Has anyone else been stress-baking recently? We have made so many different baked goods since being stuck at home that I’ve lost track of everything we’ve made! I can tell you that it’s all been delicious and every time we make something it’s eaten within 48 hours.

Hopefully I’m not the only one baking and cooking up a storm over here. Baking and cooking with kids can be a lot of work, but it can also be really fun if you pick the right recipes!

Since everyone is stuck at home right now with their kiddos home, I thought it’d be helpful to put together a list of easy recipes that your kids can help you bake or cook! Often times recipes are so complicated or have so many ingredients that you have to do most of the work, but with these, your kids can really take the lead!

I’ve split all these things to cook with kids into two sections. First, recipes with five ingredients or less. Most of them have three ingredients, but some of them have four or five. Second, recipes that are no-bake! Kids + the oven just doesn’t sound like a good idea to me, so I wanted to find some good recipes that didn’t require any time in the oven.

Things to Cook with Kids That Have 5 Ingredients or Less

Photo Credit: Joy Food Sunshine

Puppy Chow

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Photo Credit: www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

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Photo Credit: Frugal Fanatic

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

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Photo Credit: Momadvice

Watermelon Granita

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Photo Credit: The Space Between

Hummus

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Photo Credit: Tasty

Mac & Cheese

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Photo Credit: Tasty

Banana Oat Smoothie

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Photo Credit: Tasty

Teriyaki Chicken

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Photo Credit: Cafe Delites

Breakfast Cookies

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Photo Credit: Spend With Pennies

Pigs in a Blanket

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Photo Credit: Cafe Delites

Pancakes

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Photo Credit: Persnickety Plates

Pita Bread

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Photo Credit: Love Foodies

Mini Meringue Cookies

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Chocolate Banana Smoothie

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Photo Credit: Kleinworth & Co.

Chocolate Nut Clusters

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Photo Credit: Mama Loves Food

Shortbread Cookies

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Photo Credit: Mama Loves Food

Chocolate Mousse

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And now, on to the no-bake recipes!

No-Bake Recipes to Make With Kids

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Easy No-Bake Fudge

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Photo Credit: Like Mother Like Daughter

No-Bake Monster Cookie Granola Bites

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Photo Credit: Two Sisters Crafting

Best Ever Rice Krispie Treat Recipe

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Photo Credit: Live Well Bake Often

Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

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Photo Credit: Two Peas and Their Pod

Oreo Balls Recipe

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Photo Credit: Cookies and Cups

No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

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Photo Credit: The Healthy Maven

Healthy Trail Mix

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Photo Credit: Shari Barnes

Oreo Dirt Cups

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Banana Split Pops

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Photo Credit: Like Mother Like Daughter

Apple Nachos

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No-Bake Chocolate Candy Cookies

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Golden Grahams S’mores Bars

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No-Bake Chocolate Tart

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Photo Credit: Persnickety Plates

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

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Photo Credit: The Typical Mom

No-Bake Scotcheroos

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No-Churn Graham Cracker Ice Cream

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Photo Credit: Kleinworth & Co.

Homemade Crunch Bars

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Photo Credit: Princess Pinky Girl

Funfetti Dip

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Have you found at least five or more recipes to make with your kids? I hope you have, because just putting this together has made me crave something sweet!

Cooking with kids can be really rewarding, and there’s no better time to teach them than now! Have fun!

Check out the other posts in my Stuck at Home series here:

• 36 Things to Do With Kids
• 10 Things to Watch With Kids
• Working From Home With Kids
• 7 Ways to Stay Connected With Friends and Family

The post Stuck at Home: 35 Things to Cook with Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

If there’s one thing that could make eating pizza any better, it’s this.

In our family, we eat pizza a lot. Like, at least once a week, and some times even more.

Eating pizza is normally a wonderful, beautiful experience, but when you add in this delicious garlic butter dipping sauce, oh my goodness. It’s heaven.

You can’t go wrong adding butter or garlic to anything, and this dip is an easy and fast side for pizza that really makes a big difference. It’s good for dipping the crust in, and I also like to dip my actual pizza in it.

The best part is that this recipe isn’t runny or greasy like some butter sauces I’ve tried. So, you’re welcome, because basically I just upped your pizza game.

