These super delicious almond raspberry muffins are very easy to make and the perfect little snack if you’re craving something sweet and simple. They are also great to be served with a nice cup of coffee or tea.

Almond raspberry muffins

Almond flour is one of my favorite ingredients but it is also rather expensive. It becomes even more expensive if you buy it in the little packages you can find in the grocery store. A much better option is to find it online and buy it in bulk.

I happened to buy a kilo (more than 2 pounds) of almond flour that way, so naturally I keep adding it to different recipes. Also because I think that adding almond flour to batter, like this muffin batter, makes it twice as delicious. It makes for a delicious moist muffin

My current favorite muffins are these almond raspberry muffins. It’s super easy to make and you don’t even need a mixer or food processor. Just a couple of bowls (one large bowl and one small bowl) are all that you need. And some muffin liners of course.

Ingredients for muffins with raspberries

As always: make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature before you start baking. You will also need a muffin tin and paper liners or foil liners to line the muffin pan.

• sugar – I used regular caster sugar, but brown sugar is a good option too
• all purpose flour
• almond flour
• baking powder and baking soda
• salt
• eggs
• milk – I used regular whole milk but you can use almond milk or similar as well
• sunflower oil – can be replaced with another neutral tasting oil. You can also replace the oil with melted butter but keep in mind that the muffins will be firmer if you do. The same goes for coconut oil. This has to do with the fact that both butter and coconut oil become firm when cooled down.
• vanilla extract – I sometimes add a little bit of almond extract too
• raspberry jam – instead of using fresh raspberries I went with jam for this recipe.
• almond flakes – for decoration on top of the muffins

Making the muffins

Now making the raspberry almond muffins recipe is easy as I said. You combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, mix it together and use the other bowl to add the wet ingredients together.

Mix it all (not too long). It’s ok if there are still some lumps in the batter, so you can simply do this with a wooden spoon or a whisk.

Now divide the batter over the muffin cups and add a teaspoon of raspberry jam on top of each muffin. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Let them cool down on a wire rack.

The almond raspberry muffins can be stored in an airtight container for 5 days.

Delicious crispy chicken bites, that are easy to make in your oven or air fryer. No need for a deep fryer! They’re perfect to serve as an easy snack. Just make sure you have enough, everybody loves these bites!

Crispy chicken bites

Who doesn’t love delicious fried chicken bites? I know I do. As a child I could not get enough of them and I wanted to make them myself. Preferably without having to deep fry as I do not own a fryer.

These homemade crispy chicken nuggets are made in an oven. For making the crunchy coating I used cornflakes. That is just perfect for the ultimate crunch!

You can easily serve them as part of a meal or as a weekend snack. They are delicious on their own or served with an easy dip or something like honey mustard.

Love snacks?

Here are a couple of my favorite snack recipes:

• Dutch bitterballen
• Crispy cheese croquettes
• Halloumi cheese fries

What goes into these juicy chicken bites

I kept this chicken recipe very easy to make, but I will also give you a couple of variations if you want to add more flavor or a different flavor to them.

• chicken breasts – I used skinless chicken breasts here but you can absolutely replace those with skinless chicken thighs. The latter are a little fattier and will keep the chicken bites a bit juicier.
• all purpose flour – you need about four tablespoons of plain flour but that is depending on the size of your chicken pieces. You can further flavor the flour by adding some garlic powder or onion powder. Or make them spicier by adding a bit of cayenne pepper or black pepper to the flour.
• egg – you need roughly one (whisked) egg
• cornflakes – if you do not have cornflakes you can use bread crumbs or panko breadcrumbs for making the crispy breading. It depends on your personal preference. I thought the cornflakes worked really well.

Making these homemade chicken nuggets is super simple to do. So much better than having to use hot oil and a deep fryer!

How to make the chicken bites

First step is to slice the boneless chicken breasts into manageable pieces. Don’t make them too small. You will want to make sure that the bites are each roughly 2-3 bites per piece.

Heat the oven to the mentioned temperature and prepare three bowls, with whisked egg, crushed cornflakes and flour.

