A creamy and luxurious Roasted Garlic Potato Soup. When you roast garlic it becomes sweet, not harsh at all! We’re adding it to a smooth and silky potato soup and the flavor is just out of this world!

I am so in love with this soup.

This velvety smooth roasted garlic potato soup has got me falling head over heels with every bite I take. Warm and creamy bites of potato soup with hints of roasted garlic, sauteed leeks, and onions, topped with gruyere grilled cheese croutons. It’s so smooth that it feels like you’re sippin’ on silk! It’s the ultimate comfort food!

It’s no secret that soups are some of my all-time favorite food to make. I have an overabundance of soup recipes here on LSJ. But honestly… can you ever have enough soup recipes? 

And if you look at my soups and stews you’ll find one thing in common – almost all of them have one thing in common. They don’t always contain potatoes. *gasp*

I have a strong suspicion that I consumed a lifetime’s worth of potatoes before I turned 5. Because all of a sudden, potatoes became my least favorite food. In my thirties, I’ve learned to love them again so don’t worry cheesy potato recipes like my cheddar mashed potatoes with definitely be coming around more often!

Moving along… One of the key components in this recipe is the roasted garlic. It’s the absolute best part about this roasted garlic potato soup, other than the parmesan, and all the aromatics we use. I love how just a simple 40 minutes in the oven really brings out all the sweeter notes in garlic. It’s not pungent or offensive, but rather mild, sweet, and a more well-rounded flavor. Each sip of this silky-smooth potato soup is like a little dance across your tongue.

It honestly tastes divine! But don’t worry, if you too have an aversion to potatoes, I make a mean roasted cauliflower soup with truffle oil that you can try instead!

Ingredients for roasted garlic potato soup:

• Garlic: Start by slicing the top of a whole head of garlic and exposing the cloves of garlic. We’ll season, wrap this in foil, and roast it for this roasted garlic soup recipe.
• Potatoes: I prefer to use russet potatoes for my leek and potato soup recipe. You can use other types of potatoes, such as Yukon gold potatoes, but the starchiness of russet potatoes really helps make this recipe extra smooth. We’ll boil the potatoes until fork tender before adding them to the soup.
• Butter and Olive Oil: We’ll saute the aromatics in the butter and use the olive oil to drizzle on the garlic before we roast it in the oven.
• Onions and Leeks: These are the aromatics that add tons of flavor to the soup. We’ll saute them in butter to really bring out all that natural flavor as they slightly brown.
• Flour: Helps thicken the soup. In the past, I’ve used a bit more flour than you find in the recipe now. I find a slightly thinner soup is more my preference!
• Chicken Broth: I typically use homemade chicken broth or chicken stock but vegetable broth would also work for this recipe.
• Milk and Heavy Cream: milk and heavy cream add creaminess and a smoother taste and texture to the bowls of warm soup. We’ll add these ingredients at the end and then let them simmer and warm through before we use the immersion blender to blend the soup.
• Thyme and Chives: the thyme adds flavor to the soup and the chives are a nice garnish to this roasted garlic potato soup recipe!
• Parmesan cheese: adds nuttiness that plays up beautifully with roasted garlic and all the other ingredients in this comforting soup.
• Gruyere and bread: These ingredients are entirely optional and really only necessary if you want to make the gruyere grilled cheese croutons to serve on top of your soup recipe. You could even use sharp cheddar cheese or other types if you like something else in your grilled cheese sandwiches.
• Seasonings: You’ll need both kosher salt and black pepper for the seasonings.

How to make roasted garlic potato soup:

1. Roast the garlic. Preheat the oven. Slice off the top of the garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Wrap garlic head in foil, place on a baking tray, and roast until garlic is tender. Let the garlic head cool to room temperature before attempting to squeeze it out.
2. Bring to a boil. While the garlic is roasting, bring a large saucepan of water to boiling. Add the whole potatoes and boil them until they’re tender. Allow them to cool, peel, and then dice them to add to the soup later. You can also make the potatoes a day in advance, and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge before peeling them. It’s a great way to speed up total time on the day you make this!
3. Saute the aromatics. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and leeks and saute until the onions and leeks soften and turn translucent.
4. Make the soup. Lower to medium heat, add the flour, and cook until the flour is lightly golden. Add the broth, milk, cream, thyme, salt and pepper. Let the soup reach a boil then simmer until it starts to thicken. Add the potatoes, and squeeze in the roasted garlic, add the parmesan cheese. 
5. Blend the soup. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. You can also do this in a traditional blender by transferring and blending in batches. If the soup is thick for your liking, add more chicken broth according to preference, you might need up to 1 cup. Stir the soup, give it one last taste, and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Serving. Transfer the soup into bowls from the dutch oven. Top with parmesan cheese, chives, crackers, or with Gruyère grilled cheese croutons (recipe in notes.)

If you like this soup, you might also like:

• Harvest Pumpkin Leek Soup
• Easy Cheesy Bean and Rice Enchilada Soup
• Soul-Warming Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup
• Hearty Minestrone Soup
• Silky Honeynut Squash Soup

Original recipe posted Feb 2015, updated Oct 2023.

Yield: 5-6 servings

Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

A creamy and luxurious Roasted Garlic Potato Soup. When you roast garlic it becomes sweet, not harsh at all! We’re adding it to a smooth and silky potato soup and the flavor is just out of this world!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic, whole
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1¾ pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 cup white onions, chopped
• 1 leek, cleaned/thinly sliced (whites and light greens)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable)
• 1 cup whole milk (or 2%)
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme (¼ if dry)
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Salt + pepper to taste
• Chopped chives or grilled cheese croutons for topping (see notes)

Instructions

1. ROAST: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF. Slice off the top of the garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Wrap garlic head in foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 40-45 minutes or until garlic is tender. Let cool before squeezing.
2. BOIL: While the garlic is roasting, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the peeled potatoes and boil until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and cube.
3. SAUTE: Melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and leeks and saute for 6-8 minutes or until the onions and leeks soften and turn translucent.
4. MAKE SOUP: lower the heat to medium, add the flour, and cook for 60-90 seconds or until the flour is lightly golden. Add the 4 cups broth, milk, cream, thyme, a 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper. Let the soup reach a boil then allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the potatoes, squeeze in the roasted garlic, and parmesan cheese.
5. BLEND: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. You can also do this in a traditional blender by transferring and blending in batches. If the soup is thick for your liking, add more chicken broth according to preference; you might need up to 1 cup. Taste and adjust with seasonings as desired.
6. SERVE: serve in bowls topped with parmesan cheese, chives, crackers, or with Gruyère grilled cheese croutons (recipe in notes.)

Notes

• Grilled Cheese Croutons: Grab 4 slices of white country bread and spread with a couple tablespoons of unsalted butter on both sides. Add grated Gruyère cheese (about ¼ cup to each) to two of the slices. Top with the cheese-less slices and cook the grilled cheese sandwiches in a warm skillet or panini press until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for several seconds and cut into 1-inch croutons. Top soup and enjoy!
  
• Roasted Garlic Vs. Leeks: If you want this to have a very prominent roasted garlic flavor, I suggest maybe even doubling up on the roasted garlic and using less of the leeks or omitting them entirely. 1 head of garlic with the leeks does give this a balanced flavor where the garlic or leeks work harmoniously. If you want it to be extra garlicky, use more garlic!

Have you made this recipe?

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Blackened Hot Honey Salmon is my favorite salmon recipe right now! It’s so quick and easy to make with just 7 ingredients! This is the perfect quick and easy salmon dinner for when you want something gourmet without having to put in a ton of work! Make it on the stovetop or the oven!

Drizzle that hot honey all over the salmon!

Blackened hot honey salmon is one of those quick and easy dinners I find myself making over and over again! It’s great if you want to serve the salmon and broccoli on its own. But even better in a bowl with rice. The flavors are spicy and sweet but then you get a hit of umami from the parmesan broccoli and the whole thing is just *chef’s kiss* Your taste buds are going to thank you!

I know I’ve shared my quick and easy cajun salmon bites that I cut into cubes and toss in the air fryer. And these are super similar! But we hit them at the end with a little homemade hot honey and all of a sudden, we have a completely different flavor to the whole thing!

Start by brushing the salmon with melted butter before you season it with blackened seasoning. Then, pan-fry the salmon or toss it in the oven with parmesan broccoli and watch how quickly this cooks up! Drizzle with homemade hot honey when the fillets are warm out of the oven!

Ingredients for blackened hot honey salmon:

• Salmon Fillets: I like to use about a 5-ounce filet for each portion of this recipe. I typically grab a larger filet and then cut it into 4 pieces. You can also purchase premade filets to make your life easier! Keep in mind the recipe timings are for a 5-ounce filet, so if you use a 4 or 6-ounce, the timing will vary slightly.
• Blackened Seasoning: I use a store-bought blackened seasoning, though I have shared a homemade version with my blackened salmon tacos before if you prefer to make your own! Cajun or creole seasoning also works just fine for this recipe. Keep in mind that if you use a salt-free seasoning, you’ll want to add a teaspoon of kosher salt to the seasoning mix before you sprinkle it on the salmon.
• Garlic Powder: Adds a bit more garlic flavor to the seasoning mix.
• Butter: We’ll use the butter to saute the salmon in a skillet or to brush on the fillets before you bake them in the oven. The rest will get tossed with the broccoli. Olive oil would also work here if you prefer to keep things a little lighter!
• Broccoli florets: Broccoli adds color and crunch to this recipe. If you aren’t a fan, you can prepare the salmon and omit the broccoli and its ingredients from the recipe. A kale salad would also make a great side for this recipe!
• Grated Parmesan: Adds umami to the recipe. We’ll toss the broccoli with the parmesan and it becomes so golden and delicious in the oven!
• Hot Honey: I make homemade hot honey for this recipe, but store-bought will also work. My hot honey recipe contains ingredients like cayenne, jalapenos or red pepper flakes, honey, and a splash of hot sauce. Just bring everything to a simmer over medium heat. You can find the full recipe here. Hot honey is a great condiment to use on chicken fingers, pizza, fries, and on a cheese board.
• Rice or quinoa: These are optional serving suggestions!

How to make hot honey salmon:

1. Get the oven going. Whenever I make salmon, I like to remove it from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Start by preheating your oven. You’ll also want to line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
2. Prepare the salmon to roast or pan-fry. Brush the filets with a bit of melted butter. In a small bowl, combine some of the blackened seasoning with the garlic powder. Then sprinkle this on the filets. Arrange the salmon on one half of the baking sheet leaving space for the broccoli, you can also place the salmon in the middle and arrange the broccoli around it, it is totally your call!
3. Toss the broccoli. In a medium bowl, toss the remaining butter with the broccoli, a bit more of the blackened seasoning, and the grated parmesan. Pop the broccoli on the same baking sheet.
4. Roast it in the oven. Roast the salmon and broccoli until the salmon filets are almost cooked through and the broccoli is golden. Drizzle the filets with hot honey and you can also add some to the broccoli if you’d like. I like to broil it for the last few seconds to get a little bit more color on top. If you don’t want to make the salmon in the oven, I’ve also provided directions for how to make the protein on the stove!
5. Serve this up. Top bowls of rice with salmon filets and roasted broccoli. Serve top with more hot honey if you’d like!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Chili Crisp Salmon with Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad
• Garlic Butter Baked Salmon in Foil
• Pineapple Salsa Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze
• Thai Sweet Chili Salmon Bowls
• Sesame Citrus Glazed Salmon

Yield: Serves 4

Blackened Hot Honey Salmon with Broccoli

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Blackened Hot Honey Salmon is my favorite salmon recipe right now! It's so quick and easy to make with just 7 ingredients! This is the perfect quick and easy salmon dinner for when you want something gourmet without having to put in a ton of work! Make it on the stovetop or the oven!

Print

Ingredients

• 4 (5-ounce) ounces salmon filets
• 3 teaspoons blackened seasoning (or cajun/creole)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 3-4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 2-4 tablespoons hot honey (or store-bought)
• Prepared rice, for serving

Instructions

1. PREP: Remove the salmon from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 475ºF.
2. BRUSH AND SPRINKLE: Brush salmon filets with a bit of melted butter. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of blackened seasoning with the garlic powder. Then sprinkle this on the filets. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the salmon on one half of the baking sheet leaving space for the broccoli.
3. TOSS: In a medium bowl, toss the remaining butter with the broccoli and 1 teaspoon of blackened seasoning along with the grated parmesan. Place the broccoli on the other half of the baking sheet.
4. ROAST: Roast the salmon and broccoli for 10-15 minutes or until the salmon filets are almost cooked through and the broccoli is golden. Drizzle 2-4 tbsp hot honey or each of the filets and some on the broccoli. Broil for the last 20-60 seconds or until golden.
5. SERVE: Top bowls of rice with salmon filets and roasted broccoli. Serve top with more hot honey as desired.

Notes

• Skillet directions: You can also make the salmon in a skillet. Instead of brushing the filets with butter, I like to sprinkle them with the seasoning mix and then melt 1 tbsp of butter in the skillet directly. Place the salmon filets skin side up and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. Drizzle with roughly 2 tbsp of hot honey and remove the salmon from the stovetop immediately to keep it from browning.
• Air fryer: I usually make the broccoli in the air fryer when I’m making the salmon stove top. Preheat the air fryer to 375ºF. Transfer broccoli to the basket and cook for 9 minutes, tossing around the halfway mark. Hit the broccoli with 1-2 tbsp of hot honey for the last 30 seconds of browning.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Learn how to make hot honey at home with only 4 ingredients! This recipe makes an easy hot honey that’s a great condiment for dipping fried chicken fingers or chicken wings, drizzle on pizza and biscuits, or else you like! The spiciness is up to you, so add more peppers for a hotter hot honey, or less for a milder one!

Someone once told me they eat hot honey on vanilla ice cream.

And though I haven’t gathered the courage to try that, I’ve tried it on so many other things. Like for example, I use the candied jalapeños from my homemade hot honey and eat them on toast with peanut butter. It’s honey one of the best things when you’re craving something sweet, spicy, creamy! So if you’re into that sort of taste-y treat, it’s worth trying!

Other ways to use hot honey include drizzling it on a spice of pizza, french fries, serving it as a condiment on your charcuterie board or my char’boo’terie board! Spicy honey is great on salmon and roasted vegetables, drizzled on homemade biscuits, other protein, and so much more! 

But buying a jar of Mike’s Hot Honey or one of the other larger brands can be expensive! I think it was $12 the last time I went to the store. You can totally make a bigger batch of that for half the price at home!

Ingredients for homemade hot honey

• Honey: This one is a give for a batch of hot honey! Use any kind of honey that you usually keep on hand. I usually buy mine in bulk and locally when possible!
• Jalapeno peppers: I looove using fresh chilies like, jalapeño peppers in my hot honey recipe. They add a delicious complexity to the honey. You can also use red pepper flakes or chili flakes if you don’t have jalapenos on hand. Serrano peppers also make a good substitute and typically add a bit of heat. For an even spicier hot honey, swap the green peppers for habanero peppers! That’s sure to add a nice kick!
• Cayenne Pepper: The dried chiles add a change of flavor from the fresh! You can use as little or as much of the cayenne as you’d like. The more that you use, the spicier this hot honey sauce is going to be!
• Hot sauce: I like to use something like Cholula or Tapatio. You can also use a Louisiana-style hot sauce that. If you prefer a more acidic spicy honey, just add 1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.

