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Galaxy Dipped Granola Bars
Prep time: 15 min.
Total time: 45 min.
Servings: 12 granola bars
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- 1 1/4 cups white baking chips or semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 box (8.9 oz) Nature Valley™ Oats 'n Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, unwrapped (12 bars), or 1 box (8.9 oz) Nature Valley™ Oats 'n Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bars, unwrapped (12 bars)
- Multicolored candy sprinkles, nonpareils, and star-shaped candy sprinkles, as desired
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- In a small microwavable bowl, microwave white baking chips uncovered on high 45 seconds. Stir, continue to microwave in 15-second increments until mixture can be stirred smooth.
- Working with one granola bar at a time, dip bar halfway into melted chips. Gently shake and slide bottom of bar on edge of bowl to remove excess. Place on waxed paper.
- Immediately top the melted white chips with sprinkles. Repeat dipping and decorating with remaining bars. If chips have cooled too much, reheat. Let stand about 30 minutes or until set.
- Store in covered container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.
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Since microwave ovens vary, melt the white baking chips carefully to prevent burning. Stop microwaving when the chips are mostly melted, with just a few small pieces left. The residual heat will melt the rest as you stir, creating a smooth, glossy mixture.
For easier dipping, tilt the bowl to create a deeper pool of melted white chips. Hold each bar at the center and dip halfway or at an angle for a clean, even coating. For a drizzled effect, use a resealable plastic bag to pipe back and forth over the bars.
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Galactic Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
Prep time: 25 min.
Total time: 1 hr. 45 min.
Servings: 24 servings (1 cookie cup each)
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- 1 package (16 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Ready to Bake!™ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (24 count)
- 1 tub (16 oz) vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting
- Blue, neon pink, and purple gel food colors
- Multicolored candy sprinkles, nonpareils, and star-shaped candy sprinkles, as desired
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- Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray 24 nonstick miniature muffin cups with cooking spray. Place 1 cookie dough round in each muffin cup.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. With back of round metal measuring teaspoon, make a 1 1/4-inch-wide indentation in each cookie cup. Cool in pan about 30 minutes.
- Carefully run small knife or icing spatula around edges of cookie cups to loosen. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Divide frosting into 3 small bowls; tint frosting with food colors to desired blue, neon pink, and purple colors.
- Using 4 large piping bags, fit 1 piping bag with a medium star tip; set aside. Without cutting end off piping bag, fill with blue frosting; set aside. Repeat with remaining 2 piping bags, and fill with neon pink and purple frosting. Cut off about 1 inch from ends of the frosting-filled piping bags; place side by side in the piping bag fitted with star tip. Bring ends of the bags together; twist and squeeze mixture toward tip.
- Insert tip into indentation in each cookie cup. Squeeze bag to fill opening, piping about 2 heaping teaspoonfuls in each cookie cup. Decorate frosting swirls with candy sprinkles as desired. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
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To ensure success with this recipe, use nonstick miniature muffin cups. If using metal miniature muffin cups, grease with shortening and lightly flour before placing cookie dough rounds in muffin cups. Once cookie cups have cooled in pan for 30 minutes, carefully remove cookie cups from pan by twisting gently to loosen.
Don't have a round measuring teaspoon? Use end of wooden spoon to make 1 1/4-inch indentation.
To get the colorful three-tone swirl, place each frosting color in its own piping bag, then insert all three into a larger piping bag fitted with a star tip. This keeps the colors separate as you pipe. Disposable piping bags and tips are available in the baking section of most craft stores.
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Galaxy Energy Star Trail Mix
Prep time: 10 min.
Total time: 10 min.
Servings: 11 (1/2 cup each)
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- 1 box (6.8 oz) Cinnamon Toast Crunch™ Treat Bars, unwrapped (8 bars)
- 1 bar (4.4 oz) white chocolate
- 3/4 cup roasted, salted almonds
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
- 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries
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- Chop treat bars into bite-size pieces. Place pieces in medium bowl.
- Break white chocolate bar into smaller pieces, and place in bowl with the treat bar pieces.
- Place remaining ingredients into bowl; stir to combine. Store in covered container at room temperature up to 5 days.
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We like to break the white chocolate bar by hand—it's faster than using a knife and gives you the perfect chunk size for trail mix.
Freeze-dried fruits can be found in the dried fruit section of most grocery stores.
For a new flavor twist, try using a dark chocolate bar instead of white chocolate.
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Lava Rock Gushers
Prep time: 10 min.
Total time: 3 hrs. 10 min.
