Cardamom and Tea

passion fruit cake

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This passion fruit cake layers bold flavors with a simple, vibrant swirl technique. But that swirl is not just there for show!

Here’s the thing: passion fruit is basically delicious tropical water. Add it straight to cake batter and you risk a soggy, dense, flavorless situation. But turn it into a curd, and everything changes. The flavor concentrates, the texture custardizes, and suddenly you’ve got an ingredient that actually wants to be in a cake.

Fold that passion fruit curd into the batter, spoon some more across the top, and swirl it into golden ribbons. Then throw it in the oven, and wind up with a cake that’s tart, sweet, squidgy, and big on passion fruit flavor.

Jump to the recipe to get started, or read on for some tips + step-by-step photos.

passion fruit curd cake
passion fruit curd cake

Tips for passion fruit cake success

General tips for cake success

These tips will up your baking game in many, many recipes, so keep these in mind whenever you are baking:

  • Don’t over-mix the batter: This goes for any batter where you want a tender crumb. Once the liquid goes in, you want to mix it well, but not too well. If you overmix the batter, it will become gluey and the resulting cake will be tough and dry. Same goes for cookies, scones, pie crust, etc. We’re not making bread here!
  • Toothpick a cake section, not a curd section: This is a good tip for any cake with gooey mix-ins: when you’re inserting a toothpick, don’t insert it into a curd blob, or you won’t get a very accurate result. Same goes for a cake with chocolate chunks, pieces of fruit, etc.

Tips for making the best passion fruit cake ever

  • Use my recipe for passion fruit curd! It’s super easy, doesn’t use a double-boiler, has 0 straining, and I made a video in case you don’t have a thermometer and prefer to eyeball the texture instead. I highly recommend it for this recipe.
  • Don’t accidentally add all the curd at once. I mean, it’s not like I would ever do something so ridiculous… 😳 lolll. But just in case, I have listed the passion fruit curd twice, once for the batter and once for the swirls. When shopping for ingredients, make sure you buy enough for the full amount (1⅓ cups or 350 grams).
  • Follow the swirling instructions, and don’t over-swirl it. Over-swirling can seriously affect the texture of this cake, and not in a good way. You don’t want to accidentally stir the passion fruit topping into the cake batter. So when you swirl, go through each blob just once or twice. And if you’re unsure, err on the side of less swirling. Even if you do a good job, it will look completely over-swirled (the curd disappears into the batter almost immediately after swirling!). But don’t worry—as long as you’ve underdone the swirling, the curd and cake will differentiate as they bake.

Step-by-step photos

Here are some step-by-step photos, or check out the video at the bottom of the recipe card.

greasing a cake pan

Preheat the oven to 375°F [190°C], oil a 9 in [23 cm] cake pan, and line the bottom with a parchment round.

adding passion fruit curd to a bowl

Place the sugar, olive oil, eggs, and ⅔ cup [175 g] of the passion fruit curd in a mixing bowl. Stir together until completely homogenous.

sifting the dry ingredients

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into the wet ingredients. Stir just until combined (do not overmix).

smoothing the batter out

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth it out.

evenly spacing about 12 blobs of passion fruit curd over the surface of the cake

Top evenly with spoonfuls of the remaining ⅔ cup [175 g] passion fruit curd. You should end up with about 12 spoonfuls spaced evenly.

swirling the passion fruit curd

Drag the back of your spoon through the cake in figure-eights so that you catch each blob once or twice (don’t overswirl)

baking the passion fruit curd

Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake (avoiding the passion fruit) comes out clean.

tracing a knife around the edge of the cake pan

Let it sit for about 3 minutes in the pan, then trace around the edge with a knife.

removing the parchment round

Invert the cake onto a parchment-covered plate, peel off the parchment from the bottom, and invert again onto a wire rack.

flipping again and removing the extra parchment

Peel the parchment off the top and let the cake cool before slicing.

I also wanted to give a quick shout out to Lucy Cufflin’s lemon curd cake, which majorly inspired this one with its charmingly wonky swirls of lemon curd in a sea of butter cake. This recipe marries olive oil and passion fruit instead, with its own lopsided charm. I highly recommend both!

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passion fruit cake

passion fruit cake with swirls of passion fruit curd baked in
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  • Prep Time: 10 minutes*
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup [150 g] sugar
  • ½ cup [105 g] extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 3 large eggs
  • ⅔ cup [175 g] passion fruit curd (for the batter)
  • 1⅓ cups [175 g] all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Another ⅔ cup [175 g] passion fruit curd (for the swirls)**

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F [190°C]. Oil a 9 in [23 cm] cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment round.
  2. Place the sugar, olive oil, eggs, and ⅔ cup [175 g] of the passion fruit curd in a mixing bowl. Stir together until completely homogenous.
  3. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into the wet ingredients. Stir just until combined (do not overmix).
  4. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, smooth it out, and then top it evenly with spoonfuls of the remaining ⅔ cup [175 g] passion fruit curd. You should end up with about 12 spoonfuls spaced across the surface. Drag the back of your spoon through the cake in figure-eights so that you catch each blob once or twice. You should end up with thin swirls across the surface (don’t overswirl, or it will affect the texture of the cake).
  5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake (avoiding the passion fruit) comes out clean. Let it sit for about 3 minutes in the pan, then trace around the edge with a knife, invert the cake onto a parchment-covered plate, peel off the parchment from the bottom, and invert again onto a wire rack. Peel the parchment off the top and let the cake cool before slicing.

Notes

* I wrote this recipe for people who have made my passion fruit curd recipe and want to use it up, but if you haven’t made the passion fruit curd yet, add 15 mins or so to the prep time.

** I wrote it this way to make sure you don’t accidentally add it all at once while quickly glancing at the ingredients list! But for easy shopping/cooking, that’s a total of 1⅓ cups [350 g] of passion fruit curd. If you make my passion fruit curd recipe, that’s enough for this cake + extra for serving at the table (or freezing).

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easiest passion fruit curd

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This passion fruit curd recipe is the easiest because:

  • You don’t have to strain it.
  • You don’t have to use a double-boiler.
  • You don’t have to add ingredients in several different stages.
  • It uses whole eggs instead of just yolks.
  • There’s a video! So you don’t have to use a thermometer and can just eyeball it.

