Inside BruCrew Life

bake. eat. repeat.

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies – Little Debbie Copycat

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Bring back childhood memories with this easy Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies recipe. These chewy oatmeal cookies sandwiched together with a fluffy marshmallow frosting will quickly become your new favorite treat.

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies - these chewy oatmeal cookies with marshmallow filling are a perfect copycat of the store bought treats. Great recipe to make for dessert or bake sales.

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

One of my favorite Little Debbie snack cakes are Oatmeal Cream Pies. Sure I love Zebra Cakes, Fudge Rounds, and Swiss Rolls, but my heart will always go to those soft and chewy oatmeal cookies first.

In high school and college I would buy and hide boxes of these sandwich cookies in my room. I’m pretty sure those cookies and my love of french fries dipped in mayo were not the smartest food choices I made growing up.

But even to this day, there is something so nostalgic about opening that crinkly cellophane wrapper and smelling the sweet oatmeal goodness of Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies. [Read more…]

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Coffee Cake

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Pockets of fresh fruit, chocolate, and buttery streusel make each bite of this Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Coffee Cake a delicious experience.

This amazing breakfast cake is a welcome treat to enjoy with a steamy cup of coffee.

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Coffee Cake - pockets of fruit, chocolate, and a buttery streusel makes this the best breakfast cake. Make this easy recipe to enjoy with a cup of coffee!

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Bananas sit on our counter and die a long slow death. I buy them every couple of weeks thinking that our kids will want them for an after school snack or with oatmeal. A few get eaten, but the rest sit there until they are dark and spotty.

Not that I’m complaining. Baking with bananas is one of my specialties. Some of my favorite ways to use up the ripe fruit are these Chocolate Nutella Banana Muffins or this Maple Pecan Banana Bread. I’m powerless to resist either one when they are on the counter.

Maybe I should take that as a sign to stop buying bananas and baking treats with them…naaaaaaahhhh! That will never happen. [Read more…]

Fiesta Nacho Chicken Casserole

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This Fiesta Nacho Chicken Casserole recipe is cheesy, spicy, and so delicious. Your family will love the Mexican twist on this easy chicken and biscuit dinner.

Fiesta Nacho Chicken Bake - cheese, tomatoes, and biscuits make this chicken casserole a hearty comfort food meal. Easy dinner recipe to make on chilly nights!

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 There is something about cold, chilly days that just call for comfort food.  Am I right? I grew up in the northeast and then lived for many years in the midwest, so I remember plenty of cold and snowy winters.

I have to admit that I do not miss that chilly winter weather at all. Living in the south has completely spoiled me.

Now that I am used to warm temperatures, the cold just does not agree with me.  Not that it ever agreed with me, but now it bothers me even more. 

My idea of enjoying the cold is turning down the air conditioning and breaking out the sweatshirts, then making lots of soups and melty cheese casseroles to warm me up. [Read more…]

Coconut Oreo Fudge

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This Coconut Oreo Fudge is such an easy fudge recipe to make. Creamy coconut goodness sitting on a chocolate cookie crust is the perfect spring dessert.  Oh, yeah!

Coconut Oreo Fudge - this easy fudge has a great coconut flavor and a sweet chocolate cookie crust. Make this no bake recipe for spring or summer. #fudge #coconut #Oreocookies #nobake #spring #Easter #dessert #coconutcream

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

I tend to get on flavor kicks every so often.  This time of year, I start to crave all things coconut. 

I think it is because it is getting warmer outside and that makes me think about tropical things like palm trees, sun, sand, and coconut.

Coconut is one of those things that I love to add to just about everything. Our kids do not like it though, so I like to “hide” it in things like these Blueberry Coconut Scones or this Tropical Banana Bread.

Usually, I forget that little fact when the kids ask what I made for the day.  

[Read more…]

M&M Nutella Pudding Cookies

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These soft M&M Nutella Pudding Cookies will disappear as fast as you can make them. Lots of chocolate chips and candies add so much flavor and fun to these easy pudding cookies.

Trust me and add this amazing chocolate cookie recipe to your baking plans this week.

M&M Nutella Pudding Cookies - these soft pudding cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and colorful candies. Make this fun and easy recipe for your cookie jar this week. #cookies #nutella #puddingcookies #chocolate #candy #chocolatechipcookies

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When our kids were younger, I used to make cookies all the time.  They would take them in their lunches and have them for after school snacks. 

As we have adopted healthier eating habits over the years, so have they. Now they pack nuts, fruit, and string cheese in their lunch boxes.

So, I ended up getting rid of our cookie jar, and now I only bake cookies when the kids have friends over or for bake sales.  These amazing Nutella cookies were a result of a group of teenage boys at our house and my need to continue using up baking supplies from the pantry. [Read more…]

Almond Cherry Chip Cheesecake

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Make this Almond Cherry Chip Cheesecake for dessert and watch everyone swoon.  The creamy almond flavored cheesecake loaded with cherries and chocolate makes the a delicious holiday dessert.

