Bottoms Up: 17 Spiked Pie Recipes

Vegan Mini Chocolate Pies with Pecan Caramel

Mini pies are the perfect Christmas dessert because they're hand-held and bite-sized, plus these feature chocolate, pecan, and caramel flavors! They're also vegan, which just makes us love them even more. (via Brit + Co)

Easy Puppy Chow Recipe

You probably already have everything you need for this DIY dessert recipe: peanut butter (or another nut butter), chocolate chips, Chex cereal, butter, and powdered sugar. The red and green candies are just a bonus! (via Brit + Co)

The Best Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are so good, they don't really need any embellishments, but would it really be a Christmas party without reindeer cookies?! Save a few to leave out for Santa, too. (via Brit + Co)

Oreo Red Velvet Cheesecake

If you love red velvet cake and you love cheesecake, then this is the dessert for you. The crust, cheesecake filling, and whipped cream come together beautifully so that every bite you take is better than the last! Plus, the Oreos on top are the perfect finishing touch. (via Brit + Co)

Paleo Christmas Cookies

Cookies will never be totally healthy, but there are definitely ways that you can make them healthier. Check out this easy Christmas dessert that's paleo-friendly. (via Brit + Co)

Eggnog French Toast

Have breakfast for dessert by adding eggnog to your French toast batter. It adds just the right amount of spice to the recipe and makes it creamy and smooth. (via Brit + Co)

Sweet Chai Latte Cupcakes

Turn your favorite morning beverage into a sweet treat with these cupcakes. The flavors and spices make for the perfect holiday season dessert. (via Brit + Co)

Peppermint Macarons with White Chocolate Ganache

Find a new way to enjoy the minty flavor of peppermint with this macarons recipe. Covered in white chocolate, it's a nod to the traditional French pastry. (via Brit + Co)

Chocolate Pumpkin Tart with Gingersnap Crust

Move over white chocolate ganache, because this pumpkintart is ready for its turn in the spotlight. We love that the gingersnap crust helps balance the rich taste of dark chocolate. (via Brit + Co)

Puff Pastry Apple Roses

These roses look good enough to eat – because they are indeed edible! It's the one time you'll enjoy stopping to smell the roses. (via Brit + Co)

Vegan Apple Cake

If puff pastry apple roses feel like too much of a lite dessert, you'll want to keep this vegan apple cake recipe handy. (via Brit + Co)

Baked Hot Chocolate Doughnuts

We have a *major* sweet tooth for anything that involves gooey chocolate, so combining our love of doughnuts and hot chocolate sounds like a dream come true. (via Brit + Co)

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Cups

Take a break from traditional Christmas desserts and make candy recipes instead! Who knows, someone may request that you make frozen chocolate peanut butter yogurt cups for their birthday next year. (via Brit + Co)

Eggnog with Sugared Rosemary

Who says desserts have to be food? This sweet drink is a classic Christmas dessert, whether you're decorating the tree or curling up for a movie night. Our favorite detail is definitely the sugared rosemary. (via Brit + Co)

Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes

If regular slices of cheesecake are too rich for you, try these mini bite-sized options for your next get-together. They're a little bit spicy, a little bit sweet, and just the right amount of creamy. (via Brit + Co)

Even Santa Will Want A Bite Of These Christmas Desserts!

Peppermint Bark Cannoli

You just can’t get through the snowy season without indulging in some sweet and cool peppermint bark. No surprise, it's amazing in cannolis. (via Sugar and Cloth)

Mott's Gingerbread Cups

These lil cups are a fun, festive, and fabulous treat to make with and for your little ones — or for anyone else, frankly! Just look how cute they are! (via Mott's)

Rum and Eggnog Bundt Cake

We like big bundts and we cannot lie; a slice of this, we can't deny! Flavored with rum and eggnog, this luscious cake is slathered with a generous coating of eggnog cream cheese icing that will make your tastebuds sing. (via Liv for Cake)

Eggnog Cheesecake Brownies

With creamy eggnog cheesecake swirling into fudgy goodness, these brownies will make even eggnog naysayers fall in love with the soft and chewy bites. (via A Cookie Named Desire)

Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

We know you’re thinking it because we’re thinking it — be still, my heart! This rich, minty, and chocolatey cake is dripping with glaze and topped with crushed candy canes. Can you say flavor bomb? (via Two Peas & Their Pod)

Champagne Donuts With White Chocolate Glaze

One of the best things about donuts is they can be enjoyed as both a dessert *and* as a sweet breakfast option. The Champagne-infused dough and white chocolate glaze create the ultimate holiday treat. (via Sugar and Cloth)

Apple and Mincemeat Filo Wreath

This swoon-worthy recipe stuffs crisp apples and mincemeat into a flaky filo pastry, resulting in complete dessert heaven. Adorned with cranberries and drizzled with custard, this treat is guaranteed to be a hit at any holiday party. (via Domestic Gothess)

Mexican Wedding Cookies

These tiny snowballs are slightly salty, nutty, buttery, and downright delish. (via Two Peas & Their Pod)

Cranberry Dark Chocolate Biscotti

We hope you’re ready for additional caffeine, because you’ll be brewing an extra cup a day just for an excuse to dip and devour these beauties. Totally addicting, these munchies are packed with nuts and cranberries and drizzled with chocolate. (via Pinch of Yum)

Homemade Marshmallows

Storebought marshmallows will never taste the same after you make these. Dip them in chocolate or add them to your hot cocoa for a truly decadent treat. (via The Real Food Dietitians)

Eggnog Panna Cotta with Spiked Cranberry Sauce

Silky smooth panna cotta may seem like a summery dessert, but when made with eggnog and topped with orange liqueur-spiked cranberry sauce, it's completely festive. (via Sprinkle Bakes)

You Won't Want To Share These Delicious Christmas Desserts

White Christmas Sparkle Cake

If you prefer snowflakes and twinkly lights to bright red and green decorations, you'll love this fluffy vanilla almond cake with cream cheese frosting. (via How Sweet Eats)

You Won't Believe How Tasty These Christmas Desserts Are

Meringue Christmas Wreath Cake

But if you do love colorful decorations, opt for this wreath cake, decked out with nonpareils and candy canes. (via Sprinkle Bakes)

Holiday Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Instead of rolling out dough to make individual cookies, bake up these bars, and have fun making your own sprinkle design on top. (via Averie Cooks)

Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies

It truly isn’t the holidays without some jam-filled thumbprint cookies to munch on. Though a berry jam is most commonly used, the choice of this orange jam is brilliant. (via The View From Great Island)

Christmas Tree Mousse Cups

You don't have to be an artist to make an adorable tree-shaped dollop of mousse in these chocolate cups. (via My Life Cookbook)

Peppermint Cream Puffs

Bite-size cream puffs are the ideal treat, and with a light peppermint ganache and festive sprinkles, they're holiday-ready. (via Best Friends for Frosting)

Chocolate Peppermint Mousse

We love how fluffy mousse is, and this Christmas dessert (which only needs four ingredients, FYI!!) mixes in peppermint extract for the perfect seasonal flavor. Add some crushed candy canes on top for an extra cute detail. (via Feel Good Foodie)

Funfetti Christmas Cake Roll

Don't be intimidated by the cylindrical shape; this colorful cake is both easy to bake and easy to roll up while hot. (via Passion for Savings)

Italian Pear Cranberry Tart

If the cranberry sauce at your Thanksgiving dinner didn’t satisfy your cranberry needs, this festive tart will. Fresh cranberries are piled into a shortbread crust over a luscious layer of almond cream, and it’s kind of the best thing ever. (via Just a Little Bit of Bacon)

Viennese Crescent Cookies

Popular in Austria, these melt-in-your-mouth Christmas cookies are a simple blend of hazelnuts, butter, and powdered sugar. (via Leite's Culinaria)

We'd Recommend These Christmas Desserts To Everyone

Mincemeat, Marzipan, and Apple Bread Wreath

Filled with mincemeat, marzipan, and apricot jam, this impressive buttery wreath is packed with flavor. And since it's fruity, you can get away with eating it for breakfast. (via Domestic Gothess)