One of the keys to making this recipe easy is your food processor! (But don’t worry, there’s a hack if you don’t own one)

I know: no double-boiler! Sounds risky. But I’ve made this recipe dozens of times, and it always results in a glossy, set-yet-spreadable passion fruit curd. I love it so much, I even put it in my book!

If you’re ready to start whisking, jump to the recipe + video. Otherwise, read on to see why it works.

passion fruit curd in a stainless steel pot
passion fruit curd in a jar on an aluminum baking tray of scones
passion fruit cake with swirls of passion fruit curd baked in
frozen passion fruit chocolate bars photographed from overhead (unsliced)

Food processor = the key to easy, delicious passion fruit curd

Why is your food processor the key? Well…

1. It breaks up the fibrous pulp (so, no lumps!)

I learned this trick from Erin at Cloudy Kitchen. She explains that passion fruit pulp has a lot of fibrous stuff clinging to the seeds. But by blending it in a food processor, your curd will turn out silky smooth, never lumpy with little bits of passion fruit goo floating around.

2. The food processor doesn’t pulverize the seeds (so you won’t have to strain it!)

If you were to use a high-power blender for this, the seeds would start to break down, and you might need to strain it afterwards. A food processor, on the other hand, breaks down the membranous pulpy stuff without breaking up the seeds. They stay completely intact and add a peppery crunch. No one will mistake this curd for lemon—the seeds make it unmistakably passion fruit.

3. It emulsifies the sugar and eggs with the passion fruit (so, no double-boiler!)

In a traditional recipe for curd, you would need to add the sugar and eggs/yolks together first, then whisk them until they are completely smooth. This standard technique makes the eggs less likely to break or scramble once heated. But when you’re using the food processor, you can skip this step. Or rather, let the food processor do the work for you.

After creating such a serious emulsion, your passion fruit curd is much less likely to break. So you can get away with skipping the double boiler! Just make sure you don’t let it skip past the target temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, keep an eye on the time and heat, and make sure you watch the video below to know what to look for.

4. You don’t have to separate the eggs!

Although… the food processor doesn’t get credit for this one. It’s just that I designed this recipe so that it uses whole eggs instead of yolks. And that’s because I can’t stand separating eggs. I mean, the actual separating is not such a hassle, but I despise having to find a use for all those whites afterwards.

If you don’t have a thermometer, no worries!

If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll just need to pay close attention to the signs. It’s going to take a slightly different amount of time for everyone, depending on your stove, etc. But the time guidelines in the recipe will keep you on the right general track.

But more than timings, you should pay attention to what the curd looks like, because that is the best indicator of whether it is done. The video above will help the most, but here are some screen shots and descriptions of what it looks like at various stages of doneness:

passion fruit curd at room temperature—the texture of orange juice with pulp

At room temperature, passion fruit curd is the consistency of orange juice with added pulp. It’s watery, a bit dull in color, and usually has a layer of foam on the top. At this point, you can safely keep the heat at medium-low (a bit more on the medium side) while whisking constantly.

passion fruit curd at 60°C (slightly thickened, but still very runny)

At 140°F [60°C], passion fruit curd begins to give off some wisps of steam. Look carefully and you’ll notice them. It also starts to thicken slightly, and becomes a bit brighter in color. The foam is still there, but there’s less of it. At this point, begin to reduce the heat gradually while still whisking constantly.

Passion fruit curd at 75°C—fully thickened—the whisk leaves a trail in the curd for a moment

At 167°F [75°C], passion fruit curd significantly thickens and becomes even brighter. There is no longer foam on the surface, and it is a bit steamier than it was at 140°F [60°C]. Do not let it go much past this point because it will start to curdle at 180°F [82°C]. Don’t stop whisking!

Ways to use it

  • Scone topping: spread on your favorite scones (especially with clotted cream on the side).
  • Passion fruit olive oil cake (you can find my recipe here or check out Piecemeal)
  • Layer cake filling: Make a buttercream border, and then fill with passion fruit, so it doesn’t ooze out the sides when you add on the next layer. Curd works best for cake designs that don’t need a ton of structural integrity.
  • Passion fruit fool: Whip cream to medium-peaks, then swirl in some curd. For the best appearance, add a couple blobs and then give it a couple swirls.
  • Yogurt parfait: Top a bowl of yogurt with passion fruit curd.
  • Over-the-top strawberry shortcakes: Add a bit to some strawberry shortcakes for an upgrade.
  • You can also use this passion fruit curd in place of lemon curd in just about any recipe. It will almost always work great, but sometimes it might not substitute perfectly. But have fun experimenting! Lemon passion fruit bars, lemon curd passion fruit cookies, even a loaf cake that calls for a curd in the original recipe. The sky’s the limit!
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easiest passion fruit curd

frozen passion fruit chocolate bars photographed from overhead (unsliced)
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  • Author: Kathryn Pauline
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1/3 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup [235g] passion fruit pulp
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup [150g] sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp [55g] cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Instructions

  1. Place the passion fruit pulp, eggs, sugar, and salt in a food processor* fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times, stopping once it’s completely combined.
  2. Place the mixture in a small saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until it thickens significantly. Gradually lower the heat and be careful not to let it overheat. It will start to thicken at around 140°F [60°C], and will fully thicken at around 167°F [75°C], which takes 10 to 15 minutes at medium-low. Don’t go over 180°F [82°C].**
  3. Once the curd reaches the target temperature and consistency, remove from the heat and immediately add the butter, whisking constantly until it disappears completely.
  4. Passion fruit curd will keep in the fridge for about 7 days, but it’s best stored in the freezer for at least 3 months.

Notes

* If you don’t have a food processor, you can whisk by hand, but you’ll need to whisk the eggs and sugar together first until completely smooth, otherwise you’ll end up with flecks of egg white in the finished product. You should also whisk your passion fruit pulp separately to break up the fibrous bits. Do not use a blender or you might pulverize the seeds. A food processor will just loosen the pulp while leaving the seeds whole.

