20 Sweet + Salted Caramel Treats to Make STAT

Heather Sage
Oct 10, 2014

Salt and caramel. They go together like chocolate and hazelnut, our childhood favorite peanut butter and jelly, bacon, lettuce and tomato… you get the idea. It’s amazing how just a tiny sprinkle of the crystals can transform the usual, sweet caramels into well-balanced treats. We highly recommend that you add these 20 salted caramel recipes to your list of salty-sweet desserts to make!

1. Salted Caramel Rice Crispy Treats: Upgrade the classic, marshmallow-y after school snack with a touch of caramel and sea salt. Oh yes, and a spoonful of peanut butter — sounds pretty darn good, right? (via Little Figgy)

2. Dark Chocolate Espresso Ice Cream With Toffee and Salted Caramel: A drizzle of salted caramel holds its own against a scoop of rich chocolate and coffee-flavored ice cream. Go ahead and make ice cream sandwiches using donuts to hold it all together, and see who can resist its charms. (via Curly Girl Kitchen)

3. Salted Caramel Apple Cider Blondies: No question, these blondies are definitely meant for fall baking. (via Yummy Crumble)

4. Salted Caramel Mocha Nutella Brownies: Have mercy! These ooey gooey brownies almost have too much good stuff going for them. (via Half Baked Harvest)

5. Salted Caramel Cheesecake: Pack these jarred cheesecakes in your lunchbox or next picnic basket, or simply have them at the ready in your fridge for some late-night snacking. (via Brit + Co)

6. Homemade Salted Caramel Corn: Popcorn with a sweet-salty flavor combo is the way to go to keep things balanced. (via Buttered Side Up)

7. Apple Cinnamon Pretzel Bites: All-too-tempting on their own, apple and cinnamon-sugar pretzels become absolutely irresistible when dipped in salted caramel sauce. (via Yammie’s Noshery)

8. Frozen Hot Chocolate: A pump of salted caramel syrup adds just a slight sweet-savory undertone to this chilly sip. (via Handmade Mood)

9. Peanut Macaron With Salted Caramel and Banana Filling: Four tasty flavors are packed into each of these petite macarons. Yum! (via Thank God I Bake)

10. Peanut Butter Cheesecake Donuts: Stuffed with peanut butter cheesecake and drizzled with a bourbon-spiked chocolate caramel sauce, donuts like these go way beyond those at the local bakery. (via Half Baked Harvest)

11. Salted Caramel Peanut Pie: Hit pay dirt with these Payday-esque petite pies. (via Hungry Couple)

12. Birthday Sundaes: These sundaes are certainly special enough for birthday celebrations, but you definitely don’t have to wait for someone’s b-day to scoop ’em up. (via Glazed and Confused)

13. Banana Choco Hazelnut Cake: Banana bread-esque cake layers plus Nutella buttercream AND salted caramel makes this one lustworthy creation. (via The Cake Blog)

14. Apple Chips With Salted Caramel: Chips and dip go sweet and just a touch salty with this tasty combo. (via Our Life Tastes Good)

15. Salted Caramel Bourbon Milkshake: Ice cream, booze, caramel and touch of salt make this a shake to enjoy sparingly, but it’s easy to savor every sip. (via Brit + Co)

16. Salted Caramel Oatmeal: Move over maple and brown sugar, waking up to caramel-drizzled, chocolatey oatmeal is the new thing to do. (via The Almond Eater)

17. Salted Caramel Bacon Bark (Paleo): We’re kinda hoping someone will gift us with a box of this homemade chocolate bark. (via Civilized Caveman Cooking)

18. Salted Caramel Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches (Vegan): Good to the last drop, you’ll want to lick every speck of these fudge cookie ice cream sandos right off your fingers. (via My Darling Vegan)

19. Salted Caramel Glazed Maple Bacon Cake Pops: These pops sure do sound rich, but a few ingredient swaps make each one clock in at about 80 calories. It’s a good thing, since it’s hard to stop at just one. (via Ruled.Me)

20. Brioche French Toast: Talk about a (literally) sweet breakfast sandwich! (via Citrus and Candy)

Do you enjoy salted caramel, or is the straight-up sweet stuff more your thing? Let’s talk it out below!