Sugar Cookie Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Have more Christmas cookies than you know what to do with? Use them to top these velvety, chocolate-rich crème brûlées. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

If you want to get real fancy, haul out your bundt cake pan and try this recipe. The patterned cake looks even more impressive when laden with a shiny glaze. (via The View From Great Island)

Slice and Bake Heart Cookies

These heart-shaped cookies are so much easier to make than you'd think. Impress your Christmas guests with a bout of sugar cookies! (via Crowded Kitchen)

Tahini Brownies

If you can't handle full-on sweetness, try these brownies that mix in some tahini for a nutty flavor addition. The flaky salt on top adds an edge that you do not want to miss out on. (via Forks and Foliage)

Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms

Is there a better duo than chocolate and peanut butter? These blossoms feature creamy peanut butter and dark chocolate chips for a rich, smooth take on the classic combo. (via Rachel Mansfield)

Olive Oil Orange Cake

This citrusy, just slightly olive-oily cake will brighten up your winter diet, and the touch of Grand Marnier makes it taste extra-elegant. (via Averie Cooks)

Hazelnut Shortbread with Salted Ganache Sandwich Cookies

Okay, regular Oreos. We raise you one with these uniquely delicious (and super festive!) homemade sandwich cookies! (via Vanilla and Bean)

Sugar Dusted Donut Christmas Tree by Chef Genevieve LaMonaca

For this delicious Christmas dessert, roll 60 (3lbs) white donut holes in 2.25oz green sugar sprinkles, then cover a 5.5 x 13.5-inch foam cone in plastic wrap. Insert your toothpicks (you'll need 60) into the foam, then push donut hole on the toothpick. Start from the bottom and work your way up. Add 1/2 cup peanut M&M’s to fill holes to resemble Christmas ornaments. Top with gold star cupcake topper. Cover with saran wrap until ready to use. Make up to 3 days ahead of time!

Lebanese Rice Pudding

This rice pudding recipe features rosewater, orange blossom water, and pistachios for a light, well-rounded flavor that we can't get enough of. You won't be able to either! If you've never made rice pudding before, then this easy recipe is the perfect way to practice.

Easy Brownie Cake Pops With Sprinkles

Healthy desserts don't have to be boring or tasteless. Swap your go-to milk chocolate for dark chocolate with this recipe, which is full of antioxidants and can even lower your blood pressure. To make it even healthier, swap the coconut sugar for honey, or add a drizzle of the golden stuff right on top.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

This super easy no-bake dessert combines peanut butter, fat-free whipped cream, and reduced fat cream cheese in a sweet graham cracker crust. After you pour in all the ingredients, drizzle a little chocolate syrup on top and prep yourself a slice.

Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake

Made with fresh blueberries, peaches, and lightened up with creamy Greek yogurt, this cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert. Just make sure you finish it within the first two days (it’s a little too moist on day three), which shouldn’t be a problem because it’s *so* good.

No-Fuss Healthy Coconut Tart

This easy dessert sits atop a crunchy crust crafted from cashews, coconut flakes, dates, and cinnamon. The filling compliments the outer in the most perfect way!

Creamy Ricotta Cannoli

If you thought you had to give up cannolis just because you’re trying to watch your calories, think again. The shells in this recipe are completely baked (instead of partially fried like in classic versions). We told you'll love reaching for healthy desserts!

Healthy Vegan Matcha Cheesecake

Gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, and no-cake, this cheesecake does it all – including providing a caffeine boost from matcha powder.

Chocolate Fruit Dip

If you’re going to eat a big plate of fruit, you might as well have something chocolatey and delicious to dip it in! This cream cheese and cocoa powder-based treat will have you craving fresh fruit like never before.

Healthy Cranberry Coffee Cake

Greet your mornings (or late nights) with this oat-filled coffee cake. While being healthy, it still fulfills all the best textures and tastes.

