Dinner

End your day with a delicious, comforting, and satisfying dinner! Whether you’re looking for quick and easy weeknight meals, cozy comfort food, or elegant dishes for special occasions, we have the perfect recipes for you.

From hearty casseroles and one-pan wonders to savory pastas, juicy meats, and flavorful vegetarian options, our collection is designed to make dinnertime effortless and enjoyable.

Busy schedule? No problem! Try our slow cooker meals, sheet pan dinners, and 30-minute recipes to save time without sacrificing flavor. Whatever your craving, these recipes will bring warmth and joy to your table every night. 🍽️✨

Strawberry Sugar Cookies (vegan)

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Strawberry Sugar Cookies (vegan)

  • Author: Chef Emy
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Description

These vegan strawberry cookies are packed with 3 cups of fresh strawberries and use only common pantry ingredients. They are soft and chewy, rather than cakey because we skipped the eggs and use a strawberry reduction.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (360g) strawberries, fresh or frozen (note 1)
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • cup (150g) vegan butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
  • 1/4–1 teaspoon pink food coloring, or red food coloring, as needed (note 2)
  • 2 ¼ cups (280g) all-purpose plain flour, (note 3)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt, if using unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. Optional: Blend or puree the strawberries with a stick blender or food processor. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of pure strawberry puree. If you don't blend the puree, you'll just have very small chunks of strawberries in your cookies.
  2. Add the strawberry puree (or whole strawberries with a dash of water) to a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Cook the strawberries while stirring occasionally. Or turn the heat to high and stir constantly. This can take 15-30 minutes, depending on your stovetop and pot/saucepan. Your puree is ready when it weighs 120g (heaped 1/3 cup) and is thick like tomato paste. If you're in doubt, it's better to have less puree rather than more. Allow the strawberry puree to cool.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Add the sugar and butter to a large bowl and beat until well combined. Add the strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and food coloring and beat until combined.
  5. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until just combined. Mix in more food coloring if desired, keeping in mind that the color will fade in the oven. My dough was almost hot pink but the cookies baked into a medium-pink color. The cookie dough should be soft and tacky but not too sticky. If your cookie dough is too sticky, cover the dough and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes.
  6. Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to divide the dough into about 20 balls (around 2 tablespoons or 38g of dough each).
  7. Add the remaining 1/4 cup (50g) of granulated sugar to a small bowl. Toss and roll each ball of cookie dough in the sugar.
  8. Arrange the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart as they will spread in the oven. If you'd like thinner chewier cookies, slightly flatten each cookie dough ball.
  9. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the edges appear cooked then remove from the oven. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack (note 4).
  10. Enjoy the strawberry sugar cookies warm or at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Notes

Notes For the best results, I recommend weighing the strawberries and flour. The volume of strawberries varies a lot and adding too much flour to the dough will prevent the cookies from spreading. Plus, using a scale means you can wash less utensils! For a medium-pink color, I used 3/4 teaspoon of liquid pink food coloring (preferred) or a heaped 1/4 teaspoon of pink gel food coloring. Red food coloring is stronger than pink so youll need less. Keep in mind that the color will fade in the oven so add more than you think you will need. You can also use beetroot powder but the color doesnt always stick during baking and it can dull the strawberry flavor. With my old beetroot powder, I added around 3 tablespoons to get a pale pink color and flattened the cookies before baking. For chewier cookies with slightly more strawberry flavor, you can reduce the flour to 2 cups (250g). The cookies will crack more and the dough will be stickier. You dont need to chill your dough, unless its very sticky. For gluten-free cookies, this recipe also works well with King Arthurs measure for measure flour. The dough will be a little softer than the original, but will bake beautifully. If the ingredients are measured accurately, these cookies will spread in the oven. If they dont spread, flatten the cookies with a fork or bottom of a glass when they come out of the oven.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 162kcal
  • Sugar: 15g
  • Protein: 2g

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How to Make the Most Luxurious Blueberry Compote

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Blueberry Compote

  • Author: Chef Emy
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Description

Glossy and luxurious Blueberry Compote is incredibly easy to make and tops off pancakes, waffles and desserts beautifully.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups blueberries *either fresh or frozen
  • 1 lemon zested
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan bring sugar and water to a boil until sugar has melted.
  2. To the pan add blueberries, zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
  3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  4. Stirring occasionally simmer until blueberries have burst and sauce begins to thicken, about 8-12 minutes. See Note #1 Below
  5. Let cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Notes

