Autumn Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

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I’ve never been particularly skilled at drawing. Even as a kid, my artistic ambitions far exceeded my actual abilities. But give me some cookie dough, a rolling pin and a few clever tools, and suddenly I’m creating edible art.

These Autumn Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies start with one batch of my favourite maple shortbread dough. I was inspired by Kat at The Loopy Whisk who uses a brilliant marbling technique to create beautiful cookies. I borrowed her technique, adding a little cinnamon and cocoa to my dough, then rolling and folding it into beautifully marbled autumn leaves. A maple leaf cutter and embosser do the artistic heavy lifting. I just get to take the credit.

If you’re Canadian, you know the iconic maple crème sandwich cookies. Those maple-leaf-shaped cookies with the sweet maple filling are practically a national institution. Consider these their slightly more sophisticated cousins. Buttery maple shortbread, beautifully marbled autumn leaves and a silky maple Italian meringue buttercream with a deeper, more pronounced maple flavour. Same nostalgic idea, just dressed up for a special occasion.

These cookies are a bit of a project. If you’re someone who loves a good cookie project, you’re going to have a wonderful time. If you’re looking for a one-bowl, stir-and-scoop situation, feel free to admire the pretty pictures and move on. No hard feelings.

That said, there are ways to simplify things. The maple shortbread cookies are delicious all on their own, so you can skip the filling entirely. Or, instead of making the maple Italian meringue buttercream, try this simpler American maple buttercream (It’s a little sweeter and doesn’t have quite the same depth of maple flavour, but it’s still absolutely delicious.

Keys to success in making Autumn Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

  • Don’t overdo the marbling. The goal is to create distinct swirls and patches of colour, not blend everything into one uniform shade. A little rolling and folding goes a long way. Use gentle, even pressure when rolling to avoid muddying the colours or distorting the pattern. Stop while you can still see the individual colours.
  • Chill the dough before cutting. Chilling helps the dough hold its shape and gives you cleaner edges. But don’t let it get rock hard. If the dough cracks when you try to cut out the leaves, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until it’s slightly more pliable.
  • Give your embosser a little sugar dip. Dip the embossing tool into granulated sugar before pressing it into each cookie. This prevents sticking and helps create those beautiful, sharply defined veins.
  • Chill the cookies before baking. Once the leaves are cut and embossed, pop them back into the fridge. Cold dough helps the cookies hold their shape and preserves all that lovely detail in the oven.
  • Butter temperature matters for the buttercream. Ideally, your butter should be around 70°F (21°C)—soft but not greasy. If it’s too cold, the buttercream may look curdled or grainy. Don’t panic! It’s just a temporary emulsion issue, not a ruined buttercream. Keep whipping, and it should smooth out as the mixture warms slightly. If it remains curdled, gently warm the outside of the mixing bowl and continue whipping. If the buttercream becomes soupy instead, it’s likely too warm. Chill it briefly, then whip again.

Autumn Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

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Servings 28 sandwich cookies
Calories 243 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Maple Shortbread Cookies

  • 340 grams unsalted butter, softened slightly
  • 120 grams granulated sugar
  • 80 grams maple sugar
  • 490 grams all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/8 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • granulated sugar, as needed, for dipping the embosser

Italian Meringue Maple Buttercream

  • 200 grams maple syrup
  • 85 grams egg whites
  • 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  • 170 grams unsalted butter, softened to 65°F, cut into 1 inch cubes,
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Make shortbread dough

  • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and maple sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.
  • Whisk together flour and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until incorporated. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for about 1 minute.
  • Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Leave 2 portions plain. Knead cinnamon into the third portion and cocoa powder into the fourth, until each is evenly coloured.

Create the marbled dough

  • Line your work surface with parchment paper. Tear small pieces from each of the three dough colours and arrange them randomly into a large rectangle, distributing the colours throughout.
  • Cover with a second sheet of parchment and roll gently a few times to press the pieces together. Remove the top parchment and fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. If needed, fold once more to distribute the colours, but don’t overwork the dough or the colours will blend together. You want distinct patches of plain, cinnamon and cocoa dough.
    Cover again with parchment and roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes, until slightly firm.

Cut and bake the cookies

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  • Peel off the top sheet of parchment, replace it loosely, then flip the dough over and remove the second sheet. Cut out maple leaves and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets with a wide metal spatula, spacing them 1 inch apart.
  • Gather scraps and gently press them together without kneading. Re-roll and cut additional cookies, taking care to preserve the marbling.
  • Dip the leaf embosser in granulated sugar to prevent sticking, then gently press it into each cookie to imprint the vein pattern. Chill cookies in fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
  • Bake one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges and bottoms are lightly golden.
  • Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make Italian Meringue Maple Buttercream

  • Bring maple syrup to a boil in a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan over high heat, about 3 minutes. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, making sure bulb does not hit bottom of pot. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking.
  • When the syrup reaches 230°F, begin whipping the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed. The whites should become light and foamy, not stiff.
  • Continue cooking the maple syrup until it reaches 240–250°F, adjusting the heat as needed. Use a heat-resistant spatula to gently knock down the foam if necessary.
  • Reduce mixer speed to low. With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot syrup down the inside of the bowl in a steady stream, taking care to avoid the moving whisk.
  • Increase speed and whip until the meringue is thick, glossy and cooled to 85–90°F, about 4 minutes.
  • Switch to the paddle attachment. Add salt, then butter in roughly 2-tablespoon increments, waiting a few seconds between additions. The meringue will deflate as the butter is incorporated. This is normal.
  • Reduce speed to medium-low and mix in vanilla. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then beat briefly until smooth and creamy.

