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Mini S'Mores Pies

By 1 Comment

Mini s'mores pies are fun to customize, and kids love making them too! Graham cracker crust, chocolate bars, and mini marshmallows!

You might also like our s'mores brownies, s'mores snack mix or s'mores rice krispies treats!

mini s'mores pies

My 8-year-old and I made mini s'mores pies, and they were SO easy and yummy. We used peanut butter cups and Hershey bars in ours, but you can easily customize them however you'd like! Try drizzling caramel or peanut butter over the chocolate before baking, or add white chocolate chips, nuts, or sprinkles!

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spoonful of s'mores pie

What Makes This Recipe a Keeper

  • 15-minute dessert. These pies bake for 6-8 minutes and take just minutes to prep! You don't even need to wait for them to cool; you can dig right in! And in case you were wondering, they are delicious served at room temperature too. The melted chocolate stays soft for quite a while!
  • 3 Ingredients. You can make the pie crusts from scratch if you'd like, but taking a semi-homemade approach saves you time and makes these a 3-ingredient dessert.
  • Reheats well. As I mentioned before, these mini pies are delicious served warm or at room temperature. If you'd like them to return to their gooey state, simply remove the pie from the foil liner and reheat on a plate in the microwave for a few seconds!
  • Fun to customize. Because these bake up SO FAST you can easily make these at a party with friends. Set out a variety of s'mores toppings and let guests load up their mini pie crusts. Then pop in the oven!
baking sheet with bowl of marshmallows, mini pie crusts, reese's peanut butter cups and hershey bars.

🥣 Ingredients

  • Graham cracker pie crusts: found in the baking aisle of the grocery store, these mini crusts come in packs of 6.
  • Chocolate bars or chocolate chips
  • Mini marshmallows
collage of empty pie crusts, chocolate in pie crusts, marshmallows on top of pies and baked pies.

👩‍🍳 Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with mini graham cracker pie crusts.
  2. Place 5-6 squares of chocolate into each cup (or 1 regular-sized peanut butter cup) in the center of each crust.
  3. Top with mini marshmallows.
  4. Bake for 6-8 minutes in the oven. If the marshmallows aren't as golden as you'd like, you can broil on HIGH for an additional minute or so.
  5. Top with additional chocolate bar pieces (optional).
mini s'mores pie on white plate and spoon next to it.

S'mores pies are best eaten the day that they are made, but can easily be reheated in the microwave for a few seconds (remove from foil liner). Store mini s'mores pies at room temperature, covered in plastic to keep fresh.

mini s'mores pie on white plate
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Mini S'mores Pies

Mini s'mores pies are fun to customize, and kids love making them too! Graham cracker crust, chocolate bars, and mini marshmallows!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword graham cracker crust, mini s'mores pie, s'mores dip, s'mores pie, smores
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 6 pies
Calories 237kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 package mini graham cracker pie crusts (6)
  • 3 Hershey chocolate bars broken into squares
  • 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with mini graham cracker pie crusts.
  • Place 5-6 squares of chocolate into each cup (or 1 regular-sized peanut butter cup) in the center of each crust.
  • Top with mini marshmallows (about ¼ cup).
  • Bake for 6-8 minutes in the oven. If the marshmallows aren't as golden as you'd like, you can broil on HIGH for an additional minute or so.
  • Top with additional chocolate bar pieces (optional).

Video

Notes

S'mores pies are best eaten the day that they are made, but can easily be reheated in the microwave for a few seconds (remove from foil liner). Store mini s'mores pies at room temperature, covered in plastic to keep fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcal

Peach Slab Pie

By 1 Comment

Everything you love about fresh peach pie, baked in a sheet pan! One peach slab pie easily yields 18-24 slices, so it's perfect for sharing with friends. This post contains an affiliate link.

You might also like my cherry slab pie, blackberry pie, or peach turnovers!

slice of peach pie of spatula

It's peach season! I order a 25-pound box of fresh peaches from The Peach Truck every year. They are so yummy and make the perfect snack. We eat most of them fresh and plain, but I ALWAYS make sure to use the last of the peaches to make pie.

Peach slab pie is absolutely delicious, and it's sturdy enough to pick up a slice with your hands, although I prefer eating it with a fork. Slab pie is easier to serve than a regular pie and stays fresh for up to 3 days, so it makes great leftovers. Slab pie is the ultimate comfort dessert.

sheet pan of peach pie

I make my slab pies in a 10×15″ jelly roll pan. This is a great all-around size. It's smaller than the half-sheet baking pans that I typically use but easier to work with when rolling out the dough.  You can turn any pie recipe into a slab pie by doubling your favorite two-crust pie crust recipe and making about 1 ½ batches of pie filling. Make sure to follow my tips and tricks for achieving a perfectly baked crust (top and bottom)---very important!

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WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE A KEEPER

  • Basic ingredients: My pie crust recipe is a keeper, a variation of my favorite pie crust recipe from Betty Crocker. It uses shortening, butter, and oil for the best texture and flavor. You can use canned pie filling if you'd like (you'll need 3 cans), but I like making peach pie filling from scratch. It's super simple and gives you the best flavor.
  • The crust is forgiving: Not great at making pie crust? That's ok. Slab pie tastes delicious regardless, and because it's made with a combination of shortening, oil, and butter, it's a little easier to roll out than an all-butter pie crust. Do your best to roll it into a rectangular shape, but just know that once it's baked up, the golden top and bubbly filling will hide imperfections.
  • Feeds a crowd: One jelly roll pan of slab pie yields 18-24 slices.
  • Stays fresh for several days: Mine have been kept for at least 3 days, making this a great dessert to make the night before you need it.
slice of peach slab pie on plate with scoop of vanilla ice cream on top

🥧 TIPS FOR BAKING SLAB PIE CRUST

Fruit pies, if not baked properly, can end up with an underbaked bottom crust or one that goes soggy after a few hours---don't ask me how I know. This is because fruit fillings break down during baking and leak juice. Peach pies are notorious when it comes to leaking juice, but my pies always have a solid, flaky crust. No sogginess at all.