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Now you can have dessert and seconds. These decadent dark chocolate bars come together entirely in the food processor and are ready to eat in an hour. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, if they somehow manage to last that long. 😗

Skinny Cookie Dough Popsicles

Not even ice cream is off limits – if you choose the right recipe. In this one, sweet chocolate chip cookie dough is sandwiched between layers of non-fat honey Greek yogurt to bring you a healthy dessert that is both light and satisfying.

Fruit and Veggie Freezie Pops

This recipe takes one of your fave nostalgic snacks and health-ifies them, packing each popsicle tube with fruits and veggies that won't make you crash like sugar will.

Low Fat Apple Cake Healthy Dessert Idea

With only 116 calories per slice, and absolutely *no* butter or oil in the batter, this cake is a healthy dessert dream come true. Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving for a touch of extra sweetness to complement the tart green apples.

Frozen Vegan Yogurt Bark

Yogurt bark is painfully easy to make, and the best part about it is you can customize the sweetness level, using honey or maple syrup, then pile on your favorite fruits for one of the most delicious healthy desserts you'll ever eat. 🍓

Healthy Date Shake

Dates make this shake a whole lot healthier than ice cream additions would, but still make this sip taste totally like dessert.

Skinny Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

While these may look and taste like a diet deal-breaker, there are actually only 128 calories in each cheesecake bar. Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese are key in keeping these dessert bites on the lighter side... without sacrificing on the creamy, tasty flavor.

Cinnamon Baked Pears

All you need is half an hour to bake these sweetened pears to perfection, and a generous dollop of clotted cream to top everything off, in the best way.

The Best Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

It's like Reese's, but healthier! These healthy, mini-sized desserts are made in a muffin tin or mold to form the classic cup shape.

Frozen Fruit Skewers

Munching on frozen fruit is a *great* way to cater to your sweet tooth. Drizzle on a bit of semi-sweet chocolate and freeze for a grab-and-go dessert, anytime the craving calls!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake Donuts

Yes, even donuts can be lightened up. This recipe calls for whole wheat flower, almond milk, ground flax seed and a scrumptious powdered sugar vanilla glaze – all forming your new favorite after-dinner snack. So grab a glass of that almond milk, and start dunking.

Greek Yogurt Banana and Oat Bread

This healthy banana bread won’t leave you feeling bloated and heavy afterward. Greek yogurt acts as a lighter, healthier replacement for butter and oil in the batter, and the chocolate chunks make the bread taste indulgent instead of a total sacrifice.

Healthy Vegan Twix Bars

So you're telling us we can chow down on our favorite candy bars without totally feeling yuck?! 😵💫 These vegan-ified Twix bars are the perfect end-of-the-night dessert snack.

Classic Pavlova

This meringue-based dessert is light and airy, and looks so good your friends will be lining up for a slice (and seconds!) Top with fresh fruit and powdered sugar and you’re ready to eat.

Healthy Edible Cookie Dough

Coconut oil, oat flour, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and of course, chocolate chips combine in a single bowl to form a heavenly edible cookie dough our child selves have *always* dreamed of. This is one of those healthy desserts that we have to have every month!

Chocolate Pudding

There’s a time and place for avocados (guac, anyone?) but this chocolate pudding is not one of them. Instead, this pudding is lightened up with coconut milk and your favorite no-calorie sweetener.

Pumpkin Pie Popsicles

Get *all* the health benefits from pumpkin without having to eat it in boring form. These frozen treats make Greek yogurt and pumpkin partner up for a totally yummy (and cooling) bite.

Heavenly Blueberry and Cream Dessert

Heavenly is the *absolute* right word to describe this dessert. Use a store-bought angel food cake to save yourself some time, then layer it with homemade whipped cream and fresh blueberries. Stick the completed trifle in the fridge for the next two hours while it chills.

Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Because who could ever say no to PB and chocolate? Certainly not us!

Cream Cheese Lemon Coffee Cake

Skip the calorie-laden slice of coffee cake and go with this lighter lemon version instead. The crumbly topping and tangy flavor will leave you wanting more, and that’s one craving you *can* give in to.

