(thank you Ben & Jerry’s for that)

Be honest with me.

When you see {Gluten Free} is that a turn off?

I’m never sure if I should just slip in “Gluten Free’ or shout if from the roof top.

When you read gluten free, do you assume that whatever is pictured must have a weird texture or funny taste?

Because these muffins are really good! Yes, they happen to be gluten free, but not because they have funky earthy ingredients, but because oats ground into flour make damn good muffins.

For my non-Gluten Free friends, please give them a chance. Then let me know in the comments below what you think. Deal?

I know this is a post about Wholesome Chunky Monkey Muffins but when your kitchen is graced with such beauty as this bouquet of flowers, it’s hard to keep the camera off of them.

One of the many reasons I love going to our local Farmers Market each week. We’ve met some really great people, who happen to be flower farmers.

While I’m certain it has its challenges, waking up to fields of flowers must be an enchanting way to begin the day.

Back to these muffins. From the minute they come out of the oven, the sweet wholesome aroma will speak to your taste buds.

Hello….

You’re going to love my texture. Love my nutty sweet flavors. And most certainly want to share the love with your friends and family.

Chunky Monkey Muffins are moist, with nutty banana flavors, sweetened with chocolate chips.

I’m generally a savory breakfast girl, but there’s something special about a slightly sweet muffin with a cup of coffee. It’s kind of like having a biscotti with your coffee.

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

Pin It For Later!

The post Wholesome Chunky Monkey Muffins {Gluten Free} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Chocolate lovers dream.

It’s like brownie meets fudge meets chocolate cake.

Every bite is meant to be savored and that I shall do.

Did I mention that it’s a 5-Ingredient super simple recipe (thank you What’s Gaby Cooking)!

Classically this cake is served with a dusting of powered sugar and fresh raspberries.

I made a gorgeous silky smooth Raspberry Puree (getting a little fancy) which looks so pretty on the plate.

Wouldn’t this make a beautiful Easter Dessert? It smiles of Spring.

And then there’s the decadent caramel drizzle version topped with scoops of ice cream.

Sometimes less is more I know.

But sometimes a celebration is in order and you just want to go big!

There was an evening last summer, much to the kid’s delight, that we made a Flourless Chocolate Ice Cream Cake. Big fun!

No matter how you serve it, whether you follow a Gluten Free diet or not, Flourless Chocolate Cake is a legitimate treat and one of my favorite Adventures in Chocolate.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

No matter how you serve it, Flourless Chocolate Cake is a legitimate treat.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 large eggs

Optional Toppings

• Powdered Sugar
• Fresh Raspberries
• Raspberry Puree see Recipe Link in post
• Caramel Sauce
• Scoops of Ice Cream

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter 10-inch springform pan, then line bottom with parchment paper. In a heavy sauce pan over low heat, melt butter with chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Whisk in sugar and cocoa powder until smooth. Add eggs and whisk until mixture is combined well and smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife around egde of pan then release pan sides.

Optional Toppings

• For Powdered Sugar with Fresh Raspberries, using a fine mesh strainer dust top with powdered sugar and decorate with raspberries and raspberry puree.
• For Caramel and Ice Cream, it's best to scoop ice cream balls several hours in advance and refreeze them so they hold their shape. Drizzle cake with caramel sauce and top with ice cream balls.

The post Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Cake appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Does anyone else buy boxes of “Little Bites” muffins for their kids (big or small)??

I can’t believe I’m admitting it – not because I’m a packaged food snob, but because muffins are so darn easy to make at home!

These bite sized homemade Double Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins are moist and cake-like, studded with chocolate chips throughout. They are a tasty grab-n-go snack, lunch box treat, or Sunday morning get ’em out of bed to start the day kind of breakfast.

We first made this recipe back during the summer of covid-cooking (2020).

In May, after being in quarantine for two months, we as a family decided to take on an ultimate cooking challenge.

Every recipe cooked was an entry to win the grand prize. Little did we know that we would cook our way through an entire cookbook (132 recipes) in just 50 days. Each one of them documented on Instagram @lemonythyme.

Covid Cooking 2020

This beloved cookbook titled “Eat What You Want” is by What’s Gaby Cooking.

It’s hard to precisely put into words how profoundly this cooking expedition shaped our lives during these challenging and difficult times.

• Let’s just say we simultaneously strengthened our family bond and our love of food
• We shared the love with neighbors we hadn’t previously had the time to get to know (many special deliveries were left on doorsteps and passed over fences)
• No doubt we challenged our cooking abilities
• All of us stayed mostly positive when a sea of negativity was brewing in the world around us
• We discovered a competitive over-achiever lay under the surface in each of us
• Without a doubt, we ate the most delicious dishes all prepared in our own kitchen

And while we were not chosen as the grand-prize winner of her competition, in our book this family adventure was Winning!!!

