Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• High-Protein Snack: Packed with plain Greek yogurt, offering around 19g of protein per serving to keep you full and energized.
• 5-Minute Recipe: Quick and easy to whip up in 5 minutes with simple pantry staples—no baking or electric mixers required.
• Single-Serve & Zero Cleanup: Blend the ingredients directly in your single-serve yogurt container for an effortless individual treat.
• Guilt-Free Cookie Dough Flavor: Captures that nostalgic monster cookie dough taste made with creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, and mini M&Ms without raw eggs or flour.
• Customizable & Versatile: Perfect as an afternoon snack, post-workout treat, or dessert dip paired with fresh fruit, pretzels, or graham crackers.

The Science of Cookie Dough Dip Texture

If the dip feels too runny: Liquid sweeteners (honey/maple syrup) or non-fat yogurt with high whey content. Fix: Fold in 1 tablespoon of protein powder or 1 tablespoon of PB2, then chill for 10 minutes.

If the dip tastes too tangy: Natural tartness of plain Greek yogurt. Fix: Add a pinch of fine sea salt and an extra 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract to neutralize sour notes.

If the sugar feels gritty: Sugar crystals haven’t dissolved into the fat layer. Fix: Whisk the peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar together first before stirring in the cold yogurt.

Serving & Pairing Checklist

• Crunchy Dippers: Mini pretzel twists, graham crackers, waffle cone pieces, mini chocolate chip cookies.
• Fresh Fruit: Honeycrisp apple slices, strawberry halves, banana coins (fresh or dried).
• Spoonable Toppings: Mini M&Ms, mini dark chocolate chips, toasted rolled oats or granola.

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Monster Cookie Dough Dip

Greek Yogurt Monster Cookie Dough Dip is packed with protein! Use your favorite nut butter and sweetener. Top with your favorite mix-ins to enjoy this sweet treat!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cookie dough, greek yogurt

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Calories 417kcal

Author Katrina Bahl

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt 1 single-serve container
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter or 1 Tablespoon peanut butter powder
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch sea salt optional
• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon chocolate candies like mini M&Ms
• 1 tablespoon granola

Instructions

• Blend the Flavor Base: In a small bowl (or directly inside your yogurt container), WHISK together the brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and sea salt until smooth.
• Combine the Yogurt: Stir in the Greek yogurt until completely smooth and creamy.
• Add Mix-Ins: Fold in the mini chocolate chips, mini candy-coated chocolates, and granola.
• Serve or Chill: Serve immediately with apple slices or pretzels, or chill for 15 minutes to deepen the flavors.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 190mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 1mg

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this cookie dough dip ahead of time? Yes! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir gently before serving. Wait to add the granola until right before serving to keep it crunchy.

Why is my Greek yogurt cookie dough dip runny? The thickness of your dip depends on liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup that break down the structure of Greek yogurt. Stick to brown sugar and full-fat Greek yogurt, or stir in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter powder (PB2) to thicken it. We also suggest using full-fat Greek yogurt.

Is this dip gluten-free? The base recipe is naturally gluten-free as long as you choose certified gluten-free granola and gluten-free candy mix-ins.

Is it safe to eat raw cookie dough dip? Yes! Traditional cookie dough poses risks because of raw eggs (which can carry salmonella) and untreated raw flour. This Greek yogurt version uses no eggs or flour, making it 100% safe to eat straight from the bowl.

Base Swap Customization Guide

Customize this dip to fit your dietary goals by swapping your base, sweetener, and fats:

For a Classic High-Protein dip, use whole milk plain Greek yogurt as your base, paired with 1 tablespoon of packed brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter. This combination gives you a thick, rich texture with that nostalgic cookie dough taste.

For a Macro-Friendly / Lower Calorie version, opt for 0% nonfat plain Greek yogurt. Swap the sugar for 1 tablespoon of a brown sugar alternative like Swerve or Lakanto, and use 1 tablespoon of powdered peanut butter (PB2) instead of regular peanut butter. This yields a lighter, fluffier dip with extra volume.

