Red White and Blue Jello Poke Cake [+Video]

The most popular 4th of July recipe is this Red White and Blue Jello Poke Cake! It’s a moist, white cake, red and blue jello and whipped topping! 

Happy 4th of July!!! Well, not yet but hopefully you’ll be reading this on the day you’re making our poke cake recipe for a Fourth of July BBQ. There’s nothing better than a jello poke cake when it’s hot outside and you’re trying to enjoy your guests instead of being trapped in a kitchen. 

Read more

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Ice Cream is the salty, chocolate sweetness that you just can’t stop at one bite. Heck, I have a hard time stopping at just one bowl!

Pretzel Ice Cream

Ice Cream is quite literally the dish of summer if I am in charge of choosing. It is easy to make and hits the spot on a hot day. Whether we are talking about a snack or dessert. It has milk so I would even call it breakfast.

Crunchy, sweet, chocolatey, and salty this homemade ice cream recipe checks all the boxes. By adding large pieces of pretzels at the end they keep their crunch and salty bits don’t dissolve for the perfect bite.

What I love about homemade ice cream with different mix-ins and combinations is that you get to control the flavor and quantity.

It is frustrating to buy a container of my favorite ice cream, only to find it with just crumbs of the mix-in or play hide and seek with a few chunks of cookie. Pieces of pretzel and swirls of chocolate stand out in this recipe.

We’re celebrating three weeks of new ice cream recipes this summer with a very cool ice cream maker giveaway! Enter to win the Cuisinart ICE-100 1.5-Quart Compressor Ice Cream Maker by CLICKING HERE and submitting your email. The giveaway ends July 8th, 2022.

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

Read more

This rich and creamy homemade Maple Ice Cream recipe requires just four ingredients! Pure maple syrup gives this ice cream a smooth natural flavor with hints of caramel and vanilla.

Maple Ice Cream

This is one of the simplest ice creams you can make, with just four ingredients: cream, milk, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.

Maple is such a rich natural sweetener for desserts. It has a depth of flavor beyond regular sugar. I like experimenting with it and honey when I can to change things up.

Maple-flavored syrups or pancake syrups are a no-go for this recipe. Not only is the flavor not quite the same they often contain alcohol which impacts the freezing process of homemade ice cream. It can take longer or not set up at all.

Homemade ice cream is easiest with an ice cream maker. There are so many options and price points on the market. You aren’t limited to the hand-crank White Mountain our grandparents had.

Not sure which one to get? No worries, I did the research and testing for you. Click here for my full reviews. After creating nearly 100 recipes for homemade ice cream I know a thing or two.

While I am a big fan of my ice cream maker, here is a little secret. You can make homemade ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

Maple Nut Ice Cream

While the nuts in this recipe are optional, they add something very special to this ice cream. You’ll want to be sure to add candied walnuts to the recipe, not plain roasted or raw walnuts.

Yes, the candied walnuts are sweeter, but it’s balanced by the natural bitterness of walnuts. And most importantly, the candied walnuts will be softer and chewier in the final frozen ice cream.

Read more

Crunchy, caramelized walnuts make a sweet snack and a great topping for summer berry salads and ice cream, or a quick topping for muffins. Today I’m showing you how to make candied walnuts!

I recommend doubling the recipe if you have snack-happy kids like mine, as you might catch them snacking on them too.

How To Make Candied Walnuts

It’s easier than you might think to make candied walnuts at home. With just a pat of butter, a handful of walnuts, and a spoonful of sugar, you can stir up a batch of walnuts that are tastier than anything you can buy from the store.

I like to start with walnut halves and then roughly chop them on a cutting board. For bigger pieces, I will just break halves apart by hand if I only need a cup or so.

You can actually use this technique for other nuts as well to get the sweet, buttery toasted flavor that makes for a sweet topping.

Your candied nuts should not be sticky once they are cooled. If they are they probably did not cook long enough on the stovetop. The key is to hit that sweet spot, literally, between being cooked long enough and burnt.

Candied walnuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month. These containers work perfectly!

Candied Walnuts Recipe

1. Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone mat next to the stove.
2. Add the walnuts and sugar. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine.
3. Continue stirring until the sugar melts and the walnuts are well-coated.
4. Quickly transfer the walnuts to the parchment and work quickly with a spatula to spread them out to avoid clumping.

Read more

Two kinds of chocolate and real cream make this the best and easiest homemade chocolate ice cream you can make.

The deliciously rich chocolate flavor of this recipe comes from the combination of both cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips.

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is one of my family’s guilty pleasures. My boys are forever coming up with combinations and ideas to try.

But nothing beats a classic like chocolate. We use this as a base to add cookies, berries, and all sorts of goodies to when we’re craving something a little different. The options are endless.

When making chocolate ice cream it is important to get a creamy chocolate base with the sugar and cocoa powder fully incorporated into the heavy cream. You will want to stay by the stovetop and continuously whisk your chocolate base so nothing burns.

How To Make Chocolate Ice Cream

To get a rich creamy ice cream not only do I use heavy cream, but whole milk is a must. Making ice cream just isn’t the place to cut calories.

While you’re welcome to make this using 2% or even skim milk, whole milk delivers the creaminess we love.

If you are chocolate ice cream lovers like we are, you’ll want to try this Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunks too. And for anyone with a dairy allergy, this Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream is a great alternative.

What about Dark Chocolate Almond Ice Cream with almonds and just the tiniest hint of cinnamon? Or a Chocolate Orange Ice Cream combination? Don’t knock that one until you try it!

We’re celebrating three weeks of new ice cream recipes this summer with a very cool ice cream maker giveaway! Enter to win the Cuisinart ICE-100 1.5-Quart Compressor Ice Cream Maker by CLICKING HERE an