Easy Pumpkin Fudge Recipe

I am a huge believe in easy fudge. You know the kind that uses chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk? I think I’ve only actually cooked fudge once. I liked that recipe, but come on. Easy fudge is just so…easy. I don’t have to think when I use the sweetened condensed milk fudge recipe – I just have to add my different flavorings and poof, fudge.

I don’t make fudge a lot during the year but I make it a ton in fall. It’s great for giving and something about the holidays screams fudge for me – just like it screams pumpkin!

Now, before you freak out because I mixed peanut butter and pumpkin together, don’t. The flavors go really, really well together. I think it’s why my Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles did so well last year. Something about peanut butter just lends itself to spice, and spice lends itself to pumpkin. Don’t knock it until you try it, my friends.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Fudge is a foolproof pumpkin fudge with peanut butter. It’s the perfect holiday fudge recipe!

Ingredients Needed

This no-fail easy fudge has 5 ingredients and comes together in just minutes and produces a rich, thick, perfectly peanut buttery and pumpkin spicy fudge. It’s a creamy fudge too! I really love the combination of flavors in this fudge, but even when I took my first bite I just sighed a little, because it was so much better than I expected.

• White Chocolate Chips: This is the base of the easy fudge.
• Creamy Peanut Butter: Don’t use natural – use a no stir peanut butter.
• Pumpkin Puree: Not pumpkin pie mix.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can buy pumpkin spice or make my DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice to add the flavoring into this easy fudge. Remember, people thought my peanut butter snickerdoodles were weird (peanut butter with cinnamon?!) but it WORKS. Trust me!!
• Vanilla Extract

How do you make easy fudge?

I love that it’s possible to make fudge without marshmallow cream or a candy thermometer. Life is good!

• Line an 8×8” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Gather all your ingredients; making fudge is fast work.
• Place white chocolate chips and peanut butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat until melted and smooth. (Alternately, you can do this in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Just be sure to stir continuously.)
• Once chocolate and peanut butter are melted together and smooth, immediately stir in the pumpkin puree, spice, and vanilla.
• Pour into prepared pan and let cool to room temperature on the counter. Chill until set, then cut into squares.

The Best Pecan Pie Fudge

If you love a classic pecan pie, but are craving something slightly different during Thanksgiving-then this recipe is the greatest recipe for you! Not only does it taste like pecan pie, this recipe is super easy to make. This fudge only involves using the microwave to melt everything before going into the oven. This opposed to heating it on the stove!

This is an edited recipe – I first wrote this years ago, and the original recipe is more like caramel. I’ve changed it to be more like fudge – but the original recipe is in the notes. The new recipe is a microwave fudge that’s easy, no bake, and tastes like the real thing – the crunchy pecans and the soft fudge pair so well together.

Pecan pie is the best, but this recipe combines candy with pie. It’s easy fudge that you’re going to love!

Ingredients Needed

• Dark Corn Syrup: I find that dark corn syrup gives this that signature pecan pie flavor.
• Evaporated Milk: NOT sweetened condensed milk.
• White Chocolate Chips: These are what help the fudge set up.
• Powdered Sugar: Helps thicken the fudge.
• Maple Extract: Adds some extra authentic flavor of pecan pie.
• Pecans: While you can use pecan halves, I prefer coarsely chopped pecans.

Pumpkin pie has just a few ingredients and whisks together in minutes. My favorite part of this pie are the pumpkin pie spices. I splurge when I make pumpkin pie and buy them all separately because I love the smell of allspice. It just smells like the holidays to me.

There are lots of homemade pumpkin pie recipes out there but I will tell you that this one performs every single time. I’ve been eating it for over 40 years and I’ve never been disappointed. Whether you make my all butter pie crust or use one from the freezer or grocery store, this pie is one that you’ll keep coming back to again and again.

