Grandma’s Famous Holiday Cinnamon Rolls & Yeast Rolls: ONE Recipe

Grandma’s Yeast Roll Dough to Make Both Yeast Rolls & Cinnamon Rolls

My grandma was known in her community for her yeast rolls. Luckily for her family and friends, the recipe was good enough and large enough to make both breakfast and dinner with a single bread-making dough. While I have shared my grandma’s yeast roll recipe before in another blog post, I’m happy to take those rolls a step further. Taking notes from grandma, I’m sharing how to make her yeast rolls and cinnamon rolls from one recipe with one preparation. With the holidays around the corner, this recipe will save you time, energy, and make most everyone you know happy. 😋

My Cinnamon Roll & Yeast Roll Inspiration

Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Rolls
Yeast Rolls
Yeast Rolls

While I have blogged about my grandma’s rolls before and provided the recipe, this post is special as it combines both holiday-type breads in one recipe; cinnamon rolls and yeast rolls. My grandmother made both with one recipe, and I wanted to honor that this year. Thanks to my family and close friends for whom I have made both of these rolls recently. They (the people and the bread-making process) reminded me of what a wonderful southern cook and baker my grandmother was. This is the time of year I spend in the kitchen baking, being thankful and recalling those who have positively impacted my life. Let’s get to it!

Yeast Roll & Cinnamon Roll Ingredients

yeast, granulated sugar, water, salt, shortening, eggs, and all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream or milk of any kind
yeast, granulated sugar, water, salt, shortening, eggs, and all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream or milk of any kind

For the yeast roll ingredients, you’ll need yeast, granulated sugar, water, salt, shortening, eggs, and all-purpose flour. In addition, for the cinnamon roll filling and frosting, you’ll need butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream or milk of any kind.

How do we produce 2 breads from 1 dough?

Cinnamon Rolls & Yeast Rolls from 1 Batch of Dough
Cinnamon Rolls & Yeast Rolls from 1 Batch of Dough

So, here’s a quick rundown of these rolls. We first make 1 batch of yeast roll dough. From that, we divide the dough in half. We use one half to make a batch of yeast rolls and the other half to make a batch of cinnamon rolls. It’s that simple. We end up with a large pan of 24 yeast rolls and a large pan of 12 cinnamon rolls.

Make the Yeast Dough for Both Breads

Activate the Yeast

To make the dough, we begin by activating the yeast. In a small bowl, mix 14 grams (2 packages or 4½ teaspoons) of active dry yeast. In a separate small bowl, measure out 38 grams (3 tablespoons) of granulated sugar. From that, remove 13 grams (1 tablespoon) of granulated sugar and mix it with the yeast. Pour in 118 milliliters (½ cup) of warm water heated to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Stir the mixture and set it aside for about 10 minutes to become doubled, bubbly, and frothy.

TIP: If the yeast doesn’t rise or become bubbly, it’s likely old and needs to be thrown out and replaced with a fresh batch.

mix 14 g (2 pkgs) yeast and 13 g (1 tbsp) sugar
mix 14 g (2 pkgs) yeast and 13 g (1 tbsp) sugar
add 118 ml (½ cup) warm water, stir, & set aside
add 118 ml (½ cup) warm water, stir, & set aside

Melt the Shortening

Meanwhile, boil 472 milliliters (2 cups) of water over the stove or in the microwave. In a large bowl, add 96 grams (½ cup) of diced shortening. Pour the boiling water over the shortening and stir to break up the shortening even more. Allow about 2 minutes for the shortening to melt.

TIP: Dicing the shortening first creates less mass allowing it to melt quicker.

stir together 96 grams (½ cup) shortening & 472 ml (2 cups) boiling water
stir together 96 grams (½ cup) shortening & 472 ml (2 cups) boiling water to melt

Add Sugar & Salt to Melted Shortening

To the melted shortening, add the remaining 25 grams (2 tablespoons) of granulated sugar and 23 grams (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) of salt. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve; it only takes a few seconds. Allow the water to cool down to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C), which will take 5-10 minutes.

add remaining 25 g (2 tbsp) sugar
add remaining 25 g (2 tbsp) sugar
23 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) salt & stir
23 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) salt & stir

Add Activated Yeast & Eggs to the Cooled Shortening

Once the shortening has cooled, stir in the yeast mixture. In the same bowl we activated the yeast, add 2 eggs, one at a time. Beat each egg slightly. Pour each into the bowl with the shortening and yeast mixture. Stir the mixture well.

stir in activated yeast mixture
stir in activated yeast mixture
add & stir in 2 lightly beaten eggs
add & stir in 2 lightly beaten eggs

Add the Flour in 2 Stages

Measure out 480 grams (4 cups) of all-purpose flour and sift it. I prefer to sift my flour for these rolls, because sifted flour produces a light and airy bread. However, I have made these rolls (rarely) without sifting the flour and that is also fine.  Add the flour to the mixture and whisk or stir well. The mixture will be the texture of cake batter. Add the remaining 360 grams (3 cups) of all-purpose flour (sift if desired) and stir well. The dough will be sticky and shaggy.

TIP: Use a sturdy spoon to stir in the last cups of flour since the flour will produce a stiff, dense dough.

1. 480 g (4 cups) flour
1. 480 g (4 cups) flour
2. whisk or stir until smooth
2. whisk or stir until smooth
3. 360 g (3 cups) remaining flour
3. 360 g (3 cups) remaining flour
4. stir using sturdy spoon; dough will be thick & sticky
4. stir using sturdy spoon; dough will be thick & sticky

Cover Dough to Rise

Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and set the dough aside in a warm area to double in size which will take about 1 hour. You can place the covered dough OVER an oven set at 200˚F (93˚C) or IN the oven turned OFF with the oven incandescent light ON. Or on a warm day, why not set it outside away from drafts? 😉

cover & set aside to rise ~1 hour
cover & set aside to rise ~1 hour

Prepare Baking Pans

Grease two 9-x13-inch casserole dishes using butter, shortening, or cooking spray. I prefer to grease my pans with butter, because the butter adds richness and saltiness to the exterior of the bread. Besides, that’s how my grandma did it. 😊

grease two 9-x13- inch baking pans
grease two 9-x13- inch baking pans

Knead & Knead Some More

When the dough has doubled in size, scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead ~ 10 minutes. Add enough flour during kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. The dough should be tacky but not stick to the surface. Since this is a wet dough, you may need as much as 1 cup of additional flour when kneading. That’s OK as long as you stop adding flour when the dough becomes tacky, and it is no longer sticking to your hands or the work surface.

1. dough has doubled; sprayed plastic removes easily
1. dough has doubled; sprayed plastic removes easily
2. scoop dough out onto floured surface
2. scoop dough out onto floured surface
3. knead for 10 minutes adding flour as needed
3. knead for 10 minutes adding flour as needed

Divide and Conquer

Divide the dough in half. You can eyeball the cut or weigh the whole dough and divide in half. Set one half back in the bowl and cover it with a towel. Knead the other half separately for another 3-5 minutes; the dough should be elastic and not sticky. Switch the dough halves, so the half (just kneaded) can rest. Go ahead and knead the other half for another 3-5 minutes. Let both dough halves rest for a few minutes.

divide dough in half
divide dough in half
knead each half separately for another 3 minutes
knead each half separately for another 3 minutes

Make the Yeast Rolls: Use 1 Dough Half

Place one dough half on a floured work surface while the other half remains covered in a bowl. Push or roll out the dough to a 1½ -inch-thick disk. Use a small ~2 -inch biscuit or cookie cutter or small drinking glass (something that is round) to cut out the rolls. Place the rolls touching in one of the prepared baking dishes. Gather the remaining dough, shape the dough scraps into another disk, and cut out more rolls until all the dough is used. You should get 22-24 rolls out of the dough half and be able to fit them all in one pan.

1. pat or roll out dough to 1½ inches thick
1. pat or roll out dough to 1½ inches thick
2. use biscuit/cookie cutter to cut out small rounds
2. use biscuit/cookie cutter to cut out small rounds
3. place round in greased baking dish
3. place round in greased baking dish
4. use all dough to create 22-24 yeast rolls (to fill pan)
4. use all dough to create 22-24 yeast rolls (to fill pan)

Cover to Rise OR Cover to Store

At this point, you can choose to bake them today, tomorrow, or weeks down the road. If making them today, cover the rolls to rise for 30-60 minutes. If baking them tomorrow, cover the rolls well in plastic and store them in the fridge overnight. They will rise during the night requiring less time to rise prior to baking. For making them days or weeks later, wrap the pans well and store them in the freezer. From frozen, place the pans in the fridge overnight to thaw and rise. From the fridge, remove them about 45 minutes prior to baking them and place them on the counter or in a warm area, so they finish rising. Then bake as directed.

Make the Cinnamon Rolls: Use 1 Dough Half

Prepare the Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Filling

To a small bowl, add 216 grams (1 cup firmly packed) dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses flavor than light brown sugar providing more flavor depth; I find dark brown sugar the better option in this recipe.  Add 10 grams (~1½ tablespoons) of ground cinnamon. Stir the mixture until combined and set it aside.

combine 216 g (1 cup firmly packed) dark brown sugar & 10 g (~1½ tbsp) ground cinnamon
combine 216 g (1 cup firmly packed) dark brown sugar &
10 g (~1½ tbsp) ground cinnamon

Ceylon Versus Cassia Cinnamon

I prefer to use Ceylon cinnamon (known as “true cinnamon”) in all my cooking and baking. Ceylon is more difficult to find than typical Cassia cinnamon, the common unspecified cinnamon found in grocery stores. Comparing the two, Ceylon cinnamon is more expensive and a little less potent in flavor. It naturally contains almost negligible amounts of coumarin (0.04%), a toxic chemical found in many plant species, but more in cinnamon than any other. Whereas Cassia cinnamon contains about 1% coumarin. While there are no exact daily dose recommendations for how much coumarin humans can consume without negative effects, it appears to be somewhere around 1 teaspoon total (per day) for all foods that contain it. So, if you consume, cook, and bake using Ceylon cinnamon, you can safely eat more of it. See a previous post on Pumpkin Pie Spice for more information on Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon.

Flatten Dough to a Rectangle

Pat or roll out the remaining dough half to about an 18×12-inch rectangle. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread 113 grams (1 stick) of softened butter evenly all over the dough from edge to edge.

TIP: If the butter is too cold and not spreadable, cut it into chunks and heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir and add another 5 seconds or so just until softened.

roll dough to about 18-x12- inch rectangle
roll dough to about 18-x12- inch rectangle
spread 113 g (1 stick) softened butter all over dough
spread 113 g (1 stick) softened butter all over dough

Sprinkle on Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Mixture

Spread all the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the butter. Pat it lightly into the dough so it sticks to the butter.

1. spread on cinnamon & brown sugar mixture
1. spread on cinnamon & brown sugar mixture
2. use hand to evenly smooth out mixture
2. use hand to evenly smooth out mixture
3. pat mixture into dough to stick to butter
3. pat mixture into dough to stick to butter

Roll Up Cinnamon Roll

Start at one short end and roll up the dough. Cut the log into 12 “equal” slices. To cut into 12 relatively equal pieces, cut the dough in half. Cut each half in half again to get quarters. Cut each quarter now into thirds. That should equal 12 rolls. Place each roll in the other well-greased 9×13- inch pan touching each other (3 rows across and 4 rows down).

TIP: Cut the 12 slices using a serrated knife (or unflavored dental floss), so the cuts are smooth.

1. begin rolling up at one short end
1. begin rolling up at one short end
4. cut each half in half to get quarters
4. cut each half in half to get quarters
2. rolls easily into a log
2. rolls easily into a log
5. cut each quarter in thirds & place each roll in greased baking pan
5. cut each quarter in thirds & place each roll in greased baking pan
3. cut log in half
3. cut log in half
6. 12 rolls fit in pan
6. 12 rolls fit in pan

Cover to Rise OR Cover to Store

At this point, you can choose to bake them today, tomorrow, or weeks down the road just like with the yeast rolls. If making them today, cover the rolls to rise for 30-60 minutes. If baking them tomorrow, cover the rolls well in plastic and store them in the fridge overnight. They will rise during the night requiring less time to rise prior to baking. For making them days or weeks later, wrap the pans well and store in the freezer. From frozen, place them in the fridge overnight to thaw and rise. From the fridge, remove them about 45 minutes prior to baking them and place them on the counter or in a warm area, so they finish rising. Then bake as directed.

Bake the Rolls

Bake either rolls when you’re ready at the same temperature and for the same time. If baking both rolls on the same day as you make them, while the cinnamon rolls rise, you can go ahead and bake the yeast rolls. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) during the last 30 minutes of the rise. Place the yeast rolls in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Do the same with the cinnamon rolls when ready.

TIP: If making both rolls ahead of time, you might want to bake the cinnamon rolls in the morning for breakfast and the yeast rolls in the evening for dinner or whenever you want them.

Yeast rolls have risen and ready to bake
Yeast rolls have risen and ready to bake
Cinnamon rolls have risen and ready to bake
Cinnamon rolls have risen and ready to bake

Butter the Baked Yeast Rolls

Once the yeast rolls are out of the oven, immediately rub the tops of the rolls with salted butter. Now they are ready to serve. Cut and serve while hot with more salted butter.

TIP: To easily butter the tops of the rolls, cut a tablespoon and stab it with a fork or knife. Rub the butter over the tops of the rolls and watch it melt and ooze. You can also take a stick of butter, holding half of the butter in the wrapper, and just rub the other end (wrapper pulled back) along the tops of the rolls keeping your hands clean in the process. 😉

rub butter on top of baked yeast rolls while hot
rub butter on top of baked yeast rolls while hot

Frost the Baked Cinnamon Rolls

Make the Cinnamon Roll Frosting

In a small bowl, add 360 grams (3 cups) of powdered sugar. For my grandma’s yeast rolls, I go all in with lots of frosting. This is double the amount of frosting I use in my regular go-to cinnamon roll recipe. Then, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (clear vanilla will keep the frosting white like snow). Whisk in 4-8 tablespoons of cream or milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until you reach the consistency you want. If I have cream, I prefer to use that because the thick, milky white coloring keeps the frosting a pretty white or tan if using regular vanilla. If I don’t have cream, I use milk. I have used all sorts milk from whole milk to skim milk to plant-based alternatives like almond milk. Any of those work fine.

stir together 360 g (3 cups) powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, & 4-8 tbsp cream or milk or any kind (above is 5½ tbsp of Half-N-Half)
stir together 360 g (3 cups) powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, & 4-8 tbsp cream or milk or any kind (above is 5½ tbsp of Half-N-Half)

Frost the Cinnamon Rolls

Frost the cinnamon rolls whenever you’re ready. If they are warm, the frosting will ooze down into the crevices adding yummy goo throughout each roll. However, if you want a thick, frosting-like top, wait until the cinnamon rolls have cooled, then frost them like a cake. Use a spoon to spread the frosting over the rolls. There is enough frosting to cover the tops of each roll as thick as frosting on a cake.

frost top of each roll
frost top of each roll

Cinnamon Rolls and Yeast Rolls Close Up

Yeast Rolls

The yeast rolls are nicely brown on top and bottom. They have a substantial rise from the yeast. The crumb is soft and stretchy. The rolls are light and airy just as my grandma made them. Enjoy a house with smells of baked buttery, yeasty bread… just like homemade bread should smell.

Yeast Rolls Buttered & Ready to Serve
Yeast Rolls Buttered & Ready to Serve
Close up of Yeast Rolls
Close up of Yeast Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

The cinnamon rolls are frosty on top and golden brown with cinnamon and brown sugar goo on the bottom. They have a substantial rise like the yeast rolls. The cinnamon and brown sugar are dispersed well throughout the layers. The bread crumb is soft, light, and airy like the yeast rolls. You can’t go wrong with the sweet frosting. This is certainly Heaven on a plate screaming indulgence and holiday time.

Cinnamon Rolls Frosted & Ready to Eat
Cinnamon Rolls Frosted & Ready to Eat
Close up of Cinnamon Roll Interior
Close up of Cinnamon Roll Interior

Cinnamon Rolls and Yeast Rolls Storing Suggestions

You can store both the yeast rolls and cinnamon rolls covered at room temperature for several days. Keep in mind that the longer they sit, the more they dry out. I prefer to store them both wrapped well in the freezer, removing only what I want and microwaving them until heated through. This way they stay fresh while frozen.

Cinnamon rolls wrapped individual to prevent sticking while frozen
Cinnamon rolls wrapped individual to prevent sticking while frozen
Rolls wrapped in freezer bag to store in the freezer
Rolls wrapped in freezer bag to store in the freezer

Cinnamon Rolls and Yeast Rolls Final Thoughts

Cinnamon Rolls and Yeast Rolls from 1 Batch of Dough
Cinnamon Rolls and Yeast Rolls from 1 Batch of Dough

If you’re looking to make both yeast rolls and cinnamon rolls this holiday season, or whenever you get a hankering for fresh bread, I highly recommend my grandma’s version. It’s a total 2 for 1 deal saving lots of time and effort during a very busy time, not to mention, they are incredibly good.

Baker’s Perspective

Making and baking homemade yeast bread is never very easy. My grandma’s yeast roll recipe is no exception. However, during the holidays, so many of us want that homemade baked bread smell in our homes and on the table. While my grandma was mainly a homemaker, baked everything from scratch, and busy raising 6 children, I love how she took her famous yeast roll recipe and turned it into two breads for two different meals. It is such a time and energy saver using one dough and one dough prep to make two breads. Such a great idea for busy moms and dads who want to serve incredible homemade bread during the holidays.

Taster’s Perspective

Well, this yeast roll recipe is my grandma’s, so what can I say. Her yeast rolls taste and smell of my childhood full of many wonderful memories. So, obviously, they are the best in my book. Yeasty, light, airy, melt-in-your mouth bread… I can never resist these rolls. The cinnamon rolls are to die for. With that extra bit of cinnamon and frosting, flavors and sweetness are never ending. Both rolls, without a doubt, are total indulgence. 😋

Check out my YouTube video on making both of these rolls. “Cinnamon Rolls & Yeast Rolls: 2 Breads from 1 Dough Saving Time & Energy During the Holidays.”

Print Recipe

Grandma’s Famous Holiday Cinnamon Rolls & Yeast Rolls from ONE Recipe

Taking notes from grandma, here's her recipe for making yeast rolls and cinnamon rolls from one dough with one preparation. With the holidays around the corner, this recipe will save you time, energy, and make most everyone you know happy.
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Resting & Rising Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: yeast rolls, cinnamon rolls, holiday bread, sweet rolls, buns, cinnamon buns
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Summer

Ingredients

Yeast Roll Ingredients

  • 14 g (2 pkgs / 4½ tsp) active dry yeast
  • 38 g (3 tbsp) granulated sugar divided
  • 590 ml (2½ cups) water divided
  • 96 g (½ cup) shortening
  • 23 g (1 tbsp+1 tsp) salt
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 840 g (7 cups) all-purpose flour (sifted preferred & divided) fluff, scoop, and level off flour if using a measuring cup
  • 1-2 tbsp butter for brushing over the baked rolls & greasing pans

Cinnamon Roll Additional Ingredients

Filling:

  • 216 g (1 cup firmly packed) dark brown sugar
  • 10 g (~1½ tbsp) ground cinnamon
  • 113 g (1 stick) butter softened

Frosting:

  • 360 g (3 cups) powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4-8 tbsp cream or milk any kind

Instructions

Make the Dough for Both Rolls (Yeast & Cinnamon Rolls)

  • In a small bowl, add yeast. Measure out total granulated sugar and remove 13 g (1 tbsp) and add that to the yeast. Stir. Pour in 118 ml (½ cup) of warm water 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Stir and set aside for about 10 minutes until doubled, bubbly, and frothy.
  • Meanwhile, boil 472 ml (2 cups) of water over the stove or in the microwave. In a large bowl, place diced shortening. Pour the boiling water over the shortening. Allow about 2 minutes for the shortening to melt; you can stir the shortening with a spoon to encourage a quicker melt.
  • To the hot melted shortening, add the remaining 25 g (2 tbsp) of sugar and all of the salt. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, a few seconds. Allow the water to cool down to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C) about 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, stir yeast mixture into the shortening mixture.
    TIP: Finer grains of sugar and salt will dissolve more quickly.
  • In another small bowl/cup (reuse the yeast mixture bowl), beat lightly 2 eggs, one at a time, and add them to shortening and yeast mixture. Stir well.
  • To the wet ingredients, add 480 g (4 cups) of flour. Whisk or stir well. Add remaining 360 g (3 cups) of flour and stir very well. The dough will be sticky and shaggy.
    TIP: For ease, you can make these rolls without sifting the flour, but sifted flour creates a very light yeast roll.
  • Cover dough with a towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and set dough aside in a warm area to rise and double in size ~ 1 hour.
    TIP: You can place the covered dough OVER an oven set at 200˚F (93˚C) or IN the oven turned OFF with the oven incandescent light ON. On a warm day, set it outside away from drafts. 😉
  • Grease two 9-x13-inch casserole dishes using butter, shortening, or cooking spray.
    TIP: Greasing pans with butter adds a salty richness to the exterior of the baked rolls. 😊
  • When dough has doubled in size, scoop dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 minutes adding enough flour during kneading until dough is no longer sticky. Dough should be tacky but not stick to the surface.
    TIP: Since this is a wet dough, you may need as much as 1 cup of additional flour when kneading. That's OK as long as you stop adding flour when the dough becomes tacky, and it is no longer sticking to your hands or the work surface.
  • Divide the dough in half. Knead each half separately for another 3-5 minutes until elastic and not sticky. Cover the dough halves and allow them to rest a few minutes.
    TIP: You can eyeball the cut or weigh the total dough and divide in half based on weight.

