Laura Gummerman, Author at A Beautiful Mess

Dirty Martini

Laura Gummerman — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

There are few drinks more classic than a dirty martini. The simple combination of gin (or vodka!), dry vermouth, and olive brine packs a punch that’s been adorning cocktail tables for decades. And of course, don’t forget the olive garnish!

Whether you use vodka or gin, this easy to make drink is a top choice for the savory cocktail lover and we’ve got a video to show you exactly how to do it.

Do you use gin or vodka for a dirty martini?

While gin is more commonly used for a dirty martini, it’s up to your personal preference to use vodka or gin as your base. The more subtle flavors of a vodka-based version allows the olive brine to rise to the front over the gin’s stronger botanical flavor.

What makes a dirty martini dirty?

The difference between a regular martini and a dirty one is that the dirty version has olive brine from a jar of olives added to the drink for an extra punch and usually a skewer of cocktail olives for a garnish. You can even up the amount of brine to go from a dirty martini to an “extra dirty” or “filthy” version.

Ingredients

Gin: Try out different gins to find your favorite for a dirty martini, some enjoy less juniper forward choices like Hendrick’s or Aviation over heavier flavors like Beefeater or Tanqueray.
Dry Vermouth: You’ll want to choose a dry vermouth for a dirty martini. Just a splash of it adds a note of tartness to help balance out the gin or vodka taste.
Olive Brine: The brine adds salt to the cocktail which enhances the flavors of the vermouth and the natural oils from the olives add a buttery mouth feel to the drink.
Cocktail Olives: What’s a dirty martini without a garnish of cocktail olives? Add a few jumbo olives to a skewer and you’ll also have a little built in snack to nosh on while you drink.

A dirty martini is best served in a classic martini glass and you can also do a stemless version for a different look.

Directions

Add your gin (or vodka), dry vermouth, and olive brine to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Give the shaker a good shake for about 15 seconds and use a strainer to pour your drink into a chilled martini glass (if you don’t have a separate strainer you can just use the strainer top of the shaker).

Add a garnish of olives on a cocktail stick and your drink is ready to go!

Tips for Making a Dirty Martini

Make sure your glass is chilled and your martini is ice cold! This is definitely a drink where temperature affects the taste, so go the extra mile to chill the glass to keep it cold.
For extra olive flavor, you can muddle olives into the drink before straining, or add extra brine for a heavier olive taste.
To make the perfect dirty martini for you, play around with the ratios of gin or vodka and vermouth until you find the sweet spot for your taste level.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you chill a glass quickly?

Grasshopper Cocktail

Laura Gummerman — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 14:05:00 +0000

The grasshopper cocktail is a classic drink that tastes like an after-dinner mint with its delicious creamy combination of mint and chocolate. The drink’s vibrant green color (thanks to the crème de menthe) makes it perfect for a Christmas holiday party or St. Patrick’s Day, but it can really be enjoyed any time of year.

The grasshopper drink is easy to make, so you can get your party cocktails together in a snap. Most recipes call for an equal parts crème de menthe and crème de cacao and you can play around with the cream proportion if you like to find the right balance for your taste. Try a pink squirrel for a cherry version of this drink!

Cocktail Ideas: Classic Mojito Recipe, White Russian, Peppermint White Russian, Classic Gimlet Cocktail, 50+ Fun Cocktails to Make at Home

What does a grasshopper cocktail taste like?

With its combination of mint, chocolate, and heavy cream, this after-dinner drink tastes like an Andes mint in liquid form. It’s basically a dessert you can drink as it has the flavor of melted mint chocolate chip ice cream.

What’s the origin of the grasshopper drink?

While the origin of the grasshopper cocktail recipe is unclear, the most popular story says that Philibert Guichet, owner of the New Orleans eatery Tujague’s, created the drink for a 1918 New York city cocktail competition (which won him second place). There is a mention of a drink from a 1907 cocktail book that layers crème de menthe and crème de cacao, so Prohibition caused the drink to fall out of fashion for a while but by the ’70s the drink was widely popular again.

Ingredients for a Grasshopper Cocktail:

Crème de menthe: The vibrant green crème de menthe is what gives this cocktail its amazing color and mint flavors.

Crème de cacao: This white liqueur brings the chocolate note to the drink with its buttery mouthfeel and sweet cacao profile.

Heavy cream: This is what gives the grasshopper its thick and creamy base and gives it that dessert-in-a-glass decadence. You can also use half-and half as a slightly less rich option.

While you can use any glass for a grasshopper, it’s traditionally served in a coupe style or martini glass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use milk for a grasshopper instead of heavy cream?

Grinch Punch

Laura Gummerman — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 14:07:00 +0000

The holidays are all about special memories, food, and drinks, and this Grinch Punch is a fast and easy way to make a delicious punch that is sure to delight both kids and adults at your next Christmas party.

The creamy sherbet mixed with the fruity punch and fizzy soda only has three ingredients, takes just minutes to make, and creates a sweet treat that will be remembered all year round.

Looking for other punch recipes? Try:

What is Grinch Punch?