You can find our amateur how-to cooking video saved under stories on Instagram. @lemonythyme “Kids Cooking”

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Double Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

These bite sized homemade Double Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins are moist and cake-like, studded with chocolate chips throughout.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vbegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk only
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheast oven to 375° F. Spray 4 mini-muffin tins with cooking spray (48 muffins total).
• In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder with 1/4 cup cocoa powder. In a separate small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup cocoa powder with hot water until smooth.
• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and yolk, and vanilla on medium speed until combined. Add the cocoa powder/water mixture and beat until just combined. Now alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream in three additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir in 1 cup of each kinds of chocolate chips, reserving a 1/2 cup of the mini chips to sprinkle on top before baking.
• Bake in center of oven about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick instered in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Store in an air tight container or freeze in small batches.

Notes

This recipe can also be made as one dozen standard sized muffins (30 minute bake time) or 6 jumbo muffins (40 minute bake time).

The post Double Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

When I said to my sister Sarah “tomorrow is National Popcorn Day” without hesitation she exclaimed “Popcorn Balls.”

We both have fond memories of making Popcorn Balls.

Popcorn Balls were an early sign of Halloween. Our Mom spent hours popping, rolling, and wrapping these nostalgic treats. We would hand them out to trick-or-treaters.

Kettle Corn, Golden Grahams, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips would be the base for our S’mores version of this old-time recipe. Marshmallow Fluff and melted butter would bring it all together <3

Just for fun and a little extra flavor we drizzled the popcorn mixture with melted white and dark chocolate. At this point, without any rolling or wrapping, you have a heavenly snack mix worthy of any Friday family movie night!

But we set out to make S’mores Popcorn Balls and popcorn balls we would make. Melted butter combined with marshmallow creme (think Rice Krispie Treats) was the sugary glue we used to hold our s’mores ingredients together.

Mom wrapped popcorn balls in wax paper. Parchment paper worked equally as well, right down to the twisted ends.

We’re planning to Share the Love with these S’mores Popcorn Balls. How are you celebrating National Popcorn Day?

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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S’mores Popcorn Balls

Kettle Corn, Golden Grahams, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips are the base for our S'mores version of this old-time recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Bag Kettle Corn (5.3 ounce)
• 3 cups Golden Grahams cereal
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup melted white chocolate
• 1/4 cup melted dark chocolate
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 7 ounces marshmallow creme

Instructions

• Combine kettle corn, Golden Grahams, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Spread onto parchment paper and drizzle with melted white and dark chocolate. Allow to set for 15 minutes, then transfer to large bowl.
• In heavy saucepan, melt stick of butter over low heat then fold in marshmallow creme. Remove from heat and stir until butter is fully incorporated. Drizzle marshmallow over popcorn mixture. Wearing disposable gloves, toss mixture to thoroughly coat. Form into balls, we made about 18 baseball sized. Cut pieces of parchment paper to wrap each ball, twisting ends to secure.

The post S’mores Popcorn Balls {National Popcorn Day} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars. That’s what the experts said I should call these two-bite “Change Your Life” treats.  Said in my best Steel Magnolias accent, which I happen to be watching tonight. We’ll come back to that.

I have this friend who is a huge Reese’s fan. So one year for her birthday I made her these Peanut Butter Brownie Bites…Of Love! They are as ooey gooey yummy as they look friends. Here’s that RECIPE.

Then there was the year I discovered how easy it was to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups. Let’s just say this about those….WOW!!!

Check out the recipe here —>>> RECIPE

The following year I decided to try out a White Chocolate version of above mentioned Homemade Peanut Butter Cups.  They were equally as tasty and quite festive if I do say so myself. RECIPE

Then somewhere, likely on Pinterest, I saw this fudge. This oh so sweet and creamy White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge. We were in heaven. Sweet tooth heaven. Here’s Another RECIPE for you to try.

Since we’re on a peanut butter cup love fest together, there were these delightful treats that I made one year for my other bff chocolate/peanut butter loving friend.

Surround yourself with like-minded people and you’re sure to find someone with a stash of chocolate. And peanut butter if you’re lucky! Here’s how we put these Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Oreos together —>> RECIPE

So before I get to the recipe for Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars I must share that as I sat here at my kitchen table typing up this post, Steel Magnolias was fired up on the tv. I know you’ve seen this movie.