17 Vegan Starbucks Drinks & Foods Plant-Based Eaters Need To Know About

Eating out as a vegan can be a true challenge, especially if you don’t exactly know that what you’re ordering is 100% vegan. Fast food faves like McDonald’s and Taco Bell are secretly packed with vegan items, and Starbucks is no exception. From oat milk coffees to satisfyingly savory snacks, you’ve actually got plenty of plant-based choices when you pull up at your local Starbucks.

Scroll on to explore every vegan Starbucks drink and food item you can add to your order!

Vegan Starbucks Drinks

Starbucks

1. Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado

This new-to-the-menu espresso drink combines brown sugar syrup and oat milk to balance out the punchy coffee notes.

Starbucks

2. Latte (Iced + Hot)

You can totally enjoy a latte at Starbucks if you're vegan. Their oat, almond, coconut, and soy milks are vegan, plus many of their syrups qualify as vegan, too, if you want to flavor up your drink. According to this Starbucks supervisor, all of Starbucks "clear" syrups are vegan and dairy-free. Starbucks' regular and white mocha sauces and caramel drizzle are also vegan and dairy-free.

Starbucks

3. Americano (Iced + Hot)

Starbucks' Americanos are just water and espresso, so you don't have to worry about any dairy being in there. Optionally, you could ask for a splash of non-dairy milk and pumps of your fave syrup.

Starbucks

4. Brewed Coffee (Iced + Hot)

Same goes for their brewed coffees, including iced coffee. Easily ask your barista to add in some non-dairy milk and a few pumps of syrup if you desire!

Starbucks

5. Nondairy Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew

This vegan cold brew drink is crafted with non-dairy cold foam that's flavored with salted caramel – and it's delish!

Starbucks

6. Nitro Cold Brew

A plain nitro cold brew from Starbucks is fully vegan and dairy-free. You can choose to add a splash of non-dairy milk, if you wish your sip to be a bit smoother and creamier.

Starbucks

7. Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

This one's a classic: shots of espresso get shaken up with ice and brown sugar syrup to create a frothy foam, then the drink is topped off with oat milk to cut the bitterness. It's quite a delectable order, even if you're not eating fully vegan.

Starbucks

8. Starbucks Refreshers

All of Starbucks' fruity Refreshers are vegan. Plus, you can can add lemonade, tea, other flavor inclusions like strawberry and peach to add some extra oomph.

Starbucks

9. Iced Black Tea

Their refreshing iced black tea is certifiably vegan, too.

Starbucks

10. Iced Green Tea

If you prefer green tea, Starbucks' offering is vegan-friendly. If you tend to take your tea a bit sweeter, just order it with however many packets of your preferred sweetener, and your barista will add it in.

Starbucks

11. Lemonade

You truly can't go wrong with a lemonade!

Starbucks

12. Hot Teas

Starbucks' hot teas are totally vegan, too. If you want to make them fancier, ask for an additional splash of your go-to non-dairy milk!

Vegan Starbucks Foods

Starbucks

1. Rolled & Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Now onto the food! First up is Starbucks' oatmeal, which you can fancy up with nuts, berries, and brown sugar. Make sure to order it with water to ensure it stays vegan.

Starbucks

2. Plain Bagel

Surprisingly, Starbucks' bagels are also vegan.

Starbucks

3. Everything Bagel

The plain and everything bagels will work for any vegan eater.

Starbucks

4. Avocado Spread

Plus, you can order your bagel with a side of this delicious avocado spread for a nutritious boost!

Starbucks

5. Spicy Falafel Pocket

This 100% vegan snack pocket is new to the Starbucks menu, but it's already become a fan-favorite amongst vegans and non-vegans alike.

Starbucks

6. Chipotle Almond Dip

You can order the Spicy Falafel Pocket with a side of this fully-vegan Chipotle Almond Dip (AKA Bitchin’ Sauce). Yum.

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Jenna Bush Hager's New Book Club Pick Is A Family Drama That "Will Sweep You Off Your Feet"

What is it about family sagas that seem to make book clubs more interesting? Maybe it's because we know interpersonal relationships can be a little dysfunctional. It could be that we still don't know how to communicate with the people we love the most. Even if we love our parents and siblings, reading about other families' fictional twists and turns gives us a rush of adrenaline.

So it's no wonder Jenna Bush Hager's January book club pick feels like something we can read without putting down. It's full of complicated relationship dynamics, love, and reconciling one's identity with their past. You can say it's the perfect read to kick off your 2025 reading goals!

