Baker's Theory -

The Ultimate 2025 Holiday Gift Guide for Home Cooks

October 12, 2025 by Alex

Shopping for the baker or cook in your life can be a challenge. You don’t want to give them something they won’t use. (Cupcake maker, anyone? Makes 5 at a time!)

You want to find a gift that’s both thoughtful and useful—something that will genuinely enhance their time in the kitchen. Whether they’re a seasoned pro, a weekend hobbyist, or just starting their culinary journey, the right tool or gadget can make all the difference.

I’ve considered what I would want in 2025 and created this guide to help you cut through the fat to bring you the best gifts this year, from timeless essentials to delicious to practical.

Here are ideas for every budget and skill level, ensuring you’ll find the perfect present that will be cherished for years to come.

Gifting Kitchen Essentials

Stove Top Sweetheart Waffler

Unlike an electric waffle iron, a stove top waffler allows for more control over the heat, critical for caramelizing the pearl sugar in liege waffles. And for regular Belgian waffles, you can achieve gorgeously golden, crisp edges much easier. And, the pockets are much deeper, all the better to fill with butter and maple syrup! The sweetheart design is also adorable! This is an excellent gift for the breakfast lover, Sunday brunch host, the friend who just got back from Belgium, and general waffle enthusiast.

Cupcake tins

Even seasoned bakers need an upgrade on their muffin and cupcake tins. All the seams in a cupcake pan can easily wear or rust! The baker in your life is probably dealing with this and would love new baking tins. This Nordic Ware cupcake pan comes with a lid, too, which is extra useful for storing and transporting goodies. It’s the perfect gift for the baker who loves to share their treats! Make it an extra thoughtful gift by including fun cupcake liners and sprinkles! And maybe a good cupcake recipe 😉

Mini Food Processor

A food processor is so useful for making pestos, nut butters, pie crusts, baby food, and even slicing vegetables. They can get pretty hefty, though, and a mini one is advantageous because it takes up less cabinet space and is less work to clean because it’s mini. This KitchenAid Mini Food Processor comes in lots of fun colors and holds up to 3.5 cups, plenty of room to make an Oreo crust and not spend all afternoon washing the parts! This makes a great gift for a budding cook, a college student in a tiny kitchen, or even a seasoned home cook looking for a smaller scale appliance!

Stand Mixer

Stand mixers are an important appliance that can handle a wide range of tasks beyond baking. The iconic KitchenAid Artisan mixer can be paired with so many attachments that empower you to make fresh pasta, shave ice, ground meats, and whip up ice cream to name a few! Whether you’re giving the stand mixer itself or one of the fun attachments, your gift will make lots of memories. Surprisingly, the KitchenAid website offers the lowest price on their stand mixer, currently $90 off MSRP at $359.99!

There’s another stand mixer to watch, and that’s the more compact albeit spendy Ankarsrum stand mixer. While the KitchenAid has a rotating paddle, hook, or whisk, and a stationary bowl, the Ankarsrum has a rotating bowl and stationary mixer. The Ankarsrum best mimics the motion of kneading dough by hand. Thus the Ankarsrum stand mixer makes an excellent gift for the special bread baker in your life!

A 7" Santoku Knife

Every kitchen needs a really good chef’s knife or santoku knife. At least one, ideally two. One for you, one for a cooking buddy. One for vegetables, one for meat. A 7″ santoku knife is a great all-purpose size that can chop veggies and slice grilled chicken. Wusthof makes a fantastic knife that will stand the test of time and stay sharper longer. This is an excellent gift for a beginner home cook! Opt for the 8″ chef’s knife to give your more advanced cook.

Gifts to sink their teeth into

Pierre Marcolini Chocolates

There are few gifts sweeter than a beautifully curated box of artisanal chocolates from Belgium, and not just any Belgian chocolates—Pierre Marcolini chocolates. Ganache-filled, praline, and fruit infused confections make a gorgeous gift for the chocolate-loving foodie in your life. Unless you’re off to Belgium to pick up a box, the only place to order these from the U.S. is through London-based Selfridges. While on the very expensive side for chocolates, a box of Pierre Marcolini chocolates is seriously worth every cent!

Kosterina Olive Oil

High-quality extra virgin olive oil is having a major moment and is an incredibly chic gift for 2025. A single drizzle can elevate a simple weeknight meal into a gourmet experience. A well priced, delicious, and beautifully labeled EVOO is Kosterina. The original (white label) is spicy, like the dry southern Greek climate its olives hail from. The every day (blue label) is more mellow in flavor, and good for cooking. The pair make a deliciously gorgeous set–a luxurious pantry staple that doubles as a stunning piece of kitchen counter decor. Any cook in your life would appreciate it as a gift!

Beyond Good Vanilla Bean Powder

There’s something so delightful to the baker about spotting flecks of vanilla bean in a dessert. The subtle grittiness in a whipped cream or the warm aroma of a sponge cake from vanilla bean is a source of pleasure for baker and treat-taster alike! The Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean paste is one great way to elevate baking, and thus an excellent choice of gift for the baker in your life. BUT! Arguably an even better choice is the Beyond Good Vanilla Bean Powder. It lasts longer because you don’t need as much, and it produces a much stronger vanilla flavor since it is not diluted by alcohols, gels, or water. You can buy it via Amazon or at Whole Foods. This one makes a great stocking stuffer for the baker in your life!

An excellent cut of meat

You can be sure that the cook in your life would be absolutely thrilled to receive a few cuts of filet mignon, ribeye, porterhouse, or New York strip steak. These splurge-type cuts are hard to justify on a regular grocery run for the practical home cook, but you will make their day with a gift of personally chosen cuts from a local butcher (skip the Omaha Steaks). Just make sure if you’re wrapping the gift, to keep it chilled!

Practical and Easy Gifts, Chef

Naomi After-Cooking Hand Scrub

When all the cooking is done and dishes are put away, sometimes the home cook can’t quite get that onion smell off their hands. Or fish smell, or whatever other pungent foods linger on the skin. For these cooks, what a gift it would be to have a soap that scrubs, neutralizes odors, and smells heavenly of bergamot and pepper! Naomi Hand Scrub is the perfect way to treat your home cook to a luxurious yet practical soap.

Mini Spatula and Spoonula

This stainless-steel-handled, silicone, mini spatula and spoonula is a gift that you can be sure will be put to use every day, twice a day. The mini spatula is perfect for maneuvering scrambled eggs in a small frying pan or mixing chicken salad. Its silicone head ensures nothings getting left in the bowl or pan, and its size makes it so easy to use for small batches. The spoonula is equally as useful, particularly for scraping peanut butter from a jar or slathering mustard on a slice of sandwich bread. This duo is a tiny but mighty gift any cook or baker will cherish.