My homemade hot honey recipe

1. Add it all in. In a small saucepan add the honey, jalapeño slices, cayenne pepper and hot sauce. Stir to combine.
2. Bring it to a simmer. Bring this to a simmer over medium-low heat until small bubbles start to form around the edges of the pot. Lower the heat once it reaches a boil, and let the peppers steep in the honey.
3. Strain the mixture. If you don‘t want to use the jalapeños for your recipe, remove them by straining the hot honey into your favorite mason jar. I typically leave the peppers in and use them within a week.
4. Storage. Allow the honey to cool to room temperature before adding the lid. Use the hot honey within 1 week if you keep the jalapeños in. You can store them for up to 2 weeks if you discard the fresh chili peppers. Use a clean tablespoon or honeycomb to drizzle onto your favorite foods!

Other sauces and condiments you might like:

• Fresh Herb Vinaigrette 
• Best Homemade Italian Dressing
• Easy Quick Pickled Onions
• 2-Minute Caesar Salad Dressing
• Just Like Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce

Yield: ~1 cup

Homemade Hot Honey Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Learn how to make hot honey at home with only 4 ingredients! This recipe makes an easy hot honey that’s a great condiment for dipping fried chicken fingers or chicken wings, drizzle on pizza and biscuits, or else you like! The spiciness is up to you, so  add more peppers for a hotter hot honey, or less for a milder one!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup honey
• 1-2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
• ¼ -½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2-4 teaspoons hot sauce (such as Cholula or Tapatio)

Instructions

1. COMBINE: In a small saucepan add the honey, jalapeño slices, cayenne pepper and hot sauce. Stir to combine.
2. SIMMER: Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat until small bubbles start to form around the edges. Lower the heat to low once it reaches a boil. Let the peppers steep in the honey for 4-5 minutes.
3. STRAIN: If you don‘t want to use the jalapeños for your recipe, remove them by straining the hot honey into your favorite mason jar. I typically leave the peppers in and use them within a week.
4. STORAGE: Allow the honey to cool to room temperature before covering with a lid. Use the hot honey within 1 week if you kept the jalapeños in. You can store them for up to 2 weeks if you discarded the peppers. Drizzle onto pizza, chicken strips, and much more!

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

The perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee! These spiced chai pumpkin cheesecake muffins are tender and loaded with warm chai spices. No dry crumbs here, just tender, delicious pumpkin muffins all around!

New fall favorite muffin recipe right there!

And I’ve got pumpkin fever. As in, give me all the pumpkin spice, savory pumpkin (or any squash, really) recipes, and all the pie, cupcakes and muffins you can find. I’ll take it all.

These pumpkin cheesecake muffins happen to be the newest addition to the party. They’re ridiculously perfect served with a warm mug of joe. Not too sweet, topped with cheesecake batter and tender on the inside. If there’s anything I love more than cake or muffins, it’s those same things topped with cheesecake!

A few weeks ago I ran a poll on Instagram asking if you guys would like to see a cheddar jalapeno bread on the blog or if you’d rather see chai spiced pumpkin cookies. And though these are indeed not the cookies I talked about, the flavors are the same — just in muffin form. My favorite thing(s) about these spiced chai pumpkins cheesecake muffins? I can’t pick just one. They make your house smell all warm and fuzzy. They’re not overly sweet. They’re great with a warm mug of tea or coffee for breakfast or a midmorning snack.

What can I say?! I like sweet stuff for breakfast sometimes!

Muffins in the fall are my favorite things to bake. Don’t get me wrong, I make plenty of casseroles too, but muffins like these healthy carrot cake ones not only make your house smell like fall but also allow you to pack in veggies or squashes into something compact and easy enough to grab and go for breakfast.

Today’s pumpkin cheesecake muffins have two main parts: the chai spiced pumpkin muffins and the cheesecake batter topping.

What is chai spice?

Chai spice is a blend of warm spices used in making masala chai. Usually, when you’re making chai tea/lattes, you use them in the whole form, but for today’s recipe, we’re using the ground version to flavor our pumpkin cheesecake muffins.

What do I need to make the pumpkin cream cheese muffins?

• All-purpose flour: is the base of this recipe.
• Baking soda: is the leavening agent we use in this recipe.
• Salt: this one is pretty self explanatory.
• Sugar: you’ll need both brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Chai spices: You can use pumpkin pie spice for this recipe or you can make the custom blend that I use for my homemade chai spice. If you want this to be a true, chai-flavored pumpkin muffin, I suggest using my unique blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom. Allspice is one of those ingredients that is heavily used in pumpkin pie spice but not in chai spice. I also like to add nutmeg, but this is also not a spice that is typically used for pie spice.
• Large eggs: add structure and stability to this recipe.
• Pumpkin puree: gives the recipe moisture and makes the muffins tender and moist. Be sure to use homemade or canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The filling contains sugar and spices and since we’ll be adding these in ourselves, the pie filling won’t be a suitable substitute for good ol’ puree!
• Oil: adds moisture to the recipe and is the main source of fat.
• Pure vanilla extract: adds the most delicious scent and flavor. We’ll use this in both the filling and the muffin base.
• Softened cream cheese: we’ll use the cream cheese to create the filling or the topping/
• Powdered sugar: sweetens the create cheese mixture.
• Lemon juice: adds a bit of tang and makes the cream cheese mixture taste like cheesecake!

How to make pumpkin cheesecake muffins:

1. Do the prep work. Start by preheating the oven. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray of add paper liners to the muffin tin. Set this aside for now.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground spices and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set this aside for now.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients. This is the sugar, eggs, pumpkin purée, oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
4. Make the cheesecake batter. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of stand mixer or use a bowl annd ann electric mixer and whip it together to loosen it up. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and the lemon juice and mix until just combined.
5. Load the muffin tins. Scoop the pumpkin batter into the lined tin. If you want to use the cream cheese filling in the center, add a tablespoon to each of the muffins once they are halfway filled and then add more pumpkin muffin batter on top to fill the liners about two-thirds of the way full. More ways to use the cheesecake filling below!
6. Bake the muffins. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the muffins rise and are golden brown on top. Insert a toothpick in the center to see if they muffins are cooked all the way through. Allow the muffins to cool for a bit. I like to serve them at room temperature with a warm mug of coffee!

Ways to use the sweet cream cheese filling:

Okay. So you’ve got a few different options.

• You can add a dollop of the cheesecake batter on top of the muffins as I did. I find this more visually appealing, and I love that the cheesecake batter is front and center.
• You can use a piping bag to insert the cheesecake filling into the center.
• You can add a dollop to the top the way I did and then swirl it around to give it a more marble effect.
• You can fill it inside AND marble it on top.

There’s so much you can do with the filling. And what I love the most about it is that this recipe is super forgiving, all of these methods work!

So good I’ll be making these again before pumpkin season is up for sure!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
• Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf
• Homemade Pumpkin Bread Recipe
• Super Moist and Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
• Buttermilk Pumpkin Waffles

Original recipe posted Oct. 2018, updated Sept 2023.

Yield: 14-16 muffins

Chai Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

The perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee! These spiced chai pumpkin cheesecake muffins are tender and loaded with warm chai spices. No dry crumbs here, just tender, delicious pumpkin muffins all around!

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Ingredients

Muffin:

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons EACH: ground cinnamon AND vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon EACH: baking soda AND ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon EACH: salt, ground cloves, AND ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) pure pumpkin puree
• ½ cup oil (coconut, olive, vegetable, canola)

Cheesecake batter:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon EACH: vanilla extract AND lemon juice

Instructions

1. PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray two muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground spices, and salt; set aside.
2. WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix using a rubber spatula until *just combined*
3. CHEESECAKE BATTER: Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream for 30 seconds just to loosen it up, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice and  mix until *just combined*
4. MUFFINS: Fill the muffin pans with the pumpkin batter about two-thirds full. Add a tablespoon worth of cheesecake filling to the center and you can press it in, leave it on top, or swirl it on top using a toothpick to make a design. You can also use the cheesecake batter and a filling rather than a topping, if you'd like, both methods work!
5. BAKE: Bake the muffins for 16-19 minutes or until the muffins have risen and are golden brown on top. Let cool for a few minutes before trying to remove from the pan. Serve warm or room temperature!

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Learn how to make high protein bagels at home with just 5 ingredients! These bagels have a whopping 10 grams of protein per bagel and are made with greek yogurt and baking powder instead of yeast! So quick and easy to meal prep for breakfast throughout the week!

PROTEIN BAGELS.

Like, who am I? 

I could eat a bagel every day of my life if it wasn’t for those pesky little things called carbs. So we went ahead and balanced the scales a little bit by upping the protein in these quick and easy bagels and if you were to serve them with say, scrambled egg whites and cream cheese, I bet you could get around 30 grams of protein in your breakfast without even breaking a sweat!

But how could I even possibly like a baking powder leavened bagel instead of one with sourdough or yeast? This year, I’ve embarked upon a sourdough journey. And sometimes [read: most times] that comes with a lot of struggles before you get to a point where you enjoy adding flour, salt and water to a bowl and watching it rise on its own. 

Luckily, these high protein bagels require no previous cooking or baking skills. And before you freak out – don’t worry, there’s no whey protein powder or anything out of the ordinary in these bagels! If you can add all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and some greek yogurt to a bowl, you can make protein bagels at home in a flash!

Brush your bagels with a beaten egg white, this adds more protein and gives the bagels a little bit of glue so that you can sprinkle them with your toppings of choice – sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, dehydrated garlic, poppy seeds, dried onion, or anything else you please!

And yes, air fryer friends, you don’t even have to turn the oven on if you don’t want to!

Ingredients for protein bagels:

• All purpose flour: I have good news for you! Both all purpose and bread flour will work for this recipe. The higher the protein in the flour, the crisper these bagels will be. Most high protein bagel recipes call for self-rising or self-raising flour. This is something I rarely have in the pantry. So I went ahead and made the recipe with regular flour. If you have self-rising flour at home and want to use it, see the notes under the recipe card on what ingredients you’ll need got swap out! 
• Baking powder: this is the leavening agent in our recipe. We’ll add the baking powder and kosher salt to our dough and let it hang out for 5-10 minutes. This allows the baking powder to really be absorbed by the other ingredients and leaves us with one protein-packed bagel!
• Kosher salt: pretty self explanatory here! Use sea salt or kosher salt. Keep in mind that if you are using everything bagel seasoning that contains a lot of sodium, you might want to cut the salt back to 3/4 teaspoon If you usually prefer things less salty!
• Greek yogurt: I like using full fat greek yogurt for this recipe. My favorite is Fage 5%, but 2% or even 0% will work. I do suggest using a higher fat percentage if possible though, I find it gives the bagels a better taste. And yes, vegan Greek yogurt should work well in place of traditional greek yogurt!
• Egg white: This is to egg wash the bagels with before we sprinkle them with our seasonings. 
• Seasoning of choice: I’m pretty picky when it comes to bagels! My seasoning of choice is always sesame seeds. You won’t see me straying anywhere from that, but you coiled use poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, garlic flakes, or everything bagel seasoning! I usually make sourdough bagels with Asiago cheese shredded right on top, and I can’t imagine that would be anything but delicious!!

How to my 5-ingredient protein bagel recipe at home:

1. Start by preheating the oven. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside for now.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. If you wanted to flavor the bagel dough, with say, cinnamon, this would be a good time to do so! Whisk the dry ingredients so they are thoroughly combined.
3. Add in the greek yogurt. Add the yogurt and using your hands or a silicone spatula, bring the dough together. It’s going to be very crumbly in the beginning but as you work the dough, it will come together – I promise! The prep time on these in under 15 minutes!
4. Divide and roll it out. Once the dough starts holding its shape, dump it out onto a clean work surface. If your dough is particular sticky, you might want to flour the surface a little bit To keep it from sticking. Divide it out into 6 equal pieces. Roll the dough into a thick rope, about 7-8 inches in length. Then connect the ends and gently roll the joining on the counter to fuse them together to create a “donut”. Place the bagel on the parchment-lined baking sheet And then repeat these steps with the remaining dough.
5. Brush the bagels and sprinkle them. You can do this directly on the baking sheet or transfer to a rimmed bowl or plate. Brush with a beaten egg white adn the sprinkle with your favorite seasonings.
6. Bake the bagels. Place the pan in the oven and let the bagels bake until they’re golden brown and fluffy. I like to remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature before I store them. The total time on these is around 40 minutes and the reward is half a dozen bagels!

FAQs about this recipe

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• 2-Ingredient Flatbread Naan
• Easy Blender Crepes
• Eggs in Purgatory
• How to Make Egg Bites in the Oven
• Savory Zucchini Muffins with Cheddar (high protein)

Yield: Serves 6

Homemade High Protein Bagels

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Learn how to make high protein bagels at home with just 5 ingredients! These bagels have a whopping 10 grams of protein per bagel and are made with greek yogurt and baking powder instead of yeast! So quick and easy to meal prep for breakfast throughout the week!

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Ingredients

• 2¼ cups all purpose flour (or bread flour)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ cup greek yogurt
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• Sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning

Instructions

1. PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. MIX: In a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients until mixed. Then add the greek yogurt and mix together until a dough forms. You might want to use your hands to make this easier!
3. DIVIDE: Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Divide it out into 6 equal pieces. If the dough is sticky dust with flour, I didn’t need to.
4. ROLL: out the dough into a thick rope, about 7-8 inches in length. Join the ends and gently press. Place your hand through the hole gently roll the joining part on the counter so that the ends fuse. Place the bagels on the prepared baking sheet and let sit for 5-10 minutes if possible. This allows the bagels to puff up more.
5. BRUSH AND SPRINKLE: On a clean plate, place one bagel, brush with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or bagel seasoning. Place the bagel on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining bagels.
6. BAKE: Place the pan in the oven and bake the bagels for 20-25 minutes or golden brown on top. Remove the bagels to a wire rack and let them rest for 10 minutes or until cooled so you can slice them. Toast if desired and spread with cream cheese. Store leftover bagels in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Notes

• use self-rising/self-raising flour: you can also use self-rising flour if this is something you typically keep on hand. Replace the flour, baking powder, and most of the kosher salt with 2¼ cups self-rising flour. You’ll still need ¼ teaspoon of salt in addition to the flour!
• seasonings: You can use an array of seasoning for these bagels. Dehydrated garlic or onion would work too. If you use an everything bagel seasoning with salt, you might want to cut the salt back to ¾ teaspoon to keep the bagels from being too salty.

• Air fryer directions: Preheat the air fryer to 300ºF for at least 5 minutes. Then add the bagels and air fry them for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 206Total Fat: 2gCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gProtein: 10g

The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwiches are a quick and easy protein-packed lunch option for boxed lunches! Tuna salad is loaded with celery, onions, and chopped dill pickles. It’s creamy, healthy and perfect to serve on a sandwich, with crackers or on lettuce wraps!