Fill sandwich cookies

  • Fit a piping bag with a 1/4 inch open star tip.
    Turn half the cookies over. Pipe buttercream onto the flat side of each cookie, leaving a small border around the edge.
    Top with the remaining cookies, vein-side up, pressing gently to sandwich.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Bring refrigerated cookies to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Marbling inspiration: The technique for creating the autumn-leaf effect was inspired by Kat at The Loopy Whisk. Her version of the leaf cookies is gluten-free.
Maple buttercream: This buttercream was developed by Stella Parks for Serious Eats. Unlike traditional buttercream made with granulated sugar, it’s sweetened entirely with maple syrup, giving it a delicate sweetness and earthy maple flavour.
Buttercream troubleshooting: Italian meringue buttercream is very temperature-sensitive and may look curdled, greasy or soupy if it gets too cold or too warm. Its ideal working temperature is about 70°F (21°C). If it’s too soft, chill it briefly; if it’s too cold or looks curdled, gently warm it. Then whip on medium-high speed for several minutes until smooth, light and creamy. Don’t panic—it can almost always be rescued.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 40mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 455IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

There’s something incredibly satisfying about starting with one batch of dough and ending up with cookies that look like little works of art. No two leaves are quite alike, and that’s part of their charm. Yes, they take a little time and patience, but if you enjoy the creative side of baking as much as I do, I think you’ll love making these.

Autumn Panzanella Salad with Maple Miso Dressing

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Colour and texture are usually where a recipe starts for me. If something is soft, I want something crunchy beside it. If everything is roasted, I want something fresh and raw. I think about shapes and colours, then balance it all with something sweet, salty, bitter, sour and plenty of umami. And yes, I probably spend more time thinking about these things than most people.

This Autumn Panzanella is a pretty good example of how my brain works. Brussels sprouts show up two ways — shredded raw for freshness and crunch, and roasted until deeply caramelized. There’s crispy squash, crunchy apple, toasted walnuts and ruby-red pomegranate seeds, because sometimes beautiful matters too. And torn sourdough croutons, with plenty of craggy edges to soak up that maple miso dressing. It’s those little details, and figuring out how they all work together, that I love most about creating a recipe.

Keys to Success in making Autumn Panzanella Salad

  • Give the squash enough time. Don’t pull it from the oven as soon as it’s tender. The squash will soften first, then start to develop that deeply browned, slightly crisp exterior. Be patient—that extra roasting time makes a big difference.
  • Put those Brussels sprouts cut-side down. This is how you get that beautifully browned, caramelized surface. Take the extra minute to turn them all over before the pan goes back into the oven.
  • Brussels sprouts two ways = better texture. Roasting half gives you those deeply caramelized edges, while keeping the other half raw and finely shredded adds freshness and crunch. If you have a food processor with a slicing disc, this takes seconds.
  • Tear, don’t cut, the bread. Tearing creates all those irregular edges and craggy bits that get beautifully crisp in the oven—and give the maple miso dressing plenty of places to settle.
  • Dress it generously, but not too far ahead. You want the croutons to soak up some of that maple miso dressing while still holding onto their crunch. Toss the salad shortly before serving, adding enough dressing to coat everything well without drowning it.

Make it your own:

Think of this salad as a starting point. Sweet potatoes can stand in for the butternut squash, shredded kale can replace the raw Brussels sprouts, and a firm ripe pear would be delicious instead of the apple. Swap the walnuts for pistachios or pecans. The exact ingredients can change—the important part is keeping that mix of fresh and roasted, soft and crunchy, sweet and bitter that makes the salad interesting.

Autumn Panzanella Salad

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Servings 4 servings
Calories 767 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 food processor with slicing disc
  • 1 blender

Ingredients
  

Salad Ingredients

  • 1/3 loaf artisan sourdough bread (about 75 grams), torn into crouton-size pieces
  • 1 small butternut squash, (about 750 gram)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
  • 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided
  • 6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 800 grams Brussels sprouts, about 8 cups
  • 1 medium Honeycrisp or Cosmic Crisp apple, cut into ⅛-inch-thick wedges
  • 1 medium pomegranate, seeded
  • 1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and coarsely chopped

Maple Miso Dressing

  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons white miso paste
  • 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 3 Tablespoons unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, with the mother
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 small clove garlic, finely minced or grated on microplane
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 Tablespoons water, as needed

Instructions
 

Toast Croutons

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the torn bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer croutons to a plate or bowl and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.

Prepare the Squash and Brussels Sprouts

  • While the croutons are toasting, peel the butternut squash and cut into 1 inch cubes. Spread squash on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt and the Aleppo pepper. Toss with your hands until evenly coated. Roast for 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, trim the stem ends from the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Using the slicing disc of a food processor, thinly slice half of the Brussels sprouts; set aside to use raw in the salad.
  • After the squash has roasted for 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Toss the squash and move it to one side of the pan. Add the remaining halved Brussels sprouts to the other side. Drizzle the sprouts with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat, then arrange the sprouts cut-side down.
  • Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are deeply browned and the squash has developed a crisp, caramelized exterior. If needed, continue roasting for another 5–10 minutes.

Make the Maple Miso Dressing

  • Add all dressing ingredients except the water to a blender. Blend on high until smooth, thick and emulsified. If the dressing is too thick, blend in 1–2 tablespoons water, as needed. Transfer to a glass jar with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Assemble the salad

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the raw shredded Brussels sprouts, roasted Brussels sprouts, squash, croutons and apple. Add about ½ cup dressing, or enough to coat generously and toss well. The remaining dressing can be served alongside for those who love extra dressing, or it can be refrigerated for as week.
  • Transfer to a serving platter. Scatter the toasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds over the top and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 767kcalCarbohydrates: 94gProtein: 18gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 2251mgPotassium: 1806mgFiber: 18gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 21545IUVitamin C: 219mgCalcium: 277mgIron: 7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

I hope this Autumn Panzanella finds its way into your fall rotation. It’s colourful, hearty enough to make a meal of, and packed with enough crunch and contrast to keep every bite interesting. And if you make a batch of that maple miso dressing, you’re already halfway there.

Maple Miso Vinaigrette

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I’m not very good at eating things just because they’re supposed to be good for me. If I don’t enjoy the way something tastes, it’s probably not going to become a regular part of my diet.

