Winter Recipes
Winter is when I struggle most with identifying what makes a seasonal baked good. It’s not as clear to me as the pumpkins and apples of Fall or peaches in the Summer. So what makes good Winter Recipes? I think maybe winter baking is just about food that is flavorful with ingredients you can still find on-hand. Oh, and they should be comforting and cozy. And Winter is definitely the time for decadence! The more I thought about it, the more Winter Recipes I could come up with!
I’ve broken by Winter Recipes into the following categories:
- Cakes
- Pies & Tarts
- Bread & Muffins
- Pastries
- Cheesecakes
- Everything Else!
Of course, I’m a big fan of making whatever you want, whenever you want. That said, these recipes have flavors that are warm, cozy, and indulgent. Make them anytime, but especially in Winter!
Cakes
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
This Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Italian Buttercream is a chocolate lover’s dream! Don’t let that light color fool you–that buttercream is VERY chocolatey, having a POUND of chocolate in it!!
Orange Upside Down Cake
This Orange Upside Down Cake uses all those beautiful winter oranges! The tender, just-sweet-enough orange olive oil cake has candied navel, cara cara, and blood oranges!
Caramel Ginger Date Cake
This Caramel Ginger Date Cake has the warm flavors of dates and crystallized ginger with a hint of cinnamon. Topped with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting and homemade salted caramel sauce, it’s pretty much flavor heaven!
Mocha Banana Cake
One staple you can always find at the grocery store, even in the dead of winter, is bananas. Because of this, I find myself leaning on bananas for Winter flavor. This Mocha Banana Cake is four layers of banana cake with espresso cream cheese frosting, cocoa nibs, and grated chocolate! Topped with *more* cocoa nibs and chocolate, freeze-dried bananas, and chocolate-covered espresso beans, this cake is definitely not lacking in flavor!
Chocolate Champagne Cake
This Chocolate Champagne Cake has made the Top 10 list for the blog two years running, and it’s not hard to see why! It’s three layers of decadent chocolate champagne cake with champagne buttercream and dark chocolate ganache! Make it for a celebration, even if you’re just celebrating that you have cake! 😀
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
There is no combination quite like chocolate and peanut butter! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is outstanding! The chocolate cake layers are frosted with peanut butter buttercream and topped with a dark chocolate ganache. Just looking at it makes me want to wrap up in a blanket and eat a slice! Or two. 😉
Pies & Tarts
Kahlua Brownie Pie
It doesn’t get much more decadent than this Kahlua Brownie Pie! That’s why, even though it’s served cold, I needed to include it in this list! This pie is a fudgy brownie crust topped with a dark chocolate icebox pie filling, then topped with THREE flavors of whipped cream! That’s right…I couldn’t decide between vanilla bean, kahlua, and chocolate whipped cream, so it has all three! 😀
Ginger Grapefruit Tart
This Ginger Grapefruit Tart has a sweet pastry crust flavored with both grapefruit zest and ground ginger. The filling is a sweet-tart grapefruit curd, then the whole thing is topped with toasted honey meringue and crystallized ginger. It’s a sweet-tart-spicy flavor bomb!
Mocha Tart
Also served cold, but still VERY deserving to be in this list, is my Mocha Tart! Coffee lovers will NEED this one! This tart has a crumbly chocolate shortbread crust filled with chocolate-espresso custard, topped with FIVE shades of whipped cream! This is one of my favorite recipes EVER–and that really says something! <3
Chocolate Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tartlets
These little cuties are my Chocolate Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tartlets! These tiny tartlets have a chocolate pastry crust filled with homemade salted caramel, toasted hazelnuts, and dark chocolate ganache. As if that weren’t enough, I topped each of them with toasted meringue!
Blood Orange Curd Tartlets
These Blood Orange Curd Tartlets have a sweet pastry crust filled with blood orange curd, topped with vanilla bean swiss meringue and chopped pistachios. While I wish that the curd had turned out brighter in color, it most certainly has bright flavor! The sweet-tart blood orange curd pairs so well with the super sweet meringue!
Chocolate Caramel Tart
This Chocolate Caramel Tart certainly is decadent! The chocolate shortbread crust is filled with homemade salted caramel sauce and dark chocolate ganache. I’d indulge in a slice every day in Winter. 😉
Mimosa Tart
I love this Mimosa Tart because it’s so versatile! Sure, it’s dessert, but I’d also serve this at a brunch without batting an eye. I mean, there’s fruit on it! 😉 The sweet pastry crust is filled with champagne pastry cream and topped with beautiful candied citrus.