Having a properly thickened filling (using flour) and making sure your crust is baked properly is key. This is especially important with slab pie because it has a large surface area. Here are 5 tips for perfectly baked pie crust:

tablespoon of crust dust
  1. Use Crust Dust: I first learned about the miracle of CRUST DUST from King Arthur Flour. It's super easy to make, too! Crust dust is a 1:1 ratio of all-purpose flour and sugar. You simply mix the two ingredients together, then sprinkle it over the bottom crust in a THIN layer before adding the pie filling. As the pie bakes, the flour and sugar create a barrier, preventing the juices from soaking into the crust. It really works, too, and once baked, you won't even know it's there.
  2. Bake In Bottom ⅓ of Oven: Baking the pie lower in the oven (I bake on the second to bottom rack position) helps the bottom crust to bake evenly.
  3. Use a Baking Stone: I swear by baking my pies on top of a preheated baking stone (pizza stone). If you don't have one that's ok! The first two tips will still yield a delicious crust. The baking stone just helps center the heat evenly for the bottom crust.
  4. Use a Metal Pan: metal pie pans work better than glass for a golden bottom crust.
  5. Don't Worry About Overbaking Your Pie: yep, that's what I said. It's better to slightly overbake the crust vs. underbake. I bake my slab pies for 30 minutes, then loosely cover with foil for another 20-25 minutes. Covering the pie for the last half of the baking process will help the top not get too brown. And a tip for making fruit pies: if the filling isn't bubbling up and almost coming out of the pie, it's not done! 
bite of peach pie on fork

🥣Ingredients

PIE CRUST

  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Shortening: This is key in creating a tender and flaky crust.
  • Butter: You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.
  • Vegetable oil: This also aids in creating a tender and flaky crust.
  • Milk or buttermilk: You can use buttermilk or a combination of milk and lemon juice. I don't always have buttermilk on hand, so I use the milk and lemon juice hack.

PEACH PIE FILLING

  • Fresh peaches
  • Sugar
  • All purpose flour for thickening.
  • A dash of cinnamon for spice.
  • A splash of lemon juice to keep the peaches bright and balance out the sweetness.

CRUST DUST

  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar

EGG WASH

  • egg and water
peach slab pie in sheet pan

👩‍🍳 Directions

  • Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry cutter. Cut in butter until the particles are the size of small peas.
  • Combine milk and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
  • Add oil and milk/lemon mixture to the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. You may need to use your hands to form the mixture into a dough.
collage of pie dough, crust dust, rolled out crust and bowl of peach pie filling
  • Divide the dough into two equal portions. Flatten into a disc and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate while you make the pie filling (about 30 minutes).
  • Peel and chop peaches into small pieces. Sprinkle sugar, flour, and cinnamon over chopped peaches and stir until coated.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, place it on the oven rack to preheat.
  • Roll pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Keep rolling until it is a 13x18" rustic-looking rectangle. It won't be exact, and that's ok.
  • Place the rectangle into a 10x15" jelly roll pan, allowing the excess to hang over the edge of the pan.
  • Sprinkle crust dust over the pie crust bottom.
  • Pour the peach filling over the bottom crust.
hands rolling and tucking pie crust into pan
  • Roll the second crust out into a rustic-looking 13x18" rectangle.
  • Place on top of the pie.
  • Fold the edges of the top and bottom crust back and tuck into the pan.
  • Use your fingers to pinch and crimp the edges of the pie (or use a fork to crimp).
knife cutting slits into pie
  • Cut slits into the top of the pie to allow steam to vent while baking.
  • Brush the crust lightly with egg wash then sprinkle with sugar.
sheet pan of peach pie
  • Bake slab pie for 30 minutes.
  • Cover/tent loosely with foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.
  • The top should be GOLDEN and the filling should be bubbling.
  • Allow the pie to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.
slice of peach pie on plate with vanilla ice cream

Common Questions

How do I store slab pie?

Store leftover pie in the pan, covered with plastic wrap, to keep fresh for up to 3 days.

What type of pan is best to bake slab pies?

I only bake on light-colored baking sheets. If you bake on dark sheets, you may need to adjust the baking time.

Can I use all butter to make the pie crust?

Anytime I use shortening in a recipe, I am asked if you can use butter instead. I prefer using a combination of butter and shortening for the best flavor and texture. The shortening makes the dough easier to roll out as it doesn't warm when I work the dough with my hands, but you can absolutely use all butter.

slab pie on white plate
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Peach Slab Pie

Everything you love about fresh peach pie, baked in a sheet pan! One peach slab pie easily yields 18-24 slices, perfect for sharing.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword betty crocker, peach pie, peach slab pie, rustic peach pie, sheet pan pie, slab pie
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cool 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings 24 slices
Calories 220kcal

Ingredients

PIE CRUST

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 ¼ cup shortening
  • ½ cup COLD butter cut into small cubes
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

PEACH PIE FILLING

  • 5 pounds fresh peaches (8-9 cups peeled and chopped peaches)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice

CRUST DUST

  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar

EGG WASH

  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 Tbsp. water

Instructions

  • Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening and butter until the particles are the size of small peas.
  • Combine milk and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
  • Add oil and milk/lemon mixture to the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. You may need to use your hands to form the mixture into a dough.
  • Divide the dough into two equal portions. Flatten into a disc and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate while you make the pie filling (about 30 minutes).
  • Peel and chop peaches into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice over chopped peaches and stir until coated.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, place it on the oven rack to preheat.
  • Roll pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Keep rolling until it is a 13x18" rustic-looking rectangle (about ⅛" thick).
  • Place the rectangle into a 10x15" jelly roll pan, allowing the excess to hang over the edge of the pan.
  • Sprinkle crust dust (a combination of 2 Tbsp. sugar and 2 Tbsp. flour) over the pie crust bottom.
  • Pour the peach filling over the bottom crust.
  • Roll the second crust out into a rustic-looking 13x18" rectangle.
  • Place on top of the pie.
  • Fold the edges of the top and bottom crust back and tuck into the pan.
  • Use your fingers to pinch and crimp the edges of the pie (or use a fork to crimp).
  • Cut slits into the top of the pie to allow steam to vent while baking.
  • Brush the crust lightly with egg wash then sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake slab pie for 30 minutes.
  • Cover/tent loosely with foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.
  • The top should be GOLDEN and the filling should be bubbling.
  • Allow the pie to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store leftover pie in the pan, covered with plastic wrap to keep fresh for up to 3 days.
Baking Sheets: I only bake on light-colored baking sheets. If you bake on dark sheets, you may need to adjust the baking time.

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal

Frosted Banana Nut Bars

By Leave a Comment

Frosted banana nut bars are soft, loaded with bananas, and an easy way to use up ripe bananas. I've included ingredient amounts to make a 9x13 pan or a large sheet pan to share with a crowd! Originally shared in 2021, this post has been recently updated to include new imagery and detailed instructions. This post contains an affiliate link.