Yield: 1/2 cup sauce

Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This garlic butter dipping sauce is the perfect dip or side for your pizza party! It's not greasy and not too garlicky like some dips. Tastes just like Dominos garlic butter sauce and it only takes three ingredients!

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan on medium.
   
2. Spoon off the foam that you get on top. That's where the greasiness comes from.
   
3. Stir in garlic powder and salt until dissolved.
   
4. Remove from heat to a small dish and enjoy! You now have the perfect dipping sauce to complement your pizza!
   

I don’t make this as often as I should, but when I do, I get lots of compliments and requests for more. Even my kids like it!

Thanks to this phenomenal garlic butter dipping sauce, pizza night has never been better! Try it once and you’ll be hooked!

This post was originally published on January 12th, 2016.

The post Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Hey mamas! I shared this recipe last year on my friend Christine’s blog, I Dig Pinterest, and I have been saving them ALL YEAR to share them with you guys here today! They are super easy no bake Oreo cream pie bars, and they are DELICIOUS!

And not only are they super easy and yummy, but they only take four ingredients! Woo hoo! They are the perfect dessert for when you are busy getting Halloween costumes together and carving pumpkins and don’t have a lot of time (or energy!) to do much else!

This recipe was actually adapted from one of our family’s favorite OREO cream pie recipes. We make it all the time when we have guests or when we bring food to friends. It’s always a big hit, and these bars were, too! We gobbled them right up! And who wouldn’t? A layer of OREOS, a layer of whipped cream, and a layer of OREO cream pudding. Mmmmm. Is it too early for me to make these again?

To be honest, you could probably get away with making these any time of the year, but there’s something about using Halloween OREOS that makes them even yummier!

Yield: 1 8x8 pan

No-Bake OREO Cream Pie Bars

Prep Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 package Halloween OREOS
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 (4 oz) boxes OREO pudding mix
• 1 tub whipped cream

Instructions

1. Crush up 12 OREOS and squish them in the bottom of an 8x8 pan. 2. Spread 1/2 container of whipped cream on top. Freeze for 10 minutes.
2. Blend together 1 cup milk and 2 boxes of OREO pudding mix. Once blended (it will be thick), gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Spread on top of the whipped cream layer and freeze for 4 hours.
3. Sprinkle with crushed OREOS or top each bar with a full OREO! Thaw for 10 minutes before serving.

I really do hope you get a chance to try these no bake OREO cream pie bars out, because they are DIVINE! Happy Halloween!!

The post No-Bake OREO Cream Pie Bars appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post is sponsored by Rhodes Bake N Serv.

When my husband and I were dating, we went to dinner at his aunt and uncle’s house. He had told them beforehand that I was a vegetarian, and his amazingly sweet aunt made sure to make something that I could enjoy, too. It was a delicious creamy tomato and parmesan pasta dish and I remember loving every bite. A few days later, I asked my husband (then boyfriend) to get the recipe for me, and he did! Since then, it has been one of our family favorites, and now that we have kids, they love it, too!

The best part about it (besides it being super delicious) is that it’s incredibly easy and only takes a few ingredients! You can quickly whip it up on a busy night and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!

I’m also a big fan of quick and easy sides, and one of our go-to sides are Rhodes Warm N Serv rolls. You just pop them in the oven and they’re hot and ready in just a few minutes. We always have some ready to go in our freezer.

I love the Artisan French Rolls and my husband loves the Soft Yeast Rolls. They taste homemade and are so simple! Seriously, if you love homemade bread but aren’t super good at making it from scratch yourself (or if you don’t have the time!), these are perfect for you. Just a few minutes and you’ve got a hot, soft dinner roll that is the perfect way to complete your meal.

The complete meal can be on the table from start to finish in about 25 minutes. We’ve been making it for eight years and it’s still a family favorite! And if you’re in the mood for some meat, too, it pairs great with grilled chicken!

Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Tomato and Parmesan Pasta

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This creamy tomato and parmesan pasta is super easy and can be on the table in 25 minutes! A great meatless dinner idea for those busy weeknights!