Now drag each piece of chicken through the flour, then the egg and at last the cornflakes. Line them on a baking sheet with parchment paper in a single layer and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce!

I absolutely love making a strawberry rhubarb compote with fresh ingredients. It’s perfect to add to my yogurt for breakfast and I love to use it in recipes as well!

Compote with leftover fruit

For my father’s birthday, I made a strawberry crumble cake, but of course I had way more strawberries than I needed for the cake. I decided to make a compote so I wouldn’t have to use it in another recipe within a few days.

And because I also had some rhubarb leftover I decided to add the two together. The strawberry rhubarb compote is now waiting for me to do something delicious with it. I already have some fun ideas that I’m going to try out soon!

Strawberry rhubarb compote

I love making compote (like my favorite seasonal cranberry compote) as it is such a great way to use up fruits you have too much off. Every time strawberry season and rhubarb season start I tend to go wild when I visit the farmers market.

I just cannot resist the abundance of fresh strawberries. There is something so satisfying about beautiful fresh fruit, right? So one of my favorite ways to use the fruit is by making fruit compotes.

It’s easy and fun to do and this easy recipe is ready in no time at all. It’s absolutely delicious served over Greek yogurt but can be used in many different ways too. Spoon a little (or a lot!) over some ice cream for instance. Or use it on your next overnight oats.

What you need for making the rhubarb and strawberry compote

The ingredients for making this are pretty simple

• rhubarb stalks
• fresh strawberries
• sugar
• vanilla sugar
• water – due to the high water content in rhubarb and strawberries you really only need 3 tablespoons. If you add too much it will become a strawberry rhubarb sauce. Also good but not the intention.

This is pretty basic, but you can absolutely change the flavors by adding a cinnamon stick for instance or change the sugar to brown sugar for a slightly different flavor.

Add all the ingredients except the strawberries to a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Once the fruit starts to fall apart after about 10 minutes you add the strawberries in as well. Cook for another 10 minutes and place in jars.

A delicious seasonal tart: rhubarb pie with frangipane. This recipe for a rhubarb tart is not difficult to make and is absolutely delicious when finished. Let’s get the rhubarb season started!

Rhubarb Tart with Frangipane

This was the first time I’d used frangipane in a tart, and I hadn’t fully considered that it expands in the oven. Frangipane is similar to almond paste, but slightly richer due to the addition of butter. The main ingredient for frangipane is ground almonds.

Because it expanded, my super neat rhubarb pattern disappeared (I was going for geometric patterns. Can you tell?)

Fortunately, it didn’t affect the flavor at all, and we enjoyed this rhubarb frangipane tart. I took it to a reunion with my South Africa travel buddies and they unanimously approved! You can try and make diamond shapes as well by cutting the rhubarb at an angle.

BAKING TIP: To get the edges nice and golden brown, brush them with egg wash. I prefer to use a silicone pastry brush for this because they are easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

What you need for making the rhubarb recipe

Keep in mind that in order to make this rhubarb pie you need to follow two additional recipes. One for the shortcrust pastry and one for the almond frangipane. I’ve linked the recipes below.

And don’t worry, they’re both incredibly easy recipes! As always make sure to have the ingredients at room temperature unless the recipe tells you not to.

• Fresh rhubarb stalks – if you can get your hands on the beautiful pink ones, that is always the best look
• shortcrust pastry – use the shortcrust pastry recipe here. This will make it a deliciously flaky crust
• frangipane – check the frangipane recipe here
• lemon juice – you can also add a bit of orange zest to the frangipane
• vanilla sugar

Since I’ve turned this into a free form rhubarb pie you don’t need a tart pan but if you want you can definitely bake it in a tart tin or similar.

The fun part about making a free form is that you can make any shape you like. Want a flower shape? Go crazy or turn the tart shell into whatever pattern you want.

Making Rhubarb Pie

Not using a baking pan makes this recipe super easy to prepare. Just shape the shortcrust pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use the parchment to partially fold the dough over the filling so it doesn’t stick to your hands and you’re less likely to tear it. This makes each pie look a little different, but always nice and rustic.

