Vanilla

My classic salted caramel, enriched with butter and a touch of cream for a thick, smooth sauce, is perfect as a pie topping, or served alongside à la mode slices.

It’s never a bad idea to serve pie with plenty of whipped cream. Think your pie is sweet enough? You can leave the sugar out—ain’t nothin’ wrong with plain ol’ whipped cream. For a luxurious twist, try the mascarpone variation below.

These fluffy buttermilk rolls are filled with a cinnamon-scented date purée to capture all that sticky bun glory without being overly sweet.

Using a vanilla bean makes this creamy pudding extra special and aromatic. But if you don’t have one on hand, just stir 1 tablespoon vanilla extract into the pudding along with the egg yolks. Although rice pudding is traditionally served cold, I also like this when it’s still warm and a little runny, poured over sliced strawberries and raspberries, which add both juiciness and acidity.

The texture is delightfully soft, almost cake-like, and sweetened with a quick-and-easy lime glaze. These cookies make great holiday gifts.

This cube of crustless milk bread is encased in a shiny, shatteringly thin caramel shell, then filled with an enormous dollop of chamomile-infused vanilla bean custard.

Anchovy lovers: This one’s for you. The combination of vanilla butter and anchovies is the perfect combination of sweet and salty.

No ice cream machine needed for this boozy summer treat.

There’s something sweetly nostalgic about vanilla birthday cake—though this guy has a little more flavor than the shop-bought fondant versions I remember as a kid and is super fun to make. Also, who doesn’t want a giant donut for their birthday, amirite?

Nut cookies in the shape of "sticks" or "fingers" were kind of a thing back in the day. I substitute bread flour instead of all-purpose for chewiness, which is a must for a peanut butter cookie in my opinion.

A dredge in coconut milk and a saucy canned pineapple reduction gives this brunch classic a tropical vibe—and you can make it even if the fridge is totally bare.

These yummy vegan cookies are free of butter, added sugar, and even eggs—the peanut butter and applesauce hold them together. But trust me when I say you won’t miss the sugar. The sweet banana and abundance of chocolate more than make up for it.

Shards of rich, dark chocolate melt into the brownie batter as this dessert bakes, leaving behind pockets of luscious, gooey, molten deliciousness in every chewy bite.

This simple cake recipe makes one (one-layer) 8-inch round cake.

You can roll out the dough and punch out other shapes, but the slice-and-bake method is fast, and you won’t have any scraps.

This dough recipe produces a finely textured, surprisingly flavorful cookie that holds its shape well. Use it for our Honey-Vanilla Linzer Cookies and Pistachio Thumbprints.

Serve these Thanksgiving cupcakes at a holiday potluck, or on a party dessert buffet.