After all, I named my kid after the lead character, whether we had a boy or a girl, the name would be Shelby. A little Steel Magnolias text thread exchange with my Shelby.

I promise I’ll get to the recipe for two-bite “change your life” peanut butter bars. I just have to share one more text exchange. Hee.

Recipe slightly adapted from Culinary Hill.

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Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Ingredients

• 10 Tbl. butter divided
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Line a 9×9-inch pan with aluminum foil.
• Melt 5 Tbl. butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in peanut butter, brown sugar and confectioners sugar. Press into prepared pan and chill.
• Melt remaining 5 Tbl. butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave for 1 minute. Stir, heat in 30-second increments until smooth. Pour over peanut butter base.
• Chill until firm, at least two hours or overnight. Cut into bars, about 1 1/2-inch square. Store in refrigerator.

The post Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I have this bag of baking supplies that I hide out of sight in the hall coat closet.  My logic is questionable since I (1) hid it, and (2) it’s been discovered.  It contains everything from Peanut M&M’s to Hershey’s Kisses to Ferrero Rocher, plus assorted other essentials like chocolate chips, shredded coconut, marshmallows, and Heath toffee bits.

Today, on my day off, I turned to that coat closet treasure with the intention of cleaning it out.

Instead I made S’Mores Scones.

I don’t know.  Wasn’t on the radar.  Too good not to share.  I made S’Mores Scones that were fantabulous, especially still warm from the oven.  I’ll be sharing the love with these at the office tomorrow.

As we begin to wind down from Summer Thyme, there are some recipes that can bring us back in less than 30 minutes.  S’Mores Scones can now be one of those recipes.

I followed the basics from my Savory Caprese Scones recipe, that I adapted from Joy the Baker.  Click HERE for some Scone making tips that yield delicious pillowy, tender results every time.  Savory or sweet.

Recipe inspiration…Chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows, and graham crackers vanilla cream wafers.  I was in my favorite x-mas jammies and wasn’t about to leave the house.  Vanilla cream wafers, leftover from this Ferrero Rocher Cake recipe made a suitable substitution.  Take note, scones are forgiving and allow for ingredient creativity.

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S’Mores Scones

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
• 1 egg beaten
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 3/4 cup sour cream cold
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup vanilla wafers rough crushed
• 1 egg beaten for egg wash

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper and reserve.
• In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter. Mixture will resemble coarse meal.
• In another bowl, combine egg, sour cream, vanilla and water. Beat lightly with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork to make a shaggy dough. Add the marshmallows, chocolate chips and vanilla wafers. Pour out onto a clean surface and knead about 10 to 15 times, until it just comes together.
• Pat out into a 1-inch thick circle. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 16 wedges. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

The post S’Mores Scones appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Just a quick relatively wordless Wednesday post.

Creamy Dreamy Mint Chocolate Fudge.  Three ingredients.  Easy.  Melt in your mouth.  This is the first fudge recipe I learned to make back when I was in high school.  It has never failed me.

Yesterday I was asked how I got my fudge pieces out of the pan so easily.  Line your fudge pan with parchment paper for easy removal.

Combine 1 can of sweetened condensed milk with 3 cups of favorite chips (I used 2 cups Dark Chocolate & Mint & 1 cup semi-sweet).

Melt over medium-low heat.  Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla and mix until smooth.  Pour into prepared pan.  Chill for two hours.  Ta-da ta-done.

Cut Creamy Dreamy Mint Chocolate Fudge into squares.  Make some friends. Or as we like to say Share the Love.

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Creamy Dreamy Chocolate Mint Fudge

Ingredients

• 3 cups baking chips I used 2 cups mint chocolate and 1 cup semi-sweet
• 1 14- ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups of favorite chips (I used 2 cups of Dark Chocolate & Mint and 1 cup semi-sweet) with one can of sweetened condensed milk. Melt over medium-low heat.
• Remove from heat; stir in 1 tsp. vanilla and mix until smooth.
• Pour into parchment paper lined pan. Chill for two hours. Cut in squares to serve.

Notes

This recipe can be adapted to use your favorite flavored chips. Peanut butter is a natural, but butterscotch is amazing.
I like to reserve a few chips to sprinkle on top of the fudge or stir in 1 cup of chopped nuts before chilling.

The post Creamy Dreamy Chocolate Mint Fudge appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles.

Seriously?  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough balls dunked in chocolate?  Oh my word.  Don’t leave me alone with a tray of these bad boys.  No worries raw egg police, these no-bake treats are egg-free.

This recipe completely validates why I surf Pinterest late at night.  Recipes like this one from BHG.com find their way into my feed, then I dream about the day they become a reality.  Today was that day.  I packed up the simple ingredients and headed to the office.

