed with a slightly sweet and savory, umami-packed maple miso butter while roasting. The sauce seeps into each of those crevices and results in endless caramelized, gorgeous edges.

You’ve had hasselback potatoes. But have you hasselbacked (can I make that a verb?) any other veggies? It works so well with butternut squash!

Hasselback is when you slice something crosswise, but not all the way through, before roasting. That way, any flavors, oils, or sauces you are adding can seep into each crack, enhancing the flavor and increasing the surface area being roasted and exposed to the hot oven air.

This hasselback butternut squash is absolutely delicious, easy to make, and not too sweet. I find butternut squash recipes often are overly sugary; the salty, umami flavor of the miso in this recipe helps balance the natural sweetness of the squash along with a little bit of maple syrup (though you can always add more sweetness if that’s what you prefer!).

...GET THE RECIPE for Hasselback Butternut Squash with Maple Miso Butter!

This Lemon Olive Oil Cake is a real treat, baked with extra-virgin olive oil, which not only is a healthy fat but a delicious flavor to bake with resulting in an incredibly moist cake! The easy prep of an olive oil cake is the best part. All you need is one bowl, a whisk (no mixer required!), and a few ingredients including fresh lemon juice and zest.

I’ve been making lemon olive oil cake for years and I can’t wait to finally share it with you! It’s my go-to dessert. My cardamom spiced orange olive oil cake is a big hit around the fall and holidays, so I wanted to share another olive oil cake perfect for warmer weather or Easter dinner.

The olive oil makes this cake stay moist for days, so it’s perfect to make ahead of time. With a light, refreshing taste from the lemons, it’s a crowd-pleaser that isn’t too heavy or rich.

It’s hard to mess up an olive oil cake. There’s no butter to soften, no electric mixer required, no frosting to make (just a dusting of powdered sugar if you want), and you probably already have all the ingredients you need.

...GET THE RECIPE for Lemon Olive Oil Cake!

These are the Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies of your dreams, loaded with chocolate chunks and tart dried cranberries, sweetened with maple syrup and packed with warming cinnamon and pumpkin spice. As an added bonus, these pumpkin cookies are healthy(!), made with 100% whole grains and no refined sugar in the batter. You don’t even need an electric mixer. Just one bowl and a whisk and you’re good to go!

I love making a batch of these pumpkin oatmeal cookies practically every week in the fall. You can stick them in your freezer to last longer if you want, though they never last that long in my house!

These are just the perfect fall cookie recipe. Between the pumpkin, warming cinnamon and other spices, maple syrup, and cranberries, you’ve got almost everything there is to love about fall in one cookie. And if you love these, you’ll love these oatmeal butterscotch cookies with walnuts, too.

And because they’re made with oats and whole wheat flour, they’re completely whole grain. Aside from the chocolate chunks, these cookies are also refined sugar free since they’re sweetened with maple syrup. And also, pumpkin is a healthy vegetable.

...GET THE RECIPE for Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries and Chocolate Chunks!

This Norwegian Waffles recipe, or Vafler, are heart-shaped and decadent, flavored with cardamom. They’re perfect for breakfast on Valentine’s day or Christmas morning, and they freeze well for making them in a large batch. I love serving them with Norwegian gjetost (brunost) cheese and lingonberry or raspberry jam for a delicious Scandinavian breakfast!

These are a tradition for my family on Christmas morning for as long as I can remember. I usually only make them once a year for a special treat, and this year I was able to snap a few photos so I can finally share this family recipe with you – just in time for Valentine’s day (perfect, since they’re heart-shaped!).

Norwegian Waffles are rich, dense, fragrant, and absolutely delicious. If you’ve never had them, they’re not similar in any way to Belgian waffles. While Belgian waffles are light and fluffy, these waffles are quite dense and rich. They’re flavored with vanilla and cardamom, a floral and aromatic spice common in Scandinavian baking.

This recipe makes a large batch of waffles, and since they freeze beautifully, you’ll likely be able to enjoy them for at least a couple weeks after making them.

...GET THE RECIPE for Norwegian Heart Waffles (Vafler)!