** If you don’t have a thermometer, watch the video so you know what to look out for in terms of texture and viscosity.

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Psst… by the way, I love this recipe so much, I ended up including it in my cookbook, Piecemeal.

If you like this recipe as much as I do, you might like my book! It’s full of mix-and-match recipes and inspiration for fun and easy meals.

The cookbook also has recipes for scones, passion fruit cake, and frozen milk chocolate passion fruit bars. And all three recipes use this one as their base!

 

roasted tomato sauce (no dishes)

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Things I love about this roasted tomato sauce recipe:

1) No clean-up! There’s no food processor or blender of any kind. You won’t even need to wash the pan. I mean, you will end up with 1 fork and 1 paring knife to wash. But this recipe won’t contribute to the dinner dishes pile-up.

2) You can use any tomato to make it. I’ve got instructions for any size/shape of tomato.

3) There’s no chopping or ingredient prep work. I’ve kept it super simple. The recipe uses garlic powder (although you can also use fresh if that’s what you have). You can also use dried basil, or tear some fresh basil right over the serving dish. And simply slice the tomatoes in half before roasting.

4) It’s really easy. Not much more to say about it than that!

Jump to the recipe if you’re ready to cook, or read on for some useful tips and ideas.

Ways to serve roasted tomato sauce

Here are some ideas!

  • Over pasta + meatballs (use ground chicken, turkey, or vegan meat substitute if you’d like)
  • In a cheesy meatball bake (I have a recipe in Piecemeal, but it’s not rocket science!)
  • As a sandwich spread (especially anything with mozzarella, or in place of the tomato in a BLT)
  • Spread over an everything bagel that’s already topped with cream cheese
  • In a grain bowl
  • …with anything you’d use a regular tomato sauce for!

Why does this recipe work?

There are a few things that make this recipe special, and here is why these features work so well:

Cut-side-up, un-hulled

Placing the tomato halves cut-side-up means that they will turn into little bowls as they roast. Since you didn’t hull them, their juices will stay in those tomato-bowls (while running off just a little bit). And as those juices sit there, their moisture will cook off. This gives them the perfect texture and a super concentrated tomato flavor.

Fork instead of blender

While a blender works great for a smoother tomato sauce, a fork actually works best for this recipe. With these beautifully caramelized tomatoes, there are going to be some perfectly-charred bits, as well as some overly-charred bits. As you mash everything with the back of a fork, you’ll start to notice some overly-charred skins that won’t break down. That’s when you just lift them out with your fork and discard them. This leaves behind the perfect amount of char, for a roasted tomato flavor without too much toasty flavor.

It would actually be a really bad idea to just throw this in a blender and let it go, because you’d wind up blending too much char into the mix. With a fork, you can control how much charred skin you let in and how much you discard.

And besides, this roasting technique yields the perfect texture for mashing. You really don’t need a blender to end up with something pretty darn smooth, with just a bit of texture.

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roasted tomato sauce (no dishes)

roasted tomato sauce
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  • Author: Kathryn Pauline
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: (see recipe)
  • Total Time: (see recipe)
  • Yield: 1 1/4 cup tomato sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 lb [905g] tomatoes*
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • garlic powder (or fresh garlic**)
  • salt
  • basil (fresh or dried—both optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Line a sheet pan with foil and then parchment.
  2. Carefully pull any vines or stems off your tomatoes, but do not hull them. Slice the tomatoes in half across their equators. Place the tomatoes so they are all cut-side up on the sheet pan.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil and evenly sprinkle with the garlic powder and salt (to taste). Move them so they are evenly spaced out, still cut-side-up.
  4. Roast for about 1 to 2 1/2 hours (longer for larger tomatoes, shorter for smaller ones). If your oven has a tight seal, open the door a few times while they cook to let the steam escape. The key is not how long they roast, but how they look: they will shrink down significantly, and they should be syrupy, not dry, and caramelized in spots around their edges.
  5. Once they’re done, use a fork to lift away any burnt bits of tomato goo that have caramelized around them. Discard. If you were not able to remove some bits of stem, remove them now.
  6. Mash them right in the pan using the back of a fork. If you notice any burnt skins that are not breaking up, simply lift them out and discard them.
  7. Tear fresh basil and use it to garnish the dish you’re serving this tomato sauce with, or stir dried basil into the sauce (add basil to taste).

Notes

*You can use any kind of tomato for this. The recipe gives a wide range of times (shorter for small tomatoes, longer for large ones). If you want to double the recipe, use 2 sheet pans.

** If using fresh garlic, crush with a garlic press, and top each tomato with a little bit (to taste). Slightly rub the garlic into the tomato to make sure it’s not just sitting on top (or it will burn)

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protein oatmeal (no protein powder)

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This protein oatmeal is made with 3 basic ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now: oats, eggs, and milk (or vegan alternatives). No protein powder, no blender, no specialty items necessary.

I’ve added protein to my go-to oatmeal recipe in the following two ways:

  1. I use more milk as the liquid (less water)
  2. I whisk in eggs at the end

The result? Oatmeal that’s smooth, custardy, and far tastier than anything spiked with protein powder. It’s easy, it’s cozy, and you probably already have everything you need to make it.

Jump to the recipe if you’re on board. Or read on if you want to know a little more about why this is my go-to technique for upgrading my morning oats.

Why I don’t like using protein powder in my protein oatmeal

I’m not here to stop you from putting protein powder in your oatmeal. If you like it, go forth and sprinkle that vanilla-flavored whey to your heart’s content. But in my kitchen? We are Team Egg for sure.

Why? Because protein powder is like that early-bird friend who is kind of a mess if they have to stay up after 9PM. Protein powder shines in cold applications—smoothies, overnight oats, “nice cream.” But the moment you pass a certain temperature, it turns a little sulky. It gets tired. It wants to go home. The texture gets stodgy, the flavor gets weird, and your cozy bowl of oats starts to taste like chalk.

Now, I am not the protein powder police. You can heat it and stir it into your stovetop oats. But just because you can does not mean you should.

That’s why I save my protein powder for cold applications, where it thrives. Like, in overnight oats, it’s basically the hero that saves you from squelchy sludge and delivers pudding-level creaminess.

But for warm oatmeal? I’d rather use something that can handle the heat—like eggs!