This Christmas punch gets its “Grinch” name from the green color of the character in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and while there are several variations on the flavor, it is usually a fruity green punch base often with sherbet added to the top. Sometimes alcohol is added but is usually non-alcoholic.

Ingredients for Grinch Punch

Green Berry Rush Hawaiian Punch: This green version of the classic red Hawaiian punch is the perfect fruity base for the punch. Look for it in the juice aisle at the grocery store.
Lemon-Lime Soda: Sprite or 7Up-type sodas are the best choices for this punch. You could use ginger ale in a pinch but the more neutral Sprite and 7Up flavors work best.
Lime sherbet: Lime sherbet adds a creamy element to the punch and it’s extra delicious when you get a scoop of it in your glass.
Red sanding sugar (optional): Add a red sugar rim for an extra festive look!

Looking for a punch bowl? Check out these options!

How to Make a Sugar Rim

To make a sugar rim, simply wet the rim of your glass (either with a wet clean finger or dip it in a bowl with a shallow amount of water) and press it into red sanding sugar that you’ve poured onto a plate. Easy and pretty!

How to make Grinch Punch

Pour: Pour half your Hawaiian punch and half of your soda into your punch bowl and gently stir to combine.
Scoop: Scoop your sherbet into your punch bowl on top of your punch.
Serve: Ladle your punch into your cups and serve!

Tips for Making Grinch Punch:

Leave your sherbet out on the counter for 5-10 minutes before scooping if you want it to be soft enough to scoop more easily.
As the sherbet melts, the punch will get sweeter, so keep some extra punch ingredients on hand if you want to pour in a little more soda and juice later on to keep the balance just right.
Look for seasonal flavors of Sprite and 7Up (like cranberry around the holidays) to add another flavor twist on the classic.
Make sure your soda and juices are chilled before mixing so the punch will be nice and cold.
You can also add fresh fruit like orange or lime slices for additional color to the top of your punch bowl.
Try adding rum or vodka to make an adult Grinch punch!

Try serving your punch with these appetizers:

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How far ahead can I make Grinch punch?

Hot Buttered Rum

Laura Gummerman — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000

When it comes to wintertime drinks, cozying up by the fire with a hot buttered rum is the top way to pass the time on a cold winter’s night. While the name may sound odd, this hot buttered rum recipe is actually a delicious drink that combines sweet, creamy, and buttery flavors with winter spices and a dose of rum to warm you from the inside out.

You can easily make a batch of hot buttered rum “batter” to keep in your fridge so you can make this Christmas cocktail at a moment’s notice, and you can even make it without the alcohol to be a family-friendly drink. Check out our instructional video to see how easy it is to make!

What’s the history of hot buttered rum?

Hot buttered rum dates all the way back to the American colonial period of New England in the 1650s. Rum was a popular drink as water wasn’t always safe to drink and the hot buttered rum was an alternative to a hot toddy as it also added some calories. The basic recipe consisted of rum, butter, spices, and sugar, which are still the main ingredients in modern hot buttered rums.

What does hot buttered rum taste like?

While the name may not sound appetizing to some, hot buttered rum has a creamy sweet taste punctuated with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The butter does give the drink a delicious buttery flavor similar to drinking a buttery cookie in a glass!

What type of rum is best for hot buttered rum?

While it’s possible to use white rum if that’s all you have on hand (and if that’s the rum you prefer), spiced rum or dark rum is a better flavor profile for this particular drink. Spiced rum will have some added caramel flavor and spices while dark rum will be a little more of a darker molasses flavor profile.

Hot buttered rum ingredients:

Unsalted butter: This is the buttery part of your hot buttered rum!

Brown sugar: You’ll get sweet notes of caramel by adding brown sugar to your batter mix.

Powdered sugar: Adding some powdered sugar gives the drink a lighter sweetness on top of the deeper brown sugar flavor.

Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove: These warm spices combined together make this drink taste like Christmas in a glass! Feel free to add some ground allspice or cardamom as well for even more levels of spice.

Vanilla extract: Try and use vanilla extract rather than imitation vanilla for a more pure vanilla flavor.

Rum: A dark or spiced rum is your best choice for the perfect hot buttered rum.

Hot water: Adding hot water to your hot buttered rum batter is what gives you a warm and cozy drink.

TIP: Rather than boiling water, you’ll want to use hot water that’s just under boiling as water that’s too hot can dull the flavors a little.

How to make hot buttered rum

For the batter:

Add unsalted butter to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until butter is melted and then whisk in your brown and powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove until sugar is melted and ingredients are combined.

Remove from heat and add in your vanilla and stir to combine. Use to make hot buttered rum or allow to cool and then store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use.

For the hot buttered rum:

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture to a heatproof mug and pour in 6 ounces hot water and 1-2 ounces of rum depending on how strong you want your drink. Stir and add more batter to taste if necessary and enjoy!

TIP: Since you are adding hot water to your drink, you don’t have to heat the rum as well, so feel free to use room temperature rum.

Tips for making hot buttered rum:

Add a dash of salt to your batter to really bring out the flavors.
Adding a dollop of whipped cream to the top of your drink will not only look pretty, but it will add extra creamy sweetness as it melts into the drink.
Sprinkle some cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg on top of your drink or add in a cinnamon stick before serving for a boost of cinnamon flavor.