Stasher Bags + Bee's wrap

A major trend in 2025 is sustainability, and Stasher Bags appeal to the eco-conscious home cook, as does Bee’s Wrap! Stasher Bags are versatile, reusable, dishwasher-safe, sous-vide-able, oven-safe, freezer-safe, easy to clean. They come in a variety of colors, as well. Bee’s Wrap is a reusable alternative to plastic wrap and comes in a gorgeous slew of patterns that makes packing a sandwich a colorful and happy affair. Some times the practical necessities just need a little upgrade to make them a great gift! The Stasher Bag Starter Kit includes four bags from snack size to stand-up mid bag. Bee’s Wrap can come in different size combos or cut to size!

Recipe Cards

Recipe cards and sets are a wonderful and classic gift for any home cook, and there are many stylish and practical options available. Instead of scribbling a recipe on a napkin, help your home cook document their work with lovely, custom recipe cards. Some come with holiday designs, perfect for writing and sharing special holiday dishes! Etsy, Paper Source, Rifle Paper Co, and Amazon all offer great options for recipe cards. It’s a thoughtful gift that doesn’t break the bank!

Containers and Measuring Cups

A kitchen is like a well-oiled machine when the flour, sugar, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, oats, and pancake mix are in their respective containers, each paired with an appropriately sized measuring cup. Give the ultimate gift of organization with these OXO Pop Containers (I’d recommend 3-4 containers) and OXO stainless steel magnetic stacking measuring cups.

Worthy Cookbooks

Gateau by Aleksandra Crapanzano

Gateau, or “cake” in French, is a cookbook I return to every week when I want something exquisite, simple, delicious, and reliable. Every recipe in Gateau I have tried always turns out. Aleksandra Crapanzano is a genius and James Beard award winning writer. The beautifully colorful book cover will always be stationed on the kitchen counter. This is an excellent gift for the savoir-faire baker in your life looking for something elegant but effortless.

An Unapologetic Cookbook by Joshua Weissman

This is the anti-shortcut cookbook. It is bold, fun, and encourages the home cook to dive head-first into process. The book’s core philosophy is that the quality of your base ingredients dictates the quality of your final dish—so you should make everything yourself, from condiments to bread. Gift this book to the new cook, the seasoned cook, and the cook who is very meticulous! And bookmark the hokkaido cinnamon rolls for them, maybe you’ll receive a gift in return!

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat is not just a book; it’s a masterclass in how to cook. Nosrat lays the foundation for cooking essentials to empower the home cook to create balance in their dishes. After laying the foundations, she provides phenomenal, fail-proof recipes with suggested pairings to serve them with. This is a book to give someone who is truly earnest in their desire to learn how to cook successfully. Favorite recipes from this book include slow-cooked salmon, midnight chocolate cake, tahdig, and several salad dressings.

Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World by Vanessa Price

This hilarious book is not a cookbook, but a recommendation of wine pairings to go with non-pretentious, every day food, like Big Macs and movie theater candy. (The first pairing is Sancerre wine with Cheetos.) Vanessa Price is a gifted writer and sommelier who decouples the snobbery of wine from caviar to help wine drinkers understand and appreciate how wine plays off of food. Gift Big Macs & Burgundy to the wine enthusiast in your life!

The Ultimate Guide to Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep

September 23, 2025 by Alex

The tastiest way to healthy meal prep

Eating vegetables is something everyone should do more of. In this plan, I help you knock out all your vegetable prep for the week in a single morning on the weekend. You only wash one bowl. You only turn the oven on once. In the end, you have a gorgeous fridge full of colorful, roasted vegetables!

Why add vegetables to your weekly meal prep?

Grab-and-go meals – life can get busy, and these roasted vegetables lighten the load when it comes to making lunch or dinner fast and healthy!

Time efficient – by washing and chopping all the vegetables in one session, you’re saving time by only washing your knife, cutting board, baking trays, and vegetables once!

Energy efficient – the oven goes on once, is on to roast multiple pans of vegetables, and then is off for the rest of the week!

Highly customizable – easily swap your favorite veggies for the ones in this recipe.

The tastiest – roasted vegetables is arguably the best tasting way to prepare vegetables. That’s good news for picky eaters.

A healthier YOU – when vegetables are already cooked (deliciously!) and ready for you, you’re more likely to insert them into your daily diet!

Which tools you'll need

3 large baking sheets (21″ x 15″ or 53 cm x 38 cm) – Nordic Ware is my favorite
3 sheets of parchment paper (to fit in the baking sheets) – I recommend these ones that are precut
A large mixing bowl, anything that’s deep and about 12″+ (30 cm+) in diameter
A big spoon – a big soup spoon is fine
Large cutting board
Chef’s knife or Santoku knife, at least 7″ (18 cm long) – here’s mine
Serrated utility knife, preferably with a pointed tip like this
Oven mitts and hot pads (or a cleared off stove top for hot pans to go)
12″ (30 cm) Cast iron skillet – I love my Lodge
Fish spatula – just a type of pancake flipper, like this
8″ (20 cm) Mesh strainer and optionally, a bowl to rest it in – I use this strainer
1-2 Kitchen towels

Vegetable prep grocery list

1 pint of cherry tomatoes
3 bell peppers
1 small red onion
2 10-12 oz bags of fresh broccoli
2 10-12 oz bags of cauliflower
14 oz can of chickpeas / garbanzo beans
1 bunch of green onions
Kosher or sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Overview of vegetable prep

Rinse produce

First, use a colander or just hold your vegetables under cool water to clear any dirt and rinse any bacteria away. Then, transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel and pat them dry.

Slice! Break! Chop!

After washing your vegetables, slice or cut (or snap!) them into smaller pieces in batches. When working on the cherry tomato or bell pepper batch, use a serrated knife for easy, safe cutting. For broccoli, you can either cut off the ends to make smaller pieces, or just use your hands to break the stem off. Use a chef’s knife or santoku knife for cutting everything else.

Season with salt and olive oil in a big bowl

Seasoning vegetables is simple and easy. All that is needed is olive oil and salt. Toss the vegetables in a bowl with olive oil and salt until each piece or slice is lightly coated. You can use the same bowl for all the vegetables you’re trying to knock out in this meal prep, no need to wash in between batches. Every batch will use the same bowl.

Spread it on the pan and bake it

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, dump the seasoned vegetables on, and pop it in the hot oven. The key is to not overcrowd the pan. Vegetables are mostly water and can steam each other if they are too close together or overlapping instead of crisping up nicely!