You might also like our Bob Evan's copycat banana bread, our pumpkin double chocolate chip muffins or our sugar cookie bars!

banana bar on spatula

Banana bars hold together well enough to be finger food or served on a plate with a fork like cake. They are iced in vanilla frosting (or cream cheese frosting) and sprinkled with walnuts. I like making a big batch and baking it in a half sheet pan, but I've included directions and ingredient amounts to make a regular (9x13) or large batch (13x18) so that you can make exactly what you need.

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banana bars in pan

🥣Ingredients

  • Butter. I always bake with salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you'd like.
  • Sour cream adds moisture and rich texture to the banana bars.
  • White sugar
  • Eggs for richness and texture.
  • Homemade vanilla extract adds great flavor.
  • Ripe bananas. See my tips for using frozen bananas.
  • Baking soda and salt for leavening and flavor.
  • All purpose flour works great and is my go-to for most baked goods.

👩‍🍳Directions

  1. Mix sugar, butter, and egg together. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla.
  2. Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  3. Spread batter in a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
  4. Mix frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled banana bars. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts (optional). Slice into 12 bars.

Note: You can cut right into the bars, but I find that it is easier to slice the bars after allowing the frosting to set for 30 minutes or so.

frosted banana bar on white plate

🍌Sheet Pan Banana Bars

To make a 13x18" half sheet pan of banana bars, double all batter ingredients except for eggs (use 3 eggs). Spread in a greased half sheet pan and bake for 28-30 minutes.

You don't need to double the frosting recipe, as that would be way too much. You can either use the same amount and spread it a little thinner or make 1.5 batches of frosting.

A half sheet pan will yield at least 24 banana bars.

baba bar on white plate with bananas in the background

How to Freeze Ripe Bananas

I used to stress about quickly using up my overripe bananas by making muffins or bread, but I don't anymore. When I have a few bananas that are too ripe for my liking, I simply peel them and place them in a freezer bag. Because they'll last in the freezer for a few months, you can continue adding bananas to the bag until you are ready to make a batch of banana bars with them!

Frozen bananas DO NOT thaw well for eating "fresh" as they get juicy and the texture changes, but they DO work well for baking. You can't tell the difference between using fresh bananas or frozen/thawed bananas once baked.

How To Use Frozen/Thawed Bananas In Baking

To thaw frozen bananas for baking, place the bag on the counter and allow them to sit for an hour or two. You can also place them in the refrigerator overnight. They will look sketchy, but will bake up beautifully. Drain off any juice, then mash and bake as normal.

baba bar on spatula
Print Pin
5 from 4 votes

Banana Nut Bars

Banana nut bars are crazy good! Full of banana flavoring with vanilla frosting and walnuts. An easy way to use up ripe bananas!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword banana bars, banana nut, sheet pan, sheet pan banana bars
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 348kcal

Ingredients

Banana Bars

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 ripe bananas mashed
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Frosting

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3-4 Tablespoons milk
  • ½ cup chopped nuts optional

Instructions

  • Mix butter and sugar together. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix in mashed bananas.
  • Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  • Spread batter in a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
  • Mix frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled banana bars. Sprinkle with ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional).

Video

Notes

Sheet Pan Banana Bars
To make a 13x18" half sheet pan of banana bars, double all batter ingredients except for eggs (use 3 eggs). Spread in a greased half sheet pan and bake for 28-30 minutes.
You don't need to double the frosting recipe, as that would be too much. You can either use the same amount and spread it a little thinner or make 1.5 batches of frosting.
Cover banana bars with plastic to keep them fresh for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal

Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me Cookies

By 3 Comments

Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me cookies are absolute perfection. Crisp edges, chewy center, flaky sea salt, and lots of chocolate chips. Made famous after Sarah Gormley shared the recipe in her book, The Order of Things. This is my review of the viral recipe!

If you like trying famous chocolate chip cookie recipes, I have an entire collection of famous copycat recipes from Chick-fil-A to Subway and copycat Levain to Snoop Dogg!

Baked chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper

I stumbled across this cookie recipe a while back and had to try it! Talk about a catchy title. When I found out that Sarah made 38 batches of chocolate chip cookies to perfect her recipe I wanted to try them even more.

chocolate chip cookie broken in half on parchment paper

She shared, "I can’t tell you the whole story of getting fired, because, well, we all love Martha, don’t we? We do. You just need to know that after she fired me and before I landed the next big job, I did certain things. I drank a whole bunch of martinis at the Red Cat around the corner from my apartment on West 23rd Street in Chelsea. I did a whole bunch of Barre Method classes because if I was going to be unemployed, I was going to look good. And I made a whole bunch of chocolate chip cookies in my quest to perfect them. Thirty-eight different batches, in fact. A tweak here, a tweak there. And then, the sea salt."

I thought that these cookies were absolutely delicious. They are similar to my *Almost* Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe, which is my go-to, never-fail, no-chill recipe.

Would I make these cookies again? Absolutely. Should you try this recipe? Obviously!

I'll share the recipe and include any modifications that I made at the end of the post.

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two trays of baked martha stewart cookies

What Makes This Recipe a Keeper

  • Flavor burst: Most famous cookie recipes call for unsalted butter. I ALWAYS bake with salted butter and was pleasantly surprised to see that this recipe uses salted butter too. It really is superior, I said what I said. The cookies are also topped with flaky sea salt before baking which adds an additional burst of flavor.
  • Lots of chocolate: This recipe calls for 1 ½ bags of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. I used both. Most recipes call for half of a bag to a bag.
  • Chilling Options: It is recommended to chill these cookies for 24-48 hours for the best flavor. You can also skip this step completely and bake straight from the bowl. See my notes for a meet-in-the-middle alternative.
bowls of ingredients for chocolate chip cookies

🥣 Ingredients

  • Salted Butter: Yes, salted butter. Go ahead and skip using unsalted butter if that's your go-to for baking. You won't be sorry.
  • Dark brown AND light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar has more molasses and adds a boost of flavor. You can use them interchangeably, however. Use what you have on hand.
  • Granulated Sugar: adds a crisp edge to chocolate chip cookies while the brown sugar creates a chewy center.
  • Eggs: for richness and texture.
  • Vanilla Extract: for flavor. This recipe calls for twice as much vanilla extract compared to other recipes. Here is my method for making your own vanilla extract.
  • Flour: basic all purpose flour works great for this recipe.
  • Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt: for leavening and flavor.
  • Chocolate Chips or Chunks: you can use semisweet chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chunks, or a combination of both! I had half of a bar of semisweet chocolate that I chopped up and added to the chocolate chips.
  • Flaky Sea Salt: Topping each cookie dough ball with flaky sea salt adds a boost of flavor. Highly recommend!