Why eggs work great in protein oatmeal

Eggs are phenomenal in protein oatmeal for a few reasons:

1. You probably have them!

Need I say more? Sure, you could whip out a block of silken tofu or do something avant-garde with protein powder foam. But eggs? They’re always there for you. Even after you’ve been traveling for a week and return to a poorly-stocked kitchen. And even with eggs being more expensive than they once were, they’re still a relatively affordable option compared to many alternatives.

2. They turn your oats into a custard.

I mean… custard for breakfast? Absolutely delicious. If you like flan, crème anglaise, egg tarts—basically, anything eggy and sweet—you’re going to like eggs in your oatmeal. No, it’s not exactly flan itself. But it has the same custard-like quality in both flavor and texture, especially if you top it with something sweet. My favorite is cold strawberry compote.

3. They play well with both sweet and savory.

The nice thing about eggs (instead of, like, vanilla soy isolate) is that they taste truly neutral. Eggy oatmeal is great topped with maple syrup and berries, sure. But it’s just as delicious topped with buttery corn, scallions, and bits of crispy bacon. It could really go either way!

4. They’re traditional

This isn’t a Tiktok food hack or blender experiment. It’s got roots. I live in Hong Kong, where you’ll find cha chaan tengs all over the city. Cha chaan tengs serve down-to-earth Hong Kong style breakfast items like milk tea, egg sandwiches, pineapple buns with butter, and my favorite: super creamy oatmeal. Sometimes you’ll even find an option to have oatmeal with egg whites added (蛋花麥皮*). This recipe looks a lot like the ones I’ve enjoyed here—cozy, custardy, and deeply comforting.

And even more than any sort of health reason, that’s what really inspired this recipe. Eggs (whether whole or whites) in porridge are just plain delicious. You should give it a try if you haven’t already!

*Shout out to my friend Harry for helping give the right context for oatmeal in Hong Kong!

A note on liquid:oat ratios (I promise I have not lost my mind)

When you see the recipe below, you’re going to think I have lost my mind because of the ratios of liquid to oats. But here’s a very important oatmeal PSA: We’re all not adding enough liquid to our oats!

I have a whole post about it where I share my classic oatmeal recipe. But don’t take it from me—49 reviewers have given it 4.9/5⭐️ (as of 5 April 2025). Commenters have said things like:

  • “Thank you so much for making it possible to love oatmeal again 💕”
  • “Simply the best oatmeal I’ve ever had in my life I kid you not… 1000/10 I don’t even leave reviews but I had to yet yall know”
  • “You’ve changed the game. Ever since I got pregnant with my son in 2019, I haven’t been able to stomach oatmeal (because of the texture and gloopiness), but THIS, this right here changed me. I’ve had this every morning for the past week.”
  • “At 61 I’ve finally made a delicious bowl of oatmeal. Normally I’d have thrown out more than half, today I wished I made more. Thanks for sharing, the key is twice the amount of liquid. So excited, can’t wait till tomorrow.”

So if you want your oatmeal to be creamy instead of “gluggy” (as one commenter calls the standard fare), you’re going to want to stick to the recipe below. And if you want to know more or you’re not quite convinced, feel free to check out the original post for a whole explanation.

Vegan alternatives

You can absolutely use vegan alternatives in this recipe. Feel free to use soy milk (or another vegan milk of choice). If you’re trying to increase the protein content, choose a vegan milk that’s high in protein. For the eggs, I do not recommend substituting homemade flax eggs. Instead, use a store-bought vegan egg substitute that’s been designed to be used 1-for-1 with conventional eggs (or find another oatmeal recipe that deliberately incorporates flax. I’ve heard good things about this one!).

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protein oatmeal (no protein powder)

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Note: the ratios in this recipe are not a mistake, although it will seem like a lot of liquid. Read here for more.

  • Author: Kathryn Pauline
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup [75g] old fashioned oats (gluten free ones, if necessary)
  • 2 cups [480g] milk*
  • 1 cup [235g] water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 whole eggs**, whisked (to be added later)
  • Toppings***

Instructions

  1. Bring the oats, milk, water, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan**** over medium heat, stirring every minute or so.
  2. Once it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid thickens and the oatmeal softens. It will start out watery, and at a certain point it will noticeably thicken (e.g., the bubbles will get bigger), while still remaining very pourable and creamy. Leave it uncovered the whole time, and be careful not to let it bubble over. When a skin forms, just stir it back into the oatmeal.
  3. Once the oatmeal thickens, slowly stream the eggs in while whisking constantly. Continue whisking until it starts to bubble again, and then immediately remove from heat.*****
  4. Pour into bowls and add your favorite toppings at the table (here, pictured with macerated strawberries).

Notes

* You can substitute a milk alternative. I like soy milk here.

** You can substitute 3 egg whites or 2 egg whites + 1 whole egg or substitute 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp [100g] vegan egg substitute (e.g., “Just Egg,” not homemade flax eggs, but a store-bought substitute that you can use 1-for-1).

*** Go either sweet or savory. You can just do a simple sprinkling of brown sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup. I love macerated strawberries or strawberry compote. Cinnamon apples are also lovely. Add any chopped nuts or spices you’d like. And if you go savory, you could always add a poached egg on top with sautéed scallions and/or garlic. I also really love buttery corn on top of oatmeal. The sky’s the limit!

****  If you’re using a wide pan instead of a small saucepan, you may need to add a bit more water as it cooks (more water will evaporate from a wide pan).

***** Streakiness is a matter of personal preference. If you want some streaks and strands of eggs, pour it in a spiral like you’re making egg-drop soup, then very gently stir it slowly. To prevent streakiness, stream it in very slowly while whisking constantly.

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berry scones

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These berry scones are fabulous with blackberries (as pictured), but you can also use raspberries or blueberries. Really, any small-ish berry your heart desires! The magenta royal icing gets its vibrant color from just a handful of berries, and the scones themselves have a dreamy texture and flavor, all thanks to one not-so-secret ingredient.

Read on or jump to the recipe if you wanna get right to baking.

blackberry scones on a sheet pan in the oven
blackberry scones on a sheet pan

Beautiful, magenta royal icing (with no food coloring!)