This Maple Cinnamon Pudding takes 10 minutes to make and tastes just like a snickerdoodle cookie in pudding form! It’s refined sugar free, sweetened only with maple syrup, and is a perfect gluten-free make ahead dessert. It comes out luxuriously thick and creamy every time and is so easy to make from scratch!

I originally shared this recipe in June, 2015 on my blog with a big announcement: that we were moving from Salem, MA to Austin, TX. And so it only seemed appropriate to revamp this post with new photos, improved instructions, and a similar announcement…

We’re moving back to New England! More specifically, to Rhode Island. In March! We’ve been busy packing, our house is being listed this week, and things have been generally a bit crazy over here. But we are over the moon excited to bring our little family up to the land of seasons and stuff our faces with as much seafood as possible.

And what better way to celebrate a New England homecoming than with a recipe heavy on pure maple syrup?

...GET THE RECIPE for Maple Cinnamon Pudding!

Pumpkin Pudding is made from scratch on the stovetop in only a few minutes! Similar to custard, it tastes like pumpkin pie but lighter, cooler, and creamier, making it the ideal dessert for after a heavy meal (like Thanksgiving). Best of all- you can make it ahead of time for a fuss-free dessert recipe everyone will love! I like layering it with crumbled gingersnaps and topping with whipped cream.

Is it blasphemous for me to suggest skipping pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving in favor of this pudding? Maybe. But honestly, I almost never have room for heavy pie after stuffing my face with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

This pumpkin pudding has all the taste of pumpkin pie but the cool, creamy, light texture is so good after a big meal. And it’s a delicious sweet treat any time- not just on Thanksgiving!

You only need 15 minutes to whip up a batch of this pumpkin pudding, and then just refrigerate it (for at least two hours) until you’re ready to eat.

...GET THE RECIPE for Pumpkin Pudding from Scratch!

Making Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix is not only tastier and cheaper than buying the store-bought stuff – it only takes 5 minutes, and you probably already have the 5 ingredients you need! Use this homemade pumpkin spice recipe for pies, cookies, oatmeal, lattes, or even chili.

I love using pumpkin pie spice mix in the fall, and if I’m being honest, year-round! But those tiny, overpriced jars of pumpkin pie spice you buy at the store are easy to go through quickly.

Making your own homemade pumpkin pie spice mix can save you money, and is also good for the environment (no tearing through all those tiny plastic containers!). And this pumpkin spice mix has 5 ingredients – all warm, aromatic, fragrant spices that are the perfect thing to elevate any fall-inspired recipe.

Ingredients in Pumpkin Pie Spice

• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Cloves

All of these spices should be ground, but you can grind them yourself if you prefer (see more about this below).

...GET THE RECIPE for Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix!

This Pumpkin French Toast Casserole is the perfect make-ahead breakfast or brunch recipe! Assemble and refrigerate overnight (or, bake right away) for a fuss-free and impressive festive fall breakfast recipe that’s perfect all season long or for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning. Torn bread is soaked in a pumpkin-based custard with warming spices and is topped with a pecan streusel crumble, then baked.

Similar to bread pudding or a strata, French toast casserole has a base of bread (preferably stale), smothered in a custard, and baked until firm.

This Pumpkin French toast casserole is packed with warming spices from pumpkin pie spice mix, and has pumpkin puree mixed into the custard. Topped with a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel, this decadent breakfast will be a family favorite!

Once you make a French toast casserole, you may never go back to make French toast the traditional way. It’s super convenient to assemble this all in one dish and bake at your convenience, rather than standing over a hot skillet making individual pieces of French toast.

...GET THE RECIPE for Pumpkin French Toast Casserole!

These vegan, healthy, no-bake Gingerbread Energy Balls are the perfect guilt-free way to get that spicy, warming flavor of gingerbread during the holidays! They’re flavored with lots of warming spices and sweetened naturally with raisins and dates, with just a hint of molasses. And the pecans add a perfect crunch along with plenty of nutrients!

The other day I got a hankering for ginger cookies. Soft, chewy ginger cookies, specifically. And I made some, and they were delicious.

But as much as I love cookies during the holiday season, I also don’t like feeling bloated and sluggish all the time from all the sugar, butter, and flour in them. I’ve gotta have energy for all the magic that the holiday season has to offer!