I made this rhubarb pie inspired by a French recipe for a “galette rhubarbe”: a rhubarb galette. Because of the way you make this rhubarb tart you do not blind bake the crust.

If you do bake this in a tin you can consider blind baking the crust first using pie weights. Make sure to use a tin with a removable bottom to make it easier to remove from the baking pan.

The difference with making this on the parchment paper is that the heat gets to the crust much better than when you use a tin. Making it unnecessary to blind bake.

What is a galette?

A galette is a type of round, flat pie where the edges are always folded inward (partly over the filling). A galette is a French recipe, and they can be either savory or sweet, so there are a lot of possibilities.

This rhubarb and frangipane galette is, of course, totally sweet!

Rhubarb Recipes

In addition to this rhubarb tart, I have made many other rhubarb recipes. From a delicious crumble cake to a simple jam. Rhubarb is very versatile, so you can do a lot with it. Try the recipes below as well and there will be more recipes following now that rhubarb season has started.

• Rhubarb Crumble
• Making Rhubarb Jam 

Making your own cheesy garlic bread has never been easier or tastier. You really want to try this recipe with roasted garlic.

Roasting the fresh garlic gives it a whole different flavor and becomes soft and delicious. The cheesy garlic bread is the perfect side dish but can also be used as part of a snack board.

Make your own garlic bread

I got the idea to make this garlic bread after seeing a lot of (delicious) videos on TikTok last year. This cheesy garlic bread recipe was all the rage and had been on my to make list for quite some time.

Since I make no secret of the fact that I’m usually way behind on trends, I started working on the recipe a year later. And how unbelievably delicious it was! I could see why this easy recipe for making garlic bread was so popular. Nothing better than a warm slice of cheesy garlic bread.

Now that I was convinced of how good the bread was I quickly wrote down my version of this cheesy bread. You can eat it as an appetizer or serve with a cup of soup or a fresh salad as a main course.

You might immediately think of the store-bought garlic bread. It’s a bit like that, but a lot tastier. That’s because this garlic bread has cheese in it, but also because you make your own delicious herb butter and mix the garlic into it.

There is just nothing better than that and it beats the ones bought at the grocery store every single time.

Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic is much softer and sweeter in flavor than the fresh (raw) variety. It is not as pungent and “garlicky” as you are used to.

For the best garlic flavor you add two whole heads of garlic to the bread. That might sound like a lot but trust me that it is delicious and the garlic mixture makes the bread absolutely perfect.

If you already know that this roasted garlic is going to steal your heart, prepare an extra head. In fact, you can store the roasted garlic in the refrigerator for up to a week and use it in another dish later. For example, toss a roasted garlic clove into a homemade soup, hummus, or aioli.

If you love strawberry cheesecake, you’re gonna want to make these strawberry cheesecake popsicles. You make them with fresh strawberries and cream cheese. Absolutely delicious on a hot summer day.

Strawberry cheesecake popsicles

The fun part is that these homemade popsicles really do taste like cheesecake. The first time I made them I did a little happy dance after tasting them.

The creamy texture in combination with the fresh berries is just the best! No one wants to stand in front of a hot oven in the summer, so this is the perfect replacement!

What do you need for making these popsicles

Apart from the below ingredients you will also need popsicle sticks and silicone popsicle molds for making this strawberry cheesecake popsicle recipe. And once you have all the ingredients it’s the easiest thing to make. Check the recipe card for full details

• cream cheese – use your favorite brand
• sugar – I use fine granulated sugar
• vanilla extract
• heavy cream – or whipping cream
• milk
• fresh strawberries – you can also use frozen strawberries if strawberries are not in season. But fresh is still best.

If you want it to be even more like cheesecake another great option is to add graham cracker crumbs to the ice cream as well. Graham crackers is the logical choice since that is most often used as a crust, but you could absolutely use other cookies as well. I’ll explain how to do that below.

Making the popsicles

As I mentioned before, making these strawberry cheesecake popsicles is super easy. The hardest part is collection the ingredients (and that’s easy too)!