For an Ultra-Rich Dessert Style treat, start with vanilla Greek yogurt as your base. Reduce the brown sugar to 1/2 tablespoon and swap the peanut butter for 1 tablespoon of Biscoff cookie butter spread for a smooth, decadent dip with a warm graham-spiced flavor.

Traditional vs. Greek Yogurt Cookie Dough Dip

Traditional Dip: Classic party dips often rely on softened cream cheese, a 1/2 cup butter, and powdered sugar whipped together using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer until fluffy.

Healthy Greek Yogurt Version: This lightened-up recipe skips the heavy fats and refined sugars! You don’t even need electrical appliances—just grab a bowl and a wooden spoon (or mix it right in the single-serve cup).

The post Greek Yogurt Monster Cookie Dough Dip (5-Minute Recipe) appeared first on In Katrinas Kitchen.

A Quick and Easy Breakfast

Overnight oats are a quick and easy way to meal-prep breakfasts for your family’s busy weekday mornings.

Soaking the oats in milk and yogurt gives you a quick, no-cook breakfast that can be refrigerated up to five days in advance. There are endless variations on overnight oats, so in this post, we will outline a basic recipe ratio and a unique “cereal milk” recipe that both kids and adults will love!

How to Make Cereal Milk Overnight Oats

1. Soak cereal and milk for up to 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Strain and store chilled until ready to use.
2. Combine old-fashioned oats with cereal milk and yogurt. Add in optional protein powder, chia seeds, nuts, or sweeteners. Store in refrigerator overnight or up to 5 days. You can use vanilla extract, honey, maple syrup, or the sweetener of your choice. However, sweeteners may not be necessary, depending on your chosen cereal. 
3. Add any toppings such as dry cereal, nuts, sliced fruit, nut butter, cinnamon, granola, etc. Enjoy cold or warm up in the microwave for up to 1 minute. Be sure to use a glass jar or microwave-safe container and heat uncovered. 

Overnight Oats Ratio

The overnight oats ratio we suggest is 1:1 oats to milk with half the amount of yogurt. For cereal milk, we suggest 1:2 cereal to milk (1 cup of cereal soaked in 2 cups of milk, etc). While customizing this recipe can be fun, don’t let the options overwhelm you! Some basic cereals that we suggest to get you started are:

• A fruity cereal such as Trix
• A chocolate or cinnamon cereal such as Cocoa Puffs or Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• A classic cereal such as Multigrain Cheerios or Frosted Mini-Wheats

You can also adjust this recipe to use chocolate milk, strawberry milk, or any dairy you choose! Protein overnight oats are so versatile!

Choose any yogurt flavor that you love. Greek yogurt is high in protein, which helps to keep you fuller longer, and it packs in essential nutrients. Six ounces of Greek yogurt typically contains 14–17 grams of protein (regular yogurt has 7-8 grams). It adds creaminess and tang, too. Find out the differences between Greek and regular yogurt.

Cottage cheese is having a moment right now in popularity due to the fact that it is low in sugar and high in protein. You can replace Greek yogurt in overnight oats recipes with cottage cheese! Use cottage cheese straight from the container or blend into a whipped and creamy consistency for delicious cottage cheese overnight oats.

Protein powder, chia seeds, and/or nut butters can be added but are definitely not necessary if you don’t have them on hand. The same is true of sweeteners. We found that cereal milk overnight oats were sweet enough and didn’t need any additional sugar.

Why Dairy?

Milk, cheese and yogurt are delicious paired with plant-based foods, including whole grains and a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables—which tend to be more affordable because they are most abundant. Pairing dairy foods with plants can help pack in nutrients that kids and adults need and often do not get enough of in their daily diets.

