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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Baked Apples

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These Caramel Apple Cheesecake Baked Apples are the perfect dessert! Whether you need a fun dessert after dinner or a more intimate dessert, they meet all expectations. 

Cheesecake Baked Apples

Baked Apples are such a fun dessert.  It’s the perfect amount of heightened sweetness from the caramelizing that happens during the baking process. To make it even more fun and kid-friendly, we combined cheesecake filling, a caramel apple sauce, and crumb topping to make the most indulgently delicious, Caramel Apple Cheesecake Baked Apples. Let me say that again in case you didn’t have a chance to really comprehend.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Baked Apples

They are really as amazing at they sound too.  Listen, if you know our family, you know that Andrew is really picky.  While he loves apples, he’s not a fan at all of cooked fruit. Yall…he loveeedddd this. Better yet though, the kids loved it. We used pink lady apples for this recipe because they are crisp and sweet. However, feel free to use the variety of apples that you love the most.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Baked Apples

How long does it take to bake an apple in the oven?

Typically, the average sized apple may need 30-40 minutes to bake apples in the oven. If you use smaller apples they can be ready 20-25 minutes. Obviously, if you use very large apples, you are going to need to let them cook longer. You want the outside of the apples to start to wilt and focus on the topping getting golden brown.

how long do apples bake in the oven

How do you make Healthy Baked Apples?

If you are looking for a healthier alternative to this recipe for your littles, you can simply cook the cored apple pieces with some coconut oil, apple pie spice, and chopped nuts of your choice and then fill the apples. Bake the same amount of time.

stuffed baked apples

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Baked Apples
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 

These Caramel Apple Cheesecake Baked Apples are the perfect dessert! Whether you need a fun dessert after dinner or a more intimate dessert, they meet all expectations. 

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert
Servings: 6 apples
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 6 sweet apples (we like pink lady)
  • lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened and divided
  • 1/8 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • Caramel Apple Sauce
Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, using a pastry knife (or your hands), combine flour, 1/2 stick butter, and brown sugar. 

  2. Work mixture until course crumbles are formed. Set aside. 

  3. In a medium bowl, Beat together remaining butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. 

  4. Carefully scoop out the insides to the apple, not going too close to the bottom. Remove any seeds. 

  5. Brush insides of apple with lemon juice to prevent browning. 

  6. Make Caramel Apple Sauce according to instructions and also adding in the insides of the apples. Proceed making recipe as normal. 

  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

  8. Inside the apples, add a small scoop of cheesecake mixture. 

  9. Then, layer, a small scoop of caramel apple sauce, another small scoop of cheesecake mixture. And then top with scoop of streusel topping.  

  10. Place apple in a large muffin tin so apples don't roll around. 

  11. Repeat with remaining apples.

  12. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until apples appear to be slightly wilted. 

  13. Serve alongside remaining caramel apple sauce. 

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baked apples for dessert

Double Chocolate Cake Cookies

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Craving both cake and cookies, but don’t want to compromise? These Double Chocolate Cake Cookies are the perfect combination to satisfy both cravings. 

double chocolate cake cookies

For years, I wasn’t a huge chocolate fan.  It’s true. I would eat brownies, but chocolate chip cookies or chocolate cake, it wasn’t for me. When Andrew and I got together, he desperately tried to change my mind. See, he lovesssss chocolate.  If he’s in a bad mood, chocolate can usually fix that. I love putting a piece of chocolate in his lunch box when I know he’s having a rough start to the day.  It’s the little things that really matter.