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Ingredients

• 1 can Italian tomatoes, drained slightly
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 8 oz penne
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook penne to al dente and drain
2. While the penne is cooking, combine the tomatoes and basil in a frying pan on the stove. Cook on medium until it begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.
3. Add whipping cream and Parmesan cheese, and cook for about 10 more minutes.
4. Mix everything together and serve!

Enjoy!

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Well here’s a post I never thought I’d be sharing! Lactation cookies! And not just any lactation cookies–cranberry white chocolate chip lactation cookies!

I’ll be honest and tell you when I first heard about these, I thought they were ridiculous. But then my milk supply dropped and my son wasn’t gaining enough weight and I got desperate to try anything. I drank more water, I took some fenugreek pills, and I ate a few of these every day for a week, and it helped! So I don’t know for certain if they worked because they actually worked or if it was because of a placebo effect kind of deal, but honestly, I don’t care. And if you’re here looking for a lactation cookie recipe, I’m going to guess you don’t care either. These bad boys helped boost my milk supply and got us back on track. My 5-month-old is almost 18 pounds now so I’m pretty sure he’s getting enough food!

Now I originally tried a different lactation cookie recipe but found it wasn’t my favorite, so I thought I would mix it up, change a few things, and add in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Those two with the oatmeal are FAB.

I actually like these cookies so much that I froze all of the dough and just pop a few in the oven every few days. I don’t share them with my kids (they’re “Mommy cookies”) and even though they’ve tried them and liked them, I’m not wasting these delicious little treats on them. They definitely don’t need any help lactating, I can tell you that.

Anyway, these are super easy, super good, and like I said, freezable. Just scoop them on a cookie sheet, freeze them in balls, and then put them all in a ziploc bag and bake for like 2 extra minutes. Mmmm. You’re welcome.

Yield: 4 doz

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

These cranberry white chocolate chip lactation cookies work miracles! They are delicious, and the oatmeal combined with the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips is amazing! Plus the special ingredients really help boost your milk supply!

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Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 5 Tbsp brewer's yeast
• 3 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
• 4 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Mix together the oats, flour, yeast, flaxseed, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and coconut oil until creamy.
3. Add in the sugar and beat until fluffy.
4. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
5. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition.
6. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips until combined.
7. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.

The post Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Hey guys! I am so thrilled to be posting for the third year in a row in the Red, White, and Blue series hosted by my friend Mandy at Sugar Bee Crafts! The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays because it’s my dad’s birthday and because I just love all things patriotic. Plus, fireworks! Today I’m going to be sharing a super easy recipe for patriotic popsicles that are perfect to cool you down during those hot Fourth of July barbecues!

A few weeks ago, we went berry picking at a farm an hour away. It was the CUTEST little place, and it was so much fun. We picked strawberries and blackberries, and even brought home some peaches and red onions!

When we got home, I needed to come up with something yummy to make with all of those berries. Since it’s summer and it’s basically already 1,000 degrees here in Texas, I thought popsicles would be perfect!

These popsicles were a big hit at our house, and I am definitely going to be making this recipe again as we get closer to the 4th of July!

Yield: 6-8 popsicles

Patriotic Popsicles

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

These patriotic popsicles are the perfect Fourth of July dessert! Red, white, and blue creamsicles with strawberry and blackberry inside! Yum!

Print

Ingredients

• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 or 7 fresh strawberries, mashed
• 10 frozen blackberries
• blue food coloring
• 8 oz container vanilla yogurt

Instructions

1. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla untill creamy.
2. Divide cream cheese mixture in two.
3. In one half of the mixture, stir in strawberries until blended. Fill popsicle molds 1/2 full.
4. In the other half, stir in a few drops of blue food coloring and frozen blackberries. Spoon on top of the first layer in the popsicle molds.
5. Finish it off by adding a few scoops of vanilla yogurt in each mold.
6. Close your molds (or use sticks, whatever your popsicle mold uses) and freeze at least 4 hours.

The post Patriotic Popsicles appeared first on Life With My Littles.

If you follow my blog at all you’ll know that I love the 4th of July! It’s a holiday that gives me all the feelings, and I love celebrating it. And despite my lack of doing fun crafts and activities the last few months since Little R has been here, I am determined to make some fun red, white, and blue recipes and do some fun patriotic activities with the kids. I loved gathering recipe and activity ideas for toddlers for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, so I thought I would do it again for the 4th of July and inspire myself to get creative with my kids! So here are 35 4th of July recipes and activities for toddlers!