You just add all the ingredients to a food processor or a blender, blend until smooth and pour into your favorite ice cream mold. You can also turn this into ice cream bars or make ice cream waffles by adding the frozen popsicles on vanilla wafers.

Since the fruit is so soft you don’t really need a high-powered blender for making this, but if you use harder fruits that might be a good choice for the smoothest result.

You can use an ice cream maker if you have one but I usually just pop them in the freezer. They will need about 3 to 4 hours to freeze completely.

Now if you want to add that graham cracker crust to the popsicles you fill the entire mold a little less full and sprinkle the crumbs on top. Making layers is also an option and you can absolutely add your favorite flavors to the mixture. I find it a perfect way to eat a little more fruit during warmer weather.

Additions and variations

You can turn this fruity cheesecake into your favorite flavors of cheesecake by changing the strawberries to raspberries, peaches, cherries; you name it.

If you want a little less cream cheese you can replace half of it with Greek yogurt if you want. Since it is mostly very simple ingredients it is also really easy to vary with different fruits. You can change the strawberry mixture by adding additional fruits as well.

This delicious strawberry peach cobbler is the perfect recipe for summer. With the abundance of fresh strawberries and juicy fresh peaches I love making this. Delicious on it’s own but even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! The perfect summer dessert.

Strawberry peach cobbler

If you’re not familiar with a cobbler, it is somewhat similar to a crumble, like this apple crumble or rhubarb crumble, but instead of the crunchy crumbles that you’re used to it features a relatively soft batter that is poured over the fruit. I would almost say it is the best of both worlds.

When you take the strawberry peach cobbler out of the oven the top layer is still beautiful golden brown and crispy and the bottom layer is soft and creamy.

I can’t tell you enough how much I love it. Of course it’s perfect for strawberry season and peach season but you could even make it with frozen fruits.

And the fun part is that you can easily turn this into another cobbler using almost all kinds of fresh fruit. Turn it into a cherry cobbler when it’s cherry season for instance. Or use other fresh berries.

What goes into the strawberry cobbler

Make sure you have all the ingredients at room temperature before you start making the cobbler. Check the recipe card for full details. I’ve used a pretty basic topping but you could add a bit of cinnamon for next time or other spices.

• strawberries – use lovely fragrant ripe strawberries. If you’re using frozen strawberries, make sure to defrost and drain any excess fluids.
• peaches – you need about 5 peaces which you turn into peach slices
• custard powder – the custard powder helps soak up the natural juices that will come out of the fruit and make it soft and creamy
• butter – you can use vegan butter if you like
• sugar – you can use caster sugar or brown sugar
• egg 
• vanilla extract
• self rising flour – or if you only have all purpose flour check how to substitute here.

Making the cobbler

Now this is a pretty easy recipe so making it takes no time at all. You start by preparing the fruit mixture. Add all the sliced fruit into a large bowl and mix it with the custard powder. Shake the bowl gently to make sure the custard powder is divided equally across all the fruit filling. If you want you can add a little bit of lemon zest to give it a fresher touch. I wouldn’t add lemon juice as that would add too much liquid.

Now for making the cobbler batter you take a separate bowl and whisk the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. It’s easiest to do this in a food processor but you can also use a hand mixer for this. Once the butter mixture is fluffy you add the egg and the vanilla extract.

The last step is to add the self rising flour and mix it until well combined.

Once all is mixed you add the fruit first to a baking dish. You can use a round baking dish or a square baking dish. That really makes no difference to the end result. You could even bake this in an cast iron skillet. Whatever is oven proof will work. Or make individual portions by dividing it over smaller ramekins.

Now pour the flour mixture over the fruit and smooth the top if necessary.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until you have a lovely golden brown and crisp topping. You can serve the strawberry peach cobbler warm or cold. It will be delicious either way. Enjoy!

Appetizers are one of my favorite recipes to make. They can easily serve as a snack for any party and this blooming quesadilla ring is absolutely perfect. It’s a showstopping appetizer that is also a clever way to use up leftover tortillas. Easy to adjust to your liking too.