👩‍🍳 Directions

  1. You'll start by creaming the butter and sugars together for a full 3 minutes. Once fluffy, you'll add the eggs and vanilla and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
  2. The dry ingredients are mixed together in a separate bowl and then slowly added to the wet ingredients.
  3. After the chocolate chips are mixed in the dough is chilled for up to 48 hours (see notes).
  4. Scoop the dough and bake 6-8 cookies on each cookie sheet. Sprinkle each cookie dough ball with flaky sea salt before baking.
  5. The cookies are baked at 360 degrees for 10-11 minutes. After coming out of the oven, go ahead and slam the baking sheet against the counter to flatten the cookies (this creates a chewy center).
  6. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

🍪 Storage Tips

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Cookies can also be stored in the freezer. Freeze on a tray for an hour, then transfer to freezer bags.

tray of baked cookies on parchment paper

🗒 Brandy's Notes

Here are the things I noted as I baked these cookies. Take it as you will, Sarah made 38 batches before settling on her final recipe, so she obviously knows what she is doing.

Ingredients

I had both dark brown sugar and light brown sugar on hand, so that's what I used, but I wouldn't make a special trip to the store to buy dark brown sugar if you don't have any.

Chilling

It is recommended to chill these cookies for 24-48 hours for the best flavor. However, I made some after chilling for 1-2 hours, and some after chilling 8 hours, and didn't think the extra chill time was worth the effort (texture or flavor-wise), so I did not chill the cookies for the full 24-28 hours. I've made A LOT of chocolate chip cookies over the years and have only found chilling chocolate chip cookie dough to be beneficial if it is a sticky dough or made with melted butter/oil. Even then, I typically only chill for 1-2 hours. I'll leave it up to you to decide for yourself, as this is a highly debated topic.

Baking

The recipe says to bake the cookies for 10 minutes. 11-12 minutes was the sweet spot for the batches that I made, but that could be because I used a regular cookie scoop (2 Tbsp.), which is slightly larger than the recommended size (the size of a quarter).

Slamming the Pan

After baking, I slammed the pan on the counter ONE TIME, and the cookies were perfect. The recipe states to slam the pan multiple times. If you chilled the dough 48 hours this might be beneficial, but for those who chilled the cookie dough for 2 hours it is not necessary to slam the pan more than once.

Shaping the Cookies

For cookies that weren't perfectly round, I used the glass technique to reshape the hot cookies as soon as they came out of the oven. You can also reshape with a large biscuit cutter.

Directions: Turn a glass upside down. It should be slightly larger than the cookie so that it covers it completely. Place the lip over a cookie. Holding the bottom of the glass, quickly work it in circular motions.

Common Questions

What kind of chocolate is best for this recipe?

Semisweet is recommended, and my favorite, but these would be delicious with milk chocolate or a combination of milk and semisweet. Chocolate chunks add depth of flavor and melt differently, so they are a great option too.

Why do you need to bang the pan after the cookies come out of the oven?

Pan banging (slamming) is a great technique to deflate the puffed-up cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Why do this? This creates a rich and chewy center. I do this for my copycat Subway chocolate chip cookies, too!

How many cookies does this recipe make?

I used a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop and made 40 cookies. Sarah suggests baking them quarter-sized, which is slightly smaller and would probably yield at least 4 dozen cookies.

Baked chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper

Original printable recipe and directions

(The ones below are rewritten with my adaptations).

two trays of baked martha stewart cookies
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me Chocolate Chip Cookies

Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me cookies are absolute perfection. Crisp edges, chewy center, flaky sea salt, and lots of chocolate chips. Made famous after Sarah Gormley shared the recipe in her book, The Order of Things.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword best chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies, martha stewart, martha stewart fired me
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
chill 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 26 minutes
Servings 40 cookies
Calories 175kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks salted butter softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
  • 2 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
  • flaky sea salt to top the cookies

Instructions

  • Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 3 minutes, until the mixture is nice and fluffy.
  • Add both eggs and the vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes .
  • Combine baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until cookie dough forms.
  • Mix in chocolate chips/chunks.
  • Chill dough for up to 48 hours (see notes).
  • Preheat oven to 360 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Scoop cookie dough using a 2 Tbsp. scoop, 6-8 cookies per sheet.
  • Sprinkle a small amount of flaky sea salt over each cookie dough ball.
  • Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the center is still light and puffy.
  • Slam the baking sheet against the counter to flatten the cookies out a bit (see notes).
  • Add another sprinkle of sea salt, and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Video

Notes

Brandy's Notes

Ingredients
I had both dark brown sugar and light brown sugar on hand, so that's what I used, but I wouldn't make a special trip to the store to buy dark brown sugar if you don't have any.
Chilling
It is recommended to chill these cookies for 24-48 hours for the best flavor. However, I made some after chilling for 1-2 hours, and some after chilling 8 hours, and didn't think the extra chill time was worth the effort, so I did not chill the cookies for the full 24-28 hours.
If chilling 1-2 hours, there is no need to pre-scoop the dough. If chilling 24-28 hours, I recommend scooping the dough, placing the dough balls onto a baking sheet, and chilling the dough that way; otherwise, it may be tough to scoop the fully chilled dough on day 2.
Slamming the Pan
After baking, I slammed the pan on the counter ONE TIME, and the cookies were perfect. The recipe states to slam the pan multiple times. If you chilled the dough for 48 hours, this might be beneficial, but for those who chilled the cookie dough for 1-2 hours, it is not necessary to slam the pan more than once.
Shaping the Cookies
For cookies that weren't perfectly round, I used the glass technique to reshape the hot cookies as soon as they came out of the oven. You can also reshape with a large biscuit cutter.
Directions: Turn a glass upside down. It should be slightly larger than the cookie so that it covers it completely. Place the lip over a cookie. Holding the bottom of the glass, quickly work it in circular motions.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

By 1 Comment

Old-fashioned buttermilk sugar cookies are soft, buttery cookies that hold up to being cut out and frosted! Serve chilled or at room temperature!

You might also like my bakery-style sugar cookies, caramel frosted sugar cookies, or copycat Lofthouse cookies!

pink frosted sugar cookies

The best recipes are often the ones found in old church cookbooks. That's exactly where this one came from! Tried and true recipes passed down from generation to generation.

