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Copycat Maggiano's Lemon Cookies

By 21 Comments

Identical to the real deal, these copycat Maggiano's lemon cookies are soft, buttery, and loaded with lemon zest and flavor. Now you can make the famous cookies at home!

If you love lemons as much as I do, try my lemon cooler cookies, copycat Starbucks lemon loaf, or strawberry lemon sugar cookie bars!

Copycat lemon cookies in a white bowl.

My friend Nora recently enlisted my help in recreating the famous lemon cookies from Maggiano's. On the menu, they are known as Vera's Lemon Cookies. She said they are her FAVORITE cookie, and none of the copycat recipes that she tried have lived up to the hype. She brought me a container of cookies to study and sample and said, "If anyone can do it, you can!" Challenge accepted.

I love lemon cookies as much as she does and was happy to give it a shot. I got busy altering one of my sugar cookie recipes, making test batch after test batch to recreate the buttery soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the Maggiano's cookies. Swapping out the granulated sugar and using powdered sugar made all the difference.

lemon cookie from Maggiano's next to a copycat lemon cookie

One of the cookies in the photo above is the real deal, and the other is my copycat version. Same size, same texture, same taste. Can you tell which is which?

Why I Like This Recipe

  • Flavorful. These lemon cookies are loaded with lemon zest, and the glaze includes both zest and juice for a punch of tangy lemon flavoring.
  • No Chill Recipe. That's right! I love no-chill recipes, and these cookies bake up perfectly without chilling for an hour or two, just like my bakery style sugar cookie recipe.
  • Easy to Cut Out Shapes: Maggiano's cookies are cut into a classic crescent shape. You don't need a crescent moon cookie cutter to get that same shape at home. I used a 2" circle cookie cutter, and I'll show you how to make the same shape; it's easy.
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What Others Are Saying

"Made them tonight, we can't stay out of them. This is a problem and I mean that in the best way!---Stephanie (Facebook)

"Oh my gosh! They are so soft! These are AMAZING." ---Nora

white cookie box with parchment paper inside and lemon cookies.

This is the box of lemon cookies that I delivered to Nora once I had perfected the recipe and method. These are THE BEST lemon cookies I've ever had, and I have many lemon cookie recipes on this site! All are delicious in their own right, but these are next level.

🍋 Tips and Tricks For Perfect Crescent Lemon Cookies

  1. Do not overbake cookies. Many sugar cookie recipes say to bake until the bottoms are lightly golden. Don't. We don't want crispy cookies here or cookies with a "snap" when you break them in half. These bake for 9-10 minutes at a lower heat (325 degrees), then cool for 2 minutes on the pan before being pulled off. This keeps the centers soft and the bottoms baked, but not golden.
  2. Store cookies in an airtight container. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then store them in a container with a lid. They actually taste even better after an hour or two in the container, as it allows the centers to soften even more and the lemon flavoring to develop.
  3. Chill the baking sheets. This is optional, but I find this helpful if my kitchen is warm. I cut out the first tray of cookies and place them directly in the oven to bake. While they bake, I get the second tray ready and place it in the refrigerator to keep cool. Again, this is a no-chill recipe, but I find that keeping the baking sheets cold helps the cookies to hold their shape. Once the oven is available, the tray goes straight from the refrigerator to the oven, and the next one goes into the refrigerator to chill.
  4. Bake on light colored baking sheets. I ONLY bake on light metal sheets. Dark metal cooks faster and less evenly than light metal. If you use dark baking sheets, you'll need to watch the cookies carefully to prevent them from browning too quickly.
Bowl of flour, powdered sugar, corn starch and baking powder with two sticks of butter, one lemon, an egg and a small bowl of vanilla.
  • Butter: I always bake with salted butter, but you can use unsalted. If you use unsalted butter, you'll need to add ½ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
  • Powdered sugar: I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar for a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
  • Corn Starch: Powdered sugar already has a bit of corn starch in it to prevent it from clumping, but I always add a generous scoop of corn starch to my sugar cookie recipes. This is what gives the cookies their velvety texture.
  • Fresh Lemon: We're using zest plus lemon juice so grab a fresh lemon instead of using bottled lemon juice.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Maggiano's Lemon Cookies At Home

Stand mixer with cookie dough and spoonful of lemon zest being added to it.