Thankfully, his love of chocolate taught me to appreciate it more. Now, I still don’t have a love obsession with chocolate cake, but cookies, brownies, and other desserts, I’m all in for all the chocolate.

cooking with chocolate
Every Saturday, we make a different cookie for our in-home date night.  It’s something we’ve done for a little over a year now and it’s something we both look forward to at the end of every week. One night, Andrew was in charge of the recipe and he said he was making chocolate cake cookies.  I was so upset.

how to make cake cookies

I didn’t like chocolate cake and I wasn’t going to like these cookies.  BIG MISTAKE.  They were amazingggggg.  One of the best cookies that I’ve ever had.

extra chocolate chip cookies

Not only did I love them, but the girls devoured them and then asked for more. 

delicious cake cookies recipe

The baby even tried to help herself after we turned our back.  They are definitely a hit in the house and since the first time, we’ve made them again and again and again.
best cake cookies

The kids always try to “help” me lick the batters after the mixture is done while we are waiting for the cookies to finish up and it always get a bit interesting.

moms in the kitchen

how to make cake cookies without boxed mix

How do you make cake cookies without boxed cake mix?

Cake cookies made with a combination of regular white and cake flour is the key to successful cake cookies that taste like the dream you have of cake and cookie all in one. Plus the addition of arrowroot powder acts to thicken the cookie to give it that cake feeling.

Grab the Double Chocolate Cake Cookies Recipe:

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Double Chocolate Cake Cookies
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Craving both cake and cookies, but don't want to compromise? These Double Chocolate Cake Cookies are the perfect combination to satisfy both cravings. 

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 465 kcal
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • ½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder cornstarch could be used as a substitute
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, cold, cut into pats
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips milk chocolate used in these photos; however, we've done white, semi-sweet, peanut butter chips, or a combination of a variety of these as well.
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven on 410 degrees F.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, both flours, arrowroot powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars.
  4. Beat in eggs 1 at a time just until mixed in.
  5. Add vanilla and mix just until blended.
  6. Add all dry ingredient mixture and stop as soon as it's combined.
  7. Fold in chocolate chips.
  8. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  9. Roll mixture into 12 large balls.
  10. Cook for 8-12 minutes or until set.
  11. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
  12. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for up to 7 days.
Recipe Notes

**Nutritional facts are just estimates. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. 

Nutrition Facts
Double Chocolate Cake Cookies
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 465 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 151mg 6%
Potassium 120mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 63g 21%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 40g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin A 11.3%
Vitamin C 0.2%
Calcium 5.8%
Iron 10.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

chocolate cake cookies recipe

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extra chocolate cake cookies recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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Disclosure: These Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are part of a sponsored post on behalf of GOJO, the makers of PURELL ® Multi Surface Disinfectant. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Growing up, I used to always laugh at my mom. No matter how many times we asked her what she wanted for any holiday, her answer was always, “to just be happy and with her family.” “That’s not a gift,” I would always snap back. To her it was the only thing that she truly wanted. It took me a long time to realize why, but now that I’m a mom, I realize that being with the ones you love and being happy together with them is really the only thing that any of us need. I also always remember the joy she had when she
was gifted something that was homemade.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a gift being purchased off my actual ongoing wishlist; however, there’s something just warm and fuzzy that happens when you know someone took the time out to hand make you a gift. Knowing that someone labored over something brings so much joy to me.


For me, with close friends, I love making goodies for them.

Sometimes I take goodies to parties or luncheons. My favorite of all is taking a new mom delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies along with a delicious meal. While these cookies are good for everyone, they are especially great for their combination of oatmeal, flax seed, and peanut butter for a new mom who happens to be breastfeeding. But I also love wrapping up these Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies and making it part of a holiday present.

One thing I always make sure to do is to clean my kitchen down before I start making food for other people. I try to honestly keep my kitchen the cleanest place in our house because we are always having friends over and I want them to feel confident that the food they are getting from our house is safe and made in a clean environment.

Keeping it all WORRY-FREE!

I’m currently loving the NEW! PURELL® Multi Surface Disinfectant. Not only does it kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria in 30 seconds, but it is also formulated for food surfaces and is worry-free around pets and kids. Essentially, PURELL® Multi Surface Disinfectant uses alcohol to work like bleach would, but there’s no harsh chemicals or fumes that will irritate you. And you don’t have to worrying about rinsing afterwards. Easy peasy.