Lately, I’ve been interested in adding more fermented foods to what I eat, but many of the usual suspects aren’t exactly calling my name. I don’t love kombucha or kimchi, and there is absolutely no chance I’m starting my day with a shot of apple cider vinegar.

What I do eat is salad. A lot of it. Usually two enormous salads a day. So rather than trying to force a new habit, I decided to make a small change to something I already love.

This Maple Miso Vinaigrette is that change. White miso and apple cider vinegar form the tangy, savoury base, with maple syrup to soften the edges, Dijon and garlic for flavour, and olive oil to bring it all together into a thick, creamy dressing. Everything goes into the blender and it’s ready in about a minute.

Sometimes the easiest changes to stick with are the ones that don’t really feel like changes at all.

Keys to Success in making Maple Miso Vinaigrette

  • Choose unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Look for ACV labelled unpasteurized and with the mother. It’s the cloudy stuff, with strands or sediment floating around in the bottle. Since my goal was to incorporate more fermented foods into my diet, this is the kind I use.
  • Use white miso. White miso is the mildest and slightly sweeter of the common miso varieties, which makes it perfect for this dressing. It adds savoury, umami flavour without overpowering everything else.
  • The blender does the work. Miso and Dijon mustard both help the oil and vinegar emulsify, while the blender makes it especially quick and easy. Just add everything and blend until thick, creamy and completely smooth.
  • Adjust the consistency. Depending on your miso and how thick you like your dressing, you may not need any water at all. If it’s too thick, blend in water one tablespoon at a time.
  • No blender? No problem. Put everything into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake like hell until creamy and emulsified.

Maple Miso Vinaigrette

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Equipment

  • 1 blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons white miso paste
  • 3 Tablespoons unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, with the mother
  • 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated on microplane
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 Tablespoons water, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients into blender, except for water. Process on high speed until thick and emulsified. If you find it too thick, add 1-2 Tablespoons water. Pour into glass jar with lid and refrigerate for up to a week.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

I’m a big believer in making small changes rather than forcing myself to eat things I don’t enjoy. This Maple Miso Vinaigrette fits easily into something I’m already doing every day—and, more importantly, it makes my salads taste even better. That’s a change I can happily stick with.

What I’m Making for Rosh Hashanah This Year.

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If you came to my house for Rosh Hashanah this year, this is what I’d make you. There would be chicken soup, obviously, plenty of apples and honey, a gorgeous pomegranate chicken and more than one apple dessert—because apparently I have no restraint where apple desserts are concerned.

Most of these recipes have appeared on the blog over the years, but I’ve never gathered them together into one complete Rosh Hashanah menu. So here it is: everything I’d put on the table, from the challah right through to dessert.

THE MENU

Twisted Apple Honey Challah
Chicken Soup
Pomegranate Chicken
Tomato Nectarine Corn Salad
Perfect Green Salad
Apple Slab Pie
Apple Cinnamon Crunch Cake

We’d start with a Twisted Apple and Honey Challah. It’s traditional to shape challah into a circle for the Jewish New Year, symbolizing our wish for a year in which life and blessings continue without end. This round beauty is stuffed with sautéed apples, brown sugar and apple butter, then drizzled with honey. This year, more than ever, I’m wishing for a little extra sweetness for all of us.

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Obviously, we must have Chicken Soup. But watery, insipid chicken soup? No thanks. Mine starts with a deeply roasted chicken stock, which gives it incredible depth and richness. And it’s the perfect make-ahead dish—one less thing to think about on the day of your dinner.

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Pomegranates and Rosh Hashanah just belong together. Their abundance of seeds symbolizes our hope for a year filled with good deeds. There’s even an old belief that every pomegranate contains exactly 613 seeds, corresponding to the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, in the Torah—many of which guide us to perform acts of kindness and good deeds. That turns out to be more folklore than fact, but I’m not letting the truth ruin a perfectly good story. So Pomegranate Chicken feels especially fitting for the holiday table. And those ruby-red seeds make it pretty spectacular too.

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Rosh Hashanah falls so early this year! Have you ever noticed that the Jewish holidays always seem to be either early or late, but never actually on time? That’s because the Jewish calendar follows the lunar cycle. This year, the upside of an early Rosh Hashanah is that tomatoes, nectarines and corn are still abundant at the market. So let’s lean into the season with this Tomato, Nectarine and Corn Salad.

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This is the Perfect Green Salad I eat almost every day—a mix of sweet romaine, bitter radicchio and peppery arugula, tossed in a tangy sherry vinaigrette. I firmly believe every big feast needs a green salad. With all that rich food on the table, your palate needs it.

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Apples are a Rosh Hashanah tradition, usually associated with wishes for a sweet new year. But I recently came across another interpretation that I love. Unlike most fruit trees, where the leaves appear first and protect the developing fruit, apples begin to grow before the leaves. The apple has therefore come to symbolize a willingness to move forward with faith, even when we don’t know exactly what lies ahead. I rather like that idea.

I also just really like apple desserts. And apparently I couldn’t choose only one. So we’re having Apple Slab Pie AND Apple Cinnamon Crunch Cake.

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Get Ahead of the Game

Seven dishes might sound like a lot, but almost everything on this menu can be made or prepped ahead. I’m a big believer in doing as little as possible on the actual day of a dinner party. Here’s how I’d tackle it.

This Weekend

Make and freeze the Chicken Soup and Matzoh Balls, Twisted Apple and Honey Challah, and Apple Slab Pie. These are the bigger jobs, and getting them out of the way early will make the rest of the week much easier.

  • Chicken Soup: Make the soup and freeze it. Make the matzoh balls and freeze them separately in a zip-top freezer bag. Thaw both, then add the matzoh balls to the soup just long enough to heat through.
  • Twisted Apple and Honey Challah: Bake and cool completely. Wrap well in plastic wrap, followed by a large zip-top freezer bag or foil, and freeze.
  • Apple Slab Pie: Bake and cool completely, then wrap well in plastic wrap and foil and freeze.