Step-by-step guide to roasting vegetables

Wash Fresh Vegetables

First, some housekeeping. It’s helpful to line one of the baking sheets with a kitchen towel so you have a “landing pad” for your freshly rinsed produce. This prevents a sopping mess on the cutting board and preserves paper towel waste.

Now, the first batch of roasted vegetables will be the cherry tomatoes. Start by dumping the pint of cherry tomatoes into a colander and rinse for 10-15 seconds, using your hands to remove any debris. Pull off any stems still attached.

Transfer the tomatoes to the towel-lined baking sheet and wash the bell peppers next, then the green onions, transferring to the towel-lined baking sheet when finished rinsing.

If you bought bagged, pre-cut and washed broccoli and cauliflower, there’s no need to rinse those. But, if you bought a head of cauliflower and some broccoli heads, repeat the rinsing for these as well.

There is no need to rinse the red onion.

Preheat the oven

You can roast vegetables anywhere from 350 F (177 C) for a long time to 450 F (232 C) for a short time. This method will set the oven at 425 F (218 C). I highly recommend using an oven thermometer to see how close to the set point your oven actually is. My oven is a bit older and less efficient, and so it runs a bit cool. When I set it for 425 F, the oven thermometer will read around 400 F. If your oven runs true to the temperature you set it to, preheat it to 400 F (204 C).

Batch#1: roasted Cherry tomatoes

Pull the cherry tomatoes from the towel-lined pan one at a time, using the serrated knife to halve each cherry tomato. Continue doing this until all the cherry tomatoes are halved.

Transfer the cherry tomatoes into a cast iron skillet. Sprinkle in 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Give the pan a shake so the cherry tomatoes are all coated in oil and have salt on them. Slide into the oven to roast for 30-40 minutes.

The exact time will depend on how hot your oven is, so it’s important to keep an eye on the cherry tomatoes. You’ll know they are done when the skin has blistered and the tomato flesh looks jammy. Let it cool and then transfer to a container.

Batch #2: roasted bell peppers and onions

While the cherry tomatoes are roasting, work on the second batch of vegetables: the bell peppers and onions!

The best way to cut a bell pepper is to hold it vertically on a cutting board, cut a hole around the stem, pry the top off, pull out the core full of seeds, then cut the pepper into long strips. You’ll definitely want a serrated knife as bell pepper skin is very slippery.

If there are seeds stuck at the bottom, turn pepper upside down and gently tap with your palm it until the seeds come out.

Red onion makes a great addition to roasted bell peppers. To add red onion, start by slicing the top and bottom off. Next, peel away any dried layers. Then, set the onion down on the cutting board so you see its rings and cut the onion in half. Rotate each half 90 degrees so you see a semi circle from the side. Slice into 1/8″-1/4″ slices and combine with the bell pepper slices.

Toss the peppers and onion with 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir with the spoon to coat all the slices with oil and salt. Then spread the vegetables onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 425F.

You know it is done when the tips are a bit charred. These are great with grilled chicken or steak!

Batch #3: Roasted broccoli

Fresh, bagged broccoli is a perfect way to streamline vegetables. However, sometimes it’s still cut a little too large, even from the bag. I like to dump the bag (or bags) of broccoli onto the cutting board and look for big pieces that I could trim into several smaller pieces.

One large baking sheet will be able to hold 20-24 ounces (560 g – 670 g) of broccoli, though your mixing bowl may not! It’s best to do one bag at a time.

Those dense broccoli heads soak up enormous amounts of delicious olive oil. add 1/4 cup of olive oil and 3/4 tsp of salt for every 10-12 ounce bag of broccoli you have.

Mix with a spoon and transfer to another parchment lined baking sheet, making sure the vegetables are not crowding each other so they crisp up in the oven.

Roast for 40 minutes at 425 F, or until the broccoli is crispy and charred.

Batch #4: Chickpeas and Cauliflower

Start with the cauliflower. If you have bagged cauliflower, you can empty the bag straight into the large bowl. If you have a head of cauliflower, chop it into bite-sized pieces before transferring them to the large bowl. I use about 20 ounces of cauliflower, which is two 10 ounce bags.

20 ounces of cauliflower will take about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tsp of salt. Add and toss in the bowl. Then transfer to one side of a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Pop the pan in the oven (it’s the last roasting batch!) and bake for 30-40 minutes. The longer you bake, the crunchier the chickpeas will be, and those make excellent salad toppers.

Batch #5: Scallions!

Okay, no roasting involved for these. But, to me, green onions are the ultimate condiment. They give flavor, color, freshness, and a little bit of green leafy vegetable to a salad, bowl, taco, egg, or whatever else your heart desires.

The preparation is simple: rinse, trim the bulb, and slice. Store in a container up to a week in the refrigerator.

Packing it up

Let each batch of roasted vegetables cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a container. I love these glass Pyrex containers for storing.

Then, you’re ready to cover and refrigerate! Use these vegetables in everything and anything you eat for the week! Side dishes, salads, fajitas, frittatas, whatever you set your heart on eating.

Frequently asked questions

How long will the roasted vegetables last in the refrigerator? I use mine within a week.

Can I freeze them after roasting? I’ve never tried it, but my instincts tell me it probably wouldn’t work. Vegetables are mostly water, so when you’d go to thaw, they’d probably be really soggy. Let me know if you experience it otherwise!

Can I use other seasonings besides just salt and olive oil? Absolutely! Depending on the flavor you’re going for, the sky is the limit. Mexican-inspired spices could be cumin, chili powder, garlic, oregano, and turmeric. Italian-style vegetables could include basil, garlic, sage, oregano, and parsley.

How long does it take to roast all these vegetables? The prep work typically takes me one hour on a Saturday morning. Then it’s just switching the pans in and out of the oven.

Can I swap out some vegetables for other ones? For sure! I would just watch the bake time since not all vegetables are created equally in their ability to stand up to heat! The instructions I’ve made here are specifically for these vegetables I’ve chosen.

Can I double up pans? I don’t recommend it. You’ll end up having to rotate them and they’ll spend more time in the oven than if they had just gone in one at a time.

Where in the oven should I put the pan? The center of the oven is the best spot. Middle rack is my go-to!

What goes with roasted vegetables?

We like to build our own bowls with roasted vegetables, chicken, and some kind of starch, typically rice, whole grain pasta, or potatoes.

In addition to weekly vegetable meal prep, I also highly recommend boiling, baking, or otherwise preparing 3-4 lbs of chicken each week. Then you have a grab-and-go option to make anything you want!

However, roasting vegetables can apply to every meal, every event, and every holiday. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to pull this guide up and roast a lot of vegetables!

Happy Roasting this week

I hope this post was helpful and adds value to your weekly meal prep! Working in vegetables into your day 3-5 times a day can be challenging, but I find that meal prepping via roasting vegetables is the easiest way I can meet that goal and enjoy it.