TIP: To keep your drink warm longer, serve the hot buttered rum in pre-warmed mugs!

How do you make hot buttered rum nonalcoholic?

To make a family-friendly version of hot buttered rum, simply use just the batter and hot water to make your delicious drink. You can also add the batter into milk, apple cider, or coffee for a nonalcoholic treat.

How do you make hot buttered rum in a crockpot?

To make hot buttered rum for a crowd in a slow cooker, put the batter ingredients into the crockpot first and cook on high until all the ingredients are blended together (about 30-60 minutes).

Add in your hot water and rum and reduce heat to low until ready to serve. Ladle into mugs and garnish as desired before serving.

How long does hot buttered rum batter last in the fridge?

Hot buttered rum batter will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

You can also put it in the freezer and it will last around 3 months frozen. Just let thaw in the fridge before using.

Can you use salted butter in hot buttered rum?

While most recipes call for unsalted butter so you can control the salt level to taste, you can also use salted butter with great results.

Hot buttered rum variations:

Make it with tea: Use your favorite black tea bags to brew tea with your hot water before adding it to your drink.

Play with spices: Try adding ginger, allspice, or cardamom to your batter until your reach your favorite spice combo.

Swap the rum: You can try brandy, whiskey, or cognac in place of the rum for a twist on the classic.

Make it with ice cream: It’s also popular to add some melted vanilla ice cream to your hot buttered rum batter for extra creamy sweetness.

Add notes of orange: Orange is such a popular holiday flavor as well so try some orange zest in the batter or a touch of orange extract.

Try these festive appetizers at your holiday party!

Hot Buttered Rum

This hot buttered rum recipe is sweet, creamy, and buttery with warm winter spices and a dose of rum.

Course cocktail

Cuisine American

Keyword hot buttered rum, hot buttered rum recipe

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings drinks

Calories 394kcal

Author Laura Gummerman

Ingredients

Hot Buttered Rum Batter

½ cup unsalted butter one stick
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Hot Buttered Rum Cocktail

2 tablespoons hot buttered rum batter
6-8 ounces hot water
1 ounce rum

Instructions

For the batter:

Add unsalted butter to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until butter is melted and then whisk in your brown and powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove until sugar is melted and ingredients are combined.
Remove from heat and add in your vanilla and stir to combine.
Use to make hot buttered rum or allow to cool and then store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use.

For the cocktail:

Add 2 tablespoons of the batter mixture to a heatproof mug and pour in 6-8 ounces hot water and 1-2 ounces of rum depending on how strong you want your drink.
Stir and add more batter to taste if necessary and enjoy!

Notes

Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Tips for making hot buttered rum:

Add a dash of salt to your batter to really bring out the flavors.
Adding a dollop of whipped cream to the top of your drink will not only look pretty, but it will add extra creamy sweetness as it melts into the drink.
Sprinkle some cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg on top of your drink or add in a cinnamon stick before serving for a boost of cinnamon flavor.

TIP: Rather than boiling water, you’ll want to use hot water that’s just under boiling as water that’s too hot can dull the flavors a little.

TIP: To keep your drink warm longer, serve the hot buttered rum in pre-warmed mugs!

Nutrition

Wassail Recipe

Laura Gummerman — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 13:15:00 +0000

Wassail is a traditional drink that is warm and comforting in the fall and holiday season. It’s sweet and spicy notes of apple and fresh oranges mixed with spices like clove and cinnamon will warm you from the inside out and you can make yours alcoholic or kid-friendly as needed.

This hot wassail recipe is the perfect drink to serve at holiday parties or to pour into mugs before you go caroling, tree lighting, or any outdoor holiday activity. It’s easy to make and you can make larger batches of it to serve a crowd. Check out our video below to see how easy it is to make!

“Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wand’ring
So fair to be seen.”

What is Wassail?

Wassail is a more complex and layered version of apple cider as it adds in other citrus and spice notes and is often paired with a shot of alcohol as well. Traditional wassail was hot mulled cider made with spices, hard liquor, apples, and brandy. It is slow simmered on the stove to release the flavors and is served hot to warm you from the inside out.

What’s the history of Wassail?

The word “wassail” comes from the old Anglo-Saxon phrase “waes hael,” which means “good health.” This spiced warm cider was usually spiked with dark rum or sherry and had fruits like baked apples and oranges studded with cloves floating in the cider. Tempered eggs were added to the mixture and small piece of toast was laid on top, which is still where we get the tradition to raise our glasses to “toast” each other or the occasion.

The tradition of making Wassail goes all the way back to the English middle ages to help ensure a good apple harvest on Twelfth Night (January 17). Villagers would bring wassail to drink as they encircled the biggest apple tree and sing in the orchards to ward off evil spirits that could impair the harvest. As Christianity began to spread across the region, the drink was moved to the Christmas holiday where it has stayed ever since and became associated with Christmas carolers drinking it as they went from door to door.

What’s the best alcohol to use for Wassail?

While it’s up to your personal taste which alcohol you want to add, the most popular choices are brandy, rum, whiskey, or bourbon.

