Recipes with vanilla bean

Chocolate bar nut cake melts ten ounces of chocolate bars into a buttermilk batter loaded with two and a half cups of chopped nuts and chocolate syrup. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for 90 minutes. A dense, fudgy Bundt-style chocolate cake.

Microwave chocolate pots de crème made for two with German sweet chocolate, half-and-half, and egg yolks. Silky French custard, no oven, no water bath. Chills in the fridge.

No-bake chocolate almond pie with a crunchy chocolate-almond shell, marshmallow mousse filling, and whipped cream. Chills overnight for a silky, fudgy slice.

This creamy and smooth cocoa orange mousse pie satisfies your palate without giving you too many calories by using nonfat ricotta cheese and whipped topping.

No-bake chocolate nut chews with peanut butter, oats, cocoa, and salted peanuts. A stovetop candy that sets on waxed paper with no oven required.

Reverse chocolate chip cookies flip the classic inside out: a dark chocolate dough studded with white chocolate chunks and chopped macadamia nuts. Rich, fudgy, and loaded with buttery crunch in every bite.

Sicilian cassata cake with a delicate sponge layer, Marsala wine soak, and rich chocolate custard filling. A traditional Italian celebration dessert built in stages.

Cranapple snack bars with fresh cranberries, sliced apples, walnuts, and silken tofu in a honey-sweetened cinnamon batter. A naturally sweetened fruit bar with no refined sugar.

Granny's chocolate pie is an old-fashioned Southern stovetop cocoa custard pie with evaporated milk, finished with toasted meringue. The kind of pie that recipe-card heirlooms are made of.

Lighter chocolate and raspberry cream torte with four layers of cocoa cake, raspberry jam, and a pink raspberry whipped cream. Made with skim milk and low-fat margarine for a lower-fat celebration dessert.

Black currant vodka cheesecake on a toasted almond and graham crust, baked low in a water bath for a silky, crack-free top. Crowned with fresh strawberries and a glossy strawberry-Kurant glaze.

French silk pie with a whipped chocolate-butter filling in a baked pie shell, topped with vanilla whipped cream. A classic no-bake chocolate pie with a texture like dense mousse.

Red, White and Blue Cheesecake with a chocolate wafer crust, orange and lemon zest filling, topped with fresh raspberries and blueberries. The showstopper 4th of July dessert that chills overnight.

Whole wheat and cornmeal muffins sweetened with honey and made oil-free with applesauce. These low-fat, dairy-free muffins are simple pantry-staple baking at its most wholesome.

Chocolate snowy cake with a fluffy whipped cream filling between a cocoa sheet cake and a poured chocolate frosting. An eggless cake base with vinegar for lift.

Spiced pumpkin layer cake built on yellow cake mix with pumpkin, walnuts, orange zest, and pumpkin pie spice, finished with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A semi-homemade fall dessert with bakery-level results.

Slice and bake sugar cookies: a make-ahead dough rolled in wax paper and chilled, then sliced and baked into tender cookies. Yields nearly eight dozen.

Low-calorie eggnog made with skim milk, beaten egg whites, and sugar-free sweetener. All the creamy holiday flavor without the guilt.

Pecan tea cookies made with butter, powdered sugar, and nutmeg, topped with a pecan half and egg wash glaze. Dainty, tender bite-sized cookies perfect for tea parties.

French apple pie with a thick applesauce and honey filling topped with concentric rings of sliced Granny Smith apples and a glossy apricot glaze. An elegant, low-fat tart-style pie.

Baked apple French toast casserole with caramelized brown sugar apples on the bottom and custard-soaked bread on top. Make it the night before and bake for a hands-free brunch.

Rich bundt cake made with melted milk chocolate bars gets crowned with a silky chocolate icing. Tender crumb studded with optional nuts bakes up in just 40 minutes.

Lemon buttermilk pie is a silky Southern custard pie, tangy with buttermilk and fresh lemon, baked low and slow in a blind-baked crust until just set. Chill it cold for a clean, creamy slice.