Make the Yeast Rolls: Use 1 Dough Half

  • Pat or roll out dough using a rolling pin 1 dough half out to a 1½ -inch-thick disk. Use a small ~2 -inch biscuit/cookie cutter or small drinking glass (something that is round). Cut out rolls and place them touching in one of the prepared greased pans. Gather remaining dough, shape into another disk 1½ -inch-thick, and cut out rolls until all dough is used. You should get 22-24 rolls out of this dough half.
  • Cover rolls with a towel or plastic wrap to either rise and bake or store and bake at a later date.

Make Ahead Yeast Rolls to Store until Ready to Bake:

  • To store until ready to bake the following day, place covered pan of yeast rolls in the fridge overnight. Remove risen yeast rolls from fridge about 45 minutes before baking to give them time to warm up and rise a little more. You can also freeze the cinnamon rolls if making them days to weeks ahead; thaw overnight in the fridge, rise, and bake as directed when ready.

Make the Cinnamon Rolls: Use 1 Dough Half

  • To a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon until combined and set aside.
    TIP: Dark brown sugar has a little more molasses than light brown sugar. In this recipe, dark brown sugar is preferred as it adds a little more depth in flavor than light brown sugar, but either will work just fine.
  • Pat or roll out dough to about an 18×12-inch rectangle. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread softened butter evenly all over the dough from edge to edge.
    TIP: If butter is not easily spreadable, cut it into chunks and heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir and add another 5 seconds or so just until softened.
  • Spread all the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the butter and pat it lightly into the dough so it sticks to the butter.
  • Start at one short end and roll up the dough. Cut the log into 12 slices. Place each roll in the other well-greased 9×13- inch pan touching each other (3 rows across and 4 rows down). Cover with a towel or plastic wrap.
    TIPS: Cut the 12 slices using a serrated knife (or unflavored dental floss), so the cuts are smooth. To cut into 12 equal pieces, cut the dough in half. Cut each half in half again to get quarters. Cut each quarter now into thirds. That should equal 12 rolls.

Make Ahead Cinnamon Rolls to Store until Ready to Bake:

  • To store until ready to bake the following day, place covered pan of cinnamon rolls in the fridge overnight. Remove risen cinnamon rolls from fridge about 45 minutes before baking to give them time to warm up and rise a little more. You can also freeze the cinnamon rolls if making them days to weeks ahead; thaw overnight in the fridge, rise, and bake as directed when ready.

Rise & Bake Both Pans of Rolls (Yeast & Cinnamon Rolls)

  • Place the covered pan(s) in a warm area to rise 30-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) during the last 30 minutes of the rise.
    TIP: If making and baking the rolls on the same day, allow the yeast rolls to rise while filling the cinnamon rolls. Then, you can bake the yeast rolls while the cinnamon rolls rise.
  • Bake one pan at a time (if 1 oven) for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
    TIP: If making both rolls ahead of time, bake the cinnamon rolls in the morning for breakfast and the yeast rolls in the evening for dinner.

Butter Tops of Yeast Rolls:

  • After removing baked yeast rolls from oven, while still hot, butter tops of rolls with salted butter. Cut and serve while hot with additional salted butter.
    TIP: To easily butter tops of rolls, cut a tablespoon of butter and stab it with a fork or knife. Rub the butter over the tops of the rolls and watch it melt and ooze. You can also take a stick of butter, holding half of the butter in the wrapper, and just rub the other end (wrapper pulled back) along the tops of the rolls.

Frost Tops of Cinnamon Rolls:

  • While the cinnamon rolls slightly cool, make the frosting. In a small bowl, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk in cream or milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until you reach the consistency you want. Use a spoon to spread the frosting over the rolls. There is enough frosting to cover the tops of each roll as thick as a cake.
    TIP: Frost the cinnamon rolls while hot or cooled. If frosting the cinnamon rolls while hot, the frosting will ooze down through the layers and crevices. If frosting the cooled cinnamon rolls, the frosting will sit on top like cake frosting. Both are good.

Video

Notes

Storage Suggestions:
Once both rolls have cooled, cover them well and store at room temperature for a couple of days. The longer they sit, the drier they become. For longer storage, wrap the yeast rolls in plastic or foil and place in a freezer bag; wrap the cinnamon rolls individually (to prevent sticking together) in plastic wrap and place all together in a freezer bag. Store rolls in the freezer for up to a couple of months. When ready to eat, remove only as many as you want, allow them to thaw on the counter for 30 min to an hour and heat in the microwave until warm OR heat directly from the freezer for ~45 seconds in the microwave or until heated through. If you want to serve a lot at once, after they’ve thawed, place them (out of plastic) in foil and seal the foil edges. Then, heat in an oven at 350˚F (177˚F) for 15 minutes until soft and warm; careful not dry them out.

Check out these holiday recipes.

Finnish Pinwheel Cookies

Vegetarian Tamales: Vegan & Meat Friendly

Holiday Rolled Baklava: Pistachios, Pomegranates, & Orange

Holiday Squash & Cranberry Muffins

British Hot Cross Buns

Grandma’s Crispy Crust Moist Skillet Cornbread

Canadian Tourtière: Holiday Meat Pie

Austrian Apple Strudel

3 Simple & Flavorful Pie Crusts

Sweet Potato Swirled Babka Bread

Cinnamon Rolls

Venezuelan Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread)

French Pain d’Épices (Spice Bread)

Crispy Ginger Snap Cookies

Greek Vasilopita New Year’s Cake

Spanish King Cake (Rascón de Reyes Epiphany Bread)

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.

Simple Apple Pie Spice Blend 🍎 for Your Warm Fall Dishes

Apple Pie Spice Blend
Apple Pie Spice Blend

Fall is the season for adding warm spice blends to almost everything we eat and drink. Every commercial eatery seems to have something with pumpkin pie spice. But what about apple pie spice? What’s the difference? Actually, there is a slight difference between the two versions. While both have a concentrated cinnamon flavor, apple has significantly more nutmeg flavor, while pumpkin pie spice seems a bit mixed on the combined ginger and nutmeg side. Making your own is as easy as (apple) pie! 😉

Apple Pie Spice Contains No Apples, What?!

Like with the lack of pumpkin in pumpkin pie spice there are no apples harmed in the making of an apple pie spice blend. 😊 Apple pie spice is simply a mix of warm fall or winter spices. It does NOT include apples. The reason the word “apple” is in the title is because the typical individual spices used to make up this blended version are all spices found in a typical American apple pie. Other than that, the ingredients and spice blend itself are totally unrelated with apples, the fruit. With that, there are many apple pie spice recipes and many apple pie recipes that use a combination of various warm fall spices. Regardless, if you find a combination of spices you like, stick with that brand, or make your own, so you have exactly what you want anytime a recipe calls for apple pie spice.

Difference Between Apple Pie Spice, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and Gingerbread Spice

The difference between Apple Pie Spice, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and Gingerbread Spice lies in the concentrated second ingredient. All these spices use cinnamon as their primary ingredient; however, the secondary ingredients are different. Pumpkin pie spice has a concentrated secondary ingredient combination of ginger and nutmeg. Gingerbread spice highlights ginger (as the title suggests) as the combined primary or secondary ingredient. While apple pie spice favors nutmeg as its secondary ingredient. That said, they are all interchangeable and can be used in the same amounts of the total spices (or cinnamon) in most any recipe.

Which spice should you use and when?

Obviously, you select the spice you need for the spice’s namesake. Meaning, use apple pie spice for apple pies, pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin pies, and gingerbread spice for gingerbread or gingerbread cookies. However, depending on the spice you want for your dish, you might choose the spice that has the preferred secondary flavor. If you’re not a fan of pumpkin pie spice, you might like gingerbread or apple pie spice instead, unless cinnamon is your nemesis, then none of them will work. 😊 You can use any of them in place of cinnamon called for in any dish, particularly cinnamon rolls or cinnamon raisin oatmeal cookies. If that’s the case, wouldn’t the dishes would be called spiced cinnamon rolls and spiced cinnamon raisin oatmeal cookies?😉

Most Basic Apple Pie Spice Blend

The most basic or main spices in apple pie spice are cinnamon and nutmeg. That’s it! You can add other common warm spices to spruce it up and fit your preferred tastes. An apple pie spice might include other spices like ginger and maybe allspice and/or cloves. I tend to gravitate towards spice depth, so I like a variety.

A Little About Cinnamon

There are two common types of cinnamon. They are Ceylon, known as “true cinnamon”, from Sri Lanka and Cassia from China and southeast Asia. I talked much about the differences between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon in my post on making my Pumpkin Spice Blend, please refer to that post for the details. For this post, I will simply say that I prefer Ceylon cinnamon when I can find it, because it has that full on cinnamon flavor that we expect in cinnamon. I use that cinnamon in this recipe for Apple Pie Spice, but you can certainly use whatever cinnamon you have. With that, let’s check out this spice blend!

Apple Pie Spice Blend Ingredients

cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves
cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves

The ingredients for making this apple pie spice blend are very simple and are found in most pantries. You can adjust the spices to fit what you already have or prefer to eat. For the ingredients, you’ll need all ground spices. If you like to toast and ground your own, then go for it. If not, you can use already ground spices to include the following cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves.

Make the Spice Blend

“Mise en Place”

It’s best to have a “mis en place”, which is French, meaning to have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go. It makes it easier to keep track of them and the quantities as you go.

"mise en place" of ingredients: counterclockwise from bottom right- cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves
“mise en place” of ingredients: counterclockwise from bottom right- cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves

Add All Ingredients

To a small bowl, measure out and add 24 grams (3 tablespoons) of ground cinnamon, 7 grams (1 tablespoon) of ground nutmeg, 4 grams (2 teaspoons) of ground allspice, 3 grams (1½ teaspoons) of ground ginger, and 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground cloves.

Stir or Whisk to Combine All Ingredients

Use a spoon or small whisk to stir and break up any spices that may be in small masses like nutmeg and ginger. Stir well until combined. This recipe makes a little more than a ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons.

Transfer Mixed Spices to Sealed Container

Transfer the mixed spices to a spice jar or container that has a tight-fitting lid. You can use a spoon or small funnel to move over the spice blend. Once transferred, your spice blend is ready to be used in whatever capacity you see fit.

Suggestion for Storing

You can store this spice blend in a sealed container for up to a year or based on the shortest expiration date of the oldest individual spice. The blended spice mix stays fresh as long as their individual spices.

Suggested Uses

Add this apple pie spice as you would a commercial version in a 1:1 ratio in your favorite recipes that call for apple pie spice. Sprinkle it over your breakfast oatmeal, toast, eggnog, coffee, apple cider, mulled wine, or hot chocolate. Add it to spiced nuts, seeds, roasted fall vegetables and, of course, don’t forget to spice up your pancakes, waffles, or muffins. Why not replace the cinnamon in a 1 to 1 ratio in my Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits with Apple Pie Spice? Now that’s an entry into the fall season! 😉

Simplified Apple Pie Spice Version for Sensitive Palates…

If you have kids (or big kids 😉) with sensitive taste buds, you may only want to include cinnamon and nutmeg. Really you only need 2-3 ingredients to have an apple pie spice. As long as you have cinnamon, you can add or subtract any of the other spices. You can easily adjust each spice by increasing or decreasing ½ teaspoon until you reach your desired flavor. Enjoy playing around to find the exact recipe that fits your needs.

Final Thoughts

Apple Pie Spice Blend
Apple Pie Spice Blend

This spice blend, as expected, has a cinnamon foundation with the other spices rounding out that apple pie “feel”. Over the years, I have most certainly opted for making my own spice and herb blends. I truly find the option of making my own version most appealing because, I…

  • make combinations that I love,
  • use high quality ingredients,
  • know exactly what is going into my spice jar,
  • make it in 5 minutes or less,
  • adjust secondary and tertiary spices based on the recipe I’m making,
  • make any spice or herb combination whenever I need it and as much as I want (I ensure spices are readily available in my pantry at any given time).

If you tend to keep individual spices and herbs in your pantry, try making your own combinations to create that “perfect” flavor to elevate your bakes and dishes, especially during the holiday season. 😊

Check out my YouTube video on making this spice Blend. “Simple Apple Pie Spice Blend: An Easy Homemade Mix For All Your Fall Dishes.”

Print Recipe

Apple Pie Spice Blend

Apple pie spice is simply a mix of warm fall or winter spices. The most basic or main spices in apple pie spice are cinnamon and nutmeg. That’s it! You can add other common warm spices to spruce it up and fit your preferred tastes. An apple pie spice might include other spices like ginger and maybe allspice and/or cloves. Check out the recipe below and adjust it to fit your preferred flavor profile.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: ingredient
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple pie spice, cinnamon spice, apple spice blend, cinnamon and nutmeg spice, spice for apple pie, holiday spice
Servings: 4 tablespoons
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 24 g (3 tbsp) ground cinnamon
  • 7 g (1 tbsp) ground nutmeg
  • 4 g (2 tsp) ground allspice
  • 3 g (1½ tsp) ground ginger
  • 2 g (1 tsp) ground cloves

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir until combined using a small whisk or the back of a spoon to break up any small masses of spices.
  • Scoop or use a small funnel to transfer the spices from the small bowl to a spice jar or container that has a tight lid. This recipe makes a little over a ¼ cup (4+ tbsp).

Video

Notes

Storing:
Store spices in a sealed container for up to a year or based on the shortest expiration date of the oldest individual spice. Consider shaking or stirring the spice prior to using as some contents may settle.
Usages:
Add this apple pie spice as you would a commercial version in a 1:1 ratio in your favorite recipes that call for apple pie or pumpkin pie spice. Sprinkle it over your breakfast oatmeal, toast, eggnog, coffee, apple cider, mulled wine, or hot chocolate. Add it to your favorite oatmeal raisin cookies in place of cinnamon, spiced nuts, or spiced seeds. Why not add it to squash soups or roasted fall squash like acorn, pumpkin, or delicata? Add a little apple pie spice to pancakes, waffles, muffins, or cinnamon rolls by mixing a couple of teaspoons in with your cinnamon or replacing the cinnamon entirely with the spice. Try it on ice cream or in cake frostings.
Substitutions & Variations:
This recipe is based on my preferred spice flavors; however, you can adjust or leave out any spices that you don’t like. In fact, you can increase or decrease by ½ tsp of any one spice to test a variation you may prefer. If you have kids with sensitive taste buds, you may only want to include cinnamon and nutmeg. Really you only need 2-3 of the above ingredients to have an apple pie spice. As long as you have cinnamon, you can add or subtract any of the other spices.

You might be interested in some of these other recipes for homemade spice blends and mixes.

Pumpkin Spice Blend

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Ranch Dressing & Seasoning Mix

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.

Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits: A Simple Fall Flavor Bread

Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits
Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits

These Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits came to me in the middle of the night. A while back, I woke up during the wee hours wondering how I could use up a couple of wrinkly apples. (Yes, food and ingredients “plague” my thoughts.) The idea of this recipe hit me. My husband eats homemade yogurt biscuits almost every day, so naturally biscuits are where my mind went. After many trials and variations, I came up with a version that he really likes and one (we feel) is worthy to share. These Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits are great to make and eat any day of the week or for a special treat during the holidays.

Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits Ingredients

This recipe is simple and likely includes ingredients you already have in your pantry or fridge. For the ingredients, you’ll need 2-3 small to medium apples of any kind, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, butter, salt, baking powder, milk, and cinnamon flavored applesauce.

2-3 small to medium apples of any kind, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, butter, salt, baking powder, milk, and cinnamon flavored applesauce
2-3 small to medium apples, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, butter, salt, baking powder, milk, and cinnamon flavored applesauce

Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheet

This recipe is like a traditional southern biscuit but with lots of twists and levels of flavor! It’s a quick bread and doesn’t contain yeast, so it comes together quickly. Begin by preheating the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

TIP: Lining a baking sheet keeps the pan clean reducing cleanup time!

1. line a baking sheet
1. line a baking sheet
2. use parchment paper or silicone mat for easy cleanup
2. use parchment paper or silicone mat for easy cleanup

Prep the Apples

Peel & Core the Apples

Peel, core, and dice 2-3 small to medium apples of any kind into small cubes. The total weight of the apples including peel, core, and stem should be between 350 g -400 g. Once the apples are peeled and cored, they should weigh between 275 g -300 g. For ease and higher nutrition value, leave the skin on. Scott and I like both variations; however, we prefer to leave the skin on for the nutritional value. For this post, I chose to remove the skin.

TIP: Small, diced apples allow for more to be dispersed throughout the biscuits ensuring apple in every bite.

dice apples into small pieces and place in a bowl
dice 2-3 apples into small pieces and place in a bowl

Combine Apples with Cinnamon & Brown Sugar

Place the diced apples in a small bowl. Add 2 grams (1½ teaspoons) of ground cinnamon and 50 grams (3 tablespoons packed) of brown sugar. Stir well until the apples are separated and coated in both cinnamon and brown sugar. Set the bowl aside.

1. add 2 g (1½ tsp) ground cinnamon
1. 2 g (1½ tsp) ground cinnamon
2. 50 g (3 tbsp packed) brown sugar
2. 50 g (3 tbsp packed) brown sugar
3. stir so all apple pieces are coated & set aside
3. stir so all apple pieces are coated & set aside

Combine Dry Ingredients: Flour, Salt, Baking Powder, & Cinnamon

In a very large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add 480 grams (4 cups) of all-purpose flour (if using a measuring cup, be sure to fluff, scoop, & level off the flour). You can use either salted or unsalted butter in this recipe, if using unsalted butter add 9 grams (1½ teaspoons) of salt. If using salted butter, add 6 grams (1 teaspoon) of salt. Then, add 30 grams (2 tablespoons) of baking powder for that traditional biscuit rise. And finally for spice, add the remainder 2 grams (1½ teaspoons) of ground cinnamon. Stir the mixture until all the ingredients are combined and dispersed.

combine all the dry ingredients & mix well
combine all the dry ingredients & mix well

Cut in the Fat: Add the Butter

Now it’s time to cut in the fat, or the butter in our case. Add 113 grams (which is also 4 ounces, 8 tablespoons, or 1 stick) of diced COLD butter (either unsalted or salted). I also have salted butter, so I used salted butter in this post.

Use a pastry cutter, knives, forks, or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture. The butter is cut in enough when they resemble the size of peas.

TIP: You could also use a food processor blending just until the butter is cut into small pieces.

1. 113 g ( 1 stick) COLD butter (unsalted or salted)
1. 113 g ( 1 stick) COLD butter (unsalted or salted)
2. use pastry cutter, knives, forks, etc. to cut in butter until small pieces
2. use pastry cutter, knives, forks, etc. to cut in butter until small pieces

Add Remaining Ingredients

Stir in Apple Mixture

Give the apple mixture a quick stir. The brown sugar will have pulled out some apple moisture that has pooled at the bottom of the bowl. We want that liquid flavoring. Spoon the stirred apple mixture into the flour mixture including any remaining liquid. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed and apples are coated.

1. add apple mixture to flour mixture
1. add apple mixture to flour mixture
2. stir so all apple pieces are coated with flour & apples are separated
2. stir so all apple pieces are coated with flour & apples are separated

Combine Wet Ingredients

In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure out 240 milliliters (1 cup) of milk. Any kind of milk will work, but I prefer the whole milk richness combined with the apples and cinnamon (like an apple pie à la mode 😉). To the milk, add 125 grams (½ cup) of cinnamon applesauce. Yes, the cinnamon version makes a difference in flavor. Notice we incorporate cinnamon in 3 different stages, added first to the apples, then mixed with the flour, and finally in the applesauce. The layers of cinnamon add spice depth to every aspect of this recipe. Stir the mixture until combined.