These scones are perfectly flavored and textured, but my favorite thing about this recipe is the vibrant berry icing. It gets its magenta color and moisture from just a small handful of berries. You can absolutely add a few drops of lemon juice to give it a little acidity, but if you want to really punch up the berry flavor while adding acidity, I recommend using this instead:

sumac! (but you can omit it if you don’t have any 😉)

Adding lemon juice works just fine, but sumac is a real hero ingredient here. So if you have some on hand, I recommend using it. Sumac is most often used in savory dishes, but it works equally well with sweet things. Its flavor is acidic with notes of berry, and it heightens the flavor of berries in the same way rhubarb works so well with strawberries. They’re a match made in heaven!

blackberry scones topped with magenta icing and fresh blueberries
blackberry scones topped with magenta icing and fresh blueberries

The secret to perfect scones

You might see “cream cheese” in the recipe list and think “wait, is this like a cheese danish situation?” But I can assure you, these are not cheesy in any way whatsoever. You don’t actually taste the cream cheese, as you would with a cheesy pastry. Instead, the cream cheese acts almost like a cultured butter, giving the dough a really fabulous texture and adding plenty of dairy fat in the process. The resulting flavor is somewhere between a perfect buttermilk biscuit and a classic scone. And since trying it this way, I will never make scones another way again.

blackberry scones topped with magenta icing and fresh blueberries
blackberry scones topped with magenta icing and fresh blueberries

Incorporating the berries into your berry scones

These berry scones are easy to throw together, but there is a trick to incorporating the berries without squishing them. Follow the recipe closely and they’ll turn out just fine. But just remember not to start compressing the dough before sprinkling on the berries. And careful not to let the food processor overwork the dough to begin with.

Dump the loose crumbs onto the counter, sprinkle on the berries, bring the dough together while making sure the berries are evenly distributed, and then start to compress once they’re all in place inside the shaggy mound of dough. It’s really hard to squish them once they’ve got even pressure from the dough that’s surrounding them, and even if you do manage to slightly squish one or two of them, it’s not a big deal once they’re already situated in the dough. And don’t worry if a few of them peek through the top or sides—as you can see from the photos, they’ll turn out really pretty either way.

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berry scones

blackberry scones topped with magenta icing and fresh blueberries
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  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients

for the berry icing:

  • 1 slightly heaped 1/4 cup [35g] berries*
  • 1 cup [125g] icing sugar
  • 1/4 tsp lemon juice or 2 tsp [6g] sumac

for the berry cream cheese scones:

  • 2 cups [260g] all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup [50g sugar] + more for sprinkling
  • 1 tablespoon [12g] baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon [6g] salt
  • 3 tablespoons [55g] cold unsalted butter
  • ½ of an 8oz brick [115g] cold cream cheese
  • 2 large eggs [100g]
  • 1¼ to 1½ cups [165g] berries
  • Egg wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
  • Decoration: berry icing (above), extra sumac (optional), and extra berries

Instructions

  1. For the icing**: Place the berries, icing sugar, and sumac or lemon juice in a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, then move to a small bowl and set aside for an hour or two until you’re ready to use. It should be very thick and should slowly run off of a spoon.
  2. Don’t wash the food processor! Give it a quick wipe or rinse to use again for the scones. No need to wash it fully, but just get rid of any big icing blobs or thick streaks, and dry it out if you rinsed it.***
  3. For the scones: Preheat the oven to 400°F [205°C].
  4. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse 2 or 3 times to blend. Cut the butter and cream cheese into approximately 1 tablespoon blobs as you add them to the food processor. Pulse about 10 times until only small lumps remain. Add the eggs and pulse about 6 more times, just until the eggs blend in and the dough starts forming little clumps.
  5. Dump the clumpy crumbs out onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Don’t compress the dough yet and spread it out into a loosely even layer. Sprinkle on the berries evenly. Very gently shape the dough into a loose mound, taking care to keep the berries evenly distributed in the dough as you work, and being careful not to squish them. Some of the berries will peek out and some will be hidden inside the dough.
  6. Once the dough looks like a shaggy mound, start to gently compress it into an approximately 7 inch [18cm] diameter circle (the berries will squish slightly, but once they’re in the mound of dough, it’s less likely you’re going to totally smash one, because the pressure on them is now very even).
  7. Cut the circle into 8 wedges, and space the wedges out evenly. Brush each wedge generously with egg wash, and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Let them cool either on the sheet pan or a cooling rack, and then drizzle with icing. Decorate with extra berries and a little more sumac (optional) before the icing hardens.

Notes

* Blackberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries all work well in this recipe.

** If you’re not weighing your ingredients precisely, no worries—hold back a couple berries and add them gradually until the icing reaches your desired consistency. It’s better to start out slightly too thick and to have to thin it out with additional berries. If it turns out too thin, blend in a tablespoon more of powdered sugar at a time until it’s very thick but still pourable.

*** If you make this recipe scones-first/icing-second, then you should wash the food processor fully in between because of the raw egg and flour.

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I originally posted this recipe in 2021, but updated it and reposted it in 2025.

baba ganoush

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Baba ganoush is easy to make, but even easier to mess up. This post shows you how to fix the most common mistakes with one simple method: double-roasting. It’s super easy and delivers rich, smoky flavor every time. Skip to the recipe if you’re convinced, or read on if you want to understand why this recipe works so well.

Baba ganoush seems straightforward enough! It’s just roasted eggplant, right? Smash it up, swirl in some tahini, and boom—you’ve got a dip.

Except, not quite. It is easy to make baba ganoush with a few simple tricks. But there are so many things that could go wrong. The biggest problem? Moisture. Eggplants are basically little water balloons. If you don’t deal with all that water, you’ll end up with a sad, soggy sludge.

Every good baba ganoush recipe deals with this problem one way or another. Some drain it after roasting. Some salt it before roasting. Some poke a million little holes in each eggplant. But most of these methods make one or two compromises:

Either:

A. They drain the flavor right along with the water, or
B. They don’t do enough to remove moisture effectively.

But fortunately there is a better way! And this way also happens to be easy and delicious.