Why you’ll love Wassail:

Nostalgic: Drinking this classic drink connects you to how people have celebrated the holiday for centuries so you can participate in the storied ritual.

The aroma: No Christmas candle can compare to a fresh batch of Wassail being heated on your stove—it smells amazing!!

Crowd-pleaser: Since you can serve this with or without alcohol, you don’t need to make separate party drinks for different ages … just add in a shot for those who want it!

Ingredients for Wassail:

Apple cider: This drink has mostly apple cider for its base, so if you are an apple cider fan then chances are you will love this drink too! Some wassail recipes have you add whole apples or apple slices to the pot as it simmers, so feel free to add those as well.

Oranges and orange juice: The juice adds some sweet citrus notes to the wassail and the halves and slices of whole oranges bring out the oils in the zesty peel and give you something to stick your whole cloves into.

Lemon juice: A small amount of lemon juices adds a tart note and gives it a bit of a zing.

Spices: Whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise make this drink taste and smell amazing, and the addition of ground nutmeg and ginger add another deeper level of flavor. Feel free to leave out out if you’re missing one or do a ground option if you don’t have a whole spice available.

Sugar: While you can use regular sugar, brown sugar adds a bit of a caramel sweetness.

Hard alcohol (optional): For your adult guests, you can choose to a shot of brandy, rum, whiskey, or bourbon to your Wassail to help it warm you from the inside out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use apple cider or apple juice for Wassail?

Caramel Apples

Laura Gummerman — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Nothing says fall weather like a caramel apple and we’ve got the easiest way to make one at home! While you can do a complete homemade caramel apple and make your own caramel from scratch, this recipe uses store-bought caramels so you can get to the dipping (and eating!) part of your treat sooner—no candy thermometer needed!

Caramel apples also make great gifts so you can make a batch to hand out at Halloween parties, as a thank-you present, or just make a few for your family on a crisp fall day. Add fun toppings to make it a gourmet treat!

Looking for more fall recipes? Check out:

What kind of apples are best for caramel apples?

The variety of apple that you choose for your caramel apple depends entirely on your taste! If you have a sweet tooth, you would probably enjoy a sweeter variety like a Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, or a Pink Lady as your apple base. For a more tart contrast to your sweet caramel topping, Granny Smith apples are the most popular choice. These are all firmer choices than say a softer Macintosh variety and give you a better crunch factor when eating your treat.

Caramel Apple Tip! Look for apples that are small to medium in size and round in shape for that perfect caramel apple look!

Caramel Apple Ingredients:

Wrapped Caramels: Using premade caramels is the fastest and easiest way to go about making your caramel apples. Most grocery stores sell these in the baking area or right next to the apples in fall, but you can also get them online if your local store doesn’t carry them.

Fresh Apples: Choose a firm apple that is either more sweet or more tart depending on how much sweetness you want to add to the caramel layer. Make sure to wash off the wax before dipping your apple so that the caramel has a better chance of sticking and won’t slide off.

Heavy Cream or Milk: Just adding a little heavy cream or milk to the caramel will help thin it out a bit to make it more “dippable.”

Toppings (optional): For a gourmet caramel apple, you can do a second dip after the caramel into fun toppings like crushed candy bars like Butterfingers or mini M&Ms, pretzels, sprinkles, flaked sea salt, chopped pecans or other nuts, crushed Oreos, or coconut! You can also use chopped dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate chips as well.

Looking for a delicious caramel dip to eat with apples? Try our Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (4 Ways!)

Tools You Need To Make Caramel Apples:

Skewers: While the classic caramel apple is usually perched upon a wooden stick, you can also use a popsicle stick, or, in a pinch, even just stick a fork into it if you don’t have any thick skewers at home.

Melting tools: To melt your caramel, you want either a microwave and microwave-safe bowl, a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass Pyrex-type bowl to set on top of a saucepan of boiling water.

Nonstick Cooking Spray: You’ll want to make sure your apples don’t stick to the plate or pan you are placing them on, so use some nonstick cooking spray on the surface first to make sure you can remove them easily. You can also use a lined baking sheet to cool your apples on, so just lay some wax paper on a baking sheet or flat surface.

Dipping container (optional but helpful): While you can just roll your apple around in the bowl or pot you melted the caramel in, for smaller batches it’s also nice to have a Pyrex glass measuring cup to melt the caramel in so you have a nice little container to dunk the apple right in to.

Tips for Making Caramel Apples:

Remove the wax from your apples. You’ll want to wash your apples and try to remove the wax from the apples before dipping them so the caramel will stick better. Run the apples under some hot water and use a fruit wash or dish soap and a clean scrubby pad or textured towel to rub vigorously over the apples to help remove some of the wax. Dry apples very well so no moisture remains.

Chill apples before and after dipping. After you add your skewer, you can chill your apples in the fridge so that the caramel sets up faster and less will run off the surface when dipping (and then put them back in the fridge so the caramel will set up faster).

Have toppings already prepped. If you are dipping your apple into toppings, make sure you already have your bowls of toppings ready so the caramel doesn’t set before you can get your toppings together.

