Spring Easter M&M Cookies [+Video]

Deliciously thick, soft, and chewy spring Easter M&M Cookies! These cookies are the epitome of a perfect chocolate chip cookie: delightfully crunchy around the edges with a warm, soft center. Trust me, you absolutely must enjoy one while it’s warm!

I have seriously never worked so quickly to get a recipe out to you all, but the response on our Instagram for our M&M cookies was out of control, so I just had to put these Easter cookies into your hands!

I am almost always making and photographing recipes a year in advance. Therefore, these last few weeks, I’ve been developing, making, and photographing recipes for next spring and Easter. However, I just couldn’t resist showing you all the most perfect and awe-inspiring Easter M&M cookies that I had made last week. They were simply too glorious not to share…and you all agreed!

In fact, you agreed so much that I got bombarded with emails, DMs, comments, and all the things (which I LOVE). So, here they are—you don’t have to wait a whole year because I’m just that nice!

Endless Possibilities for Add-Ins

Even though Easter is over, this recipe works great with any add-ins you want. For instance, you can swap the Easter M&M’s for regular M&M’s or any holiday M&M’s. Since the 4th of July is just around the corner, can you imagine them with red, white, and blue? I can’t wait! Additionally, you could use Reese’s Pieces or pretty much anything else you desire. I’m going to write a whole section about add-ins below.

Furthermore, these cookies do not need to wait in the fridge, but I believe that they taste a little better if you let the dough rest. The key is that anytime you refrigerate or freeze a cookie, you want to give it about 15-30 minutes on the counter (if refrigerated overnight) to rest, the same goes for frozen cookies.

Ingredients for Easter M&M Cookies

This will be pretty much your standard list of ingredients for classic chocolate chip cookies plus some M&M’s. Here is what you will need:

• Unsalted Butter – using unsalted allows you to control the saltiness of the recipe and make sure it is softened but not too soft!
• Brown Sugar – you want fresh moist brown sugar to make the texture of these cookies perfect
• White Sugar – just regular granulated white sugar
• Egg – gives structure to the cookies and helps hold everything together
• Vanilla Extract – adds to the flavor, and use the real stuff…no imitation vanilla

• Flour – make sure to measure the flour correctly so they come out chewy and soft
• Baking Soda – gives the cookies their rise and fluffiness
• Cornstarch – helps make the cookies stay thick and soft
• <

Berry Avocado Chicken Salad – Healthy Version

Juicy chicken breast adds a little protein to this simple berry avocado salad with a light poppyseed dressing. Throw on a little gorgonzola, candied nuts and you’ve just made the most perfect dinner salad recipe.

We chose to use Greek yogurt instead of the oil, sour cream or mayonnaise versions. We also found that because of the creaminess of the Greek yogurt there was no need to use an entire cup of sugar like many of the recipes out there. Plus bonus protein from the yogurt! I love when I can make something a little healthier and it still tastes fabulous!

Years ago my friend invited me to a girls night dinner to chat. She had a gift card for us both at a local restaurant and as we were fighting to survive unemployment (link to fighting faith) it was a blessing so I hopped in the car with her. Little did I know she was going to change my whole salad and soup life! She taught me how to turn a “nuts about berries” salad into something incredible, how to take tomato soup and creamy cauliflower soup and combine them with a little orzo on top for the best soup ever and now I’ve been making this berry avocado chicken salad ever since! I think the candied nuts and cheese are essential, but you can do any changes you’d like- feta instead of Mild Blue Cheese or gorgonzola is great too for example. See our entire list of possibilities below!

Ingredients for Chicken Berry Avocado Salad

This berry avocado salad only uses just a few wholesome and fresh ingredients. You’ll only need 4 ingredients for the light poppyseed dressing! Here is everything you will need:

• Chicken Breasts
• Brown Sugar BBQ Rub: Salt and pepper would work great too.
• Butter Lettuce
• Spinach and Kale Combo
• Avocado
• Berries: Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries and Blackberries
• Candied Pecans
• Crumbled Mild Blue Cheese, or gorgonzola

Poppyseed Dressing

• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Sugar
• Prosecco or Champagne Vinegar
• Poppy Seeds

The measurements and details for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe at the end of the post so keep scrolling!

How to Make Berry Avocado Salad

This salad recipe is so easy to make, and taking the time to cook the chicken and make the candied pecans is so worth the extra effort! Here are the basic steps!

1. Cook the Chicken: Season each chicken bread on top and bottom with the BBQ rub and cook over medium-high heat either on the grill or in a pan on the stove top with a drizzle of oil. Then turn the heat d

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Oh, what a GLORIOUS week of weather we have had in Ohio. Temps have been in the 70s for several days now! I’ve done my best to soak up as much of it as possible with long walks every afternoon.

I’ve been told this is a false spring and the temps are about to fall again. So, it’s unlikely to be this warm again for a while. But as long the sun continues to shine, I’ll be grinning up at it and hoping the plants all survive the coming cold days.

IN THE KITCHEN THIS WEEK: Loaded with our favorite Mexican flavors; this Southwest Chicken Soup is slightly spicy with chunks of tomatoes, corn, black beans, and tender chicken. I like to top my bowl with a handful of shredded cheese and some tortilla strips.

Last night’s dinner was this fully loaded Chicken Potato Broccoli Casserole. It starts with fluffy mashed potatoes that are mixed with tender bites of broccoli and chicken, then generously sprinkled with bacon and cheese. The result is an absolutely irresistible dinner.