Blooming quesadilla ring

This quesadilla ring not only looks really good but it’s pretty tasty too. In the center of the ring I place an easy dip which makes it even better.

It would be perfect served – for instance – during the super bowl, but you really can’t go wrong with this simple recipe. Below I will give you some tips on variations to the recipe.

Looking for more snack recipes?

• Saucijzenbroodjes (Dutch sausage rolls)
• Cheesy pull apart bread
• Dutch bitterballen

What do you need for making the chicken quesadilla ring

Make sure to check the recipe card for full details on the ingredients needed!

• chicken breast – for preparing the chicken I cook it in a small saucepan filled with chicken broth for the best flavor of the shredded chicken
• cheddar – I like a spicy cheddar but you can use other kinds of cheese as well like monterey jack cheese or similar
• mozzarella
• bell pepper – you can use yellow peppers or red peppers
• corn
• soft flour tortillas – use small ones or the cones will be too large
• tomato sauce – you can use a taco sauce or your favorite sauce. I like adding some sour cream to it as well but that is optional
• barbecue rub – you use this to season the chicken mix so use your favorite brand
• tomato salsa – I’ll soon be sharing a recipe for a tomato salsa as well, but you can use your favorite salsa or your dip of choice

Making the tortilla cones

For making the cones you need a tortilla half. Once you’ve made the filling you slice all the tortillas into halves with a sharp knife. Spread some of the mixture on a halved tortilla and roll it up into a cone shape. To prevent the edges of the tortillas to unfold place it on a serving platter (oven proof) and make sure that the points of the cones are pointing inwards. Once it is baked in the oven the melted cheese will make sure everything sticks together.

It’s easiest if you use a dish for serving that can be both in the oven as well as on the table. A large baking sheet will work as well but it will be trickier to place the quesadilla ring from the baking sheet on a serving plate. If you’ve used a baking sheet you can best slide it onto a wooden board and serve it like that

Once you’ve filled all the tortillas sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheddar and place in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are lightly golden brown.

Additions and variations

Now these cones of soft tortillas are a great appetizer. Perfect for using up leftover chicken and in combination with the melty cheese it is one of the best appetizer recipes. You can add some of your favorite toppings to the dish. Think about adding some fresh cilantro or sliced spring onions on top.

You can add additional fillings to the blooming quesadilla ring as well. For instance some red onion or add some black beans. It’s a fun way to serve tortillas for taco night too!

Any leftover tortillas? Try these tortilla chips as well!

If you love clafoutis, I highly recommend this delicious version with strawberries and rhubarb. Perfect for this time of year!

What is clafoutis

Maybe you never heard of clafoutis, but it is a classic French dessert featuring fresh fruit. Traditionally the dish is made with a custard batter and black cherries.

The fun part is that you can make this with most fruits. In this case I went with fresh strawberries and fresh rhubarb. But you can use any other kind of red fruit or summer fruit you like.

Strawberry rhubarb clafoutis

This clafoutis is truly one of the most delicious I have ever made. The classic cherry clafoutis is still a wonderful treat, but this strawberry rhubarb clafoutis is my favorite for this season.

The strawberries provide the sweetness, while the rhubarb makes it a fresh whole. This is enough for two people, but if you serve it with a scoop of ice cream, you could easily make it 3 or even 4 portions.

That is, if you are prepared to share. Definitely recommended now that strawberries and rhubarb are in season.

What you need to make the strawberry clafoutis

For making this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• fresh strawberries – hulled and chopped in pieces
• fresh rhubarb – chopped in smaller pieces
• eggs
• milk – I used semi-skimmed milk here but you can use whole milk or any kind you like. Think coconut milk for a more tropical taste or almond milk
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour
• sugar – I’ve used regular white sugar but you can use brown sugar, coconut sugar or icing sugar

Making the clafoutis

Now making this strawberry rhubarb clafoutis is super easy to do. You need two single serving size ramekins for this or use one larger buttered dish. Now place the rhubarb pieces and the sliced strawberries in a single layer in the bowl.