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Why This Recipe Is a Keeper

  • Made from basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand. If you don't have ½ cup of buttermilk, you can make your own using ½ cup milk and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice.
  • Easy to roll out. The dough is a dream to work with. It's soft yet sturdy and easy to roll out and cut.
  • Can be served chilled or at room temperature. If you want to make chilled sugar cookies like Crumbl, pop a few into the refrigerator for an hour or so.
  • Buttercream frosting. Buttercream frosting tastes better than royal icing, which is why I use it exclusively for sugar cookies. My frosting recipe sets up enough to stay soft, but the cookies are able to be stored or stacked 2 cookies tall.
  • Make a little or make a lot! This recipe can easily be doubled. A single recipe makes 26-28 large 3 ½" cookies.
stack of unfrosted sugar cookies next to pink frosted buttermilk sugar cookies

🥣Ingredients

Cookies

  • Butter: salted or unsalted. I always bake with salted butter.
  • Sugar: I use white sugar exclusively for sugar cookies.
  • Eggs: for richness and texture.
  • Vanilla extract: for flavor. You can also use any other extract that you'd like. Almond extract is one of my favorites.
  • Buttermilk: You only need ½ cup of buttermilk to make a soft and chewy sugar cookie.
  • Flour: all purpose flour works great in this recipe.
  • Baking powder, Baking soda, and Salt: for leavening and texture.
A person holding a spatula spreading frosting onto a sugar cookie

Frosting

  • Butter
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Milk: if you have extra buttermilk to use up you can use it in the frosting too! Otherwise, any type of milk will work.
  • Vanilla extract
cookie dough rolled out and cut into circles

👩‍🍳How To Make Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

  1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer (or mix using a handheld electric mixer).
  2. Add eggs and vanilla extract.
  3. Add buttermilk and mix until smooth.
  4. Mix in baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  5. Add flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Since the dough needs to chill, it will be soft and slightly sticky, but should still form into a nice ball.
  6. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, until firm.
  7. Once chilled, divide the dough in half and roll each section ½" thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters or a round glass. Repeat until all cookie dough has been rolled and cut.
  8. Place cookie cutouts on ungreased baking sheets.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes.
  10. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooking rack.
  11. Beat frosting ingredients together until smooth using an electric mixer or a stand mixer. Frost cookies with buttercream.
a hand holding a large buttermilk frosted cookie

🍪Cookie Storage Tips

These cookies are delicious when stored at room temperature. Allow the frosting to set for at least an hour before covering the cookies with plastic to keep them fresh for up to 3 days. You can also store the cookies in an airtight container. Do not stack the cookies higher than two layers.

You can also chill the cookies. Place the tray of cookies in the refrigerator until the frosting sets. Then wrap the cookies individually in plastic wrap to keep them fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Unfrosted or frosted cookies can be stored in the freezer for a few months.

Common Questions

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

For this recipe? Yes. If a recipe calls for chilling the dough, it's a good idea to always follow that direction and not skip that step. Buttermilk cookie dough is very soft, and allowing it to chill before rolling out is just what it needs to keep its shape during the baking process. If you'd like a fantastic no-chill sugar cookie recipe, try my bakery-style sugar cookies.

What kind of butter is best for sugar cookies?

While I exclusively bake with salted butter, the choice is up to you! Many experts prefer baking with unsalted butter as it allows them to control the salt content in recipes. The only time I have found that to be necessary is when making cookies that rely heavily on butter as a main ingredient, like shortbread cookies.

Can I use shortening instead of butter?

Many old-fashioned recipes call for shortening instead of butter or a combination of both. Shortening helps cookies keep their shape and is often used in sugar cookies. While I don't think that is necessary for this recipe, you can use shortening in place of ½ of the butter.

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes 28 LARGE 3 ½" cookies when rolled out to ½" thick. If you use a smaller cookie cutter or roll the dough out to ¼", you'll easily get 4 dozen cookies per batch. If rolling out to ¼" thick, reduce the baking time to 7-9 minutes.

pink frosted sugar cookies
frosted and unfrosted sugar cookies
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

Old-fashioned buttermilk sugar cookies are soft, buttery cookies that hold up to being cut out and frosted! Serve chilled or at room temperature!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword amish sugar cookies, buttermilk cookies, buttermilk sugar cookies, old fashioned, sugar cookies
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 28 cookies
Calories 350kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour can add an additional ½-3/4 cup of flour if necessary

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 6-8 Tablespoons milk or buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • food coloring optional

Instructions

  • Cream butter and sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer (or mix using a handheld electric mixer).
  • Add eggs and vanilla extract.
  • Add buttermilk and mix until smooth.
  • Mix in baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  • Add flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Since the dough needs to chill, it will be soft and slightly sticky, but should still form into a nice ball.
  • Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, until firm.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Once chilled, divide the dough in half and roll each section ½" thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Repeat until all cookie dough has been rolled and cut.
  • Place cookie cutouts on ungreased baking sheets.
  • Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes.
  • Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooking rack.
  • Beat frosting ingredients together until smooth using an electric mixer or a stand mixer. Frost cookies with buttercream.

Video

Notes

These cookies are delicious when stored at room temperature. Allow the frosting to set for at least an hour before covering the cookies with plastic to keep them fresh for up to 3 days. You can also store the cookies in an airtight container. Do not stack the cookies higher than two layers.
You can also chill the cookies. Place the tray of cookies in the refrigerator until the frosting sets. Then wrap the cookies individually in plastic wrap to keep them fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This recipe makes 28 LARGE 3 ½" cookies when rolled out to ½" thick. If you use a smaller cookie cutter or roll the dough out to ¼", you'll easily get 4 dozen cookies per batch. If rolling out to ¼" thick, reduce the baking time to 7-9 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcal

Homemade Ranch Dressing (Better Than Store-Bought!)

By 1 Comment

If you're a fan of creamy, tangy, and herb-packed dressings, this homemade ranch dressing recipe is about to become your new favorite.

Made with simple pantry staples, it's perfect for dipping crispy tenders or onion rings, drizzling over salads, or using as a sauce for wraps and sandwiches. This post contains affiliate links.

mason jar of restaurant style ranch dressing

I've always loved the flavor and consistency of restaurant-style ranch. I worked at a restaurant for years, and there really is something different about it. I'd order a side of fries just to get a cup of that delicious dressing. They made it in-house and stored it in large containers in the walk-in refrigerator. The texture is thinner than bottled dressing, which I like, and the flavor is so much bolder. If you like the homemade ranch made with packets, buttermilk, and mayonnaise, you'll love this version. It's better!