1–2 Days Before

  • Apple Cinnamon Crunch Cake: Make the cake, wrap well and refrigerate. It can also be frozen if you want to make it earlier. Freeze the cake unwrapped until solid, about 1–2 hours, then wrap well in plastic wrap and foil.
  • Sherry Vinaigrette: Make the dressing and refrigerate. Give it a good shake before using.
  • Perfect Green Salad: Wash and thoroughly dry the greens. Wrap them in a clean tea towel, slip into a plastic bag and refrigerate.
  • Pomegranate Chicken: Seed the pomegranate and dice the onions. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

The Night Before

Move the challah and slab pie from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. If you froze the cake, move that to the refrigerator as well.

The Day Of

Make the Pomegranate Chicken and Tomato, Nectarine and Corn Salad. Toss the Perfect Green Salad with the vinaigrette just before serving.

Reheat the chicken soup and add the thawed matzoh balls just long enough to warm through.

Once the challah has thawed, wrap it in foil and warm it in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Reheat the slab pie in a 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes, until warmed through.

Bring the Apple Cinnamon Crunch Cake to room temperature before serving.

And then sit down and enjoy your dinner. You’ve earned it.

However you celebrate, I hope your table is filled with good food and people you love. Wishing you and your family a sweet, healthy and peaceful New Year. Shana Tova!

Late Summer Harvest Salad with Pistachio Vinaigrette

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Late August always brings this strange mix of abundance and urgency. The tomatoes we waited all summer for are suddenly ripening faster than we can eat them. Peaches are so juicy they need to be eaten over the sink, and I seem incapable of leaving the farmers’ market without far more corn than two people could reasonably need.

There’s a delicious panic to it all. Just when summer produce is at its best, the days are getting shorter and suddenly there doesn’t seem to be enough summer left. I find myself wanting to slow everything down—to eat all the tomatoes, buy another dozen ears of corn and not think about fall quite yet.

This Late Summer Harvest Salad with Pistachio Vinaigrette is my way of making the most of it. Green and yellow beans form the base, layered with ripe tomatoes, grilled corn and peaches, pickled red onions and basil. Pistachios are toasted in olive oil, then that nutty oil is whisked into a tangy sherry vinaigrette. The toasted pistachios go back on top for crunch.

This salad is really just a celebration of the best of late summer, while it’s all still here.

Keys to success when making Late Summer Harvest Salad

  • Salt your tomatoes. Even perfectly ripe summer tomatoes benefit from salt. It draws out their juices and makes them taste even more tomato-y. Season them after arranging them on the platter so none of that delicious juice gets left behind on the cutting board.
  • Yes, you really need all that salt for the beans. One cup of kosher salt sounds slightly unhinged, but trust me on this one. Cooking the green and yellow beans briefly in heavily salted water seasons them from the inside without making them taste salty. Most of that salt gets discarded with the cooking water.
  • Keep the beans crisp. Two to three minutes is all they need. You want them tender enough to eat but still with a good snap—they provide an important bit of crunch against the juicy tomatoes and soft grilled peaches.
  • Don’t skip the honey on the peaches. A light drizzle of honey before grilling helps the cut surface caramelize and gives the peaches an almost luscious texture. Grill them cut-side down and resist the urge to move them around—you want those beautiful grill marks.
  • Toast the pistachios in the olive oil. This one little step does double duty. Toasting brings out the flavour of the pistachios while also infusing the olive oil with their nuttiness. Use that same oil to make the vinaigrette, then scatter the toasted pistachios over the salad for crunch.
  • Use the best produce you can find. This isn’t the salad for hard peaches or disappointing tomatoes. There aren’t a lot of places for mediocre produce to hide here. Make it when tomatoes are properly ripe, peaches are fragrant and juicy, and corn is fresh and sweet.

Late Summer Harvest Salad with Pistachio Vinaigrette

A colourful late-summer salad loaded with green and yellow beans, ripe tomatoes, grilled corn and honey-kissed peaches, finished with pickled red onions, fresh basil and a tangy pistachio-sherry vinaigrette. A celebration of summer produce at its peak.
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Servings 4 servings
Calories 326 kcal

Ingredients
  

Pistachio Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small clove garlic, finely grated with microplaner, or crushed with garlic press
  • 1/4 cup sherry or red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pickled Red Onions

  • 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/2 teaspoon Morton's kosher salt

Salad Ingredients

  • 200 grams green beans, about 2 cups
  • 200 grams yellow beans, about 2 cups
  • 1 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  • 2 ears fresh corn, shucked
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 3 medium peaches, halved and pitted
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 cup assorted small cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/2 teaspoon Morton's kosher salt

Instructions
 

Pistachio Vinaigrette

  • Add the olive oil and pistachios to a small skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pistachios are fragrant and the oil is gently sizzling.
  • Strain the oil into a heatproof measuring cup or bowl. Set the pistachios aside for garnishing the salad.
  • Add the garlic to the warm pistachio-infused oil and let sit for a few minutes.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the sherry vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard. Slowly drizzle in the pistachio oil while whisking continuously, until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Prepare pickled red onions

  • Combine the red wine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve.
  • Place the sliced onions in a 2-cup jar. Pour the hot brine over the onions and stir well. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cook beans

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Yes, one cup! The heavily salted cooking water seasons the beans from the inside without making them taste overly salty.
  • Add the green and yellow beans and cook for 2–3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly.

Grill corn and peaches

  • Heat the grill over medium heat.
  • Brush the corn and the cut sides of the peaches with the olive oil. Drizzle the honey lightly over the cut sides of the peaches.
  • Place the peaches cut-side down on the grill. Add the corn.
  • Grill the peaches until deeply marked and beginning to caramelize. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides.
  • Transfer to a cutting board. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs. Cut the peach halves into wedges.

Assemble salad

  • Toss the drained beans with 2 tablespoons of the pistachio vinaigrette. Arrange them loosely over a large platter.
  • Layer the sliced and halved tomatoes over the beans. Season the tomatoes with the kosher salt.
  • Nestle the grilled peach wedges among the tomatoes and beans.
  • Scatter the grilled corn over the salad, followed by about 2 tablespoons of pickled red onions.
  • Drizzle with an additional 2 tablespoons of pistachio vinaigrette.
  • Finish with the toasted pistachios and fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • About all that salt: The 1 cup of kosher salt used to cook the beans is intentional. Briefly cooking the green and yellow beans in heavily salted water seasons them beautifully without making them taste salty. The cooking water—and nearly all that salt—is discarded when the beans are drained.
    Make-ahead: The recipe makes more vinaigrette, toasted pistachios and pickled onions than you will need for one salad. Refrigerate leftover vinaigrette and pickled onions in separate airtight containers. Store leftover toasted pistachios in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.003gSodium: 29508mgPotassium: 733mgFiber: 6gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 1375IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

There will be plenty of time for apples, squash and all things cozy. For now, I’m hanging onto tomatoes, peaches and corn for as long as I possibly can. Late summer is just too delicious to rush.

Peach Hand Pies with Flaky Cornmeal Crust

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I have a complicated relationship with pie. I’m firmly a cookie person, but I married a pie person, and somehow, over the past 34 years, I’ve become a reasonably competent pie baker. Not because I had any great ambition to master pastry, but because I accidentally saddled myself with a lifetime of pie-making guilt.

My husband’s mom baked him peach pies every summer. Then I accidentally destroyed the last peach pie she ever made him. Yes, there’s a story there. And yes, I still feel terrible about it.

That final summer, even though she was quite ill, she still managed to make him several peach pies. He tucked them away in our freezer, saving them to enjoy over the months ahead.

She died the following spring, and there was one peach pie left.

He couldn’t bring himself to eat it. He liked knowing it was there. Every time he opened the freezer door, he could see that last pie his mom had made for him. I completely understood.

And then I did the unthinkable.

We went away for a long weekend and I accidentally left the freezer door ajar. We came home to puddles on the floor, a very smelly freezer and, of course, a completely defrosted peach pie.

He said all the right things: “It was an accident. Don’t worry about it.” But I felt awful.

And that is how my twice-a-year pie-making tradition began. Apple crumble for his birthday in the fall, and peach—or sometimes peach and blueberry—every summer.

This summer, I decided to change things up and make Peach Hand Pies. They have everything he loves about peach pie—juicy summer peaches and flaky, buttery pastry—but in a little individual package, with my cornmeal crust and plenty of crunchy sugar on top.

After 34 years, I’m still a cookie person.

But I make a pretty damn good pie.

Keys to success for making Peach Hand Pies

  • 1. Skip peeling the peaches. There’s really no need. Once baked, the skin softens and you’ll barely notice it. Plus, a little extra fibre never hurts.
  • 2. Don’t overwork the pastry. Those visible bits of butter are what help create a flaky crust. When making the dough, you should still see some pea-sized pieces of butter throughout. Stop before everything looks completely smooth and uniform.
  • 3. Resist the urge to overfill. More filling sounds like a good thing—until it leaks out all over the baking sheet. A scant ¼ cup of peach filling per hand pie is just right and still allows you to get a good seal around the edges.
  • 4. Don’t forget the vent holes. Cut a small hole in the centre of each top crust before assembling the pies. This gives steam somewhere to escape as the peaches cook and helps prevent the inside of the pastry from becoming soggy.
  • 5. Chill before baking. Once the hand pies are assembled, pop them back into the fridge to firm up the pastry before they go into the oven. Cold pastry + hot oven = a flakier crust and better-defined pies.
  • 6. Check the bottoms. Don’t judge doneness by the tops alone. You want the bottom crust to be deeply golden. Pale bottoms usually mean the pastry needs a little more time in the oven.
  • 7. Freeze the leftovers. These hand pies freeze beautifully, which means future you gets warm peach pie whenever the mood strikes. To reheat, place a frozen hand pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes, until heated through and crisp.

Peach Hand Pies

All the best parts of peach pie, in a handheld package. Juicy summer peaches are tucked inside a flaky, buttery cornmeal crust, sprinkled with crunchy sugar and baked until deeply golden.
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Servings 10 handpies
Calories 421 kcal

Ingredients
  

Hand Pie Dough

  • 86 grams sour cream, full-fat or light (5%); do not use fat-free.
  • 150 grams ice-cold water
  • 340 grams all-purpose flour
  • 80 grams cornmeal
  • 10 grams sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/2 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
  • 200 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Filling

  • 600 grams peaches, about 4-5 medium peaches
  • 40 grams granulated sugar
  • 9 grams tapioca starch or all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt

Assembly

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 60 grams coarse white sparkling sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Instructions
 

Hand Pie Dough

  • Whisk sour cream and ice water together in a small bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Pulse to mix.
  • Add the cold butter and pulse 8 to 10 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with butter pieces ranging from breadcrumbs to small peas.
  • With the machine running, slowly pour in the sour cream mixture. Process just until the dough comes together in moist, shaggy curds. Turn the dough onto the counter and gently gather it into a ball. Divide into 4 equal pieces and shape each into a disc.
  • Lightly flour one disc and roll it between two sheets of parchment into an oval about 14 inches long and 9 inches wide. Repeat with the remaining discs. Refrigerate the dough, still between the parchment sheets, for about 30 minutes.
  • To make ahead, keep the rolled dough ovals between sheets of parchment, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze flat for up to 1 month.
  • Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter or plate as a guide, cut four circles from each dough oval. After using all the dough you will have about 16 circles. Gather scraps, re roll and cut an additional 4 circles, for a total of 20 circles.
  • Use a small round cookie cutter or tip of piping bag to cut out 1/2 inch circles from half of the dough rounds. These are vent holes for the top of each hand pie, to allow steam to escape. Set dough rounds on parchment lined baking sheet, stacking with parchment between layers and refrigerate while making filling.

Peach Filling

  • No need to peel peaches. Wash well. Cut peaches in half and remove pit. Dice peaches into 1/2 inch cubes and place into large bowl. You will have about 4 1/2 cups diced peaches.
  • Add sugar, tapioca starch or flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt and mix filling well. Set filling aside.