Ingredients Needed

• All Butter Pie Crust: Store-bought or homemade! You are going to want to blind bake this crust. It is important to make sure the crust is cold when it goes into the oven.
• Cornstarch: This helps thicken the pudding.
• Whole Milk: You can use any fat content (whole, 2%, or skim) but whole is going to produce a richer, more indulgent pudding.
• Eggs: These will be lightly beaten. Eggs add body and richness to homemade pudding.
• Coconut Extract: Adds that amazing coconut flavor!
• Shredded Sweetened Coconut: This adds coconut flavor in the pudding, as well as for the topping.
• Bananas: Use ripe bananas that aren’t green but aren’t spotty. You don’t want them too over ripe or they’ll be mushy.

How to make Coconut Banana Cream Pie

• Place the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and milk in a medium saucepan.
• Cook over medium-high heat, whisking/stirring almost constantly, until thick and bubbly.
• Stir a small amount of hot milk mixture into the lightly beaten eggs. Make sure you’re whisking the entire time so you don’t scramble the eggs. Pour the milk and egg mixture back into the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes more.
• Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons coconut extract. Strain the pudding into a medium bowl to make sure no egg bits remain.
• Stir in 2 cups coconut. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
• To assemble the pie: place a thin layer of pudding on the bottom of the crust. Place sliced bananas in a single layer and then top with remaining pudding.
• Toast coconut in a heavy bottomed skilled over medium-low heat. Top pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Ingredients Needed

• Eggs: Eggs give pecan pie filling it’s custard-like texture.
• Dark Corn Syrup: I love using the Karo brand. Dark corn syrup is traditional in pecan pie, but light may be substituted.
• Butter: You’ll want your butter melted. 
• Pecan Halves: Halves look prettier but chopped pecans are easier for dipping – do what you prefer.
• Assorted dippers: Pie crust dippers, shortbread cookies, or graham crackers or whatever you like.

How to make The Best Pecan Pie Dip 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9” or a 9.5” pie plate with cooking spray.
• Lay 2 cups pecan halves in the bottom of the pie plate.
• Whisk eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, and salt in a large bowl. Pour into prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to raise the pecans up to the top.
• Bake for about 35 minutes, until the center is only slightly jiggly when pan is gently shaken. Cool slightly before serving.

Pecan Pie Baklava 

Baklava is one of the best recipes to make. Traditionally, it is made with phyllo dough, with pistachios or walnuts, lots of butter, and a sweet sauce made with honey. The baklava is baked and then the sauce is poured over the top to soften and make it sweet and sticky.

This recipe is inspired by the traditional, but with pecan pie flavors. I used pecans as the nuts and used dark corn syrup in the sauce instead of honey. It’s a bit gooier than a more traditional baklava, but it works well because pecan pie is gooey too. It’s a sweet and perfect recipe that’s pecan pie…but not.

Ingredients Needed

• Phyllo Dough: Phyllo is very thin unleavened sheets of dough. You find them in the freezer section. Be sure to read the notes about different size packages of phyllo, and pay attention to the tips about how to work with it.
• Unsalted Butter: The butter will be melted and will be spread between all the layers, creating a flaky pastry.
• Pecans: These will need to be chopped finely. 
• Dark Corn Syrup: This sweetens the syrup and makes it more like pecan pie.

How to make Baklava with Pecans

• Brush the top sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Grab it and the sheet below it (so you have two sheets) and place them, butter side down, in the pan. Repeat two more times, so you have 6 sheets of phyllo in the pan. Cover the phyllo with the plastic/damp towel.
• Sprinkle with pecans.
• Butter another phyllo sheet and grab the one below it (so you have two sheets) and place them, butter side down, on top the pecans. Sprinkle with pecans. Repeat this about 4 more times, or until you are out of pecans. You’ll then repeat the process without the nuts for about 6 layers.
• Cut all the way through all the layers – we slice before baking. Butter the top of the pan. Bake about 30-40 minutes, until the baklava is golden brown.
• While the baklava is baking, heat the water, sugar, dark corn syrup, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to lowest setting until the baklava comes out of the oven.
• When the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the corn syrup mixture over the top, being sure to get it in all the cuts. Let cool completely, uncovered, for several hours.