Drizzle chocolate after cooling: You can also drizzle melted chocolate over your apple for a yummy addition, but wait until the apples are cool so the warm caramel doesn’t melt the chocolate.

How to Make Caramel Apples:

Prepare the apples: Once clean, make sure the apples are thoroughly dry before dipping! Skewer your apple with your stick or fork and set aside.

Melt the caramel: Put your caramels and heavy cream/milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating session, until the caramel is smooth and melted. If the mixture seems thin, let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up a bit before dipping.

Can I make caramel apples on the stovetop without a microwave?

Yes! If you don’t have a microwave, you can still make caramel apples easily in a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass Pyrex-type bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water (it will take longer to melt this way, so be patient).

For a regular saucepan, add caramels and milk to the pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. If using the double-boiler or bowl on top method, just bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, set the top of the double boiler or glass bowl on top with your caramel and milk, reduce the heat to a low boil/simmer and stir occasionally until melted.

Dip apples: Now that your caramel is melted, spray a tray or plate with nonstick cooking spray and dip your apple into the melted caramel at an angle, twisting it around until the apple is coated as well as you would like.

Lift the apple to let the excess caramel drip off and scrape the bottom over the side of the bowl to get extra excess. As the caramel gets lower in the bowl, you can also use a spoon to pour the caramel over the apple to cover the sides or tilt the bowl or pan so the caramel pools in one spot.

After dipping in your caramel, you can do a second dip into your topping of choice to give it some added flavor before setting it on your tray or plate. Try some black and orange sprinkles for a Halloween caramel apple treat!

If your caramel starts to set as you continue dipping your apples, reheat it for 15 seconds at a time in the microwave until the texture is dippable again.

Let the caramel set: Let your apples cool in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to allow the caramel to fully set on your nonstick sprayed parchment paper or lined wax paper surface. Now your apple is ready to eat!

How do I store caramel apples?

You can store caramel apples in the fridge for up to two weeks and you can also wrap them in cellophane or clear treat bags individually to give as gifts!

Caramel Apple Tip: Don’t cut into your apples until you are ready to eat them, otherwise they will start to turn brown.

Looking for more apple recipes? Check out:

Easiest Homemade Caramel Apple

Make delicious caramel apples at home and add gourmet toppings

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword caramel apple, homemade caramel apple

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 97kcal

Author Laura Gummerman

Cost $15

Equipment

8-10 wooden skewers
microwave or saucepan or double boiler if using the stove
microwave or heatproof bowl

Ingredients

2 11-ounce bag of wrapped caramels like Kraft brand
8-10 small to medium apples
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
chopped toppings of your choice

Instructions

Prepare the apples: Make sure the apples are thoroughly dry before dipping! Skewer your apple with your stick or fork and set aside.
Melt the caramel: Put your caramels and heavy cream/milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating session, until the caramel is smooth and melted. If the caramel seems thin, let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up a bit before dipping.
Dip the apples: Now that your caramel is melted, spray a tray or plate with nonstick cooking spray and dip your apple into the melted caramel at an angle, twisting it around until the apple is coated as well as you would like. Lift the apple to let the excess caramel drip off and scrape the bottom over the side of the bowl to get extra excess. As the caramel gets lower in the bowl, you can also use a spoon to pour the caramel over the apple to cover the sides or tilt the bowl or pan so the caramel pools in one spot.
After dipping in your caramel, you can do a second dip into your topping of choice to give it some added flavor before setting it on your tray or plate. Try some black and orange sprinkles for a Halloween caramel apple treat!
If your caramel starts to set as you continue dipping your apples, reheat it for 15 seconds at a time in the microwave until the texture is dippable again.
Let the caramel set: Let your apples cool in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to allow the caramel to fully set. Now your apple is ready to eat!

Notes

Can I make caramel apples on the stovetop without a microwave?

Yes! If you don’t have a microwave, you can still make caramel apples easily in a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass pyrex-type bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water (it will take longer to melt this way, so be patient). For a regular saucepan, add caramels and milk to the pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. If using the double-boiler or bowl on top method, just bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, set the top of the double boiler or glass bowl on top with your caramel and milk, reduce the heat to a low boil/simmer and stir occasionally until melted.

You can store caramel apples in the fridge for up to two weeks and you can also wrap them in clear treat bags individually to give as gifts!

Nutrition

Candy Apples

Laura Gummerman — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:01:00 +0000

Red candy apples are a classic fall treat with their shiny bright color, hard candy coating, and sweet or tart crisp apple underneath. It’s the best thing to make after apple picking, for a Halloween party, or just when you feel nostalgic and want to be a kid again.

Candy apples may look like an impressive dessert (and hard to make), but it’s actually pretty easy (just like our Easy Caramel Apples!)! We’ll show you how …

And just as a side note, since the sugar is extremely hot and you can get burned if not careful, we don’t recommend doing this project with kids. Just let them eat the final result rather than help with this one.

Looking for more fall treats? Check out:

What are candy apples?

Candy apples are a whole apple on a stick dipped in hot melted sugars which hardens to form a thin candy shell. While usually red, they can also be dyed other colors and they first appeared in 1908 in New Jersey when candy maker William Kolb created them. Red Hots candies were a popular choice to use for the outer coating, so some prefer to make theirs a cinnamon flavor coating to mimic that nostalgic flavor.

