Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Caramel Apple Bars

These easy Caramel Apple Bars have a soft cake mix crust, a gooey caramel center, and lots of apple chunks and nuts. Warm apple squares are a delicious fall dessert, especially when served with vanilla ice cream.

Two apple bars stacked on a white plate.

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During the fall months I love getting into the kitchen and making delicious desserts with different varieties of apples that we get from the store and the farmers market.

Sometimes I make this apple bundt cake, sometimes these cinnamon sugar apple donut holes, and sometimes it's as simple as a pan of apple nachos with tons of toppings.

One of my favorite apple desserts are these simple apple squares made with a cake mix.

Why You Will Love These Bars

These apple bars are similar to a 7 layer bar except you use caramel dip instead of the traditional sweetened condensed milk. It makes them so delicious and gooey!

Easy to make in minutes. Using a cake mix and store bought caramel dip makes the layers come together quickly.
Loaded with fruit and nuts. The hardest part of this recipe is chopping the apples and walnuts into bite sized pieces.
So gooey and delicious! Trust me and try one of these easy apple bars with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

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Spider Web Brownies

These Spider Web Brownies are easy to make with 4 simple ingredients and taste delicious. Plus, they look really spooky and will be a hit at your Halloween parties.

Make sure to check out some of our other easy desserts like these dirt cupcakes and these ghost cookies.

Two brownies topped with chocolate and spider gummies.

This post was first published in October 2012. The photos and post were updated and republished in October 2022.

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We love Halloween! One of the best things about this time of year is making fun and spooky treats for my family and friends. We make these peanut butter eyeballs every single year!

This year, I decided to change it up and make individual brownies decorated with chocolate spider webs and gummy spiders.

Our friends loved these fun treats when I shared a test batch with them.

Why You'll Love These Brownies

Whether you want to make a fun treat for your family or need a cute Halloween treat, these spider web brownies will get smiles from everyone.

Easy to make. They look fancy, but they are actually simple because they start with a box mix.
Different sizes. The brownies can be made in three different sizes, depending on how many you need or how big you want them. Personally, I think the jumbo muffin size was the best!
No skill needed. You can add a simple spider web design on top of the Halloween brownies with just a spoon and a plastic baggie.
Party favorite. The colorful gummy spider will get everyone's attention when you bring a tray of these web brownies to your parties. They are the perfect combination of sweet and spooky!

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Candy Corn Snack Mix

This Candy Corn Mix is easy to make in 5 minutes, and you will love the fun flavor combination. Pretzels and Reese's Pieces with candy corn and peanuts make a sweet and salty trail mix that will disappear in a hurry.

An orange cup filled with a fall trail mix.

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A fall snack mix is one of my all-time favorite treats to make. I am one of those people who actually loves candy corn, and I look forward to snacking on it and making these homemade Butterfingers.

Years ago, a good friend introduced me to an even easier snack mix. She brought a bowl of this sweet mix to one of our meetings, and I seriously couldn't stop munching on it.

Why You'll Love This Candy Corn Mix

The salty peanuts and chewy candy corn will remind you of a Payday candy bar or a salted nut roll. Try it! It really does taste like those candy bars.

Adding Reese's Pieces and pretzels gives the candy corn trail mix a sweet and crunchy flair. Eating these ingredients together tones down the candy corn taste.

There is no trick to making this easy Halloween treat. You can add one cup of each ingredient, but that is just a guideline. Adjust it to include more of what you like.

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Apple Spice Cake

Fresh shredded apples and warm chai spices make this Apple Spice Cake one of my favorite things to bake every fall. It's moist and tender, and the sweet glaze and pecans on top make every slice so pretty. Plus, your whole house will smell amazing as it bakes!

A slice of cake topped with glaze and nuts on a plate.

This post for chai spiced apple bundt cake was first published in September 2018. The post was updated and republished in October 2022.

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Some of my favorite things about the cooler fall weather are wearing jeans and sweatshirts, going to bonfires, and of course, baking with apples. A few of our favorite recipes are this apple bundt cake and these apple blondies.