What are you meal prepping for the week? Let me know!

Like this? Try these.

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The Trail Mix for People Who Like Chocolate More Than Trails

September 8, 2025 by Alex

I packed a bag of this amazing trail mix in my go-bag for when I went to the hospital to give birth, and it has been a family favorite ever since. It kept my husband and me fed during the late night feedings when room service was closed and we were hungry and exhausted. I would definitely recommend putting this snack on your list of things to make before baby arrives! Or make it for a friend who is expecting!

Now, I have strict rules about trail mix, namely, that it must be at least 50% chocolate. Trail mix is a vehicle to eat more chocolate that is hidden behind the virtue of some dried fruits and nuts. It also needs to be a sweet-and-salty situation, and this recipe delivers on that front. Salty nuts meet dark chocolate and sweet dried berries. It checks all the boxes for the perfect trail mix!

Why you'll love this recipe

(Almost) One stop shop. You can get 75% of the ingredients in one store: Trader Joe’s. The only ones you’ll have to grab elsewhere are M&Ms and the Guittard super chips. If you can’t find the super chips, fear not. Chocolate chips or chunks work just the same.

It’s super customizable since this recipe already has the right ratios nailed down. I’ve swapped out the almonds for cashews, the M&Ms for Peanut M&Ms, and even added coconut candied nuts. You can also try a variation by seasons, like pecans, walnuts, dried oranges, and white chocolate for fall and winter.

It’s a big batch that will save money and last you a long time. Trail mixes are expensive when they’re pre-made. Thankfully Trader Joe’s offers great, inexpensive nuts along with some other fun ingredients to bring color and variety to this snack. This recipe will fill one gallon Ziplock bag plus one quart size Ziplock bag. I always keep a small container in my purse and a big bag in my desk.

Trail mix is a healthy snack! Full of fiber, unsaturated fats, protein, and antioxidants, a handful will keep you full, satisfied, and feel like you’re treating yourself.

Grab and go. I am a busy mom. Packing cute snacks and cutting cheese slices with cookie cutters haven’t made it on my agenda (yet?). This recipe is perfect for grabbing a handful and heading out the door.

What you need

Power Berries – these are SUPER yummy chocolate covered berry-type candies. Costco and Target both sell a similar product by Brookside which is chocolate covered blueberry and acai. If the power berry isn’t your jam, dark chocolate covered raisins are equally excellent in this mix.
Sweetened dried cranberries and blueberries – you can truly use any dried fruit you want. I do 8 ounces of each for 1 lb total of dried fruit. If you wanted something tropical, dried mango, coconut, banana, or pineapple could all be amazing!
Roasted and salted peanuts and almonds – again, use any nut you like. I use 1 lb of peanuts plus 1 lb of almonds. Pecans and cashews are good in fall and winter, and even candied nuts if you want more of a treat. Trader Joe’s has the best prices on nuts besides Costco.
Dark chocolate covered pistachios – this is one of my ultimate favorite products at Trader Joe’s. But truly any chocolate covered nut will do!
M&Ms – I know there’s a big campaign against bad food dyes lately, but M&Ms are such an icon. They brighten up the colors of this trail mix. I hope they can come up with a colorful alternative. Otherwise, there are other kinds of candy-coated chocolates offered at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Super Chips – these are giant chocolate drops by Guittard. I LOVE them in chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and this trail mix. I get them at Whole Foods when there’s a sale, but they can easily be substituted with regular semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks wherever you get your chocolate.

You can get most of these ingredients at Trader Joe’s. I know TJ’s also has their own chocolate covered candy if you aren’t particular about M&Ms, and they also sell semi-sweet chocolate chunks if you want a true one-stop shop.

Recipe: The Perfect Homemade Trail Mix

Want to save this recipe to your phone? Press and hold the image below to save or share for later!

Serves: 1.25 gallons…I have no idea how many servings that is, but it’s a lot.

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

18 oz bag M&Ms (family size)
1 lb Salted peanuts
1 lb salted cashews
6 oz Dark Chocolate covered Pistachios
10 oz Semi-sweet chocolate Super Cookie Chips by Guittard (chocolate chunks work, too)
8 oz chocolate covered Power Berries (dark chocolate covered raisins work, too)
8 oz sweetened dried cranberries
8 oz sweetened dried blueberries

Instructions

In a really big bowl or 9″ x 13″ pan, combine all of the ingredients and stir around with a spoon until well mixed. Store in a gallon ziplock bag and any overflow in a quart size ziplock bag.

Tips, Variations, and FAQs

The ratio at the base of this recipe is essentially 2 lbs of nuts + 1 lb dried fruit + 2.5 lbs chocolate. How you get there can be your own, sweet (and salty), customized journey.

Here are some fun variations of this trail mix!

Thanksgiving trail mix for cocktail hour: 1 lb pecans, 1 lb cashews, 8 oz chopped candied oranges, 8 oz candied ginger, 10 oz white chocolate chips, 8 oz chocolate covered cranberries, 10 oz dark chocolate cherries, 4 oz of Bourbon caramel truffles

Tropical trail mix for a tiki themed party: 1 lb macademia nuts, 1 lb peanuts, 8 oz candied pineapple, 8 oz freeze dried bananas, 16 oz dark chocolate covered acai berries, 8 oz chocolate covered almonds, 4 oz chocolate coconut bonbons

How long does trail mix keep? Stored in a freezer Ziplock bag in your pantry, it’ll keep around 2-3 months, but I doubt it’ll take that long for you to cruise through the supply!

How do I serve trail mix? If making trail mix for a party, you can prepare and serve it in one big punch bowl with a spoon and some small dishes for people to self-serve. Or you can put together cute little custard dishes or shot glasses full of the trail mix and topped with a truffle for a fancier feel. We usually pack ours for a between-meal snack in a small container or Ziplock bag.

Give this trail mix a try and let me know your favorite mix-ins in the comments below! What is your favorite snack for on-the-go?

The Ultimate 2025 Holiday Gift Guide for Home Cooks

Shopping for the baker or cook in your life can be a challenge. You don’t want to give them something they won’t use. (Cupcake maker, anyone? Makes 5 at a time!) You want to find a gift that’s both thoughtful and useful—something that will genuinely enhance their time in the kitchen. Whether they’re a seasoned…

The Ultimate Guide to Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep

The tastiest way to healthy meal prep Eating vegetables is something everyone should do more of. In this plan, I help you knock out all your vegetable prep for the week in a single morning on the weekend. You only wash one bowl. You only turn the oven on once. In the end, you have…

The Trail Mix for People Who Like Chocolate More Than Trails

I packed a bag of this trail mix in my go-bag for when I went to the hospital to give birth, and it has been a family favorite ever since. It kept my husband and me fed during the late night feedings when room service was closed and we were hungry and exhausted. I would…

The 5 Best Trader Joe’s Products You Need to Buy

September 7, 2025 by Alex

There is something so cheerful about Trader Joe’s grocery stores. A Hawaiian shirt dress code year round, an on-site artist to craft up signs for every product on the shelf, and ever enthusiastic “crew members” ringing bells and working the cash register create an inviting, eclectic vibe. Here’s my list of Trader Joe’s best products!