TIP: If you don’t have or are unable to locate cinnamon applesauce, you can stir in ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to regular, plain applesauce.

combine milk & cinnamon applesauce
combine milk & cinnamon applesauce

Pour Wet into Dry Ingredients

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the applesauce milk mixture. Stir until all ingredients are just moistened. The dough should be thick and dense like a regular biscuit recipe.

1. pour milk mixture into flour mixture
1. pour milk mixture into flour mixture
2. stir until flour is moistened; dough should be thick & dense
2. stir until flour is moistened; dough should be thick & dense

Divide Dough into Biscuits: 2 Methods

For dividing the dough into biscuits, you can follow one of two methods. You can choose between a simple drop biscuit method or the traditional cut-out method using a biscuit or cookie cutter.

Quick Drop Biscuit Method

For ease, simply scoop out about ¼ cup of dough. You can use a spoon and eyeball the amount or use a measuring cup for equal sizes. Then, just drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The biscuits should touch or almost touch.

1. drop biscuits: use a spoon to drop dollops of dough on the baking sheet
1. drop biscuits: use a spoon to drop dollops of dough on the baking sheet
2. OR use a ¼ cup measuring cup for scooping up dough to create equal sizes
2. OR use a ¼ cup measuring cup for scooping up dough to create equal sizes

Traditional Biscuit Cut-Out Method

Flour a work surface. Scoop the dough out onto the work surface. Lightly knead the dough into a large round disk adding flour as necessary. Flatten the dough out into a 1-inch-thick circle. Use a 2½ -inch biscuit or cookie cutter or small drinking glass (anything round). Cut out rounds using the cutter or glass. Place each biscuit round on the prepared baking sheet touching (or almost touching) the other biscuit rounds. For any dough scraps leftover, reshape the dough into a disk and cut out until all dough is used. You should get 20-22 biscuits from this recipe.

1. scoop dough out onto a floured surface
1. scoop dough out onto a floured surface
4. cut out rounds
4. cut out rounds
2. flatten out dough to a 1-inch-thick round
2. flatten out dough to a 1-inch-thick round
5. place rounds on baking sheet; gather remaining dough, pat out, & cut out rounds until all dough is used
5. place rounds on baking sheet; gather remaining dough, pat out, & cut out rounds until all dough is used
3. cut out rounds using ~2½ -inch biscuit/cookie cutter or small round drinking glass
3. cut out rounds using ~2½ -inch biscuit/cookie cutter or small round drinking glass

Baking Time

Regardless of the dividing method (quick drop biscuits or traditional biscuit cut-out method), once all biscuits are on the baking sheet, place them in the preheated oven. Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

all biscuits are on the baking sheet & ready to bake
all biscuits (& dough) are on the baking sheet & ready to bake

Hot Biscuits Ready to Eat!

Once biscuits are hot out of the oven, eat them hot with a pat of butter and enjoy! Notice the butter and cinnamon created an appetizing darker than normal biscuit coloring. The butter caramelized on the exterior to create a crunchy layer. You can spot bits of apple along the exterior. They tear like a traditional southern homemade biscuit. You can spot the layers. They are buttery, apple-y, and cinnamon-y, but none of the flavors are overpowering. This is a well-balanced biscuit.

apple cinnamon buttery biscuits are hot out of the oven
apple cinnamon buttery biscuits are hot out of the oven
tall biscuits with apples and cinnamon visible throughout
tall biscuits with apples and cinnamon visible throughout
interior of biscuit with apples and cinnamon throughout
interior of biscuit with apples and cinnamon throughout
traditional cut-out on left; drop biscuit on right- notice the height difference
traditional cut-out on left; drop biscuit on right- notice the height difference

Storage Suggestions

Place cooled biscuits in a sealed bag or container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer, fresher tasting storage, place cooled biscuits in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. From frozen, remove desired number of biscuits and heat in the microwave 30-45 seconds or until heated through.

Final Thoughts on Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits

These biscuits hit the spot for a light apple pie feel yet bread-y treat. They are great for breakfast, as they are not too sweet or rich. These biscuits are more like traditional biscuits meaning they are not cake-y like muffins or dense like scones. They are more on the lighter, fluffier, or flakier texture side with a nice spicy, apple-y, and buttery flavor profile. If you like biscuits or scones and want to try something a little different, then give these a try. We really like them with a pat of butter, but you can serve them however you choose.

Baker’s Perspective

I love this change on a traditional biscuit. The only main additional step in this recipe compared to a standard biscuit recipe is prepping the apples (and that doesn’t take much time). However, the time it takes to prep the apples can be reduced by leaving the peeling on the apples. Other than that, and a few ingredient additions like cinnamon and brown sugar, this recipe is pretty straight forward.

You can adjust this recipe based on what you have in your pantry and fridge. If you don’t have applesauce (which is pretty important to the apple depth), you can substitute with all milk. Also, if you don’t have cinnamon applesauce, you can add ground cinnamon to regular, plain applesauce. If vegan, use plant-based butter and plant-based milk.

Taster’s Perspective

We love this fall take on a traditional southern biscuit recipe. With the apples in small dice, you get apple in almost every bite. With the cinnamon layered in 3 stages from mixing with the apples, to mixing with the flour, to mixing with the applesauce, you get a light spice in each element of the biscuit. The baking powder adds lightness and height to the biscuit while the milk, butter, and brown sugar add caramelization and richness to the other overall color and flavor. With little notes of individual ingredients throughout, the biscuits are well-balanced and not overly sweet. They make a perfect breakfast, snack, or fall treat especially if want to use up those apples. 😊

Check out my YouTube video on the details of making these biscuits. “Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits: A Simple Light & Flaky Bread Full of Fall Flavors.”

Print Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits

These Apple Cinnamon Buttery Biscuits make a great quick everyday bread or special holiday breakfast treat. You get layers of apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter in every bite! Easy to make and perfect for the fall or holiday season!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time22 hours
Total Time37 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cinnamon buttery biscuits, fall biscuits, holiday bread, holiday biscuits, simple breakfast bread
Servings: 22 biscuits
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 2-3 (350 g -400 g) unpeeled or (275-300 g) peeled & diced small to medium apples any kind
  • 4 g (3 tsp) cinnamon divided
  • 50 g (3 tbsp packed) brown sugar
  • 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour flour fluffed, scooped, & leveled off if using a measuring cup
  • 9 g (1½ tsp) salt, if using UNSALTED butter 6 g (1 tsp) salt, if using SALTED butter
  • 30 g (2 tbsp) baking powder
  • 113 g (4 oz / 8 tbsp / 1 stick) COLD butter unsalted or salted
  • 125 g (½ cup) cinnamon applesauce or regular applesauce with ¼-½ tsp of cinnamon added
  • 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk, preferred any milk will work

Instructions

  • Preheat oven 450°F (232°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Peel, core, and dice the apples into small cubes. Place them in a small bowl. Add 2 g (1½ tsp) cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir well until the apples are separated and coated in both. Set bowl aside.
    TIP: Small, diced apples allow for more to be dispersed throughout the biscuits. If in a hurry or want more nutritional value, leave on the apple peel
  • In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients, flour, salt, baking powder, and the remainder 2 g (1½ tsp) cinnamon. Stir until all ingredients are combined.
  • Use a pastry cutter, knives, forks, or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture. The butter is cut in enough when they resemble the size of peas.
    TIP: You may also use a food processor blending just until the butter is cut into small pieces.
  • Spoon the apple mixture into the flour mixture and stir until all ingredients are well mixed and apples are coated.
  • In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure out the milk. Add applesauce and stir until combined.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture. Stir until all ingredients are just moistened adding more milk, 1 tbsp at a time as needed. Follow one of two methods below for either drop biscuits or the traditional cut-out method.

Quick Drop Biscuits Method:

  • For ease, simply scoop out about ¼ cup of dough (using a spoon or measuring cup) and drop onto the prepared baking sheet. The biscuits should touch or almost touch.

Traditional Biscuit Cutter Method:

  • Scoop the dough out onto a floured work surface. Lightly knead the dough into a large disk adding flour as necessary.
  • Flatten the dough out into a 1-inch-thick circle.
  • Use a 2½ -inch biscuit/cookie cutter or small drinking glass (anything round). Cut out dough rounds using the cutter. For any dough scraps leftover, reshape into a disk and cut out until all dough is used.
  • Place each biscuit round on the prepared baking sheet touching or almost touching other biscuit rounds.
  • Regardless of the above cutting methods, once all biscuits are on the baking sheet, place them in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove the biscuits from oven and enjoy while hot with a pat of butter.

Video

Notes

Storage Suggestions:
Place cooled biscuits in a sealed bag or container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer, fresher tasting storage, place cooled biscuits in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. From frozen, remove desired number of biscuits and heat in the microwave 30-45 seconds or until heated through.
Substitutions:
If you don’t have applesauce, increase the milk to 360 ml (1½ cups). If you don’t have cinnamon applesauce, add ¼ – ½ tsp of cinnamon to the applesauce (try ¼ tsp and taste, if you want more, increase up to ½ tsp total.) To make these vegan, use plant-based butter and milk.

You might be interested in these other roll- or bun-type breads.

Southern Buttery Yogurt Biscuits

Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls: No Knead & Egg Free

Sour Cream Pocketbook Yeast Rolls

The Berry Rolls: My Grandmother’s Yeast Roll Recipe

British Hot Cross Buns

Cinnamon Rolls

Colombian Pandebono GF Cheese Rolls

Gluten-Free Yeast Rolls

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!

Pumpkin Spice Blend 🥧: Holiday Happiness in a Jar

Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

Pumpkin spice and everything nice. That saying is meaningful to those of us who actually like pumpkin spice. Even if you don’t, you can create a pumpkin spice version using ingredients that you like. You only need cinnamon, assuming you like cinnamon, and at least one of the other ingredients in the recipe. This post shares my preferred version, but I provide suggestions for variations based on what you want to eat.

Pumpkin? Hmm… where’s the Pumpkin?

Unlike the name suggests, there is no pumpkin in pumpkin (pie) spice. It’s called pumpkin (pie) spice because it contains typical spices used in making pumpkin pie. The most basic pumpkin pie spice is just cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Many pumpkin spice recipes include cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice or cloves. While allspice and cloves are not uncommon, fewer recipes include black pepper and even cardamom. Recipes vary in ratios; however, cinnamon is the star of the show and outshines any of the other ingredients.

Pumpkin (Pie) Spice, Gingerbread Spice, and Apple (Pie) Spice… What’s the Difference?

The difference between Pumpkin Pie Spice, Gingerbread Spice, and Apple Pie Spice lies in the concentrated secondary ingredient. All these spices use cinnamon as their primary ingredient; however, the secondary ingredients are different. Pumpkin pie spice has a concentrated secondary ingredient combination of ginger and nutmeg. Gingerbread spice highlights ginger (as the title suggests) as the combined primary or secondary ingredient. While apple pie spice favors nutmeg as its secondary ingredient. That said, they are all interchangeable and can be used in the same amounts of the total spices (or cinnamon) in most any recipe.

Which Spice Should I Use and When?

Obviously, you can select the one for the traditional dish of the spice’s namesake. Meaning, use pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin pies, apple pie spice for apple pies, and gingerbread spice for gingerbread or gingerbread cookies. However, depending on the spice you want for your dish, you might choose the spice that has the preferred secondary flavor. If you’re not a fan of pumpkin pie spice, you might like gingerbread or apple pie spice instead, unless cinnamon is your nemesis, then none of them will work. 😊 You can use any of them in place of cinnamon called for in any dish, particularly cinnamon rolls or cinnamon raisin oatmeal cookies. If that’s the case, then the dishes would be called spiced cinnamon rolls and spiced cinnamon raisin cookies, right😉?

Pumpkin Spice Blend Ingredients

While 2-3 ingredients are all that’s needed for a simple pumpkin spice blend, you can add a variety of other spices to enhance and deepen the flavor. I prefer a variety of spices, but on occasion, I modify the recipe depending on what I have in my pantry. For this recipe, the ingredients include all ground spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper. Sometimes I add cardamom if I have it. 😉

cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper
cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper

Why Add Black Pepper to a Sweet Spice Mix?

different levels of peppercorn ripeness
different levels of peppercorn ripeness

Black pepper is actually a fruit. The little peppercorns are green berries from a woody vine that originated in India. Once dried, these little green berries become the black peppercorns we have been using to spice our food for over 4,000 years. The other color peppercorns like green and red are the same fruit berries just picked at different stages of ripeness. When added to sweet spices like cinnamon, black pepper’s woody, piney, sharp, fruity, and pungent taste adds depth and balances out the sweetness. It’s not uncommon to see black pepper as an ingredient in fall and winter sweet treats and baked goods containing sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice like in my French Pain d’Épices holiday spice bread.

What About Cardamom?

Cardamom pods (green "shell) with the cardamom seeds inside (both are consumable)
cardamom pods (green “shell) with the cardamom seeds inside (both are consumable)

Cardamom is a Common Addition to Pumpkin Spice

If you have and like cardamom you can also add .5 gram (¼ teaspoon) of ground cardamom to this recipe. Some commercial brands of pumpkin spice contain cardamom, so it’s totally appropriate. I like cardamom in mine, but I left it out of this recipe, because it’s not as common to find cardamom in United States’ pantries as the other spices. However, if you have it and like it, why not add it?

Why Add Cardamom?

Cardamom is often used in Middle Eastern and Arabic cuisine along with Scandinavian baking. It’s part of the ginger family and comes from seeds in pods that are either eaten whole or the seeds are ground into a powder. You often see cardamom listed as an ingredient in Indian recipes like biryanis, masalas, and curries, among many others. In fact, many Indian dishes use some of those pumpkin spices together to create amazing savory meals. Cardamom has earthy, floral, sweet, and spicy notes thus complimenting other sweet (or savory) spices. There are some deeply flavored savory soups, particularly those containing fall squash, rice, and beans, that include a little cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger as the main spice base. I often add these along with cilantro and ground coriander to my fall soups for that warm flavor and full-on-hug feeling 🤗.

3 Types of Cardamom & When They are Used

green cardamom
green cardamom pods with black seeds
black cardamom (larger than green)
black cardamom pods (larger than green)
white cardamom
white cardamom pods
  • Green Cardamom: the green pod cardamom is the most versatile of cardamoms. It is the cardamom used in most store-bought ground cardamom packages or spice containers. It’s milder in flavor than black cardamom since it is picked before fully ripening. It consists of floral, citrus-y, somewhat sweet flavors (reminiscent of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove combined) great for both savory and sweet dishes. Green cardamom does not come from the same plant as black cardamom. They are related, but they are not the same.
  • Black Cardamon: the black pod cardamom is stronger in flavor as it is picked when fully ripened and is significantly larger in size than green cardamom. It does not come from the same plant as green cardamom. It consists of smokey, quite aromatic flavors that are more appropriate for savory dishes like stews and curries.
  • White Cardamom: the white pod cardamom is called white because it is bleached from the green pods. It is thus even milder than green cardamom and is best used in baked sweet dishes where you might desire a visually light-in-color dish.

Ceylon Cinnamon Versus Cassia Cinnamon…

Cinnamon is cinnamon, right? There is a difference between ceylon and cassia cinnamon. Both ceylon and cassia cinnamon come from the inner tree bark of the cinnamomum tree. That inner bark is dried until it rolls up into curls. Yes! That’s what you see in a cinnamon stick… dried bark.

Ceylon Cinnamon

Ceylon comes from the cinnamomum verum tree found in the country of Sri Lanka. The name ceylon derived from Sri Lanka’s former name “Ceylon”. Ceylon is known as “true cinnamon” and is the best quality and most expensive of the two types. It has a milder flavor due to it having a lower level of the cinnamaldehyde essential oil (between 50 and 63% of the total oil in cinnamon). It is thought to be a little healthier as it contains almost a negligible amount of coumarin than cassia cinnamon.

Cassia Cinnamon

Cassia is usually what is sold in most grocery stores. If the ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick package, or jar do not specify, the cinnamon is likely cassia cinnamon. Cassia originated in southern China and is grown in southeast Asia. It comes from the cinnamomum cassia tree. Cassia is much cheaper than ceylon and of lower quality. It contains a much larger amount of the essential oil cinnamldehyde (95%) which gives cassia a stronger cinnamon flavor. Coumarin is found in large quantities in cassia cinnamon compared to ceylon cinnamon and can be harmful if consumed in large quantities (1-2 teaspoons of cassia cinnamon). Large amounts of coumarin have been shown to cause organ damage and cancer in animal studies.

Which Cinnamon Should I Use?

Ceylon cinnamon is the preferred cinnamon. However, it is more expensive and difficult to find. As long as you’re not consuming a lot of cinnamon on a daily basis, the cheaper, lower quality cassia is just fine. If you can afford and find ceylon cinnamon, by all means, buy that one.

Make the Pumpkin Spice Blend

Now that we’ve covered specifics of pumpkin spice ingredients, let’s get to the recipe!

“Mise en Place”

It’s best to have a “mis en place”, which is French, meaning to have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go. It makes it easier to keep track of them by not accidentally repeating a spice while mixing.

counter clockwise from bottom-right corner: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper
counterclockwise from bottom-right corner: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and black pepper

Add All Ingredients

To a small bowl, measure out and add 24 grams (3 tablespoons) of ground cinnamon, 4 grams (2 teaspoons) of ground ginger, 4 grams (2 teaspoons) of ground nutmeg which is 1 whole nutmeg (grated), 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground allspice, 2 grams (1 teaspoon) of ground cloves, and .5 gram (¼ teaspoon) of ground black pepper.

all ingredients in small bowl
all ingredients in small bowl

Stir or Whisk to Combine All Ingredients

Use a spoon or small whisk to stir and break up any spices that may be in small masses like ginger. Stir well until combined. This recipe makes a little more than a ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons.

Transfer Pumpkin Spice to Sealed Container

Transfer the spices to a spice jar or container that has a tight-fitting lid. You can use a spoon or small funnel to transfer the spice blend. Your spice blend is ready to be used in whatever capacity you see fit.

Pumpkin spice final product
Pumpkin spice final product

Suggestion for Storing Pumpkin (Pie) Spice

You can store pumpkin pie spice blend in a sealed container for up to a year or based on the shortest expiration date of the oldest individual spice. The blended spice mix stays fresh as as long as their individual spices.

Suggested Uses for Pumpkin Pie Spice

Add this pumpkin spice as you would a commercial version in a 1:1 ratio in your favorite recipes that call for pumpkin (pie) spice. Sprinkle it over your breakfast oatmeal, toast, eggnog, coffee, apple cider, mulled wine, or hot chocolate. Add it to spiced nuts or pumpkin seeds. Why not add it to squash soups or roasted fall squash like acorn, butternut, delicata, or pumpkin for example? Add it to your favorite cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookies in place of cinnamon or mix a couple of teaspoons in with your cinnamon for homemade cinnamon rolls. Add a little pumpkin spice to pancakes, waffles, or muffins. Mmm… good 😋!

Simplified Pumpkin Spice Version for Sensitive Palates…

If you have kids (or big kids 😉) with sensitive taste buds, you may only want to include cinnamon, ginger, and/or nutmeg. Really you only need 2-3 ingredients to have a pumpkin pie spice. As long as you have cinnamon, you can add or subtract any of the other spices. You can easily adjust each spice by increasing or decreasing ¼ to ½ teaspoon until you reach your desired flavor. Enjoy playing around to find the exact recipe that fits your needs.

Pumpkin Spice Final Thoughts

Ok, you figured me out. I am a pumpkin spice fan. I add pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, gingerbread spice, or cinnamon to my fall and winter breakfast oatmeal and hot chocolate. For me, I just love the stuff! Truthfully, once you have a pretty good understanding of what pumpkin spice consists of, you can absolutely make a version that you really like. There is not one recipe that works. In fact, you can totally just sprinkle on some cinnamon with a smaller amount of any of the other spices in the recipe and BOOM! without hardly any work, you end up with some kind of pumpkin spice mix. That’s what’s great about making your own spice blend. Give it a try and enjoy the flavors of fall (and winter) all season(s) long 😊!