First up, 4th of July recipes for toddlers! And please, don’t pin from this page. Click the links and go pin the original pictures because these ladies all worked hard on these ideas!

Patriotic Jello Salad {via Life With My Littles}

Fourth of July Layer Cake {via Life With My Littles}

Patriotic Popsicles {via Life With My Littles}

Homemade Italian Cream Sodas {via Clarks Condensed}

Fourth of July Fireworks Cheese Stick Snacks {via The DIY Lighthouse}

Fourth of July Firecracker Dogs {via Handmade in the Heartland}

Fourth of July Dipped Pretzels {via The 36th Avenue}

Firecracker Popcorn {via Reasons to Skip the Housework}

Chocolate Dipped Banana Splits {via I Heart Naptime}

Red, White, and Blue Cupcake Cones {via Family Fresh Meals}

Red, White, and Blue No-Churn Cake Ice Cream {via It’s Always Autumn}

Red, White, and Blue Fireworks Treats {via Lemon Tree Dwelling}

Fourth of July Breakfast {via Be Different Act Normal}

Fruit Sparklers {via Tastes Better From Scratch}

Patriotic Snack Mix {via That Bald Chick}

Firecracker Rice Krispie Treats {via Two Sisters Crafting}

Firecracker Jello Cups {via Cincy Shopper}

Kid-Friendly Patriotic Punch {via Mom Endeavors}

Easy Flag Fruit Dessert {via Family Fresh Meals}

And now on to the 4th of July activities for toddlers!

DIY American Flag Handprint Tees {via Life With My Littles}

Fireworks Poppers {via Life With My Littles}

Pom Pom Sparklers {via My Very Educated Mother for Sugar Bee Crafts}

Stars and Stripes Sensory Bin {via What Can We Do With Paper and Glue}

Handprint Fireworks {via Ava’s Alphabet}

Fourth of July Sensory Bin {via Stay at Home Educator}

Dish Brush Fireworks {via Crafty Morning}

Flag Craft with Dot Markers {via My Mundane and Miraculous Life}

Star Spangled Slime {via I Can Teach My Child}

Patriotic Suncatcher {via A Little Pinch of Perfect}

Patriotic Fireworks Foam Sensory Activity {via The Jenny Evolution}

Pom Pom American Flag Painting {via Crafty Morning}

Mess Free Star Painting {via Simple Play Ideas}

Painting Fireworks {via Happiness is Homemade}

Cookie Cutter Stamping {via Mama to 6 Blessings}

4th of July Paper Plate Crown {via The Suburban Mom}

Well there you go! 35 fun 4th of July recipes and activities for toddlers that are sure to help you celebrate! USA! USA!

The post 4th of July Recipes and Activities for Toddlers appeared first on Life With My Littles.

My all-time favorite ice cream ever is from the BYU Creamery, and it’s called Graham Canyon. It tastes like heaven, it’s creamy, crunchy, has chocolate pieces and a graham cracker swirl, and I think the recipe must’ve been divinely inspired. Anyway, it’s fabulous. But unfortunately, it is only sold in Provo, UT.

So my ice cream-loving self decided to come up with a similar version that I could make quickly, easily, and cheaply at home. And oh boy, this no-churn graham cracker ice cream turned out AMAZING! Everyone in my family approved and it was gone in three days.

It’s not quite the same as the Creamery version, but it’s a very delicious copycat. The actual version has honeycomb candy in it and I used chocolate chips, but if that’s a deal-breaker for you then you can try this chocolate honeycomb candy recipe my friend Katie came up with.

I seriously will be making this on repeat this summer since it is so stinking hot in Texas and it just makes me want to eat ice cream all day. But can you blame me? Ice cream is amazing. And this recipe is no exception.

Yield: 1 9x5" pan

No-Churn Graham Cracker Ice Cream

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

This no-churn graham cracker ice cream recipe is so good and easy! It tastes a lot like a copycat BYU Creamery Graham Canyon ice cream, but made at home!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 4 graham crackers, broken up into chunks
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Using a hand mixer, whip up whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
2. Gently fold in sweetened condensed milk and graham cracker crumbs.
3. Stir in graham crackers and chocolate chips.
4. Pour into 9x5" loaf pan and freeze for at least 4 hours.