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Turn the mixer down and add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add baking powder. Add the flour and cornstarch and mix thoroughly. Keep mixing until the dough comes together.

Ball of lemon cookie dough on floured cutting board.

Step 2: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll out ½" thick.

Hand pressing cookie cutter into cookie dough.

Step 3: Use a 2” circle cookie cutter to cut the dough into round shapes.

Hand pressing circle cookie cutter into cookie dough to make a crescent shape.

Step 4: Use that SAME cookie cutter to cut out a crescent shape. Check out my video for a great visual on how to do this. Continue cutting out shapes, pressing scraps together and rolling out again, until all of the dough has been used.

Unbaked lemon cookies on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 5: Bake cookies at 325 degrees on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 9-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Hand dipping cookie in lemon glaze.

Step 6: Whisk glaze ingredients together. Dip the top of each cookie in glaze, allowing excess to drip off. You don't need much glaze on each cookie, just a light coating.

Glazed lemon cookies on wire cooling rack.

The glaze will set up quickly. Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

Vera's Lemon Cookies FAQs

Can I omit lemon zest in lemon cookies?

Some people may not care for the texture of lemon zest, but I highly recommend using it in both the cookies and the glaze for the best lemon flavor. If you choose to omit it, you can add a bit of lemon extract in its place.

How do I prevent lemon cookies from browning too quickly?

Not overbaking these cookies is key. Tip #1: Use light colored baking sheets for even baking. Tip #2: Only bake the cookies 9-11 minutes. Do not bake until they are golden. They will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes after they come out of the oven.

Can I use margarine instead of butter for sugar cookies?

Yes, you can absolutely use margarine instead of butter. Margarine does not taste as good as butter, but it does help cookies keep their shape.

Wire cooling rack with lemon crescent cookies.

More Lemon Recipes To Make

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!

White bowl of lemon cookies.
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4.67 from 3 votes

Copycat Maggiano's Lemon Cookies

Identical to the real deal, these copycat Maggiano's lemon cookies are soft, buttery, and loaded with lemon zest and flavor. Now you can make the famous cookies at home!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Italian
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 80 cookies
Calories 53kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened, but still cool to the touch.
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Turn the mixer down and add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Add baking powder. Add the flour and cornstarch and mix thoroughly. Keep mixing until the dough comes together.
  • Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll out ½" thick.
  • Use a circle cookie cutter to cut the dough into round shapes.
  • Use that SAME cookie cutter to cut out a crescent shape. Check out my video for a great visual on how to do this. Continue cutting out shapes, pressing scraps together, and rolling out again, until all of the dough has been used.
  • Place cookies on baking sheets, 1" apart. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Whisk glaze ingredients together. Dip the top of each cookie in glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Place cookies back on the wire cooling rack or baking sheet. The glaze will set up quickly.

Video

Notes

    1. Do not overbake cookies. Many sugar cookie recipes say to bake until the bottoms are lightly golden. Don't. These bake for 9-10 minutes at a lower heat (325 degrees), then cool for 2 minutes on the pan before being pulled off. This keeps the centers soft and the bottoms baked, but not golden.
    1. Store cookies in an airtight container. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then store them in a container with a lid. They actually taste even better after an hour or two in the container, as it allows the centers to soften even more and the lemon flavoring to develop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 74IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.2mg

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

By 16 Comments

These delicious blueberry muffins are to die for! Made with fresh or frozen blueberries and an optional streusel topping, they come out moist and tender every time.

You might also like our peanut butter muffins, apple cider muffins, or easy homemade granola recipe!

Blueberry muffins on platter.