Gluten-Free Healthy Vegan Fruit Pizza

Fruit meets a creamy, sweet cream cheese filling in this vegan dessert. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to eat the whole rainbow – while still feeling healthy as ever. (via A Spicy Perspective)

BAKED PLANTAINS

Sweet, caramelized, and oh-so-easy to make, they're the guilt-free treat that proves healthy can be downright delicious.

PUMPKIN CHIA PUDDING

Pumpkin Chia Pudding is the fall-flavored upgrade your dessert game needs. It's a creamy, dreamy dance of pumpkin spice and everything nice.

Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Moist, decadent, and sneakily packed with veggies, they're the ultimate guilt-free indulgence. Get ready to redefine your relationship with chocolate – it's one of the healthy desserts you'll love savoring.

Roasted Peaches With Vegan Ice Cream and Granola

It's like a peach cobbler, but without the guilt trip. Your sweet tooth will thank you.

No Bake Chocolate Cake

Perfect for those moments when you crave a slice of heaven but don't want to turn up the heat. Go ahead, treat yourself!

Key Lime Meringue Pie

Talk about light and fluffy! This key lime pie is the one thing that won't give guests cavities during Thanksgiving because it's "not too tart, not too sweet" according to Averie.

Plant-Based Strawberry Marshmallow Cookies

What's soft and absolutely decadent? These plant-based cookies, that's what! They take 45 minutes to bake and require everything from Melt Organic vegan butter to freeze dried strawberries to create the chewiest sweets you'll taste during the holidays.

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

The holidays aren't complete without peppermint bark being on the menu. Everyone of all ages can enjoy this sweet and minty treat without spoiling their appetites.

Fruitcake Cookies

We've found the recipe that will make fruitcake lovers go wild! Ingredients like candied cherries, figs, walnut, and light brown sugar all add up to make 40 cookies with this recipe.

Cookie Dough Cake Pops

Keep it really light and simple with these cookie dough cake pops. They're 100% eggless and count as no-bake treats!

1. Women with a lot of friends value connection & community.

The one thing everyone with a solid group of friends can agree on is how it feels like you've built your own supportive community. Friends are often the first people we turn to with good or bad news, or the ones we simply want to go on adventures with. Osequeda says, "Women with strong friendship circles often value connection, community, and the power of vulnerability."

There's a realization that women in this unique position are able to "recognize that life is richer with a support system," says Osequeda. This involves "people who will listen, validate, and be there through both the highs and lows" she adds. From the friend who stayed up with you all night after a bad breakup to the one who cheered the loudest at your graduation, women who have a huge friend circle know that life feels better when we can connect with others.

Based on her experience as a therapist, she's "observed how women start friendships by gradually sharing layers of themselves." This can look like "having children at the same school or bonding over shared interests," she adds. This vulnerability is important because it creates a foundation that signals to women they've found their tribe.

2. Women with multiple friendships are open to vulnerability.

Like Osequeda mentioned, vulnerability can deepen our friendships. "These women are open to sharing the 'messy' parts of themselves which builds a deeper, more authentic bond." Also, she notes women with a lot of friends "aren't afraid to shed layers and be real" because "this vulnerability strengthens their sense of community." The more this happens over time, the more it "helps foster the connections" women with a lot of friends "cherish," according to Osequeda.

Honestly, she says "we’re all wired to seek out connection, and friendships provide that sense of community, validation, and belonging." She believes we truly "crave spaces where we can share our thoughts and feelings about what truly matters to us."

Asher believes women with lots of friends are "usually drawn towards one another in friendship" based on two levels:

• Level 1: Shared interests, appearance of confidence, a positive energy that they feel (smiling helps with this!)
• Level 2: (When in conversation) the safety they feel when speaking to another person, [emotional compatibility], how engaged the person is in conversation, and a desire to learn more about them, ultimately to find shared values.

This determines how women move forward in friendships. The approach is often led with "a deep sense of authenticity and care," according to Osequeda. "This is because women want relationships where they can be themselves, sharing hopes, dreams, and frustrations without judgment."