So here’s a healthy compromise- gingerbread energy balls! They’re 99% naturally sweetened from just dates and raisins. And they have just a hint of molasses for that warm, deep flavor you love about gingerbread.

With lots of warming spices, including ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, you’ll get that gingerbread fix without all the guilt (and sluggishness) this holiday season.

...GET THE RECIPE for Gingerbread Energy Balls!

I’m so excited to share this delicious recipe for Dutch Butter Cake (aka Boterkoek). It’s a dense, cookie-like cake, with the most addictive chewy edges, similar to shortbread in that it uses LOTS of butter and no leavening. This version makes two cakes – so you can give one to a friend or stash one in your freezer for later. It’s flavored with both almond extract AND vanilla extract and uses salted butter for a simple but perfect salty-sweet, buttery flavor.

I was reminded about this recipe when I got a surprise batch in the mail from my cousin last December. My Aunt Viki (and my go-to cooking expert) has been making this butter cake for as long as I can remember. She originally got the recipe for “Dutch Almond Coffee Cake” from a local magazine from Amherst, NH.

But whether you call it butter cake, coffee cake, or Boterkoek (its Dutch name), this delicious almond-flavored dessert is like nothing you’ve ever had.

It’s dense and chewy like a cookie, and it’s like a softer shortbread. It reminds me of marzipan in flavor, and you bake and slice it like a cake.

...GET THE RECIPE for Dutch Butter Cake (Boterkoek) with Almonds!

I have so much love for this recipe for Cranberry Orange Biscotti, made with FRESH cranberries instead of dried! They’re flecked with fresh orange zest, with a crumbly and hearty texture from chopped almonds. And they freeze beautifully, so you can take one (or five) out when you want to enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee, or if you have guests over.

Homemade biscotti are easy to make, but do take a little bit of time to complete, since you have to bake them twice. And since they store really well for a few days after baking (or in the freezer for a few months), it’s so worth the time investment.

If you end up with any leftover fresh cranberries from making fresh cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, this is a perfect way to use them up. They add a tart flavor and beautiful color to the cookies, along with fresh orange juice and zest and lots of almonds.

And these cookies aren’t that bad for you- there’s only a half cup of sugar in the whole batch, and the addition of almonds adds protein and healthy fats to the mix!

...GET THE RECIPE for Cranberry Orange Biscotti!

There’s nothing more cozy for fall than baking this easy apple crisp recipe and topping with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! This recipe is easy to make ahead for a crowd and is a little bit healthier than other apple crisp recipes (but it doesn’t taste like it!). You only need 7 ingredients for this old fashioned classic recipe, and your house will smell AMAZING while it bakes!

Did I eat the leftovers of this apple crisp for breakfast this morning? Maybe yes. Maybe no. OK… definitely yes. But I don’t feel too bad about it, because it’s healthier than your average apple crisp, without sacrificing flavor or texture!

With a few tricks to boost flavor and richness, you can add more whole grains and use less added sugar in the recipe! I also used a food processor to make a perfect topping with butter that melts into every bite.

This recipe uses fuji apples for natural sweetness, lots of cinnamon for rich flavor, and warm, molassesy brown sugar instead of white, which means you only need 1/2 cup of added brown sugar for the whole batch.

...GET THE RECIPE for Easy Apple Crisp!

This Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler made with fresh peaches is an easy, classic Southern recipe. This version is baked with three different kinds of sugar for an extra-crispy crust!

I’m not much of a sweets person, and I’m not much of a baker. But when you come home with a huge box of hand-picked fresh peaches straight from Fredericksburg, TX, you have no choice but to make peach cobbler. It’s practically the law.

So in true Southern style, I whipped up this peach cobbler after going peach picking with my fam. And in true Texas style, I topped it with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, which melted into every warm, gooey bite. And everyone lived happily every after.

This peach cobbler recipe uses brown sugar, white sugar, AND turbinado sugar to create an awesomely deep, warm, molasses flavor and a super crispy crunchy crust. It’s the best peach dessert EVER.

And as a self-proclaimed non-baker, I can definitively say this peach cobbler is one of the easiest, no-fuss baking recipes ever! The key is to layer the peaches ON TOP of the biscuit dough.