As a young mom, I found myself buying a box or two of my favorite Duncan Hines muffin mix every time I went grocery shopping. That added up over time, and as delicious as they were, I wanted something that used fresh blueberries instead of canned. I stumbled across this recipe from Allrecipes, and it was a winner.

This has been our family's go-to blueberry muffin recipe for over a decade. One batch makes 12 delicious muffins. It's such a great muffin base that I've used it to create other muffin recipes, as well as our blueberry breakfast cake.

Why I Like This Recipe

  • Basic ingredients. The recipe is made from ingredients that you probably already have on hand like flour, baking powder and salt, eggs, milk, oil and sugar.
  • Versatile. Use fresh or frozen blueberries, or use the base to create your own muffin recipe. This recipe is easy to customize to your liking. If using frozen blueberries, there is no need to thaw them; gently fold the frozen blueberries directly into the muffin batter.
  • Optional streusel topping. I don't usually add the streusel topping because they are absolutely delicious without it, but it's nice to be able to switch it up and make two types of muffins with one basic recipe.
  • Easy to store. I like making muffins in advance for quick breakfasts during the week. Store the muffins in an airtight container on the counter, and they'll last for days. Store in the freezer and they'll keep for months.

📢 What Others Are Saying

I have made these at least once a week for several months - I think I may be addicted to them! ---Doris

Made this today and these are yummy! The topping is really delish! They were not dry at all. I also used frozen blueberries. ---DeDe

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Hand holding two blueberry muffins.

Tips and Tricks

  1. You don't need a stand or an electric mixer. You can make muffins and quick breads with a mixing bowl and Danish dough whisk or in a stand mixer. I have both and tend to mix by hand these days. I highly recommend using a Danish dough whisk over a wooden spoon. It works great to mix up batter and dough.
  2. Gently fold blueberries into the batter. Do not mix the blueberries into the batter, as it may break the berries, causing the juice to leak out and turn the batter blue. Gently fold them using a rubber spatula.
  3. How to freeze blueberry muffins. To freeze, wrap the muffins individually in plastic then store in a large plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a few hours.

🥣Ingredients

blueberry muffin ingredients in bowls
  • All-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder are the dry ingredients needed to make this muffin recipe.
  • Oil, eggs and milk are the wet ingredients needed for the recipe.
  • Blueberries. You can use fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries. I've done both with great results. I do prefer fresh blueberries when I have them.
  • If adding the easy streusel topping, you'll also need butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳 How To Make The Best Blueberry Muffins

blueberry muffin batter in bowl

Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then mix together. Add the blueberries last and gently fold them in with a rubber spatula, taking care to not break them as you fold (this will prevent the muffins from turning blue).

Step 2: Fill the batter to the very top of the muffin liners then bake for 18-20 minutes.

muffin pan with baked blueberry muffins

Step 3: Store muffins in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.

Blueberry Muffins FAQs

Can I make jumbo blueberry muffins using this recipe?

Follow the tips and tricks that I share in my jumbo blueberry muffin recipe post for making giant bakery-style muffins using a large muffin pan.

Can you make blueberry muffins with frozen blueberries?

You can make blueberry muffins using fresh or frozen blueberries. If you use frozen blueberries, you don't need to thaw them; gently fold the frozen blueberries directly into the muffin batter.

Can you freeze blueberry muffins?

Yes, you can freeze blueberry muffins. To freeze, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then store them in a large plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a few hours.

4 blueberry muffins on platter.

More Blueberry Recipes To Make

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!

Blueberry muffins on white platter.
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4.80 from 5 votes

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

These delicious blueberry muffins are to die for! Made with fresh or frozen blueberries and an optional streusel topping.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings 12 muffins
Calories 338kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries

Optional Topping:

  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup butter cubed
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Line muffin tin with regular liners or spray with cooking spray.
    Note: To prevent the muffin tops from sticking to the pan, line the tray with liners, then spray the top of the pan with non-stick spray.
  • Combine 2 ¼ cups flour, 1 cup sugar, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
  • Combine oil, milk and eggs in a small bowl.
  • Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  • Gently fold in blueberries using a rubber spatula.
  • Fill muffin cups right to the top.