Caramel Banana Cream Pie
This Caramel Banana Cream Pie will be THE BEST banana cream pie you’ve ever had. Zero exaggeration. I’m not a banana cream pie person, and I could NOT get enough of this pie! I mean it–hence the use of CAPS LOCK!! The classic pastry crust of this pie is filled with caramel pastry cream, homemade salted caramel sauce, and fresh bananas, all topped with vanilla bean whipped cream. You NEED this!
Bread & Muffins
Homemade Bagels
Bread knows no season–I know! But there’s something to be said for that fresh-baked bread smell and how it warms your kitchen! <3 These Homemade Bagels are a treat that we enjoy all winter long. They’re not as hard as you think, and so easy to personalize the flavors for your family and friends!
Butterscotch Banana Muffins
I love the combination of flavors in these Butterscotch Banana Muffins! A fun twist on a classic, butterscotch chips melt into these soft, moist banana muffins for a super flavorful breakfast (or anytime treat)!
Challah
This chewy, eggy Challah recipe is a family favorite! Delicious on it’s own, but *glorious* as French toast!
Honey Ginger Pear Muffins
These Honey Ginger Pear Muffins have the sweetness of pears and honey with the spiciness of crystallized ginger! And with whole wheat pastry flour and no refined sugar, you don’t even have to feel guilty about it! 😉 (Author’s note: I never feel guilty about any of these recipes!)
(The Best Ever) Banana Bread
There are thousands of banana bread recipes out there…but, of course, I think mine’s the best. 😉 My (The Best Ever) Banana Bread is the best of the best: amazing banana flavor without being heavy or soggy, and a great, cakey texture without being dry. I sprinkle mine with raw sugar on top for added crunch and sweetness. 🙂 Also makes fabulous muffins like you see here!
Date Spice Bread
This Date Spice Bread recipe is the one that made me really think about seasonal Winter baked goods. This recipe is all the best of winter! The warm flavors of the dates and spices marry so well with the bright orange zest! Have a slice warm, and it will warm you from the inside out.
Pastries
Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls
Is there anything quite as comforting as a warm homemade cinnamon roll?? My Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls are ooey, gooey, cinnamony (it’s a word), and *slathered* in cream cheese frosting!
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
For a little twist on cinnamon roll goodness, try these Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls! As the name suggests, it’s like a cinnamon roll and banana bread had a (delicious) baby.
Mocha Sweet Rolls
You needed one more Winter-ready sweet roll recipe, right? And you’re not tired of mocha yet, right? My Mocha Sweet Rolls are roll-your-eyes good! Soft, filled with chocolate-espresso filling, and topped with an espresso glaze! Oh, and those are crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans on top!
Dulce de Leche Cream Puffs
These Dulce de Leche Cream Puffs are a classic cream puff filled with dulce de leche cream, then topped with dark chocolate ganache and *more* dulce de leche! I could eat this dulce de leche cream every day for the rest of my life and still wish I got more. I’m not being dramatic. Okay, a little, but it’s that good.
Cheesecakes
Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake
This Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake is dark chocolate cheesecake with a hazelnut & graham cracker crust, all topped with homemade date caramel and chopped hazelnuts! You might need two slices. 😀
Everything Else!
Salted Caramel & Chocolate Meringues
These Salted Caramel & Chocolate Meringues are so delicious and easy to make! They’re also much easier to make in the winter when humidity is less likely to wreak havoc on your meringues!
Chocolate Champagne Truffles
These Chocolate Champagne Truffles are the perfect winter treat, with dark chocolate and champagne! Celebrate Christmas, the New Year, Valentine’s Day…celebrate that you have chocolate and champagne!
Hazelnut Espresso Truffles
These Hazelnut Espresso Truffles have dark chocolate, hazelnuts, and espresso combined into a decadent treat! Beautiful and delicious!
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
It’s just not winter without hot cocoa! This Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix is intensely chocolaty without being too sweet, and whips up in five minutes! Perfect for cold days and piling high with marshmallows or whipped cream, you’ll want to have this on-hand all winter long!
Happy baking, everyone! I can’t wait to hear about how these Winter Recipes are warming your homes, bellies, and (if you’re like me) souls! <3 <3
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Updated 3/13/2021