Check out my YouTube video on making this Pumpkin Spice blend. “Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend: Make Your Own & Adjust to Your Tastes”

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

Pumpkin spice is actually a very simple blend to make from scratch. You only need cinnamon and at least one or two of the other ingredients in the recipe for a basic spice mix. The most basic pumpkin pie spice is just cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. This recipe uses more spices including black pepper, but you can eliminate any spice you don't have or like.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: ingredient
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pumpkin spice blend, holiday spice mix, warm spice blend, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, black pepper, cardamom
Servings: 5 tbsp
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 24 g (3 tbsp) ground cinnamon
  • 4 g (2 tsp) ground ginger
  • 4 g (2 tsp) ground nutmeg or 1 whole nutmeg, grated
  • 2 g (1 tsp) ground allspice
  • 2 g (1 tsp) ground cloves
  • .5 g (¼ tsp) ground black pepper
  • .5 g (¼ tsp) ground cardamom (optional)

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir until combined using a small whisk or the back of a spoon to break up any small masses of spices.
  • Scoop or use a small funnel to transfer the spices from the small bowl to a spice jar or container that has a tight lid. This recipe makes a little over a ¼ cup (4+ tbsp).

Video

Notes

Storage Suggestion:
Store spices in a sealed container for up to a year or based on the shortest expiration date of the oldest individual spice. Consider shaking or stirring the spice prior to using as some contents may settle.
Usage Suggestion:
Add this pumpkin spice as you would a commercial version in a 1:1 ratio in your favorite recipes that call for pumpkin spice. Sprinkle it over your breakfast oatmeal, toast, eggnog, coffee, apple cider, mulled wine, or hot chocolate. Add it to your favorite oatmeal raisin cookies in place of cinnamon. Add it to spiced nuts or spiced pumpkin seeds. Why not add it to squash soups or roasted fall squash like acorn, butternut, pumpkin, or delicata? Add a little pumpkin spice to pancakes, waffles, muffins, or cinnamon rolls by mixing a couple of teaspoons in with your cinnamon. Try it on ice cream or in cake frostings.
Substitutions & Variations:
This recipe is based on my preferred spice flavors; however, you can adjust or leave out any spices that you don’t like. In fact, you can add or subtract ¼ to ½ tsp of any one spice to test a variation you may prefer. If you have kids with sensitive taste buds, you may only want to include cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Really you only need 2-3 of the above ingredients to have a pumpkin spice. As long as you have cinnamon, you can add or subtract any of the other spices.

You might be interested in some of these other recipes for homemade spice blends and mixes.

French Herbes de Provence Blend

Italian Herb Seasoning Blend

Ranch Dressing & Seasoning Mix

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.

Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies (Gluten Free!)

Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies
Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies

If you’re a chocolate lover like me, it’s a struggle saying “no” to a brownie, particularly if it’s fudgy. These Mexican chili pepper black bean fudgy brownies are undoubtedly chocolatey and sweet but also gluten free and can be vegan. I’ve been told by non-gluten eaters they are surprisingly good even with the chili pepper and black beans. They are quite indulgent, easier on the gut, and add a nuanced spice you might not expect. Chili peppers and chocolate, thanks to our friends south of the United States, have been a sought out, pleasing couple for many years now. Let’s add that combination to a pan of brownies and see what happens.

Chili Peppers & Black Beans in a Dessert?

The surprising ingredients in this dessert recipe are in the title. Who would’ve thought that chili peppers and black beans could make a great sweet dessert? Well, they do. The black beans, after blended with maple syrup and other flavors, produce a fudge-like consistency. The “black bean” flavor is largely undetectable. However, the chili pepper is detectable but light enough that it takes swallowing a bite before “feeling” that little spice. I’m not a spice-seeking person… ever; however, the little spice in this dessert provides a nice little kick to the sweet and chocolate. Someone, like me, who doesn’t care for spice will still be pleasantly surprised.

My Mexican- Inspired Black Bean Brownies

Black bean brownies are not a novel dessert. They are common in the gluten-free world. I’ve been making them for years, even before I started eating gluten free. A few months ago, when I was making my go-to black bean brownies, I had an idea. I thought, “why not add some cayenne pepper to the mix and top it with chili pepper chocolate?” It seemed like a perfect Mexican-inspired flavor profile. Since chocolate, chili peppers, and black beans are a quintessential part of cuisine south of the United States, why not put them together? This dessert is also perfect for the fall season during Hispanic Heritage month from September 15 – October 15 and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) around the corner near Halloween.

Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies: Ingredients

black beans, old-fashioned or quick cooking oats, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, ground Cayenne pepper, brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and a Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar
black beans, old-fashioned or quick cooking oats, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, ground Cayenne pepper, brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and a Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar

The ingredients in this recipe are commonly found in kitchen pantries. However, you can substitute some of the ingredients based on what you have on hand. For this recipe, you’ll need a can of black beans, old-fashioned or quick cooking oats, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, ground Cayenne pepper, brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and a Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar (like Lindt which is not vegan, but you could use a vegan version).

Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Dish

This recipe is very easy to make and comes together quickly. In fact, this is pretty much a one pot dish. You can make this entire recipe using a food processor. Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray or oil an 8-x8- inch baking dish. Line the greased dish with parchment paper and use a pair of scissors to cut the corners down to the pan so the paper sits flush. Set the prepared dish aside.

TIPS: I have made these brownies many times without lining the baking dish, only greasing the pan. If you want pretty brownie slices, use the paper as the paper makes it easy to remove and cut the brownies. I grease the pan first so the paper sits flush; however, you can do whatever works for you 😉.

grease (cooking spray or oil) an 8- x 8- inch baking dish
1. grease (cooking spray or oil) an 8- x 8- inch baking dish
line w/ parchment paper for easy removal & cutting (OPTIONAL)
2. line w/ parchment paper for easy removal & cutting (OPTIONAL)

Coconut Oil

Differences between Unrefined & Refined Coconut Oil

I prefer to use cold pressed unrefined coconut oil. If you have refined coconut oil, you can use that. There is a slight difference between the two. Unrefined coconut oil is less processed, has a stronger coconut flavor, and a lower smoke point. Refined coconut oil is the opposite in that it is more processed, has a milder coconut flavor, and a higher smoke point. Either can be used in this recipe.

Melt Coconut Oil

While I prefer coconut oil, you can substitute it with another fat like butter (plant-based butter) or shortening. Regardless, you need to melt the fat, so it blends smoothly with the other ingredients. In a small bowl, add 60 grams (¼ cup) of coconut oil (or other solid fat). Heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds or until melted. Set it aside.

TIP: I don’t recommend an already melted fat like oil, because the fat needs to set up once cooled since these brownies are very fudgy.

1. 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil
1. 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil
2. heat for 30 seconds in microwave to melt
2. heat for 30 seconds in microwave to melt

One Pot Blending!

Combine Ingredients in Food Processor

In a food processor, add all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips and chili pepper dark chocolate bar. To the food processor bowl, add 425 grams (15-oz can) of black beans, rinsed and drained, 48 grams (½ cup) of old-fashioned or quick cooking oats, 10 grams (2 tablespoons) of cocoa powder, 1 gram (¼ teaspoon) of salt, 2 grams (½ teaspoon) of baking powder,1 gram (¼ teaspoon) of ground Cayenne pepper, 28 grams (2 tablespoons packed) brown sugar, 79 milliliters (⅓ cup) of pure maple syrup or honey (or combination), add the melted coconut oil, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Turn on the machine and let it run (about 2 minutes) until the mixture is smooth and the batter color is a lighter brown (lighter than black beans).

TIP: The batter will be thick, much thicker than cake batter. You should see small oats pieces, but smooth other than that.

1. food processor
1. food processor
5. 10 g (2 tbsp) cocoa powder
5. 10 g (2 tbsp) cocoa powder
9. 28 g (2 tbsp packed) brown sugar
9. 28 g (2 tbsp packed) brown sugar
13. blend for 2 minutes until smooth
13. blend for 2 minutes until smooth
2. rinse & drain 425 g (15-oz can) black beans
2. rinse & drain 425 g (15-oz can) black beans
6. 1 g (¼ tsp) salt
6. 1 g (¼ tsp) salt
10. 79 ml (⅓ cup) pure maple syrup or honey (or combination)
10. 79 ml (⅓ cup) pure maple syrup or honey (or combination)
14. batter is smooth (small oat pieces remain) & batter is a lighter brown color
14. batter is smooth (small oat pieces remain) & batter is a lighter brown color
3. add beans to bowl of food processor
3. add beans to bowl of food processor
7. 2 g (½ tsp) baking powder
7. 2 g (½ tsp) baking powder
11. 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil, melted
11. 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil, melted
4. 48 g (½ cup) old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
4. 48 g (½ cup) old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
8. 1 g (¼ tsp) ground Cayenne pepper
8. 1 g (¼ tsp) ground Cayenne pepper
12. 2 tsp vanilla extract
12. 2 tsp vanilla extract

Add Chocolate Chips

It’s time to enhance the chocolate. To the batter in the food processor, add 107 grams (⅔ cup) of chocolate chips. I prefer semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use whatever level of sweetness you have. Pulse the machine only 5-6 times until the chocolate chips are mixed into the batter NOT broken down. Use a spoon or spatula to transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Spread the batter out evenly to to corners and edges. Smooth out the top.

1. 107 g (⅔ cup) chocolate chips
1. 107 g (⅔ cup) chocolate chips
2. pulse 5-6 times to disperse chocolate chips ONLY
2. pulse 5-6 times to disperse chocolate chips ONLY
3. spoon batter into prepared baking dish
3. spoon batter into prepared baking dish
4. smooth batter evenly in pan & on the top
4. smooth batter evenly in pan & on the top
batter is spread to the corners, edges, & smoothed out on top
batter is spread to the corners, edges, & smoothed out on top

Top with Chili Pepper Chocolate Bar

From the Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar, break off 4 squares (or more if you want more). You can use a knife to chop it into small chunks or use a grater and turn the bar into shavings. Whatever method you use, scatter the chili chocolate evenly over the top of the brownie batter. Add as much as you want. The chili chocolate on top enhances the chili spice in the batter. The shaved chocolate adds pretty curls and texture to the top as they hold their shape after baking and cooling.

TIP: If you want these brownies to be vegan, you can use vegan chili pepper chocolate if you know of one. Or you can simply use regular chocolate chips (whatever you added to the batter) to scatter over the top.

1. ~4 squares of 1 Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar
1. ~4 squares of 1 Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar
2. shaved chocolate covers the top
2. shaved chocolate covers the top

Bake the Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies

Place the brownies in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. Once baked, they should look set in the center and the brownie edges should begin to pull away from the baking dish.

Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies Baked!

Since these brownies do not have flour, they are meant to be fudgy. They need to cool to set before cutting into them. Allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before trying to cut into them. If they still look a bit undercooked, they are not; however, place them in the fridge for several hours to overnight so they will firm. You can leave them on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours as well to set.

Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies Hot out of the Oven
Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies Hot out of the Oven

Close Up of Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies

Like most brownies, these do not rise much; they are quite dense. The chocolate on top adds texture and visual appeal. Baking them in a lined pan makes it easier to cut and remove them. This recipe makes 9-12 brownie squares. I usually cut mine into 9 bars. Upon removing them, you can see a clean-cut line. You can spot the chocolate chunks within the brownies along with small oat pieces. These brownies can be served with some whipped cream or ice cream to balance out the chocolate.

1. cooled brownies are easy to remove baked in parchment paper
1. cooled brownies are easy to remove baked in parchment paper
4. even coloring all around including the bottom
4. even coloring all around including the bottom
2. brownies cut through easily with a knife
2. brownies cut through easily with a knife
5. add several to a plate and serve
5. add several to a plate and serve
3. while fudgy, they are handheld
3. while fudgy, they are handheld
Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies
Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies

Storage Suggestions

Since these bars do not have flour to absorb liquid or eggs, they will be more of a fudgy consistency than cake-y. Store the brownies in an airtight container in the fridge to maintain their firmness for up to a week. They can be sliced or left in their baking pan. For longer storage, you can place slices in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can eat them frozen or leave them on the counter to thaw for 30 minutes.

Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies: Final Thoughts

These gluten-free fudgy brownies are quite different from the traditional version in ingredients but not so different in taste. Surprisingly, you can’t even taste the black beans. After all, the beans provide health benefits and keep you regular! I love this recipe because it’s super chocolatey without all the heavy ingredients that make you feel crummy after eating. These brownies would go great as the dessert after a Mexican themed meal. Halloween Fun! Test a batch of these and don’t tell your family and friends what’s in them and see if they can guess; make a game out of it! They shouldn’t detect the beans, but they might pick up on a little spice. These would make a fun and appropriate Halloween treat as the ingredients combined are a bit unique and the flavors fit the season.

Baker’s Perspective

I love how easy this recipe is to make. All the ingredients are placed in food processor and blended by machine… can it get any easier? You can use a few different substitutions based on your pantry. The brownies bake in so little time for such a rich and indulgent dessert. While the oats seem few, they are necessary to soak up any liquid. The fat should be an original solid so that it solidifies to help firm up the brownies after cooling. I prefer semi-sweet and dark chocolate in this recipe, but you can use any variety of chocolate that you like. Overall, this recipe is easy, simple, and rather quick to make. These brownies keep for a while, too. Make a batch the day before you want to serve them.

Taster’s Perspective

Chili pepper, chocolate, black beans, and sugar surprisingly complement each other very well. They are sweet, but not overly sweet. They have a dark chocolate feel to the overall chocolate flavoring. The bars are dense. The extra chili chocolate on top brings out the chili and chocolate combination in the batter. The oats are somewhat noticeable unlike the black beans as they can be seen. The chili pepper is more nuanced, but it probably should be since this is a dessert; however, if you want more spice, by all means, add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon to the recipe. These ingredients truly produce a satisfying yet somewhat allergy friendly and guilt-free dessert. My family and friends love these brownies, and your chocolate-loving, gluten-free friends will sing your praises.

Check out my YoutTube video on making this recipe. “Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies: Indulgent Gluten-Free Chocolate Dessert Bars.”

Print Recipe

Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies

These Mexican chili pepper black bean fudgy brownies are undoubtedly chocolatey and sweet but also gluten free and can be vegan. They are quite indulgent, easier on the gut, and add a nuanced spice you might not expect.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Cooling time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: black bean brownies, chili pepper and chocolate, chocolate bars, dessert bars, brownies
Servings: 9 brownies
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 425 g (15-oz can) black beans rinsed and drained
  • 48 g (½ cup) old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
  • 10 g (2 tbsp) cocoa powder
  • 1 g (¼ tsp) salt
  • 2 g (½ tsp) baking powder
  • 1 g (¼ tsp) ground Cayenne pepper
  • 28 g (2 tbsp packed) brown sugar
  • 79 ml (⅓ cup) pure maple syrup or honey (or combination)
  • 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil melted
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 107 g (⅔ cup) chocolate chips
  • 1 bar Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar like Lindt which is not vegan

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease 8-x8- inch pan and line it with parchment paper. Set it aside.
    TIPS: You can eliminate the parchment paper, only greasing the pan. If you want pretty brownie slices, use parchment paper as the paper makes it easy to remove and cut the brownies.
  • In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds or until melted.
    TIP: I don't recommend an already melted fat like oil, because the fat needs to set up once cooled since these brownies are very fudgy.
  • In a food processor, add all ingredients (black beans through vanilla extract) except chocolate chips and chili pepper dark chocolate bar. Blend until smooth.
    TIP: The batter will be thick, much thicker than cake batter. You should see small oats pieces, but smooth other than that.
  • Add the chocolate chips. Pulse 5-6 times to mix the chocolate into the batter. Pour the mixture in the greased pan.
  • Add shavings from 4 squares of a Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar over the top. You can also chop the chocolate and scatter it on top.
    TIP: If you want these brownies to be vegan, you can use vegan chili pepper chocolate. Or, you can simply use regular chocolate chips (whatever you added to the batter) to scatter over the top.
  • Bake the brownies for 15-18 minutes. Let them cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut into them. If they still look a bit undercooked, they are not, place them in the fridge for several hours to overnight so they will firm. Makes 9-12 brownies.

Video

Notes

Storage Suggestions:
Since these bars do not have flour to absorb liquid or eggs, they will be more of a fudgy consistency than cake-y. Store the brownies in an airtight container in the fridge to maintain their firmness for up to a week. They can be sliced or left in their baking pan. For longer storage, you can place slices in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can eat them frozen or leave them on the counter to thaw for 30 minutes
Possible Substitutions:
-replace coconut oil with butter or shortening
-replace chili pepper dark chocolate with chocolate chips
-eliminate brown sugar and add additional 2 tbsp of maple syrup
-eliminate the Cayenne pepper for a no-spice version

Interested in some other sweet treat recipes? Check these out.

Quesadilla Salvadoreña Sweet Cheese Pound Cake

Coconut Flan (Gluten & Dairy Free)

Blueberry Shortcake

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan Friendly)

Angel Food Cake

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

Banana Pudding: No Cook & Egg Free

Vanilla (Nilla) Wafers

Argentine Alfajores Sandwich Cookies

Simple Scottish Shortbread Cookies

Gluten-Free & Vegan Scottish Shortbread Cookies

Gingersnap Cookies

Austrian Apple Strudel

Latin American Tres Leches Cake

Italian Strawberry Tiramisu

Mexican Conchas

Australian & New Zealand Pavlova

French Macarons 3 WaysFrench Macarons 3 Ways

New Zealand Kiwi Quick Bread (Regular & Gluten Free)

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.

Southern Buttery Yogurt Biscuits: Simple, Easy, & Tasty!

Southern Buttery Yogurt Biscuits
Southern Buttery Yogurt Biscuits

A homemade southern biscuit, hot out of the oven with a buttery, crispy exterior and flaky, buttery interior is my go-to homemade bread. I’ve eaten amazing homemade biscuits all my life growing up in the American southern with several southern baking grandmas. Over the years, I created my own version using a little less fat but with a flavor enhancement using Greek yogurt. I make these biscuits or variations of these biscuits about every 10 days for my husband. He really enjoys having homemade bread every day. Let’s check them out!

Southern, Buttery, & Rich yet Less…

What makes these biscuits a little different from the traditional southern version? It lies in a little less fat, specifically butter, to make them a little less heavy on the hips. This recipe also replaces some of the milk with Greek yogurt or sour cream. The combination of butter and yogurt creates a buttery, tangy flavor profile. I rarely have milk on hand, so I usually use water… yes! water! in place of milk. Yogurt mixed with water creates enough flavor to offset any lack of fat. Surprise!

Buttery Yogurt Biscuits Ingredients

These ingredients are very simple and quite standard. For this yogurt biscuit recipe, you’ll need all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, butter, plain Greek yogurt, and milk. You can use any kind of milk including nut milk; however, I rarely have milk on hand, so I often just use water and they are still great!

all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, butter, plain Greek yogurt, and milk
all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, butter, plain Greek yogurt, and milk

Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheet

Biscuits are quick to make since they don’t include yeast. Begin by preheating the oven to 450°F (232˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

TIP: A hot, high-heat oven ensures a crispy biscuit exterior and flaky interior. Once in the oven, the heat begins to “firm” the dough prior to complete melting the butter chunks resulting in pockets of flakiness when the butter melts.

1. prepare baking sheet
1. prepare baking sheet
2. line baking sheet w/ parchment paper or silicone mat
2. line baking sheet w/ parchment paper or silicone mat

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a very large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add 480 grams (4 cups) of all-purpose flour. If using an unsalted fat like unsalted butter or shortening, add 9 grams (1½ teaspoons) of salt. I tend to use salted butter in my recipe, so I decrease the salt to 6 grams (1 teaspoon). Add 30 grams (2 tablespoons) of baking powder. Stir until all the ingredients are dispersed.

TIP: If using a measuring cup instead of weighing the flour, remember to fluff the flour in the container, then scoop out the flour using a spoon into the measuring cup, and use a knife to scrape or level off the flour in the measuring cup.

1. 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
1. 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
2. 9 g (1½ tsp) salt, if using UNSALTED butter; 6 g (1 tsp) salt if using SALTED butter
2. 9 g (1½ tsp) salt, if using UNSALTED butter; 6 g (1 tsp) salt if using SALTED butter
3. 30 g (2 tbsp) baking powder
3. 30 g (2 tbsp) baking powder
4. stir until all combined
4. stir until all combined

Cut in the Fat

Many southern biscuit recipes use shortening, but I prefer the richness of butter. You can certainly use a combination of both. Adding both butter and shortening will provide the best of both worlds (tenderness from the shortening and richness from the butter). In this recipe, I tend to use all butter because I always have butter on hand. So, add 113 grams (1 stick) of diced COLD butter (unsalted or salted). Use a pastry cutter, knives, forks, or your fingers to cut the butter into small pieces about the size of petite peas.

TIP: You could mix the ingredients in a food processor. Simply blend just until the butter is cut into small pieces.