Assemble and Bake Hand Pies

  • Arrange two racks in the oven—one in the top-middle position, the other in the bottom-middle. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two 18 x 13 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Lay 5 dough circles (the ones without the cut out vent holes) onto each baking sheet. Brush edges of each dough circle with beaten egg. Top each circle with a scant 1/4 cup filling.
  • Top each pie with a dough round that has vent hole cut our. Press around edges gently to seal. Dip tines of fork in flour and press fork around edges to get a good seal.
  • Brush hand pies with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  • Once the hand pies are assembled, pop them back into the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up the pastry for before they go into the oven. This will give you a flakier crust and better-defined pies.
  • Place one baking sheet on lower rack, and second baking sheet on upper rack, Bake for 15 minutes. Turn oven temperature down to 375° F and switch position of the trays. Bake for another 15 minutes, until bottom of hand pies are deeply golden. Depending on your oven, you might need an extra 5-7 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let cool slightly on wire rack before serving. These are delicious hot, warm or even at room temperature.

Notes

This is the perfect make-ahead dough. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month—so you’re always ready when a craving for hand pies strikes.

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 12gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 791mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 720IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 230mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

After 34 years of making pies for a devoted pie lover, I’ve learned a thing or two. These peach hand pies, with their juicy filling, flaky cornmeal crust and crunchy sugar topping, might even be enough to turn this cookie person into a pie person. Almost.

Waffled Caprese Sandwich

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I wasn’t trying to reinvent the Caprese sandwich. Unlike my Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Waffles and Croffles, where the fun was discovering whether they would waffle at all, I already knew a sandwich would work in a waffle iron. The real question was whether it would be better than a skillet. Was it worth it to pull out another appliance?

After a few rounds of testing, I had the answer. The waffle iron creates an incredibly crisp, buttery crust while pressing all the layers together into one perfect bite. Add ripe summer tomatoes, fresh basil, creamy mozzarella, a little Fontina and Monterey Jack for extra flavour, and a swipe of sun-dried tomato paste, and you’ve got a sandwich that celebrates everything we love about tomato season. It’s a twist on the classic Caprese—and one I think is even better.

If you’re ready to give your waffle iron a new job, here are a few tips that will guarantee a perfectly crisp sandwich every time.

Keys to success in making Waffled Caprese Sandwich

  • Use soft white sandwich bread: I tested this sandwich with sourdough, ciabatta and soft white sandwich bread. The soft bread was the clear winner. It created the crispiest crust and the most defined waffle pattern.
  • Salt the tomatoes: Sprinkle the tomato slices with kosher salt and let them rest for about 5 minutes before assembling the sandwich. This draws out excess moisture, intensifies their flavour, and helps keep the sandwich from becoming soggy.
  • Use fresh mozzarella: For this sandwich, you want fresh mozzarella—the soft, creamy mozzarella packed in water or whey, not the firm block of low-moisture pizza mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella gives you that classic Caprese flavour and creamy texture.
  • Fresh mozzarella needs a little help: Fresh mozzarella gives you that classic Caprese flavour, but it’s quite mild. Adding a small amount of a more flavourful melting cheese, like Fontina and Monterey Jack, gives the sandwich more depth and a better melt. Gouda, Havarti, Provolone or even a mild cheddar would all work well too.
  • Layer strategically: Spread the sun-dried tomato paste on the bottom slice, then add the fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and finally the grated cheeses before topping with the pesto-covered slice of bread. Sandwiching the tomatoes between two layers of cheese helps hold everything together, so the filling stays put instead of sliding out with the first bite.
  • Don’t skip the garlic butter: Brushing the outside of the sandwich with garlic butter adds another layer of flavour and helps create that beautifully golden, crispy crust that makes the waffle iron shine.
  • Don’t rush the resting time: Once the sandwich comes out of the waffle iron, let it rest on a wire rack for 2 minutes before slicing. This keeps the crust crisp and gives the melted cheese a chance to settle so it stays in the sandwich instead of running onto the cutting board.

More Waffle Iron Recipes You’ll Love

I think this sandwich has officially earned a permanent spot in my summer dinner rotation. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think. And if you’ve discovered another sandwich that deserves the waffle iron treatment, let me know in the comments. I may have just started a new obsession.

Mini Tomato Galettes with Sour Cream Cornmeal Crust

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When I spotted Bon Appétit’s Tiny Tomato Galettes, I was immediately smitten. I’m a sucker for a little handheld pie, so I couldn’t wait to make them. Of course, I couldn’t resist putting my own spin on the recipe. Instead of a traditional pastry, I used my favourite sour cream cornmeal galette dough. The sour cream keeps the crust incredibly tender, while the cornmeal adds just the right amount of crunch, creating a crust that’s impossibly flaky.

I also couldn’t resist adding Gruyère to the garlicky Parmesan filling for an extra layer of savoury, nutty flavour. The result is everything I love about a rustic tomato galette, only in a perfectly portable, hand-held package that’s just as suitable for lunch as it is for a summer picnic or cocktail party.

The sour cream cornmeal dough is the foundation of this recipe. It’s one of my favourite pastry doughs because it’s easy to work with, bakes up beautifully flaky, and has just enough cornmeal to add a subtle crunch.

What I love most about this dough is how endlessly versatile it is. It’s equally at home with sweet or savoury fillings and adapts beautifully to the seasons—from spring asparagus and summer tomatoes to autumn apples and winter squash. I have a feeling it’s going to become a regular in your baking rotation.

If you’ve never made it before, here’s a step-by-step video showing exactly how it comes together.

Once your dough is chilled, the mini galettes come together quickly. This short video walks you through the filling, assembly, and a few little tricks for getting beautifully crisp bottoms every time .Here’s a step-by-step video showing exactly how it comes together.