Take a large bowl and add the milk, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt and sugar to it. Mix it till you have a smooth consistency. You don’t really need a food processor for doing this as the mixture is quite easy. Pour mixture over the fresh fruit and place in a preheated oven.

Bake it until the eggs are set and the top of the clafoutis is golden brown.

You can eat the clafoutis warm or cold. It’s delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But some whipped heavy cream is also really good.

Love French desserts? Check out the recipes below!

• Madeleines
• Crème brûlée

Ever wanted to make your own homemade twix bars? This easy recipe will teach you just how to do it. The good news is, it is super simple. I made this recipe for one of my cookbooks. This one was specifically aimed at kids, so making my favorite candy bars was a no-brainer!

Making Twix candy bars

Whenever I eat something I like, I almost always want to try to make it myself. Making my own Twix has been on my baking list for a while now. It is so much fun!

First you bake the crispy cookie layer, then you start working on the caramel layer. Finally, a nice chocolate dip for the final chocolate layer and your homemade Twix bars are done.

The recipe has a few parts, but all of them are easy to make. So don’t be alarmed by the steps as anyone can make these homemade candy bars!

BAKING TIP: When you make your own Twix bars, you can make them just the way you like them. Use white chocolate instead of milk chocolate, or dark chocolate if you prefer. You can also add a pinch of salt to the caramel sauce for a salted caramel filling.

What do you need to make the Twix bars?

Since the recipe is made up of three steps you do need a bit more ingredients but all of them are pretty simple. As always make sure to have all the ingredients at room temperature before you start making the recipe.

For the cookies

• caster sugar
• unsalted butter
• egg
• all purpose flour
• salt

For the caramel

• condensed milk
• unsalted butter
• dark brown sugar

And lastly you will need milk chocolate for the final layer.

Making the homemade twix bars

Start by making the cookie base for the bars. This is essentially a bit similar to a shortbread crust. You bake the cookie crust in the oven and once baked and lightly golden brown you take it out of the oven to cool down.

You need the cooled crust for the next step. For making the layer of caramel I used condensed milk which makes it extra delicious.

Place condensed milk, butter and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Now while you normally don’t stir caramel, in this case you can and you do.

Keep stirring constantly until the mixture has the right consistency. You want it to resemble something like a thick chocolate spread. Be aware that this is extremely hot, so if you’re working with kids make sure to not let them get too close to the caramel.

Pour the caramel over the chilled crust, spread it with an offset spatula and let it chill completely in the fridge.

Once you have the chilled caramel layer it is time for the final step. First to slice the bars into small strips, resembling the size of an original twix bar (although you can make them as big or as small as you like).

Once everything is chilled you move on to make the chocolate coating. Take a large bowl and make a double boiler.

Melt two third of the chocolate, once melted you remove the bowl from the pan and add the other one third of the chocolate.

You will essentially be tempering the chocolate that way. (Check how to temper chocolate without a candy thermometer here) Dip each bar into the chocolate, place on a sheet of parchment paper and let it set completely.

TIP: If you want to make the classic texture on top of the Twix bars, you can make it with a fork. While the chocolade is still soft, press a fork on the bar gently en pull up. Repeat this until you are happy with the texture of the chocolate.

If you’re already thinking about Friday afternoon drinks this weekend, this recipe for Loaded Sweet Potato Pizza fries will be music to your ears. When you put these on the table, it’s definitely party time!

It’s also a great choice if you can’t decide if you or your guests are more in the mood for fries or for pizza. Enter the loaded pizza fries! It’s a pretty fun meal, that can work as a side dish, appetizer or as a full meal as well.

Loaded sweet potato fries with pizza toppings

The recipe for these loaded fries came from the book of one of my blogger friends. I changed it a tiny bit by adding sweet potato instead of regular french fries but you can absolutely use either of the two.

I personally think that the best way to serve these hot fries is over drinks. It’s a fun food and you can use whatever toppings you like.

What do you need for the loaded pizza fries?