You didn’t really think I was going to sit down and eat the whole pan by myself did you?

I enlisted help for dipping.  The pretty ones are Bethany’s work (cake pop & truffle-maker extraordinaire), the ones with character are mine ;) They all found their way to a good home.  I even cut some in half so that those of us making Healthy Choices could still sample Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles with only half the guilt.  That’s what we call Share the Love around here.

In fact there was a whole lot of “Make Their Day” going on at the office today.  Look at this super delicious care package that was hand delivered by our Customer Service Team to every other company member.  I work with the best and most thoughtful group!!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbl. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup mini-chocolate chips
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or candy coating for dipping

Instructions

• Beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla until combined. Add in flour until just combined, then stir in mini-chocolate chips.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment lined shallow baking sheet. Freeze for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl. Stirring every 20 – 30 seconds until melted.
• Remove dough from freezer. Using toothpick, dip each in melted chocolate and place back on parchment lined baking sheet. Once all are dipped, return to refrigerator for 5 minutes to set chocolate.

The post Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I struggled with what to call these heavenly bars. I kicked around a few ideas.  Pretzel Toffee Bars.  Chocolate Coconut Layered Love Bars.  Magic Bars.  Seven Layer Bars.  Toothachers Met Their Match Bars.  Truth be told…they are a casserole with a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  A dessert casserole.  I’m not sure anyone would click on a recipe called dessert casserole.

As I typed that, Decadent Dessert Casserole popped into my head, which actually might be good.

Blogger note:  You really must be careful when typing straight from the thought train.  Because while Decadent Dessert Casserole popped into my head, I typed Decadent Dessert Casserole pooped into my head.  And That’s NOT AT ALL what I was thinking.  Phew, thank goodness for proof-reading.

Phew.

I’m beginning to question my every word.  Do you read Phew as in relief…boy that was a close one OR as an expression of disgust? PU.  I’m not making this recipe any better am I??

Clear your minds.  Let’s try this again.  I still had leftover baking supplies from Christmas that needed to be used.  I also had an opportunity to make someone’s day.  We were smack in the middle of team-building exercises leading up to our annual company meeting.  We were revisiting the Fish Philosophy! ten years after we first introduced it to our team.  I was on Team “Be There” and one of our own was celebrating a birthday.  OOooo. Me me.  Let me bake something!!

So I baked a batch of Seven Layer Magic Bars.  Except I replaced the first layer with the base to our most treasured family recipe…Toothacher Bars.  Which added confusion to the title.  I’m not really sure how many layers these bars technically have.  I think I’m having a cooking fail right now.

Wait!  What am I saying?  These were the bomb.  No one that I served them to cared one iota what they were called.  Is anyone else surprised that my spellchecker didn’t scream red when I typed iota.  I’ve never used that word in print.

Point being, that when you layer things like pretzels, caramel, chocolate chips, coconut, pecans and drizzle them with sweetened condensed milk, you are going to make people very happy.  I’m convinced now that I should have simply called this reipce…Make Their Day Magic Bars.

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Seven Layer Magic Bars aka Make Their Day Magic Bars

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 6 Tbl. butter melted
• 25 caramels unwrapped
• 1 Tbl. milk
• 3 cups Snyder’s Buttersnaps broken slightly
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 14- ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In microwave safe bowl, combine caramels with milk and microwave on high until completely melted, stirring at 30 second intervals, about 2 minutes.
• In large bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, and butter, and baking soda. Mixture will be thick and stiff.
• Press mixture into bottom of parchment lined 9×13 pan. Pour melted caramel over top and spread evenly. Sprinkle on pretzel pieces, chocolate chips, coconut, and chopped pecans.
• Pour can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over top.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

The post Seven Layer Magic Bars appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Oh yes I did.  And you should too.  Nutella Swirled Chocolate Chip Blondies are just 30 minutes away from making your day.  Enough said.

Make your favorite Blondie recipe, in our case it’s these super simple Homemade Blondies.  Just before you’re ready to pop them in the oven, swirl some Nutella into them and bake.

Don’t forget to Share the Love.  Nutella Swirled Chocolate Chip Blondies have what it takes to make someone else’s day as well.  Double win!

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Nutella Swirl Chocolate Chip Blondies

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted (sweet) butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup Nutella

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients, except Nutella together in a big bowl with wooden spoon, until blended well. Spread in a parchment lined, non-stick sprayed 8” pan.
• Spoon Nutella in 3 lines across batter. Swirl using a toothpick.
• Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (toothpick should come out clean). Cool & cut into bars.

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