Oven-roasted Cabbage with Balsamic Glaze is nothing short of a crazy obsession. Try it and you will understand. I’ll be making it again next week. 

This Spinach Orzo Salad is filled with cranberries, creamy goat cheese, tender pasta, and plenty of fresh spinach tossed in a tangy sweet dressing. The salad can be served immediately or kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days – making this an awesome make-ahead meal for lunch or dinner.

My son requested chili (again), so I’ll be making a big batch of the easiest and tastiest chili for easy dinners this coming week as the weather cools off again. 

Skip the traditional fried donuts and make these Apple Cider Donut Muffins! With a sugary coating reminiscent of their namesake, these muffins offer a delightful twist on a beloved classic.

Andes Mint Cookies are a soft-baked chocolate cookie loaded with Andes Mint pieces and spread with an extra layer of mint goodness. They’re amazing straight from the oven.

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these bath salts. The eucalyptus and spearmint fragrance is lovely and the salts are the perfect way to relax at the end of the day. The muscle and tension relief is like nothing else I’ve tried. In combination with this foaming bath, it feels like a spa experience every night.

Easy Rhubarb Cake

Tender, tart chunks of fresh rhubarb hugged by sweet vanilla cake and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar layer. This rhubarb cake recipe is a family heirloom!

My dad’s mom, Norma Jean Hunt Feik, made this cake every Fourth of July and Memorial Day because her mother had done the same. It’s the cake everyone expects to hate, but my mom said it was always the first thing gone off of the table no matter what. Everyone was obsessed whether they were new to the party or old friends and family. That’s the power of rhubarb done right!

Recommended Equipment

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Mixing Bowls

Before You Begin…

Before you start doing anything, get some water boiling on the stove. While that is heating up, chop your rhubarb. You will pour the boiling water over the rhubarb and let it sit for a minute or so and then drain it and dry the rhubarb a much as you can. This will soften the rhubarb and reduce its bitterness.

Ingredients for Rhubarb Cake

One of the things I love about older, heirloom recipes is that they usually have very simple ingredients. I love the simplicity! Here is what you will need:

For the Cake

• Wet Ingredients: Brown Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Egg, Vanilla, Buttermilk
• Dry Ingredients: Baking Soda, Salt, Flour
• Rhubarb

For the Topping

• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Nuts (optional) – walnuts or pecans

Your likely to have most, if not all, of these ingredients in your pantry. That’s always a win! So if you grow rhubarb or if you grab some at the grocery store, you can whip up this cake recipe with little effort! Scroll down to the end of the post to see the measurements needed for each ingredient.

How to Make Rhubarb Cake

I mentioned above about prepping the rhubarb, and you’ll want to do that very first. Here is an overview of the steps:

• Preheat the oven and prep the rhubarb.
• Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir them together until just combined and a few streaks of flour remain.
• Add the softened rhubarb and fold it into the batter.
• Grease a square baking pan and sprinkle the bottom of the pan with cinnamon sugar.
• Add the batter to the pan and sprinkle the top with more cinnamon sugar.
• Bake.

The complete instructions in full detail can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Do You Need to Cook Rhubarb Before Baking?

Rhubarb doesn’t need to be cooked before using it in baking, but I do recommend so

5 Minute Easter Snack Mix [+Video]

Snack mixes are the easiest way to feed a crowd for any gathering. My kids love this Easter snack mix because of the little bunny snickerdoodle cookies in it and the candy. I love this snack mix because it comes together in 5 minutes and makes everyone happy!

This is a sweet snack mix with loads of spring colors. It is quick and tasty and disappears in our house in no time. Try these salty snacks to balance of the sweetness in this snack mix recipe: rosemary parmesan popcorn, best cheese ball, creamy artichoke dip, or the ranch slow cooker chex mix.

One of my absolute favorite holidays is Easter. I love the decorations, the food, the meaning behind everything, all of it!! As a kid I couldn’t wait to wake up and find Easter eggs hidden all over our house and oh how lucky we were if we got a giant chocolate bunny or those big Cadbury Eggs! 

Now I’ll be honest, I feel sick trying to eat those BIG Cadbury eggs, but man, those mini Cadbury eggs that are pure chocolate with a candy shell are irresistible! The best news is, no baking or cooking needed to make this treat!

What Goes into an Easter Snack Mix?

The beauty of a snack mix is that you can add anything that you want! Around the holidays, it is fun to find ingredients that really bring out the color of whatever holiday it is. This is Easter Snack Mix recipe is all about the beautiful bright pastel colors:

• Berry Cherrios
• Easter Pretzels (you could also make your own with the colors you want)
• Speckled Malt Eggs (I know a few people who don’t like malt…they are a wrong…but nonetheless, I saw they have speckled peanut butter m&m’s now which are delicious and will get you the same color)
• Annie’s Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Bunny Cookies
• Pastel Candy Corn
• Easter Caramel M&Ms
• Mini Marshmallows (I did just white because I already had some at home, but doing the multi-colored pack would be so fun)

How to Make this Snack Mix Recipe

There’s not much to make this recipe. You open all the bags of ingredients and pour them all in the large bowl. Stir everything together to combine, and then dig in! I like to serve it with some festive cups so people can snack from their own serving. It also makes a great gift for neighbors and friends or to put in Easter baskets.

Storing Snack Mix

This snack mix recipe can be stored for 4-6 weeks if it is kept in an air tight container.  The mini marshmallows and pretzels will get stale first, so we recommend keeping them separa