Now in this recipe I assumed you already know how to make sweet potato fries or you use ready made sweet potato fries from the grocery store.

You can find easy sweet potato fries that are made in the air fryer. Whatever you choose will work fine. On top of the sweet potato I used the following:

• spicy tomato sauce – you can use a pizza sauce, marinara sauce or add a bit of hot sauce to regular tomato sauce for a spicy effect
• olives – I added green olives, but you can use any kind of olive you like. Or if you don’t like olives you can leave them off as well.
• mozzarella cheese – now mozzarella is one of my favorite cheeses as it melts so lovely but you do need some extra cheese for additional flavor
• parmesan cheese – I used parmesan in addition to the mozzarella but you can use any kind of cheese you like
• pepperoni
• fresh basil – you can use any kind of other Italian seasoning as well.

You could even load more onto the loaded fries. Think black beans, green onions, red onion, red peppers or make sweet potato cheese fries (my next favorite loaded fries!!) by adding a whole lot more cheese. But like I said you can use your favorite toppings.

Making the loaded sweet potato pizza fries

For making the loaded fries you need a large baking sheet or a sheet pan. You start by baking the sweet potato in the preheated oven or in the air fryer.

Once that is done it is time to pile up the toppings. I like to start with the mozzarella. Just spread it over the fries. Add the peperoni if using and sprinkle the parmesan over it as well. Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and finish with the other toppings, like the olives and fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Appetizer tip: Enjoy your fries with some homemade cheese croquettes!

As you can imagine: I bake a lot! I made a selection of my most used and favorite baking pans. This collection is perfect for every home baker.

My collection

If you love to bake, you know that your cupboards are slowly but surely filling up with baking utensils. I know that especially baking pans take up a lot of space. For a while, I bought and received special baking pans with some regularity, but I found that I ended up using them little to none.

I almost always reach for the same basic tins and rings anyway. I use them a lot and like to make room for them in my cupboards.

I’m currently cleaning out my cupboards. I have the most used pans in a drawer in my kitchen, the rest are in my office, in my junk room or in the attic. Totally inconvenient to have all these different places. So I’m going to change that soon.

At the same time, I’m going to take another look at what shapes I really want to keep. Today I will tell you more about my most used and favorite baking pans. And I have also created a list with a bakeware collection for the avid home bakers.

Sizing is a little bit different between European standard sizing in centimeters and the inch sizing so I’ve rounded up the inch. So a 8.9 inch pan will become a 9-inch pan.

Loaf pans

I have 2 metal loaf pans that are 25 cm/10 inch long. I find this to be the perfect size for cakes and I use them a lot. I have tried several brands over the years and find that there is not much difference in quality. I currently have 2 of these loaf pans at home.

As far as I’m concerned, you don’t need expensive loaf pans. They cost a few dollars and for that amount of money I don’t mind if you have to replace them at some point.

I use them quite a lot myself and I want to look at a slightly more expensive loaf pan to replace them, mainly because I am curious to see if I actually find it nicer to work with and if it will last longer. I will give an update when the time comes 😉 .

Springforms

For years I have been working with springform tins from two particular brands, Patisse and Kaiser which are more than fine to work with. For about 2 years now I have owned two Le Creuset springforms.

They are quite expensive and I don’t know if I would have bought them if I hadn’t been given them. However, now that I know how they work, I am sure I would buy them myself. They are fantastic.

If one of them fails, I’m sure I’ll buy the same one again. But it will be a long time before I do, because even though they are used a lot, they still look pretty good.

I have a 20cm/8 inch and a 24cm/ 9 inch springform pan, both of which I use a lot. I have been using them for about five years now and they still look great.

Cake Pans

A baking pan is a solid bottom pan and comes in all shapes and sizes. I own (or have owned) several different shapes and sizes, but there are only a few that I actually use a lot.

Those are the 20 x 20 cm square pan (perfect for brownies) and the 15 and 20 cm round pans. I even have three of the 15cm ones, which are perfect for baking layer cakes.

Of course, you can do this with just one pan, but it’s much faster and more convenient with multiple pans. Highly recommended if you make this type of cake regularly.