Keys to Success in making Mini Tomato Galettes

  • 1. Use ripe, but firm tomatoes. Choose tomatoes that are deeply coloured and flavourful but still firm enough to slice cleanly. Overripe tomatoes release too much liquid and can make the crust soggy.
  • 2. Tomato powder is the secret ingredient. A light sprinkle of freeze-dried tomato powder on the tomato slices intensifies their flavour without adding moisture. Place the tomato slices powder-side down on the galettes so the vibrant tomato colour stays on top.
  • 3. Don’t skip the Dijon. A thin layer of Dijon mustard adds brightness and a subtle tang that balances the richness of the cheeses. It doesn’t taste mustardy—it simply makes the tomatoes taste more like themselves.
  • 4. Keep the dough cold. If the dough becomes soft while you’re working, pop it back into the refrigerator for a few minutes. Cold butter is what creates a beautifully flaky crust.
  • 5. Freeze before baking. After shaping the galettes, freeze them for 10 minutes before they go into the oven. This helps the crust hold its shape and encourages maximum flakiness.
  • 6. Bake until deeply golden. Don’t be tempted to pull them out too early. The crust should be a rich golden brown, especially around the pleated edges. That’s when the butter has fully crisped the layers and the cornmeal develops its subtle crunch.
  • 7. They’re just as good at room temperature. These mini galettes are wonderful straight from the oven, but they’re also delicious warm or at room temperature, making them perfect for picnics, brunches, lunches, or entertaining.
  • 8. Make extra dough. This sour cream and cornmeal galette dough freezes beautifully. I often keep a few rolled sheets in the freezer so I’m only minutes away from turning whatever is in season into a galette. It’s one of my favourite make-ahead baking tricks.

Mini Tomato Galettes with Sour Cream and Cornmeal Crust

Makes six 6-inch galettes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6 servings
Calories 421 kcal

Ingredients
  

Galette Dough

  • 43 grams sour cream, full-fat or light (5%); do not use fat-free.
  • 75 grams ice cold water
  • 170 grams all-purpose flour
  • 40 grams cornmeal
  • 5 grams sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
  • 100 grams unsalted butter, cold cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Filling

  • 125 grams mayonnaise, light (5%) is fine; do not use nonfat
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely grated on a Microplane, or use garlic press
  • 56 grams grated Parmesan cheese
  • 70 grams grated Gruyere cheese
  • 3 3"-4" diameter Heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick, you need 6 slices in total
  • 1 Tablespoon freeze dried tomato powder

Assembly

  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 large Egg, lightly beaten

Instructions
 

Galette Dough

  • Whisk sour cream and ice water together in a small bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Pulse to mix.
  • Add the cold butter and pulse 8 to 10 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with butter pieces ranging from breadcrumbs to small peas.
  • With the machine running, slowly pour in the sour cream mixture. Process just until the dough comes together in moist, shaggy curds. Turn the dough onto the counter and gently gather it into a ball. Divide into 3 equal pieces and shape each into a disc.
  • Lightly flour one disc and roll it between two sheets of parchment into an oval about 13 inches long and 7 inches wide. Repeat with the remaining discs. Refrigerate the dough, still between the parchment sheets, for about 30 minutes.
  • To make ahead, keep the rolled dough ovals between sheets of parchment, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze flat for up to 1 month.

Tomatoes

  • Arrange tomato slices on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with tomato powder and let sit while you prepare the filling and cut the dough.

Filling

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, garlic, Parmesan, and Gruyère until well combined.

Assemble Galettes

  • Arrange two racks in the oven—one in the top-middle position, the other in the bottom-middle. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line an 18 x 13 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Using a 6-inch bowl or plate as a guide, cut two circles from each dough oval to make six circles total.
  • Spread each dough circle with a thin layer of Dijon mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into the centre and spread it over the mustard, still keeping the border clear.
  • Blot the tomato slices dry with paper towel, then place one slice on each galette, tomato powder-side down, to keep the vibrant colour facing up.
  • Fold the border of dough up and over the filling, pleating gently as you work your way around each galette. Transfer formed galettes to parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the dough border with egg wash. Chill galettes in freezer for about 10 minutes before baking.
  • Place baking sheet on lower rack, Bake for 15 minutes. Then move the baking sheet to the upper rack. Bake for another 15 minutes, until galette is deeply golden. Depending on your oven, you might need an extra 5-7 minutes. Deep golden brown is the goad. No soggy bottoms allowed. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on wire rack before serving. These are delicious hot, warm or even at room temperature.

Notes

This is the perfect make-ahead dough. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to a month—so you’re always ready when the mood for galette strikes.

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 12gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 791mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 720IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 230mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

How to make an Avocado Rose

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Nobody needs an avocado rose.

That’s exactly why I love them.

I’m blessed—or perhaps cursed—with a strong sense of aesthetic and have always been drawn to beautiful little details. These days, I find myself slowing down and taking time for things that serve no practical purpose other than making me smile. Whether it’s latticing the top of a tart, dusting cookies with edible gold, or turning an avocado into a rose, some things can simply be beautiful.

If you’ve ever wanted to try making one yourself, here’s my simple step-by-step method.

Keys to Success in making an Avocado Rose

  • Start with the Right Avocado Choose an avocado that is ripe but still firm enough to hold its shape. If it’s too hard, the slices will crack. If it’s too soft, the rose will collapse into a mushy mess.
  • Use a Sharp Knife A sharp knife is essential for making clean, even slices. Ragged cuts make the rose more difficult to shape.
  • Slice Thinly Thin slices are flexible and bend easily as you roll the rose. Aim for slices about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.
  • Use Your Fingers as a Guide After each slice, use your fingers to gently hold the last slice in place as you pull the knife back. This prevents the slices from shifting and keeps the avocado neatly aligned. Taking a few extra seconds here will make it much easier to fan out the slices and roll them into a rose later.
  • Keep the Slices Aligned After slicing, gently fan the avocado out into a long line, work carefully to keep them neatly aligned. This makes rolling the rose much easier.
  • Finish with Lime Juice Once your avocado rose is formed, squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the top. It adds a bright pop of flavour and helps slow browning. Don’t forget the salt!