Trader Joe's best products
#5: Dark Chocolate Pistachios

Pistachios are having a hot moment this year, especially because of viral trends like the Dubai chocolate bar, but also because they are darn delicious and healthy. These Dark Chocolate Covered Pistachios are a great treat at snack time, and I always buy them when I make a batch of Alex’s Favorite Trail Mix. I have yet to see dark chocolate pistachios at any other store, but even if they are, I doubt they could beat Trader Joe’s price of $4.49/bag.

Trader Joe's Best Products
#4: Freeze Dried Strawberries

Fellow bakers know one of the best ways to get extra flavor into a cake or cookie is to use pulverized freeze dried fruit. My favorite thing to do with these freeze dried strawberries is to grind them in a food processor and make neapolitan cookies. But you could also scatter some over your cereal or oatmeal and it would be divine. Trader Joe’s also has the best price I’ve seen on freeze dried strawberries: $2.99/bag.

Trader Joe's Best Products
#3: Garlic Spread

Also known as toum in Mediterranean cuisine, this bright, garlicky spread goes perfectly with chicken and roasted vegetable bowls. It also makes a great dip for pita chips, a combo I highly recommend if you are asked to bring the chips to a Super Bowl party. (Bring some sliced bell peppers to make a colorful plate.) The Trader Joe’s brand beats out the Toom brand because it is the same product, but $2 less at $3.69.

Trader Joe's Best Products
#2: Salsa Authentica

Hand to heart, this is the best jarred salsa on the market, and Trader Joe’s sells it for $2.29! It is perfectly balanced for people who like a little zip but it’s not so overpowering for people who are afraid of spice. It’s got the right amount of salt for bringing out that tomato and chili dance. It goes with chips, tacos, bowls, scrambled eggs, nachos, and whatever else you want to put salsa on. I use it to make creamy taco soup! Its green counterpart, Salsa Verde, is excellent cooked with the Trader Joe’s Carnitas.

Trader Joe's Best Products
#1: Dijon Mustard

I have tried every dijon mustard from every store in my vicinity. I have even brought mustard back from open markets in France. I LOVE Dijon mustard, but honestly, no other mustard compares to the Trader Joe’s Dijon mustard. It has the perfect bite that produces a warm burn in your nose! It’s the real deal. I use it in chicken salad sandwiches, dressings, deviled eggs, and cheeseburgers. It also goes well with these hot turkey sandwiches.

Other noteworthy products at Trader Joe's...

Flowers! They have a fantastic variety to choose from in so many colors. They also sell the flowers of the season which I can appreciate from an environmental standpoint. At Christmastime I’ll buy red and white roses, holly, and eucalyptus from TJ’s. It makes a great arrangement and it’s way less expensive than florists. We make flower arranging a fun holiday activity in our house!

Cheese. Trader Joe’s has a great selection of exotic cheeses, especially for the price. The best for putting together a cheese board are Manchego, raw Swiss gruyere, and New Zealand white cheddar.

Nuts! Seriously, why are nuts crazy expensive everywhere else? I love Trader Joe’s for the reasonably priced offering of peanuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, and pine nuts. You really can’t get nuts anywhere else for such a good price unless you want to buy a dog food bag size from Costco.

Basically, if you’re having a party and need easy decor and charcuterie, TJ’s is your place.

Quick and Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps with a Garlicky Asian Dressing

August 6, 2022 by Alex

Healthy, fresh, and DELICIOUS

If you’re looking for a refreshing, light lunch that you’ll feel good about, you’ve found the right recipe. These ginger-garlic chicken and rice lettuce wraps are made around the clock in our house and I just adore them. They’ve got a great crunch from the lettuce and pickled cabbage and some real substance with grilled chicken and steamed rice. But the secret sauce to this recipe is actually the secret sauce.

A little food prep

Grilling, slow-cooking, or boiling chicken to have ready on hand is such a helpful task to make eating healthy WAY easier. I do this a few times a week so we have fresh chicken ready to throw into any recipe. A food scale makes measuring proportions much easier, too! 1 lb of chicken can make 4-5 servings!

Same goes for rice! I love white jasmine rice and cook about 2/3 cup of dry rice with 1 1/2 cups water and a little bit of Better than Bullion chicken base. This yields about three servings, and what’s great about these lettuce wraps is you eat the rice cold, so there’s no need to heat it up later.

The recipe I have listed is for a single serving, but I more often make the secret sauce in bulk because I use it so often. If you’d like to do this, too, just multiply everything by four, and remember 3 tsp = 1 tbsp.

Eating healthier

I have been in self-improvement mode lately, trying to recalibrate and reach some inner peace. A large part of that is affected by whether I’m eating a healthy, balanced diet. Using a calorie-counting and macronutrient-tracking app (Lifesum), I’ve been able to apply my creative cooking knowledge to developing some healthier recipes. These ginger-garlic chicken and rice lettuce wraps are one of my favorite creations.

Eating a diet with balanced macronutrients (macros) means keeping your carbohydrate, protein, and fat calories within designated limits, such as 50-20-30. That is, 50% of your calories come from carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 30% from fat. At the onset, this was very difficult for me to achieve! I realized a disproportionate amount of my caloric intake came from fats (hello butter, olive oil, and cheese…). Thankfully I’m figuring it out and these lettuce wraps hit the spot perfectly–they’re delicious and they’re within the macro count I need. I hope you love them, too!

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Ginger-garlic Chicken and Rice Lettuce Wraps

Alex

Low-calorie, macro-balanced, super delicious and zingy lettuce wraps. Full of veggies, protein, and rice for ultimate balance.

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Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Asian, Chinese, Thai

Servings 1

Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients

Quick pickled cabbage

2 tsp White vinegar
1 cup Shredded cabbage
pinch Salt and sugar

Secret Sauce

¼ tsp Fresh ginger grated
1 clove Fresh garlic grated
½ Lime zested and juiced
1 tsp Toasted sesame seed oil
½ tsp Honey
¼ tsp Everything but the Bagel seasoning
¼ tsp Seasoned rice vinegar
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp Creamy peanut butter

Everything else

3-4 oz Chicken breast cooked and shredded or chopped
3 giant leaves Lettuce Romaine hearts or iceberg
1 tbsp Lightly salted peanuts
⅓ cup Cooked rice

Instructions

Quick Pickled Cabbage

In a medium-sized bowl, toss together cabbage, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Refrigerate while you make the sauce.