Easy Baked Brie

I discovered brie cheese at a young age and ever since then, I have been obsessed. I love making things with this soft cheese because it is always a hit at any get together.

The traditional baked brie recipe is wrapped in puff pastry and topped with brown sugar, raspberry jam, or honey, then baked. I switched up the classic recipe to bring in flavors of apples, and pecans and I wrapped it in crescent roll dough!

This brie is baked until melty and gooey; it is the best consistency to dip crackers, fruit, sliced bread, or to just eat with a fork! This is a fast and easy recipe perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any holiday gathering.

Ingredients Needed

• Apples: Granny Smith or Fuji/Gala are the best, but use what you love.
• Brown Sugar: We’re going to use it to cook the apples and also to sprinkle on the wedge of brie.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: When paired with pecans and brown sugar this makes a pecan pie-like filling.
• Brie: This recipe is written for a round of cheese. I like to remove the rind with a butter knife.
• Crescent Rolls: The entire mixture is wrapped in the dough and bakes until it’s all melty and perfect.

How to make Apple Baked Brie

• Dice apples. Cook apples in melted butter with brown sugar and cinnamon over medium-low heat until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir chopped pecans, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Unwrap brie. Use a butter knife to scrape off as much of the white part into the garbage as you can without cutting the brie.
• Unroll Crescent Rolls into a flat sheet. Divide into two squares and press all the seams together. Place one rectangle in the middle of your prepared baking sheet. Place the brie wheel in the center of the rectangle. Layer on the apples and pecan pie mixture then top with the other square of dough, cutting off excess dough if there is any.
• Poke a few holes with a fork in the top of the crescent rolls for steam to escape, or just make sure some of the seams have holes in them. You can brush with egg wash to make it nice and golden. Bake until the crescent rolls are browned. Serve immediately with crackers, apple slices, sliced baguette, or a fork.

Toffee Almond Pie

Like I said, this recipe is very similar to a pecan pie. That is because I started out with the base of my mom’s pecan pie recipe, but then switched out some ingredients in it to make a whole new type of pie! The toffee bits add an amazing sweetness and flavor to the pie. On top of all that, of course it has almonds and if you would like, you can add some almond extract too!

Recipes like this are so easy and fun to make because they can be changed and added to so much! Not only is this pie simple, but the almonds and toffee bits work so nicely with each other. Make this pie for any holiday or event that needs a pie!

Ingredients Needed

• Pie Crust: for a 9” pie crust from scratch or a refrigerated pack of two.
• Light Corn Syrup: The pecan pie uses dark corn syrup, but it switched it out for light for a lighter look. You can use either.
• Unsalted Butter: This will be melted – you can substitute salted butter but omit added salt. 
• Cornstarch: Helps thicken the pie.
• Toffee Bits and Almonds: Use slivered almonds and toffee bits without chocolate.

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate

This pie has been at every holiday and family gathering as long as I can remember. Well, sort of. I added the chocolate chips to my mom’s recipe because, well, why not? Chocolate chips belong in everything, including pumpkin pie!

Ever since I was a kid, my mom always brought pies to every holiday party. (And Russian Teacakes too!) The two pies that we always made were Pecan Pie and this Pumpkin Pie. I’m not sure why it took me 5 years to post her pumpkin pie…forgive me?

Whenever I think of this recipe, I think about Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Heidi’s Pies. That last one was a pie shop near where I grew up. For the entirety of my childhood, my mom used two silver pie tins that she’d saved from buying pies from Heidi’s back in the 70s. I never actually ate at Heidi’s Pies, but I ate pie from their pie plates several times a year!

How to make Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate

This pie recipe could not be easier if you tried. Literally all you do is dump everything into a bowl, stir, and pour it into a prepared pie crust. It really is that fast and easy – and good!