Carrot cake snickerdoodle bars with mini chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting

I noticed a carrot cake mix and a snickerdoodle cookie mix and thought they’d be perfect together in bar form, with some mini chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting.   Super easy recipe for the bars  just 5 ingredients! 

A perfect treat for Sabres game day as we go for a 6th straight win!

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 carrot cake mix
  • 1 snickerdoodle mix (minus the cinnamon sugar packet)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips (opt)

Directions – line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, blend cookie and cake mixes.  Mix in eggs and melted butter.  Stir in chips.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake 18 to 22  minutes (no longer).  Cool completely.  

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (scooped from container into your measuring cup so you get the right amount)
  • 2 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and cream cheese.  Slowly blend in powdered sugar. Mix in vanilla and cream.  Frost bars. 

  Cut and store in covered container in fridge

Thanks for stopping by today

Chocolate cake mix cookies stuffed with cookie dough oreos!

I found these oreos in the “aisle of shame” at aldi. 

If you are not familiar with it, it is an aisle of stuff you “probably” don’t need, but the price is great and you think “why not”?   That aisle is the best!  It is how I wound up with an electric cake pop maker and churro maker (both work like the George foreman electric plug in grill), which i have yet to use.  Each was 7$.

Use any cake mix flavor and any oreo flavor you want.  I used chocolate cake mix and cookie dough oreos today.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cake mix
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbs
  • Oreos

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners.  In a bowl, mix cake mix, oil, egg and water.  Scoop out 3 tbs dough.

Divide in half.  Flatten both.   Lay one half on a flattened surface.

Top with an oreo.

Place other flattened half on top and seal edges. 

Stagger on cookie sheet. 

Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peanut butter cookie mix /cake mix bars with Reese’s hearts

I need to use up my Reese’s hearts so I can buy the Reese’s eggs, so I decided to use a peanut butter cookie mix,

a yellow cake mix,

some eggs, melted butter and one cup peanut butter.  Tossed in about 20  of these and made bars.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 peanut butter cookie mix
  • 1 yellow cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • Reese’s hearts, chopped into large pieces

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl, mix cake and cookie mixes together.  Add eggs and melted butter.  Blend in peanut butter.  Mix in Reese’s hearts.   Evenly spread into prepared pan.   Gently press extra Reese’s hearts on top. 

Bake 19 to 24 minutes (edges will be golden).  Cool completely.   Cut into squares and store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by!

Milk chocolate chip bars

A simple mid-week treat to help heat up the house on another frigid morning – milk chocolate chip bars. I used milk chocolate, but you can use whatever flavor chips you want. 

I also had some finely ground macadamia nuts i wanted to use up, so I threw them in as well. 

These come together quickly.   Bake in 20 to 22 minutes.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Firmly packed your brown sugar into your measuring cup, and preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cup
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1 /2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, finely ground (opt)

Directions- preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine oil, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.   Stir in 1 cups chips.  Evenly press into prepared pan. 

Sprinkle remaining chips on top and gently press down into dough. 

Bake 18 to 22 minutes, no longer (edges will be lightly golden).  

Cool completely.   Cut.  Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by!  Go Sabres!

Yellow cake mix whoopie pies

A simple sweet treat – cake mix whoopie pies.  I used yellow today,  but any flavor works.  I used a simple white frosting filling recipe.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cake mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine ingredients.    Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop out 2 tbs of dough and stagger each one on prepared cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 9 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  • Milk or heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Combine ingredients.  Add a little more powdered sugar if you want a little thinner consistency.   Spread between 2 cookies. Store in covered container. 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Easy Marble cookies

Another mid week treat using a cake mix – marble cookies.  I also added chocolate chips and topped them with melted hershey kisses.

These are made with a marble cake mix, vegetable oil,  and egg and water.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 marble cake mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 tbs water
  • 1 cup Chocolate chips

Directions –  In one bowl, combine yellow cake mix, egg, oil and 3 tbs water.  Add chocolate chips.  In another bowl, combine fudge packet and 2 tbs water.   Add fudge mixture to yellow cake mixture.  Swirl gently with a knife to marble. Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill for a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.   Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 12 minutes.  Cool completely.  I topped these with melted hershey kisses. 

Store in covered container.

Sugar Cookie Brownie Bars/Brownie Sugar Cookies bars (frosted and topped with M&Ms)

To kick off NFL week 14, I decided to mix a brownie mix, with a sugar cookie mix, add some eggs, melted butter and vanilla and bring this concoction into work.  Not sure whether to call them sugar cookie brown bars or Brownie sugar cookie bars.  And I frosted them with vanilla frosting and tossed some m&ms on top.

I did not realize it was national cookie day, but these treats should suffice.

You can use whatever cookie mix flavor you want and if you find a blondie or chocolate chip bar mix, you can certainly swap out the brownie mix.  

Remember to preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 brownie mix
  • 1 cookie mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions- preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×13 pan with baking spray.  Set aside.   In a bowl, combine mixes, blend in eggs, butter and vanilla. Spread evenly into pan.  Bake 22 to 28 minutes.  (Toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs).  I don’t recommend baking these longer than 28 minutes.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, combine butter and powdered sugar.  Add heavy cream, one tbs at a time, until you get the consistency you want.  Blend in vanilla.  Frost bars.  Toss some m&ms on top. 

Store in covered container

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Rob requested chocolate chip cookie bars.  He will only eat one, so the rest will come in to work with me tomorrow.  These are easy to make and are a big hit.   Instead of scooping and baking cookies on a few cookie sheets, you just spread the dough in one baking pan and bake. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  And preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
  • 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed into your measuring cup)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour (scooped from your flour bag into measuring cups so you get the right amount)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.  In a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.  Evenly spread dough into prepared 9×13 pan.  Sprinkle remaining 1 cup chips on top and gently press down into dough. Bake 26 to 28 minutes, no longer.  (Edges will be golden brown).  Cool completely.  Cut and store in covered container.

Reverse Whoopie Pies (made with a cake mix)

I wanted something different to bake, so instead of the traditional whoopie pie (chocolate cake and white filling), I opted for yellow cake and chocolate frosting.   And these are made with a cake mix.  You can use any flavor!

  • Whoppie pie ingredients list
  • 1 cake mix
  • 3.4 Oz instant pudding mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup water

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Spray a whoopie pie pan with baking spray, or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil and water.   Scoop out 2 tbs batter into prepared whoopie pie pans or parchment covered cookie sheet. 

Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  

For the frosting,  remember to scoop your powdered sugar from the bag into measuring cup so you get the right amount.

  • Chocolate filling list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 to 6 tbs heavy cream

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter and cocoa.  Blend in powdered sugar, cream and vanilla.  You may need to add more powdered sugar or cream until you get the right amount.  Then assemble the whoopie pies!

Place one piece flat side up

Spread filling on top.

Top with another half.

Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! 

When it’s top hot to turn on the oven….

Summer officially began on Friday and it has made it’s presence known.  Here in Connecticut, like many parts of the country, it is going to be in the triple digits the next few days, with the heat index factored in.  So I decided to go with a no bake treat.  Chocolate covered peanut butter treats.  Super simple and require only a few ingredients.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter melted
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 sleeves graham crackers, finely crushed (2 cups finely crushed)
  • 1 3/4 – 2 cups powdered sugar (scooped from your container into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla.  Blend in powdered sugar and cracker crumbs.  Scoop out 2 tbs, roll into balls and slightly flatten.  Pop in fridge for a half hour or so.  Cover with melted chocolate.  Pop back in fridge to firm up chocolate. Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!