1. 113 g (4 oz / 8 tbsp / 1 stick) diced COLD butter (unsalted or salted)
1. 113 g (4 oz / 8 tbsp / 1 stick) diced COLD butter (unsalted or salted)
2. use pastry cutter, knives, forks, hands, food processor to cut in butter until small pea sized
2. use pastry cutter, knives, forks, hands, food processor to cut in butter until small pea sized

Optional Mix-ins…

At this point, stir any optional mix-ins into the flour and butter mixture. For savory biscuits, stir in 1 cup of grated cheese and/or a ¼ cup freshly chopped chives (or 1 tablespoon of dried chives). For a sweet version, stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. You can have fun with mix-ins including herbs, chopped nuts, chopped dried fruit, fresh chopped fruit, and chopped candy bars; there are no rules!

Combine the Wet Ingredients

In a 2-cup measuring cup, add 255 grams (1 cup) of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. This recipe used non-fat yogurt for a lighter version, but I have used full-fat Greek yogurt and sour cream. Use what you have. Pour in 230 milliliters (~1 cup) of any milk or water. Yes, I often use water because yogurt or sour cream automatically adds richness and flavor. However, whole milk adds an increased level of richness, so when I have milk, I use that instead. Stir the mixture until smooth.

TIP: If you have buttermilk, you can use 472 milliliters (2 cups) in place of the yogurt and milk or water combination.

1. 255 g (1 cup) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1. 255 g (1 cup) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
2. 230 ml (~1 cup) any milk or water
2. 230 ml (~1 cup) any milk or water
3. stir until smooth
3. stir until smooth

Mix Wet & Dry Ingredients

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture to hold the liquid ingredients. Pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir until all ingredients are moistened.

1. make a well in center of flour mixture
1. make a well in center of flour mixture
4. dough should become stiff
4. dough should become stiff
2. pour in yogurt & milk mixture
2. pour in yogurt & milk mixture
5. move to kneading w/ hands to pick up all flour & butter bits at the bottom of the bowl
5. move to kneading w/ hands to pick up all flour & butter bits at the bottom of the bowl
3. stir well
3. stir well
6. dough should look like this once all mixed/kneaded
6. dough should look like this once all mixed/kneaded

2 Simple Methods for Dividing Dough into Biscuits

Depending on how much time you have or what you feel like doing, there are 2 methods for dividing the dough into biscuits. You can make quick drop biscuits or use a traditional biscuit cutter. Both are in the following description and demonstrations.

To Make Quick Drop Biscuits…

Simply scoop out about ¼ cup of dough. You can eyeball the amount just using a spoon. Why not “grab” about a ¼ cup of dough with your hand? Or you can use a measuring cup to divide the dough into equal-sized biscuits (see example below). Then, place (drop) scooped-out dough onto the prepared baking sheet. You don’t even need to shape them! The biscuits should almost touch.

1. scoop out about ¼ cup of dough (you can use a measuring cup & fill just to the top)
1. scoop out about ¼ cup of dough (you can use a measuring cup & fill just to the top)
2. dough is just to the top
2. dough is just to the top
3. if using a measuring cup, may need to use fingers to release dough
3. if using a measuring cup, may need to use fingers to release dough
4. place dough on baking sheet
4. place dough on baking sheet

To Make the Traditional Cut-Out Biscuits…

Flatten Dough into 1-Inch-Thick Circle

Add flour to a work surface. Scoop the dough out onto the work surface. Lightly knead the dough a few times adding flour as necessary to ensure the dough is a cohesive unit. Flatten the dough out into a 1-inch-thick circle.

1. flour work surface
1. flour work surface
2. scoop dough out onto flour
2. scoop dough out onto flour
3. knead a few times to bring it smoothly together
3. knead a few times to bring it smoothly together
4. flatten dough to 1 inch thick
4. flatten dough to 1 inch thick

Cut out the Dough into Biscuit Rounds

Use a 2 ½ -inch biscuit/cookie cutter or small drinking glass (anything round). Cut out large rounds using the cutter. Place each biscuit round on the prepared baking sheet almost touching the other biscuit rounds. For any leftover dough scraps, reshape the scraps into a disk about an inch thick and continue cutting out rounds until all dough is used. You should get 20-22 medium-sized biscuits out of this recipe.

1. use 2 ½ -inch cutter or drinking glass
1. use 2 ½ -inch cutter or drinking glass
5. scoop up dough scraps
5. scoop up dough scraps
2. cut out rounds
2. cut out rounds
6. knead & flatten out dough scraps into 1 inch thick
3. release dough from cutter
3. release dough from cutter
7. cut out biscuit rounds
7. cut out biscuit rounds
4. place rounds on baking sheet
4. place rounds on baking sheet
8. last remaining dough piece
8. last remaining dough piece

Bake the Buttery Yogurt Biscuits

Regardless of the shaping method (whether quick drop biscuits or traditional cut-out biscuits), once all biscuits are on the baking sheet, place them in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

the top-left 2 biscuits are the drop biscuits; the remaining biscuits use the traditional cut-out method
the top-left 2 biscuits are the drop biscuits; the remaining biscuits use the traditional cut-out method

Baked Buttery Yogurt Biscuits: Hot, Crispy Exterior with a Flaky Soft Interior

Notice how the caramelized butter on the exterior creates a crispy layer. Once the biscuits cool, however, the crunchy texture softens. They tear or cut like a traditional southern homemade biscuit. You can spot the layers as a result from a hot oven and chunks of butter. The last image is of both methods of biscuit shaping; the drop biscuit has a lumpy top while the traditional cut-out method has a smooth, flat top with even thickness.

Baked biscuits: caramelized buttered crispy tops
Baked biscuits: caramelized buttered crispy tops
southern buttery yogurt biscuits
southern buttery yogurt biscuits
biscuit close-up view
biscuit close-up view
biscuit interior close-up view
biscuit interior close-up view
left: traditional cut out biscuit; right: quick drop biscuit
left: traditional cut out biscuit; right: quick drop biscuit

Serving Suggestions

These buttery, tangy biscuits are wonderful hot by themselves, or with a pat of butter or jam. They would be great with brown gravy, chocolate grave, a sausage patty, a small ham steak, or hashbrowns sandwiched in the middle. Eat them as you would any other biscuit.

Storage Suggestions

Store these biscuits at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, as soon as they cool, place them in a freezer bag and freeze, so you have homemade biscuits every day of the week. Just heat desired amount from frozen in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and enjoy.

Buttery Yogurt Biscuits Final Thoughts

This is truly one of my regular homemade breads. These biscuits have such simple ingredients and are easy to make. I vary up the recipe depending on the ingredients in my fridge or pantry (and sometimes based on what I’m craving 😊). Making a large batch allows you to have homemade bread every day without the work (every day).

Baker’s Perspective

Homemade biscuits are easy to make particularly if you use the quick drop biscuit method for dividing. The ingredients can vary as well as the mix-ins. You can use buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream for the acidic ingredient that produces a high-rise biscuit when combined with the baking powder. Use any level of milk fat, nut milk, or water combined with yogurt or sour cream. You can use all butter, shortening/ lard, or combination of butter and shortening/lard. Be sure to adjust (reduce) the salt if using salted butter. Add savory mix-ins like grated cheese, fresh or dried herbs, and /or bacon pieces. For a sweet version, add chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, or fresh chopped fruit. Endless possibilities!

Taster’s Perspective

With the decreased butter amount and the heavy dairy replaced with lighter options, this can be a bread eaten daily. They are buttery and tangy, but neither flavor is overpowering. My husband, Scott, eats these everyday as part of his breakfast. They make a great mid-morning or afternoon snack with peanut butter and jam, too. Add some Nutella and your kids (or yourself 😉) will be grateful! We enjoy these with grated cheddar cheese and chives as these additions combined with the tangy yogurt in the dough creates a baked potato -like bread. Yum! If you give these biscuits a try, please enjoy them!

Check out my YouTube video on making these biscuits. “Southern Buttery Yogurt Biscuits: Simple Ingredients & Easy to Make Everyday Bread”

Print Recipe

Southern Buttery Yogurt Biscuits

Try this lighter take on a homemade southern biscuit recipe. This yogurt biscuit recipe contains less fat and replaces some milk with plain Greek yogurt. You can even replace the milk with water! Add optional mix-ins for added flavor.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buttery biscuits, yogurt biscuits, southern biscuits, yeast-free bread, quick bread, breakfast biscuits
Servings: 20 biscuits
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour flour fluffed, scooped, & leveled off if using a measuring cup
  • 9 g (1½ tsp) salt, if using unsalted butter 6 g (1 tsp) salt, if using salted butter
  • 30 g (2 tbsp) baking powder
  • 113 g (4 oz / 8 tbsp / 1 stick) COLD butter (unsalted or salted) diced
  • 255 g (1 cup) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream or 472 ml (2 cups) buttermilk in place of both yogurt & milk
  • 230 ml (~1 cup) any milk water

Optional Mix-Ins

  • 1 cup grated cheese any kind (cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gruyère, etc.)
  • ¼ cup freshly chopped chives or 1 tbsp of dried chives

Instructions

  • Preheat oven 450˚F (232˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
    TIP: A hot oven will ensure a crispy biscuit exterior and flaky interior. The heat begins to "solidify" the dough prior to melting the butter chunks resulting in pockets of flakiness when the butter melts.
  • In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients, flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir until all ingredients are dispersed.
    TIP: If using a measuring cup, remember to fluff the flour in the container, then scoop out the flour using a spoon into the measuring cup, and use a knife to scrape or level off the flour above the measuring cup.
  • Use a pastry cutter, knives, forks, or your fingers to cut in the butter into small pieces about the size of peas.
    TIP: You could also use a food processor blending just until the butter is cut into small pieces.
  • Stir any optional mix-ins into the flour and butter mixture.
  • In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine yogurt and milk/water stirring until the mixture is smooth.
    TIP: If you have buttermilk, use 472 ml (2 cups) in place of the yogurt and milk/water combination.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir until all ingredients are just moistened. Follow one of two methods below for either drop biscuits or the traditional cut-out method.
  • Regardless of the method, once all biscuits are on the baking sheet. Place them in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and enjoy while hot with a pat of butter.

Quick Drop Biscuit Method:

  • Simply scoop out about ¼ cup of dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheet. The biscuits should almost touch.
    TIP: Use a spoon, grab a handful, or use a measuring cup to scoop out dough.

Traditional Biscuit Cutter Method:

  • Scoop the dough out onto a floured work surface. Lightly knead the dough into a large disk adding flour as necessary.
  • Flatten the dough out with your hands into a 1-inch-thick circle.
  • Use a 2 ½ -inch biscuit/cookie cutter or small drinking glass (anything round). Cut out large rounds using the cutter.
    TIP: Reshape dough scrapes back into a disk and continue cutting out rounds until all dough is used.
  • Place each biscuit round on the prepared baking sheet almost touching the other biscuit rounds.

Video

Notes

Serving Suggestions:
These buttery, tangy biscuits are wonderful hot by themselves, or with a pat of butter or jam. They would be great with gravy, chocolate gravy, a sausage patty, a ham steak, or hashbrowns sandwiched in the middle. Eat them as you would any other biscuit.
Storage Suggestions:
Place cooled biscuits in a sealed bag or container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer, fresher tasting storage, place cooled biscuits in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. From frozen, remove desired number of biscuits and heat in the microwave 30-45 seconds or until heated through.

You might be interested in these other roll- or bun-type breads.

Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls: No Knead & Egg Free

Sour Cream Pocketbook Yeast Rolls

The Berry Rolls: My Grandmother’s Yeast Roll Recipe

British Hot Cross Buns

Cinnamon Rolls

Colombian Pandebono GF Cheese Rolls

Gluten-Free Yeast Rolls

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Hamburger, Hot Dog, & Hoagie Buns

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!

2-Ingredient Ricotta Cheese and Flour Pasta for Orecchiette & Cavatelli

Top: cavatelli without ridges; Bottom left: cavatelli with ridges; Bottom right: orecchiette
Top: cavatelli without ridges; Bottom left: cavatelli with ridges; Bottom right: orecchiette

Buongiorno! Southern regions of Italy 🇮🇹 like Puglia, Campania, and Molise make pasta using only 2 ingredients, semolina flour and water. However, semolina flour and ricotta cheese are common ingredients in two very common pasta shapes, the orecchiette meaning “little ears” 👂(as they are in the shape of small ears) and cavatelli meaning “little hollows” resembling the shape of small hot dog buns 🌭. No special tools required!! Let’s check them out!

Orecchiette & Cavatelli Ingredients

semolina flour & ricotta cheese
semolina flour & ricotta cheese
measured out semolina flour & ricotta cheese for 2 people (½ pound) of pasta
measured out semolina flour & ricotta cheese for 2 people (½ pound) of pasta

In this recipe, there are only two ingredients, hard durum semolina wheat flour and ricotta cheese. That’s it. This recipe makes a total of a half of a pound of pasta which generally feeds two people, but you can make as much as you want. The simple ratio is to measure 100 grams of semolina flour and 134 grams of ricotta cheese per person. With this ratio, you can make one serving or many servings.

A Little About Hard Durum Semolina Wheat

coarse durum wheat (resembles cornmeal)
coarse durum wheat (resembles cornmeal)
common durum wheat flour found in the United States
common durum wheat flour found in the United States

Durum wheat flour is the traditional wheat used in Italy 🇮🇹 for making pastas and couscous. It is a hard, high protein, rather high gluten, coarse wheat flour. Durum wheat, when ground into flour, is then called semolina and resembles in both texture and color to cornmeal; however, it is wheat and not corn. Durum wheat has a slightly different genetic make-up than regular flour as it lacks the D genome in the DNA allowing it to stretch more easily. Thus, semolina flour is not ideal for making bread as it doesn’t have the elasticity needed.

A Little About Ricotta Cheese

ricotta cheese
ricotta cheese

Ricotta’s Origins & Description

Ricotta cheese is a soft white, creamy Italian 🇮🇹 cheese that first made in Sicily. It is thought to have originated during the Bronze Age (3300 BC – 1200 BC). In Italy, it is a fresh “cheese” made from sheep, cow, goat, or water buffalo milk cheese (often mozzarella). In the United States, ricotta is made primarily from cow’s milk cheese. It differs from other cheeses, like farmer’s cheese, since it’s made from whey instead of milk. Many countries have their own version of ricotta like requesón in Spain and Mexico, recuite in France, rigouta in Tunisia, mascarpa in Switzerland, urda in the Balkans, and anthotyros in Greece for example.

Ricotta Meaning & How it’s Made

The word “ricotta” derived from the Italian 🇮🇹 verb “ricuocere” which means “recook”. The name actually describes how ricotta is made. In fact, it’s technically not cheese; it’s the creamy curd or whey that’s left over from cheese making. This remaining whey is cooked (again) to solidify (coagulate) the albumin (the cheese protein) turning it into the creamy white “cheese” we call “ricotta”. As you may have inferred, ricotta is a by-product that dairy farmers did not want to waste. Talk about sustainability! When it originated, this by-product provided sustenance for the lower class. Now it’s a beloved “cheese” used in so many sweet and savory dishes like pastas (lasagna), pizzas, cakes, and cannolis. Yum! 😋

Make the Orecchiette & Cavatelli Pasta Dough

The pasta dough is the same for both pasta shapes. On a work surface or in a large bowl, measure out 200 grams (1⅔ cups) of durum wheat semolina flour. Make a well in the center of the flour to hold the cheese. Stir the ricotta cheese to ensure any liquid that might sit on top is mixed with the solids. Measure out 267 grams (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) of ricotta cheese. Scoop the ricotta in the well of the flour and begin mixing the two together. If using your hands, fold the flour into the cheese until all the flour is mixed into the cheese and a shaggy dough has formed. The dough will feel grainy, but as you knead, it will become smooth like regular bread dough.

1. 200 g (1⅔ cups) durum wheat semolina flour
1. 200 g (1⅔ cups) durum wheat semolina flour
5. fold flour over onto cheese & mix until combined
5. fold flour over onto cheese & mix until combined
2. make a well in center
2. make a well in center
6. dough is shaggy mass
6. dough is a shaggy mass
3. 267 g (1 cup plus 1 tbsp) ricotta cheese
3. 267 g (1 cup plus 1 tbsp) ricotta cheese
7. continue mixing until dough forms
7. continue mixing until dough forms
4. spoon cheese in well of flour
4. spoon cheese in well of flour

Knead the Orecchiette & Cavatelli Pasta Dough & Rest

Begin kneading the shaggy mass like you would bread dough. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball. If the dough is either too wet or too dry, add 1 tablespoon of flour (regular or semolina) or water (or ricotta cheese) until the dough is no longer too wet or dry. After 10 minutes of kneading, cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

1. dough has formed; ingredients combined
1. dough has formed; ingredients combined
4. flour the surface under the dough
4. flour the surface under the dough
2. begin kneading 10 min. on a lightly floured surface
2. begin kneading 10 min. on a lightly floured surface
5. cover dough to rest 20 min.
5. cover dough to rest 20 min.
3. after 10 min. dough is smooth but not sticky
3. after 10 min. dough is smooth but not sticky

Prepare Baking Sheet

A baking sheet provides a moveable surface on which to place the shaped pasta to prevent it from sticking. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using parchment paper makes it easy to lift the pasta to place in a pot for cooking or a bag for storing. Dust the paper with semolina or other flour to prevent the shaped noodles from sticking together or on the surface.

1. line baking sheet w/ parchment paper
1. line baking sheet w/ parchment paper
2. sprinkle flour or semolina flour over the paper
2. sprinkle flour or semolina flour over the paper

Shape & Divide Pasta Dough

Lightly flour the work surface under the dough. I use regular all-purpose flour. At this point, you can roll out the dough to the shape you want for making different pasta shapes. Begin by shaping the dough into a disk. Divide the dough disk into quarters. Place three of the four dough pieces on a plate, cover, and set aside. Leave the remaining one on the work surface.

1. shape the dough into a disk
1. shape the dough into a disk
2. divide dough into quarters
2. divide dough into quarters
3. place 3 dough pieces on a plate & cover; leave remaining on work surface
3. place 3 dough pieces on a plate & cover; leave remaining on work surface

Orecchiette & Cavatelli are Mostly Similar

As you read the separate directions below for making orecchiette and cavatelli, you’ll notice many similarities. The main difference is that the orecchiette dough shapes are in squares while the cavatelli dough shapes are in rectangles, but you form them in very much the same way. You use a thumb to form the ear (also known as scoop or dimple) in the orecchiette (square) dough while using two fingers to form the wider scoop or dimple to resemble a hot dog bun in the cavatelli (rectangle) dough.

How to Make Orecchiette (Little Ears) Pasta

orechhiette pasta (little ears)
orechhiette pasta (little ears)

What is Orecchiette Pasta?

Orecchiette is a thick and chewy pasta shaped to look like little ears (concave rounds). The word “orecchiette” surprisingly comes from the Italian noun “orecchio” meaning “ear”. The origins are mostly unknown. However, there are accounts of this shape made during ancient Rome and for the many counts of Anjou in the Provence region of France. Ultimately, it was perfected in Puglia, Italy by the 13th century. Thus, today orecchiette is associated with and commonly made in Puglia (Apulia), Italy.

Shape the Orecchiette

Bowl of Flour

Place a medium-sized bowl near the work surface. Add 1-2 tablespoons of regular (all-purpose) flour to the bowl. This step is optional, but I find it super helpful in preventing the individual pasta shapes from sticking to each other or the thumb during shaping.

place 1-2 tbsp of flour in medium bowl
place 1-2 tbsp of flour in medium bowl (optional)

Roll Dough Pieces into Ropes

Remove any remaining flour from the work surface so it is just the surface. A lack of flour creates friction making it easier to roll the dough into ropes. Roll one dough piece on the work surface into a rope that’s a half inch thick.

TIP: If the rope becomes too long for the surface on which you’re rolling, cut the rope in half. Set one half aside and continue rolling the other until the appropriate diameter is met. Cut the rope again if necessary.

1. roll remaining dough piece into a rope ½ inch thick
1. roll remaining dough piece into a rope ½ inch thick
2. divide rope in half as needed to fit work surface
2. divide rope in half as needed to fit work surface
3. continue rolling rope to reach appropriate thickness
3. continue rolling rope to reach appropriate thickness

Cut the Ropes into Small Squares

Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the rope into ½-inch pieces. Each small piece should be a ½-inch square. Since this is homemade pasta, rustic is good. Don’t worry if the squares aren’t perfect. 😉

cut rope into ½-inch pieces (squares)
cut rope into ½-inch pieces (squares)

Form the Ear

Place a square dough piece either in the palm of your secondary hand or on the work surface. Using the thumb on your dominate hand, press down in the center and roll gently toward you flattening out the dough and curling it over your thumb to resemble a small ear-like shape. If you need a more substantial curl, lift the flattened piece from your palm or work surface and curl it over your thumb to form the ear-like shape.

TIPS: If you need a more substantial curl, lift the flattened piece from your palm or work surface and curl it over your thumb to form the ear-like shape. If the ears are sticking to your thumb, hand, or work surface as you shape them, toss the dough squares in a little flour before shaping them. Use your index finger on the same hand to flick off the shaped orecchiette.

1. place 1 dough square in secondary hand
1. place 1 dough square in secondary hand
5. Or, place 1 dough square on work surface
5. Or, place 1 dough square on work surface
2. use thumb of dominant hand & press down in center of dough
2. use thumb of dominant hand & press down in center of dough
6. press down in center of dough w/thumb & roll dough towards you; dough curls over thumb
6. press down in center of dough w/thumb & roll dough towards you; dough curls over thumb
3. roll dough towards you; dough begins to curl over thumb
3. roll dough towards you; dough begins to curl over thumb
7. remove dough from thumb; ear shape remains
7. remove dough from thumb; ear shape remains
4. remove dough from thumb; ear shape remains
4. remove dough from thumb; ear shape remains
8. use index finger to flick off orecchiette into bowl of flour
8. use index finger to flick off orecchiette into bowl of flour

Toss Ears in Flour & Place on Baking Sheet

Toss the orecchiette in the bowl with flour to help dry them out and prevent them from sticking. Continue making the ear shapes. Once you have a few ears in the floured bowl, lift a handful out of the flour (or use a sieve). Shake off excess flour and place the ears uncovered on the floured baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough making as many ears as desired.

1. toss orecchiette into bowl of flour
1. toss orecchiette into bowl of flour
2. shake flour off a handful of orecchiette
2. shake flour off a handful of orecchiette
3. place orecchiette on baking sheet (uncovered)
3. place orecchiette on baking sheet (uncovered)

How to Serve Orecchiette Pasta…

Once cooked, you can serve orecchiette with any preferred pasta sauce. The traditional sauce for these little ears is a ragu. Ragu is typically made with meat, vegetables, and sometimes tomatoes or another sauce with vegetables like broccoli or mini meatballs. Select a sauce that works for you.

this is 1 serving (¼ pound) of orecchiette pasta
1 serving (¼ pound) of orecchiette pasta

How to Make Cavatelli (Mini Hot Dog Buns) Pasta

cavatelli pasta (mini hot dog buns) without ridges
cavatelli pasta (mini hot dog buns) without ridges
cavatelli pasta (mini hot dog buns) with ridges
cavatelli pasta (mini hot dog buns) with ridges

What is Cavatelli Pasta?

Cavatelli is also a thick and chewy pasta, but it is shaped to look like little hot dog buns (concave rectangles). The word “cavatelli” likely comes from the verb “incavare” meaning “hollow out”. The origins are also mostly unknown. However, there are accounts of this shape made in Molise, Italy during the 13th century and thought to have been enjoyed by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. It was considered a peasant dish as it can be made simply with just flour and water. Today, it is commonly eaten in Molise and Puglia.

Shape the Cavatelli

Bowl of Flour

As with the orecchiette, place a medium-sized bowl near the work surface. Add 1-2 tablespoons of regular (all-purpose) flour to the bowl. Again, this step is optional, but I find it super helpful in preventing the individual pasta shapes from sticking to each other or the thumb during shaping.

bowl w/ 1-2 tbsp flour
bowl w/ 1-2 tbsp flour

Roll Dough Pieces into Ropes

Like with the orecchiette, remove any remaining flour from the work surface so it is just the surface. A lack of flour creates friction making it easier to roll the dough into ropes. Roll one dough piece on the work surface into a rope that’s a half inch thick.

TIP: If the rope becomes too long for the surface on which you’re rolling, cut the rope in half. Set one half aside and continue rolling the other until the appropriate diameter is met. Cut the rope again if necessary.

1. begin rolling another dough piece to ½ inch thick
1. begin rolling another dough piece to ½ inch thick
2. divide rope in half as needed to fit work surface
2. divide rope in half as needed to fit work surface

Cut the Ropes into Rectangles

Use a knife or bench cutter to cut the rope into ¾ of an inch. Each small piece should be a ¾ of an inch wide (a little longer than the orecchiette). Since this is homemade pasta, rustic is good. Don’t worry if the rectangles are not all the same length. 😉

cut rope in ¾-inch pieces (rectangles)
cut rope in ¾-inch pieces (rectangles)

Form the Mini Hot Dog Bun

Place the cavatelli on the work surface with the ends facing your left and right (horizontally to you). Using both the index and middle fingers, place them in the middle of each cavatelli and press down towards you. The dough should curl up resembling a little hot dog bun.

TIPS: If the buns are sticking to your fingers or the work surface as you shape them, toss the dough rectangles in a little flour before shaping them. Use your thumb on the same hand to flick off the shaped cavatelli.

1. toss dough rectangles in flour to prevent sticking during shaping
1. toss dough rectangles in flour to prevent sticking during shaping
4. press down both fingers to roll towards you; dough curls up over the fingers
4. press down both fingers to roll towards you; dough curls up over the fingers
2. place dough rectangle horizontal to you
2. place dough rectangle horizontally to you
5. cavatelli (mini hot dog buns)
5. cavatelli (mini hot dog buns)
3. place index & middle fingers on center of dough rectangle
3. place index & middle fingers on center of dough rectangle

Toss Mini Hot Dog Buns in Flour & Place on Baking Sheet

Toss the cavatelli in the bowl with flour to help dry them out and prevent them from sticking. Continue making the mini hot dog bun shapes. Once you have a few buns in the floured bowl, lift a handful out of the flour (or use a sieve). Shake off excess flour and place the ears uncovered on the floured baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough making as many hot dog buns as desired.

Create Ridges on the Cavatelli (Optional but Pretty & Easy)

Why not add ridges to your cavatelli without additional work? The ridges add elegance and create more space for your sauce to cling to and hide on each noodle.

Gnocchi Board or Fork… Your Choice!

gnocchi board
gnocchi board
homemade gnocchi board 😉
homemade gnocchi board 😉

The ridges appear on the outside of the hot dog bun shape. You can create them using a gnocchi board or using the tines on the back of a fork. My demonstration below is with a fork, since I do not own a gnocchi board.

Make the Ridges

Place a fork with the tines facing down towards you on the work surface. Place one piece of the rectangle dough perpendicular to the fork tines at the top of the fork tines. Use the same two fingers and press down in the center of the dough while rolling the dough down the fork tines towards you. This motion creates both the curl and ridges concurrently. You can alternate between shaping the buns on the work surface and on the fork for two texture variations. Repeat with the remaining dough, dusting in flour, and placing them on the baking sheet.

TIP: If you have a gnocchi board, follow the same directions but treat the gnocchi board ridges like the fork tines in the above description.

1. place fork tines down facing you
1. turn fork tines down facing you
4. use thumb to flick off cavatelli
4. use thumb to flick off cavatelli
2. place 1 dough rectangle at top of fork tines
2. place 1 dough rectangle at top of fork tines
5. ridges formed on one side & hot dog bun shape on the other
5. ridges formed on one side & hot dog bun shape on the other
3. press index & middle fingers down & roll dough down fork to create both ridges & curl
3. press index & middle fingers down & roll dough down fork to create both ridges & curl

How to Serve Cavatelli Pasta…

Once cooked, you can serve cavatelli with any preferred pasta sauce. The traditional sauce for these little hot dog buns is a simple tomato sauce with broccoli or garlic, broccolini, and tomatoes. Serve the pasta however you want.

cavatelli without ridges on top; cavatelli with ridges on bottom
cavatelli without ridges on top; cavatelli with ridges on bottom

Storing Orecchiette & Cavatelli

The pasta can be cooked immediately. However, if not, place the baking sheet with pasta in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the pasta on the baking pan until it is frozen. Then, transfer the pasta all together in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Cooking Orecchiette & Cavatelli

Regardless of how the pasta is stored, it’s cooked the same way. Bring a large pot of 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt; the water should taste like the ocean (salinity of the sea). Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the pasta rises to the surface, set the timer, and cook for 2 minutes. Taste a noodle to check for doneness. It should be “al dente” meaning “to the tooth” and should be fully cooked but firm to the bite. If a dense white spot is in the center of the pasta, it needs to be cooked for another 20-30 seconds. Once the pasta is done, drain, and serve it immediately with your preferred sauce.

Orecchiette & Cavatelli Final Thoughts

Orecchiette and cavatelli may appear to be unique pasta shapes; however, they are quite similar to one another. There are other regions in Italy known for similar shapes with different names. Creating the concave on these pastas is the same across the board. With hundreds of pasta shapes throughout Italy, many of them use similar techniques; once you grasp a few, you can make many different shapes.

Baker’s Perspective

The mix of semolina flour and ricotta cheese is a clever combination for pasta dough. The fat from the cheese produces a soft dough for kneading and eliminates the need 😉 for adding flour during the kneading process. This homemade pasta definitely takes an afternoon to make. In addition to kneading, there is the multi-step process in rolling the dough, cutting it into small pieces, and shaping each piece. Once in a rhythm, the process can go very quickly. I imagine pasta-making being a fun afternoon activity with the kiddos on a cold and rainy day. The easiest part is cooking the pasta. I suggest taking the time to make it in large batches and freeze. Then on that afternoon or evening when you’re craving pasta, 10 minutes away from an awesome meal… it’s quicker to cook than dried! Now that’s fast food.😊

Taster’s Perspective

Fresh pasta, specifically made with ricotta cheese, is so different from dried, commercial versions. It tends to be thicker, chewier, and has a more substantial bite. The ricotta cheese is a nice addition that adds to the chewiness; however, the cheese flavor is mostly undetectable. Thus, we find the cheese more of a texture than flavor enhancer. Honestly, when it comes to sauces, I think the less is more. Homemade pasta should shine and not be hidden. The sauce should be the decoration to add color and enrich the overall pasta flavor profile. Why not keep it simple by adding a serving of pasta (or two 😉) to a bowl, swirl on some olive oil, and top with freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese?

Check out my YouTube video on making Orecchiette and Cavatelli pasta. “2-Ingredient Ricotta Cheese & Flour Orecchiette & Cavatelli Pasta: How to make the Shapes & Ridges!”

Print Recipe

2-Ingredient Ricotta Cheese and Flour Pasta for Orecchiette and Cavatelli

Semolina flour and ricotta cheese are common ingredients in two very common pasta shapes, the orecchiette meaning “little ears” and cavatelli meaning “little hollows” resembling the shape of small hot dog buns. This recipe is simple and doesn't require any special tools.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: 2-ingredient pasta, italian pasta, semolina flour and ricotta cheese, orecchiette pasta, cavatelli pasta, how to make ridges
Servings: 2 servings (½ pound)
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 200 g (1⅔ cups) durum wheat semolina flour
  • 267 g (1 cup+1 tbsp) ricotta cheese

Instructions

For making orecchiette and cavatelli pasta:

  • On a work surface or in a large bowl, measure out the semolina flour. Make a well in the center of the flour.
  • Measure out the ricotta cheese (stir well). Scoop the ricotta in the well of the flour. Use your fingers (or spoon if using a bowl) to fold the flour over onto the cheese and mix to combine both flour and cheese. Continue mixing until the ricotta cheese is mixed with the flour and a shaggy dough has formed.
  • Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball adding flour or water (or more ricotta cheese), 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed.
  • Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust them with semolina or other flour.
  • Lightly flour the work surface under the dough. At this point, you can roll out the dough to the shape you want for making different pasta shapes.
  • Shape the dough into a disk. Divide the disk into quarters so you have four dough pieces. Place three of the four dough pieces on a plate and cover. Leave the remaining one on the work surface.

For shaping orecchiette (small ear shapes):

  • Place a medium-sized bowl near the work surface and add 1-2 tablespoons of regular flour.
  • Roll the remaining dough piece on the work surface into a rope that's a ½ inch thick.
    TIP: If the rope becomes too long for the surface on which you are rolling, cut the rope in half. Set one half aside and continue rolling the other until the appropriate diameter is met. Cut the rope in half again if necessary.
  • Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the rope into ½-inch pieces so each small piece is a ½-inch square.
  • Place a dough piece in the palm of your secondary hand or on the work surface. With the thumb on your dominate hand, press down in the center and pull gently towards you flattening out the dough and curling it over your thumb to resemble a small ear-like shape.
    TIPS: If you need a more substantial curl, lift the flattened piece from your palm and curl it over your thumb to form the ear-like shape. If the ears are sticking to your thumb, hand, or work surface as you shape them, toss the dough squares in a little flour before shaping them.
  • Toss the orecchiette in the bowl with flour to help dry them out and prevent them from sticking. Continue making the ear shapes. Once you have a few ears in the floured bowl, lift a handful out of the flour. Shake off excess flour and place the ears uncovered on the floured baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough making as many ears as desired.
    TIP: Use your index finger on the same hand to flick off the shaped orecchiette.

For shaping cavatelli (small hot dog bun shapes):

  • Place a medium-sized bowl near the work surface and add 1-2 tablespoons of regular flour.
  • Roll the remaining dough piece on the work surface into a rope that's a ½ inch thick.
    TIP: If the rope becomes too long for the surface on which you are rolling, cut the rope in half. Set one half aside and continue rolling the other until the appropriate diameter is met. Cut the rope in half again if necessary.
  • Use a knife or bench cutter to cut the rope into ¾-inch pieces. Each small piece should be a ¾ of an inch wide (a little longer than the orecchiette).
  • Place the cavatelli on the work surface with the ends facing your left and right (horizontally to you). Using both the index and middle fingers, place them in the middle of each cavatelli and press down towards you. The dough should curl up over both fingers now resembling a little hot dog bun.
    TIPS: If the cavatelli sticks to your fingers or work surface as you shape them, toss the dough rectangles in a little flour before shaping them. Use your thumb on the same hand to flick off the shaped cavatelli.
  • Toss the cavatelli in the bowl with flour to help dry them out and prevent them from sticking. Continue making the mini hot dog bun shapes. Once you have a few buns in the floured bowl, lift a handful out of the flour (or use a sieve). Shake off excess flour and place the ears uncovered on the floured baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough making as many hot dog buns as desired.

For adding ridges to the cavatelli:

  • Place a fork with the tines facing down towards you on the work surface. Place one piece of the rectangle dough perpendicular to the fork tines at the top of the fork tines. Use the same two fingers and press down in the center of the dough while rolling the dough down the fork tines towards you. This motion creates both the curl and ridges concurrently. You can alternate between shaping the buns on the work surface and on the fork for two texture variations.
    TIP: If you have a gnocchi board follow the same directions but treat the gnocchi board ridges like the fork tines.

Video

Notes

Serving Suggestions:
Once cooked, you can serve either pasta with any preferred pasta sauce. The orecchiette traditional sauce is a ragu made with meat, vegetables, and sometimes tomatoes or another sauce with vegetables like broccoli or mini meatballs. The cavatelli traditional sauce is a simple tomato sauce with broccoli or garlic, broccolini, and tomatoes.
Storing Suggestions:
The pasta can be cooked immediately. However, if not, place the baking sheet with pasta in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the pasta on the baking pan until frozen. Then, transfer the pasta in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cooking Directions:
Regardless of how the pasta is stored, it’s cooked the same way. Bring a large pot of 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt; the water should taste like the ocean (salinity of the sea). Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the pasta rises to the surface, set the timer, and cook for 2 minutes. Taste a noodle to check for doneness. It should be “al dente” meaning “to the tooth” and should be fully cooked but firm to the bite. If a dense white spot remains in the center of the pasta, it needs to cook another 20-30 seconds. Once the pasta is done, drain, and serve it immediately with your preferred sauce.

You might be interested in these other Italian recipes.

2-Ingredient Fresh Southern Italian Pasta (Busiate, Fettucine, Tagliatelle, & Pappardelle)

Italian Herb Seasoning

Rosemary Focaccia Flatbread

Italian Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies

Italian Gluten-Free Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies

Strawberry Tiramisu Dessert

Italian Panettone Christmas Bread

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!

2-Ingredient Fresh Southern Italian Pasta 🍝& Shapes!

Fresh Italian Pasta: top: busiate / center left to right: tagliatelle & pappardelle / bottom left to right: thin strips & fettuccine
Fresh Italian Pasta: top: busiate / center left to right: tagliatelle & pappardelle / bottom left to right: thin strips & fettuccine

Buongiorno! Fresh homemade Italian pasta is quite the treat and a bit different from dried, commercial versions. The far southern regions of Italy, particularly Calabria and Sicily, make pasta using only two ingredients, semolina flour and water. That’s really all you need to make a satisfying, traditional Italian pasta. Why not create a variety of shapes with such a simple recipe?

Different Types of Noodles

There are hundreds of different pasta shapes with their own special sauces throughout the different regions and towns in Italy. This post focuses on southern Italy making the traditional busiate which is a thin, tube, helical-like coiled shaped noodle; it is an authentic shape found in the Italian regions of Calabria and Sicily. I also demonstrate and explain how to make various thicknesses of thin, long pasta like fettucine, tagliatelle, and pappardelle. Once you get the basics of making a tube-shaped pasta and a flat pasta, you can pretty much make whatever shape and thickness you want. Let’s get to it! Andiamo!

How Much Pasta Should I Make?

There’s a pretty good rule of thumb on how much pasta to make per person. If you know how many people you are feeding, you can determine the amount of pasta to make. The recipe in this post makes a total of a ½ pound of pasta which generally feeds two people; double the recipe to feed four people. Keep this ratio in mind to feed one person, 100 grams of flour to 50 milliliters of water. Once you know that ratio, you can make 1 serving or 50 servings.

Southern Italian Pasta Ingredients

Durum Wheat Flour Versus Regular Wheat Flour

Durum wheat is the traditional wheat used in Italy for making pastas and couscous. It’s a different species from regular wheat grown for making bread. Durum wheat is planted in the spring and harvested in the fall making it a spring wheat flour; it’s best grown in warmer climates like in the Mediterranean. It is a hard, high protein, rather high gluten, coarse wheat flour. Once ground down into the coarse flour, it’s called semolina flour. Durum wheat has a slightly different genetic make-up than regular flour as it lacks the D genome allowing it to stretch more easily. However, it’s not great for making bread as it doesn’t have the elasticity needed. Many recipes will use a combination of semolina flour and all-purpose flour for a softer noodle; however, semolina is all you need for a traditional Italian pasta.

Where Can You Find Durum Wheat?

Durum Wheat Semolina Flour is available in most American grocery stores and online through Amazon. Bob’s Red Mill, an American grain company, is one of several that produces durum wheat, and it is usually not difficult to find. Usually, it’s located in the specialty flour section where you can also find special grains and starches in a local grocery store.

Why Not Use Eggs? Many Pastas Contain Eggs…

Pasta varies quite a bit between northern and southern Italy based on ingredient availability decades to centuries ago. In northern Italy, eggs or egg yolks are traditionally added to pasta as they are the liquid in pasta dough. In fact, you may only have semolina flour and eggs for a northern Italian pasta recipe. This was in large part due to how easy it was to keep and maintain chickens in cooler climates. Eggs were in abundance. Common egg pastas are ravioli and fettuccine.

However, in the warmer south, chickens were harder to keep and maintain, making eggs scarce and a luxury. That’s why traditional pasta in southern Italy does not contain eggs. In fact, southern Italian pasta traditionally only includes semolina flour and water. It’s affordable and very simple. For those who have an egg allergy or intolerance, southern Italian pasta recipes are ideal and can be used to make any desired shape. Common egg-free pastas are busiate and spaghetti.

Make the Pasta Dough

Mix Semolina Flour and Water

On a work surface (or in a large bowl), measure out 200 grams (1⅔ cup) durum wheat semolina flour. Make a well in the center of the flour. Measure out 100 milliliters (~½ cup) very warm tap water (100˚F /38˚C). Slowly pour the water in the well of the flour and stir with your fingers (or a spoon if using a bowl) as you pour to moisten the flour. Add enough liquid while stirring until a shaggy dough begins to form. The flour is gritty and grainy, but it will smooth out over the kneading time.

TIP: Making a well in the center of the flour, particularly when mixing on a flat surface, will prevent the liquid from oozing out.

1. semolina flour & water are the only ingredients
1. semolina flour & water are the only ingredients
2. gradually pour water in well
6. pour water & mix in stages
3. pour water & mix in stages

Knead the Dough

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball adding regular or semolina flour or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Yes, knead the dough like you would regular bread dough. The dough will become soft and pliable; the grittiness will disappear.

TIP: Notice there isn’t any salt in the dough. You certainly could add salt, but you’re going to add plenty of salt to the water when cooking the pasta. The pasta will absorb the salt as it cooks, so I find that salt is not needed in the dough.