...GET THE RECIPE for Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler with Sugared Crust!

Growing up, I can’t remember a New Year’s day that didn’t involve Vasilopita. This Greek New Year’s Bread is sweet and moist, baked with eggs and milk, scented with orange zest, and topped with toasty sesame seeds.

It’s brushed with an egg wash before baking and a pattern is carved into it with a sharp knife or razor blade, which results in a gorgeous loaf of bread with a deep, dark, chestnut-brown color.

This is a traditional yeast bread, and requires two rises and kneading. Normally, I’m all about fast, easy recipes, and when I do make bread from scratch I usually use a no-knead bread recipe.

Full disclosure: vasilopita is not very fast to make and it does get a bit messy.

BUT it is relatively easy and it’s such a fun tradition that I love doing it once a year!

Before I get into how to make this bread, there’s one more very special thing about it.

Traditionally, a coin is hidden inside it when it is done baking. It’s slipped into the bottom and then spun around, so the cook doesn’t know where it is either.

...GET THE RECIPE for Vasilopita (Greek New Year’s Bread)!

This Orange Olive Oil Cake is scented with warming cardamom and cinnamon and SUPER moist! It’s baked with Greek yogurt and honey, and it’s dense – almost like a pound cake. AND it contains no refined sugar!

Once you’ve tried baking with olive oil, you may never go back. The Greeks and Italians have been doing it for a while, and the trend is catching on here as well, especially as the Mediterranean Diet gains popularity.

This cake is so much more guilt-free than many others. Yes, olive oil is still a fat, and yes, honey is still sugar, but it’s a lot healthier than other cakes made with vegetable oils and sugar.

Don’t worry- it doesn’t TASTE healthy. It tastes AMAZING. It’s moist and rich and the flavor combination of fresh orange with warm cardamom and cinnamon is out of this world (and these flavors go well with the earthy, nutty flavor of extra-virgin olive oil).

And it makes your house smell SO GOOD while it cooks!

Olive oil cake is often made with lemon. I wanted a more festive cake for the holiday season, so I used orange instead.

...GET THE RECIPE for Cardamom Spiced Orange Olive Oil Cake!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Oregon Chai®. The opinions and text are all mine.

This Chai Spiced Pumpkin Bread is SUPER moist and packed with warm fall spices. It’s made with chai tea latte concentrate in the batter to make it extra yummy! It’s the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever made.

In fact, it’s so nice, I made it twice. Literally, it’s in the oven right now baking because I couldn’t bear to sit here and write this post knowing that the original loaf was all gone.

Here are the things I love about this recipe.

• It will make your house smell AMAZING whilst it bakes.
• It’s SUPER moist, thanks to a special trick that I’ll get to in a bit.
• Each loaf uses a half a can of pumpkin, meaning you can use the WHOLE CAN to make two loaves and not have any extra pumpkin lingering around in your fridge threatening to go bad.
• It has warm, rich flavors from both the chai tea latte concentrate and the addition of brown sugar.

...GET THE RECIPE for Chai Spiced Pumpkin Bread!

These Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are made with warming pumpkin pie spices mixed in the batter, and rolled in a mixture of brown and white sugars with even MORE pumpkin pie spice! These are such a delicious fall treat.

And there’s NO actual pumpkin involved.

That’s right- NO pumpkin!

So if you’re a pumpkin hater, and you’re all like “wahhhhh pumpkin is sooooo overrated,” hear me out.

I’ve tried making cookies with canned pumpkin before. They always come out very fluffy- more “cake-like” than “cookie-like” to me.

(Although, Sally’s Baking Addiction does have a pretty great chewy pumpkin cookie recipe!)

So I decided to take a regular snickerdoodle cookie and add pumpkin pie spices without the actual pumpkin. SO GOOD!

Since pumpkin pie spice is made of warming spices like ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, it worked so well in a snickerdoodle cookie, since they traditionally are flavored with cinnamon.

These pumpkin spice snickerdoodles have pumpkin pie spice inside and out.

Regular snickerdoodles are simply sugar cookies rolled in a mixture of white sugar and cinnamon. I made a few adjustments for this version.

...GET THE RECIPE for Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles!