French Vanilla Upside-Down Cheesecake

June 30, 2026 Amanda Plott

If you love the idea of classic French vanilla but want something a little unexpected, meet the French Vanilla Upside-Down Cheesecake — a playful flip on an indulgent favorite that keeps the texture silky and the flavor bright without dragging you into full dessert regret. This recipe flips the script with a golden french vanilla filling inside a light, creamy cheesecake so when you flip it, you get a crunchy crown of cookie and a tender, cloud-like cheesecake underneath. It’s fancy enough for guests but easy enough for a weeknight celebration.

Why French vanilla? French vanilla is all about the custard-forward flavor. In this cheesecake, that custardy depth and a crispy crunchy cookie crust shell is just perfect. The result is familiar and elegant — like dessert wearing a beret.

Christmas Cake Roll

December 22, 2021 Amanda Plott

With Christmas just a few days away now, I thought I would try my hand at making a dessert to have on hand that was not only festive, but tasty too! I really enjoy roll cakes, even though they aren’t the easiest of cakes to make, they are always super impressive. Especially when you make them colorful and halfway homemade; which is exactly what this Christmas Cake Roll is!

I started off with a simple box mix that I whipped together, colored, baked, and then filled with a homemade buttercream frosting. The frosting here is always the best part, that’s because it’s homemade and not out of a can. Although, I will say that everything has its place. Even canned frosting…

Blondies + Maple Cream Cheese Sauce

April 26, 2021 Amanda Plott

It was my brother’s birthday celebration this past weekend, and it sure was a lot different from how it was last year for sooo many reasons. Thankfully vaccinations are in place and we got to celebrate together once again! In lieu of a cake though, my brother wanted blondies this year which I am totally down for! Don’t get me wrong, I love cake as much as the next girl, but there’s something to be said about a good blondie.

These blondies are my healthified take on the ones that you’ll find at one of those chain restaurants. It was always my most favorite dessert there. What with the warm blondie with white chocolate chips, some vanilla ice cream, and that AMAZING maple cream cheese sauce on top. Mmmm…

Instant Pot Cold Start Vanilla Greek Yogurt

July 28, 2020 Amanda Plott

I never in a million years would have guessed that I would ever make yogurt. I don’t know why, but I just never really considered that I even could make it. Mostly because I honestly didn’t know the process of how to make yogurt. And… then I got a pressure cooker.

As it turns out, making yogurt is really easy to do. And what’s better? You can make it just the way you want, in any flavor you want, and as tangy as you want. Plus, making it yourself saves you calories AND money! So, as scary as the concept may seem, it’s definitely worth trying out!…

Rainbow Unicorn Swiss Roll

March 8, 2020 Amanda Plott

I realized that it had been a hot minute since I made any sort of unicorn inspired recipe, so… I had to fix that today. When I said I was going to keep things fun and bright during Spring Break here, I wasn’t kidding! This Rainbow Unicorn Swiss Roll is as delicious as it is pretty.

This is a vanilla based cake that’s colored in the best of ways and rolled up with a lightly sweetened cream cheese filling. It’s great as a sweet breakfast option, brunch, or even as dessert. Really there wouldn’t be any bad time of day to have rainbow amazingness in your life…

Skinny Baked 'Overnight' Vanilla Chai Oatmeal

October 28, 2019 Amanda Plott

This Skinny Baked 'Overnight' Vanilla Chai Oatmeal is based off of my Baked Amish Overnight Oatmeal, but made with plenty of added chai spice! The spice blend is homemade with spices that you likely already have on hand. It’s quick and easy to put together in the evening to have ready to go for baking up first thing in the morning.

Unlike a ‘bowl of oatmeal’ baked oatmeal is a bit more akin to cake. It’s fluffy and is generally cut or scooped to be served in a bowl where it’s topped with milk and any fresh fruits desired. Since this oatmeal likes to soak overnight, that makes this a great Sunday night breakfast to put together and have ready to go to toss in the oven on Monday for a weeks worth (plus) of breakfast!…