120+ Easy Breakfast Recipe Ideas Budget Bytes

Tomato Butter

Jess Rice — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 13:30:00 +0000

I can’t stress enough how delicious this Tomato Butter is. Especially now that it’s tomato season, I’m begging you to make it! Our team in the Budget Bytes studio ate WAY too much warm sourdough bread and butter during the making of this recipe, but I can tell you we have zero regrets. I’m absolutely certain this recipe for tomato butter will be your new favorite ingredient and/or condiment, and it honestly couldn’t be easier to make!

Easy Recipe for Tomato Butter

This homemade tomato butter is a savory compound butter made by blending roasted tomatoes, garlic, and a few simple seasonings into butter. I always roast the tomatoes and garlic instead of using them raw, as it really concentrates the flavor and keeps the butter from getting watery. This easy tomato butter also freezes beautifully, so you can tuck a little taste of summer away for later! It’s one of my favorite recipes to make when tomatoes are at their peak (alongside my tomato relish, of course), and I always end up wishing I’d made a double batch.

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Tomato Butter

Use up your garden tomatoes with this budget-friendly Tomato Butter! It’s easy to make, packed with flavor, and perfect for meal prep.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Total Cost $3.58 recipe / $0.18 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings (1 Tbsp each)

Calories 85kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Food Processor
Ice Cube Tray

Ingredients

2 tomatoes vine ripe, $1.28
2 cloves garlic $0.06
¼ tsp sea salt $0.01
⅛ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.03
cooking spray $0.01
2 sticks salted butter room temperature, $1.98*
1 tsp Italian seasoning $0.21

Instructions

Gather ingredients. Preheat oven to 375°F.
Seed tomatoes by cutting them into quarters and scooping the seeds out. Carefully crush garlic cloves using the bottom of a cup.
Add tomatoes and garlic to a parchment-lined baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and lightly mist with cooking oil.
Bake until tomatoes and garlic have wilted and toasted, 15-20 minutes. Just enough to concentrate those flavors and give them a little more depth.
Add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, room temperature salted butter, and Italian herb mix to a food processor.
Run the food processor until the tomatoes and garlic have been broken down and blended into the butter and seasonings.
Portion out your tomato butter for future use by using an ice cube tray! Pop it in the freezer (covered with plastic wrap!) and then pop them out once hardened and store in a clean, dry container in the freezer or refrigerator.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*You can easily make this recipe dairy-free by swapping the butter with your favorite salted vegan butter.

Nutrition

how to make Tomato Butter step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 375°F.

Prep the tomatoes and garlic: Slice 2 tomatoes into quarters and use a spoon to scoop the seeds out. Discard the seeds and crush 2 garlic cloves with the bottom of a cup or the side of your knife (carefully!)

Roast the tomatoes and garlic: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tomatoes and garlic onto the baking sheet, season with ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper, and lightly mist with cooking oil.

Bake until the tomatoes and garlic have wilted and browned, about 15-20 minutes. This is just enough to concentrate those flavors and give them a little more depth.

Make the tomato butter: Add the roasted tomatoes and garlic, 2 sticks room temperature salted butter, and 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning to a food processor.

Run the food processor until the tomatoes and garlic have broken down and combined with the butter and seasonings.

Now, it’s ready to use! You can also portion out your homemade tomato butter for future use using an ice cube tray. Cover the tray well with plastic wrap and pop it into the freezer. Once hardened, pop the little butter cubes out of the tray and store them in a clean, dry container in the freezer or fridge.

Cover your butter before putting it in the freezer. Butter absorbs surrounding smells over time (it’s called “aroma absorption” or “fat washing”), so make sure your tomato butter is tightly covered to keep it tasting fresh and not like the inside of your fridge/freezer!!
Don’t have any dried Italian herbs? Any dried herb or mix of your favorites will work just fine. Basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary are all great options. Just avoid using more than 1 teaspoon total so you don’t overpower the tomato flavor. Dried herbs are much more potent than fresh, and their flavor will continue to develop as the butter sits. You can always add more later if you want a stronger herb flavor!

Serving Suggestions

Think of this tomato and garlic butter as a quick flavor booster that works on everything from toast to pasta! My favorite way is spreading it, while it’s still soft, onto a piece of warm sourdough. It melts right in and makes the simplest snack feel extra special. It’s also great melted over white rice with grilled shrimp, stirred through hot penne with a little Parmesan, or mixed into scrambled eggs. I’ve even rubbed it onto hot, grilled corn, but you could just as easily melt it over baked chicken (or any protein you like) for a fast and flavorful finish.

Storage Instructions

As I mentioned above, I like to portion my roasted tomato butter into an ice cube tray so I can freeze individual servings. Once they’re solid, I pop them out and store them in an airtight container in the freezer or fridge. Just make sure your butter is well-covered to keep it from picking up any freezer smells. This compound butter will keep in the fridge for up to 5–7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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Strawberry Freezer Jam

Jennie Alley — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:30:00 +0000

There are certain recipes that just feel like home, and this Strawberry Freezer Jam is one of them. It’s been a staple in my family for as long as I can remember and is something I made as a kid on summer afternoons, first with my mom and then, years later, with each of my grandmothers. It comes together quickly with just 5 simple ingredients, and since the berries stay uncooked, the jam keeps its fresh, just-picked flavor. One batch makes enough to enjoy now and stash away for later, and I’m so excited to pass this recipe along to you!

Easy Recipe for Strawberry Freezer Jam

This homemade strawberry freezer jam has shown up at just about every big family breakfast I can think of—spread thick on biscuits, waffles, toast—you name it. I make it with fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and fruit pectin, and it’s as easy as mixing the berries and sugar, boiling the pectin, and filling up jars. To this day, one of my favorite ways to enjoy this strawberry jam is straight from the freezer, with its cool, almost slushy texture melting into a warm and fluffy biscuit. Pure comfort. 🤤

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Strawberry Freezer Jam

Make your own homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam with fresh berries, sugar, and classic pectin. A quick, no-fuss recipe that’s perfect for beginners.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Total Cost $7.39 recipe / $0.09 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Time to Set 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings, 5x 8oz jars (1 Tbsp each)

Calories 42kcal

Author Jennie Alley

Equipment

Food Processor
Small Saucepan
Large Bowl
5 8 oz Jars or Airtight Containers (Freezer-Safe)

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries 16 oz, $2.13*
4 cups granulated sugar 800g, $1.52**
¾ cup water $0.00
1 package fruit pectin 1.75 oz, $3.68
1 Tbsp lemon juice $0.06

Instructions

Gather all of your ingredients.
Rinse and hull the strawberries, then add them to a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.***
Transfer the strawberries to a large bowl. Add the sugar and stir until fully combined. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to help the sugar begin to dissolve.
In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the pectin and boil for 1 full minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Add the pectin mixture and lemon juice to the strawberry-sugar bowl. Stir continuously for 4 minutes until well mixed and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
Divide the jam into clean and freezer-safe 8 oz jars or containers, leaving about ½ inch of headspace to allow for expansion. Cover and let the jars sit at room temperature for 24 hours to set. Store in the freezer for up to 1 year or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks once thawed.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Use ripe, flavorful strawberries for the best taste. Overripe berries can be too soft and underripe ones lack sweetness.

**Don’t reduce the sugar unless you’re using low- or no-sugar pectin. Classic pectin needs the full sugar amount to set properly.

***No food processor? Just mash the berries with a potato masher for a more rustic texture.

Nutrition

how to make Strawberry Freezer Jam step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Chop the strawberries: Rinse 2 cups fresh strawberries, remove the green tops, and add them to your food processor. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can mash the berries well with a potato masher instead).

Pulse the strawberries well in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Don’t puree the strawberries! There should still be some texture in your finished jam.

Combine the strawberries and sugar: Add the coarsely chopped or mashed strawberries to a large bowl. Now pour in 4 cups granulated sugar and mix until combined. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strawberry juices begin to dissolve the sugar.

Boil the pectin: Add ¾ cup water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Stir in one package fruit pectin (1.75 oz) and boil it for 1 full minute, stirring constantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat once it’s boiled for 1 minute.