Secret Sauce

Grate fresh, peeled ginger into a small bowl. Grate a clove of garlic and half a lime.
Slice open the lime and juice one half into the bowl.
Add sesame seed oil, honey, everything bagel seasoning, soy sauce, peanut butter, mustard, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk together.

Final Assembly

Add chopped chicken to the secret sauce and toss to coat.
Assemble three large lettuce leaves on a plate with the thick, outside vein face down. Distribute cooked rice on top of the leaves. Follow with the chicken and pickled cabbage. Sprinkle peanuts on top and serve.

Keyword healthy meals, lettuce wraps, macro balanced recipes

Pineapple Basil Drop Scones

June 13, 2022 by Alex

If you like piña coladas...

As I continue daydreaming of Hawaii, I thought I’d bring to life one of the recipes I was inspired to make while we were at the Pearl Harbor gift shop: pineapple scones. But these have a twist: basil.

Pineapple and basil work surprisingly well together. I think they’re the new “it” couple of Summer 2022 since they’re splashed on the cover of last month’s Food Network Magazine. Very fresh and reminiscent of a piña colada, pineapple basil scones make perfect sense. These scones also feature coconut flakes, lime zest, and of course, a rum glaze. So if you like piña coladas, try this recipe.

Unique ingredients

There’s a meme of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, that chides her for specifying overly exotic ingredients in her recipes. “If you don’t have butter salted with the tears of German milkmaids, store bought is fine.”

I mostly laugh at this, but as I buy foods to stock my pantry, I have to admit I have my fair share of fancy ingredients. This recipe is no exception!

Pastry flour. Yes, you can use all purpose flour, too. But pastry flour is more delicate and light. It’s ideal for scones.
Candied pineapple. I’ve never used fresh pineapple on these, but I imagine they’d turn out soggy. I wouldn’t recommend it. You can find candied pineapple in the produce section of the grocery store by the nuts.
Coconut chips. I buy unsweetened coconut flakes from Trader Joe’s. I like the texture better than shredded, but either work.
Fresh basil. Not dried! Thai basil works, too! It gives it a licorice-y flavor.
Lime and coconut extract. Lime and coconut make pineapple and basil a fun double date. I use McCormick’s. If you don’t have these extracts, vanilla extract is fine!

Yes, they freeze well

This recipe yields 14 scones, and I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot for me to eat within the shelf life of a batch of scones. I will typically freeze half the batch, glaze and all, in a Ziplock gallon freezer bag. When I’m ready to dig into them, I pull however many I need out to thaw for 10 minutes before serving them. They taste exactly the same as fresh!

Spotlight Brunch Item

These scones were, as Bob Ross might say, a happy little accident I made while dabbling in the kitchen. And it turns out they were a huge hit among my friends. They are so simple to make because they are drop scones, which means you plop them straight on the baking sheet, so there’s no need to flour up your clean counter. And they’re so fresh and delicious. I serve them with Trader Joe’s pineapple spread.

I hope they make it to your breakfast table!

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Alex

Quick, easy, fresh breakfast scones

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 22

Resting Time 15

Total Time 52

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Servings 14

Ingredients

Pineapple Basil Scones

1 stick Butter Cubed into 1/4" pieces
3 cups Pastry flour All purpose is fine, too
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Candied pineapple chopped into 1/4" pieces
1/3 cup Unsweetened coconut flakes Trader Joe's brand
1/2 cup Fresh basil chopped
1/2 cup Sour cream
1/2 cup Milk
1 Egg
Zest Lime
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract or 1 tsp if not using lime and coconut extracts
1/4 tsp Coconut extract optional
1/4 tsp Lime extract optional

Lime Rum Glaze

1 cup Powdered sugar
1 tbsp Rum
Juice of one lime about 1-2 tbsp

Instructions

Pineapple Basil Scones

Toss butter and flour together in a mixing bowl, squishing it with your hands to create a fine crumble. You can also use a pastry cutter.
When butter is coated in flour and pea-size, add in sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir.
Add in candied pineapple, coconut, and basil, mixing with your hands until homogenous.
In a separate bowl whisk together sour cream, milk, egg, lime zest, and extracts. Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a spoon until just combined. Batter should be sticky but thick enough to hold its shape.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup or ice cream scoop, drop scone batter onto the pan, 7 per pan.
Place the scone-lined pans in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. While they chill, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the sheets one at a time, for 20-22 minutes, rotating half way through baking.
While they are baking, prepare the glaze. Allow the scones to cool completely before glazing them.

Lime Rum Glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, fresh lime juice, and rum.
Pour into an icing bag or quart-sized Ziplock and snip the tip to glaze the cooled scones.

Keyword pineapple basil, scones

The Ultimate Savory Salad: Arugula, Prosciutto, and Pistachio

June 6, 2022 by Alex

The salad to rule them all

This salad, my friends, is my pride and joy. (Next to Sophie, of course.) I am a little savory obsessed and can never seem to get enough of the umami vibes. So I took everything I love in salad and put it in here, and now I am sharing it with you because when you discover something this wonderful, you shouldn’t keep it to yourself. I think this salad will just about make you shout, “Ooh, mommy!” It’s so delicious and beautiful.

Food is much more pleasurable to eat when it’s presented nicely, don’t you think? This has vibrant greens from arugula and avocado, pale greens from artichoke hearts and pistachios, dark reds from sun dried tomatoes and toasted prosciutto, a pop of fuchsia from radishes, lavender from the shallots, and that toasty, golden brown from fresh croutons.

It’s paint with your plate and feast with your eyes.

Perfect salad for entertaining

I love this salad for entertaining because first off, it’s really easy. I usually have all of the ingredients. And second, it’s so savory that it can be a really great main dish if you want to offer a lighter meal of substance.

And it just plates so beautifully that guests will be drawn to its beauty and composition.

You can use any vinaigrette, but I love to make a quick one myself that I learned from Ina Garten. It is 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Season to your taste. I like to use Trader Joe’s Green Goddess seasoning. The mustard emulsifies the oil and vinegar so you have a smooth, zingy dressing.

Another fun upgrade I use on this salad is homemade croutons. I learned this from my mother-in-law who makes the best croutons! You cube up whatever bread you have on hand. I love to use a mini baguette or leftover ciabatta. Let the cubes sit out overnight on a pan, or at least an hour if you’re in a pinch. Toss them in oil and seasonings (Trader Joe’s Green Goddess, ahem), and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. They turn out so golden and crisp!

