7,057 light recipes

Homemade strawberry syrup made with frozen strawberries and light corn syrup, blended smooth and boiled for 5 minutes. A three-ingredient topping for pancakes, waffles, and ice cream.

The classic Southern Living sweet potato casserole: a creamy, custardy mash of sweet potatoes baked under a buttery brown-sugar pecan crumble. No marshmallows here, just a crunchy praline-style topping. A holiday must.

Crispy phyllo pastry nests filled with sauteed mushrooms, walnuts, soy sauce, and a hint of nutmeg. Elegant bite-sized appetizers that can be prepped weeks ahead.

Chocolate malt cake with malted milk powder in both the batter and frosting, made with cocoa, half-and-half, and butter. A nostalgic malt shop flavor in cake form.

DIY Halloween makeup uses pantry corn syrup, cornstarch, and food coloring layered with tissue strips for kid-safe, lickable face paint. Build warts, scars, and ghoul effects.

No-bake peanut butter cornflake squares with brown sugar, corn syrup, wheat germ, and peanuts. Chewy or crisp depending on boil time. Makes 60 squares.

Mrs Fields apple cobbler cookies loaded with chopped Granny Smith apples, apple butter, raisins, and pecans, rolled in a cinnamon-oat crumb coating. Fall baking at its finest.

Fiery Sichuan chili pork stir-fried with green chiles, garlic, roasted peppercorns, and rice wine. Tongue-tingling, garlicky, and on the table in 25 minutes flat.

Creamy German cucumber salad (Gurkensalat) tossed in a tangy sour cream dressing with mustard and fresh dill. Salting the cucumbers first keeps every slice crisp and the dressing thick, never watery.

Velvety cold peaches and cream soup with amaretto and a whisper of nutmeg. A brilliant way to use overripe peaches, and just as good made with canned peaches in winter.

Buddhist mock chicken made from layered dried bean curd sheets soaked in seasoned stock, rolled into a loaf, steamed, then deep-fried until golden. A traditional Chinese vegetarian technique with a surprisingly meaty texture.

The flavor of this golden brown fudge comes from the caramelized sugar.

Golden cod baked over crispy fried potato strips with shredded salt cod simmered in half-and-half and onions, topped with beaten egg and baked until golden. A Portuguese-inspired bacalhau casserole.

Old-fashioned stovetop fudge made with real unsweetened chocolate, evaporated milk, and walnuts. Cooked to soft ball stage and beaten until thick and glossy, this is the kind of homemade fudge that wins county fair ribbons.

A creamy apple marshmallow Waldorf salad: crisp Granny Smith apples, celery, walnuts, and dried fruit folded into whipped cream and mayonnaise with mini marshmallows. A retro, fluffy holiday side the whole table loves.

Candied orange peels turn citrus rinds into glossy, sugar-coated treats by double-blanching the peels, simmering in syrup, and rolling in sugar. A holiday gift project, ready overnight. Works with lemon or lime peels too.