11 Brown Sugar Recipes to Jazz Up Your Dessert Game (2024)

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Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Jennifer Wendorf, Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Christina Daley

Warm, tender, moist and absolutely decadent, these Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls are practically begging to be made on Christmas morning. This recipe has the best of both worlds: The warm spicy cinnamon and gooey filling of cinnamon buns, with the indulgent chocolatiness of red velvet cake. We recommend being as delicate as possible with the dough to preserve the shape—instead of using a knife, cut the log with dental floss to get clean lines.

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Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Jennifer Wendorf, Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Christina Daley

It doesn't get much sweeter than cookie butter topped with white chocolate—and that's what we adore about these buckeyes. Best of all, the easy balls come together quickly in one bowl: Just beat all the ingredients, scoop, and dip in chocolate. You can get as creative as you want with the drizzle, too, so this would be a perfect baking activity to do with the kids.

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You know those super soft, super sweet (but not sickeningly so) iced sugar cookies you buy at the grocery store? The ones in the plastic containers? These cookies are like those—but way better. You may be tempted to send the cookies straight to the oven, but you really shouldn't skip chilling the dough. Not only does refrigeration help making scooping easier, it also helps the cookies maintain their shape while they bake. Pro tip: Once the cookies are done, make sure you give them plenty of time to cool before frosting. This is a delicate frosting, so it will slide right off the cookies if you try to frost them while they're still warm.

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Credit: Meredith Food Studios

This humble, yet delicious, style of dairy-free chocolate cake originated during the Depression era, when ingredients like eggs, milk, and butter had to be rationed carefully. That said, there is nothing depressing about this one-bowl chocolate cake. Beyond being incredibly simple to mix up, our Chocolate Depression Cake boasts a decadent cocoa flavor and outstanding moisture.

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They're cool, they're creamy, they're spiked with tequila—honestly, what more could you ask for? It's everyone's favorite summer co*cktail, in decadent cheesecake form. And on top of being delicious, these No-Bake Margarita Cheesecake Bars don't require a springform pan, a water bath, or heating up your kitchen; they're virtually fuss-free. For more tips on making flawless no-bake cheesecakes, check out our guide to making them perfect every time.

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Credit: Darcy Lenz

Inspired by the classic springtime confection, these Carrot Cake "Brownies" are the perfect treat to whip up for Easter. And, unlike a traditional multi-layered carrot cake, this recipe doesn't require multiple bowls and mixing machinery; in fact, the batter comes together fairly effortlessly in a single saucepan. Beyond being approachable for bakers of any skill level, these blondies (i.e. brownies without chocolate) are infinitely adaptable.

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Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Elise Christiansen; Food Styling: Pam Lolley

The "funfetti" treatment is such an easy way to give classic pound cake a festive upgrade. This colorful, sprinkle-laden bundt cake is perfect for celebrations of any sort—from birthday parties to graduations. Use whatever color blend of sprinkles you like for the occasion at hand. Be sure to beat your butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy; this is what gives a classic pound cake its lift without the use of a leavening agent like baking powder or soda.

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Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Kay Clark; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Our Italian Easter Bread is the perfect centerpiece for your Easter brunch. The bread is sweet, almost like challah or a sweet roll dough without cinnamon, while the orange glaze adds some bright flavor. Meanwhile, the dyed eggs add pops of color and will impress both kids and adults. The key here is dyeing the eggs raw and letting them cook while in the oven—for a softer egg, crack them soon after baking. You could also make the bread without the eggs, and bake it into a simple braid. It'd also make some killer French toast. This bread works great for breakfast, but we also like it served with charcuterie, especially with the eggs.

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Credit: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Looking for the perfect breakfast treat? This Apple Coffee Cake is warm, fluffy, and practically begging to be accompanied by a glass of milk, tea, or coffee. There's a nice buttery, crunchy topping, and the glaze is gooey without making a mess. All together, you've got the taste of apple cobbler, but the fluffy texture of cake. If you don't have Granny Smith apples, feel free to use a different type, or even a mixture of two types (Just not Red Delicious, because those don't bake well).

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Not only does the air fryer make this fairground favorite a bit healthier, but fried Oreos have also never been easier to make at home, thanks to an air fryer. And requiring only 4 ingredients, these air-fried Oreos are the perfect treat for anything from weekend sleepovers to an extra-special weeknight dessert. We opted to give our Air-Fryer Fried Oreos an especially indulgent edge by adding in a layer of peanut butter; however, feel free to swap the peanut butter out for something else (dulce de leche or Nutella would be delicious!) or leave it out altogether. When wrapping the Oreos in crescent dough, make sure the dough is fully encasing the cookie—otherwise, you'll end up with burnt Oreos.

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Credit: Caitlin Bensel;Food Styling: Anna Hampton;Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

This vegan cake (no eggs or butter!) is so delicious that our kids begged for more. The frosting is silky smooth, and the cake is light and loaded with chocolate flavor and healthy fats.

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