Dairy and plants are the ultimate power couple that together deliver calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and fiber. Research shows plant and dairy foods can also help reduce the risk for chronic diseases. Dairy foods are often recommended as part of plant-based diets because they contain high-quality proteins and often under-consumed nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and potassium.

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Cereal Milk Overnight Oats

These Overnight Oats are made with cereal milk and packed with protein from Greek yogurt. Add a scoop of protein powder or chia seeds to keep you full even longer!

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Keyword cereal, milk, oatmeal, oats

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Overnight Time 8 hours hours

Ingredients

Cereal Milk

• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup cereal

Overnight Oats

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup cereal milk
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons protein powder optional
• 2 Tablespoons chia seeds optional
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions

For the Cereal Milk

• POUR the cereal into a jar or bowl with a lid and cover it with milk. Adjust the recipe as needed. Use the ratio of 1 part cereal to 2 parts milk.
• STEEP cereal milk in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• STRAIN the milk through a mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Discard the cereal. STORE the milk in the refrigerator until needed.

For the Overnight Oats

• COMBINE oats, cereal milk, and Greek yogurt. ADD protein powder, chia seeds, and vanilla extract if desired.
• DIVIDE into jars or containers with lids. REFRIGERATE 6 hours or overnight.
• TOP with fresh fruit, nut butter, cinnamon, or dry cereal pieces, and enjoy!

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Notes

• Greek yogurt is packed with protein- use any flavor that you find delicious!
• A scoop of protein powder or chia seeds will help keep you full longer.
• You can use vanilla extract, honey, maple syrup, or the sweetener of your choice. However, sweeteners may not be necessary, depending on the cereal that you choose. 
• Adjust this recipe to use chocolate milk, strawberry milk, or any dairy that you choose!
• Overnight oats are meant to save you time in the morning. Make a bunch for your family and enjoy cold, or warm them up in the microwave for up to 1 minute. Be sure to use a glass jar or microwave-safe container and heat uncovered. 

How to Store and Enjoy Overnight Oats

Cereal milk and overnight oats can be prepared and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Enjoy eating this quick and easy breakfast cold or warmed up in the microwave. After a few days of soaking, if the oats are too thick, you can add more milk; if too thin and runny, you can mix in more yogurt.

For more information about dairy nutrition, to find delicious new recipes and to meet Ohio and West Virginia dairy farmers, visit www.Drink-Milk.com, and follow the American Dairy Association Mideast on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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The simplicity of this recipe makes it enjoyable to eat. The unique flavor combinations make it irresistible!

What is Chocolate Puff Corn?

Puff Corn (aka corn puffs) are puffed or extruded corn bits made with cornmeal. When baked, the cornmeal puffs up into an enjoyable and naturally gluten-free snack.

Puffcorn is also referred to as hulless popcorn.

Popcorn is made from whole grains. Both puff corn and popcorn make a delicious and unique snack when drizzled with chocolate.

National Cheese Doodle Day

We’re featuring this recipe as part of National Cheese Doodle Day!

Using White Cheddar Cheese Puffs with white chocolate, and sanding sugars might sound sketchy at first. You can certainly use Butter or Original flavored puff corn (which is more traditional); however, you may be surprised by the taste of white cheddar. We found that the cheddar is perfectly salty and tangy enough to balance out the supreme sweetness of white chocolate in our recipe testing.

How to Make Sweet and Salty Puff Corn

Method One:

1. Spread out the puff corn on a tray that has been covered with wax paper or parchment paper.
2. Melt the white chocolate. If it is not smooth enough to drizzle, add approximately 1 teaspoon of shortening (Crisco).
3. Drizzle puff corn with chocolate and immediately cover with sprinkles or sanding sugars.

Method Two:

1. Pour the puff corn into a large bowl.
2. Melt the white chocolate. If it is not smooth enough to pour, add approximately 1 teaspoon of shortening (Crisco).
3. Pour the chocolate over the puff corn and stir until completely coated. Sprinkle with sanding sugars.
4. Transfer to a tray that has been covered with wax paper or parchment paper.