Stirred custard sauce is a quick microwave crème anglaise with egg yolks, half and half, amaretto, and vanilla. Silky and ready to spoon over fresh fruit.

No-bake iced coffee and chocolate pie with instant coffee, vanilla ice milk, and gelatin in a chocolate cookie crust. Blends together in minutes, sets in the fridge.

Chocolate peanut butter cup cookies loaded with chopped Reese's, chocolate chips, and peanuts in a thick peanut butter dough. A triple-threat candy bar cookie.

Raspberry chocolate pie layers a glazed raspberry topping over a billowy cream cheese filling on a vanilla wafer pecan crust sealed with melted chocolate. A no-bake-style chilled dessert.

Fudgy bittersweet chocolate brownies topped with tangy cream cheese filling and fresh raspberries. Two layers of rich flavor that need an overnight chill for clean, bakery-perfect slices.

Halloween black widow spider muffins with black cream cheese frosting, a red hourglass mark, and licorice string legs. A spooky, fun baking project kids will love.

White chocolate cheesecake with fresh raspberry sauce, sour cream tang, and a cocoa dust ring. Crustless, creamy, and baked just 25 minutes for a silky, barely-set center.

Pumpkin cheese tart with a gingersnap-oat crust and a marbled cream cheese-pumpkin filling, finished with warm caramel sauce. A lighter take on pumpkin pie that actually holds its own on the holiday table.

Flourless chocolate raspberry torte with bittersweet chocolate, framboise, and raspberry creme anglaise. Dense, fudgy, restaurant-style gluten-free dessert.

A decadent and delicious cake that is now made with a delectable frosting that is too rich to be true!

Mrs. Field's-style chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with oats blended to powder and grated chocolate bar mixed in with the chips. Golf ball-sized for thick, chewy centers.

Vanilla pecan slice-and-bake cookies from a make-ahead dough that chills into logs and freezes for up to 3 months. Crisp, buttery icebox cookies baked from frozen in 12 minutes.

Flambed ice cream sauce of buttered green grapes, hot chiles, rum, honey, and warm spices. A sweet-heat dessert topping that takes 20 minutes and shocks the palate awake.

Peanut butter and jelly streusel bars with a brown sugar PB cookie base, strawberry jam middle, and oat-crumble topping. The lunchbox sandwich reinvented for the cookie tray.

Chocolate chip pecan squares with a chewy brown sugar base, double layer of melted milk chocolate, and crunchy toasted pecans. Easy bar cookies baked in one pan.

Tres leches cake using store-bought pound cake soaked in a blend of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream, topped with broiled meringue. A shortcut Latin classic.

Coconut cream pie with silky custard filling, shredded coconut, and a cloud of stabilized meringue baked to golden peaks. Old-school diner pie at its finest.

Soft chocolate oatmeal cookies made with cocoa, yogurt, and chocolate extract instead of butter. Low-fat, slightly puffy, and rich in chocolate flavor without the guilt.

Hot fudge pudding cake that creates its own chocolate sauce as it bakes. Cocoa batter topped with sugar and hot water transforms into cake over a pool of rich fudge sauce.

Ruby pears poached in Beaujolais wine with currant jelly, rosemary, vanilla bean, and whole cloves. Pressure cooked and chilled 24 hours for deep ruby color.

Rich chocolate brownies topped with a lemon-chocolate frosting loaded with chopped pecans. The lemon juice in the frosting adds a bright, unexpected twist to fudgy brownies.

Raisin and bran cookies bake up chewy with unprocessed bran, brown sugar, and warm cinnamon-nutmeg spice. Egg whites keep them lighter than the typical butter-yolk cookie.

Mini cheesecakes baked in cupcake liners with a vanilla wafer crust, cream cheese filling, and fresh fruit on top. A 5-ingredient, individual-sized cheesecake dessert.

Vegan cashew whipped cream made with raw cashews, sunflower oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. A rich, dairy-free topping for desserts, fruit, and baked goods.

Easy chocolate pudding cake bakes its own fudgy sauce underneath a tender cake layer. A no-egg, no-butter self-saucing dessert that magically separates in the oven.