3. Women who have a lot of friends like other people they're friends with.

Again, the fact women with lots of friends actually like the people in their chosen circle is monumental. Asher says, "An interesting Yale study done in 2003 sought to look at 'popularity' in high schools to see if they could find something that all of the most liked and most popular kids had in common (outside of being a jock, etc.,)."

The common thread? "THEY liked the highest amount of people," Asher reveals. I talk about being a people pleaser a lot, but genuinely liking others isn't the same as that. IMO, it's actually admirable when people can respect others regardless of their race, religion, socioeconomic status, or sexuality.

She knows you're likely asking, "How does this apply to women having a lot of friends?" Her answer? "Across the board, the principle here is that women with the most friends are continuously on a hunt to find good and likable things about others."

However, this isn't based on a selfish need or want. "They've determined that the time invested in others is of mutual benefit," says Asher because "the biggest coast in adult female friendships is time — the most finite resource we all share in common."

4. These women also don't mind making new friends.

While making friends as adults shouldn't be hard, it definitely doesn't mean it comes easily. From overthinking to social anxiety, there's so many reasons why we struggle. Also, this idea we're doing fine without friends isn't exactly helpful or positive. Asher says, "The CDC has said that the impacts of loneliness on our bodies are more harmful than smoking 15 cigarettes A DAY! Making time for quality friendships (and the pursuit of it) is just as important for your physical state as working out is."

Where should you start if you want to forge new friendships? Osequeda says, "Start within communities that already resonate with you — whether it’s your child’s school, your workplace, a gym, dog park or a shared hobby. Places where you already belong create natural opportunities to connect." She even suggests giving "apps like Bumble BFF or local meet-up groups" a chance because they "can also help you find like-minded friends." But don't think you're limited to this!

Though Asher agrees that women tend to approach "friendships by trying to find commonalities right from the beginning," she says you don't have to confine yourself to this formula. "The reason I don't think this is best is because we are boxing ourselves in when we do this. The greatest friends could be on the other side of the stereotypes we're creating," she notes. Taking it a step further, Asher shared her own experience with this. "I watched all 3 of my best friends get married and have kids all before I ever got married. On the outside, most women would think 'They don’t have anything in common.' But on the inside, the character traits and values we each were looking for were mutual, and that became a more important compass for our friendship than the stage in life we were each in."

She was even surprised she'd become close to her best friends because of how things looked externally. "We had nothing in common, but I'm so glad I didn't box myself in," she says excitedly.

Here Are Even More Ways To Make New Friends!

Asher has three ways you can open yourself up to new adult friendships if you're interested.

1. The most important place to start is our mindset. We have to first decide “I don’t want to be lonely anymore, and I’m worth having meaningful friendships.” When we make that decision, then we give ourselves permission and the courage to step out and take action in that! Important note about this: there was a study done at Stanford that revealed that people are 1.5x MORE likely to accept us than we think they are! So don’t let the fear of rejection hold you back!
2. Go first. Make the ask, and then make the plans! Saying “We should hang out sometime” is ineffective because “sometime” isn’t a day on the calendar! We cannot wait for other people to want to pursue a friendship with us, because most of us are in this same boat — not knowing where to start! We can pursue connection, get plugged into a community (examples: book club, fitness class, church, etc), or create our own connections by just inviting someone over to our house/apartment. The biggest thing we need to remind ourselves of that is to stop making excuses, or pre-determining how we think people will respond!
3. Again, don’t box yourself in. Don’t let your preconceived notions of what you think your archetype of a friend will look like stop you from spending time with others who don't fit that label. As addressed above, the friendships we’ve been looking for our whole lives could be right behind the stereotypes we’ve created! It’s more about character traits than it is about the external compatibility of hobbies or stages of life.

Osequeda's last piece of advice? "If you already have a friend group, meeting friends of friends is another great way to grow your circle. They key is taking that first step with a little bit of vulnerability — start a conversation, ask a question, and show interest." She's sure "it's these small moments of openness that create lasting connections!"