Almond Cherry Chip Cheesecake - this creamy cheesecake is loaded with cherries and chocolate chips. Make this impressive dessert for Valentine's day or Christmas and watch everyone smile. #cheesecake #almond #cherry #chocolatechip #valentinesday #holidaydessert #Christmas

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Slowly, but surely, I am making every cheesecake idea that I wrote down when I was planning and creating recipes for my cookbook, Cheesecake Love.  I only had room to add so many recipes to that book. 

So, now I have lists and lists that I want to make and share with you guys.  But one can only test and eat so much cheesecake, so I have been trying to space these recipes out by only making one full sized cheesecake each month.

The ladies in my Bible study do not mind when I show up with my latest cheesecake creations. In fact, this one got rave reviews when I shared it with them last month. [Read more…]

Copycat Red Velvet Oreos

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Copycat Red Velvet Oreos have the flavor of red velvet cake in cream-filled sandwich cookies. These amazing red cookies are perfect for all holiday parties or bake sales.

Plus, with the homemade version you know exactly what is in them. 

*I am partnering with Dixie Crystals to bring you these red velvet cookies. Click HERE to see the full recipe.

Copycat Red Velvet Oreos - these sweet red velvet wafer cookies with a cream filling are a fun copycat of the store bought treat. Easy recipe to make for parties! #redvelvet #Oreos #copycat #sandwichcookies #valentinesday #creamfilledcookies

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

I love taste testing the new Oreo flavors that come out every season. Some of these limited editions become so popular that they become a staple on the shelves.

I keep hoping the coffee ones (not the mocha ones) from years ago will come back again. Please tell me someone else remembers them. It’s been so long now that I’m starting to think I imagined them.

Red Velvet Oreos are one of those limited edition cookies that does comes back around every Valentine’s Day. It’s a seasonal staple because there is something satisfying about eating red food on love day. [Read more…]

No Bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Parfaits

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Make these No Bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Parfaits for your favorite people this week. The layers of cookies, fruit, and chocolate in this easy no bake dessert will make everyone smile.

No Bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Parfaits - layers of cookies, fruit, and no bake cheesecake make these parfaits the perfect dessert. Great recipe to make for dessert! #nobake #nobakecheesecake #chocolate #strawberry #cheesecakeinacup #parfaits #chocolatecoveredstrawberry #valentinesday

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

There is just something so fun about mini desserts.  Can we all agree that they are stinking cute?!?!?!

You could totally layer the no bake chocolate cheesecake and strawberries in an Oreo crust and make this into a pie, but I love how it looks in little parfait glasses.

Plus, having cheesecake in a jar helps me out with portion control.  I don’t know about you, but I’m notorious for cutting giant slices of pie that really should be two servings. [Read more…]

Loaded Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake

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Chicken Alfredo meets loaded baked potato in this delicious Loaded Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake.  Full of flavor and easy to have on your table for dinner tonight.

Loaded Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake - this easy comfort food dinner is loaded with chicken, bacon, broccoli, and Alfredo sauce. Great recipe to make for busy nights. #gnocchi #chickenalfredo #comfortfood #dinner #easyrecipe #bacon

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One of my favorite dishes at Olive Garden is the chicken and gnocchi soup.  There is just something about that soup that says comfort food to me.

Now I realize that the pasta dinner staring back at you is nothing like that soup.  They just both have gnocchi. End of similarities.

Because I love gnocchi so much, I picked up a few packages at the grocery store.  Then they just sat in the cupboard forever.  Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a little there, but I know they were in there quite a while before I decided to use them.

[Read more…]

Neapolitan Fudge

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Layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry make this Neapolitan Fudge a knockout treat when it comes to dessert!    

Love this flavor combo? Make a batch of this easy Neapolitan Popcorn to go along with the fudge. They would be so pretty for baby showers and little girls parties.

Neapolitan Fudge - layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry make this easy fudge recipe taste like the ice cream flavor. Easy recipe to make for parties. #fudge #neapolitan #nobake #Oreos #chocolate #strawberry #vanilla

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

This pretty layered fudge will always have a sweet spot in my heart. 

Many years ago I entered this Neapolitan Fudge into a Duncan Hines Spring Bake-Off contest!   Imagine my surprise and pure delight when I got the email notifying me that my recipe had been chosen as one of the 10 winners!  

We were at the movies when I opened my email. I think I just about knocked my husband over when I ran over to tell him that Duncan Hines had invited me to a  fun event for the bake-off winners, their blog program, and some trip giveaway winners.  [Read more…]