Avos and Tuna.. together in a sandwich?

Count me in! This easy tuna salad recipe is one of those things that you keep in your back pocket. It’s great to use in a tuna melt, perfect to serve with rice cakes or multigrain crackers, on homemade protein bagels, dip with corn chips, scoop onto low carb tortilla wraps, it’s absolutely perfect between two slices of no-knead bread, and the list goes on and on! 

Random thought, but anyone else bothered by it when people call it a tuna fish salad? Nope, just me? It just sounds so redundant!

I digress.

If you’ve got a few pantry staple ingredients, you can make this tuna salad sandwich in around 5 minutes. I always have canned tuna in my pantry for rainy days. Whether I’m looking to turn it into a tunacado on homemade focaccia bread with a scoop of basil pesto and serving it up panini style or adding it to homemade tuna pasta salad, tuna is one of those classics that you keep around. Whether you’re headed to the beach in the summertime and need something for lunch to pop into the icebox, or you’re looking for a flavorful desk lunch, a homemade tuna salad sandwich will never serve you wrong!

To make my tuna salad, I start with chopped celery, red onions, and dill pickles or sweet pickle relish. Add it fresh herbs (dill is what I’m thinking), and a dollop of mayo along with a few seasonings. It’s so quick and easy and all you really have to decide is whether or not you want to serve this with potato chips on the side!

Ingredients for homemade tuna salad sandwiches:

• Canned Tuna: Both oil-packed tuna and water-packed tuna will work for this recipe. I like using albacore tuna. Feel free to use what you like and have at home. Make sure to drain the tuna well. I found that using low quality mayonnaise and not draining the tuna in a sieve left me with a bit of a messy tuna salad – it was just sad! Tuna salad shouldn’t be liquid-y!
• Mayonnaise: I suggest using a good, high-quality mayonnaise. Low quality mayonnaise tends to become watery in this recipe. This is my favorite mayonnaise of all time.
• Celery: I like to finely mince the celery so that you get a little crunch in every bite!
• Red Onions: Adds bite and really works well with the dill pickles and other savory ingredients.
• Dill Pickles + Pickle Juice: the pickle juice is my secret ingredient! I was a fresh lemon juice girlie for a while there until one day when I used my leftover pepperoncini juice and my tuna salad sandwich game changed forever. I’ll be honest; if I have pepperoncini’s in the fridge, I’ll still use that instead of pickle juice. The hot and peppery liquid works so well in an egg salad or tuna salad sandwich. But pickle juice works just fine too!
• Seasonings: You’ll need garlic powder, kosher salt, and some black pepper. Feel free to add in red pepper flakes for a little heat or swap the black pepper for lemon pepper seasonings if you’d like! This is totally your call. You can also add in fresh herbs like chives, parsley, or dill. 
• Bread or Low-carb option: You can use homemade white or cheddar jalapeño bread, serve this with high fiber tortillas, or on multigrain crackers, lettuce wraps, or anything else that you like to serve your tuna salad on. Heck, you can even hollow out a red bell pepper or a few sweet peppers and serve the best tuna salad in that!
• Other add-ins: Sometimes I’ll also add a squeeze of jalapeno mustard or dijon mustard to the mix. Other times I’ll use chopped pickled jalapeños. Some times I’ll add slices of avocado to my sandwich. You can use baby spinach, lettuce, a spring mix, kale or whatever else you like!

How to make a classic tuna salad, but better.

1. Start with the tuna. Make sure to drain the liquid from the tuna really well. If you prefer a mousse-like tuna salad, I highly suggest pulsing the tuna with the mayonnaise in the food processor. But be careful here. The texture can go from whipped to liquid really fast so don’t over do it! I usually skip this step.
2. Mix it all in. In a medium bowl, combine together the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, red onion, pickles, pickle juice, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir it all together and give it a taste. The flavor should be to your liking, so if you want a little more salt, garlic powder, more pickles, or some heat – go for it!
3. Serve it up. Toast the bread if you’re serving this like a sandwich. Then top with lettuce leaves, slices of avocado, and scoop the tuna salad on top. Top with another slice of bread and serve this up!
4. Storage. Leftover tuna salad can be kept in an air tight container for up to 3 days. It honestly tastes better as it sits so it’s even better on day 2!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo Salad
• Mediterranean Tuna Orzo Salad
• Seared Cod Fish Tacos
• Perfect Pan-Fried Fish in Basil Lemon Butter Sauce
• Crispy Rice Spicy Salmon

Yield: Serves 3-4

Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwiches are a quick and easy protein-packed lunch option for boxed lunches! Tuna salad is loaded with celery, onions, and chopped dill pickles. It's creamy, healthy and perfect to serve on a sandwich, with crackers or on lettuce wraps!

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Ingredients

• 3 (5-ounce) cans tuna, drained
• ½ cup mayonnaise (plus 1-2 tbsp if needed)
• 3 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons red onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons dil pickles, minced (or use sweet relish)
• 2 teaspoons pickle juice (or lemon juice/pepperoncini juice)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon EACH: kosher salt AND black pepper
• Slices of bread, focaccia, or tortilla
• Sliced avocados, lettuce or baby spinach, as needed

Instructions

1. TUNA: Drain the liquid from the tuna. To make an extra smooth tuna salad, you can pulse the tuna and mayonnaise in a food processor. This makes a mousse-like salad. I typically skip this.
2. MIX: In medium bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, red onion, minced pickles, pickle juice, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust with more salt as desired, this will vary depending on the amount of salt in your tuna. If time permits, let the tuna salad hang out for 10 minutes; this allows the flavors to develop a bit more – totally optional though!
3. TOAST: Toast the bread or heat the tortilla if making a wrap. Add baby spinach, lettuce and avocado slices as desired. Scoop tuna on top one side and top with the second slice of bread. Serve!

Notes

• Additional Add-ins: Feel free to play around with this! Sometimes I'll add a squeeze of jalapeño mustard/dijon or even a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. You can use lemon pepper seasoning/ pizza seasonings etc. Traders pickle seasoning is what I'm planning on trying next!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1/4th of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 334Total Fat: 21gCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 31g

** the nutritional facts do not include bread, lettuce, or avocado. ** The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail stuffed into avocados with tons of veggies in a spicy sauce. Serve Mexican Shrimp Cocktail with tortilla chips or stuff into avocados – sure to become a summer dinner favorite! Just 7 grams of net carbs in this dinner recipe!

STUFFED AVOCADOS.

Say what?! Mexican shrimp cocktail stuffed avocados are everything. Hands-down the best warm weather no-cook dinner.

Those buttery, delicious avocados are cut in half and filled with a simple combination of shrimp, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and a tomato-based spicy, tangy sauce. Okay, so you could also call this Mexican-style shrimp ceviche, only I’m terrified when shrimp cooks in lime or lemon juice, so like a chicken, I always use cooked shrimp to begin with.

To be completely honest with you, this was supposed to be a recipe for shrimp cocktail stuffed avocados. You know, the kind of American shrimp cocktail that consists of just shrimp and cocktail sauce. The idea quickly expanded into Mexican shrimp cocktail stuffed avocados where vegetables play a decent enough role. Not only do these avocado boats look prettier with all that veggie color, but they also make for a beautiful appetizer at a party. And I’ll also add that they contain just 7 grams of net carbs and a whopping 14 grams of fiber.

Talk about nice and filling!

What’s the difference between ceviche and shrimp cocktail?

Mexican shrimp cocktail typically starts with cooked shrimp and is a combination of a sweet, spicy, and tangy tomato-based sauce with lots of chopped vegetables. Ceviche usually starts with raw shrimp or fish and isn’t as hearty as a shrimp cocktail.

Ingredients for coctel de camarones:

• Shrimp: You can cook your own shrimp at home or purchase them precooked, it’s entirely up to you. If I’m cooking them at home, I like to peel and devein the shrimp. Then I’ll heat a pot of water to boiling, add in some lemon juice, and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt, and poach them for no longer than 45-60 seconds depending on the side. Remove the shrimp to an ice water bath and let them chill out. Chop them into bite-sized pieces.
• Tomatoes: I typically use Roma tomatoes here, but it’s totally up to you! Dice them into the same size as the shrimp. Substitutions for Roma tomatoes would be cherry or grape tomatoes. Tomato juice mixes with the cocktail sauce, hot sauce, and horseradish and makes the most flavorful mix!
• Cucumbers: Crunchy cucumbers add freshness to the mix.
• Red Onions: Add a bit of a bite that works beautifully with sweet shrimp.
• Jalapenos: You can also use serrano peppers for this recipe. Make sure to remove the seeds and ribs if you’re worried about the heat level!
• Cilantro: Adds freshness to the dish. If you aren’t a fan of cilantro, you can leave it out if you’d like.
• Cocktail Sauce: Cocktail sauce adds a bit of that horseradish-y kick. Feel free to use a splash of clamato juice instead of the cocktail sauce if that’s more your thing. Ketchup will make a decent substitute and has similar ingredients. Especially if you up the cayenne and the hot sauce by just a tad bit. I do find the horseradish also helps provide that flavor profile we all love about shrimp cocktail, so definitely add that too!
• Hot Sauce: You can use Valentina, Tapatio, Cholula, or any other hot sauce you typically have at home. Use a couple of dashes or more if you prefer a spicier shrimp cocktail!
• Lime juice: Ceviche and Mexican shrimp cocktail needs that hit of acid to balance out the heat and the sweetness of the shrimp.
• Cayenne pepper or horseradish:  These ingredients add a kick! The cayenne pepper can be limited if you’re worried about the spice level.
• Salt and Pepper: These are pretty self-explanatory!
• Avocados: You can dice up the avocados and then add them to the shrimp cocktail if you’re serving this with tortilla chips or saltine crackers. For parties, I’d serve them in avocado halves as an appetizer or a light summer dinner!

Making my Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Recipe:

1. Cook the shrimp. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add in a squeeze of lemon (you can toss in the peel too afterwards) and a generous sprinkle of salt. Slowly lower the shrimp into the water and let them cook through for 45-60 seconds or until they’re opaque and curled into a ‘c’ shape. Drain and add them to an ice water bath and let them cool completely. Then, chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces.
2. Mix the Mexican shrimp cocktail. In a large bowl, combine the chopped shrimp, add the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and cilantro. Then in a small bowl combine cocktail sauce, jalapeno, hot sauce, lime juice, cayenne, horseradish, salt, and black pepper. Stir until all the ingredients come together. Pour the cocktail mixture over the other ingredients and stir to combine. Then cover and refrigerate the shrimp cocktail for a minimum of 30 minutes so that the flavors all come together.
3. Serve it up in avocados. If you’re serving these in avocados, cut them in half and remove the seed. You can scoop out a bit of the avocado so that you can fill it up more if you prefer. I typically just dice and add the scooped avocado to the cocktail mixture. And finally, serve with tortilla chips on the side!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Mexican Shrimp Salad
• Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Smashed Avocados
• Garlicky Hawaiian Shrimp Scampi
• Crispy Baja Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Mayo
• Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo Salad
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Recipe originally shared July 2017, updated August 2023.

Yield: 10-12 stuffed avocado halves

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (+ Stuffed Avocados)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail stuffed into avocados with tons of veggies in a spicy sauce. Serve Mexican Shrimp Cocktail with tortilla chips or stuff into avocados – sure to become a summer dinner favorite! Just 7 grams of net carbs in this dinner recipe!

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Ingredients

• 1 pound cooked shrimp, chopped
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (I remove the seeds)
• ½ cup diced cucumbers
• ½ cup diced red onions
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced (see notes)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons shrimp cocktail sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tapatio or Cholula)
• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1-2 teaspoons prepared horseradish, optional
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon EACH: kosher salt AND sugar
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 5-6 avocados

Instructions

1. COMBINE: In a large bowl, combine the chopped shrimp, and add the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, jalapeno, and cilantro.
2. MIX: In a small bowl combine cocktail sauce, hot sauce, lime juice, cayenne, 1 tsp horseradish, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Stir until all the ingredients come together. Taste and adjust with more horseradish, sugar, or hot sauce as desired. Pour the cocktail sauce mixture over the chopped ingredients. If you aren’t serving the cocktail in avocados, you can dice 1 avocado and add it to the shrimp cocktail if you’d like. Stir to combine.
3. COOL: Cover and refrigerate the shrimp cocktail for a minimum of 15 minutes and ideally, 30 minutes if time allows. This allows all the flavors to come together.
4. SERVE: Serve the shrimp cocktail in a bowl with lots of tortilla chips on the side. Or you can serve in avocados. Cut them in half and remove the seed. You can scoop out a bit of the avocado flesh so that you can fill it up more if you prefer. Fill the avocados and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

• To make this spicier you can up the number of jalapenos to two or three.
• Like your cocktail saucier? You can up the amount of cocktail sauce you use! I typically like to use ⅓ cup cocktail sauce when I'm serving these with tortilla chips. I use less when I'm serving these in avocados!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1/4th with 1 avocado
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 264Total Fat: 10gCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 5gProtein: 28g

The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Summer in a bowl! This sweet Peach Goat Cheese Salad is the perfect light summer lunch or dinner recipe. Loaded with sweet peaches, crisp cucumbers, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted almonds with your favorite salad greens. Toss it with balsamic dressing for a refreshing summer meal!

Flavor overload!

That’s how I like my summer salad recipes. And this peach salad is one for the books!

Inspired by Sweet Green, I found myself ordering this peach goat cheese salad over and over again. Until I stopped and said, I can make this at home! It tastes like summer in a bowl with sweet ripe peaches, crispy cucumbers, herbs like mint and fresh basil, and tons of crunchy almonds. To make it a bit heavier on protein, I love serving it up with grilled chicken or even salmon. 

If you’re thinking how can I get even more flavor into this salad – the answer is grilled peaches! Toss them on the grill until they get those delicious grill marks, then chop them or add slices to the salad. The balsamic vinaigrette pairs beautifully with the peaches and mint. 

It’s such a refined summer salad and it’s downright delicious when peaches are in season!

Ingredients for Peach Goat Cheese Salad:

• Peaches: Sweet peaches are what truly make this salad. Feel free to add apricots in with the peaches if you want to give the salad a bit more dimension. You could even serve it up on a serving platter to really show off the stone fruit. Peaches are low in calories and high in fiber which makes them a great choice for salads!
• Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers are my favorite summertime snack! The clean flavor pairs beautifully with the floral notes of stone fruit. Feel free to use hothouse cucumbers or any other variety you typically like. Cucumbers are naturally low in carbohydrates so they are light and refreshing in this summer salad!
• Fresh herbs: I love how mint and basil taste with fresh peaches! I sometimes make a small bowl of sliced peaches with fresh mint and a small drizzle of white balsamic for dessert. The vinegar helps release the juices from the peach and it all just works so well together!
• Roasted almonds: Roasted almonds work well with the other ingredients. Feel free to use sunflower seeds or other nuts if that’s what you have on hand.
• Goat Cheese: I love using goat cheese because the flavor pairs beautifully with the peaches. Feel free to swap this for feta cheese if you like, though it does add a bit more tang to the salad.
• Other additions: sliced tomatoes or charred corn are both summer staples for us and for a variation on this salad, I love adding them in for another layer of flavor. Sliced red onions would also add a new layer of flavor to this salad.
• Mixed greens: feel free to use kale, a spring mix, baby spinach, or arugula salad leaves. The base of the salad is entirely up to you!
• The Dressing: For the dressing, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper. Simply add the ingredients to a jar and give them a good shake until the dressing emulsifies. You can also swap the honey or maple syrup if you prefer.