Why double roasting makes the best baba ganoush

Let me introduce you to the magic of double-roasting. I know, it sounds like a hassle. Two rounds of roasting? Who has the time?

But stay with me—because double roasting is not only the easiest method (more on that in a sec), it’s also the most reliable way to remove excess moisture, dial up the flavor, and get a perfectly creamy texture.

Here’s how it works:

  1. You roast the eggplant over an open flame until the skins get all wrinkly and burnt.
  2. Then you peel those burnt skins away and split the eggplants open.
  3. Next, you lay them cut-side-up on a sheet pan, and pop them in the oven for a second roast.

The second round does two very important things: It cooks off even more moisture and it adds an extra layer of roasty, smoky depth that takes the flavor from good to “how did you make this?!”

why double roasting is also the easiest method

1. It actually saves on dishes:

It seems like it would involve a lot of cleanup, but if you play your cards right, it barely makes a mess.

  1. Line your sheet pan with foil, so you don’t have to wash it.
  2. Skip the food processor! Double-roasted eggplant gets so buttery-soft, you can just mash it with a fork. I sometimes go the food processor route, but you truly don’t need it. You can even tear the parsley instead of chopping it if you’re really feeling the laziness.
  3. You fire-roast the eggplant directly on an open flame—no skillet, no tray, no nothing. You can do this on a gas stove or grill, and as long as you don’t let the eggplant get to the point of dripping everywhere, cleanup is easy.

By my count, that results in a pairing knife, garlic press, plate, and mixing bowl! Plus a serving bowl if you’re feeling fancy. This is a much better dish situation than recipes that call for a strainer, salad spinner, or a bunch of kitchen towels.

2. It takes the guess-work out of fire-roasting

Fire-roasting sounds intimidating if you’ve never done it. How do you know when the eggplant is “done”? Is it cooked all the way through? With double-roasting, you don’t need to look for signs from the eggplant gods.

With double-roasting, you don’t need the eggplant to be cooked through in round one. You’re just trying to get a solid char and start the softening process.

Think of it like roasting marshmallows as an unsupervised eleven-year-old. You’re not aiming for golden-brown perfection. You’re lighting that thing on fire. Blacken the outside, peel it off, and toss the eggplants into the oven to finish roasting.

Other baba ganoush tips for extra flavor

1. Peel, don’t scoop

When it comes time to remove the charred eggplant skins, try to peel rather than scoop whenever possible. Here’s why:

Scooping tends to dig out just the soft, watery interior, leaving behind the golden brown layer you just worked hard to create. It’s just under that charred skin, and it’s where the magic lives. It’s smoky, concentrated, and full of depth. When you scoop, you’re often tossing out the most flavorful bits without realizing it.

Instead, start by peeling off any skin that comes off easily with your hands. If there are any stubborn patches that won’t budge, then you can scoop. And if a little skin clings here and there, that’s totally fine.

See the above photo for an idea of what you’re missing out on if you choose to scoop.

2. Use fresh garlic, but with restraint

Raw garlic adds a punch, but it can also hijack the whole dip if you’re not careful. 2 cloves might not sound like a lot, but it gives it plenty of garlicky flavor. And remember—you can always add more later.

3. Lemon and tahini proportions

If you want to cut back on either the lemon or tahini for some reason, make sure you cut back slightly on both (or add a little extra of both). They need to be in balance for the dish to have the right texture and flavor. If you cut back on the tahini without cutting back on the lemon juice, the dish will be watery and tart (even though you’re not actually adding any extra lemon). And if you cut back on the lemon juice without cutting back on the tahini, it will set up and taste very stodgy. There are plenty of great recipes for baba ganoush that don’t include tahini, but they use a lot less lemon that this recipe. Lemon and tahini balance each other out.

A note on eggplants varieties for baba ganoush:

I developed this recipe using Italian eggplants. They’re smaller than those giant American eggplants and much easier to work with. But if you have a couple American eggplants on hand, you can use them to make this recipe (as long as they are not grotesquely large). I have done so once or twice, and it worked well.

Fire-roast your eggplant first (American eggplants will take a bit longer than Italian eggplants), but when you go to split it open, think of it more like opening up a scroll rather than splitting it in half. You want as much of the inside of the eggplant to be exposed as possible. Spread it open on the sheet pan. It might look ugly, but as long as it’s in a spread-out layer, it should work great.

You can also try other varieties, but keep in mind that not all eggplants will have the right texture. But if you’re not afraid of an experiment, I say go for it! I just can’t guarantee it will turn out well. With Italian eggplants, on the other hand, it’s hard to go wrong!

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baba ganoush

baba ganoush on a meze tray
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  • Yield: about 2 to 3 cups

Ingredients

To double roast the eggplant:

  • 3 pounds baby Italian eggplants*
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided into 1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 tablespoons

To make the dip:

  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • Salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

  1. Fire-roast the eggplant:
    • For indoor grilling: set a gas stove to high heat. Open a window and turn on the exhaust. Place an eggplant directly on the grate. Let it blacken and become wrinkly on one side, then rotate it until it’s wrinkly all over (about 8 minutes total). Repeat with the rest.
    • For outdoor grilling: Set your grill to high heat with the lid closed for a few minutes. Place your eggplants on the grates and close the lid. Rotate them as they blacken on one side, and repeat until wrinkly and blackened all over (10 to 20 minutes for smaller ones, longer for larger ones). Transfer to a large plate.
  2. Strip the charred eggplant skins as soon as they come off the grill (be careful and use gloves, or wait for them to cool). The skins should come off in big strips, leaving behind golden brown flesh underneath. Hold the eggplants by the stems and use the side of a paring knife and your thumb to get the strips started. Place the stripped eggplants in a large bowl, leaving the skins behind on the plate to discard.
  3. Broil the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 450°F [230°C]. Line 1 or 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment or foil.
  4. Spit the eggplants in half lengthwise and cut off the stems. If any are too soft to slice, spread them open a bit with your fingers, so the inside is exposed.
  5. Place the eggplants cut-side up on the sheet pan(s), leaving any liquid behind in the bowl. Don’t crowd the pan, and use both pans if necessary. Drizzle each with about 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with ½ to ¾ tsp salt. 
  6. Roast for about 50 minutes. They’re done once they’ve shrunk down, turned golden brown, and the juices have cooked off. Let cool on the sheet pan.
  7. Make the dip: Place the garlic in a food processor** fitted with the blade attachment. Process until the garlic is minced. Add the eggplant, lemon juice, parsley, tahini, and salt to taste, and pulse a few times, just until it’s creamy but not completely smooth.
  8. Spread onto a plate or bowl, top with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a little more parsley, and a pinch of extra salt.