Optional Streusel Topping:

  • Mix together ½ cup sugar, ⅓ cup flour, ¼ cup butter, and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon.
  • Mix with a fork, and sprinkle over blueberry muffins before baking.
  • Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until done.

Video

Notes

Sometimes I use half whole wheat flour, and they taste just as great. To make them even healthier, omit the streusel topping.
Store muffins in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days. To freeze, wrap the muffins individually in plastic then store in a large plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a few hours.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg

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!

🥣 Ingredients

baking sheet with bowl of marshmallows, mini pie crusts, reese's peanut butter cups and hershey bars.
  • 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

👩‍🍳 How to Make Mini S'mores Pies

collage of empty pie crusts, chocolate in pie crusts, marshmallows on top of pies and baked pies.
  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).

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 and spoon next to it.

Other S'mores Recipes to Try!

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!

mini s'mores pie on white plate
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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
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 6 pies
Calories 237kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

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 4 Comments

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.

You might also like my cherry slab pie, easy blackberry pie, or quick 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 a fresh peach pie.

Why I Love This Recipe

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Serves a crowd. One slab pie will serve 18-24 people. 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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slice of peach slab pie on plate with scoop of vanilla ice cream on top

🥧 5 TIPS FOR BAKING SLAB PIES

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 (see image above) 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. 

Remember: if the filling isn't bubbling up and almost coming out of the pie, it's not done! 

🥣 Recipe Ingredients

Bowls of flour, oil, shortening, sugar, cinnamon and salt with a stick of butter, bottle of milk, egg, peach and lemon.
  • Peaches: Fresh, RIPE, peaches give this pie the best flavor and sweetness. You'll need to peel and chop them into bite sized pieces.
  • Flour: Not only is flour used in the pie crust, but fruit pies need a thickener to bind with the sugar and juices for the filling. My preferred thickener is all-purpose flour.
  • Sugar: Fresh peaches are already sweet, but sugar is still needed to create a delicious filling and add even more sweetness.
  • Butter, Shortening, and Oil: You'll notice that the pie crust calls for all 3 of these fats. Each one has its purpose and helps create a delicious and flaky pie crust that rolls out easily and does not need to chill. I highly recommend NOT substituting any of these ingredients.
  • 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.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Peach Slab Pie

Hand holding ball of pie dough wrapped in plastic.

Step 1: 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 the milk and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add oil and milk/lemon mixture to the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Divide dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Pie dough rolled out onto jelly roll pan.

Step 2: While the dough chills, make the pie filling. Roll the 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.

Peach pie filling spooned onto pie crust.

Step 3: Sprinkle crust dust over the pie crust bottom. Pour the peach filling over the bottom crust.

Hands rolling and tucking pie crust into the pan.

Step 4: 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.

Step 5: 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 slab pie, freshly baked.

Step 6: 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.

Pie is best served after it's had a chance to cool for at least 2 hours. Wrap the cooled slab pie in plastic and store at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Peach Pie FAQs

How do I store peach 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.

peach slab pie in sheet pan

More Pie Recipes To Make

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!

slab pie on white plate
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5 from 2 votes

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
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cool 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings 24 slices
Calories 268kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

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: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 141IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Frosted Banana Bars

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Frosted banana bars are moist, loaded with flavor, and an easy way to use up ripe bananas. I've included ingredient amounts for a 9x13 pan, a jelly roll pan, or a large sheet pan, so you can make a little or a lot!

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.

Why I Like This Recipe

  • Flavorful and most. Everything you love about banana bread, but baked up in half the time. This thinner sheet-pan dessert is moist, delicious, and full of banana flavor.
  • Instructions for multiple pans. I like making a big batch and baking in a half sheet pan, but I've included directions and ingredient amounts for a regular (9x13) batch, a 1 ½-batch batch in a jelly roll pan, or a double batch in a half sheet pan, so you can make exactly what you need.
  • Two frosting options. They are iced in vanilla frosting (or cream cheese frosting) and sprinkled with walnuts.