Salad for one

I love making this salad fresh, just for myself, and have it frequently for dinner. The biggest difference between serving one and serving 4-6 is that I mix the dressing right in the bowl I will eat out of, and then I toss the arugula in it before adding any other ingredients.

Salad dressing for one is very easy: 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard, and whatever seasonings you like, usually about a 1/4 tsp of them. Whisk it up so the oil and vinegar come together via the mustard, and then coat the arugula in it.

"Ooh, Mommy!" Umami Summer Salad

The best salad for entertaining or eating all by yourself on a hot summer evening. Full of delicious savory ingredients and vegetables.

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Course Buffet, Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

Simple Vinaigrette

1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp more if you like it extra zesty
1 tsp Green Goddess seasoning
Salt as desired

Salad

3 cups Fresh arugula
6-9 Fresh radishes sliced thinly
1 Shallot minced
8 Marinated artichoke heart halves halved
1/4 cup Sun dried tomatoes drained
1/2 cup Shaved parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Raw pistachios
7 slices Prosciutto baked on parchment at 350F for 10 minutes
1 cup Croutons* see note
1 Avocado sliced

Instructions

Dressing

In a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, measure out olive oil. Add vinegar, mustard, and seasonings. Whisk until emulsified. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad

Layer the bottom of the bowl with arugula.
Top with sliced radishes, minced shallot, marinated artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes.
Sprinkle with shaved parmesan cheese, and pistachios. Shatter the baked prosciutto over everything. Fried bacon works well, too, if you don't have prosciutto.
Top with croutons and sliced avocado. Serve with dressing on the side.

Notes

To make fresh croutons, use a serrated knife to cut about 6-8 oz of bread into 3/4" cubes. Set the cubes on a large pan and set it in an unheated oven overnight. This allows the bread to dry out. The next day drizzle the bread cubes with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt and parsley flakes. Bake on the pan at 350F for 20 minutes.

Keyword savory salad, umami

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Chocolate-Filled Hawaiian Malasadas

May 23, 2022 by Alex

I have another Hawaiian recipe to share because despite three weeks passing, I still am daydreaming about our amazing vacation to Hawaii (which you can read about here). One of my favorite spots in Hawaii was Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu. Leonard’s serves malasadas which are Portguese donuts covered in cinnamon sugar. I went back for seconds of the chocolate filled ones.

Like Leonard's, but better

When I sunk my teeth into my first Hawaiian malasada–which was a chocolate custard-filled malasada known as “Dobash”–it was instant love. And I began calculating how I could replicate this treat at home. The donut is crustier than most raised donuts, so bread flour works best. The chocolate custard on the inside was more like pudding, and I have to admit my chocolate custard is even better than Leonard’s.

Raising Donuts

Making malasadas is similar to making most donuts, except we use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour. The dough is made of 3 eggs, yeast, sugar, warm milk, sour cream, butter, and bread flour. You can do 2-3 risings before frying, the third being after you’ve cut them into circles.

For the custard, I used my chocolate pudding recipe with a few tweaks to produce a thick, luscious custard. I also used a marinade injector to plunge the custard into the fried malasadas. I got mine at Home Goods, but this one at Sur La Table looks fun!

You’ll also need a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature of the frying oil. It should be at 350F when you’re ready to fry the donuts, and it’ll drop as you put in the “cold” dough, so you’ll want it to heat up again before the next batch.

This recipe makes about 20 3″ in diameter malasadas, so you’ll have a lot of batches!

Chocolate-filled Hawaiian Malasada

Alex

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 20

Rising Time 3

Total Time 4 4

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Hawaiian

Servings 20

Ingredients

Donuts

2 tbsp Warm water
1 tbsp Instant yeast
1/2 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
2 tbsp Butter, melted
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Sour cream
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
3-4 cups Bread flour
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup Sugar plus 1 tbsp cinnamon for sprinkling

Chocolate custard filling

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup Sugar
3 tbsp Cornstarch
1/2 cup Sour cream
1½ cups Milk
2 Egg yolks
2 tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Almond extract

Instructions

Donuts

In a stand mixer bowl combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk and sour cream and microwave for 30 seconds.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk, sour cream, and butter, and microwave for 30 seconds.
Add to the milk the two egg yolks and whisk until combined. Pour over the yeast and sugar.
Fit bowl into the stand mixer with the dough hook and add 1 cup of bread flour. Turn mixer on low and continue adding a half cup of flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 3-4 cups of flour total.
Dough should be sticky but not stuck to the bowl. Pull the dough out and grease the stand mixer bowl with oil and place dough back in. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Flip dough over after it has risen and allow to rise again, covered, for an hour. Prepare custard while the dough rises.
Roll dough out onto a clean, floured surface so that is 3/4" thick. Use a cup or 3" biscuit cutter to cut round circles of dough. You can re-use scrap dough. You can allow the cut dough to rise one more time for a half hour, or you can go straight to frying.
Line a large cooling rack with paper towels.
In a deep bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot of vegetable oil, at least 2" deep, to 350°F. Fry donuts in batches, 1-2 minutes on each side. Allow the vegetable oil to return to 350°F before beginning the next batch.
Place fried donuts in the cinnamon-sugar bowl and transfer to the lined cooling rack.
When all the donuts have been fried and coated with cinnamon sugar, you can inject them with the custard.

Chocolate custard

In a medium sauce pan, whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, and cornstarch.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, sour cream, and egg yolks. Pour over the cocoa mixture.
Turn the heat to medium and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened significantly.
Turn the heat off, and add the butter, chocolate chips, and extracts. Cool slightly.
When donuts are ready, use a flavor injecting syringe to inject 15 mL of custard into the side of each donut.
Serve warm.

Notes

Can be reheated by microwaving for 10-20 seconds on full power.

Keyword malasadas

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When we were on Maui, I took a surfing lesson, and afterwards I was so supremely famished that we walked to a nearby spot for lunch called Three’s Bar & Grill. There we shared a plate of kahlua pork nachos and garlic fried Iwamoto noodles. Ever since then, we have been hooked, Jim has started using chopsticks, and I have attempted to recreate them every day for lunch.

These garlic fried noodles are so special and simple, I just have to share them with you. I hope one bite takes you all the way to Maui.

Iwamoto noodles

Sadly, unless you live on Maui, you cannot easily obtain the firm and chewy delight that is Iwamoto noodles. If you have an Asian grocery store, I’d try out some of the lo mein or chow mein noodles. Thick and chewy is the texture you’re after.