How to Make a Summer Peach Salad Recipe

1. Start with the dressing. I like to use white balsamic vinegar for this recipe but you could use regular balsamic as well. Add it to a clean jar with a tightfitting lid along with olive oil, dijon, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper. The prep time on this recipe is super minimal!
2. Massage if the base is kale. Add the kale or your desired salad greens to a bowl. If you’re using kale like I do, you might want to massage the kale with the dressing to help make it more digestible. This is optional but I like to massage the kale to really give it a bit more flavor.
3. Serve it up. Combine the salad base (if it’s something other than kale) in your bowl. Then, top with sliced peaches, cucumbers, fresh herbs, roasted almonds, and any other add-ins you like. Add the dressing on top and toss to combine. Finish the salad with goat cheese and serve it up! Feel free to drizzle with more dressing as desired.

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Summer Chicken Cobb Salad with Charred Corn
• Pear and Walnut Salad with Gorgonzola
• Quick Summer Tuna Pasta Salad
• Summer Watermelon Feta Salad
• Refreshing Cucumber Melon Salad
• Grilled Peaches with Cookie Crumble

Yield: Serves 4

Sweet Peach Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

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Ingredients

Balsamic Dressing:

• ¾ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar (see notes)
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1-2 tablespoon honey (to taste)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Peach Goat Cheese Salad:

• 2 large peaches, sliced
• 1 cup sliced cucumbers
• ½ cup fresh herbs (I like basil and mint)
• 6-8 cups mixed greens (I use kale or spring mix)
• ⅓ cup chopped roasted almonds (salt-free)
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Instructions

1. DRESSING: Using 1 tablespoon of honey, combine the ingredients for the dressing in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Taste and adjust with more seasonings or the second tablespoon of honey as desired.
2. PREP: Prep the ingredients by slicing the peaches and cucumbers, and cleaning and chopping the herbs.
3. KALE: If using kale, I suggest cleaning and chopping the kale. Toss half of the dressing with the kale in a bowl. Massage the kale and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before topping.
4. SALAD: Arrange the kale or spring mix (arugula or baby spinach works too) on a platter. Top with the sliced peaches, cucumber slices, fresh herbs, roasted almonds, and goat cheese crumbles. Dress with more dressing as desired and serve.

Notes

• Balsamic: I like to use white balsamic vinegar for this recipe, but either will work!
• Dressing: You most likely won't end up using all the dressing. For us, this makes enough to dress two batches of this salad. We keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks!

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Mango Lassi is a creamy and refreshing yogurt-based drink blended together and slightly sweet. Typically made with fresh or frozen mango, yogurt, and honey or sugar. My mango lassi recipe has a thick and creamy consistency. It’s the perfect refreshing summer drink! 

What a way to cool off!

For as long as I can remember, sweet lassi has always been a staple in our household. Typically, I like to use an extra tangy yogurt, blend it together with lots of ice cubes, a generous pouring of sugar, and some milk to thin it out a smidge. Throw it all in a high-power blender until you’re left with something that’s a milky slushie-like consistency. I may not be doing a good job selling it there, especially if you aren’t a fan of milk or dahi (yogurt) in general. Think of it as a mango milkshake or smoothie but with a yogurt base instead of ice cream or heavy cream. I hope that sounds a lot better. 

And if you’ve never tasted mango lassi at an Indian restaurant, it’s definitely something to try out. It’s the perfect way to balance out all of the spices that are typically used in Indian dishes.

In the past, I’ve shared my strawberry lassi recipe with you in hopes of introducing a new fruit to the mix. But honestly, they’ve been doing it this way for generations in India, Pakistan, and across the Indian subcontinent for a reason. 

Mangoes are meant to be blended with yogurt and made into a creamy and sweet mango lassi.

Ingredients for my Mango Lassi recipe

• Mangoes: You can use frozen mangoes or fresh mangoes for this recipe. Before sure to peel the mangoes if you prefer to use fresh. Champagne, Alphonso, or Kesar mangoes are the ones that I typically suggest using. You want to use ripe mangoes if possible as this way you’ll need to use sweetener in the recipe. I suggest using high-quality frozen mangoes, if possible. Your lassi just won’t be as creamy if you use low-quality frozen mangoes.
• Milk: I like to use 2% or whole milk to make this recipe. If you want to make vegan lassi, I suggest swapping the dairy milk for almond milk, cashew milk, or something similar.
• Mango Pulp: Canned mango pulp or mango puree is easily available in most Indian and Pakistani stores. These days, you might even be able to find it in the international aisle of your mainstream grocery store – I definitely was! I know not everyone will be able to find mango pulp so you can replace it with a scoop or two of mango sorbet. Keep in mind that if you use sorbet, you’ll want to play around with the amount of sweetener you add to the recipe to ensure the lassi doesn’t become overly sweet.
• Kosher Salt: I prefer to use just a pinch. The sodium helps balance the sweeter ingredients in this recipe.
• Plain Whole Milk Yogurt: Sometimes also called curd. The tartness of the lassi will heavily depend on how sweet the yogurt you use is. And by that, I mean that as yogurt sits in the fridge, it tends to become more tart. Freshly purchased yogurt will have less of a tang, while opened cartons of yogurt that have had a week to sit in the fridge, will have a tangier flavor. I prefer to use plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt for my mango lassi recipe. I find that Greek yogurt sometimes doesn’t allow the mango lassi to get as smooth. Low-fat yogurt will also work, but I do find that the lassi isn’t as creamy or luscious when I use low-fat. I think it’s okay to use coconut yogurt to make a vegan mango lassi recipe if you’d like.
• Sugar: I prefer cane sugar as my sweetener of choice. But honey, agave, or simple syrup would also work here. Feel free to skip this entirely if you think the mangos and mango pulp will make this sweet enough for you!
• Add-ins: Depending on the flavor of mango lassi you prefer, you can always add a couple of saffron strands, a pinch of cardamom, some lime zest, shredded coconut, some mint leaves, or even some rosewater. How you flavor your mango lassi is entirely up to you!

How to make creamy mango lassi

1. Give it a whirl. If you’re using frozen mangoes, you’ll want to give them a bit of a head start. For fresh mangoes, you can toss everything into the high-power blender at once and just blend. Combine the mangoes, with the mango pulp, milk, and a pinch of salt. Run the blender until the frozen mangoes break down into slushie-like consistency.
2. Make lassi. Add the yogurt, sugar, and ice cubes (if you used fresh mangoes only) and continue to blend until the lassi is smooth. Taste then adjust with more sugar to your taste. Pour the lassi into serving glasses, garnishes are always a good idea. Finally, serve cold!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Restaurant Style Basmati Rice
• Finger Lickin’ Butter Chicken
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Weeknight Chana Masala
• 30-Minute Spicy Shrimp Masala

Yield: serves 2-3

Creamy Sweet Mango Lassi

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Mango Lassi is a creamy and refreshing yogurt-based drink blended together and slightly sweet. Typically made with fresh or frozen mango, yogurt, and honey or sugar. My mango lassi recipe has a thick and creamy consistency. It's the perfect refreshing summer drink! 