Make the jam: Carefully pour the fruit pectin mixture into the bowl of sugar and strawberries and add 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Stir continuously for 4 minutes until well mixed and the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Now divide the jam into five clean 8 oz jars or containers. Make sure your chosen jars/containers are freezer-safe! Leave about ½ inch of headspace at the top of the jars to allow for expansion. Cover and let your strawberry jam sit at room temperature for 24 hours to set. After 24 hours, it’s ready to use! Store it in the fridge for 3 weeks or the freezer for up to a year, and enjoy.

Don’t worry if the jam looks a little soft. Freezer jam doesn’t set as firmly as traditional jam, but that juicy texture is exactly what makes it so good. The jam you’d buy at the store will have been cooked down and preserved for shelf stability, which gives it a thicker, more uniform texture. This freezer strawberry jam is loose enough to melt into a biscuit but thick enough to hold its own on toast.
I’ve provided both the volume and weight of the strawberries, sugar, and fruit pectin. Using oz and grams to measure these ingredients (rather than cups) will give you the most accurate and consistent results.
Use real sugar. I use classic fruit pectin in this recipe, which needs regular granulated sugar to set properly. There are low- or no-sugar pectins out there, but they work a little differently. If you’re using one of those, be sure to follow the directions on the package. I haven’t tested them in this recipe, so I can’t say how well they’ll turn out.
Use a clean, freezer-safe jar. I don’t want your jam to go to waste, so double-check your containers are both clean and safe for freezing. Leave about ½ inch of space at the top, too, as the jam will expand as it freezes.
The sweeter and juicier the berries, the better your jam will taste. Underripe strawberries can make your strawberry freezer jam tart and less flavorful, while overripe berries may turn mushy and dull the fresh flavor. I always go for berries that are deep red and fragrant, with no signs of mold or super soft spots.
Don’t switch out the berries. You can absolutely use other berries to make freezer jam, but different berries can require different amounts of sugar and/or pectin. I would err on the side of caution and stick with fresh strawberries in this particular recipe.

Serving Suggestions

You can treat this easy strawberry freezer jam recipe just like you would any other jam. It’s absolutely delicious spread, swirled, or drizzled on everything from breakfast to dessert. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:

Spread onto homemade biscuits, toast, or English muffins (I think these are especially dreamy with butter, this jam, and a sprinkle of sea salt)
Swirl into yogurt, oatmeal, or overnight oats for breakfast
Layer into parfait or use it to make a berry trifle
Mix it into your favorite vinaigrettes or marinades for a fruity addition to your salads or grilled meats
Drizzle it over homemade pancakes or waffles
Use it in just about any baked goods you like! Layer it in a classic vanilla cake, use it in thumbprint cookies, or use it as a filling in jam bars
I also LOVE giving this freezer strawberry jam as a gift. Just pour it into cute little jars, pop on a label or ribbon, and you’ve got an easy homemade gift!

Storage Instructions

Once your homemade jam is set, you can freeze it for up to a year or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Make sure your containers are freezer-safe if you plan to freeze them. Any signs of mold, off smells, or changes in texture mean it’s time to toss it and make a fresh batch.

Homemade Strawberry Syrup

$3.33 recipe / $0.55 serving

Luscious Homemade Lemon Curd

$1.03 recipe / $0.13 serving

Blueberry Sauce

$3.38 recipe / $0.28 serving

Pumpkin Butter

$4.27 recipe / $0.17 serving

The post Strawberry Freezer Jam appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins

Melissa Nolan — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 13:30:00 +0000

If you’ve never tried rhubarb before, it’s tart, crisp, and only around for a short season, so grab it while you can! These budget-friendly Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins are simple, flavorful, and perfect any time of day (especially breakfast!). Juicy blueberries help mellow the rhubarb’s tang, while cinnamon and sugar bring cozy, sweet notes. I also topped them with a buttery streusel for a crunchy finish that’s completely divine. I couldn’t stop eating them…and I bet you won’t either!

Easy Recipe for Blueberry and Rhubarb Muffins

There’s more to rhubarb than just strawberry rhubarb pie. I had some leftovers from my pie recipe, so I decided to give this unique veggie (yep, rhubarb is a vegetable, but it acts like a fruit in way of flavor!) a new moment to shine.

These muffins are soft and tender inside, with just the right amount of streusel on top. However, if you’re not into a crumble topping, you can easily skip it. They’re dotted with juicy blueberries and pockets of tart rhubarb that combine with the soft crumb and keep things interesting bite after bite. Enjoy these homemade muffins with a warm cup of coffee, or pack one for an easy grab-and-go breakfast on busy mornings!

Blueberries are usually available year-round (even when it’s out of season), but using frozen ones is a great way to keep things budget-friendly. Although, if you have fresh blueberries that need to be used up, feel free to use them in this recipe instead!

Rhubarb, on the other hand, has a short season and isn’t always easy to find frozen. So when you spot it fresh, grab a bunch and freeze what you don’t use…you’ll be glad you did later.

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Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins

These homemade Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins are soft, fluffy, and tender, topped with a buttery streusel topping. Easy and oh-so delicious!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.55 recipe / $0.46 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings muffins

Calories 299kcal

Author Melissa Nolan

Equipment

2 Medium Bowls
Large Bowl
Muffin Pan

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar $0.38
2 eggs $0.50
½ cup vegetable oil $0.30
½ cup milk $0.10
½ lemon juice and zest, $0.29
2 cups all-purpose flour $0.38
2 tsp baking powder $0.08
½ tsp baking soda $0.01
½ tsp salt $0.02
½ tsp ground cinnamon $0.03
1 cup frozen blueberries 130g, $0.82
1 cup rhubarb leaves removed, trimmed, washed, and cut in ½-inch pieces (130g) $2.00*
Nonstick cooking spray $0.01

Streusel Topping

3 Tbsp butter cold, $0.45**
¼ cup brown sugar $0.13
¼ cup all-purpose flour $0.05

Instructions

Gather and prepare all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a medium bowl, add the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, lemon juice, and zest. Stir to combine.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Add the sugar mixture into the large bowl, folding to combine. Lastly, fold in the blueberries and rhubarb.
To make the streusel topping, in a medium bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, and flour. Using a fork, combine all ingredients until crumbly. You do not want a paste.
Spray the muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Evenly divide the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly on top of each muffin.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the muffins have puffed up and are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Make sure to remove any leaves from the rhubarb, as they can be poisonous. I found my rhubarb at Kroger’s.

**The butter in the streusel must be cold, or the streusel will melt right off!

Nutrition

how to make Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 400°F.

Combine the wet ingredients: Add 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup milk, lemon juice and zest (from ½ a lemon) to a medium-sized bowl. Mix well to combine.

Combine the dry ingredients: Pour 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and mix together.

Make the batter: Now pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Fold together to combine. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make your homemade blueberry rhubarb muffins tough and dense.

Add the fruit: Now fold in 1 cup frozen blueberries and 1 cup rhubarb (cut into ½-inch pieces). I like to fold the fruit into the batter to avoid the blueberries from bursting and turning the batter purple.

Make the streusel topping: Add 3 Tbsp cold butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, and ¼ cup flour to a medium mixing bowl.

Use a fork to combine the ingredients until crumbly. You don’t want a buttery paste, so make sure your butter is cold so it forms nice crumbles.

Divide batter into muffin tins: Spray your muffin pans well with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the muffin batter evenly between 12 muffin holes and top with the crumble topping.