There are several brands of pans. Mine are almost all PME, but I also have a few from Wilton. These brands are mostly available online. These are mine:

• Square cake pan 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch)
• Round cake pan 15 cm/6 inch (I have 3)
• Round 20 cm/8 inch baking pan

Rectangular pans

I just mentioned my square baking pan, which is also available as a rectangular baking pan. Personally, I use oven baking dishes whenever I need a rectangular baking pan. From cakes to crumbles, I use them for almost everything.

While baking pans are all standard sizes, baking dishes are very different. The sizes I use most often are 16 x 25 cm (6 x 10 inch) and 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch), but any size close to that will work.

Otherwise you can just convert your recipes with my conversion tool. This set of 4 baking dishes is nice to have around the house. The small one is similar to what I often use for baking recipes, the large one is perfect for casseroles.

As far as brands go, I don’t really have a preference. I have baking dishes from Le Creuset and a lot of other brands you can find online. I also have a set of these rectangular sheet pans which are great for lots of different things too. From sheet cakes to using as cookie sheets.

Baking rings

I have had a set of baking rings for a few years now and I use them a lot, which I never expected. I mostly make tartelettes and rondos, but you can use them for anything. Baking rings have no bottom, you put them on a baking tray covered with baking paper, which forms the bottom.

I personally have these baking rings that are 8 cm/3 to 4 inch in diameter, an ideal size. I have a set of 6, but would like to expand to 10 or 12. Then I don’t have to clean them in between and can just keep baking. You can also use these tall baking rings, you can use them for even more dishes in the kitchen.

Quiche and tart/pie pans

I bake quiches and pies in round quiche pans with a (solid bottom and) scalloped rim. I have both ceramic and metal pans, both of which I use regularly.

The ceramic quiche pan I have is 28 cm/11 inch, a hefty size but very handy for savory pies. The metal one is 25 cm/10 inch and is a flan/quiche tin with a removable bottom, very handy for getting your pie out of the tin easily. I use this one for both savory and sweet pies.

I don’t have a strong brand preference. My metal mold is unbranded and the stone mold is from Le Creuset. The important thing is that the metal mold has a good non-stick coating. And a loose bottom works so well with a metal pan. It’s also very convenient to have different sizes.

Other specialty pans

That was quite a bit of text about the baking pans I like and use a lot, but there are more! These are more specific pans for “special” baking. For example, I wouldn’t want to be without my muffin pans. I have one for regular muffins and cupcakes and one for mini muffins and cupcakes.

My molds are from Wilton, the first one I ever bought is about 10 years old and still good. But any good brand will work.

I bought my madeleine pan at a grocery store and I wouldn’t be without it. In fact, I would rather have another one. After all, you can often fill two molds with one recipe.

Finally, bundt cakes, one of my favorite baking molds. Also one where I have a strong brand preference. All but one of my bundt pans are from Nordic Ware. You pay a little extra for them, but they are worth it.

Besides the special and beautiful shapes, they have a very good coating. I just use a baking spray to grease them and all my cakes come out of the mold beautifully. Although I already own 4 of these pans, I have many more on my wish list. The designs are unique and they keep coming up with new and beautiful designs.

All in a row

Here are the cake pans that I like to use a lot and that I think are useful in any baking enthusiast’s kitchen:

• 1 or 2 25 cm loaf pans
• 20 and 24 cm springform pans
• 15 cm round baking pans (maybe several per size)
• 20 cm round baking pan 
• 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) square baking pan
• Baking dish set
• Rectangular sheet pan
• Set of 8 cm baking rings
• 28 cm/11 inch quiche pan
• 25 cm pie pan (with loose bottom)
• Muffin tin (for regular and small muffins)
• Madeleine mold
• Bundt pan(s)

That’s a pretty big list. I have many more molds, but the ones I mentioned are the ones I use the most and would really miss if I didn’t have them anymore.

Do you have a lot of baking pans at home? Or are there many more on your wish list? I am curious about your favorite baking pan(s)!