Learn more about Jenna Bush Hager's 2025 book club pick and fall in love with one character's journey of self-discovery.

Amazon

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight

Penn should be excited about advancing her education at the University of Edinburgh, but she can't stop thinking about the secret her parents have been keeping from her. For some reason, she believes she'll uncover it while she's in Scotland because Lord Lennox — her father's friend — is in the area.

Her hunger for the truth leads her to Lord Lennox's estate where she she starts mingling with his family and even discovers love in this moving novel.

@readwithjenna/Instagram

Jenna Bush Hager's Thoughts About The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus

Jenna Bush Hager thinks readers will love The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus because "it's a rich novel" with themes of "friendship and motherhood" (via Instagram). It's so good, she's sure "it will sweep you off your feet (via Instagram).

We hope you enjoy reading about Penn's journey in The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus and encourage you to check out Reese Witherspoon's January book club pick next!

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7 New Trader Joe’s Items Under $5 You Need To Try In January

Trader Joe’s loves to keep us on our toes when it comes to their new arrivals. We’re constantly monitoring the aisles to discover all the new TJ’s sweet treats and savory snacks they launch – and these 7 new picks for January 2025 are not to be missed! All of these Trader Joe’s products will run you less than $5, which only makes sealing the deal on your grocery bill easier.

From delicious dips to a very enticing new frozen meal, these are the 7 best new Trader Joe’s finds you absolutely need to try in January 2025.

Trader Joe's

1. Teensy Candy Bars

These tiny little candy bar bites ($2.99) resemble Snickers in the best way possible: layers of nougat, caramel, and peanuts are enveloped in a delicious chocolate coating for maximum snackage. We're gonna have to resist eating the whole bag! TJ's even suggests using these bits as decoration for other desserts, like sprinkling some on a scoop of ice cream or baking them into some cookies.

Trader Joe's

2. Olive Tapenade Hummus

Trader Joe's array of dips is simply too good to resist, and this newcomer hummus ($3.49) is no exception! It's a tub of "smooth and nutty" hummus topped with a tapenade comprised of black olives, manzanilla olives, capers, and olive oil to give it a salty effect. It's gonna taste so great as a dip for crackers or as a spread on a Mediterranean pita wrap.

Trader Joe's

3. Organic Concord Grape Jelly

This squeezable grape jelly ($3.49) is nothing short of nostalgic. Trader Joe's says it's "super smooth, joyously juicy, and potently purple," which immediately has us sold on making PB&Js every day now.

Trader Joe's

4. Spicy Chicken Nuggets

Oh, yeah. Bring on the spice with these spicy nuggs ($3.99) that make the perfect easy meal no matter the time of day! Made from all-natural chicken breast and rib meat, breaded with wheat, rice and corn flours, then covered in hot sauce and lightly fried, TJ's has their texture down to a tee. You can easily cook 'em in the air fryer, oven, or microwave before chowing down!

Trader Joe's

5. Crispy Potato & Poblano Pepper Tacos

These halved and fried frozen tacos ($4.99) will totally crush your Taco Bell cravings, since they come together super quickly and contain flavors with mind-blowing authenticity! Each taco is filled with a blend of seasoned mashed potatoes and some "ever-so- slightly spicy" poblano peppers that'll work so well with any dipping sauce, from TJ's salsa to their creamy Jalapeño Sauce.

Trader Joe's

6. Strawberry Mini Hold The Cone!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Trader Joe's is debuting a new flavor ($3.99) of their classic Hold The Cone! frozen dessert: strawberry! These tiny, chocolate-covered cones are lined with even more "rich" chocolate on the inside, then packed with strawberry ice cream, which TJ's says is crafted with plenty of strawberry purée.

Trader Joe's

7. Caesar Salad Dip

Trader Joe's shoppers have said this new Caesar Salad Dip ($3.69) makes a perfect girl dinner addition– which, if you get it, you get it! The tub starts with a "creamy" base that's then loaded up with Caesar-seasoned sour cream, mayo, anchovy paste, Parmesan, and finely shredded Romaine for the crunch. It's best enjoyed with crackers or veggie sticks to dip, but you could also smatter fried chicken or seared steak in it for some ahh-mazing flavor!

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