What Others Are Saying

I like making these with pecans and using cream cheese frosting. Delicious!---Shirley on FB.

Easy to double, thank you for the directions. I always make a double recipe. ---Katie on FB.

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banana bars in pan

Tips and Tricks

  • Let frosting set up before slicing. It's so tempting to cut right into the finished bars, I get it, but if you let the frosting crust (or refrigerate until set), it makes slicing and serving the bars so much easier.
  • How to bake with frozen 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 keep adding bananas to the bag until you are ready to make a batch of banana bars! 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 thaw frozen bananas. 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.

🥣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.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How To Make Banana Bars

Mixer creaming sugar, butter and eggs in stand mixer.

Step 1: Mix sugar, butter, and egg together. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla.

Mixer mixing dry ingredients in stand mixer.

Step 2: Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Spatula spreading banana bread batter into pan.

Step 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.

Note: See notes below under "How To Scale Recipe" for baking times and tips for different-sized pans.

Step 4: Mix frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled banana bars.

Step 5: Sprinkle with chopped walnuts (optional). Slice into bars.

Serving: You can cut right into the bars, but I find it easier to slice them after letting the frosting set for 30 minutes or so. Refrigerating the bars for 10-15 minutes speeds up the process.

frosted banana bar on white plate

🍌How To Scale This recipe

  • To bake in a 9"x13" pan, make a single batch and bake for 25 minutes. Make a single batch of frosting.
  • To bake in a 10"x15" jelly roll pan, make 1 ½ batches and bake for 25-28 minutes. Make a single batch of frosting.
  • To bake in a 13"x18" half sheet pan, make a double batch — doubling all the ingredients except the eggs (use 3 eggs, as you would for 1 ½ batches) —and bake for 28-30 minutes. Make 1 ½ batches of frosting.

Banana Bars FAQs

How ripe should bananas be for banana bars?

The best bananas for banana bars are very ripe, with lots of brown spots. Overripe bananas are sweeter and softer, and they add more flavor and moisture to the bars.

Can I use different nuts in banana nut bars?

Yes! While walnuts are the most common, you can substitute pecans, almonds, or even leave the nuts out entirely if you prefer.

How do you keep banana nut bars moist?

Using ripe bananas, not overbaking, and storing the bars in an airtight container will help keep them soft and moist for several days.

baba bar on white plate with bananas in the background

More Banana Recipes To Make

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!

baba bar on spatula
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5 from 4 votes

Frosted Banana Bars

Frosted banana 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
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 bars
Calories 442kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

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
  • ¼ 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

🍌How To Scale This recipe

  • To bake in a 9"x13" pan, make a single batch and bake for 25 minutes. Make a single batch of frosting.
  • To bake in a 10"x15" jelly roll pan, make 1 ½ batches and bake for 25-28 minutes. Make a single batch of frosting.
  • To bake in a 13"x18" half sheet pan, make a double batch — doubling all the ingredients except the eggs (use 3 eggs, as you would for 1 ½ batches) —and bake for 28-30 minutes. Make 1 ½ batches of frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 574IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me Cookies

By 10 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 chocolate chunk cookies to Snoop Dogg's famous Rolls-Royce cookies!

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.

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.

Why I Like This Recipe

  • 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.

What Others Are Saying

I made these yesterday. Hands down, the best cookies ever!!! Thank you.---Tiff on FB

These are the best!---Chris on FB

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chocolate chip cookie broken in half on parchment paper

Tips and Tricks

  1. Slam the baking sheet against the counter. This is a trick that I use for my Subway cookies as well. Slamming the baking sheet when the cookies come out of the oven slightly flattens them and creates a rich, chewy center.
  2. Use dark brown and light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses and adds a boost of flavor. You can use them interchangeably, however. You can use what you have on hand.
  3. Chill the dough. It is recommended to chill these cookies for 24-48 hours for the best flavor.