1. begin kneading
1. begin kneading
2. dough is coming together
3. dough is becoming soft

Cover Dough & Rest

Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

kneading has completed; dough is soft & pliable

Prepare Baking Pan(s)

Line 1- 2 baking sheets with parchment. Dust the paper with semolina or other flour.

TIP: Parchment paper is not needed; however, it makes transferring the pasta much easier.

dust w/ semolina flour

Prepare the Work Surface for Shaping

Lightly flour the work surface under the dough. Regular all-purpose flour is fine to use as it’s cheaper than semolina flour. Shape the dough into a disk. At this point, you can roll out the dough to the shape you want for making different pasta noodles.

shape dough into a disk
shape dough into a disk

How to Make Long, Flat Noodles…

Divide the dough disk in half. Place one half on a lightly floured work surface and cover the other. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat keeping the work surface floured. The dough should be thin enough to see through it. For this size dough, it should be rolled to a 14-x18- inch rectangle.

TIP: If using a pasta attachment on a pasta machine, flatten dough as described in your machine directions.

1. divide dough in half
1. divide dough in half, set one aside, and roll out other
4. dough is 14 x 18 inches wide
2. dough is 14 x 18 inches wide

Cut Dough into Desired Strips

Simple Thin Strips

Ensure the dough against the work surface is well floured. Use a pizza cutter or knife and cut out long strips (the length of the long side of the rectangle) as thin or as wide as you would like. You can cut as thin as an ⅛-inch-wide strip for a flat-like spaghetti size. As you cut out the strips, place them on the floured baking sheet. You can mound the strips of the same size in a nest or lay them flat if you want to cook them flat.

TIPS: This is your pasta, don’t worry so much about measurements; cut to the width of what you want to eat. For a “prettier” rectangle, trim off (square off) the edges to eliminate odd-shaped pasta for the first cut.

Fettuccine, Tagliatelle, and Pappardelle Sizes

If you want fettucine, cut out strips about a ¼ inch wide. Homemade pasta should look rustic, so width guesses are acceptable. 😊 Mound 6-7 strips of the same width pasta into a nest on the prepared baking sheet. For tagliatelle width pasta, cut strips about a ½ inch wide. For pappardelle width pasta, cut strips about an 1 inch wide. You can vary your sizes, making them thinner or wider depending on your preference.

TIP: Of course, you will likely select only one pasta width for an entire pasta dish meal. If I were making one pasta dish with one sauce, I would make my pasta with all the same shape and size.

1. cutting fettuccine into ¼ inch wide strips
1. cutting fettuccine into ¼-inch-wide strips
4. tagliatelle nests
2. fettuccine nests
2. fettuccine nests
5. cutting pappardelle into 1 inch wide strips
5. cutting pappardelle into 1-inch-wide strips
3. cutting tagliatelle into ½ inch wide strips
3. cutting tagliatelle into ½-inch-wide strips
6. pappardelle nests
6. pappardelle nests

Repeat with Remaining Dough

Then, repeat with any remaining dough following your preferred pasta size and shape.

top left to right: pappardelle & tagliatelle; bottom left to right: very thin strips & fettuccine
top left to right: pappardelle & tagliatelle; bottom left to right: very thin strips & fettuccine

How to Make Busiate (Mini Tube-Like Helical Noodles)…

busiate
busiate

Divide the dough disk into quarters. Place all but one dough piece on a plate and cover with a towel.

Place a medium-sized bowl near the work surface. Add 1-2 tablespoons of regular flour to the bowl for dredging the pasta to prevent sticking. This may not be traditional, but I have found it helpful to prevent the individual busiate from sticking together and from sticking to the coiled device. You can eliminate this step.

Shape Busiate

Roll into Ropes

Wipe off the work surface to remove any flour. The smooth work surface will provide the friction needed to manipulate the dough. Roll one of the dough pieces into a rope about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.

TIP: If the rope becomes too long for the surface you are rolling on, cut the rope in half. Set one half aside and continue rolling the other until the appropriate diameter is met. You may need to cut the rope in half again.

1. roll dough into a rope
1. roll dough into a rope
2. cut rope as needed as it gets too long for work surface
2. trim rope as needed as it gets too long for work surface

Cut Ropes into 6-Inch-Long Pieces

Cut the rope into 6-inch-long pieces. Toss the mini ropes in the bowl with flour to help dry them out and prevent them from sticking to each other and on the skewer.

TIP: If you want a long, tube-shaped pasta like spaghetti, cut the ropes into 12-inch-long pieces and place them on the baking sheet to cook when ready.

1. cut long rope into 6-inch pieces
1. cut long rope into 6-inch pieces
2. use a 6-inch piece to measure others
2. use a 6-inch piece to measure others
3. toss small ropes into flour
3. toss small ropes into flour

Shape the Mini Tubes into Coils

Take a long wooden dowel, skewer, ice pick, or skinny straw. Take one of the floured mini ropes. Place one end of the dough on the skewer. Use the thumb or index finger on the hand holding the skewer to hold the dough in place on the skewer. Roll the dough at a 45-degree angle in a single layer down the skewer to create a spiral. Gently slide the dough off the skewer without mashing the dough. You can rotate the skewer in the opposite direction to help release the dough. Place each busiate on the floured baking sheet.

1. hold end of rope w/ a finger
1. hold end of rope w/ a finger
2. coil rope down device at 45-degree angle
2. coil rope down device at 45-degree angle
3. coil down to end
3. coil down to end
4. gently slide device out from coil
5. place busiate on prepared pan

Repeat with Remaining Dough

Then, repeat with the remaining dough making as many busiate as desired.

all pastas presented
all pastas presented

Serving Fresh Italian Pasta

The traditional sauce served with busiate is Trapanese pesto (from western Sicily). It’s a pesto pasta sauce made from almonds instead of pine nuts like regular pesto. It also consists of garlic, tomatoes, and basil. Sometimes seafood is added to the pasta after the sauce has been prepared. But of course, with any of these pastas, serve them with whatever sauce you want or have.

Storing Fresh Italian Pasta

While the pasta can be cooked immediately, if not, place the pan(s) of pasta in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the pasta on the pan(s) until frozen. Then, transfer the pasta all together in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Cooking Fresh or Frozen Italian Pasta

Regardless of how the pasta is stored, it’s cooked the same way. Bring a large pot of 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt, enough that the water has a salty taste like the ocean (salinity of the sea). Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the pasta rises to the surface, set the timer and cook for 2 minutes. Taste a noodle to check for doneness. It should be “al dente” meaning “to the tooth” and should have small bite to the pasta. If a dense white spot is in the center of the pasta, it needs to cook another 20-30 seconds. Once the pasta is done, drain, and serve it immediately with your preferred sauce.

Fresh Southern Italian Pasta Final Thoughts

Making homemade fresh pasta is really a treat. The work isn’t easy, but the final product is something altogether different from a dried, commercial version. I love using simple, clean ingredients and making the exact shapes I want. You can make many servings at once and freeze them until you’re ready to make a quick meal. There is pride in creating such a simple dish to put on the table. If you go the extra mile to make your own sauce… heaven on a plate.

Baker’s Perspective

Making pasta feels like going back in time when food was simple, and ingredients were few. You can’t “mess” up making pasta; you only need energy to knead and shape the dough. Making busiate is a bit more involved with the steps of rolling, cutting, and coiling. However, it’s fun to make it once in a while. Making simple strips of flat pasta goes very quickly once the dough is rolled flat. I find these flat pasta noodles the easiest to make. Buying dried pasta is obviously easier, but if you get a weekend or a little block of time where you just want to make your own, I highly encourage it. I still buy dried pasta, but homemade elevates the meal and making it is a treat.

Taster’s Perspective

If you’ve never tasted homemade pasta… hmm… it’s quite the experience. It doesn’t taste like dried, commercial brands. I find it a heartier version that holds up well to any sauce (no delicate noodles here). The pasta itself doesn’t have “flavor” per say; however, it’s the texture that I find appealing. I believe homemade pasta is where you truly understand the expression of “al dente”; each noodle has heft and is substantial even in a simple bite. We love homemade pasta. I make it whenever I can find the time and freeze it for a quick meal.

Check out my YouTube video on making this fresh Italian pasta. “2-Ingredient Fresh Southern Italian Pasta: Try These Varieties of Long, Flat Shapes and Busiate”

Print Recipe

2-Ingredient Fresh Southern Italian Pasta

Semolina flour and water are all that's necessary to make a southern Italian pasta. While there are many shapes of pasta throughout Italy, this recipe explains how to roll and shape common flat, strip pasta like fettuccine, tagliatelle, and pappardelle along with the traditional coiled busiate. This recipe makes a ½ pound of pasta enough for 2 people; double the recipe for a full pound to feed 4 people.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: 2-ingredient pasta, Italian pasta, semolina flour and water, busiate, flat pasta, simple pasta
Servings: 2 servings (½ pound)
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 200 g (1⅔ cup) durum wheat semolina flour
  • 100 ml (~½ cup) warm tap water ~100˚F / 38˚C

Instructions

For making all pasta shapes:

  • On a work surface or in a large bowl, measure out the semolina flour. Make a well in the center of the flour.
    TIP: A well in the center helps to prevent liquid from oozing out during mixing.
  • Measure the water. Slowly pour the water in the well of the flour and stir with your fingers as you pour to moisten the flour. Add enough liquid while stirring until a shaggy dough begins to form.
  • Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball adding regular or semolina flour or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed.
  • Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
  • Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper and dust with semolina or other flour.
    TIP: You can simply flour the pans without paper, but the paper helps to manipulate the pasta in and out of the pans.
  • Lightly flour the work surface under the dough. Shape the dough into a disk. At this point, you can roll out the dough to the shape you want for making different pasta shapes including using a pasta machine if available.

For making long, flat noodles (like fettuccine, tagliatelle, & pappardelle):

  • Divide the dough disk in half. Place one half on a lightly floured work surface and cover the other. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat keeping the work surface floured. The dough should be thin enough to see through it. For this amount of dough, roll it into a ~14-x18- inch rectangle.
    TIP: If using a pasta attachment, flatten as described.
  • Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut out long strips that are the full length of the dough. Make them as thin or as wide as desired. For fettuccine, cut out strips ¼ inch wide. For tagliatelle, cut out strips ½ inch wide. For pappardelle, cut out strips 1 inch wide. As you cut out the strips, place them on the floured baking sheet. You can mound the strips of the same size in a nest or lay them flat.
    TIP: If cutting by hand, don’t worry too much about traditional measurements, cut to the width of what you like to eat. Maybe you prefer a pappardelle that's 2 inches wide. 😊
  • Repeat with the remaining dough making as many flat strips as desired.

For making busiate (long, helical shape or mini spiraled spaghetti):

  • Divide the dough disk into quarters. Place three of the four dough pieces on a plate and cover.
  • Set a medium-sized bowl near the work surface and add 1-2 tablespoons of regular flour.
  • Roll the remaining dough piece into a rope about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.
    TIP: If the rope is becoming too long for the surface you are rolling on, cut the rope in half. Set one half aside and continue rolling the other until the appropriate diameter is met.
  • Cut the rope into 6-inch-long pieces. Toss the mini ropes in the bowl with flour,
    TIP: Mixing the ropes with flour helps to dry them out and prevent them from sticking to each other and on the skewer.
  • Take a long wooden dowel, skewer, ice pick, or skinny straw. Take 1 of the floured mini ropes. Place one end of the dough on the skewer. Use the thumb or index finger on the hand holding the skewer to hold the dough in place on the skewer. Roll the dough at a 45-degree angle in a single layer down the skewer to create a spiral. Gently slide the dough off the skewer without mashing the dough. You can rotate the skewer in the opposite direction to help release the dough. Place each busiate on the floured baking sheet.
  • Repeat with the remaining dough making as many noodles as desired.

Video

Notes

Serving:
Use any preferred pasta sauce. A traditional sauce for the coiled-shaped busiate is trapanese pesto (from western Sicily). It’s a tomato-based pasta sauce made from ground almonds, garlic, and basil.
Storage:
Place pan(s) with the pasta in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze the pasta on the pan(s) until frozen (a couple of hours). Once frozen, transfer the pasta all together in a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cooking:
Bring a large pot of 4 qts of water to a boil. Add about 1 tbsp of salt, enough that the water has a salty taste like the ocean (salinity of the sea). Add the pasta and reduce heat to a simmer. Once the pasta rises to the surface, cook 2 minutes. Taste to check for doneness “al dente” meaning “to the tooth” and should have a small dense bite in the center. If a dense white spot is in the center of the pasta, it needs to cook another 20-30 seconds. Once done, drain and serve immediately with your preferred sauce.

You might be interested in these other Italian recipes.

Italian Herb Seasoning

Rosemary Focaccia Flatbread

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

Italian Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies

Italian Gluten-Free Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies

Strawberry Tiramisu Dessert

Italian Panettone Christmas Bread

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!

Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread: Egg Free & Flavor Filled

Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread
Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread

Are you tired of the same old run-of-the-mill banana bread to use up those ripe bananas? This recipe for Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread just might be the change you need. In fact, you can totally change up those traditional recipes to include Nutella swirls, toffee chips, or other chopped fresh or dried fruit. If you’re looking for a change, why not try one of our favorite versions using brown butter for a toffee flavor, nut butter for richness and tenderness, and a streusel topping for texture and added flavor depth?

A Slightly Different Banana Bread Recipe

This banana bread recipe is a little different than most because it doesn’t include eggs. It does have nut butter in the batter and is topped with a nut butter streusel. Oh! And don’t forget the brown butter! You can make this recipe dairy free by using plant-based butter for both the brown butter and streusel topping. Let’s check out my recipe for Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread. Be sure to check out my troubleshooting tips at the end of this post if you find you have quick bread baking issues like a sinking center. 😉

Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread Ingredients

The ingredients are pretty simple and found in most pantries and fridges. You’ll need butter (regular or plant-based), very ripe bananas (2-3 medium/large), nut butter (like peanut butter or almond butter), vanilla, granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. That’s it!

butter, very ripe bananas (2-3 medium/large), nut butter, vanilla, granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt
butter, very ripe bananas (2-3 medium/large), nut butter, vanilla, granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt

Make the Streusel Topping

In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Add 30 grams (¼ cup) of all-purpose flour. Then add 48 grams (¼ cup packed) brown sugar. Whisk or stir until both ingredients are combined.

1. 30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
1. 30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
2. 48 g (¼ cup packed) brown sugar
2. 48 g (¼ cup packed) brown sugar
3. whisk until combined
3. whisk until combined

Now add the creamy ingredients. Place 29 grams (⅛ cup or 2 tablespoons) of cold diced butter on top of the flour mixture. You can use either regular butter or plant-based butter for a dairy-free/vegan bread. Add 24 grams (1½ tbsp) of nut butter. I use peanut butter because that’s what I have on hand, but you could use another nut butter like almond or seed butter if there’s a nut allergy.

1. 29 g (⅛ cup / 2 tbsp) butter, diced and cold
1. 29 g (⅛ cup / 2 tbsp) butter, diced and cold
2. 24 g (1½ tbsp) nut butter
2. 24 g (1½ tbsp) nut butter
3. all ingredients together
3. all ingredients together

Cut in both butters. I prefer to use a pastry cutter, but you can use forks or knives. I have used a food processor, but it doesn’t work as well for me because it’s too easy to overmix leaving a large mass. Simply combine just until the mixture resembles small peas or individual small chunks. Then, set the mixture aside until you’re ready to top the batter.

1. using pastry cutter to cut in butters with the flour mixture
1. using pastry cutter to cut in butters with the flour mixture
2. cut in butters until the mixture resembles small peas or chunks
2. cut in butters until the mixture resembles small peas or chunks

Brown the Butter

What is Brown Butter?

Adding brown butter to banana bread adds an extra special flavor and depth. To make brown butter for any recipe, you simply heat butter on low until it melts and comes to a simmer. The simmering butter sizzles meaning water is bubbling and popping allowing the water to evaporate. Once the water evaporates, the butter stops sizzling and the remaining solids, which are proteins and fat, continue to cook. After a few minutes, those solids turn brown leaving a toffee-like, nutty smell resembling dark brown sugar in color. Browning butter enhances the sweetness and nuttiness of banana bread, but it makes a great addition to a variety of quick breads, cookies, muffins, and even savory dishes like mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables.

Brown Butter Steps

Melt the Butter

In a small-medium saucepan, add 57 grams (4 tablespoons or ½ stick) chunked butter. You can use either regular butter or plant-based butter; the results should be the same. Cutting the butter into chunks helps to melt the butter more quickly as there’s less mass to melt. Place the saucepan on the stove and turn the burner on low heat. Maintain that low heat level to prevent splatters and burned butter.

TIP: A light color saucepan (like stainless steel) is best as it allows you to see the proteins brown more clearly as they cook, helping to prevent burning.

1. 57 g (4 tbsp / ½ stick) butter, in large chunks
1. 57 g (4 tbsp / ½ stick) butter, in large chunks
2. small chunks of or room temperature butter allows for quicker melting
2. small chunks of or room temperature butter allows for quicker melting
3. butter is melted
3. butter is melted

Butter Sizzles & Water Evaporates

As the butter heats, it melts and begins to sizzle meaning that water is evaporating. You want all of the water to evaporate, so keep cooking the butter until the sizzling stops. If the butter splatters, the heat may be too high; if not, you can place a lid ajar on the saucepan. Leave space for water to evaporate in the air from the saucepan.

1. butter is sizzling as water evaporates
1. butter is sizzling as water evaporates
2. if butter splatters, you can place a lid ajar
2. if butter splatters, you can place a lid ajar
3. butter will foam as particles brown
3. butter will foam as particles brown

Particles Turn Brown

During this time, you’ll start to notice small particles form and sit on the bottom of the pan. These particles are butter proteins and will turn brown as they cook. Occasionally, you can move the saucepan back and forth to move the butter around preventing the brown bits from sticking to the bottom or use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan. Keep an eye on the butter so it doesn’t burn. If it does, you’ll likely want to throw it out and start over; however, upon doing this on one occasion, but husband used the “burned” butter on toast and said it was just fine. “To each his own.”

butter bits are turning brown; you can scrape the bottom to release any that stick
butter bits are turning brown; you can scrape the bottom to release any that stick

The butter is ready when the sizzling stops, the butter has a nutty, caramel, or toffee scent, and the butter bits are dark brown in color like dark brown sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside for a few minutes allowing the butter to cool slightly.

brown butter achieved!
brown butter achieved!

Make the Batter

Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Dish

Preheat the oven to 325°F (163˚C), if using a glass baking dish, or 350˚F (177˚C), if using a metal baking dish. Glass conducts heat more slowly than metal, but it retains heat for longer causing overbrowning or even burning on the sides and bottoms. That’s why the baking temperature for glassware is little lower than metal.

Grease a 9- x 5- inch loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 works, too). Place a sheet of parchment paper in the pan. Use a pair of scissors to cut down the parchment corners to where it meets the pan. Overlap the flaps so the paper sits flush to the pan. If the flaps are in the way, simply trim them so they sit flush against the edges or pan. If you’re used to making banana bread without using parchment paper, follow your normal routine as this banana bread should remove as your banana bread normally does.

TIP: Cutting the corners of the parchment paper allows for a smooth, flush liner eliminating potential creases in the bread. Leave the tops overhanging to grab for lifting out the baked bread and to prevent the streusel topping from falling off onto the oven floor.

1. grease loaf pan
1. grease loaf pan
2. add parchment paper for easy removal
2. add parchment paper for easy removal
3. cut corners of paper down to pan so paper sits flush
3. cut corners of paper down to pan so paper sits flush
4. paper sits flush against pan walls with grease
4. paper sits flush against pan walls with grease

Mash Bananas, Add Wet Ingredients & Sugar

Combine the wet ingredients and sugars. To a large bowl, add 375-400 grams (2 cups or 2-3 medium to large) ripe to very ripe bananas. Use a fork to mash them. Add 120 grams (½ cup) of preferred nut butter; I use the same nut butter that I use in the streusel. Add 1 tsp vanilla and stir until all the ingredients are combined.

TIP: If your ripe bananas are ready for banana bread and you’re not, simply place them in the fridge until you’re ready or for a week or so. The skins will turn very brown like in the image below, but they will still be okay to use in banana bread. Don’t throw them out!

1. use ripe bananas
1. use ripe bananas
4. 120 g (½ cup) nut butter
4. 120 g (½ cup) nut butter
2. or use very ripe bananas (these were in the fridge so they oxidized making the skins overly brown)
2. or use very ripe bananas (these were in the fridge so they oxidized making the skins overly brown)
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
3. 375-400 g (2-3 medium/large) ripe bananas and mash
3. 375-400 g (2-3 medium/large) ripe bananas and mash
6. stir until combined
6. stir until combined

To the banana mixture, add 100 grams (½ cup) of granulated sugar. Then, add 96 grams (½ cup packed) of brown sugar. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.