Since we had quite a few extra apples this week, I made a caramel apple pie and another apple cake with a warm chai flavor.

Why You'll Love This Apple Spice Cake Recipe

This apple spice cake is the perfect fall dessert. A sweet glaze and chopped pecans make it look absolutely gorgeous. It's great for fall parties or bake sales.

Easy to make. All you need is one large bowl, a food chopper, and a Bundt pan.
Makes your kitchen smell like fall. Apples and plenty of warm spices fill the kitchen with a delightful fall smell as the cake bakes.
Moist and delicious! Sour cream, apples, AND applesauce add so much moisture to the batter.

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Strawberry Applesauce

This Strawberry Applesauce is easy to make with just three ingredients. Combine fresh apples and strawberries in the crock pot for a sweet cinnamon treat. Your family will love having this homemade applesauce for breakfast or dessert.

The recipe for Strawberry Applesauce was first published in February 2018. The post was updated and republished in October 2022.SaveSave

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One of my favorite things to do in the fall is to make apple butter and applesauce. You just can't buy that homemade flavor. Plus, your house smells amazing as the apples cook down.

A few weeks ago, we had some apples in the fridge that needed to be used up right away. Homemade applesauce is a great way to use up any extra apples you may have.

Why You Should Make Crockpot Applesauce

Forget about buying jars of applesauce at the grocery store. It is so easy to make a big pot of strawberry applesauce in just minutes.

Add everything to a crock pot and forget about it for a few hours.
Apples and strawberries are a delicious combo.
Red Hots add a sweet cinnamon flavor that everyone will enjoy.
Your kitchen will have the most amazing cinnamon apple smell as it cooks.
This cinnamon applesauce freezes really well, so you can save some for later.

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Apple Cider Donuts

These baked Apple Cider Donuts are cakey, flavorful, and coated in a delicious butter and cinnamon sugar coating. This is such an amazing apple donut recipe to make for breakfast this fall. Just be careful, or you might eat the entire batch.

This post was first published in October 2010. The pictures were updated in November 2020, and the post was republished in September 2022.

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One of my favorite things about fall is picking apples to bake an apple cake and eating a few cider donuts. There is just something about those donuts that I can't resist.

I knew that I had to find a way to replicate those amazing farm donuts, so we could have them any time of year.

Why These Baked Apple Cider Donuts Work

The flavor and texture of these apple cider donuts are what make them so good. They are dense, moist, and have a great crumb.

A coating of butter and cinnamon sugar takes them over the top and makes them taste just like the ones from a bakery or apple orchard. You will love how they are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

In less than an hour, you can have a batch of homemade apple cider donuts sitting in your kitchen waiting to be devoured.

If you like spice donuts, check out these chai donuts next!

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Easy Pumpkin Crunch Cobbler

Enjoy all the flavors of fall in this easy Pumpkin Cobbler. The creamy pumpkin pie layer with a crunchy toffee pecan topping makes this the ultimate fall dessert.

Looking for other pumpkin recipes? Try adding this pumpkin coffee cake or a pumpkin cheesecake pie to your fall plans.

Pumpkin cobbler square on a white plate with Cool Whip.

This pumpkin dessert with yellow cake mix is one of my favorite things to make every fall. Years ago, I won first place at a fall dessert contest with this same pumpkin cobbler recipe. It's that delicious.

If you love pumpkin pie or pumpkin bundt cake, you will adore this sweet pumpkin dessert. It is easy to make, and everyone loves the creamy pumpkin pie filling with a buttery streusel topping.

It also goes by other names, such as pumpkin crunch cake or pumpkin dump cake. As long as you call it delicious, I don't care what you name it.

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Why You Will Love This Pumpkin Dessert

Our pumpkin cobbler is the ultimate fall dessert because it is easy to make. Our secret shortcut is to use a cake mix for the streusel topping.

This dessert can be assembled and placed in your oven in under 15 minutes. All you have to do is mix, dump, and bake. Then, sit back and enjoy your kitchen's fantastic pumpkin spice smell as the cake bakes.