Ingredients for candy apples:

Apples: Using smaller apples will get you more finished apples out of one batch of candy coating. Try and pick ones with a nice round shape for the best looking candy apples.
White sugar: This candy apple recipe uses plain granulated white sugar to give the candy coating its sweetness.
Light corn syrup: Corn syrup helps you get that smooth candy finish.
Water: The water mostly boils off while the candy rises up to the proper hard crack stage temperature.
Red food coloring: Gel food coloring is preferred if you have it since it’s more concentrated so the color is brighter for the best candy apples.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of apples are best to use for candy apples?

Halloween Cake Pops

Laura Gummerman — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

When it comes to Halloween, there are lots of treats to choose from but Halloween cake pops are a great way to serve fun bits of cake on sticks decorated for the occasion. We’ll show you three ideas for how to make an easy eyeball cake pop, a bat cake pop, and a mummy cake pop just by adding few fun touches for your next Halloween party.

You could also make these Oreo Cake Pops for a no-bake option! And whether it’s food, desserts, costumes, or decoration ideas you need, we’ve got tons of ideas to make this Halloween special!

Looking for more Halloween treats? Check out:

Want an easy no-bake “cake pop” idea? Try using large marshmallows on a stick and get to the decorating right away!

Tips for Making Cake Pops:

Add your icing to your cake crumble in small quantities so you just get the point of having enough for it to stick together.
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop cake mixture so you get even portions for each cake pop.
Make sure your cake balls are well chilled before coating.
Have your decorations nearby and prepped to go so you can attach them while the chocolate is still melted.
You can use a tall glass to pour your melted chocolate in so you have a little dunk tank to fully submerge your cake pop into.
Want colored cake pops? Add a little gel food coloring when you smush together your cake and icing for a fun color surprise!
Use orange candy melts to create a pumpkin cake pop, pipe on a face with black icing and place a chocolate chip upside down on top for the stem.
Try using a pumpkin spice cake mix with cream cheese frosting for extra fall flavor!

What You Need to Make Cake Pops:

Cake mix: For this cake pop recipe, you can use any flavor of boxed cake mix: chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, yellow, etc. Be sure to check your cake mix to ensure you have whatever other cake ingredients the mix recommends for baking (eggs, oil, etc.).

Can of frosting: You will also need one container of store-bought frosting. I like to use anything with a simple texture like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry.

Cake pop sticks: While it’s most common to use sticks like this, you can also use lollipop sticks, forks, or edible items like pretzel rods!

Candy melts: These melting wafers are the easiest way to get that chocolate coating as they melt easily and come in lots of color options.

Microwave or Double Boiler: You can melt candy melts in the microwave, but you can also use a double boiler to do it on the stove top or a chocolate melter like this one.

Edible decorations: For these Halloween cake pops you’ll want candy eyeballs for the mummy and bat, Oreo-type cookies for the bat wings, chocolate chips for the bat ears, green candy melts or a large candy eye for the eyeball and an edible marker to draw on the red veins. Feel free to decorate with sprinkles or other edible candies!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use chocolate chips instead of candy melts for cake pops?

Halloween Jello Shots

Laura Gummerman — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Halloween is one of our favorite times of the year and what’s Halloween without a party full of decorations, costumes, and themed treats and cocktails? Jello shots are a classic and fun way to serve cocktails and we have some easy Halloween jello shot ideas to make prepping for your next party a snap!

While these are obviously an adult treat, you can also make these without the alcohol to serve at a kid-friendly party as well (try serving along with our Halloween Cake Pops or Candy Apples and Caramel Apples!).

Looking for more Halloween cocktail ideas? Check out:

Ingredients for Halloween Jello Shots:

Alcohol: Vodka is the most commonly used alcohol for jello shots, but you can use lots of different spirits too. A lighter flavor like white rum will still allow the jello taste to be dominant, but you can also use stronger tasting options like gin, whiskey, or tequila if that’s your preference or goes best with your flavor profile.

Jello Box Mix: Using a boxed jello mix is the easiest way to get your jello shots made and in the fridge quickly to set, so pick your favorite flavor and get started! This recipe is for a 3-ounce box (which will make 10-12 shots), so just double the water and alcohol if you are making a 6-ounce box.

Water: Water and your alcohol will be the two liquids that you use for your jello shots.

Decorations: Depending on which shot you make, you’ll want green boba pearls for the witch’s cauldron and monster, swizzle sticks for cauldron sticks, candy eyeballs for the monster, gummy eyeballs for the eyeball shots, and jello shot syringes for the blood syringe shots.

Check out this video and post for How to Make Vodka Jello Shots!

Try our halloween candy corn jello shot recipe!

Tips and Tricks for Halloween Jello Shots:

Try squeezable cups to get your jello shot out easier.
Don’t add the boba pearls, candy eyes, or gummy eyes until right before you are ready to serve.
Use a flavored vodka (like vanilla or chocolate) to add another layer of flavor to your shot.
Layer your shots with different flavors and Halloween colors by pouring a small amount of one flavor in each cup, let that flavor set in the fridge, and add another flavor on top. Repeat with as many flavors as you would like!