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cucumber spear dipped into homemade ranch dressing

Here's Why This Recipe Works

  • Quick and easy – Ready in under 5 minutes (although best after chilling for a bit)
  • Customizable – Adjust herbs and spices to your taste. You probably have most in your pantry already!
  • Restaurant-quality flavor – Better than anything store-bought!
bottles of spices, buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream

🥣 Ingredients

If you can remember "½" you can easily memorize this recipe! I use ½ cup of the following ingredients for a creamy base. Use full-fat sour cream and mayo for the creamiest texture.

  • Buttermilk
  • Sour cream
  • Mayonnaise

I also use ½ teaspoon of the following herbs and spices for a bold and flavorful ranch dressing. Feel free to adjust to your taste.

  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Dried dill weed
  • Dried chives
  • Dried parsley
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
whisk mixing ranch dressing ingredients in bowl

👩‍🍳 How To Make Ranch Dressing

Combine all ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy. Pour into an airtight container and chill until ready to serve. You can enjoy the ranch dressing right away, but I recommend waiting at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.

homemade restaurant style ranch dressing in jar with lid

🧊 Storage Tips

Store homemade ranch dressing in a 16-ounce airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Give it a good stir before each use. I store mine in a mason jar with screw on lid. These will fit all regular mouth jars.

jar of homemade ranch dressing with veggie platter

🥒 Pairings

This homemade ranch dressing is delicious as a dip for chips, onion rings, and veggies. It's also the perfect consistency to drizzle over a green salad or sandwich.

Common Questions

Can I use fresh herbs to make ranch dressing?

Absolutely. If you have fresh herbs to use up, like excess dill and chives from your garden, this is a great way to boost the flavor of your ranch. It is not necessary, however. Dried herbs add great flavor and are easily accessible. The choice is yours!

Do I need buttermilk?

Buttermilk adds the tang that you expect from classic ranch dressing, and I highly suggest grabbing a bottle the next time you are at the store. After making a batch of ranch, you can use the leftover buttermilk to make buttermilk onion rings! You can also use a buttermilk substitute. For this recipe, you would use a scant ½ cup of milk and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar. You can also omit buttermilk and use ¼ cup more sour cream and ¼ cup mayonnaise, then thin it out slightly with milk.

Is there a low-fat alternative?

Feel free to use low-fat sour cream and low-fat mayonnaise. You can also use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, mayonnaise or buttermilk and then thin it out with a splash of skim milk.

Once you try this homemade ranch dressing recipe, you might never go back to the bottled kind again. It’s creamy, tangy, and packed with classic ranch flavor from herbs and spices you probably already have in your pantry. Here is a printable version of the recipe!

jar of homemade ranch dressing
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Homemade restaurant-style ranch dressing is flavorful and easy to make. Loaded with herbs and spices that you probably already have in your pantry.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword buttermilk, hidden valley, homemade ranch dressing, reataurant style ranch dressing
Prep Time 5 minutes
chill 1 hour
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 65kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
  • ½ teaspoon dried chives
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
  • Transfer dressing to an airtight jar or container and chill until ready to serve, at least 1 hour.

Video

Notes

Store dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Calories are based on a 2-tablespoon serving.
Makes about 1 ½ cups of dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 65kcal

Crispy Buttermilk Onion Rings

By 1 Comment

These crispy onion rings are dipped in buttermilk, then breaded and fried until perfectly crispy and golden brown. They are sure to become a family favorite.

Consider dipping these in homemade buttermilk ranch and serving with crispy chicken tenders. You can use the same oil to fry both!

A tray of onion rings with ketchup and dipping sauce.

Is there anything better than a perfectly crispy onion ring as an appetizer or side? I order these every time I go to Freddy's or Red Robin, but they are even better when made at home.

A hand holding a ring of onion rings on a tray.
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Here's Why This Recipe Works

  • Double Dipped. The onion rings are double-dipped for the best coating. This means they are dipped in buttermilk, then the flour mixture, followed by a second dip into buttermilk and a final toss in breadcrumbs.
  • Seasoned. These onion rings aren't just salted after being fried. The flour is seasoned with spices that adhere to the onion rings so that every bite is flavorful.
  • Easy to fry. Onion rings fry up quickly and evenly, in 2-3 minutes. You don't need a deep fryer or anything fancy. A deep pot and a couple of inches of oil work great.
Ingredients for the recipe for onion rings

🥛Ingredients

  • Buttermilk: I prefer using buttermilk over milk for dipping. Buttermilk is thick and sticks to the onion rings as you dip them into the flour and crumbs.
  • Flour: Use whatever flour you'd like. My go to is all-purpose flour.
  • Cornstarch: The combination of cornstarch and flour gives them a light and crispy coating.
  • Spices: Get creative here and add spices to taste. I use garlic powder, seasoning salt, and paprika.
  • Bread Crumbs: I prefer using Panko, which is a Japanese-style bread crumb. I like the extra crunch this style of crumbs adds to the onion rings, but you can use any style of breadcrumbs.
  • Onions: cut and separated into ¼"-½" rings.

You will also need oil for frying. Ideally, you'll want a deep skillet or Dutch oven with about 1" of oil.

A tray of onion rings with ketchup and ketchup packets.

🧅How To Make Crispy Onion Rings

bowl of flour and spices

🔪Prepping the Ingredients

  1. Slice onions into ¼"-½" rings.
  2. Mix seasonings, cornstarch, and flour together in a bowl.
  3. Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl and add bread crumbs to a third bowl.
  4. Heat oil in a skillet or Dutch oven to 375 degrees (anywhere between 360-375 degrees is okay).
Four images showing how to make a batter for a cake.

🥣Dipping

  1. Dip each ring into cold buttermilk then dip in flour mixture.
  2. Dip once again in buttermilk and finally into the breadcrumbs.
  3. Place dipped rings onto a plate until ready to fry.
A frying pan with fried onion rings.

🥘Frying

Fry onion rings for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Onion rings are done when they are golden brown.

A person holding a metal spatula.

🧂Finishing Up

Place fried onion rings on a rack to allow excess oil to drip off. I use a rack over a baking sheet. You can also place them onto a platter lined with paper towels.

Sprinkle hot onion rings with salt, if desired.

Common Questions

What kind of oil should I use for frying?