Bake muffins: Bake your blueberry and rhubarb muffins in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until they’ve puffed up and are golden brown. Remove the muffin tray from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Be careful not to overmix the batter! Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, which can lead to dense and chewy muffins. For a soft crumb, I fold the dry ingredients until they are just incorporated with the wet ingredients.
Use fresh or frozen blueberries. Just like our classic blueberry muffins recipe, you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. Choose whichever is the cheapest for you! Just note that if your frozen blueberries have started to thaw, it might make your batter purple (which won’t affect the taste, just purely aesthetics!) You can also use frozen rhubarb if needed, but I’d let it thaw first. I’d dice it small and pour away any excess liquid before using.
Dice the rhubarb small for an equal distribution of blueberries and rhubarb throughout each muffin. See my step-by-step photos above for reference. You should also remove the leaves (they’re toxic) and wash and trim the rhubarb before dicing.
Grease your muffin pan WELL. I like to use a decent amount of nonstick cooking spray to grease my pan before adding the batter. This makes it much easier to get the muffins out after baking. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. You can also use muffin liners if preferred.
Add a little cinnamon to the streusel topping for even more cinnamony flavor, as we do in our apple cinnamon muffins recipe!

Storage Instructions

Once you try these homemade rhubarb blueberry muffins, I’m sure you’ll want to make a double batch to enjoy all week long! Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days to maintain freshness. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature or ping them in the microwave for about 30 seconds if you want one warm and ready in a hurry.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

$7.00 recipe / $0.70 serving

Carrot Cake Muffins

$4.55 recipe / $0.45 each

Banana Muffins

$4.15 recipe / $0.35 serving

Zucchini Muffins

$3.53 recipe / $0.44 each

The post Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Fluffy Homemade Pancakes

Beth Moncel — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 13:30:00 +0000

Is there really anything better than a big stack of fluffy homemade pancakes?? My easy, go-to recipe is the perfect base to start your weekend pancake-making tradition. They’re always fluffy, golden, and oh-so-cozy! Making your own at home is pretty easy, but I’ve got a few tips and tricks for you to make sure yours are the fluffiest and tastiest stack around!

“The best pancakes ever! I followed the instructions almost exactly, except I did add chopped apple to the batter. Perfect for Sunday brunch. Everyone loved them!”
Kathy

Easy Recipe for Homemade Pancakes

These pancakes are really simple to make and don’t require any special ingredients, which makes them easy to whip up on any given Saturday morning. They’re light, airy, and so fluffy they practically bounce off the plate. There are no crepe-like pancakes here; I can tell you that for sure! (though I do love a good crepe when the craving calls! But today, we’re going big and pillowy.) I often make a double batch and freeze the extras for easy breakfasts during the week. I just pop them in the microwave to warm up, and hey presto, pancakes on demand. 😉

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Fluffy Homemade Pancakes

This easy homemade pancake recipe makes the most delicious and fluffy stack of pancakes around! Perfect for a cozy weekend breakfast.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Total Cost $1.79 recipe / $0.48 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings 2 pancakes each

Calories 279kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

Measuring Cups Spoons
Liquid Measuring Cup

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour $0.18 *
1.5 tsp baking powder $0.08
1/2 tsp salt $0.03
¾ cup warm milk $0.14 **
2 Tbsp melted butter $0.20
1 large egg $0.67
2 Tbsp sugar $0.12
1/2 tsp vanilla extract $0.32
4 tsp cooking oil $0.05 ***

Instructions

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir just until combined. DO NOT overmix. The mixture should be thick, but still pourable, and a little bit lumpy. If it's not pourable, add an additional tablespoon or two of milk until it is thick, but pourable. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium. Once hot add enough cooking oil to coat the surface (I use about ½ tsp per pancake). Add the batter to the hot griddle, ¼ cup at a time. Use the back of the measuring cup to spread the batter into a 4.5-inch diameter circle.
Cook until bubbles form over the surface and begin to pop, the edges look dry, and the bottom is golden brown (about 60 seconds). Flip them and cook on the second side until golden brown (about 30 seconds).
Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet between batches or as needed, until all the pancakes have been cooked. Keep them warm on a plate under a towel or in a warm oven until all of the remaining batter has been cooked. Serve warm with your favorite toppings!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*You can substitute up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour without making the batter too dense.

**The exact amount of milk needed may vary slightly depending on how the flour is measured. The goal is to make the batter thick but pourable. Start with ¾ cup and add a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. You can use non-dairy milk if preferred.

***Using oil to fry the pancakes gives them nice crispy edges and prevents them from sticking to the pan. Butter is also nice, but can tend to burn at the temperatures needed to cook the pancakes.

Nutrition

How to Make Homemade Pancakes step-by-step photos

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt to a bowl. Whisk together to evenly distribute the baking powder and salt throughout the flour.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a different bowl, whisk together ¾ cup warm milk, 2 Tbsp melted butter, 1 large egg, 2 Tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.

Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Stir just until there is no dry flour left on the bottom of the bowl. It’s okay if there are a few lumps left in the batter; just make sure not to over-stir.

Thicker batter will make thicker pancakes, and thinner batter will make thinner flat ones. But if the batter is too thick, they can also become a bit dry. So if the batter is too thick, add a touch more milk, if needed, to make the batter thick but pourable. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

Cook: Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, brush some cooking oil over the surface.

Scoop ¼ cup of the batter onto the skillet and use the measuring cup to spread it out into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter). Cook the batter until the surfaces are covered in bubbles, and some of them have burst open. You can cook multiple pancakes at once. I just did one at a time for demonstration purposes.

Flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. You may need to adjust the heat up or down as you cook to maintain even cooking.

Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet in batches until all of the batter is cooked. Place the pancakes on a plate and cover with a clean dish towel to keep warm as you cook the rest of the batch.

Serve: Plate them up and serve with your favorite toppings!

Baking powder is the main leavening agent in this recipe, but other ingredients and techniques will affect how well the baking powder works. Here are a few of my favorite tips to make sure your pancakes are extra soft and fluffy:

Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Check the expiration date or do a quick test to make sure it is still active. Mix a couple of teaspoons of baking powder into a cup of hot water. If it fizzes, the baking powder is still active.
Don’t over-stir the batter. Stir just until the flour is moistened and a few lumps remain. Over stirring the batter will develop the gluten in the flour and make the pancakes rubbery rather than soft and fluffy.
Let the batter rest for 15 minutes after mixing. This allows the flour to fully hydrate, the remaining lumps to soften without the need for more stirring, and the baking powder to start activating, creating a light, aerated batter.
The batter should be thick but still pourable. If the batter is too runny, your pancakes will be thin. If the batter is too thick, they can turn out slightly dry. So, you may need to adjust the amount of milk in the batter to get just the right consistency.

Topping Ideas!

My favorite part about making homemade pancakes is having fun with the toppings. And there are so many more options than just butter! Here are some of my favorite ideas:

Your favorite spread, e.g. jam, jelly, lemon curd, Nutella, peanut or almond butter
Powdered sugar
Cherry sauce
Fresh fruit, such as blueberries, strawberries, or sliced banana
Whipped cream
Caramel sauce or maple syrup
Hot buttered apples
Nuts
Applesauce
Ice cream!

What is your favorite thing to put on pancakes?

How to Freeze Pancakes

This recipe is great for batch cooking and freezing! If you want to make a lot at once and freeze some for quick breakfasts later, it’s easy. Simply let the cooked pancakes cool completely, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in single layers, with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to three months. Reheat them in the microwave until hot.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

$4.22 recipe / $1.06 serving

Sheet Pan Pancakes

$3.52 recipe / $0.88 serving

Ricotta Pancakes

$3.78 recipe / $0.94 serving

Dutch Baby

$1.60 recipe / $0.40 serving

Our Homemade Pancakes recipe was originally published 5/7/22. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 6/2/25.

The post Fluffy Homemade Pancakes appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Homemade Pop Tarts

Jess Rice — Wed, 21 May 2025 13:30:00 +0000

Nothing screams nostalgia more than a Pop Tart. In reality, it’s a dessert disguised as breakfast, but I’m here for it. These easy Homemade Pop Tarts are free of all those mysterious, hard-to-pronounce ingredients (and no high fructose corn syrup!) and utilize pantry staples you probably already have on hand! For me, it required zero trips to the store and resulted in a super cute, budget-friendly treat my family loves. I couldn’t decide on just one flavor, so I made two different fillings, and I’m sharing both here with you today!

Easy Recipe for Homemade Pop Tarts

I threw this recipe together one weekend morning when I was craving something special but didn’t want to leave the house. I discovered a box of pie crusts left over from the holidays in my freezer. Then, I raided the refrigerator and found blueberry jam at the back…and this copycat homemade Pop Tart recipe was born! Let me tell you, my daughter was thrilled with these! We also ended up making a batch for her babysitter’s family. Huge hit.

In retrospect, you could easily keep the circular pie shape and cut it into pie-like slices or cut your rectangular dough shapes into smaller squares to get more servings for your money. However, I was going for maximum nostalgia and wanted to make it look as close to the real thing as possible. But, you do you! (And share your favorite flavors and shapes in the comments below!)

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Homemade Pop Tarts

These easy Homemade Pop Tarts are made with pie crust and simple pantry ingredients (no corn syrup or preservatives). Includes two nostalgic filling flavors!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.98 recipe / $1.49 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings tarts

Calories 837kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

Rolling Pin
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Filling:

¼ cup brown sugar $0.13
1 tsp flour $0.01
1 tsp cinnamon $0.08
1 Tbsp salted butter, melted $0.12
¼ tsp vanilla extract $0.16

Blueberry Jam Filling:

¼ cup blueberry jam* $0.44
1 tsp corn starch $0.02

Homemade Pop Tarts:

1 package of pre-made pie crusts** $2.77
1 egg, beaten (optional)*** $0.49

Cinnamon Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar $0.55
2 Tbsp heavy cream $0.20
1 tsp cinnamon $0.08

Berry Frosting:

remnants of juice from the jam-filling process $0.00
2 Tbsp heavy cream $0.20
1 cup powdered sugar $0.55
½ Tbsp sprinkles $0.18

Instructions

Gather ingredients and preheat oven to 400℉.
Make cinnamon sugar filling: Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, melted salted butter, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and mix with a fork. Set aside.
Make berry jam filling: Combine blueberry jam and corn starch. Set aside.
Flour a large work surface and roll out pie crusts, one at a time, to be even thickness. I like to make my pie crusts fairly thin so I get another serving out of this recipe, but the trick is to cut one rectangle in whatever size you prefer and then use that one as your guide to cut the rest, making them all the same size.
Add 1-2 Tbsp of prepared filling to one prepared rectangular crust at a time, reserving a rectangle of crust for each to place over the top. Do not overfill your tarts.
Place reserved rectangle crusts over the top of each filled side and prick once or twice with a fork or toothpick (to help some air escape during baking), then seal each tart by gently pressing the crusts together with a fork.
Optional: Beat one egg and brush each tart to give it a nice shine.
Bake for 15-18 minutes on parchment-lined baking sheets until top crusts are golden brown. If you experience a blow out, don’t worry! Once they cool and it comes time to frost them, it won’t be an issue.
While they're cooling, make the brown sugar frosting and the berry frosting. To make the brown sugar frosting, simply combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp heavy cream, and cinnamon in a bowl, whisking until smooth. To make the berry frosting, I like to use up any leftover juice from the jam that’s still in my mixing bowl (for color!) along with the remaining 2 Tbsp cream and the remaining cup of powdered sugar.
Once they're completely cooled, frost each Pop Tart generously. Top the berry tarts with sprinkles. Decorate the berry tarts with sprinkles before serving. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*You can use any flavor of berry jam that you already have on hand. You can even combine jars of jam if you’re short on one flavor.

**I used a package of two 9-inch pie crusts. You can also try making a homemade double pie crust if you have the time!

***This price is based on Walmart prices on March 17th, 2025. This is optional…with the price of eggs these days, you may want to skip this step. I do find it helps with frosting them nicely and smoothly, but you can totally skip it, and they’ll still come out perfect.😊

Nutrition

how to make Homemade Pop Tarts step-by-step photos

Make the fillings: Gather all your ingredients and preheat the oven to 400℉. Now, make the cinnamon sugar filling by combining ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 Tbsp melted salted butter, and ¼ tsp vanilla extract in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, bake the berry jam filling by combining ¼ cup blueberry jam and 1 tsp corn starch. Set both fillings aside for now.

Shape the pie dough: Sprinkle a little all-purpose flour onto your work surface and roll out each pie crust (one at a time) to an even thickness. To get the most out of the pie dough, I like to make them fairly thin.

Now cut out one rectangle from your rolled-out dough in whatever size you prefer, and use that one as your guide to cut the rest. You need eight rectangles total to make 4 homemade Pop Tarts.

Fill the tarts: Spoon 1-2 Tbsp of prepared filling into one prepared rectangular crust at a time, reserving a rectangle of crust for each to place over the top. Be careful not to overfill your tarts.

Seal the tarts: Place the reserved rectangle crusts over the top of each filled side. Now, carefully prick the top of each tart once or twice with a fork (or toothpick. This will allow air and steam to escape while baking).

Use a fork to seal the edges of each tart by pressing the crusts together, as shown here.

(Optional) Add an egg wash: Brush an egg wash made from one beaten egg over the top of each tart. This will give it a nice shine once baked, but it is entirely optional.

Bake: Place each tart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown. Don’t worry if any of the filling spills out during baking! Let them cool while you make the frosting.

Make the frostings: Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp heavy cream, and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl until smooth to make the brown sugar frosting. To make the berry frosting, I like to use up any leftover juice from the jam that’s still in my mixing bowl (for color!) along with the remaining 2 Tbsp cream and the remaining cup of powdered sugar.

Frost and serve: Once cooled, top your homemade brown sugar Pop Tarts and your homemade blueberry Pop Tarts with the corresponding frosting. Add a few sprinkles to the berry-flavored tarts, and serve!

Don’t overfill! I stick to 1-2 tablespoons of filling per homemade Pop Tart. Any more than that, and it gets tricky to close them up properly. Too much filling can also squeeze out the sides during baking or cause the top crust to tear while sealing.
Leave a gap around the edges. Be sure to leave a little border when adding your filling. Then, gently pierce the tops with a fork or toothpick before baking. This helps release steam and keeps the crust from getting soggy.
Crimp the wedges well. Use a fork to seal the edges all the way around. If a little filling spills out during baking, don’t stress! That’s exactly why we line the baking sheet. Once cooled, any overflow will separate easily from the tarts, and the parchment paper will make it simple to clean up!
Use up any pie crust scraps. If you’ve got any little off-cuts from shaping the dough, don’t toss them! Cut them into shapes or strips and bake them into quick pie crust cookies. I’d sprinkle them with some cinnamon and brown sugar before baking or drizzle over leftover frosting once they’ve cooled for an easy bonus treat.

Flavor Variations to Try!

You can use just about any flavored jam to fill these easy homemade Pop Tarts! Use ¼ cup of jam as listed in the recipe card above. I’d also add 1 teaspoon of corn starch if the jam is quite runny, just to thicken it up some. Here are some other ideas I think would work well (you want about ¼ cup of filling per flavor variation):

Apple butter or pumpkin butter
Chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
Caramel sauce
Peanut butter and jelly
Lemon curd
Marmalade

Storage & Reheating

You can keep unfrosted homemade Pop Tarts covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen runs warm or you’re storing frosted pies, it’s best to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2–3 months. I recommend freezing them unfrosted for the best results since the frosting can get a little sticky or runny when thawed. Let them thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the toaster oven, air fryer, oven at 350°F, or microwave if desired.

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The post Homemade Pop Tarts appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Orange Rolls

Jennie Alley — Sat, 10 May 2025 13:30:00 +0000

There’s just nothing like homemade Orange Rolls fresh from the oven and a hot cup of coffee to kick off the weekend. Growing up in the South, orange rolls were always a bit of a tradition in my house, and they taste so much better when they’re made from scratch. They’re a true labor of love that comes together in just a few hours, or you can prep them the night before (they freeze beautifully, too!). Whether it’s for a holiday brunch or a lazy Sunday morning, these budget-friendly rolls are simply too good to pass up.

Easy Orange Rolls Recipe

My homemade orange sweet rolls are like cinnamon rolls’ citrusy cousin: soft, pillowy, and bursting with bright orange flavor. I infuse every bite with as much real orange as possible—zest and juice in the dough, more zest in the filling, and more juice in that dreamy cream cheese icing. That triple hit of orange makes these orange rolls feel both nostalgic and fresh, and I honestly can’t think of a better way to brighten up a weekend morning.

They’re just the right balance of sweet and tangy, with a rich, buttery dough that bakes up soft and fluffy, then soaks up every bit of that citrusy icing. These rolls are a little more hands-on than most of our recipes, but I promise they’re more than worth the wait!

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Homemade Orange Rolls

These homemade Orange Rolls are bursting with fresh orange flavor, soft swirls of sweet dough, and creamy citrus icing. Make ahead & meal-prep friendly!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.42 recipe / $0.60 serving

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Rise Time 1 10

Total Time 2 10

Servings servings

Calories 436kcal

Author Jennie Alley

Equipment

Small Bowl
Large Bowl
9×13 Baking Dish

Ingredients

Dough

½ cup (4 oz.) warm water $0.00
2 tsp (11.8g) dry yeast* $0.33
2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar $0.05
⅓ cup (2.67 oz.) milk $0.10
2 Tbsp (25g) salted butter, melted $0.24
1 orange, juiced and zested** $0.77
2 ½ cups (300g) all purpose flour (more or less as needed) $0.30
½ tsp salt $0.02

Filling

6 Tbsp (3 oz.) salted butter, room temperature $0.72
½ cup (60g) brown sugar $0.24
zest from a second orange** $0.38
⅛ tsp salt $0.01

Cream Cheese Icing

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature $0.89
2 Tbsp (25g) salted butter, room temperature $0.24
3 Tbsp (1.5 oz.) freshly squeezed orange juice (juice from the second orange)** $0.37
½ tsp vanilla extract $0.32
1 ½ cups (187g) powdered sugar $0.44

Instructions

Stir together the warm water, yeast, and 2 Tbsp granulated sugar until the yeast is mostly dissolved. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes or until a thick layer of foam develops on the surface.
Once the yeast is activated, whisk in the milk, 2 Tbsp melted butter, orange juice, and zest from one orange.
In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour and ½ tsp salt. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the flour and stir until smooth.
Begin adding more flour, ½ cup at a time, until a sticky ball of dough forms, and it becomes difficult to stir with a spoon. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead the dough for 3 minutes, adding a small amount of flour as you go to prevent sticking. After kneading for a couple of minutes, the dough should be very soft, fairly smooth, and slightly tacky. Do not over-knead the dough or add too much flour, as this will make the dough stiff. You’ll use about 2.5 cups of flour total for the whole recipe.
Place the kneaded dough back into the mixing bowl and cover loosely with plastic. Let the dough rise for one hour or until it’s doubled in size.
Punch the dough down to deflate, then scrape it out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 10×13-inch rectangle, sprinkling with flour as you go to prevent sticking.
To make the filling, stir together 6 Tbsp room-temperature butter, brown sugar, orange zest from a second orange, and ⅛ tsp salt until it forms a smooth paste. Spread the paste over the dough from edge to edge.
Roll the dough up (long side toward long side) to create a 13-inch log. Do not roll tightly, or this will make the center of your orange rolls pop up while baking. Slice the roll into 9 pieces, about 1.5 inches wide each.
Place the rolls into a 10×8-inch greased baking dish. Let rise for 10-15 minutes as you preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. The rolls will rise quite a bit in the oven, so it is okay if they have yet to rise much more at this point. Once the oven is preheated, bake the orange rolls for 30 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.
To make the icing, beat the room-temperature cream cheese, 2 Tbsp room-temperature butter, orange juice from the second orange, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Begin stirring in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, until it is all incorporated.
After the orange rolls have baked, let them cool for 5-10 minutes before spreading the cream cheese icing on top. Enjoy warm, or wait until cooled, then dish up!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*You can use instant yeast, active dry yeast, or bread machine yeast for this recipe.

**This recipe uses 2 whole oranges in total, but we use all of the orange zest and juice from both (the zest and juice from one orange is used in the dough, the zest from the second orange goes into the filling, and the juice from the second orange goes into the frosting). While you can substitute the fresh orange juice for bottled, I don’t recommend it since you will lose the zest and a good deal of flavor.

Nutrition

how to make Orange Rolls step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Make the dough: Add ½ cup (4 oz.) warm water, 2 tsp (11.8g) dry yeast, and 2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar to a mixing bowl or measuring jug, and stir until the yeast is mostly dissolved. Let the yeast mix stand for 5 minutes or so until a thick layer of foam develops on the surface (this means the yeast is activated). Now pour in ⅓ cup (2.67 oz.) milk, 2 Tbsp (25g) melted salted butter, the orange juice, and all the zest from one orange and whisk.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of flour and ½ tsp salt.

Pour your milk and yeast mixture into the bowl of flour and salt. Stir until smooth and combined.

Now add more flour (½ cup at a time) while stirring until you get a sticky ball of dough and it becomes difficult to stir with a spoon.

Knead the dough: Lightly sprinkle your work surface with flour and knead the dough on the floured surface for 3 minutes. You can add a small amount of flour as needed to prevent sticking (but don’t add too much as this can make your dough stiff—you’ll use about 2.5 cups of flour total from the beginning of the recipe to the end of kneading).

Once kneaded, the dough should be very soft, fairly smooth, and slightly tacky. Be careful not to over-knead the dough.

Let the dough rise: Return the dough back to your mixing bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for one hour or until it’s doubled in size.

Roll out the dough: Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough to release the air and scrape it out onto a floured surface. Roll out your dough into a 10×13-inch rectangle. I like to sprinkle the dough with a little flour as I do this to prevent sticking.

Make the filling: Combine 6 Tbsp (3 oz.) room-temperature salted butter, ½ cup (60g) brown sugar, all the orange zest from your second orange, and ⅛ tsp salt in a mixing bowl until it forms a smooth paste.

Add the filling: Spread the filling over the dough, covering edge to edge. I use an offset spatula to do this, but a rubber spatula, butter knife, or the back of a spoon works just fine, too.

Roll the dough: Gently roll the dough into a 13-inch long log shape (long side toward long side). Don’t roll it too tightly, or the filling might squeeze out, and the rolls might rise up, rather than expand out, during baking.

Slice the rolls: Use a knife to slice the log shape into 9 slices, about 1.5 inches wide each.

Bake: Grease a 10×8-inch baking dish and gently place the rolls inside. Let them rise for a further 10-15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C. They’ll continue to rise in the oven, so don’t worry if they don’t rise much more at this point.

Once the oven is preheated, bake your homemade orange rolls for 30 minutes or until they’re golden brown on top.

Make the icing: Add 4 oz. room-temperature cream cheese, 2 Tbsp (25g) room-temperature salted butter, 3 Tbsp (1.5 oz.) orange juice (from your second orange), and ½ tsp vanilla extract to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Slowly stir in ½ cup of powdered sugar at a time until you’ve used all 1 ½ cups (187g).

Add the frosting: Once baked, let your rolls cool for 5-10 minutes before spreading them with all the orange cream cheese icing.

Serve: Enjoy them warm or let them cool (I prefer them warm, but it’s your call!) Enjoy!

Get the most from your oranges. Room-temperature oranges (or any citrus) often yield more juice than an orange stored in the fridge. Let your oranges sit out at room temperature before juicing for the best results. You can also give them a quick zap in the microwave for about 10 seconds if you forget to set them out. And don’t forget, only zest the orange part of the peel—the white pith underneath is bitter and no fun in sweet rolls!
Ingredient temps matter. For the dough, make sure the butter is melted but not hot. For the filling and icing, your butter and cream cheese should be nice and soft at room temperature, as this makes everything smooth and mixable.
Avoid adding too much flour. You’ll use about 2 ½ cups of flour for the whole recipe (including making the dough and during kneading). Too much flour will make the dough stiff and dry and ruin the tender texture I love so much about these orange breakfast rolls!
Don’t over-knead the dough. It might be tempting to keep going, but too much kneading can make your rolls tough instead of pillowy soft. Only knead for about 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
Want to add some cinnamon? You can easily make this a recipe for orange cinnamon rolls by sprinkling a tablespoon of cinnamon into the filling.

Make Them Ahead!

To get a head start on making these rolls, I’d shape and place the unbaked rolls in your prepared pan, cover them with plastic wrap, and pop them in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready to bake, let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before they hit the oven. You can also freeze the unbaked rolls for up to 3 months. Just thaw them in the fridge, let them come to room temperature, and then bake as usual.

Storage & Reheating

If you have leftovers (lucky you!), the frosted orange rolls will keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. If the cold fridge air has dried them out a bit, you can warm them slightly in the microwave to bring back some of the softness. You can also freeze the baked rolls for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge before reheating and topping with your homemade orange cream cheese icing.

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The post Orange Rolls appeared first on Budget Bytes.

BLT Avocado Brunch Salad

Jess Rice — Fri, 02 May 2025 13:30:00 +0000

One surefire way I can always get even the most discerning meat lovers in my family to eat kale is to drizzle bacon all over it. This BLT Avocado Brunch Salad is the perfect addition to Sunday brunch at home (or your lunchbox for work!), thanks to those perfectly cooked soft-boiled eggs! It’s hearty, colorful, and checks every box: salty, creamy, tangy, and fresh. I promise, no one’s picking around the greens when this hits the table.

Easy BLT Avocado Salad Recipe

I have to tell you, when I first tested this recipe, the cost of eggs was not this insane—so you can totally leave them off if eggs are not in your budget right now. The real star of the show is “bacon two ways” when it comes to this BLT kale salad!

You’ve got crispy bacon pieces and a warm, tangy vinaigrette made with bacon drippings, which makes the kale taste rich and almost decadent. The combo of salty bacon, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, and that punchy vinegar dressing makes it nearly impossible to stop at one bowl. It’s like your favorite diner BLT (or BLAT…aka bacon, lettuce, avocado, and tomato—yes, that’s a thing some restaurants say!) turned into a hearty, feel-good salad.

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BLT Avocado Brunch Salad Recipe

This hearty BLT Avocado Brunch Salad is full of crispy bacon, creamy avocado, soft-boiled eggs, tomatoes, and a warm bacon vinaigrette massaged into kale.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Salad

Cuisine American

Total Cost $9.23 recipe / $2.30 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings entrée size salads / 2 heaping cups salad per person

Calories 344kcal

Author Jess Rice

Ingredients

4 eggs, soft-boiled* $1.64
1 bunch kale (about 5 cups) $1.24
6 pieces of bacon, cooked until crispy** $2.12
1 avocado $1.00
1 cup grape tomatoes $2.00

Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

¼ cup red onion, finely diced*** $0.53
¼ cup bacon fat + olive oil if necessary**** $0.39
¼ cup apple cider vinegar $0.14
2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.06
1 tsp salt $0.01
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.10

Instructions

Gather your ingredients. Soft-boil 4 eggs (using our handy dandy guide!) and carefully peel them.
Remove the kale from its stems, tearing it into bite size pieces. Wash thoroughly and pat dry or use a salad spinner.
Cook the bacon until crispy using our fool proof oven baked bacon recipe, reserving up to ¼ cup of the bacon fat for the vinaigrette.
Roughly chop crispy bacon, dice avocado, halve tomatoes, and finely dice onion.
Make the dressing: Pour the rendered bacon fat into a measuring cup. Pour off all but ¼ cup (or add olive oil to reach ¼ cup). To a small bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, finely diced red onion, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Briskly whisk together, slowly streaming in the bacon fat/oil mixture while continuing to whisk.
Massage kale with vinaigrette in a large bowl until the leaves turn more tender and vibrant green.
Divide kale between 4 bowls and top with chopped bacon, avocado, grape tomatoes, and soft-boiled eggs. If you have any additional red onion, you can also add that. Add another crank or two of additional salt and pepper to serve.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The price of the eggs in this recipe was calculated on 4/17/25.

**I cooked off a bunch of bacon when I started making this recipe to make meal prep for the week easier, but I found 2 strips of cooked bacon per salad to be the perfect amount.

***½ a red onion yielded ½ cup finely diced onion for me. I used ¼ cup total for this recipe. I put the rest in the fridge to use in another recipe later!

****I ended up needing to use 1/8 cup of olive oil in addition to my rendered bacon fat. Yield results for the bacon fat will vary depending on the bacon you use.

Nutrition

how to make BLT Avocado Brunch Salad step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients. Soft-boil 4 eggs if you haven’t already, then carefully peel them to remove the shells.

Prep the kale: Remove the kale leaves from the tough stems. I like to pull the leaves away by hand—just grab the base of the stem with one hand and run your fingers up the stem with the other. Now, tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and wash them well (you need about 5 cups total). Pat them dry, or use a salad spinner to remove the excess water.

Cook the bacon: Use our oven method to cook 6 slices of bacon until perfectly crispy. Reserve up to ¼ cup of the bacon fat for the vinaigrette by pouring it into a small bowl.

Prep the salad toppings: Roughly chop the crispy cooked bacon, dice 1 avocado, slice 1 cup grape tomatoes in half, and very finely dice the red onion (you need ¼ cup of finely diced red onion, which was roughly ¼ of a whole red onion for me during testing).

Make the bacon vinaigrette: Pour the rendered bacon fat into a measuring cup (you need ¼ cup total, but if your bacon didn’t produce enough fat, you can top it up with olive oil to reach ¼ cup). Add ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup finely diced red onion, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper to a small bowl. Whisk together and slowly stream in the bacon fat/oil mixture while continuously whisking to create a temporary emulsion.

Dress the salad: Add the washed and dried kale leaves to a large bowl. Pour the bacon vinaigrette over the top and use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale. Do this until the leaves become more tender and turn a vibrant green.

Make the salad bowls: Equally divide the dressed kale into 4 bowls. Top each bed of kale with the chopped bacon, diced avocado, halved plum tomatoes, and, if you have any extra, diced red onion. Finish with a crank or two of salt and pepper, and serve!

Massage that kale! Don’t skip this step—trust me. Massaging the kale with the warm bacon vinaigrette softens the leaves, makes them easier to digest, and reduces the bitterness that might just change how you feel about raw kale forever. It’s one of those little tricks that makes a big difference.
Not a fan of soft-boiled eggs? Totally get it. You can swap in hard-boiled eggs instead. I like to use my air fryer to make hard-boiled eggs; it’s really easy, and they peel like a dream.
Make it a meal. This BLT salad is already pretty hearty, but if you want to stretch it for lunch or dinner, stir in some cooked and cooled pasta to make a BLT pasta salad. I love using short shapes like rotini, penne, or orzo because they catch the vinaigrette so well. For extra protein, toss in leftover baked chicken breast, crispy tofu, or crispy air-fried chickpeas.

How to Store

Store each part of the salad in its own container in the fridge to keep everything tasting fresh. I like to wait and chop the avocado until right before serving, as it browns quickly once it’s cut. Soft-boiled eggs are best used within 2 days. The rest of the salad, including the massaged kale (which might soften a little more over time), will keep well for 3 to 4 days. If you’re storing the bacon vinaigrette on its own, just give it a quick zap in the microwave (about 10 to 15 seconds) to melt the bacon fat and make it easy to whisk back together.

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The post BLT Avocado Brunch Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones

Jess Rice — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 13:30:00 +0000

I recently posted my recipe for sourdough starter here on the blog, so I couldn’t leave y’all hanging! Once you get the hang of maintaining your starter, you can start getting into super easy sourdough discard recipes—like this one! I find it hard to let any of my discard go to waste, considering how much time and effort I put into caring for it and feeding it. It’s a needy ingredient, but it’s worth the extra effort, as you’ll see when you taste these fluffy, subtly sweet Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones! Don’t have any discard? I’ve also shared how to make these delicious scones without it.

Easy Recipe for Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Scones

Even if you don’t really think of yourself as a baker, I promise you might surprise yourself with these sourdough chocolate chunk scones. They’re honestly so simple and so, so good. The discard from your sourdough starter gives them a super tender texture and just a little tang that plays really well with those melty chocolate chunks. My trick for tall, bakery-style fluffy scones is using cold butter (don’t let it soften!) and giving the dough time to rise before baking. This recipe is seriously an easy win and such a satisfying way to use up that discard you’ve been saving.

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Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones

These tender Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones are the perfect way to use up your leftover sourdough discard. Includes a no-discard option, too!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine $0.04, American

Total Cost $5.91 recipe / $0.98 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Proof Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings scones

Calories 537kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

Mixing Bowls
Parchment Paper
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour + extra if needed $0.23
2 tsp baking powder $0.08
3 Tbsp granulated sugar $0.06
½ tsp salt $0.01
6 Tbsp cold butter* $0.66
1 cup chocolate chunks** $2.97
¼ cup sourdough discard*** $0.00
¼ cup milk + 1 Tbsp, divided (1 Tbsp reserved for icing) $0.06
2 eggs $0.82
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.47
1 cup powdered sugar $0.55

Instructions

Gather ingredients and preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt, in a large bowl. Stir until they are very well combined.
Grate the butter into the flour mixture and stir until the butter is well incorporated and no large lumps remain.
Add the chocolate chunks to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
Whisk together the sourdough discard, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
Pour the wet discard mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and chocolate chunks. Stir everything together until it forms a cohesive ball of dough, with no dry flour remaining on the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too dry to come together into a single ball of dough, add a splash more milk (1 Tbsp or so) until it comes together.
Form a dough ball at the bottom of your mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow your scone dough to proof for 1-3 hours, until your dough ball noticeably grows in size, at least by a quarter the volume, ideally the volume will double. (Yes, this step takes a little extra patience, but the fluffy texture from the sourdough makes these scones a little extra special! You could also bake this right away, they just won’t be as fluffy and will be more like a classic scone.)
Press the dough out into an 8-inch diameter circle on a piece of parchment paper. Cut the circle into 6 wedges. (To stretch this recipe further, you could cut into 8 wedges.) Place the cut scones on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake the scones in the preheated 425ºF oven for 15-17 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Transfer the baked scones to a wire rack to cool.
While the scones are cooling, combine powdered sugar with 1 Tbsp milk until it forms a thick glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones, then enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I put a stick of butter into the freezer 5-10 minutes before I start baking to make it easier to grate. You want it to be cold and stiff, not frozen solid; otherwise, it’ll be too hard to grate.

**You could use chocolate chips, but I find scones to be too bready without the larger pockets of chocolate created by using chunks.

***I use the discard from my 100% hydration starter. If you do not have any sourdough discard, you can make this scone recipe with 2 cups of flour instead, skipping the discard ingredient, and there’s no need to proof the dough for 1-3 hours.

Nutrition

how to make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients together and preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 3 Tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp salt to a large bowl. Mix until well combined.

Cut in the butter: Remove your butter from the freezer and grate 6 Tbsp of butter into the flour mixture. Stir until the butter is fully incorporated into the flour. There shouldn’t be any large lumps.

Add the chocolate: Stir 1 cup chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips) into the butter and flour mix.

Combine the remaining wet ingredients: In a different bowl, mix together ¼ cup sourdough discard, ¼ cup milk, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Make the dough: Pour the wet sourdough mixture into the bowl with the flour and chocolate chunks. Stir everything together until it forms a cohesive ball of dough. There should be no dry flour remaining on the bottom of the bowl. If the dough seems too dry to come together into a single ball of dough, add a splash more milk (1 Tbsp or so) until it forms into a ball.

Proof the dough: Place the dough ball into your mixing bowl and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap. Leave your bowl in a warm location and let it proof for 1-3 hours until the dough ball has grown in size (by at least a quarter of the volume, but ideally, it will have doubled). You could bake the scones right away without proofing…but I highly recommend letting it proof so the texture of your sourdough chocolate chip scones will be extra special and fluffy.

Form the dough: Lay a piece of parchment paper on your work surface. Lay the proofed dough ball onto the parchment and press it out into an 8-inch diameter circle.

Slice the dough into 6 equal wedges (or 8 wedges if you want to make smaller scones).

Place the cutout dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you have any leftover chocolate chunks, feel free to press some into the top of the dough before baking (as I did here).

Bake: Place the baking tray into your preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the glaze: As you wait for your delicious sourdough scones to cool, you can make the simple glaze. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp milk to a bowl and combine until a thick glaze forms. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones, then enjoy!

Just look how fluffy that crumb is…and don’t even get me started on the pockets of ooey gooey chocolate!

Use cold butter. I pop a stick of butter in the freezer for 5–10 minutes before baking. It should be cold and firm but not rock-hard. Cold butter creates steam pockets as the scones bake, which makes them rise beautifully and gives you that tender, flaky texture.
Grate the butter. Grating makes it super easy to mix the butter into the flour so it’s evenly distributed throughout the dough. No pastry cutter needed!
Don’t skip the rise (unless you really want to!). Letting the dough rest and rise for 1–3 hours gives the sourdough discard time to work its magic. It helps the scones puff up and turn out extra fluffy. You can bake them without letting the dough rise, but they’ll turn out much flatter.
Don’t overmix the dough. I combine the wet and dry ingredients just until the dough comes together. Overmixing can make the scones tough instead of tender.

Storage Instructions

Keep your homemade chocolate chip sourdough scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature and reheat (if desired) in the microwave or in a low oven.

You can also try freezing the unbaked, shaped dough by placing the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freezing until solid. Transfer the frozen dough to a freezer-safe bag and then bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.

Lemon Blueberry Scones

$3.07 recipe / $0.38 each

Homemade Strawberry Scones

$4.83 recipe / $0.60 serving

Apple Pie Scones

$2.53 recipe / $0.32 each

Cranberry Orange Cream Scones

$1.94 recipe / $0.11 each

The post Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Homemade Banana Bread

Beth Moncel — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:30:00 +0000

One day, a friend was telling me about how she used to be so in love with the Starbucks banana bread, and all I could think about was how the price for one slice is probably more than it costs to make a whole loaf, so I had to work on a dupe. It took about eight tries, but I finally made a homemade banana bread recipe that is super rich, moist, and totally melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And the best part? It ended up costing about $0.52 per slice. 😱 Take that, ‘bucks! Anyway, this recipe is so good that I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. 🤤 So now the question is, is it wrong to make it every single weekend??

“Perfect! My husband loves banana bread, and I’ve used another recipe that came out fine, but I knew it could be better. I switched to your recipe (without telling hubby), and it was so much better! Thanks for another keeper.”
Barbara T.

Easy Recipe for Banana Bread

There are so many different recipes for banana bread out there, and they create loaves that vary quite a bit in color, size, shape, texture, and, of course, flavor. My goal for this recipe was to create a loaf that was super soft and moist, had a really good pronounced banana flavor, the loaf had to rise to a nice domed shape (not be a flat brick), and didn’t get too over-browned. It took a combination of ingredients and techniques, but I finally got the perfect loaf of homemade banana bread.

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Homemade Banana Bread

This homemade Banana Bread recipe is super rich, moist, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It's the perfect Saturday morning treat!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $6.26 recipe / $0.52 slice

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings slices

Calories 288kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

Metal Loaf Pan

Ingredients

4 Tbsp salted butter, room-temperature* $0.50
1/4 cup cooking oil* $0.16
1/2 cup granulated sugar** $0.48
1/2 cup brown sugar** $0.24
1.5 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 bananas)*** $0.78
2 large eggs $1.34
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.65
2 cups all-purpose flour $0.36
1 tsp baking soda $0.01
1/2 tsp salt $0.02
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg $0.02
1/4 tsp cinnamon $0.02
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) $1.68

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add the room-temperature butter, cooking oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the ingredients together until they become light and creamy.
Mash the bananas well, then add them to the mixing bowl with the butter and sugar, along with the eggs and vanilla extract. Use the mixter again to beat the ingredients together until smooth.
In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon until well combined.
Pour the flour mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients and fold them together just until combined. Do not overmix.
Add the chopped walnuts to the bowl and gently fold to combine again.
Grease an 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan with butter or oil, then add the batter and smooth it out evenly into the pan.
Bake the banana bread in the preheated 350ºF oven for 60 minutes or until it's deeply golden brown on top, has a crack down the center, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean (crumbs are okay, but wet batter is not).
Allow the loaf to cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then gently remove it from the pan and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice, serve, and enjoy!

Banana Muffins Instructions

Prepare the batter as listed above, then divide it between 12 wells of a standard-size muffin tin.
Bake the banana muffins for 30 minutes in the preheated 350ºF oven or until they have risen all the way in the center, have browned nicely, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (crumbs are okay, but no wet batter).

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*I used a combination of butter and oil for this recipe. Butter gives the bread a ton of rich flavor, while oil keeps the loaf super moist after it cools in a way that butter can not. It’s a one-two flavor-texture punch!

**Using a combination of brown and white sugar again maximizes the flavor and texture. Brown sugar adds a deep flavor and helps moisten the loaf, while white sugar sweetens without making the batter too heavy.

***You must use very ripe bananas. Like, half brown ripe. This will ensure they provide enough sweetness, moisture, and banana flavor to the bread. Underripe bananas will give you a dry, bland loaf. Make the most of it and freeze your overripe bananas so they never go to waste.

Nutrition

How to Make Banana Bread Step-by-Step Photos

Cream the sugars: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add 4 Tbsp of room-temperature salted butter, ¼ cup cooking oil, ½ cup white sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar to a mixing bowl.

Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter, sugars, and oil together until it looks light and creamy.

Mash the bananas: Mash 3-4 bananas, or until you have 1.5 cups of mashed banana.

Make the batter: Add the mashed banana, two large eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the bowl with the creamed butter and sugar. Use the mixer to mix the ingredients together until smooth.

In a separate bowl, stir together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and ¼ tsp cinnamon until well combined. Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and then fold them together just until they form a wet batter. Do not overmix.

Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts to the batter and fold briefly to combine.

Pour into a loaf pan: Grease a standard 8.5″x4.5″ bread pan. Pour the batter into the pan and then spread it out evenly.

Bake and slice: Bake the bread for 60 minutes, or until golden brown on top, cracked in the middle, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then gently remove it from the pan and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Once cooled, cut the loaf into slices and enjoy!

I made a LOT of loaves during the development of this recipe, so here are some tips that I found will help you get the absolute best banana bread ever (even if it’s your first time!):

Make muffins. This recipe also bakes up really well as muffins. Prepare the batter as listed in the recipe below, but divide the batter between 12 wells in a standard-size muffin tin. Bake the banana muffins in a preheated 350ºF oven for about 30 minutes, or until the muffins have risen all the way in the center, they’ve browned nicely, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean (crumbs but no wet batter).
Make sure your bananas are VERY ripe. The sugar content of bananas increases as they ripen, so the more ripe they are, the sweeter the bread will be, and the banana flavor will be more pronounced.
Use a fork. If you don’t have a mixer, you can still make this delicious bread. Whisk the oils and sugars with a fork or whisk. I also like to mash the bananas with a fork.
Don’t overmix the batter. Stirring the bread batter too much or too vigorously will create a rubbery texture in the baked loaf. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until evenly combined.
Preheat the oven. This is a non-negotiable when baking. The sudden exposure to high heat (rather than a slow increase of a non-preheated oven) is what helps the loaf rise properly.
Use a different mix-in. The walnuts in this recipe are optional, but I love the contrast in flavor and texture they add to the bread. You can also substitute chocolate chips if that’s your jam, or try my chocolate banana muffins.

Storage Instructions

I could eat this whole loaf of banana bread within a few days by myself no problem, but if you’re not a champion eater like myself, here’s how to store the leftovers. After baking, make sure the bread is cool, then cut it into thick slices. The sliced bread can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days, or it can be frozen for longer storage.

To freeze the slices, place sheets of parchment paper between the slices to prevent them from sticking, then place them in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Individual slices can be taken out and thawed at room temperature or briefly microwaved to warm through.

More Easy Bread Recipes

Once you’ve mastered banana bread, try your hand at these other quick and easy bread recipes:

Cranberry Orange Bread

$5.91 recipe / $0.59 serving

Pumpkin Bread

$5.94 recipe/ $0.37 serving

Monkey Bread

$7.53 recipe / $0.63 serving

Lemon Pound Cake

$8.35 recipe / $0.70 serving

Our Banana Bread recipe was originally published 2/3/24. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 4/24/25.

The post Homemade Banana Bread appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Strawberry Mango Smoothie

Marsha McDougal — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:30:00 +0000

If you love smoothies as much as I do, then you’re going to love this Strawberry Mango Smoothie! It’s made with frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, and I purposely didn’t include any banana in this one. A little bit of honey and vanilla adds the perfect amount of sweetness and extra flavor. This delicious treat ends up being perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a late-night snack! 😉

Easy Strawberry Mango Smoothie Recipe

I crave this mango strawberry smoothie every time the weather warms up…it’s like a little burst of sunshine in a glass. It’s creamy from the Greek yogurt, with some unsweetened almond milk to keep things light, but you can use any milk you like. The strawberries are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, and mango provides a sweet little boost of vitamin A. I know not everyone loves bananas in their smoothies, so I made this one totally banana-free!

Buying frozen fruit can help keep prices down, but I like to take advantage of any deals I see for fresh fruit when it’s in season. So, if you grab any strawberries or mangoes when they’re on sale, you can chop them up and freeze them yourself. That way, you can always have fruit on hand for these delicious strawberry mango smoothies and take advantage of that in-season produce!

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Strawberry Mango Smoothie Recipe

This Strawberry Mango Smoothie is creamy and totally banana-free! With frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, and honey, it's a quick and easy breakfast or snack.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Total Cost $3.53 recipe / $3.53 serving

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings serving

Calories 271kcal

Author Marsha McDougal

Equipment

Small Blender

Ingredients

1 cup frozen strawberries* $1.00
1 cup frozen mango* $1.19
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt $0.50
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk** $0.36
1 Tbsp honey $0.15
½ tsp vanilla extract $0.33

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If the smoothie is too thick, add more milk as needed to make it blend smoothly. Serve immediately and enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*If using fresh fruit, I suggest popping it in the freezer for a couple of hours first. Otherwise, you’ll have to add ice, which can water down your smoothie.

**I personally prefer unsweetened almond milk in my smoothies, but you can use any type of milk you like.

Nutrition

how to make a Strawberry Mango Smoothie step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Combine the ingredients: Add 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup frozen mango, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 Tbsp honey, and ½ tsp vanilla extract to a blender.

Blend and serve: Blend until completely smooth. If your strawberry mango smoothie is a little too thick to blend properly, you can add more milk to thin it out. Serve immediately!

Make it dairy-free. I personally prefer the taste of unsweetened almond milk in this strawberry and mango smoothie, but you can also swap the Greek yogurt for a plant-based option like coconut or oat milk Greek-style yogurt for a fully dairy-free version.
Make it a smoothie bowl. Turn this smoothie into a smoothie bowl by using a little less liquid so it blends up thicker! I’d top mine with coconut flakes and granola, yum.
Add some cottage cheese. For a little protein swap, switch the Greek yogurt for a scoop of cottage cheese. It sounds strange, but ever since I tried our strawberry cheesecake smoothies, I’ve been hooked on the tangy flavor it adds!
Use different fruits. Feel free to switch up the fruit based on what you have. Pineapple or banana would work in place of mango, or try adding in some peaches, raspberries, or even a handful of spinach for extra nutrients without changing the flavor much.

Avocado Smoothie

$2.80 recipe / 2.80 serving

Mixed Berry Smoothie

$6.92 recipe / $3.46 serving

Green Smoothie

$6.21 recipe / $0.78 serving

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

$0.76 each

The post Strawberry Mango Smoothie appeared first on Budget Bytes.

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