Puff Corn Substitutions

Chocolate Puff Corn is addicting to snack on and easy to make. You can substitute the white chocolate for any chocolate candy coating flavor or almond bark. There are many colors to choose from as well.

Sometimes called “White Chocolate Christmas Crack,” this is an easy recipe for Christmas gifts and gatherings. Swap out the pastel sanding sugars with your favorite festive sprinkles.

Chocolate-covered popcorn is one of our most requested holiday treats. If you like this sweet and salty recipe, you should try Chocolate Covered Potato Chip Popcorn or our surprisingly delicious Potato Chip Peppermint Bark!

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It’s much easier than you think to make rainbow swirl frosting at home. Switch out the colors in any combination to make a unique rainbow cake or cookie design. Our helpful step-by-step tutorial will show you the easy DIY technique to get that bakery buttercream frosting for your next birthday party desserts.

How to Make Unicorn Rainbow Frosting

We have been using this multi-colored icing method on cupcakes for years, but you may be surprised that you can use this simple technique to make impressive rainbow cookies and unicorn swirled frosting.

You will need:

• Buttercream frosting
• Gel food coloring
• Plastic wrap
• Small piping bags
• Large piping bag
• Open star piping tip

Rainbow Swirl Icing Method

1. Divide frosting between 3-7 bowls depending on how many colors you are using, and color the frosting using gel food coloring for the most vibrant colors.
2. Transfer each color of frosting to its own small piping bag.
3. Pipe long rows of each color onto a piece of plastic wrap.
4. Roll up the plastic wrap into a log shape and snip off the excess.
5. Place the plastic wrap log into a larger piping bag fitted with an open star tip (such as 1M).

How to Use Rainbow Swirl Icing

You can use this rainbow buttercream on top of:

Cupcakes (try our Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes)

Cut Out Cookies (try our Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER)

Best Chocolate Cut Out Cookies

Your favorite homemade or boxed cake recipe.

Rainbow Desserts

These cookies can be made for birthday parties, holidays (such as St. Patrick’s Day), and to celebrate PRIDE month.

Be sure to check out all of our rainbow desserts, like our popular Rainbow Chocolate Chip Cookies and our festive Tie Dyed Rice Krispie Treats.

Frosting Recipes

For the flat flood icing (shown in white and green), I used Small Batch Royal Icing. If you do not wish to make another frosting, you can use store-bought cookie icing such as Wilton.

We do not suggest using canned frosting for the rainbow swirl buttercream. Frosting in a can will droop after you pipe it and will not hold up very well.

For this American Buttercream, you can use full butter or half butter and half shortening, such as Crisco.

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There might not be a better year to make this whimsical Rainbow Sprinkle Gingerbread House than 2020. In fact, I had to prepare a second one just so my kids could devour it because I couldn’t part with this one. It makes me smile every time I walk near where it is displayed in our kitchen.

Rainbow Sprinkle Gingerbread House

Gather your ingredients:

1. Gingerbread house- Purchase a kit or prepare the pieces at home. For best results, purchase an unassembled house.
2. Royal Icing- Repurpose the icing that comes in the store-bought kit. Trust us on this. Make our Gingerbread House Icing (recipe below). It dries completely firm. Your house will not fall apart!
3. Rainbow sprinkles- We used about 2 cups of nonpareil sprinkles for decorating (discard the excess).
4. Candy- Gather whatever colorful candies you would like.
5. Gingerbread cookies- We used store-bought gingerbread men and Grandma’s Gingerbread Spritz for the trees.

Gingerbread House Icing

Have you ever tried to prepare a gingerbread house only to have it fall apart midway through? First, repurpose the icing that came with your store-bought gingerbread house kit. It is likely a powdered sugar glaze that was not really meant to hold up a heavy structure. Try smothering it on cinnamon rolls or drizzling it on top of graham crackers.