Notes

* This is about 7 small Italian eggplants, but you can substitute an equal weight of big eggplants. See the note about different varieties above the recipe for more info on how the roasting changes.

** If you’d like to you can skip the food processor and just mash everything with a fork. Finely tear the parsley leaves with your hands before adding them if you don’t want to bother with a cutting board. Use a garlic press for the garlic before adding it.

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Psst… by the way, I love this recipe so much, I ended up including it in my cookbook, Piecemeal.

If you like this baba ganoush as much as I do, you might like my book! It’s full of mix-and-match recipes and inspiration for fun and easy meals.

The double-roasted eggplant is used in 3 different recipes: this baba ganoush, deep dish pizza, and a ricotta frittata.

I originally posted this recipe to my blog in 2017, but I updated it and re-posted it in 2025.

 

roasted kale (the easiest way)

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The key to the best roasted kale is to drizzle on a super flavorful dressing before roasting. But what kind of dressing? That’s entirely up to you! This recipe is super flexible, and you can use any dressing you’d like as long as it’s got acidity, fat, and flavor. And because the ingredients are so flexible, you can easily make it vegan, gluten free, low carb—whatever you need.

The laziest / tastiest roasted kale method

My preferred kale roasting method yields a pan of kale that’s both crispy and chewy. Some bits will be shatteringly crisp like kale chips, while some will be a bit chewier, like sautéed kale.

This is the laziest way to roast kale, because it requires you to just *leave it alone.* There’s no flipping everything over halfway through roasting. There’s no carefully fanning out your kale so it evenly dehydrates. There’s just the chaos of the oven and the varied textures that it yields. And as it turns out, chaos is delicious!

kale, pre-roasting, on a sheet pan
kale after roasting, scraped up with a spatula

Dressings that work well for roasted kale

While you could just roast kale with some olive oil, I’ll never pass up an opportunity to introduce acidity and flavor. Pretty much all salad dressings have fat and acidity, so most work great for roasting vegetables.

So feel free to use any dressing that has acidity and fat. It can even be store-bought! But the following are some of my favorites that I use for roasting kale all the time:

  • creamy caesar dressing
  • Japanese roasted sesame dressing
  • vinaigrette (but, like, a good one, not a bland one)
  • gochujang sauce (like the prepared sauce you’d drizzle over bibimbap, not just straight-up gochujang paste)
roasted kale being sprinkled with pecorino romano
roasted kale, sprinkled with pecorino romano

Other veggies that are delicious roasted this way:

I’ve never met a veggie that doesn’t taste delicious coated in dressing and roasted, but here are a few of my favorites (cook times and temperatures will vary from this recipe for other veggies, but the dressing idea holds constant):

  • brussels sprouts
  • sliced carrots
  • broccolini
  • winter squash
  • cabbage wedges

More kale recipes I love

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roasted kale (the easiest way)

roasted kale sprinkled with pecorino romano
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  • Author: Kathryn Pauline
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • Leaves from 1 medium bunch kale
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup [80 g] salad dressing*
  • Salt
  • 3 Tbsp finely grated parmesan, pecorino, or nutritional yeast (optional**), plus more for sprinkling at the end

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Place the kale leaves on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Top with the dressing and massage the leaves with your hands until they’re very evenly coated. Spread the leaves out into an even layer and sprinkle with cheese or nutritional yeast, if using. Season with salt, as needed.
  3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until crispy in some spots and chewy in others.

Notes

* You can use literally any salad dressing you’d like as long as it has some fat and some acidity (including store-bought dressings). My favorite is a creamy caesar dressing (for that, I use ⅓ cup), but it also works great with a simple vinaigrette (for that, I use ¼ cup). Use your judgment about how much to add—it’ll vary depending on how big your bunch is and how flavorful your dressing is.

Here’s the vinaigrette I used for the kale in the photos (just whisk everything together):

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp mayo (can use vegan mayo or omit)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1 big pinch salt

** Only use the cheese/nooch if your dressing goes with it. Alternatively, you could use sesame seeds, fennel seeds, or even cumin seeds—really anything that goes with your dressing of choice.

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rice with vermicelli

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I truly believe that if you don’t like raisins, you probably don’t know the secret that every Middle Eastern cook knows: You’ve got to caramelize those babies! I learned this technique from my grandmother’s rice with vermicelli recipe, and it’s the key to the best plate of rice you’ll ever have.

If you love raisins (or if you plan to omit them no matter what I say 😉), feel free to skip ahead, or read on if you wanna talk about it!

Table of contents

Why caramelizing raisins is delicious (and easy!)
What’s so great about this recipe
Important recipe notes
✨The recipe✨

Why caramelizing raisins is delicious

If you hate raisins, I’m sure you’re skeptical. You’ve heard it all before:

“You should try soaking them!”
(Ew, no thank you—that just makes them squelchy, not good.)

“Well then, you should try rehydrating them in apple juice!”
(No, because the problem isn’t that they are not sweet. It’s that they are gross.)

The thing is, I get it. I do not like raisins in most contexts. But caramelizing them changes absolutely everything. It takes them from stale little Milk Duds to the most amazing salted caramels.

And all you’ve got to do is fry them in some oil or butter for a minute or two. It’s as easy as that, but it completely changes their texture. They go from stale to soft and chewy. And definitely not squelchy!