How to Make Halloween Jello Shots:

Boil your water: For the base of your shots, boil 1 cup of water and add it to a mixing bowl that contains your flavored gelatin powder. Whisk the powder and hot water until the powder is dissolved.

Add your liquid: Pour in your remaining cold water and alcohol and whisk until combined.

Pour into cups: Pour your mixture into your small cups 3/4 of the way full (it’s easiest to pour from a spouted measuring cup) and add lids. Make sure your liquid is completely cool before adding lids so you don’t get condensation forming on the inside of the lid.

Set your jello shots: Put your jello shots in the fridge for 2-4 hours until set. Once ready to eat, set them out for your guests and enjoy!

How to make Halloween witch’s cauldron jello shots:

Make the base of your jello shot with the directions above, but use a black container if possible.
Once the jello is set, add green boba pearls to the top of your container to make the cauldron bubbles and break a swizzle stick shorter to be the stirring wand.
Serve your shots!

How to make Halloween eyeball jello shots:

Make the base of your jello shot with the directions above.
Once the jello is set, add a gummy eyeball on top of the shot and serve!

How to make Halloween syringe jello shots:

Make the base of your red jello shot with the directions above (you can also make them green or other fun colors), but instead of pouring the mixture into cups to set, use your jello shot syringes to suck up the liquid into the syringe.
Allow the jello to set in the fridge and serve!

How to make Halloween monster jello shots:

Make the base of your green jello shot with the directions above.
Once the jello is set, add green boba pearls to the top of your container to make the monster body and add candy eyeballs on top to make a silly face.
Serve your shots!

Hope these easy Jello shots make it onto your Halloween party table this year, or you could also make easy Pudding Shots instead!

Looking for more Halloween treats? Check out:

Easy Halloween Jello Shots

4 easy ideas to make fun Halloween jello shots for your Halloween party!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword halloween, halloween desserts, halloween jello shots, halloween party, jello shots

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 15

Servings shots

Calories 50kcal

Author Laura Gummerman

Cost $10

Equipment

1 mixing bowl
1 whisk or spoon
1 cup with spout for pouring (optional but helpful)
12 small cups or jello syringes

Ingredients

For Jello Shot Base

1 3-ounce box of jello
1 cup boiling water
½ cup vodka or alcohol of your choice
½ cup cold water

Additional Ingredients For Eyeball Jello Shot

12 gummy eyeballs

Additional Ingredients For Monster Jello Shot

green boba pearls
candy eyeballs

Additional Ingredients For Witch's Cauldron Jello Shot

green boba pearls

Instructions

Jello Shot Base

Boil your water: For the base of your shots, boil 1 cup of water and add it to a mixing bowl that contains your flavored gelatin powder. Whisk the powder and hot water until the powder is dissolved.
Add your liquid: Pour in your remaining cold water and alcohol and whisk until combined.
Pour into cups: Pour your mixture into your small cups 3/4 of the way full (it’s easiest to pour from a spouted measuring cup) and add lids. Make sure your liquid is completely cool before adding lids so you don’t get condensation forming on the inside of the lid.
Set your jello shots: Put your jello shots in the fridge for 2-4 hours until set. Once ready to eat, set them out for your guests and enjoy!

How to make Halloween witch’s cauldron jello shots:

Make the base of your jello shot with the directions above, but use a black container if possible. Once the jello is set, add green boba pearls to the top of your container to make the cauldron bubbles and break a swizzle stick shorter to be the stirring wand. Serve your shots!

How to make Halloween eyeball jello shots:

Make the base of your jello shot with the directions above. Once the jello is set, add a gummy eyeball on top of the shot and serve!

How to make Halloween syringe jello shots:

Make the base of your red jello shot with the directions above (you can also make them green or other fun colors), but instead of pouring the mixture into cups to set, use your jello shot syringes to suck up the liquid into the syringe. Allow the jello to set in the fridge and serve!

How to make Halloween monster jello shots:

Make the base of your green jello shot with the directions above. Once the jello is set, add green boba pearls to the top of your container to make the monster body and add candy eyeballs on top to make a silly face. Serve your shots!

Notes

This recipe is for a 3-ounce box, so just double the water and alcohol if you are making a 6-ounce box.

Tips and Tricks for Halloween Jello Shots:

Try squeezable cups to get your jello shot out easier.
Don’t add the boba pearls, candy eyes, or gummy eyes until right before you are ready to serve.
Use a flavored vodka (like vanilla or chocolate) to add another layer of flavor to your shot.
Layer your shots with different flavors and Halloween colors by pouring a small amount of one flavor in each cup, let that flavor set in the fridge, and add another flavor on top. Repeat with as many flavors as you would like!

Nutrition

Homemade Cookie Butter

Laura Gummerman — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:56:00 +0000

Yes. Yes, it’s true. All your problems are solved now that this information has come into your life.

Homemade cookie butter from any cookie! I hope you appreciate the hours I’ve spent with cookies over the last couple of days—all the tasting and sampling of cookie after cookie. It was all for you guys!