🥣 Ingredients

Bowls of sugar, flour, baking soda and salt, chocolate chips, two sticks of butter, two eggs and bowl of vanilla extract.
  • 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!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Martha Stewart Fired Me Cookies

Stand mixer with eggs, butter and sugars.

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars together for a full 3 minutes. Once fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla and mix for an additional 2 minutes.

Bowl of cookie dough covered with plastic wrap.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then slowly add them to the wet ingredients. After the chocolate chips are mixed in, cover the dough and chill for up to 48 hours.

Step 3: Scoop the dough and bake 6-8 cookies on each cookie sheet. Sprinkle each cookie dough ball with flaky sea salt before baking.

tray of baked cookies on parchment paper

Step 4: Bake the cookies 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).

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.

🗒 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.

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.

Original printable recipe and directions. The ones below are rewritten with my adaptations.

Two trays of baked martha stewart cookies.

More Famous Cookies To Make

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!

tray of baked cookies on parchment paper
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4.50 from 4 votes

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
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
chill 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 26 minutes
Servings 40 cookies
Calories 168kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

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: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

By 3 Comments

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
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5 from 2 votes

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
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 28 cookies
Calories 350kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

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

Restaurant Ranch Dressing Recipe

By 1 Comment

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

Made with simple pantry staples, it's perfect for dipping crispy chicken tenders and buttermilk onion rings or drizzling over BLT pasta salad.

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!

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 bottled at the store.
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Cucumber spear dipped into homemade ranch dressing.

🥣 Recipe Ingredients

Bottles of spices, buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream.

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

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

whisk mixing ranch dressing ingredients in bowl

👩‍🍳 How To Make Restaurant 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.

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.

Homemade Ranch Dressing FAQs

Can I use fresh herbs to make salad 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 to ranch dressing?

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. This is a great hack for baking that I use to make my peach pie with buttermilk pie crust. 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 to ranch dressing?

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.

jar of homemade ranch dressing with veggie platter

🥒 Recipe Pairings

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jar of homemade ranch dressing
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Restaurant Ranch Dressing Recipe

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
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
chill 1 hour
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 90kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

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: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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 restaurant buttermilk ranch and serving with the crispiest 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.

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.
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A hand holding a ring of onion rings on a tray.

Tips and Tricks

  1. A trick for testing your oil for frying. If you don't have a thermometer (I use an electric thermometer, but a candy thermometer works too), you can test the oil by dipping a bamboo skewer into the oil. Make sure it touches the bottom of the pan. If you immediately see bubbles coming up against the skewer, the oil is ready. 
  2. Test fry one onion ring before doing an entire batch. Once the oil temperature reaches 360-375 degrees, do a test batch with one onion ring. If the onion ring browns too quickly and the onion is raw and crunchy inside, the oil it too hot. Lower the temp and wait a few minutes before trying again.
  3. Reheating onion rings. If you have leftovers, you can easily reheat the onion rings on day 2 in the oven or air fryer.

🥛Ingredients

Plate of onion cut into rings, bowls of panko, corn starch, flour, and spices. Bottle of buttermilk.
  • 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.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🧅How To Make Crispy Onion Rings

bowl of flour and spices

Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients.

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 (anywhere between 360-375 degrees is okay).

Fork dipping uncooked onion ring in flour.

Step 2: Dip each ring into cold buttermilk, then dip it in the flour mixture.

Bowl of panko crumbs and onion ring dipped in them.

Step 3: Dip once again in buttermilk and finally into the breadcrumbs. Place dipped rings onto a plate until ready to fry.

A frying pan with fried onion rings.

Step 4: 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.

Onion Rings FAQs

What kind of oil should I use for frying onion rings?

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 onion rings 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.

A person dipping onion rings into ketchup.

Recipe Pairings

MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!

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
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 146kcal
Author Brandy Nelson

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

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: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg