Caramel Pecan Crockpot Brownies

Winter still has a grip on us, so how about a warm gooey easy crock pot dessert? Caramel Pecan Crockpot Brownies!

Caramel Pecan Crockpot Brownies

I have never “baked” anything in the crockpot before……who knew??? It really, really worked…….who-da thunk it??? Continue reading “Caramel Pecan Crockpot Brownies”

Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

This is gonna be a real quickie……Starbucks is the bomb for coffee……well, at least Tim and I think so. One of our favorites is the Caramel Frappuccino………but with a Grande coming in at about 380 calories……… yikes! Talk about drinking your calories.

 

So, when I saw the recipe for Skinny Caramel Frappuccino from Averie Cooks and it boasts only 50 calories…….we were in!!

We tried it yesterday, as a light dessert after our Grilled Spaghetti and Cheese Sandwich, which was not light, but totally awesome!

When things are said to be skinny, or light, or low cal, my mind says how good can it be?

Caramel Frapp

Well, this was great……..rich coffee flavor, cold and frosty, topped with light cool whip, and just a small drizzle of caramel sauce…….yummy yum yum!

I did change up the recipe a bit. I used instant espresso, instead of coffee, and I did not use sugar-free caramel……I went for the real deal. A few mini chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of Heath bits……..heavenly! I am probably over 50 calories, but I am under 100………for dessert that rocks!

Skinny Caramel Frapp

So, thank you Averie for the recipe and if you have a hanker’in for a Starbucks like Frappuccino, that won’t break the bank or your diet, whip up a Skinny Caramel Frappuccino!

 

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Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

  • Author: Adapted from Averie Cooks
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Drinks
  • Method: Blend
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups ice cubes
  • 1 cup cold espresso
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or your favorite milk)
  • 1 packet stevia powder or other sweetener
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons light cool whip whipped topping , for garnishing
  • 1 tablespoon regular or sugar free caramel sauce , for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon Heath brickle chips

Instructions

  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender and blend until well blended, smooth, and creamy.
  2. Garnish with whipped topping, caramel sauce, mini chips, and Heath

Notes

This makes one really large or two regular size drinks.

Keywords: almond milk, caramel, espresso, drinks, low cal, coffee drink, easy

 

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups 1

I made Tim and I’s Thanksgiving feast……..the Sunday before Thanksgiving…….but we needed dessert.
I didn’t want to make whole pie ..……Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups!

We both are huge fans of dessert, we have it almost every night……..which is why we will be starting a Health page come January 1, 2015.

Although, in the coming year we will be changing some of our dessert ways, it was a Holiday and well, it’s not a Holiday without dessert, and Thanksgiving needs pie……with ice cream……and caramel sauce, with pecans and caramel in the pie, and……well, you get the idea.

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups

I originally was going to wrap the apples with the pie crust and color egg wash red so they looked like apples, but time was running short and I did not have the time to be that crafty…..maybe next year!

Individual pies would be good……..custard cups could hold them and I could cover them with pie crust. I think I have mentioned before that in the world of pie and pie crust, my Mother was the Queen……she made the best pies ever, and her crust was flaky and perfect. I wish I would have had her teach me how she did it.

Since my pie crust is ……well, less than perfect…….I buy my crust. Besides it’s easy to have on hand for an “I need a pie now emergency”!!!!!!!

I peeled and cored the apples, dunked them in lemon juice, rolled them in a sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon mixture, put them custard cups, filled them with a caramel, pecan mixture, covered them with crust, brushed them with cream, sprinkled them with sugar and baked them……..whew!!!!!

Apple Pie Cups

Now, a really cool thing happen to them after I baked them. I wanted to make them slightly fancy, so I cut a cute little leaf in the center of each crust and placed it on the top. When they came out of the oven the little leaf had fallen inside so it looked like a little volcano……..great spot to put the ice cream………I know right! So, the ice cream kind melted into the apple………it was sooooooo good and the caramel sauce on top……….heaven in a custard cup.

This is one of those recipes that you can adjust to the number of people you are serving, so if it’s only two like us you can make just two. It’s nice also that there is no “his piece is bigger than mine” argument if you have kids.

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups make a yummy addition to a Holiday or any meal that begs for an apple pie dessert ……..or if you are just in the mood for pie!

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups Collage

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Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups 1

Caramel Pecan Apple Pie Cups

  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large apples ( your favorite), peeled and cored
  • 1 ready made pie crust
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup kraft caramel bits
  • 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
  • Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the granulated sugar, corn starch, apple pie spice and salt in a shallow dish.
  2. Juice the lemon into a small bowl. Dip each apple in the lemon juice and then roll peeled and cored apples in the sugar mixture and set in oven safe custard cups sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Mix caramel bits and pecans into the remaining sugar mixture. Stuff into the prepared apples, dividing evenly between them.
  3. Cut circles from the pie crust that are about 2 inches larger than the top of your custard cups. If desired you can cut a decorative whole in the center of each circle. Place pie circles over the tops of the apples, covering the apple completely and sealing to the custard cup. Add scrapes of pie crust to form an edge. If you have cut a decorative opening, place the cut out over the opening, do not seal. If you did not cut an opening cut slits for steam to escape.
  4. Brush the heavy cream over each apple cup and sprinkle the the crust with the turbinado sugar.
  5. Place custard cups on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apple is tender.
  6. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve topped with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Keywords: apples, ice cream, caramel, pecans, single serving size, pie