Print

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup frozen mangoes (see notes for fresh)
• ¾ cup milk (such as whole or 2%)
• ⅓ cup mango pulp (see notes)
• Pinch of kosher salt (less than ⅛ teaspoon)
• ¾ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons sugar (or honey), optional

Instructions

1. WHIRL: Combine the frozen mangos, milk, mango pulp, and a tiny pinch of salt in the high-power blender and give it a whiz until the mangoes break down.
2. BLEND: Add the yogurt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and ice cubes (if using) and continue to blend until smooth. Taste and adjust with more sugar as desired and blend to combine before pouring into glasses and serving cold.

Notes

• Fresh mangoes: If you use fresh mangoes, you can throw everything into the blender at once, no need to do it in two steps. You’ll still want to use 1 ¼ cups of fresh mangoes for this recipe. Additionally, you’ll need ½-¾ cup of ice to give the lassi the texture we’re going for.
• Mango pulp: if you’re having trouble finding mango pulp, I suggest replacing it with equal parts store-bought mango sorbet. Talenti brand makes one that would work beautifully. I also suggest adding a pinch of saffron if you have access to it. This should mimic the mango pulp pretty closely. Keep in mind that both the pulp and mango sorbet contain sugar, so if you typically prefer drinks that are less sweet, I suggest using 1 tablespoon of sugar and adjusting at the end as necessary.
• Variations: there are plenty of additions you can make to play with the flavor of mango lassi! Feel free to add in some lime zest, shredded or desiccated coconut, mint leaves, or even saffron or rosewater to give it a unique twist.
• Decorate: Feel free to squeeze mango pulp from a squeeze bottle into each cup before pouring the mango lassi to give it a restaurant-style look!

Recommended Products

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• 
  Power Blender

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 180Total Fat: 4gCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 5g

The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

My Chili Crisp Salmon recipe is a quick and easy weeknight dinner idea! Pan-fried tender salmon topped with sauce made with garlic, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and chili crisp. It’s seven ingredients that pack a flavorful punch. Serve it up with white rice and my cucumber sweet pepper salad!

Chili Crisp Salmon is going to become a weeknight staple for you.

If you are obsessed with this Chinese condiment as much as I am, you are going to love making a sauce out of it and topping it on pan-fried salmon fillets. What I love most about this weeknight-friendly recipe is that it uses mostly pantry staples. Of course, I took the liberty of assuming that you’re obsessed with chili crisp as much as most of the world is at the moment. It’s a staple in any modern kitchen these days!

@littlespicejar Chili Crisp Salmon Recipe Full recipe linked in my profile, ingredients below 👇🏼 4 (5-ounce) salmon filets ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 2 cloves garlic, grated 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 1 heaping tablespoon honey 1-2 teaspoon chili crunch 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil Prepared rice + salad/steamed brocc, for serving #chilicrunch #chilicrunchoil #chilicrisp #salmonrecipe #salmon #salmonbowl #panfriedsalmon #foodtok #easyrecipes #quickrecipes ♬ time travel – chief. & nobuddy

The prep time on this recipe is minimum, and the cooking times are the bare minimum too. I serve this salad with my take on the viral TikTok cucumber sweet pepper salad. I load it up with ginger, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar, more chili crisp, and furikake. Furikake is a seasoning made with seaweed powder, toasted sesame seeds, bonito flakes, sea salt, and sugar.

Ingredients for Chili Crisp Salmon:

• Salmon Fillet: I like to use 4 (5-ounce) salmon filets for this recipe. I typically suggest using wild-caught salmon if it’s possible, however, Atlantic salmon or farm-raised salmon will also work.
• Kosher salt: is used to season the salmon filets before we sear them in the pan.
• Garlic: Minced garlic goes into the chili crisp sauce that we drizzle on the salmon right before serving.
• Low sodium soy sauce: gives the chile crisp sauce a salty umami-rich flavor. 
• Honey: we’ll toss the salmon filets in the sauce so that the pan caramelizes the sugar in the honey and gives the salmon a deep flavor. You could also use dark brown sugar in place of the honey if that’s what you have.
• Chili Crisp: If you haven’t tried chili crisp or chili onion crunch before, it’s a condiment made from dried chili pepper infused in oil with other ingredients, such as spices, onions, shallots, or sichuan pepper. Lao Gan Ma is a popular Chinese brand sold in Asian grocery stores as well as many mainstream grocery stores. Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp and Momofuku are two others that are quickly becoming leaders of the chili crisp movement that we’re currently having!
• Toasted sesame oil: Adds a toasty smell and flavor to the chili crisp.

How to make chili crisp salmon:

1. Season the fillets. Start by removing the salmon from the refrigerator at least 40 minutes before preparing. This allows the salmon to hold its shape better in the pan and not shrink as much. Season the flesh side with kosher salt.
2. Make the sauce. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the grated garlic, soy sauce, honey, chili crisp, and sesame oil. Whisk it together with a fork and set aside for now.
3. Sear the salmon. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small drizzle or any high-heat oil, and when the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets with the skin side up in the pan. Cook the salmon for roughly 2-3 minutes or longer if your salmon is particularly thick. Then flip the salmon with the skin side down and continue to cook for a few more minutes until the skin crisps up. Drizzle the chili crisp sauce over the salmon and pour the rest around the sides. Give the sauce 15-30 seconds so that the sugars caramelize, the sauce thickens, and the flavor deepens. Remove from heat.
4. Serve it up. Garnish the salmon with green onions or fresh parsley if you’d like. I usually just sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving with rice and a salad.

Other salmon recipes to try:

• Oven Baked Salmon in Foil
• Sheet Pan Firecracker Salmon
• Sweet Chili Salmon Bowls
• Crispy Rice Spicy Salmon
• Broiled Miso Ginger Salmon and Veggies

Yield: Serves 4

Chili Crisp Salmon with Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

My Chili Crisp Salmon recipe is a quick and easy weeknight dinner idea! Pan-fried tender salmon topped with sauce made with garlic, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and chili crisp. It's seven ingredients that pack a flavorful punch. Serve it up with white rice and my cucumber sweet pepper salad!

Print

Ingredients

• 4 (5-ounce) salmon filets
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 heaping tablespoon honey
• 1-2 teaspoon chili crunch (such as Momofuku)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Prepared rice + salad, for serving (see notes)

Instructions

1. SEASON: Remove the salmon from the refrigerator at least 40 minutes prior to cooking. Season the salmon pieces with kosher salt on the flesh side.
2. SAUCE: Add the grated garlic, soy sauce, honey, chili crisp, and sesame oil to a measuring cup and whisk to combine; set aside for now.
3. SEAR AND SERVE: Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small drizzle of oil and place the salmon skin side up in the pan. Cook the salmon for roughly 2-3 minutes, then flip the salmon over on the skin side and cook for another 2-3 minutes. When there is 1 minute left on the skin side, spoon the chili crisp sauce over the salmon and pour the rest around the sides. Let the salmon finish cooking in the sauce for 15-30 seconds. Then, remove the salmon and serve immediately with fluffy rice and a salad or sauteed broccolini.

Notes

• Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad: Toss 4 sliced Persian cucumbers with 8-10 sweet peppers in a medium bowl. Add 1 tsp of chili crisp, 1 heaping tbsp of brown sugar, 1 tsp of ginger paste, 1½ tsp of sesame oil, lots of toasted sesame seeds, and at least 1 tsp of furikake. Taste and adjust with a big pinch of salt or as needed.
• Make this gluten-free: Use gf tamari in place of the soy sauce and make sure the chili crunch you use is gluten-free.

Recommended Products

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  Honey
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  Chili Crunch
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  12-inch skillet

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1/4th of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 382Total Fat: 19gCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 34g

The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!