Next, prepare our Gingerbread House Icing (printable recipe card below). It will dry firm and will hold up to the hefty sprinkle-covered gingerbread house pieces.

Attach the Sprinkles

We suggest spreading the icing on the gingerbread cookies and house pieces for the best results, then dipping them into the sprinkles. This can get messy! Let all of the gingerbread house sections and cookies dry before assembling. The suggested drying time is at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

This gets trickier if your gingerbread house came preassembled, but it’s not impossible. You will spread icing over one section of the house at a time before holding the house over a large bowl and pouring sprinkles over it. You may need to do this in batches while allowing the icing to dry on some sections before moving on to others.

Build a Sturdy Gingerbread House

Once your gingerbread house pieces are covered with sprinkles and the icing has dried firm, you can begin assembly.

1. Construct the base of the house. Use a piping bag or decorating bottle full of Gingerbread House Icing to pipe a line of icing on each end that will be touching together. Form the rectangle or square base of your house. Hold in place for several minutes. Use drinking glasses, water bottles, or soda cans placed inside the base (and outside as needed) to prop up the walls until they are set.
2. Meanwhile, pipe icing along seams of the roof pieces. Hold in place until firm enough to use glasses, bottles, or cans for propping up the roof pieces.
3. Allow the base and the roof to firm up for at least 1 hour.

When ready to attach the roof to the base, pipe icing along the top of every base piece and along the bottom of every roof piece that will be touching. Let dry until completely firm. Decorate with more icing and candies as desired!

Baker’s Tip:

Don’t be afraid to use a lot of icing while constructing the Rainbow Sprinkle Gingerbread House. When it dries it will look like snow! You can also cover up any messy seams with more icing and candies when the house construction is finished.

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This month I’m teaming up with the American Dairy Association Mideast for some recipes featuring one of my favorite things in life- cheese! Not only will I be sharing these recipes but I’m also excited to announce that you can grab a bite of them at the  BlogHer Food Conference on November 6-7. The hotel staff will be preparing my recipes and sharing them with all of the attendees so be sure to hop over and chat!

The inspiration for these little bites came from my deep love for dessert pizza. As a teenager of the 90’s I was always happy to see fruit pizza make an appearance on the menu with its sugar cookie base, sweet cream frosting, and beautifully arranged fresh fruit. However my adult metabolism can’t enjoy 2 (or 3…let’s be honest) servings so I’ve reinvented the treat to a healthier option for our family.

As a dessert pizza pinwheel these treats are completely portable for snacking as well! My kids love these in their lunchboxes, and I’ve been told they are the envy of all their classmates- that’s the true test. I’m always looking for varied ways to sneak more calcium into my children’s diet so this sweet cream cheese and fresh fruit is a winning combination in our family.  (more…)

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How is it that my biggest little man turned eight years old last week? I love that he asked for a rainbow sprinkle birthday cake. Even more than that, I loved seeing his eyes light up when he saw me filling it with Oreo frosting. These Homemade Funfetti Oreo Surprise Cupcakes were a spin-off of his birthday cake for him to bring to his school classmates.

Let’s just hope that my blog isn’t popular in the 2nd graders age category, or else the kiddos will be disappointed that I really skimped on the frosting compared to these pictures.

Here is a peek at his birthday cake- simple to make with a number template and lots and lots of sprinkles! This sprinkle cake got a TON of Instagram love- wow!

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Anybody else out there crazy for sugar cookies? I like sugar cookies so much that I’ve spent the last 20 years perfecting my sugar cookie recipe. Talk about chocolate all you want but vanilla is where it’s at for me. So when I opened up my copy of Dessert Mash-Ups by Dorothy Kern (Crazy for Crust blog) this recipe jumped out from the pages into my dreams!

These Sugar Cookie Dough Cups are so heavenly that I needed to get them out of my house ASAP for fear that I would consume all 12 of them before my children came home from school. Cookie dough…vanilla…SPRINKLES!

Not only are these little candy cups perfectly portioned, they are great for any occasion. Just change up the sprinkles to make them festive.

Right now I’m obsessed with these jumbo nonpareils. Judge all you want but I’m allowed to be obsessed with sprinkles. And sugar cookie dough.

I just finished Christmas shopping for my niece so of course I had Frozen on the brain.

I would suggest making these candies with a mini muffin tin instead of a standard if you are making them for a party. You’ll have more to keep up with the demand!

I don’t know what else I have to say to convince you to try this recipe. It’s like a peanut butter cup but filled with eggless, safe-to-eat sugar cookie dough.

I did cheat on the instructions a bit. I rolled out my dough into a large, round disc and refrigerated it before cutting it into circles. Whenever I have to put something round into a muffin tin I use a champagne fluted glass to cut the circles- it makes the most perfect portions!

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Sugar Cookie Dough Cups

Sugar Cookie Dough Cups are like a peanut butter cup only better! Customize these candy cookie cups with sprinkles to match any holiday or party theme.

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1 ⁄4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 ⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons whole milk
• 1 ⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 to 16 ounces vanilla-flavored melting chocolate
• Sprinkles optional

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla, milk, and flour.
• Form the dough into a disk. Place between two sheets of waxed paper on a cutting board. Roll out to 1⁄4 inch thick. I like to peel the waxed paper off the top, then flip the dough over and peel it off the bottom after every few rolls so that it doesn’t stick. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 24 circles of dough, rerolling as necessary. Place half the dough rounds on top of the other half, for a total of 12. Refrigerate until ready to assemble cups.
• Melt the melting chocolate according to the package directions.
• Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melting chocolate into the bottom of each liner, enough to coat the bottom. Tap the pan to settle the candy and release any air bubbles.
• Place one cookie dough round in each muffin liner. Top with
1 to 2 tablespoons more melting chocolate, spreading as necessary to make sure that the two edges of chocolate meet. Tap the pan again to release air bubbles. Top with sprinkles. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. These can also be frozen.

In Katrina’s Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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By now it’s no secret that I have a thing for rainbows. Whether it’s a swirly rainbow cheesecake, a tie-died rainbow birthday cake, or rainbow chocolate chip cookies, I just can’t quit rainbows. I have even been known to snack on homemade rainbow granola.

Can’t.

Stop.

I love partnering with brands that I use and trust in my own home. So when McCormick asked if I would like to help celebrate their 125th birthday (!!!) I knew that I wanted to make them a unique rainbow cake.

They sent me their special anniversary edition Extra Rich Pure Vanilla Extract and I made a cake. Then I ate the cake all by myself. I didn’t even save them a piece. I am the worst friend.

I purposely used a boxed vanilla cake mix for this recipe so as not to scare anyone off. If boxed cake mix is against your religion you can make your favorite recipe from scratch. Just be sure to add in some extra rich vanilla extract- you only turn 125 once, right?!

Please note that you will need two boxes of cake mix for 3 thick cake rounds. You could spread 1 box between 3 rounds but there is a lot of frosting tucked inside this cake so I wanted the frosting-to-cake ratio to be just right. (You will have an extra cake round- I let my kids decorate that one while I worked on the rainbow cake.)

When it comes to the frosting you can use your favorite as well. Tint 1/2 cup of frosting red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Then spread the frosting in a bulls-eye pattern between your cake layers.

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Extra Rich Vanilla Cake with Rainbow Frosting

No special tools or skills necessary! Cut inside your cake to reveal a secret rainbow frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword birthday, cake, frosting, rainbow, vanilla

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

• 2 boxes white cake mix
• McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• food coloring
• 6 Cups white buttercream frosting

Instructions

• MIX cake according to package directions in a large bowl or mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. When adding eggs, add in 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract.
• BAKE cakes and cool according to package directions.
• TINT 1/2 cup of frosting each red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Then spread the frosting in a bulls-eye pattern between your cake layers.
• STACK cakes and FROST with a thin crumb coat of white buttercream.
• CHILL for 1-2 hours then finish frosting with a thick layer of white buttercream.