Vegetable oil is a great all-around oil for deep frying and frying, as it has a high smoke point. Peanut oil is another great option. It's best to save olive oil and coconut oil for pan frying or sautéing, as it has a lower smoke point.

Do I need to dip the onion rings in bread crumbs?

If you'd like to omit the breadcrumbs altogether and dip the onion rings into the flour mixture twice, you can do that as well. That would give you more of a crispy batter onion rings vs. a crispy crumb onion ring.

Can I make these in a deep fryer?

A deep fryer is ideal for frying onion rings as it regulates the heat automatically, but don't go out and buy one just for this recipe. Onion rings cook quickly and you don't need a lot of oil. A decent pan and a thermometer will help you keep the oil close to 375 degrees.

How do I reheat onion rings?

If you have leftovers, you can easily reheat the onion rings on day 2 in the oven or air fryer.

Printable Recipe

platter of onion rings
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Crispy Onion Rings

These crispy onion rings are dipped in buttermilk, then breaded and fried until perfectly crispy and golden brown!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword batter fried onion rings, buttermilk, crispy onion rings, onion rings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 320kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion
  • 1 ½ cups cold buttermilk
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
  • 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Slice onions into ¼"-½" rings.
  • Mix seasonings, cornstarch, and flour together in a bowl.
    Pour buttermilk into a separate bowl and add bread crumbs to a third bowl.
  • Heat oil in a skillet or Dutch oven to 375 degrees.
    Line a platter with paper towels or place a rack on top of a baking sheet to allow oil to drip off. Set aside.
  • Dip each ring into cold buttermilk, then dip in flour mixture.
    Dip once again in buttermilk and finally into the breadcrumbs.
  • Place dipped rings onto a plate until ready to fry.
  • Fry onion rings for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through. Onion rings are done when they are golden brown.
  • Place fried onion rings on a rack to allow excess oil to drip off.
    Sprinkle hot onion rings with additional salt, if desired.

Video

Notes

What kind of oil should I use for frying?
Vegetable oil is a great all-around oil for deep frying and frying, as it has a high smoke point. Peanut oil is another great option. It's best to save olive oil and coconut oil for pan frying or sautéing, as it has a lower smoke point.
Do I need to dip the onion rings in bread crumbs?
If you'd like to omit the breadcrumbs altogether and dip the onion rings into the flour mixture twice, you can do that as well. That would give you more of a crispy batter onion rings vs. a crispy crumb onion ring.
How do I reheat onion rings?
If you have leftovers, you can easily reheat the onion rings on day 2 in the oven or air fryer.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal

Mrs. Fields Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

By 1 Comment

Mrs. Fields Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies are a classic, decades-old recipe for bakery-style cookies that are soft, gooey, and loaded with chocolate chips!

This is the 1990s version, originally found in the Mrs. Fields cookie book. If you are looking for the urban legend Mrs. Fields cookies with ground oats and a grated Hershey bar, I've got you covered. You can find that recipe HERE.  You might also like to check out my giant collection of famous chocolate chip cookie recipes from Jacques Torres to Subway and Chick-fil-A to Snoop Dogg!

baked mrs fields cookies on wire rack

Watch out step by step video!

Debbi Fields, the founder of Mrs. Fields, opened her first mall pop-up bakery shops in the 1980s. Unlike other popular cookies of the time (Chips Ahoy, Famous Amos), the cookies sold at Mrs. Fields' shops were soft, thick, and tasted homemade. Many recipes claim to be the original Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookie, but the most famous versions are nothing more than the urban legend Neiman Marcus cookie recipe. Side-by-side comparisons show that the story and the recipe are the same, and both are a hoax.

hand holding mrs fields cookie

Mrs. Fields shared a chocolate chip cookie recipe in her 1992 cookie book called "Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies". She also shared the recipe on her blog, citing, "I'll admit I'm embarrassed. I've been blogging my way along here without ever sharing my chocolate chip cookie recipe. And I didn't realize it until a reader emailed asking for it yesterday. (Thanks, Chet!) So, today, I'm sharing it with you. This is my Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and it's perfect in every way--soft, luscious, chewy, and packed with flavor. It's everything you love about chocolate chip cookies. And if you want to really enhance the cookies, make the dough and let it age for a day or two in your fridge--whoa!"

mrs fields cookie broken in half

Is it the same one used in her mall shops?  I doubt it. The business has changed hands over the years, and the recipe has changed along with it. The current cookies sold in Mrs. Fields' shops have almost an artificial taste, are slightly crumbly, and are not what you'd expect from such a nostalgic brand.

The Blue Ribbon cookie recipe, however, IS from Debbi Fields (Mrs. Fields).

I've made this recipe multiple times, following the directions to the letter. I've made them with chilled cookie dough and unchilled cookie dough. I also experimented with baking temperature and cookie size. Here are my findings:

baked mrs fields cookies on wire rack

Original

Source

Her recipe calls for rounded tablespoon-sized cookies, unchilled (says you can bake them chilled or unchilled), and baked at 300 degrees for 18-22 minutes. The result was soft and chewy cookies that were a little on the thinner side and small. They were delicious, but more on the cakey side vs thick or gooey. I did not see the benefit of baking them at 300 degrees for 20+ minutes, as they appeared to be done around the 15-16 minute mark. Had the dough been chilled, they would have been thicker. All in all, a delicious cookie.

Brandy's 

I made them two more times with the following adaptations. I made them larger (3 tablespoon-sized), chilled for an hour, then baked at 350 degrees for 13-14 minutes. The result was ABSOLUTE perfection. Soft, thick, and taste homemade just like the ones sold in her original bake shops. These are the ones shown in the photos here.

chocolate chip cookie broken in half

The choice is yours! Make her original recipe or try my adaptation. Both are delicious, both made with the same exact ingredients and measurements, the only changes are the 1-hour chill, the baking time, and temperature. Both versions are shared below. Scroll to the end of the post for an easy-to-follow printable version!

stack of Mrs. Fields' chocolate chip cookies

Here are the Ingredients

  • Flour: All-purpose is the gold standard for cookies. I always baked with all-purpose flour unless the recipe notes otherwise.
  • Baking soda and salt: for leavening and flavor.
  • Sugar: This recipe uses a combination of dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. A higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar yields cookies with a softer texture.
  • Butter: This recipe uses salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
  • Eggs: You'll need two large eggs, room temperature, for richness and flavor.
  • Vanilla Extract: A heavy two teaspoons, but as always, measure vanilla with your heart.
  • Chocolate chips: A 12-ounce bag or two cups of your favorite brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

baking sheet with 6 bakes mrs fields cookies on it

Directions---Brandy's Adaptation (shown in photos)

  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until just blended.
  • Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed.

tray of chilled cookie dough balls

  • Scoop cookie dough using 3 Tbsp. sized scoop onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.
  • Chill cookie dough balls for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet (4-6 cookies at a time), 2 " apart.
  • Bake for 14 minutes* or until golden brown. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a baking rack or cool surface.