Once I make sure the kitchen is disinfected and clean and I’d be willing myself to eat off the counters, it’s time for cookie making. These Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are such a fun little homemade treat to gift to anyone. They are so simple to make with minimal ingredients.

Tip: The secret ingredient is always love.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp flax seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 1 cup  peanut butter 
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup pb chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, add the oats, brown sugar flax seed, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
  3. Stir to combine.
  4. In the same bowl, stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and egg.
  5. Stir together until very well combined.
  6. Fold in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.
  7. Scoop out 1 tbsp balls onto a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet.
  8. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until beginning to turn golden brown. Don't overcook.
  9. Remove from oven and let cool.
  10. Once cooled serve immediately or store in an air-tight container.

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Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake

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If you know me on a personal level, you’ll know my love for both Bailey’s and cheesecake run really deep. So why it took me this long to come up with a Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake is beyond me, but it’s finally happened and the end result was the single most perfect dessert I’ve ever created. I paired it with our Bailey’s Buttercream frosting recipe and utter perfection happened.

The hardest part of making this dessert was that both of the girls kept asking to taste the beaters for both the frosting and the cheesecake batter.  Typically, they know that they can get the beaters when I’m done, so they were both really annoyed with me that I wouldn’t give them any. I ended up making them a regular cheesecake the next day because I felt so bad about them not having something to enjoy.

For some reason, cheesecake is one of those desserts that most people are really scared to make, but I have some tips for you to be really confident in making your own.

  1. Try making a no bake cheesecake first. These take no real skill set to make, especially if you use a premade crust and premade whipped topping.  Want to up your skill set a bit?  Try making your own crust and your own homemade whipped topping.  It saves you money and you feel about about the ingredient list.
  2. Use a springform pan. You want to really see your perfection, and the easy removal of the sides allow for that.  Plus, when you are dealing with a delicate bottom layer, like graham cracker crust, you want easy.
  3. Cover springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil and sit in a water bath to cook.  We sit ours in our Dutch oven because we don’t have a roasting pan, but either works. This ensures your cheesecake won’t crack, brown, or curdle.
  4. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour AFTER it’s done baking. Turn the heat off but do not open the door.


Now that you got some amazing tips, here’s the recipe for this amazing Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake!

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Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 20 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • 3 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
  • 1.5 cups milk chocolate chips, melted
  • Bailey's Buttercream Frosting recipe
  • Shaved chocolate (optional)
Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 300 degree F.

  2. In a bowl, mix together the chocolate sandwich cookies and butter.

  3. Press cookie mixture firmly onto the bottom of an 8" springform pan with the back of a spoon. Set aside. 

  4. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, condensed milk, and vanilla.

  5. Pour in melted chocolate and Bailey's and mix well.

  6. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing just until blended.

  7. Pour cheesecake mixture over cookie mixture.


  8. Double wrap springform pan in aluminum foil.

  9. Set inside a roasting pan or dutch oven.

  10. Pour hot water into roasting pan or dutch oven until it comes 1" above bottom of springform pan. (Careful not to get in cheesecake)

  11. Bake for 1 hour or until center is almost set. Center should have a slight jiggle - like set jello.

  12. Turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside for one hour with the door shut. **DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR


  13. Remove from oven after 1 hour and let cool completely

  14. Refrigerate overnight (at least 4 hours).

  15. Garnish with Bailey's Buttercream Frosting, shaved chocolate, and raspberries.

  16. Store leftover cheesecake in fridge.

So this St. Patrick’s Day, whether you are Irish or not, you must make this.  And if you are reading this and it’s not even close to St. Patrick’s Day, you still need to make this.  Trust me, it’s amazing.

Here’s some things that will help you make the best cheesecake!


Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites

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chocolate covered caramel cheesecake bites

I remember get togethers at my aunt’s house growing up where a family friend would always bring these amazing pepperoni rolls and cherry cheesecakes. Both were always gone in a flash. Decadent cream cheese filling with a crunchy sweet crust and topped with a rich cherry filling topping that would burst in your mouth. As a kid, there was nothing better than that. They were to die for and that’s where I know my love of cheesecake started.

For me, cheesecake is one of the things that I believe could cure world tensions. Everyone just needs to sit down and eat some amazingly delicious cheesecake together and work it all out. Am I right?

While, I personally would enjoy just sitting down with the pan of cheesecake and a fork, I know many people think it’s really indulgent and just want to have a small piece. It’s kind of awkward to cut though so we have recently been making these in a square pan and cutting into bite size pieces to take to get togethers.

making cheesecake bites

Skibs absolutely loves making these.  The food processor has become her favorite appliance to use and it’s super adorable. I have to make sure I really pay attention to her doing cheesecake recipes because she will try to eat have the crust mixture before I can even get her to smooth it all out. She did so great with dipping them in the chocolate too!

mini chef mondays cheesecake bites

These are always a hit at get togethers since kids can just pick them up with their tiny fingers and adults can just pop one in their mouth! No forks needed! Enjoy!

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Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
For crust
  • 3 cups crushed graham crackers ~18 whole crackers
  • 1 stick + 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
For cheesecake filling
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 8 oz packages of Cream Cheese softened
  • 4 eggs
For caramel
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • pinch of salt
Additional
  • 1 bag chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
For crust
  1. Heat oven to 325 Degrees F
  2. In a food processor crush graham crackers to crumbs. With a spoon, add in brown sugar and melted butter.
  3. Add foil to cover a 9x13 cake pan.
  4. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of pan evenly with the bottom of a spoon.
  5. Bake crust for 10 mins. Remove and let cool.
For cheesecake filling
  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium until well blended.
  2. One at a time, add eggs, and beat on a low setting until blended (don't overdo the blending here).
  3. Pour over crust.
  4. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mins or until center is almost set (should have a slightly jiggle).
  5. Turn off oven and allow cheesecake to remain inside oven for 30-45 mins.
  6. Let cool to touch and then refrigerate overnight or freeze at least 2 hours.
For caramel
  1. In a small pot over medium heat, add brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, and vanilla.
  2. Let cook, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
  3. Let cool for 30 minutes.
  4. Pour mixture over cheesecake and put into freezer for an hour or until solid.
Additional
  1. In a microwave safe bowl or double broiler, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together until well melted.
  2. Bring cheesecake out of freezer and gently remove from pan and pull off foil from around the sides.
  3. Cut into bit size pieces.
  4. *Tip: Move quickly (but safely) when cutting. If cheesecake begins to soften too much, place back in freezer.
  5. Dip or drizzle chocolate across cheesecake. And place on wax paper lined baking sheet. Place in freezer for 30 minutes, then you can move to fridge until ready to serve.
  6. Store any leftovers in fridge or freezer.

chocolate covered cheesecake bites recipe  mcmhslogo

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Be sure to check out each of their Mini Chef posts as well!

  1. Avocado Deviled Eggs // Courtney’s Sweets
  2. Easter Bunny Cake // Momma Lew
  3. Starwberry Pound Cake Parfaits for Easter // Baby Loving Mama
  4. Chocolate Covered Caramel Cheesecake Bites // We’re Parents
  5. White Chocolate Covered Grapes // Frugal Novice
  6. Easy Lamb Chops Recipe for the Oven // Eating Richly Even When You’re Broke
  7. Bunny Rabbit Pancake // Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps
  8. Mini Chicken Pot Pies // Step Stool Chef
  9. No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites // Vegging at the Shore
  10. Strawberry Pineapple Kale Smoothie // Mom’s Messy Miracles
  11. Cooking with Kids: Keeping it Safe // O’Boy! Organic
  12. Peaches and Cream Pie // Can’t Google Everything


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