For me, I have found success with the Lotus Foods brand of ramen noodles that are made from brown rice and millet (2 grams of fiber per noodle pack!) And while it’s not the same as our beloved Maui noodles, it’s still delectable and accessible (I got a 12 pack at Costco).

This noodle dish comes together really quickly. Essentially, you heat up vegetable oil with a touch of sesame seed oil and fry garlic in it until the garlic is golden. Toss in a little red pepper flakes and it’s the same start as aglio e olio. We’re making Italian Japanese food!

Then comes the glorious part. Squeeze into the pan tomato paste and break it up so the oil turns reddish orange. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire and soy sauce and a healthy few shakes of everything bagel seasoning. Stir, stir, stir and toss in the cooked noodles.

Chives or green onions, a soft poached egg, and peanuts garnish these noodles to a whole new level. I poach the egg in the same water I boiled the noodles in. These Hawaiian garlic fried noodles have quickly become a staple in our house and I hope you enjoy them!

Maui Garlic Fried Noodles

Alex

A simple Hawaiian noodle dish with fried garlic, red pepper flakes, and everything bagel seasoning.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Hawaiian, Japanese

Servings 1

Ingredients

5 oz Ramen noodles (dry) about two packs
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tbsp Sesame seed oil
8 cloves Garlic, minced
1/8 tsp Red pepper flakes
1 tbsp Tomato pastee
1/4 tsp Everything bagel seasoning
3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Soy sauce
2 Eggs
2 tbsp Chives or scallions, chopped
1/4 cup Peanuts for garnish

Instructions

In a medium pot, bring some water to a boil and drop in the ramen noodles. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
While ramen is cooking, in a large skillet heat up the vegetable and sesame seed oil. When oil is shimmering, drop in the minced garlic. Stir fry until the garlic is golden.
Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and stir. Quickly squeeze in the tomato paste and break it up with a wooden spoon so that it melts into the oil and turns it orange.
Once the tomato paste has melted, add in the everything bagel seasoning, the Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Stir quickly to not burn the seeds and then lower the heat.
The ramen should be done at this point and you can use tongs to transfer it to the skillet to coat it in the sauce. Toss in the sauce and turn off the heat.
In the same pot the noodles were cooked in, crack two eggs in and poach for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked medium. Scoop out and place over noodles.
Sprinkle with chives/green onions and peanuts and serve.

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Chewy Chocolate Blueberry Granola Bars

April 20, 2022 by Alex

The best granola bar recipe

I have tried many granola bar recipes. Bake, no-bake, excessively chock-full of peanut butter, and always wilting or crumbly. It’s annoying and I decided to do something about it! So I have created the a chewy granola bar recipe that keeps it together, and is so darn delicious, I even eat it for dessert.

These particular chewy granola bars are chocolate and blueberry, but the combinations are endless once you have the base recipe. I’d say these granola bars taste the most similar to the Quaker Chewy granola bars of any recipe I’ve tried so far.

Ingredients

Rolled oats. There are two types of oatmeal in the world: rolled oats (old fashioned oats) and steel cut oats. You need rolled oats, and cannot substitute with steel cut oats. Steel cut oats are one of the purest, most unprocessed forms of oat you’ll find, so they need to be cooked for a long time to be edible.

Crispy rice cereal. Also known as Rice Krispies, this cereal gives the granola bars a much better texture than the standard granola bar recipe.

Egg whites. Egg whites bind the granola together and keep it that way after it’s been baked. Most recipes call for peanut butter, but I find the amount needed to keep granola together is overwhelming, not to mention, very high fat.

Honey, Butter, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon. More sweet emulsifiers.

Ground flax seed. Secret ingredient. It adds a fiber boost and you don’t even know it’s there. I’m nowhere near the age where I should care deeply about fiber intake, but I’m here nonetheless. I get it at Trader Joe’s.

Chocolate chips and dried blueberries. Of course, use which ever add-ins you want. I’ve made chocolate-almond-coconut that was absolutely delicious!

How to make chewy granola bars

I appreciate when a recipe doesn’t use excessive bowls and measuring spoons. This entire recipe comes together in just one bowl. I use a kitchen scale so I can pour or dump ingredients directly into the bowl without using a measuring cup or spoon (it really saves on doing dishes!), and I tare the scale, or zero it, between each new addition. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, not a problem. I provide the recipe in volumes, too.

In a large bowl, melt a half stick of butter (4 tbsp) in the microwave, about 30 seconds. Place the bowl on a kitchen scale and tare it. Add 55 grams of brown sugar (about 1/4 cup packed), 84 grams of honey (1/4 cup), and half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Whisk together. Add in 46 grams of egg whites (about 3 tbsp), 21 grams of ground flax seed (3 tbsp), 172 grams of rolled oats (2 cups), and 27 grams of Rice Krisipies cereal (1 cup). Last, add in chocolate chips and dried blueberries, about 40-50 grams or 1/4 cup of each.

Mix everything together evenly and dump the contents of the bowl into a parchment lined and greased square pan, such as an 8″ x 8″. Now here’s the trick to getting chewy, non-crumbly granola bars: press. Press the granola into the pan very hard, for a solid minute, at least. I used disposable kitchen gloves and pressed with my hands. Another smaller baking pan would work, too. Then bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes, cool slightly, sprinkle with more chocolate chips, and cut into bars.

We’re taking a trip to Hawaii soon and I’ve been thinking about all the snacks. to pack for the long plane ride, and this granola is definitely on the list. I’ve also prepped a homemade trail mix and more bagel chips. I wish more savory foods were non-perishable! Let me know if you have suggestions!

Chocolate Blueberry Granola Bars

Alex

Chewy, chocolatey, super healthy, and wholly delicious.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Cooling Time 15

Total Time 45

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 bars

Calories 170 kcal

Ingredients

1/4 cup Salted butter
84 grams Honey 1/4 cup
55 grams Brown sugar 1/4 cup, packed
1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla extract
46 grams Egg white 3 tbsp or two egg whites
21 grams Ground flaxseed 3 tbsp
164 grams Rolled oats 2 cups
27 grams Rice Krispie cereal 1 cup
56 grams Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup
40 grams Dried blueberries 1/4 cup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray and line an 8" x 8" baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter, about 30 seconds. Whisk in brown sugar, honey, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. If the bowl is cool enough, add the egg white, or wait a few minutes for it to cool before adding the egg white.
Add remaining ingredients (flaxseed, oats, rice cereal, chocolate chips, and dried blueberries) and combine until evenly distributed.
Pour granola into the prepared baking pan. Then press the granola hard into the pan for at least one minute. You can use your hands (disposable gloves) or another, smaller pan.
Bake granola for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips, if desired. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into 12 equal bars. Store in refrigerator to keep firm.

Keyword chewy chocolate granola recipe

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