I’d love to know—are you team ‘just eat the avocado’ or team ‘turn it into a rose first’?

Recipe for Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Waffle is in my last blog post.

Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Waffle

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Crispy sweet potato breakfast waffle topped with avocado, fried egg, and chile crisp for a high-protein, high-fibre breakfast.

These Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Waffles were born out of a viral Instagram fail. For weeks, I kept seeing videos of people layering cheese and mashed sweet potato in a waffle iron and pulling out perfectly crispy, golden waffles. They looked so good that I couldn’t resist trying it for myself.

Unfortunately, my results looked nothing like the videos. Instead of crispy perfection, I ended up with a greasy, sticky mess welded to my waffle iron. Most people would have accepted defeat and moved on. I became slightly obsessed with figuring out why it wasn’t working. Some people would call it stubbornness. I prefer to think of it as perseverance.

After a few rounds of trial and error, I realized the problem was moisture. Roasting a whole sweet potato leaves too much water trapped inside. By cutting the sweet potato into cubes before roasting, I was able to drive off excess moisture and create a mixture that actually waffles beautifully. A little cheddar, Parmesan, and an egg for binding transformed the failed trend into something genuinely delicious.

Hand cutting peeled sweet potato into cubes on a wooden cutting board for sweet potato breakfast waffles.

The result is a crispy, savoury breakfast waffle that’s packed with 18 grams of protein and 7 grams of fibre. And even more importantly, it tastes far better than the viral version that inspired it. Topped with avocado, a fried egg, and a drizzle of chile crisp (I’m addicted to this brand!) , it’s the kind of breakfast that keeps you full for hours while still feeling like a treat.

Keys to Success when making Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Waffles

  • 1. Roast Sweet Potato Cubes, Not a Whole Sweet Potato. This is the secret to getting these waffles to work. Roasting a whole sweet potato traps too much moisture, which can lead to soggy waffles that stick to the waffle iron. Cutting the sweet potato into small cubes before roasting exposes more surface area to the oven heat, resulting in a drier mash and a crispier waffle.
  • 2. Don’t Skip the Egg The egg acts as a binder, helping the waffles hold together when they’re removed from the waffle iron. Without it, the mixture can be fragile and more likely to fall apart.
  • 3. Use Freshly Grated Cheese Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can affect how smoothly it melts. Grating your own cheddar and Parmesan gives the waffles better flavour and texture.
  • 4. Let the Waffle Iron Do Its Job Resist the urge to peek too early. Opening the waffle iron before the waffles have had time to crisp can cause them to tear or stick. Wait until steam has mostly subsided and the exterior is deeply golden before lifting the lid.
  • 5. Use a Measuring Scoop A ⅓-cup scoop ensures waffles of a consistent size and thickness. This helps them cook evenly and makes it easier to predict cooking times.
  • 6. Serve Immediately These waffles are at their absolute best straight from the waffle iron when the exterior is crisp and the cheese is still warm. Top with avocado, a fried egg, and a drizzle of chile crisp for the ultimate breakfast.
  • 7. Make Extra for Meal Prep The waffles reheat surprisingly well in a toaster oven or air fryer. Make a double batch and freeze extras for quick weekday breakfasts.

Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Waffles

Looking for a breakfast that actually keeps you full? With 18 grams of protein and 7 grams of fibre per serving, these Loaded Sweet Potato Breakfast Waffles are as nourishing as they are delicious. Roasted sweet potatoes, cheese and eggs are transformed into crispy golden waffles, then topped with avocado, a fried egg and a drizzle of chile crisp.
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Servings 4
Calories 449 kcal

Equipment

  • waffle iron
  • kitchen tongs
  • wire cooling rack
  • 10-12-inch nonstick skillet

Ingredients
  

Waffles

  • 400 grams peeled sweet potato, (about 1 large sweet potato), cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
  • 120 grams marble or sharp cheddar cheese, grated, (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • 30 grams Parmesan cheese, grated, (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Eggs

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons butter, or avocado oil

Avocado

  • 1 large ripe avocado
  • 1 small lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt

Garnish

Instructions
 

Sweet Potato Waffles

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Spread sweet potato cubes on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
  • Roast for 20 minutes. Stir the potatoes and continue roasting for 10–15 minutes, until golden and fork-tender.
  • Let cool for 5–10 minutes before mashing.
    The sweet potatoes can be roasted up to 1 day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
  • Place sweet potatoes in large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the sweet potatoes until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining.
  • Add the grated marble cheese, Parmesan, and egg. Mix until well combined.
  • Preheat waffle iron to medium-low setting. Spray or brush waffle iron with Pam or vegetable oil.
  • Place 1/3 cup waffle mix into each section of waffle iron. Close lid and cook for 3 minutes. Gently lift lid and check degree of doneness. Waffle should be deeply golden brown. Using tongs, gently lift waffles from iron and place on wire cooling rack.
    The waffles may stick slightly when you first try to lift them. Don’t force them. Continue cooking for another 30–60 seconds and try again. Once properly browned, they will release easily from the waffle iron.
  • Transfer to a wire rack rather than a plate to maintain crispness.

Avocado Topping

  • Cut avocado in half, around the pit. Open and carefully remove pit. Peel both halves of avocado and cut each half into 6 thin wedges. Place avocado on plate, and squeeze juice of 1 lime over them. Sprinkle with salt.

Fried Eggs

  • Place skillet over medium heat. Add oil or butter. Crack each egg into a small bowl, then carefully slide into the skillet. This gentle handling ensures yolks do not break.
  • Sprinkle eggs with salt. Turn heat down to low and cover pan with lid or a baking sheet. This will trap steam and help egg whites cook faster. Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 2–3 minutes.

Assembly

  • Place a sweet potato waffle on each plate. Top with avocado slices and a fried egg. Drizzle with chile crisp, if using.
    For a sweet-and-spicy variation, drizzle with hot honey instead of chile crisp.

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 20gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 273mgSodium: 1167mgPotassium: 721mgFiber: 7gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 15034IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 379mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!