But seriously, we wanted to bring you a recipe that would work for any cookie. So we searched until we found the perfect base for our cookie butter, and I think we found it!

You can either make one of our many delish cookie recipes to use for this, or you can buy some at the store to get started.

Cookie Butter (with any cookie!), makes 1 1/2 cups

2 cups cookie crumbs
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup evaporated milk
water as needed
jars with lids for gifting/storage

First, you’ll want to make your cookie crumbs. If you have a cookie with no creamy middle filling (like a chocolate chip or sugar cookie), then you can put them straight into the food processor.

If you do have a filling (like an Oreo or Nutter Butter would), then you’ll want to open the cookie and scrape out the filling with a butter knife first. You want a dry crumb to work with, so the filling has to be removed.

Some cookies have a solid middle that you can’t open and get to (like a Milano cookie), but I think that would be OK since the chocolate chip cookies have some chocolate bits mixed in and they turned out fine.

Place your cookies into a food processor and blend until it forms a very fine powder.

You’ll need 2 cups, so just keep blending cookies until you get there (since all the cookies are different sizes or have two sides per cookie, the number of cookies needed won’t be the same).

In a small saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted, and then stir in your sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk until it’s all melted together.

Starting with 1/2 cup of the liquid, pour it into your cookie crumbs and mix together with a spoon. Keep adding small amounts of the liquid until the cookie butter is just wet enough to stay together.

Depending on how dry the cookie is to begin with, you’ll need more or less liquid. Really buttery cookies (like the sugar cookies) didn’t need nearly as much as the drier Oreo cookies, so just keep checking and stirring as you add the liquid.

Once your cookie butter is blended, allow it to cool in the fridge for an hour or two. If you want to, you can actually stop at this point, and it will taste delicious.

But if you want to make the cookie butter smoother and easier to dip things in, then remove the cookie butter from the fridge and stir very small amounts of water (start with 1/8 teaspoon) into the dough.

At first it will look like the water is separating from the dough, but just keep stirring and mashing.

You should start to notice that the cookie butter loosens up a bit as you stir in more water. Keep adding and stirring until you get to a consistency you like and refrigerate the mixture again.

Store your cookie butter in the fridge and it should be good for at least a week or two. It may be good for even longer but it usually doesn’t last long enough to find out! And here’s a quick video tutorial of the process:

I love all my cookie butter children equally, buuuut, the Oreo is my secret favorite. I am addicted to chocolate-covered pretzels, so you can imagine how good dipping pretzels into the Oreo cookie butter is. Elsie ate it with apples one morning for breakfast!

And of course, spooning the cookie butter into jars (these small jars with wooden lids are really cute for gifting) and adding a simple paper label makes your homemade treat the perfect gift!

If you’d rather just skip to the eating part, you can also just buy some already made cookie butter and get to the good part faster.

If you are gifting these, they would be a great gift with a cute apron or some pretty kitchen utensils, too. What cookies would you use to make yours? xo. Laura

Homemade Cookie Butter

an easy homemade cookie butter recipe (using any cookie!)

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookie butter

Servings cups

Calories 1307kcal

Ingredients

2 cups cookie crumbs
½ stick butter
½ cup condensed milk sweetened
¼ cup milk evaporated
water as needed

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

First you’ll want to make your cookie crumbs. If you have a cookie with no creamy middle filling (like a chocolate chip or sugar cookie), then you can put them straight into the food processor.
If you do have a filling (like an Oreo or Nutter Butter would), then you’ll want to open the cookie and scrape out the filling with a butter knife first.
You want a dry crumb to work with, so the filling has to be removed. Some cookies have a solid middle that you can’t open and get to (like a Milano cookie), but I think that would be OK since the chocolate chip cookies have some chocolate bits mixed in and they turned out fine.
Place your cookies into the food processor and blend until it forms a very fine powder.
You’ll need 2 cups, so just keep blending cookies until you get there (since all the cookies are different sizes or have two sides per cookie, the number of cookies needed won’t be the same).
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted, and then stir in your sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk until it’s all melted together.
Starting with 1/2 cup of the liquid, pour it into your cookie crumbs and mix together with a spoon.
Keep adding small amounts of the liquid until the cookie butter is just wet enough to stay together. Depending on how dry the cookie is to begin with, you’ll need more or less liquid.
Really buttery cookies (like the sugar cookies) didn’t need nearly as much as the drier Oreo cookies, so just keep checking and stirring as you add the liquid.
Once your cookie butter is blended, allow it to cool in the fridge for an hour or two. If you want to, you can actually stop at this point, and it will taste delicious.
But if you want to make the cookie butter smoother and easier to dip things in, then remove the cookie butter from the fridge and stir very small amounts of water (start with 1/8 teaspoon) into the dough.
At first it will look like the water is separating from the dough, but just keep stirring and mashing.
You should start to notice that the cookie butter loosens up a bit as you stir in more water. Keep adding and stirring until you get to a consistency you like and refrigerate the mixture again.
Store your cookie butter in the fridge and it should be good for at least a week or two. It may be good for even longer but it usually doesn’t last long enough to find out! And here’s a quick video tutorial of the process:

Nutrition