*Note: I only bake on light metal baking sheets. If you bake on dark metal, you'll need to check the cookies a little earlier to make sure they don't brown too quickly.

jumbo blue ribbon cookies on baking sheet with parchment paper

Directions--Original

Source

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until just blended.
  • Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed.
  • Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
  • Bake low and slow for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a baking rack or cool surface.

batch of blue ribbon chocolate chip cookies on cooling rack

Mrs. Fields Blue Ribbon Cookie Recipe, an adaptation

cookies on wire cooling rack
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Mrs. Fields Blue Ribbon Cookie Recipe

Mrs. Fields Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies are a classic, decades-old recipe for bakery-style cookies that are soft, gooey, and loaded with chocolate chips! This version is an adaptation. The original directions are shared in the notes section.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword bakery style, blue ribbon cookies, mall cookies, mrs fields, thick and chewy
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 24 minutes
Servings 20 large cookies
Calories 333kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup salted butter 2 sticks
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 cups

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until just blended.
  • Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed.
  • Scoop cookie dough using 3 Tbsp. sized scoop onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.
  • Chill cookie dough balls for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet (4-6 cookies at a time), 2" apart.
  • Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a baking rack or cool surface.
  • Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

HOW TO MAKE MRS. FIELDS COOKIES--ORIGINAL
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until just blended.
Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake low and slow for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a baking rack or cool surface.
Brandy's version makes 20 cookies.
Mrs. Fields' version makes 36+ cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal

YW Camp Pillow Treat Tags (Free Printables!)

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YW camp pillow treat tags! From popcorn to lip balm and flavored water to pens, these little gifts are the perfect way to end the day. 6 free tags to choose from and includes color printables as well as black and white printables. This post contains affiliate links.

You might also like my giant collection of YW camp craft ideas.

basket of pillow treats

YW Camp Pillow Treat Printable Tags

I'm the Stake Young Women's president in my church. This means that I work with the youth leaders and young women in my area and am in charge of planning summer camps and conferences for them to attend! I wanted to have a little handout to give everyone at YW camp (Young Women's Camp) this year, so I created these "Camp Hair Don't Care" gifts. I plan on putting these in everyone's mailbox on the first day of camp. Making printables is fun for me, honestly, it's therapeutic. So I sat down and created 5 more tags that all coordinate and can be used as a set. There are enough to have a different one every day! Perfect to use as pillow treats or mailbox treats!

scrunchie, chapstick, popcorn, mints, pen, hair clip and water flavoring all with tags

What are Pillow Treats?

At YW camp, the leaders often give the girls a little gift after the evening devotional. Since it's before bed, we refer to them as pillow treats or tuck-in treats. They are inexpensive gifts, often items that can be used at camp. Ex: sleep masks, lip gloss, hand sanitizer, candy, scrunchies.

basket of pillow treats

I'll share each of the 6 tags that I created below and how I put them together with a treat. I'll link to the individual PDF for each one, and at the very end of the post, I'll link to a PDF that has all 6 printables in one 6-page download. There is also a black and white version at the end of the post.

1. Don't Worry Be Chappy (Chapstick Pillow Treat Tags)

printable chapstick gift cards with chapstick

My daughter walked into the room while I was working on these, and I said, “Is the phrase ‘Don’t worry, be chappy‘ too cheesy?” But I already knew the answer to my question because I couldn’t even say it out loud without laughing. It’s SO cheesy, but I love it. And who doesn’t love Chapstick? Lipsmacker will forever be my favorite brand. I used glue dots to attach the lip balm to the cards.

sheet of chapstick printable tags with scissors and 3 tubes of lip balm

Click HERE to download Chapstick Tags

2. You Make Camp Sweet (Flavored Water Treat Tags)

two summer camp printable tags with drink packets

You could attach the tag to a bottle of Gatorade, Prime, or an energy drink. For a super affordable option, slide a flavored water packet into the tag like I did! I cut a slit in the card using a X-acto knife then slid the packet into it.

sheet of drink printable tags with two drink mix packets

Click HERE to download Flavored Water Tags

3. We Were MINT To Be Friends (Gum/Mint Pillow Treat Tags)

hand holding printable tag with tic tacs on it

I actually used this same phrase to make a cute little handout for this YW Compliment Activity. We did it in our ward twice, and it was always a big hit. I made a camp-themed version to use in mailboxes or as pillow treats. These are MINI containers of Tic Tacs, but you can use individual wrapped Lifesavers or even an Andes Mint! I used glue dots to attach the mints to the card.

mint printables with small packages of tic tags

Click HERE to download Mint Tags

a scrunchie and a hair clip with cardstock tags attached

4. Camp Hair Don't Care (Scrunchie or Hair Clip Tags)

The scrunchies were $.22 each, and the hair clips were $.53. Because the scrunchies were so much more affordable, I used a larger ratio of those. I used glue dots to glue the ends of the tag together. Once attached to the hair accessories, the tags are double-sided, so they look cute from both sides.

Click HERE to download scrunchie and hair clip tags

5. Popping In To Say Goodnight (Popcorn Pillow Treat Tags)

skinny pop popcorn with pillow treat tags on i

These tags are cut out and folded in half before being attached to the top of a small popcorn bag. You can use staples or glue dots.

popcorn printable tag with bag of popcorn

Click HERE to download popcorn tags

6. Today's Moments Are Tomorrow's Memories---Write Them Down (Pen or Notebook Tags)

two journaling handouts with pens slid into slots

You could attach these tags to a pen, pencil, notebook, or journal! We made these fun, beadable pens at camp (shown in the photo above on the left) at camp last year. You could make these for your girls, or use one of my FAVORITE pens (shown in the photo above on the right). They write like butter.

I used a hobby knife (X-acto knife) to slice a slit in the top and bottom of the card, then slid the pen inside. You could also use a hole punch and ribbon to tie the tag onto the pen or notebook.

pen tag printable with pen on top

Click HERE to download pen tags

digital copy of each printable in collage

6-page color pdf printable tags  (Click here)

6-page black and white printable tags (Click here)