Want to impress your holiday guests with a fantastic pumpkin dessert? Make this easy dump cake for Thanksgiving dinner or any fall party, and watch it be devoured.

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Banana Bread Muffins

These Banana Bread Muffins are so soft and fluffy. Feel free to make this easy banana muffins recipe plain or load them with chocolate chips or toasted nuts. They are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast when you are short on time.

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Banana Muffins

We go through quite a few bananas every week. I eat the green ones and save the brown ones for banana waffles or sour cream banana bread.

Our kids are picky about their breakfast choices. Most days, they grab a protein shake or a Clif Bar. However, I've discovered that they'll choose baked goods if I make muffins ahead of time.

Although if I make these banana muffins without chocolate chips, my kids will let me know that the chocolate is missing. I guess they have the same sweet tooth as I do.

Why This Recipe Works

Baking banana bread muffins is so much quicker than baking a loaf of banana bread. A batch of these muffins can be baked in 18 minutes, compared to a loaf of bread, which is usually 60 minutes.

Muffins are much more convenient to grab and go when you are in a hurry. A muffin in a liner is much easier to eat in the car than a jar of chia pudding. Am I right?

These easy banana muffins taste just like banana bread, just a little bit lighter and fluffier. The best part is how moist and delicious they are.

Another great thing is that this is an easy one-bowl recipe. Yay for making less mess in the kitchen, right?

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars

These Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars are a delicious twist on the classic Rice Krispie treats. They're easy to make in minutes with just three ingredients. Kids of all ages will love these sweet and gooey cereal bars.

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats

Lately, I have seen bottles of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust popping up in stores. So far, I have resisted the urge to buy it. However, I really think it would be amazing on some buttered popcorn or white chocolate-covered popcorn.

I crave a bowl of cereal whenever I see cinnamon sugar, so I finally broke down and bought a box.

Since everyone in our family loves this cereal, I decided to make a pan of no-bake cereal treats. These treats are sweet, crunchy, gooey, and downright delicious! Trust me, they didn't last long in our house!

Why You Will Love These Treats

These gooey, crunchy cereal bars are a fun way to make Rice Krispies treats with a different cereal. You will love how easy it is to make this three-ingredient dessert.

Your whole family will love these homemade treats with cinnamon sugar goodness and pockets of gooey marshmallows. Why buy stale store-bought bars when you can make your own? Am I right?

In less than 15 minutes, you can have a pan of gooey cinnamon toast crunch bars sitting on your counter. The best part is that these bars are no-bake, so there is no need to turn on the oven and heat up the kitchen.

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Apple Cider Cake

Get ready to welcome in the fall season with this delicious Apple Cider Cake. This easy cake gets a blast of flavor from apples, cider, and spices. Plus, the creamy caramel apple cider frosting makes it totally irresistible.

A fork and a slice of frosted cake on a white plate.

This post was first published in October 2018. It has been updated and republished in September 2022.

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As soon as I see apple cider in the stores, I have to buy a jug. Apple cider is just one of those things that says fall to me. Even when the weather outside still says it's summer.

Apple cider is delicious to drink, but it is so much fun to bake with. We love making these apple cider donuts and this apple cider bread every fall.

Recently, I saw an apple cider cake mix and apple cider frosting at Target. I decided to change up my apple cake from a cake mix using apple cider to recreate my own version.

Why Make This Apple Cider Cake Recipe

This apple cider cake is an easy recipe to make when you are short on time. A box mix helps cut down on prep time.

Easy to make. All you need is a mixing bowl, a grater/food processor, and a baking dish to make a spiced apple cake that will have everyone coming back for another slice.
It tastes and smells like fall. Apple cider and pie spice will make your kitchen smell like a fall day as the cake bakes.
Moist and delicious! Shredded apples and applesauce make this doctored-up cake mix taste amazing.
You can make it ahead of time. This is a great make-ahead recipe because it stays soft and delicious for days.

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