Cheesecake is kind of a magical food. It’s hard to not love a good cheesecake. It’s sweet and tangy and rich and creamy all at the same time; it’s pretty much the perfect dessert.

I don’t think I’ve ever had Chubby Hubby ice cream(Phish Food is by far my favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor), but anything with peanut butter, pretzels, and chocolate has to be good. And that’s exactly what this cheesecake is: A slightly salty pretzel crust with a rich peanut butter cheesecake filling and a sweet chocolate ganache. Ben and Jerry would definitely be proud.

The best thing about this recipe is that it’s no-bake(because, really, who wants to bake at all mid-Summer?). Because of that, the filling isn’t as light and airy as a cheesecake with eggs would be. You could use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe but it gets more than enough richness from the peanut butter.

Chubby Hubby Cheesecake

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 6oz pretzels(about 2 cups)*
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup liquid sweetener(agave, maple syrup, or corn syrup)
• 1-3 Tablespoons water

For the filling:

• 2 8oz blocks Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup no-stir peanut butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the ganache:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons cream or milk
• 1 Tablespoon liquid sweetener(agave, maple syrup, or corn syrup)

*To make this cheesecake gluten-free, use gluten-free pretzels. I like Snyder’s of Hanover’s pretzel sticks.

Method:

1. Pulse the pretzels in a food processor until the crumbs form a coarse flour.
2. Add in the melted butter, powdered sugar, and sweetener and mix.
3. Slowly add in water until the dough starts to stick to itself. You may not need any water or you may need up to a few tablespoons.
4. Press the pretzel dough into the bottom of a cake pan firmly and work it into an even layer.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the filling ingredients on high until the filling is uniform in color and texture.
6. Pour the filling on top of the pretzel crust and spread it out in an even layer. Put the cheesecake in the refrigerator until the center sets.
7. While the cheesecake is chilling, melt the chocolate for the ganache in a microwave or over a double boiler.
8. Whisk in the cream and sweetener.
9. Let the ganache cool slightly until it’s about the same consistency as a buttercream frosting. Scoop the chocolate into a frosting bag or Ziploc bag with a corner cut out and drizzle it on top of the chilled cheesecake.
10. Store in a refrigerator. Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

Next time I make this I might double the filling so that it’d be about as thick as the Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes that have about enough calories to feed a small family for a week. Gluten-free or not, everyone deserves that in their life from time to time.

It’s amazing how many gluten-free options there are on supermarket shelves these days. Last I checked there are no less than 3 gluten-free “Oreo” knock-offs. Gluten-free pretzels are my newest addiction; they come in plain, chocolate covered, and yogurt covered(still waiting on some savory flavors). But there’s one hugely noticeable absence from the options: Gluten-free Fig Newtons.

Fig Newtons used to be as good as cookie gold to me, only topped by those maple cookies shaped like a maple leaf. I went into the kitchen recently determined to come out with gluten-free Fig Newtons… or at least something similar.

It’s incredibly hard to get gluten-free dough to be elastic without tons of different flours and gums. Instead, I focused on getting the same flavors in a different form with less special ingredients. These bars have a shortbread crust and a top crumble with strong touches of cinnamon and butter; it’s like a portable fig crisp, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

Of course you can use any kind of jam to fill these with. Try apple butter for a Fall flavor or mango butter for something more tropical.

Gluten-Free Fig Bars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup fig jam or fig puree

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, egg, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
3. Add in the coconut flour and brown rice flour and work the dough until the flours have been mixed in.
4. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan.
5. Press about half of the dough into a 1/2-inch thick layer in the pan. Use more than half of the dough if you have to; just make sure it’s thick enough to hold together.
6. Spread the fig butter into a flat layer on top of the dough.
7. Crumble the extra dough on top of the layer of fig and press it in lightly.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges begin to brown and the top is golden.
9. Wait for the bars to cool before cutting in. Store leftovers in a refrigerator.

To be honest, grilling in the Summer is slightly less fun when you’re a vegetarian. I don’t do it nearly as much anymore. That doesn’t mean vegetarian grilling isn’t delicious; sometimes I just need to be reminded of that.

Just like you can grill any kind of meat, you can grill all different sorts of fruit and vegetables. The heat from the fire makes the fruit taste even sweeter and pairs perfectly with something cool and creamy. Most recipes use a soft cheese or ice cream; this one uses Greek yogurt for a similar taste and texture only a  little bit healthier.

Peaches are a great substitute for when cantaloupe isn’t available; you won’t have to change anything else in the recipe. Make sure to use full fat or 2% yogurt; non-fat yogurt won’t have the same depth of flavor or creaminess to really make this satisfying.

Grilled Cantaloupe with Yogurt and Mint

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 6 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 1/2 cantaloupe, cut into quarters
• Olive oil
• 1 16oz container full fat or 2% Greek yogurt
• Small handful of mint leaves
• Honey(optional)

Method:

1. Heat up your grill to roughly 400 degrees.
2. Brush both sides of each cantaloupe wedge with enough olive oil to cover.
3. Once the grill is hot, lay the cantaloupe down and let it cook undisturbed for roughly 3 minutes until grill marks have formed.
4. Flip the wedges once and repeat with the other side.
5. When the cantaloupe is done cooking, plate it with the skin touching the plate. Scoop about half a cup of yogurt over each wedge. Garnish with mint leaves and honey if desired.
6. Serve immediately.

This is one of my favorite recipes. I’ve blogged about it several times before and now I’m blogging about it again. It’s worth it though; I promise.

A friend mentioned how much he likes s’mores made with Reese’s peanut butter cups. In the back of my mind popped up my recipe for peanut butter s’mores bars and I promised to make them for July 4th.

After I made them I took fresh-looking photos and updated the recipe page. A few of the commenters who have made this said that their crusts didn’t stick together the way mine has. I think some of the confusion might come from how many graham crackers to use. I use Kinnikinnick 16 graham crackers(3 are pictured above), which would be the same as 4 sheets of graham crackers. It’s also relevant to mention the peanut butter I use for this recipe is always the kind without added oil so it generally mixes easier.

These have all the goodness of s’mores with added peanut butter and put into a portable form. They really are the ultimate Summer dessert. If gluten-free graham crackers didn’t cost an arm and vegetarian marshmallows a leg, I’d probably make these every month. For now they can just be a once in a long-while treat.