Maple Baked Apples with Cinnamon, Maple Sauce and Toasted Walnuts

I have two Granny Smith apple trees, and when those apples start coming off them, they don’t show up in any reasonable quantity. They come in like I’ve somehow agreed to operate a small commercial orchard without being asked. I don’t mind it, though. These baked apples are one of the first things I make because I can use several at once without peeling a single one.

I cut the apples in half, core them and bake them with cinnamon, brown sugar and maple syrup, which is about as uncomplicated as I can make an apple dessert. There is no filling to mix, nothing to stuff back into the middle and especially no peeling, which becomes increasingly important when every flat surface in the kitchen seems to have apples on it.

The maple syrup is where I think the recipe gets better than its level of effort would suggest. As the apples bake, their juices run into the syrup in the bottom of the dish, along with some of the cinnamon and brown sugar. I pour all of that into a saucepan afterward and reduce it into the maple-walnut sauce that goes back over the apples.

I finish the sauce with lemon and toasted walnuts, then spoon it over the warm apples while they’re still soft enough to eat with a spoon. It’s simple, but it doesn’t feel like I gave up and baked some fruit because I had too many apples.

I’ve been making these for years, but having my own Granny Smith trees has made me appreciate them differently. When I’m standing in front of another counter full of apples, cutting four of them in half and putting them in the oven feels so much more realistic than deciding I’m about to peel thirty.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• The part I care about most is the maple syrup in the baking dish. It’s not there only to sweeten the apples. As they bake, the fruit releases its juices into the syrup, and I spoon that liquid back over the cut sides so it picks up the cinnamon and brown sugar along the way. Once the apples are tender, that same liquid becomes the sauce. Life cycle complete.
• I use a full cup of maple syrup because I need enough in the dish to cook with the apples and still have something left to reduce afterward. Apples don’t release the same amount of juice every time, so I don’t give the sauce a rigid reduction time. I cook it until it looks like something I want to spoon over the apples.
• Cutting the apples in half across the middle gives the cinnamon and brown sugar a lot more exposed fruit to work with, and it gets them tender much faster than baking them whole. It also means I can get through a decent number of apples without peeling anything or hollowing out eight little cavities.
• The lemon goes in twice for two different reasons. I use some on the cut apples before baking, then add more to the finished sauce after it has reduced. That second addition is important once the maple syrup and apple juices have concentrated.
• I keep the walnuts out of the baking dish and toast them separately. They go into the sauce at the end so they still taste like toasted walnuts instead of spending half an hour getting soft in maple syrup.

Ingredients

• Granny Smith apples – Their tartness is what I want with maple syrup and brown sugar, and they soften nicely without turning to mush. I use large apples from my own trees when they’re producing, but similarly sized Granny Smiths from the grocery store work just the same.
• Fresh lemon juice – Some goes over the cut apples before baking, and the rest goes into the maple sauce at the end. That last little bit is important once the maple syrup and apple juices have reduced and gotten sweeter.
• Light Brown sugar – I sprinkle it directly over the cut side of the apples so it melts into the fruit with the cinnamon as they bake. If you’re out, make a simple batch of my homemade brown sugar.
• Ground cinnamon – This goes on the apples, not in the maple syrup. Some will naturally work its way into the baking liquid as you baste, but I want most of it on the fruit.
• Pure maple syrup – Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. It does a lot more than sweeten the apples because the baking liquid eventually becomes the sauce.
• Table salt – Enough goes into the finished sauce to keep the maple and brown sugar from becoming too much.
• Walnuts – Toast them first and add them at the end so they keep their flavor and texture. Pecans would also be a very substitute.

How to Make Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (get the apples ready)
  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the apples in half crosswise and remove the cores, then brush the cut sides with 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and arrange them cut-side up in a baking dish.
• Step Two (add the cinnamon sugar and maple syrup)
  Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle the mixture over the exposed apple flesh. Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the baking dish around the apples. As they bake, their juices will run into the syrup and start making the liquid you’ll use for the sauce later.
• Step Three (bake until tender)
  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 15 minutes more, spooning some of the maple liquid over the apples as they cook. Start checking them with a paring knife near the end. You want the knife to slide in easily, but the apples should still be firm enough to move to a platter without falling apart. Larger apples may need a few extra minutes.
• Step Four (make the maple sauce)
  Transfer the apples to a serving platter, then pour every bit of the maple syrup and apple juices from the baking dish into a small saucepan. Add the remaining lemon juice and salt, bring it to a boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until it has reduced and thickened slightly. Apples give off different amounts of juice, so I pay more attention to how the sauce looks than to the exact number of minutes.
• Step Five (add the walnuts)
  Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the toasted walnuts. Spoon the warm maple-walnut sauce over the apples, making sure some stays on top and plenty ends up around them for serving.
• Step Six (serve them warm)
  Serve the apples while they’re warm, either as they are or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. If there is extra sauce in the pan, this isn’t the moment to be stingy with it.

Recipe Tips

• Try to use apples that are close in size so they finish baking around the same time. Mine come straight from the trees and don’t seem to have any interest in uniformity, so I expect the larger halves to need a few extra minutes.
• When you core the apples, remove the seeds and firm center without carving out half the fruit. A melon baller, apple corer or small paring knife will all get this done. These aren’t stuffed apples, so you don’t need a giant cavity in the middle.
• Remember that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If you take it too far on the stove, you can end up with something much thicker than you meant to make. I’ve done it.
• Now that you’ve opened the maple syrup and still have more than half a bottle left, use it in my maple butternut squash and apple soup or my crispy maple mustard-glazed chicken cutlets.

Storage and Reheating

• Store leftover baked apples and maple-walnut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can store them together, although I like keeping extra sauce separately because it makes reheating easier.
• The sauce will get much thicker in the refrigerator. That’s normal. Warm it before deciding it needs anything added to it.
• For one serving, microwave an apple half with some sauce in short intervals until warm. For several servings, place the apples in a covered baking dish in a 325°F oven until heated through, then warm the sauce separately and spoon it over the apples.
• You can make these earlier in the day and reheat them before dessert, although I like them best the day they’re made. I wouldn’t freeze them. Cooked apples can get much softer after freezing and thawing, and there’s nothing to be gained from doing that to a perfectly good baked apple.

FAQs

• What are the best apples for baked apples with maple syrup?
  Granny Smith are my first choice because their tartness goes well with maple syrup and brown sugar. Gala apples are also fine, but the finished dessert will be sweeter and they may soften faster, so start checking them a little earlier.
• Can I use pancake syrup instead of pure maple syrup?
  No. The syrup becomes the base of the finished sauce, so its flavor is more important than it would be if you were only drizzling it over the top.
• Do I need to peel the apples?
  No. Leave the peels on. Halving and coring them is all the prep they need before baking.
• Can I make these ahead of time?
  Yes. Bake the apples and make the sauce earlier in the day, refrigerate them once cooled, then reheat before serving. I wouldn’t make them several days ahead specifically for an occasion.
• Can I leave out the walnuts?
  Yes. The sauce will still reduce normally without them.
• Can I use pecans instead?
  Yes. Toast them first and stir them in after the sauce comes off the heat.
• Can I use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar?
  Yes. Dark brown sugar will give you more molasses flavor, but either one is fine.

From My Kitchen Notes

When You Have More Apples Than Plans

• Fresh Apple Bars – Granny Smith apples, golden raisins, walnuts
• Crockpot Apple Crisp – Tender apples, crisp oat topping, slow cooker
• Brown Sugar Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake – Fresh apples, brown sugar swirl, cinnamon
• Apple Cheesecake Bars – Caramel apples, cheesecake, brown sugar shortbread
• Upside Down Apple Pie – Apples, brown sugar, butter, pecans

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Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce

Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce are Granny Smith apple halves baked with cinnamon, brown sugar and pure maple syrup, then served with a warm sauce made by reducing the maple syrup and apple juices from the baking dish with lemon and toasted walnuts.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple maple sauce, apples with maple syrup, baked apples with cinnamon, baked apples with maple syrup, Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce, maple baked apples, maple cinnamon baked apples, maple-walnut sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 257kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• baking dish 9x13 (23x33 cm) Large enough to arrange all eight apple halves in a single layer.
• measuring cups and spoons For measuring the maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt.
• apple corer or small pairing knife. For removing the cores from the apple halves.
• mixing bowls (small) For mixing the brown sugar and cinnamon.
• pastry brush For brushing lemon juice over the cut apples.
• Saucepan (small) For reducing the maple syrup and apple cooking juices into the sauce.
• aluminum foil For covering the apples during the first part of baking.

Ingredients

• 4 large Granny Smith apples halved crosswise and cored
• 2 tsps (10 ml) fresh lemon juice divided
• 2 tbsps (25 g) packed light brown sugar (dark works too)
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (315 g) maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
• ⅛ tsp (0.75 g) table salt
• ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts toasted

Toppings:

• vanilla ice cream (optional)
• whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
• Brush the cut sides of the apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Arrange the apples cut-side up in a baking dish.
  4 large Granny Smith apples , 2 tsps (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
• Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cut sides of the apples. Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the baking dish around the apples.
  2 tbsps (25 g) packed light brown sugar, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon, 1 cup (315 g) maple syrup
• Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for about 15 minutes, spooning some of the maple cooking liquid over the apples as they bake. The apples are ready when a paring knife slides easily into the flesh but the halves are still firm enough to transfer to a serving platter without breaking apart. Larger apples may require additional baking time.
• Transfer the baked apples to a serving platter. Carefully pour all of the maple syrup and apple juices from the baking dish into a small saucepan.
• Add the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice and the salt to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the maple-apple sauce has reduced and is slightly thicker. The amount of liquid released by the apples can vary, so use the consistency of the sauce as your guide instead of relying only on the cooking time.
  ⅛ tsp (0.75 g) table salt
• Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the toasted walnuts. Spoon the warm maple-walnut sauce over the baked apples.
  ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts
• Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
  vanilla ice cream, whipped cream

Video

Notes

• To toast the walnuts, spread them in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly toasted. Watch them closely toward the end because walnuts can go from toasted to burned quickly.
• The baking time will vary depending on the size of the apples. Use a paring knife to check them instead of relying entirely on the clock, adding a few additional minutes if necessary.
• Use pure maple syrup for this recipe, not pancake syrup. Because the maple syrup becomes the base of the finished sauce after baking, the flavor and composition of the syrup make a noticeable difference.
• The apples release juice as they bake, and the amount can vary from one batch to another. If you end up with more cooking liquid, the sauce may need a little longer than 3 to 5 minutes to reduce to the right consistency.
• Toast the walnuts before adding them to the finished sauce. Adding them after the sauce has reduced keeps them out of the wet baking dish and preserves more of their toasted flavor and texture.
• One large apple makes two servings. Vanilla ice cream and whipped cream are optional and are not included in the nutrition estimate.

 

 

If you’re making these Baked Apples with Walnut-Maple Sauce, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 147g | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made these Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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The post Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce appeared first on Noble Pig.

The Most Decadent Brownie Muffins Recipe

When it comes to chocolate, real chocolate is always the better choice. Waxy, weak-flavored chocolate should not have a prominent place in your most treasured recipes. Luckily for you, the most decadent brownie muffins definitely deliver when it comes to deep, rich, full-on chocolate flavor. What could be better than that?

These brownie muffins are exactly the recipe to satisfy those wild chocolate cravings, it would be impossible to feel denied after having one. Just remember to not get hung up on what time of the day to eat one of these decadent muffins – they’re adaptable! Breakfast, dessert or midnight snack, these brownie muffins will satisfy all the cravings.

The intense flavor of these muffins comes from using two types of chocolate, dark and milk. The dark chocolate is melted for the batter, while the milk chocolate is folded in and added on top. The two chocolate flavors balance each other perfectly, turning out a brownie muffin that hits all the right buttons.

How To Use Foil Cupcake Liners

When it comes to foil paper liners, did you know you’re supposed to remove the paper liner that sits in between them? Most people I ask say they always leave the paper ones  inside the foil wrappers. The paper separators are there only to keep the foil liners separated. Even though the paper liners are the same shape and size as the foil liners, they are not coated either quilon or silicone. Both of these substances keep your muffins and cupcakes from sticking to the paper liners. The paper separators in between the foil liners don’t have that coating.

Now, here’s another thing, foil liners do not require you to use a muffin pan. You are supposed to use the foil liners right on a cookie sheet. I don’t use them that way because they do expand more during baking and I prefer my muffins or cupcakes to be more compact.

For the purpose of this recipe, I have found using non-stick spray on the foil liners (even though they are non-stick) helps release these very chocolaty muffins from the liners more easily.

How To Melt Butter and Chocolate

Butter and chocolate are melted together in this recipe to add necessary fat, as well as to thin out the chocolate, making it easier to blend together easily with the other ingredients. Melting the butter with the chocolate is important when a recipe calls for actual chocolate instead of cocoa powder. The butter also replaces any need for other fat such as oil.

Melting chocolate on the stovetop isn’t difficult, but it does require some care.

• Add chocolate (broken into pieces) and cubed butter together in a large saucepan, 10-12″.
• Stove heat should be on the lowest possible setting.
• Use a rubber spatula to slowly stir the butter and chocolate together until butter is completely melted and chocolate is smooth.
• Remove from heat and let cool at least 10 minutes.

What Happens If You Overmix The Batter?

When batter for cakes, brownies, muffins is overmixed, the gluten in the flour will form form elastic gluten strands. This is usually what you want for cookies, but not for cakes and muffins. Overmixing can also cause uneven baking as well as resulting in dense, chewy textures.

The flour for this recipe will incorporate after gentle folds, even though it looks like it won’t.

Because eggs are the only leavener, these brownies do not rise very much when they bake. To get the dome-like top, you really need to heap the batter into each cup. Add about 1/3 cup batter into each prepares cup and top each with with another heaping spoonful of batter. Lightly press extra milk chocolate chips onto each muffin before baking.

Overbaking Woes

Overbaking definitely has an effect on brownies, so checking for doneness is key. Gently press on the top of the dome, it should spring back when it’s ready. The toothpick test does not work in baked goods where whole chocolate chips are in the batter.

The Beauty Of These Muffins

As you can see in the picture above, these brownie muffins are super chocolaty and dense. The dome has the same texture of the top of a craggy brownie, but once you break through, the middle is this amazing soft and delicious brownie. It’s the best of both worlds, especially if you love brownie edges.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Equipment Needed For This Recipe

• Sauce pan for melting the chocolate. Stainless steel works best.
• Foil cupcake liners. These work considerably better than paper liners for this recipe.
• My favorite muffin tin.

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The Most Decadent Brownie Muffins

The Most Decadent Brownie Muffins are muffins by morning or brownies by evening - whatever time of day you decide to indulge, these decadently amazing brownie muffins will tame the fiercest of chocolate cravings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Decadent Brownies, The Most Decadent Brownie Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 11 muffins

Calories 487kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 10 oz dark chocolate (85% cacao), broken into squares
• 10 tbsp butter, cubed
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips, plus extra for the tops
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 11 muffin cups with foil liners and coat each with nonstick spray.
• Melt dark chocolate and butter together in a large sauce pan (10-12") over very low heat. Stir continuously with a rubber spatula until smooth and fully incorporated. Remove from heat and let cool at least ten minutes.
• Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl. Slowly add chocolate, whisking together with egg mixture. (Make sure chocolate is not too hot that it will cook your eggs.)
• Gently fold in flour, just until incorporated. Add chocolate chips and nuts.
• Fill prepared foil cups with batter as indicated in the post in order to get the height of these muffins. Top each muffin with additional milk chocolate chips. Bake 35 minutes or until muffin springs back to the touch. Let muffins cool in the pan on a rack for twenty minutes before trying to remove them. They are amazing warm, but are perfect when cooled.
• Store in a tightly closed container for up to a week.

Notes

Using high quality butter, such as Kerrygold, and high quality chocolate, such as Guittard, really makes a difference in the taste of this recipe.

Make sure to read the whole post for tips and tricks for this recipe and the reasons we do/don't do certain things. 

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.4g | Protein: 8.3g | Fat: 32.6g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 93.9mg | Sodium: 123.4mg | Potassium: 67.1mg | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 30.4g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 10.1mg | Iron: 4.3mg

If you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #NOBLEPIG on INSTAGRAM so we can see what you’ve made. FOLLOW Noble Pig ON FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER to keep up with all our latest recipes.

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Eggnog Banana Bread Muffin Recipe

If you prefer spending holiday mornings around the tree with family, instead of in the kitchen, these Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins are the perfect answer to a pre-made holiday breakfast. Make these eggnog muffins the day before for a stress-free Christmas or New Year’s Day breakfast. They are simple to put together and you likely already have all the ingredients you need.

There are lots of things that make the holiday season special, but the one stand-out is the food. For many, this is the only time of the year we allow ourselves to enjoy certain dishes, many of which have cultural significance. It’s definitely the perfect time of year for festive breakfast and brunch recipes.

Still Looking for Holiday Breakfast Recipes? Try these:

• Mouthwatering Oven Omelet
• Streuseled Overnight French Toast
• Peppermint Bark Hot Chocolate
• Grapefruit Prosecco Cocktail

How To Make Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

1. Mash bananas well with a fork and place them into a 2-cup liquid measuring bowl. Add egg, melted (cooled) butter, vanilla and enough eggnog to make a total of two cups. The addition of eggnog will only be enough to make a total of two cups of all the wet ingredients mentioned. Do not add more eggnog.
2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold them into each other.  Do not over-mix, about 10 strokes is about enough.
3. Spoon the batter lightly into the muffin pan. If you want your muffins to look like the pictures, place extra nuts and chocolate onto the top of each muffin.
4. Place muffins oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan (on a wire rack) before removing.

How To Ripen Bananas Quickly

Ripe bananas are essential for these eggnog muffins. Bananas should have yellow skins (no green!) with an even array of brown freckles. Since ripening bananas can take a few days and sometimes up to a week, there is a quicker way. All you have to do is bake your unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 250 degree F oven until they are soft, 15-20 minutes. Let them cool, peel, and add them to your recipe. It’s so easy and no more waiting for brown bananas when you have an urge to bake.

Recipe Tips

• Bananas should be ripe. See above for how to ripen bananas quickly.
• Your wet ingredients should not exceed a total of two cups. Because bananas are different sizes, the addition of the amount of eggnog will vary.
• Thoroughly whisk together your dry ingredients, making sure baking powder and baking soda are fully combined within the flour.
• Do not add hot ingredients like melted butter to cold ingredients like egg and eggnog. Try to bring ingredients to room temperature before mixing together.
• All eggnog is not created equal. Check the labels and grab the brand that has the highest fat content.
• Do not over-mix the batter or your muffins will not be tender.
• Add extra nuts and chocolate to the tops of the muffin if you want them to look like the picture.

Can I Freeze Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins?

Yes you can. Wrap each muffin individually with saran wrap and place in a tightly lidded container for up to six months. Let them thaw on the counter for six hours before serving.

How To Keep Muffins Moist Overnight

• Let your muffins cool completely.
• Keep muffins in their paper liners.
• Place them in a resealable bag or a tightly lidded container.

Why Did My Muffins Turn Out Dense?

Most likely it was too much leavening by measuring incorrectly; too much baking powder or soda in your muffin batter will cause muffins to rise temporarily, then collapse. This is how they become dense.  Over-mixing is another cause of dense muffins.  Mixing the muffin batter too much creates a dense muffin, with huge pockets of air inside.

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Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

These Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins are tender, delicious and full of pure banana flavor. The eggnog lends a gentle nod to the holidays in a format that is perfect for celebrating Christmas brunch. This holiday breakfast muffin is the perfect cure to hunger while unwrapping those holiday gifts.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Bread, Eggnog, Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 236kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1-1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract
• eggnog, add only enough eggnog to make your wet ingredients equal two cups
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips (72% cacao)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
  
  
• Mash your bananas well with a fork and place them into a 2-cup liquid measuring bowl. Add egg, melted (cooled) butter, vanilla and enough eggnog to make a total of two cups. The addition of eggnog will only be enough to make a total of two cups of all the wet ingredients mentioned. Do not add more eggnog.
  
  
• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold them very carefully into each other.  Do not over-mix, about 10 strokes is about enough. (Over-mixing is the death of baked goods. There might even be some dry spots of batter left and it will be lumpy. That is fine! If you mix until the batter is runny, your muffins will be average, and a little tough.) Fold in chopped nuts and chocolate just until incorporated.
  
  
• Spoon the batter lightly into the muffin pan (do not pack it in). If you want your muffins to look like the pictures, place extra nuts and chocolate onto the top of each muffin.
  