Recipe Notes
Note #1 Frozen berries will take longer to cook whereas the fresh berries will be done around the 8 minute marker.
Note #2 See above in post for flavor and sweetness variations.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 65kcal
  • Sugar: 17g
  • Protein: 1g

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Apple Cranberry Winter Jam: Winter Jam Recipes

Enjoy the flavors of the season with this apple cranberry winter jam recipe! Combining apples and cranberries with a hint of lemon, this four-ingredient jam is perfect for spreading on toast or adding to your holiday desserts. A wonderful homemade gift idea or addition to your own pantry. Find more easy canning recipes, winter canning ideas, holiday jams and jellies, and Winter Jam Recipes at creativecanning.com.

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Cranberry Apple Jam

  • Author: Chef Emy
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Description

Cranberry apple jam is a delicious homemade jam that comes together quickly without added pectin.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 2 lbs, or just under 1 kg fresh as purchased)
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries, 200 grams
  • 3 cups sugar, 600 grams
  • Juice of 1 lemon, about 2 to 3 Tbsp

Instructions

  1. Peel, core, and dice the apples into small pieces (1/4 inch or about 1/2 cm cubes).
  2. Toss the apples first in lemon juice and then the sugar. Stir, so they're evenly coated. Cover and set aside to macerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  3. After maceration, place the apple mixture and cranberries into a jam pot. (If canning, prepare a water bath canner before turning on the jam to start cooking.)
  4. Turn on the stove to medium-high heat and cook the apple-cranberry mixture until it thickens. (About 6 to 10 minutes.) Stop when it's not quite as thick as you want the finished jam, as it thickens considerably when it's cooling. It's done when the cranberries have popped and fallen apart, but the apple chunks are still pretty much in their original shape.
  5. Remove the jam pot from the heat and ladle into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
  6. If canning, process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (15 minutes above 6,000 feet in elevation).
  7. Cool jars completely on a towel on the counter, and check seals. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Sealed jars will keep on the pantry shelf. Refrigerate after opening.

Notes

The lemon juice in this recipe is to keep the apples from turning brown, and to bring out their flavor. It’s highly recommended but optional. It’s not needed for canning safety or preservation, as both cranberries and apples are acidic enough for canning naturally. Use either fresh lemon juice (for better flavor) or bottled, if that’s what you have. If you want more lemon flavor, add in the zest of 1 lemon as well.
This jam comes out “jam sweet” and uses 3 cups of sugar to counter the tart flavor of the cranberries.
You can use less sugar, but the jam will be tart. At 2 cups sugar, it tastes more like a cranberry sauce than a jam. Still deliciously tasty, but more tart than a full sugar jam.
At 1 cup sugar, the jam will still jel nicely, but it’s incredibly tart. Below that, it’s not going to gel, and it’ll make more of a sauce.
Batch Size
You can safely double the batch size of this recipe to make 10 half pints, but don’t increase it beyond that. Very large batch sizes don’t cook evenly and have trouble gelling.
It’s perfectly fine to make this cranberry apple jam recipe as a refrigerator jam (or a freezer jam). It’ll last several weeks in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.
If freezing, be sure to leave plenty of headspace and use freezer-safe jars.
Properly canned and sealed jars of cranberry apple jam will maintain peak quality on the pantry shelf for around 18 months. Past that, they’re still good, provided they’re sealed, but the quality will start to decline.
Refrigerate after opening.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 133kcal
  • Sugar: 33g
  • Protein: 0.1g

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BAKED STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM FRENCH TOAST

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Baked Strawberries and Cream French Toast

  • Author: Chef Emy
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Description

The most impressive make-ahead breakfast! So easy with 15min prep. Just pop it right in the oven before serving!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (16-ounce) loaf brioche bread, cubed
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
  • 1 pound strawberries, diced and divided
  • 12 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Instructions

  1. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Place a layer of bread cubes evenly into the baking dish. Top with cream cheese and half the strawberries in an even layer. Top with remaining bread cubes to completely cover the filling.
  2. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Pour mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove baking dish from the refrigerator; let stand 30 minutes.
  4. Place into oven and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover; continue to bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and center is firm.
  5. Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining strawberries and confectioners sugar, if desired.

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SNICKERDOODLE BANANA BREAD

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Snickerdoodle Banana Bread

  • Author: Chef Emy
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Description

Soft, moist, and cinnamon-swirled, this Snickerdoodle Banana Bread combines classic banana bread with the sweet cinnamon-sugar flavor of snickerdoodle cookies. Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup oil (canola or vegetable)
  • 3 tablespoon sour cream (or Plain Greek yogurt)
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 ripe bananas mashed
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 4 mini loaf pans or 1 large loaf pan.
  2. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar for the swirl; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, baking soda, salt, mashed bananas, and flour until just combined.
  4. Layer pans: Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar in the bottom, pour in half the batter, add more cinnamon sugar, then pour remaining batter and finish with remaining cinnamon sugar on top.
  5. Bake: 30 minutes for mini loaves or 60 minutes for a large loaf, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool for 10 minutes, slice, and enjoy warm or toasted.

Notes

Tips & Variations
Storage

Nutrition

  • Calories: 280kcal
  • Sugar: 24g
  • Protein: 4g

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Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

This Greek Yogurt Banana Bread is moist and naturally sweet, full of delicious banana flavors. Made with Greek yogurt and no oil, this loaf is healthy, high protein and low in calories. Perfect for breakfast, as a satisfying snack or dessert.

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Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

  • Author: Chef Emy
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Description

This Greek Yogurt Banana Bread is moist and naturally sweet, full of delicious banana flavors. Made with Greek yogurt and no oil, this loaf is healthy, high protein and low in calories. Perfect for breakfast, as a satisfying snack or dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ripe bananas, about 7 oz/200 g in total
  • cup (180 g) Greek yogurt, minimum 2% fat
  • 1 large egg
  • cup (80 ml) maple syrup, or honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cup (150 g) oat flour, or preferred flour
  • ½ cup (50 g) almond flour, or more oat flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ cup (40 g) chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F (180°C) and fold a 20 cm (7.9 inches) loaf pan with parchment paper or grease with oil.
  2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas then combine with Greek yogurt, egg, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir well until you get a smooth mixture.
  3. Add into the wet mixture oat flour, almond flour (or more oat flour) and baking powder. Stir the ingredients together, adding chocolate chips if desired.You may need to adjust with little extra flour if the batter is too liquid, or with a splash of milk if it is too dry. This depends on the size of the bananas used.
  4. Transfer your Greek yogurt banana bread batter to the prepared pan, then bake in hot oven for about 30-35 minutes. The loaf is ready when a toothpick inserted into its center comes out clean.

Notes

Notes Nutritional values: Nutrition facts provided in this recipe include chocolate chips. Keep in mind that they are approximations calculated by third-party apps, and precise values may vary depending on the specific ingredients used (such as size of bananas or type of yogurt).

Nutrition

  • Calories: 142.6kcal
  • Sugar: 8.3g
  • Protein: 6.8g

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Strawberry Honey Butter: Homemade Canning Recipe

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Strawberry Honey Butter: Homemade Preserves

  • Author: Chef Emy
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Description

This strawberry honey butter is an easy and delicious recipe for homemade preserves. Fresh strawberries and honey make it so much better than store bought jam! This recipe makes 4 half pint jars.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds strawberries washed and hulled
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp bottled lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare your boiling water canner. Heat four half pint jars in simmering water until ready to use, but do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
  2. Puree the strawberries in a food processor until smooth.
  3. Combine the strawberry puree with the sugar, honey, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt in a deep pot set over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
  4. Lower the heat and simmer until the mixture is very thick, about 60-90 minutes, stirring frequently. Any foam produced by the strawberries will disappear with the cooking process. The strawberry honey butter is finished cooking when it holds shape on a spoon.
  5. Using a jar lifter, grab one canning jar, place on a towel or wooden cutting board, then ladle hot butter into a hot jar leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a headspace tool. Wipe jar rim.
  6. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
  7. Once the water is boiling, process the jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove lid, and let jars stand in the water for 5 minutes.
  8. Remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.

Notes

Strawberry honey butter is a great recipe for beginning canners its super easy. If you have canning questions, check out this canning 101 with FAQs to put your mind at ease!