Pour in the somewhat cooled brown butter. Stir again until all is mixed well.

1. 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
1. 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
4. pour in brown butter
4. pour in brown butter
2. 96 g (½ cup packed) brown sugar
2. 96 g (½ cup packed) brown sugar
5. stir until combined
5. stir until combined
3. stir until combined
3. stir until combined

Combine Dry Ingredients

Combine the remaining dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, add 240 grams (2 cups) of all-purpose flour; be sure to fluff, scoop, and level off the flour if using a measuring cup. Then, add 4 grams (1 teaspoon) of baking soda. Finally, add 2 grams (¼ teaspoon) of salt. Whisk to combine all of the dry ingredients.

1. 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
1. 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
2. 4 g (1 tsp) baking soda
2. 4 g (1 tsp) baking soda
3. 2 g (¼ tsp) salt
3. 2 g (¼ tsp) salt
4. whisk until combined
4. whisk until combined

Add Dry to Wet Ingredients

Add all the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spoon just until combined and no flour streaks remain.

TIP: Careful not to overmix. Overmixing activates the gluten in the flour that will cause a quick rise followed by sinking during baking.

Gently fold in optional mix-ins as desired such as chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or toffee chips.

1. pour flour mixture on top of wet mixture
2. stir or fold just until flour streaks disappear
2. stir or fold just until flour streaks disappear
3. fold in any mix-ins
3. fold in any mix-ins

Spoon Batter into Pan & Add Streusel Topping

As soon as the batter is mixed, spoon it evenly in the pan. Smooth out the top to avoid lumps; you’ll notice a small lump on the top of my bread in the image, because I didn’t smooth it out enough ☹. Distribute the streusel topping evening on top of the batter covering all edges and corners.

1. spoon batter into prepared pan
1. spoon batter into prepared pan
2. sprinkle streusel topping over the top
2. sprinkle streusel topping over the top
3. ready for the oven
3. ready for the oven

Baking Time!

Place the pan in the preheated oven. If using a metal baking dish, bake the bread for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. If using a glass baking dish like me, bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Regardless of the baking time, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or the internal temperature should reach 200°F (93˚C).  

TIPS: If the bread begins to brown too quickly or it’s getting too dark near the end, place tented foil over the top for the remainder baking time. Glass baking pans hold heat more than metal so baking at a lower heat prevents the bottom and sides from overbrowning.

Brown Butter Banana Nut Butter Bread is Hot Out of the Oven

The bread is hot out of the oven! Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, lift the overhanging parchment paper and place the loaf on a wire rack to cool for another 30 minutes or longer; you can let it cool overnight and eat it for breakfast the next morning.

1. bread is hot out of the oven; allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes
1. bread is hot out of the oven; allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes
2. lift up parchment paper edges to easily remove bread to cooling rack
2. lift up parchment paper edges to easily remove bread to cooling rack
3. remove from paper and cool for at least 30 minutes; very little crumbs left behind when using paper
3. remove from paper and cool for at least 30 minutes; very little crumbs left behind when using paper

Close Ups: Exterior & Interior of the Banana Nut Butter Bread

Let’s check it out! Notice the even browning all around. The streusel topping clearly adds visual texture to the overall look. It highlights the nut butter in the bread without being overpowering and adds a little crunch. Notice how easily the streusel stays on the bread, since it baked sturdily into the batter. The knife cuts through smoothly. The inside shows a smooth, evenly textured bread. The crumb’s tenderness is a result of the butter, bananas, and nut butter.

Streusel Topping
Streusel Topping
Side view with color contrast between streusel topping and bread
Side view with color contrast between streusel topping and bread
Close up showing even and consistent texture along with the small black swirls of banana fibers
Close up showing even and consistent texture along with the small black swirls of banana fibers
Slice of bread ready to serve with a pat of butter or jam like a peanut butter and banana sandwich with a smear of fruit
Slice of bread ready to serve with a pat of butter or jam like a peanut butter and banana sandwich with a smear of fruit
Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread
Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread

Storing Suggestions: Brown Butter Banana Nut Butter Bread

If not cutting the bread after it cools, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and allow it to sit at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cut the bread into slices and store it sealed in a container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place slices in a sealed container or freezer bag and in the freezer for up to 3 months. From frozen, remove as many slices as desired and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds or until heated through.

Quick Bread Troubleshooting: The following solutions should work with any quick bread recipe.

I. If you have a sinking center:

4 main reasons-

1. Too much liquid to flour ratio or flour to liquid ratio:

Liquid can include bananas, oil/butter, eggs, and yogurt/milk. Weighing the ingredients is a much better option than using cup measurements since a simple 1-2 tablespoon of extra liquid or flour can result in a sinking center.

2. Overmixing the flour once added to the batter:

Once flour touches wet ingredients, it begins to develop its gluten. Overmixing quick bread batter causes gluten development too quickly. Once that overly mixed batter encounters heat, the batter rises quicker than it should thus it “falls” and sinks in the center during baking. For this reason, it’s best to prepare the streusel topping or other mix-ins along with mixing the dry ingredients together before making the batter. It’s important to limit the amount of time for gluten development once all the ingredients are combined.

3. Inactive, not enough, or too much leavening:

Acid is needed to activate the baking soda. In fact, bananas combined with brown sugar and other ingredients have enough acid to activate the baking soda. Thus, it’s not necessary to add vinegar or sour cream. However, many quick bread recipes call for baking soda along with baking powder, vinegar, sour cream or yogurt. If the bread sinks, there may be too much leavening and needs to be decreased. Conversely, if the bread is flat, there’s likely not enough acid to interact with the baking soda.

4. Not baking long enough:

A regular size loaf-pan quick bread (8.5- x 4.5- or 9- x 5- inch loaf pan) will likely take between 60 and 90 minutes to bake. Place a toothpick, dried spaghetti stick, or thermometer down in the center to check for doneness; the tester (toothpick or dried spaghetti) should be clean when removed. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 200°F-205°F. If you find your bread is taking too long to bake, consider dividing up the batter between two loaf pans; the loaves will be small, but the bread will bake more quickly.

II. If the bread browns too much on the bottom:

1. A very dark or nearly burned bottom could be a result of the baking dish material. If baking in a glass pan, consider baking the bread at 325°F (163˚C) for 65-90 minutes. Glass pans may cause the bread bottom to brown too quickly if baked at 350°F (177˚C) or higher. While glass pans take longer to heat up than metal, they retain heat much longer which can cause overbrowning. Ovens vary, so gauge based on your experience and oven tendencies. It’s good to invest in an oven thermometer so you know the exact temperature at which your oven bakes, allowing you to adjust accordingly.

III. If the bread browns too much on top while baking:

1. A top browning too quickly may need attention. Check the coloring of the bread at 45 minutes. If the top is browning too much too quickly, place a piece of tented foil over the top for the remaining baking time. If adding the foil, simply lay it on top, there’s no need to “tighten” it down.

Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread Final Thoughts

I love the smell of my house when I make this bread. There’s a balanced smell of bananas, nut butter, and toffee along with the expected sweetened, baked bread scent… so divine. I love making this bread and Scott thoroughly enjoys eating it. We hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do. Overall, this is a nice but different take on the traditional banana bread.

Baker’s Perspective

This is a simple quick bread; however, there are few extra steps that are totally worth the time to enhance a traditional banana bread’s flavor and richness. The streusel topping requires a little extra work to cut in the butter, but you could prepare the topping the day before and store it in the fridge. Browning the butter also takes a little time, an additional 10 minutes, but the nutty, caramel-y flavor works incredibly well with the bananas and nut butter. The rest of the recipe is pretty standard to a traditional banana bread. The key(s) to making this bread a success is/are limited stirring and time the flour interacts with the wet ingredients prior to baking along with the necessary baking time to prevent a sinking center.

Taster’s Perspective

The streusel topping is simply heavenly to eat highlighting the nut butter in the bread and adding a little crunch for texture. The brown butter adds a hint of nutty or toffee flavor to balance out the sweet bananas. The brown sugar adds a hint of molasses and adds depth combined with the brown butter. The nut butter clearly works well with the bananas (peanut butter and banana sandwiches, mind you). Altogether, while seemingly so, this bread is not complex; however, the variety of flavors meld together well to produce a well-balanced, tasty, and satisfying treat.

Check out my YouTube video on how to make this quick bread. “Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread: An Egg-Free, Flavor-Filled Sweet Treat”.

Print Recipe

Brown Butter Streusel Topped Banana Nut Butter Bread

Try this take on a traditional banana bread consisting of brown butter, nut butter, and streusel topping. It's egg free and can be dairy free. You can use a nut or seed butter. The brown butter adds a subtle toffee flavor while the streusel topping adds crunch and texture. Nut butter contributes to tenderness and balances out the banana flavoring.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana bread, quick bread, brown butter bread, nut butter bread, peanut butter and banana bread
Servings: 8 slices
Author: Summer

Ingredients

Streusel Topping:

  • 30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
  • 48 g (¼ cup packed) brown sugar
  • 29 g (⅛ cup / 2 tbsp) butter, diced and cold regular or plant based
  • 24 g (1½ tbsp) nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, or seed butter) the same nut/seed butter used in the batter

Batter:

  • 57 g (4 tbsp / ½ stick) butter, in large chunks regular or plant based
  • 375-400 g (2 cups / 2-3 medium/large) very ripe bananas
  • 120 g (½ cup) nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, or seed butter) the same nut/seed butter used in the streusel
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 96 g (½ cup packed) brown sugar
  • 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour fluffed, scooped, & leveled off if using measuring cup
  • 4 g (1 tsp) baking soda
  • 2 g (¼ tsp) salt

Optional Mix-Ins:

  • ½-¾ cup chopped nuts pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, etc.
  • ½-¾ cup chocolate chips any preferred flavor
  • ½-¾ cup toffee chips

Instructions

Make the Streusel Topping (~5 minutes):

  • In a small bowl, add the flour and brown sugar. Whisk or stir until combined.
  • Add both the butter and nut butter. Cut in both ingredients using a pastry cutter, forks, or knives just until the mixture resembles small peas. Set the mixture aside.

Brown the Butter (5-8 minutes):

  • Place butter in a small-medium saucepan. Over a stove, heat on low heat. Allow the butter to melt, sizzle, and turn brown. Butter will sizzle as the water evaporates. The small proteins will begin to turn brown and look like brown bits sitting on the pan bottom. The butter is ready when the sizzling stops, the butter smells nutty/caramel-y/toffee, and the butter bits are a dark brown color (like dark brown sugar). Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
    TIPS: Cutting the butter in large chunks allows it to melt more quickly and evenly. Keep the temperature on low as the butter will splatter as it sizzles. To prevent a messy stove, use a tall-sided pot; you can also add a lid to the top left ajar until the butter stops sizzling. Keep an eye on the butter so it doesn’t burn. Once the butter stops sizzling, watch it carefully as it continues to brown. Remove it from the heat before it burns.

Make the Batter (~10 minutes):

  • Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C), if using a glass baking dish, or 350˚F (177˚C) if using a metal baking dish. Grease and parchment line a 9- x 5- inch loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 works, too). Use a pair of scissors to cut down the parchment corners to where the paper meets the pan. Overlap the flaps so the paper sits flush to the pan.
    TIP: Cutting the corners of the parchment paper allows for a smooth, flush liner eliminating creases in the bread. Leave the tops overhanging to grab for lifting out the baked bread and to prevent the streusel topping from falling off onto the oven floor.
  • Add bananas to a large bowl, use a fork to mash them. Add the nut butter and vanilla. Stir until combined.
  • Stir in both sugars until combined.
  • Pour in the brown butter and stir until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
  • Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir with a spoon just until combined and no flour streaks remain.
    TIP: Careful not to overmix. Overmixing activates the gluten in the flour that will cause a quick rise followed by sinking during baking.
  • Gently fold in optional mix-ins as desired such as chopped nuts, chocolate, or toffee chips.
  • Spoon the batter evenly in the pan and smooth out the top.
  • Distribute the streusel topping evening on the batter.

Bake & Enjoy (1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes):

  • Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes if using a metal baking dish or 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes if using a glass baking dish. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or the internal temperature reaches 200°F (93˚C).
    TIPS: If the bread begins to brown too quickly or it’s getting too dark near the end, place tented foil over the top for the remainder baking time. Glass baking pans hold heat more than metal so baking at a lower heat eliminates the bottom and sides from overbrowning.
  • Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Lift the overhanging parchment paper and place the loaf on a wire rack to cool for another 30 minutes or until ready to eat. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Storing Suggestions:
If not cutting the bread after it cools, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and allow it to sit at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cut the bread into slices and store it sealed in a container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place slices in a sealed container or freezer bag and in the freezer for up to 3 months. From frozen, remove as many slices as desired and heat in the microwave for 30- 45 seconds or until heated through.

You might be interested in some of these other sweet treats.

Danish Brunsviger Cake

British Hot Cross Buns

Carrot Cake Scones

Cinnamon Rolls

German Bienenstich Cake

New Zealand Kiwi Quick Bread (GF Option)

Quesadilla Salvadoreña Sweet Cheese Pound Cake

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!

French Herbes de Provence Blend: 7 Simple Dried Herbs

French Herbes de Provence
French Herbes de Provence

This simple, basic French Herbes de Provence recipe uses traditional herbs found in France. Add this mixture as a rub prior to roasting meats, fish, and vegetables along with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Use these herbs to season soups, stews, salads, salad dressings, and creamy salads like chicken or tuna. Why not roll a log of creamy goat cheese in the mixture prior serving? This blog post also includes optional additional herbs to achieve a more complex mix to include lavender, fennel, parsley, and/or sage. Why not add a little French flavoring to your next meal?

Herbes de Provence Origins

As the name says, “herbes de Provence” (herbs from Provence) is a seasoning blend using common herbs found in France, more specifically in the southeastern region or province of Provence stretching down to the Côte d’Azur and Marseille along the French Riviera. The climate is Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild winters. Thus, the region is a great place for growing herbs! This specific herb mixture has only been around since the 1970s as spice companies started blending herbs to make “new” flavors. However, prior to that time, the “old” Provençal chefs typically picked fresh herbs grown in the area like thyme, rosemary, and savory and added those to their dishes.

Traditional Herbs in Herbes de Provence

While Provence is known for its blooming purple lavender flowers and fields throughout the region, lavender itself is not a traditional herb (bud) in an herbes de Provence mixture. However, if you are looking for a defined taste of Provence, then, by all means, add a teaspoon of food-grade lavender buds to your herb blend. I keep food-grade lavender buds in my pantry and often add them to my herbes de Provence mixture, particularly during the summer months when the natural smell of lavender is all around (at least where I live in the northwest United States). The most basic recipe includes thyme, rosemary, savory, and oregano. Nowadays, these “French” herbs for a store-bought blend are grown and harvested in Central and Eastern European countries along with northern Africa and China.

Herbes de Provence Seasoning Inspiration

I have many memories of spending multiple summers in France, particularly in the Provence region. Several of them include lavender. One of my favorite lavender memories is the smell of dried bouquets of lavender left in our rental house to remind us of where we were. The other includes driving throughout the region prior to lavender harvesting (mid-July) where we could see fields of purple and smell an abundance of lavender. Ahh… such great memories. The common foods served in the region often include the individual herbs found in an herbes de Provence mixture. My love for this region inspired me to share an herbes de Provence blend that I enjoy making and using in dishes at home. Here it is…

Herbes de Provence Ingredients

There are many variations of an herbes de Provence blend. This recipe includes my favorite herbs, but sometimes I’ll change up the recipe and add one or more additional herbs for a slightly different flavor profile. If you do not have all the herbs listed, you can vary up your recipe with guidelines and options provided in the recipe at the end of this post.

The ingredients include dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried tarragon, dried savory, dried basil, dried marjoram, and dried oregano. For variations, you can eliminate any of these herbs or add any of the following to this recipe. Try subbing or adding food-grade lavender buds, parsley, sage, and / or fennel.

thyme, rosemary, tarragon, savory, basil, marjoram, and oregano
thyme, rosemary, tarragon, savory, basil, marjoram, and oregano

Combine the Ingredients

In a small bowl, add 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried thyme, 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried crushed rosemary, 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried tarragon, 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried savory, 1 teaspoon (1 gram) of dried basil, 1 teaspoon (1 gram) of dried marjoram, and 1 teaspoon (1 gram) of dried oregano. To substitute any listed herb or for more complex flavoring, add 1 teaspoon each of lavender, parsley, sage, and / or fennel. Create a recipe that works for your preferred flavor profile.

"mise en place" of ingredients prepared
“mise en place” of ingredients prepared

Rub each of the dried herbs between your fingers to crush prior to adding to the bowl. Stir the mixture with a spoon until well combined. Taste the mixture and increase slightly any preferred herb. This recipe makes ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons which is enough fill a small spice jar.

Final Product!

Can you pick out any of the individual herbs? The individual flakes all have different shapes and textures. I think the rosemary is the most defined since it is relatively long and skinny like tiny twigs. The thyme leaves are thinner and a little greener than the rosemary. While this mixture doesn’t contain lavender, if you choose to add it, you would see small dark purple leaves throughout as well.

French Herbes de Provence
French Herbes de Provence

Storing Herbes de Provence Seasoning

Store French Herbes de Provence seasoning mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to year. Keep in mind that the seasoning mix should keep as long as the expiration dates on the individual seasoning packages or bottles. Thus, the newer and fresher the individual seasonings, the longer the mix will keep.

TIP: Stir or shake the mixture well before adding it to a dish, particularly after or if the mixture has settled.

Usage Suggestions

An herbes de Provence mixture is commonly added to roasted meats, fish, and vegetables with salt and pepper after coating with olive oil. Use this mixture to season soups, stews, salads, salad dressings, and creamy salads like chicken or tuna. I often sprinkle it over vegetables prior to roasting them or on my cold, leafy green salad for extra flavor.

Final Thoughts

American store-bought versions of herbes de Provence often contain other herbs like fennel, lavender, parsley, sage, among others. Most of the individual herbs in this recipe are commonly found in a home pantry. However, if you find you do not have one or two of these, no worries, try adding one of the other optional herbs listed. As long as you stick to at least 3 of the herbs in this recipe, you can create a nice seasoning blend for your dish. This recipe, as written, contains a well-balanced mix of flavors, but you can certainly add more of any herb based on your preference. This herb blend is a good seasoning blend that adds plenty of flavor to your favorite French dishes or any dish where you want a taste of France.

Check out my short YouTube on mixing these herbs to create the seasoning blend. “French Herbes de Provence Seasoning: 7 Dried Herbs Combined to Create Traditional Flavors of France”

Print Recipe

French Herbes de Provence Seasoning

This recipe contains 7 dried herbs commonly found in the Provence region of France. Add this mixture as a rub prior to roasting meats, fish, and vegetables along with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Use these herbs to season soups, stews, salads, salad dressings, and creamy salads like chicken or tuna. Why not roll a log of creamy goat cheese in the mixture prior serving?
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: ingredient
Cuisine: French
Keyword: French herbes de Provence, herb blend, herb seasoning, European herbs, French cuisine
Servings: 4 tablespoons
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp (2 g) dried thyme
  • 2 tsp (2 g) dried crushed rosemary
  • 2 tsp (2 g) dried tarragon
  • 2 tsp (2 g) dried savory
  • 1 tsp (1 g) dried basil
  • 1 tsp (1 g) dried marjoram
  • 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano

Optional Additions or Substitutions

  • 1 tsp (1 g) food-grade dried lavender buds
  • 1 tsp (1 g) dried parsley
  • 1 tsp (1 g) dried sage
  • 1 tsp (1 g) dried fennel

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, add all the ingredients. Rub each ingredient between your fingers to crush prior to adding it to the bowl. Mix with a spoon until well combined. Taste the mixture and increase slightly any preferred spice or herb.
    TIP: Stir or shake the mixture well before adding it to a dish particularly after or if the mixture has settled.

Video

Notes

Storing Seasoning:
Store spice mix in an airtight container for up to a year. Keep in mind that the seasoning mix should keep as long as the expiration dates on the individual seasoning packages or bottles. Thus, the newer and fresher the individual seasonings, the longer the mix will keep.
Usage Suggestions:
An herbes de Provence mixture is commonly added to roasted meats, fish, and vegetables with salt and pepper after coating with olive oil. Use this mixture to season soups, stews, salads, salad dressings, and creamy salads like chicken or tuna.

You might be interested in some of these other recipes for homemade spice blends and mixes.

Italian Herb Seasoning Blend

Chili Powder Blend

Everything Bagel Seasoning

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