  
• Place into your preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  
  
• Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan (on a wire rack) before removing.
• Will keep several days in a tightly covered container.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.2g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 11.9g | Saturated Fat: 4.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31.4mg | Sodium: 296.5mg | Potassium: 93.3mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 303.3g | Vitamin A: 11.6IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 4.5mg | Iron: 3.5mg

If you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #NOBLEPIG on INSTAGRAM so we can see what you’ve made. FOLLOW Noble Pig ON FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER to keep up with all our latest recipes.

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It’s so easy to treat your family with these nuts and cream cheese bars and in a way, they totally remind me of eating cheesecake. These bars have a unique taste and texture with the combination of graham cracker crumbs and nuts mixed together to make the crust and crumb topping. However, the best part is the flavor. The cream cheese gives them a bit of a tangy taste, which helps even out the sweetness. It’s pretty much perfection in a dessert bar and you must try baking them yourself.

These Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars are very sturdy, making them the perfect addition to take to any party, picnic or potluck. These will not fall apart before arriving at your destination.

I love my Butterscotch-Walnut Chocolate Bars and Blueberry-Lemon Oatmeal Bars, but this recipe for Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars is a whole new level of dessert nirvana.

Can I Substitute Different Types of Chocolate Chips

Yes, you can! If you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate, you can absolutely substitute them in this recipe. Also, if you prefer a different flavor of chocolate chips, those would work too. I highly recommend making this recipe according to your tastes.

Do Cream Cheese Bars Need To Be Refrigerated

Yes, please refrigerate your cream cheese bars, since cream cheese is perishable. Also, in order to get nice, clean cuts of these bars, or any bars you make, refrigerating them until they are very cold makes slicing them so much easier.

After this recipe has completely cooled, I cover the baking tray tightly with saran wrap, placing the bars in the refrigerator until the next day. Then I use an 8″ chef’s knife to cut the whole tray into squares. Each bar is removed with a small spatula.

Storage Ideas

• tightly wrapped or in Tupperware
• keep them in the refrigerator up to a week
• store in the freezer for up to three months

Recipe Tips

• Melting the chocolate chips and butter in a large saucepan (10-12″), using a rubber spatula to stir. The large surface areas allows the chocolate to melt quickly without seizing.
• Making to sure to chop the walnuts into, smaller pieces. Large walnut pieces will have a harder time keeping the crust together.
• Soften cream cheese by submerging each pack (still in foil) in hot tap water for five minutes. Cream cheese will not be lumpy in the batter after this.
• Bring eggs to room temperature before mixing with the cream cheese.
• Use fresh lemon juice, not that fake, bottled stuff.
• Refrigerate bars overnight in order to get nice, clean lines when slicing into squares.
• A small, metal spatula to remove bars from pan is very helpful.

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Equipment You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

• 15 x 10 jellyroll baking pan
• small metal spatula

More Dessert Bar Recipes

• The Best Lime Bars
• Twix Candy Bar Brownies
• Layered Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownies
• Cappuccino Doughnut Bars

Print Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars Perfect for any occasion, these Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars feature a unique chocolate graham cracker crust and topping, with a creamy middle layer.  Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars Prep Time 30 minutes minutes Cook Time 30 minutes minutes refrigerate 8 hours hours Total Time 1 hour hour Servings 28 bars Calories 259kcal Author Cathy Pollak Ingredients 1-2/3 cups (313 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips 6 tbsp (84 g) butter 2 cups (224 g) graham cracker crumbs 2 cups (240 g) chopped walnuts 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar 4 large eggs 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large, wide saucepan (10-12"), melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat. (Use a silicone spatula to stir the chocolate and butter together, it will melt fast and you do not want to over heat the chocolate as it might seize up.) Stir in the graham cracker crumbs and nuts. Reserve two cups of the chocolate-crumb mixture. Press the remaining mixture into an ungreased 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Beat together softened cream cheese and sugar until its creamy. Add eggs, preferably one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour and lemon juice. Pour this mixture over crust and sprinkle reserved crumb mixture on top.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until set and is not jiggly. Cool in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate overnight before cutting into bars.  These keep well in the refrigerator up to a week when tightly covered. Notes Cooking tip: Soften cream cheese bricks in a bowl of hot tap water for five minutes while still in the package. This ensures your batter will not be lumpy. Nutrition Serving: 1bar | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.6g | Protein: 4.5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 52.9mg | Sodium: 138.9mg | Potassium: 49.5mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 12.6g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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