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Handle the Heat

Thoroughly tested (and positively delicious!) homemade baking recipes - no cake mixes or Keto recipes here! I'm a total chocoholic and cookie queen. Oh, and I've graduated from culinary school and written two cookbooks. Come bake with me!

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🍫 Your excuse to eat more chocolate!

Hi baking friend, If you know me, you know I LOVE chocolate. 🍫 After more than 17 years of baking and testing desserts, it’s still my favorite thing to bake with. With National Chocolate Day coming up on October 28th, I figured it was the perfect excuse to share 30 of my favorite chocolate dessert recipes! I’ve got all the classics covered, plus a few recipes you might not have tried yet. 🍫 Browse All The Chocolate Desserts 🍫 Pictured: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Whether you're craving...

Hi baking friend, Soup season is officially here! 🍂🍲 And while a warm bowl of soup is great on its own, the bread on the side is often the best part. Whether you're dipping, dunking, or serving your soup inside a homemade bread bowl, I've rounded up some easy bread recipes to make your next soup night even better! Olive Garden Breadsticks With over 500 reviews, these Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks are a Handle the Heat reader favorite! They're soft, fluffy, garlicky, and even better than...

Hi baking friend, Today's new recipe makes my peanut butter loving heart SO happy. It's as cute as it is delicious. ✨ NEW ✨ Mini Peanut Butter Pumpkins Make the cutest little peanut butter pumpkins with just a few pantry staples in 7 minutes! Use them to top pies, cakes, cheesecakes, and more this Halloween or Thanksgiving (or eat them on their own!). Bonus: They taste like Reese's filling and can be made up to 2 weeks ahead! 🧡 Ways to Use Peanut Butter Pumpkins You can totally eat these...

Hi baking friend, I know it's only October, but this is actually a great time to start getting your kitchen ready for the holiday baking ahead. You don't need to start baking Christmas cookies yet! But a little prep now can save you a LOT of time, money, and last-minute grocery store runs once Thanksgiving and Christmas baking are in full swing. Here are a few things you can do now to make holiday baking easier later, plus some of the tools and ingredients I reach for all season long. Note:...

Hi, baking friend! Sometimes, even I surprise myself in the kitchen. I don't know why I haven't combined toffee + peanut butter more often, but I think I shocked Joe when I randomly whipped this recipe up one day and it turned out so good. I'm thrilled to be sharing it with you today! ✨ NEW ✨ Peanut Butter ToffeeChocolate Chip Cookies They're thick, chewy, soft in the middle, and packed with peanut butter, melty chocolate, and buttery bits of toffee. Plus, they're NO-CHILL cookies! The dough...

One of my favorite things about fall baking? Butter doesn't get greasy in .2 seconds. Plus, the kitchen smells amazing, and I can actually take my time making something special. Give me cinnamon and apples, flaky pastry, or a warm loaf of banana bread and I’m happy. This fall, I'm leaning toward easy bakes, fun little projects, and recipes I can make now and freeze for later. So I picked three I think you’ll love... especially the last one 🫣🍌 If you make any, tag me on Instagram so I can see!...

Hi baking friend, Halloween baking is officially on my agenda. 👻 If you’re looking for something fun, easy, and actually worth making, this recipe is it. And you only need one bowl and about 30 minutes! These double chocolate cookies are soft, chewy, loaded with Halloween M&Ms, and topped with the cutest little candy eyes. My friend's 5-year-old calls these "spooky cookies" and asks for them every year! You can also turn them into Halloween Cookie Bars! Same dough and festive mix-ins, baked...

Hi baking friend! If you've been following me on Instagram, you may have noticed I've been on a bit of a ✨Better Homemade✨ kick lately! I've had so much fun recreating some of our favorite store-bought treats, and I've got seven recipes to share with you today. Here's the full lineup, plus the videos if you want to see how the recipes come together! HomemadeCheez-Its Flaky, puffy, and SO much more flavorful than the boxed kind. 🤤 GET RECIPE WATCH VIDEO Brown ButterRice Crispy Treats Classic...

Hi baking friend, October is here, which means it's time for spooky treats, lots of chocolate, and maybe a little too much candy. 👻 I pulled together 20+ Halloween party treats for all your spooky celebrations, plus make-ahead tips so you can do all the baking before the ghosts and goblins arrive! 🎃 Browse All The Halloween Party Treats 🎃 Pictured: Homemade Halloween Oreos Whether you're having friends over for a spooky movie night, hosting a Halloween bash, or bringing treats to a school...

Hi, baking friend, I could not be more excited that spooky season is here with today's new recipe, and it uses the most popular ingredient amongst Handle the Heat bakers in 2026! ✨ NEW ✨ Black Cocoa Halloween Sugar Cookies These might be the most fun sugar cookies I've ever made. They're jet-black, chocolatey, and taste like Oreos thanks to black cocoa powder. No food coloring involved! 👻 The dough is really easy to work with, too. Like Play-Doh, so even the kiddos can get involved. 👩🔬...