The post No-Churn Graham Cracker Ice Cream appeared first on Life With My Littles.

I received free product in exchange for hosting a #DisneyKids Preschool Playdate. All opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links.

On Monday I shared all the details from our amazing #DisneyKids Preschool Playdate. All the details except for how to make these adorable Mickey Mouse cupcakes, that is!

They were a hit at our party two weeks ago, even if they did start to get a little melty sitting in the hot Texas weather for a few hours. They looked great in the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cupcake liners that came in our playdate kit, and I loved showing them off on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cupcake stand I found.

And I know these look super cute and fancy, but they were actually way easy. All I used was a box of cupcake mix, chocolate frosting, OREO Thins, and Baker’s Dipping Chocolate.

First, bake a box of chocolate cupcakes according to package directions.

While your cupcakes are cooling, dip OREO Thins in Baker’s Dipping Chocolate and let dry in the fridge on a sheet of wax paper.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled (I’m serious on this one!), frost with chocolate frosting. I like to use Wilton disposable decorating bags and tips like these to frost my cupcakes.

Then, take two “Mickey ears” and stick them with the chocolate side up into the frosting. I did mine a little behind the middle point of the cupcake. I also did a quick little line of reinforcement frosting behind the ears to make them extra sturdy.

And guess what! All done! I told you they were easy! Now you have some adorable cupcakes for your Mickey Mouse party. Or just for fun, because who needs a party to make cupcakes??

If you need more fun ideas on how to throw a Mickey Mouse party, check out my post all about our #DisneyKids Preschool Playdate here!

The post Mickey Mouse Cupcakes appeared first on Life With My Littles.

My all-time favorite dessert from any restaurant ever was the Apple Chimicheesecake from Applebee’s. When I found out they had discontinued it several years ago, I was devastated. Where was I going to get my sweet, fried, apple cheesecake treat?

A few years passed and I eventually found a new favorite dessert, but the memory of the Apple Chimicheesecake was never forgotten.

Then a few weeks ago, I made an apple dessert quesadilla and it resembled the Apple Chimicheesecake so much that I decided to try using similar ingredients and making it in burrito form. The results were fabulous. Hence, this Applebee’s Apple Chimicheesecake copycat recipe!

If you were never privileged to try it while it was on the menu, let me fill you in. It’s a crispy tortilla covered in cinnamon and sugar, filled with a creamy, warm apple cheesecake, and served with vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle. YES. It’s incredible.

I was a fool and only made one of these beauties and I had to share it with my husband, son, and daughter. Needless to say, I was for sure wanting more by the time it was gone. Also needless to say, I will be making this again very soon.

If you’re looking for a unique, easy dessert that is sure to impress, this is the one. I promise you won’t be sad you tried it!

Yield: 1 serving

Applebee's Apple Chimicheesecake Copycat

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

This Applebee's Apple Chimicheesecake copycat recipe tastes just like the original dessert from the restaurant! Warm, gooey apple cheesecake tucked inside a cinnamon sugar tortilla and fried until golden, served with creamy vanilla ice cream and drizzled in caramel! Yum!

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Ingredients

• 1 Gala apple
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 burrito size flour tortilla
• butter
• cinnamon and sugar mixture
• caramel sauce
• vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Dice your apple into small pieces.
2. In a small pot, combine diced apples, brown sugar, and butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are soft. Let cool.
3. Blend cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla with hand mixer until smooth.
4. Fold in apple mixture.
5. Spread butter over 1 side of tortilla and rub cinnamon and sugar mixture on it.
6. Spoon apple cheesecake mixture into middle of the opposite side of your tortilla. Fold the sides in, then roll up burrito-style.
7. Fry in a pan over medium heat until crispy. Make sure you flip your burrito to cook all sides.
8. Cut in half and serve with vanilla ice cream.
9. Drizzle with caramel sauce and enjoy!

The post Applebee’s Apple Chimicheesecake Copycat appeared first on Life With My Littles.