What’s so great about this rice with vermicelli

  • One pot: This is a new-and-improved, streamlined version of an old recipe I posted way back when I first started blogging. It’s based on the way my Assyrian grandmother makes rice with vermicelli, but I’ve tinkered with it so it uses way fewer dishes.
  • Olive oil: This recipe is traditionally made with either olive oil or butter, but lately I’ve been using olive oil, which has a funny way of tasting even butterier than butter itself. And for anyone who is vegan or trying to add more monounsaturated fats into their diet, this recipe is a great option. Alternatively, you can absolutely substitute butter in place of the olive oil (use an equal amount everywhere except at the “make the rice” step—there, you should add 2 Tbsp butter to the rice instead of 1 Tbsp olive oil).
  • Substitutions: There are a lot of possible options for the vermicelli itself, so don’t sweat it if you can’t find any. There are even notes at the end of the recipe for a gluten free substitution.

Important notes

If you follow the recipe, you should be all good, but here are some things to keep in mind:

  • No peeking! You might be tempted to lift the lid while it’s resting, but resist that urge! It’s okay to peek in once or twice (just a tiny little crack) while it’s simmering. But after that point, it needs to stay sealed so the steam can work its magic. And peeking too much while it cooks can let too much water evaporate.
  • No stirring! If you follow the no peeking rule, you won’t be tempted to stir it, but it’s so important, I gave it its own bullet point. This “absorption” rice method depends on not stirring it once you put that lid on. The rice forms a beautiful structure as it simmers with lots of room for steam to get around. If you stir it, you’ll smush everything together and the steam won’t be able to circulate evenly. Your rice will turn out mushy, mealy, and broken. Just let it do its thing, and it’ll turn out great.
  • Mise en place: Things move pretty quickly, and you don’t want to leave your nuts, raisins, or vermicelli unattended while they’re toasting. So make sure you have everything you need handy at the stove. The recipe should set you up for success, but here’s a list of everything you should have at the stove when you get started:
    • paper towel lined plate + more paper towels
    • your rinsed rice
    • slotted spoon
    • olive oil
    • almonds, raisins, vermicelli (+ measuring tools, or measure them ahead)
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rice with vermicelli

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  • Author: Kathryn Pauline
  • Active time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups [400 g] long grain rice (e.g., basmati)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup [120 g] slivered almonds
  • ¾ cup [110 g] golden raisins or sultanas*
  • 1 cup [80 g] broken wheat vermicelli**
  • 3 cups [705 g] cold water
  • 1½ tsp salt

Instructions

Notes

* I swear these raisins are not like other raisins (sorry I know that makes them sound like pick-me raisins). But you can leave them out if you really hate raisins. I explain at the top of the blog post, so feel free to give it a read if you’re curious. Or leave them out if you need to—you do you!

** You can buy pre-broken vermicelli in Middle Eastern markets and sometimes the international aisle of the supermarket (sh’arieh in Arabic, tel şehriye in Turkish).

If you can’t find that, buy vermicelli egg noodles and crush them up with your hands. If you go the vermicelli egg noodle route, they should be wheat-based (not rice-based), usually made with semolina. If you’re crushing up your own noodles, make sure they’re crushed very compactly (particularly if you’re not measuring with weight). If they’re loosely packed and not well-crushed, 1 cup won’t be enough, which will mean there will be too much water, which will result in soggy rice. Or use a scale and don’t even sweat it.

To make this recipe gluten free, you can even use crushed up gluten free angel hair/capellini, or even gluten free spaghetti.

I’ve even used regular old broken-up spaghetti in a pinch when I didn’t have any vermicelli around. It’s not exactly the same but totally works if you can’t find vermicelli anywhere.

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easy dessert dates

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When I want an easy dessert, I look no further than the date! Bliss balls are well and good, but it’s even easier (and much, much prettier!) to just combine a few ingredients and sandwich them together. These dessert dates have you covered when you can’t be bothered to bring out the food processor.

Each of these easy dessert dates recipes (if you can even call them recipes!) is inspired by one of my favorite classic sweets. Five are gluten free, four are vegan, three are both.

persimmon pudding

ripe persimmons + cinnamon + nutmeg

Fill each date with a small wedge of persimmon. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon, and a little bit of nutmeg.

chocolate-covered pretzel

pretzel nuggets + chocolate

Fill each date with a pretzel and dip the bottoms in chocolate.

apple crisp

granny smith apple slices + streusel topping

For 8 dates: combine 3 tablespoons oats (gluten free, if necessary), 1 teaspoon sugar, a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and 1 tablespoon butter (or 2 teaspoons oil). Microwave for 30 seconds just to melt, then stir. Cook for 30 to 60 more seconds, until crispy and golden brown.

Fill each date with a slice of apple, and pack the streusel topping around it. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

baklava

walnut + cardamom + chopped pistachios

Fill each date with a few broken walnut pieces. Roll the pistachios in a pinch or two of cardamom, and pack the pistachios in the remaining space.

raspberry cheesecake

cream cheese + honey + graham cracker crumbles + raspberry halves

Sweeten the cream cheese with a little honey (the date will add a lot of sweetness—you can even skip the honey if you’d like). Fill each date with a layer of graham cracker crumbs, a layer of cream cheese, another light sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs to garnish, and a halved raspberry.

pecan pie

shortbread + pecan

Cut or break the shortbread into small chunks. Fill each date with a chunk of shortbread and one pecan.

s’mores

roast mini marshmallow + graham cracker + chocolate dip

Roast the marshmallows with a culinary torch, gas stove, or warm them in the microwave for a couple seconds. Fill each date with a couple marshmallows and a chunk of graham cracker, and dip the bottoms in chocolate.

Use vegan marshmallows to make this vegan.

tiramisu

Turkish coffee + cocoa powder + honey + mascarpone

Roll the dates in equal parts finely ground coffee and cocoa powder (if the dates are dry and not sticky, brush them with a little water, let them sit for a few minutes, and dry off any excess water before rolling). Fill each date with honey-sweetened mascarpone, and dust with a little more cocoa powder.

banana split

banana + whipped cream + chopped peanuts + sprinkles + halved cherries

Fill each date with a banana slice. Top with whipped cream, peanuts, sprinkles, and a 1/2 maraschino cherry.

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easy dessert dates

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  • Author: Kathryn Pauline
  • Total Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

  • medjool dates
  • your fillings of choice (find lots of ideas above the recipe)

Instructions

  1. Slice each date open on one side with a paring knife, then remove the pit.
  2. Pop the date open a little, fill with whatever ingredients you’d like, and enjoy.

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