Happy birthday, McCormick! I hope your birthday is SWEET!

Items used in this recipe:

In Katrina’s Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

I am honored to be a part of the McCormick Everyday Bakers program. This recipe was sponsored by McCormick. I was compensated for my time; all opinions are my own.

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One of the most popular recipes on my site is the Rainbow Swirl Cake that I made for my youngest son a few years ago. I like to give ordinary desserts a few changes and make them really extraordinary. This cheesecake is surely nothing less than extraordinary!

Celebrate with Rainbow Cheesecake

This Rainbow Cheesecake is perfect for any celebration including National Cheesecake Day.

UPDATE- I got the sweetest email from a reader who made this cheesecake for her daughter who recently came out to her family. The daughter was nervous to tell her family, but thankfully they accept her as she is with loving arms. Her mom made this cheesecake that evening to celebrate and show their unending love. I sobbed through the whole email- thank you for allowing me to share here.

If you follow KatrinasKitchen on Instagram, you got a little preview earlier this week. I used my favorite cheesecake recipe that I’ve been making for years and gave it a hint of lemon flavor with a lot of colors.

Can I make this cheesecake without food coloring?

Of course, you can make this without the coloring, too- it really is my favorite fluffy cheesecake recipe. Just don’t tell me. And you must promise to at least add a gazillion colorful sprinkles to make up for it. Just kidding!

If you don’t have a leak-proof cheesecake pan, then you’ll want to wrap the base of your cheesecake pan several times with heavy-duty foil to prevent water from seeping into the pan while baking.  Don’t skip the water bath. It prevents the cheesecake from cracking on top. Place the cheesecake pan into a larger pan that is filled halfway with water. This is called a water bath. It sounds super-fancy, but really that’s all there is to it.

I placed my 9-inch cheesecake pan into a 10×10 square cake pan and baked it for 45 minutes. Then I like to turn the oven off and let the cheesecake remain in the oven for 1 more hour before removing it to let cool completely. Finally, I let it set up overnight in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, I place threatening notes all over the kitchen, telling my boys not to dare touch this work of art before it’s ready, or they will have to sit and watch me enjoy multiple slices before I even think about letting them have a bite.

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Rainbow Cheesecake

Bright, colorful swirls make this Rainbow Cheesecake pretty to look at, and this is my favorite fluffy cheesecake recipe with a hint of lemon- divine!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cheesecake, rainbow, swirl

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Chill Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 9 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 507kcal

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter melted

For the Cheesecake:

• 32 ounce cream cheese 4 eight-ounce bars, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• food coloring gel like Americolor (not liquid)

Instructions

For the Crust:

• PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan in heavy-duty foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. 
• MIX graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter and press into the bottom of your prepared pan and up the sides. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
• For the Cheesecake:
• In the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, COMBINE the sugar and cream cheese. Beat together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, lemon, and vanilla extracts. Mix until creamy and smooth.
• DIVIDE batter into 6 large ziptop bags and add food coloring to reach desired vibrancy. Alternately use small bowls to stir in the coloring. (See notes)
• DROP batters into prepared crust, letting the colors overlap. Use the tip of a butter knife to swirl the colors around once or twice, careful not to overmix. 
• FILL a larger pan (10x10 cake pan or roasting pan) with water halfway for a water bath. Place the cheesecake pan into the water bath.
• BAKE 45 to 55 minutes until the edges appear to be set. The center will still have some jiggle to it. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour has passed, REMOVE the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled, chill for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Notes

For best results use GEL food colors (found online or at craft stores). Liquid food coloring can be substituted, however, the colors will not be as vibrant. 

With gel food colors you only need to use 2-3 drops for a vibrant color. 

Nutrition

Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 1431IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1mg

Items used in this recipe:

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