Nutrition

  • Calories: 28kcal

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🍌High Protein Banana Bread: Cottage Cheese Edition (Super Soft & Moist!)

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Fuel Your Day: The Ultimate High Protein Banana Bread (Seriously Delicious!)

  • Author: Chef Emy
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Instructions

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    Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake

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    Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake

    • Author: Chef Emy
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    Description

    This Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake would make a great treat any day of the week. It’s a beautiful lemony loaf filled with ripe fresh raspberries. Make it soon!

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 1/2 Cups plain flour
    • 2 Teaspoons baking powder
    • Pinch salt
    • 1 Cup granulated white sugar
    • 1 Cup Greek yogurt
    • 3 eggs at room temperature
    • Zest of one lemon
    • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 Cup butter at room temperature
    • 1 Cup fresh raspberries
    • 1 tbsp flour

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line and grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf tin. Set aside.
    2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the lemon zest and set aside.
    3. In a small bowl, gently toss the raspberries in the one tablespoons of flour and set aside
    4. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and continue to beat for about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
    5. In three additions add the flour and yogurt, starting with the flour mixture. Gently stir until just combined. Gently fold in raspberries.
    6. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 50 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
    7. Leave to cool about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from pan and peel off parchment paper. Leave to cool completely on wire rack.
    8. Cake will keep for about 3 days in an airtight container.

    Notes

    Notes Check the cake at the halfway point. If it is browning too quickly, place a piece of foil over the top for the remaining baking time. You may use frozen raspberries instead of fresh. IMPORTANT, if using frozen raspberries, put them into the batter frozen NOT thawed out. We are only using lemon zest for this recipe, which gives it a hint of lemon flavour. If you want MORE LEMON FLAVOUR, add one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Add this when you add the Greek yogurt.

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    Delicious Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart Danishes for Valentine’s Day Desserts

    Indulge in these Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart Danishes, the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert! Using store-bought puff pastry, this easy baking recipe elevates your Valentine’s food game with delightful flavors and stunning presentation. These danishes are not just beautiful but also make for a fun baking activity for couples or families. Don’t miss out on this sweet treat – try it today! #ValentinesRecipes #Desserts #BakingSweets

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    Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart Danishes

    • Author: Chef Emy
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    Description

    These delightful heart-shaped danishes with a creamy filling and fresh strawberry flavor are perfect for brunch or as a quick treat.

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry, thawed (sub: two sheets of crescent roll dough in a pinch, but texture differs)
    • 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (sub: dairy-free cream cheese for vegan/dairy-free)
    • 2 tbsp white sugar (sub: powdered sugar for a slightly smoother filling)
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • Red food coloring (optional a drop or two to tint the filling)
    • 1/2 cup diced strawberries (fresh is best; if using frozen, thaw and drain)
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 tbsp cold water

    Instructions

    1. Thaw the puff pastry following package directions usually 3060 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. In a bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add one small drop of red food coloring and mix to reach a soft pink (optional). Fold in half of the diced strawberries if you want them incorporated; reserve the rest for topping.
    3. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the thawed pastry and lightly roll to remove creases. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 34 inches) to cut hearts. You should get about 4 hearts from one sheet depending on cutter size.
    4. Option A: Use a smaller heart cutter to press lightly in the center without cutting through, creating a rim. Option B: Score a 1/2-inch border around each heart with a knife (dont cut all the way through) to make an edge that puffs up and contains the filling.
    5. Spoon or pipe about 12 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each heart, staying inside the edge. Top with the remaining diced strawberries. Dont overfill pastry needs space to puff.
    6. Whisk the egg with 1 tbsp cold water. Lightly brush the exposed pastry edges with the egg wash for color and shine, being careful not to drip wash onto the filling.
    7. Place the sheet on the middle rack and bake for 1215 minutes, until the pastry is golden-brown and puffed and the filling is set. Rotate the pan halfway if your oven has hot spots.
    8. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Optionally dust with powdered sugar or drizzle a simple glaze (1/2 cup powdered sugar + 12 tbsp milk) once slightly cooled.

    Notes

    Try to keep the puff pastry cold until right before cutting so it puffs properly. Room-temperature cream cheese blends easier and gives a silkier filling.

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