Recipes and Baking Tips by Janice Thompson

These Almond Joy coconut balls are a no-bake candy made with sweet coconut, chopped almonds, and a rich chocolate coating. An easy homemade treat perfect for Christmas trays and gifting.

Soft chocolate whoopie pies made from cake mix, filled with creamy buttercream and rolled in crushed peppermint chips. A festive, easy holiday dessert!

These Strawberry Dream Cupcakes start with a white cake mix and are enhanced with freeze-dried strawberries, sour cream, strawberry extract, and milk for a soft, bakery-style crumb. Finished with stabilized whipped cream and strawberry swirls, they’re light, fluffy, and irresistible.

Chewy, classic monster cookies are simple and delicious! These easy oatmeal cookies are loaded with peanut butter, peanuts, pretzels and M&Ms and can be made year-round or dressed up as festive Christmas monster cookies.

Rich, creamy Heath Toffee Fudge made with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. This easy, no-fail fudge recipe is perfect for holiday gifts, cookie trays, and parties.

Mint M&M brownie cookies made with a boxed brownie mix are soft, fudgy, and packed with minty chocolate flavor. A quick, easy cookie recipe perfect for any occasion.

Kid-friendly cookies, bars, brownies, and blondies perfect for baking all year long. Easy, fun treats kids love to bake and eat—great for families, parties, and classrooms.

These Peppermint Bark Brownies are made with a boxed brownie mix, chopped Andes mints, and a crisp peppermint bark topping. An easy, festive chocolate dessert perfect for holidays, parties, and cookie trays.

Discover our favorite cheesecake recipes, including baked cheesecakes, no-bake desserts, bars, cookies, and bite-size treats—easy, creamy, and perfect for any occasion.

Creamy baked cheesecake bites with a thick graham cracker crust, sliced into perfect squares and topped with fresh raspberries — ideal for parties and events.

Why boxed mixes make sense for home bakers—how a reliable base, real ingredients, and thoughtful upgrades lead to confident, stress-free baking.

Rich, fudgy brownies with real hot cocoa flavor, melty chocolate chips, and a cozy café-style finish

These easy Mini Cherry Cheesecake Parfaits come together in minutes with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, graham crackers, and cherry pie filling. No baking required — just layer, chill, and enjoy this perfectly portioned dessert!

Need fast New Year’s Eve appetizers or simple desserts? These quick, delicious party foods come together in minutes and are perfect for ringing in the New Year!

These caramel apple snickerdoodle bars are soft, buttery cookie bars topped with tender cinnamon apples and melty caramel chips. Think classic snickerdoodle flavor meets caramel apples at the county fair — but in bar form, and without any fuss.

This No-Bake Banana Cream Pie is rich, creamy, and perfectly sliceable thanks to a cream cheese and pudding filling layered with fresh bananas and a buttery vanilla wafer crust. An easy, nostalgic dessert that sets up beautifully every time—no oven required!

Soft, fluffy Snowball Cheesecake Cookies made with cream cheese, coconut, and cream cheese baking chips. A winter-perfect cookie rolled in powdered sugar and inspired by my Golden Girls Cheesecake Cookies.

Fun and festive Grinch-themed treats made easy! This Christmas roundup includes Grinch cookies, bars, popcorn, Rice Krispie treats, and more—perfect for parties and last-minute holiday baking.

Soft, buttery, and full of classic sugar cookie flavor, these Sugar Cookie Cupcakes are everything you love about a sugar cookie—only fluffier.

Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies filled with gooey marshmallow fluff—because classic nostalgia deserves bakery-level treatment.

Buttery snickerdoodle cookie bars topped with a rich, maple-sweet pecan pie filling — all the cozy flavors of pecan pie on a soft cookie base.

Soft, buttery cookie bars topped with swirls of marshmallow buttercream, crushed peppermint, and a drizzle of chocolate—these Peppermint Bark Cookie Bars taste like Christmas in every bite.

These cookies are thick, chewy, deeply chocolatey, gently minty inside, and finished with a bold peppermint kiss on top—pure winter perfection.

Soft, dreamy vanilla cookies loaded with marshmallow bits and hot cocoa morsels—just the kind of melt-in-your-mouth treat you’d expect Mrs. Claus to bake at the North Pole. Perfect for Christmas cookie trays and holiday gifting!

These Hot Cocoa Cupcakes are rich, cozy, and full of nostalgic flavor! Made with hot cocoa mix, filled with marshmallow fluff, and topped with chocolate marshmallow buttercream, they taste just like a mug of hot cocoa—only better.

These soft, chewy Monster Cookie Bars are packed with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and colorful M&Ms. This easy recipe feeds a crowd and bakes in under 30 minutes—no scooping required!

This easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie is rich, creamy, and loaded with peanut butter flavor. Make it in minutes with simple ingredients — the perfect crowd-pleasing dessert for any occasion!

Discover cookies for every holiday of the year—from Christmas and Valentine’s Day to Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthdays, and game day—all in one easy roundup.

Soft and chewy M&M cookies made with mini chocolate chips and festive colorful candies. A quick, easy cookie everyone loves!

Discover a collection of homemade scone recipes that are light, flaky, and full of flavor! From classic cream scones to fruity variations, you’ll find the perfect bake for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea.

Get into the holiday spirit with these fun “This or That” Christmas baking questions! Let's spark conversations, and explore festive favorites in the 25 days leading up to Christmas!

This easy Croissant Sourdough Loaf captures the buttery flavor of croissant dough in a rustic sourdough loaf. Soft, rich, and tender—not flaky like a pastry, but beautifully moist and full of flavor.

Looking for the perfect Christmas gifts for bakers in 2025? This lively, hand-picked list of 25+ baking essentials—including mixers, pans, tools, gadgets, and more—is packed with must-haves every home baker will love. Shop my favorite baking supplies, gift ideas, and kitchen essentials for the baker in your life!

This creamy No-Bake Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie comes together in minutes with simple ingredients and a ready-made graham cracker crust. It’s the perfect fall dessert for Thanksgiving, potlucks, or anytime you need an easy pumpkin treat without turning on the oven.

Discover the best grab-and-go cupcake and muffin recipes from Out of the Box Baking! From bakery-style muffins to decadent cupcakes, these easy recipes are perfect for busy mornings, bake sales, or sweet celebrations.

Discover 101 sweet reasons to be thankful this season with this heartwarming list for bakers and home cooks. From cozy kitchen moments to holiday baking joys, these gratitude-filled quotes will inspire and brighten your fall and winter days.

This easy Apple Upside-Down Cake starts with a white cake mix and bakes up beautifully in a cast iron skillet or a regular pan. Warm, caramelized, and delicious!

Soft, fluffy Same-Day Sourdough Milk Bread Dinner Rolls! No overnight rise needed. Easy, no-knead pull-apart rolls made with milk and sourdough starter.

Dolly Parton Banana Bread is a sweet, Southern-style twist on classic banana bread! Made with Dolly’s banana cake mix, ripe bananas, and butter, this moist, flavorful loaf comes together in minutes and tastes like homemade magic.

Bake up holiday cheer with this collection of 100+ Christmas cookie recipes! From classic favorites to new festive treats, there’s something for every cookie lover.