Servings: 8 (about 2 tablespoons each)
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- 1 box (4.8 oz) Gushers™ Tropical Fruit Flavored Snacks (6 ct)
- 1 tablespoon fruity chamoy hot sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Taijin® chili lime seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
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- Line small rimmed sheet pan with cooking parchment paper. Unwrap fruit flavored snacks, and place in medium bowl.
- Gently stir sauce over fruit snacks in bowl to coat. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the chile lime seasoning.
- Pour coated fruit snacks onto sheet pan. Separate pieces to prevent them from touching.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon chile lime seasoning and the red pepper. Let stand uncovered 3 to 4 hours, until dry enough to handle. Store covered at room temperature up to 4 days.
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These make a great addition to a snack tray for kids—or kids at heart! To round out the tray, add crunchy, salty snacks like popcorn or pretzels and cut fresh fruit like mango, pineapple, or apples.
Separating the coated Gushers on the pan keeps them from sticking together. After drying, it's fine for them to touch.
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Tex-Mex Fire Tacos
Prep time: 30 min.
Total time: 30 min.
Servings: 5 (2 tacos each)
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- 1 lb ground beef (at least 80% lean)
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 packet (1 oz) Old El Paso™ Original Taco Seasoning Mix
- 8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese (2 cups)
- 1 box (5.4 oz) Old El Paso™ Bold Nacho Stand 'n Stuff Taco Shells (10 count), heated as directed on box
- 1/2 cup diced avocado
- 1/4 cup sliced, pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 cup from 1 bottle (9 oz) Old El Paso™ Spicy Queso Blanco Sauce
- 1/2 cup spicy salsa
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- In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in water and taco seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
- Divide half of cheese among heated shells; top with beef and remaining cheese.
- Top with avocados, jalapeños, spicy queso blanco sauce, and salsa.
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Still not hot enough for you? Top with your favorite hot sauce.
Prepared guacamole makes a nice substitute for the diced avocado.
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Cosmos Crunch Snack Mix
Prep time: 15 min.
Total time: 45 min.
Servings: 26 (1/2 cup each)
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- 6 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch™ Cereal, divided
- 2 cups miniature pretzel twists
- 1 cup white baking chips (6 oz)
- 2 tablespoons galaxy nonpareils
- 3 cups popped kettle corn popcorn
- 1 cup candy-coated chocolate candies (blue, pink, and purple)
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- In large bowl, mix 4 cups of the cereal and the pretzels. Spread out cereal and pretzels evenly on waxed paper.
- In small microwavable bowl, microwave white baking chips uncovered on medium (50%) 60 seconds; stir. Continue heating in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until stirred smooth and melted.
- Transfer to small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut small corner from bag, and squeeze onto cereal mixture; immediately top with nonpareils. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes or until set.
- Carefully break apart; transfer to large serving bowl. Add remaining 2 cups cereal, the popcorn, and candies; stir to combine. Store in covered container at room temperature up to 5 days.
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It's important to microwave the white baking chips until they are just starting to melt, then stir until smooth to avoid overheating.
No blue, pink, or purple chocolate candies? No problem—swap in any candy-coated chocolate pieces you have. You can also change up the nonpareils and colors to match any theme or celebration.
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Mini Galaxy Whoopie Pies
Prep time: 45 min.
Total time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Servings: 30
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- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 3/4 cups Bisquick™ Original Pancake & Baking Mix
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Blue gel food color from 1 box Betty Crocker™ Classic Gel Food Color
- Neon purple gel food color from 1 box Betty Crocker™ Neon Gel Food Color
- Sprinkles:
- Betty Crocker™ Galaxy Nonpareils, as desired
- Betty Crocker™ Star Sprinkles, as desired
- Filling
- 2/3 cup from 1 tub (12 oz) Betty Crocker™ Whipped Fluffy White Frosting
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- Heat oven to 350°F. Trace 60 (1-inch) circles, about 1 inch apart, onto 2 sheets of cooking parchment paper for cookie templates (30 circles on each piece of cooking parchment paper). Place pencil-side down on 2 large cookie sheets.
- In medium bowl, beat softened butter and sugar with electric mixer on low speed until well blended and sandy in texture. Add remaining cookie ingredients except food colors. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth.
- In 2 small bowls, divide batter; add blue and purple food colors as desired. Fit 1 medium piping bag with a round piping tip, and fill with blue tinted batter.
- For 60 cookies (30 whoopie pies): Onto cookie sheet lined with a template, pipe 30 (1-inch) circles blue-tinted batter (about 1 teaspoon each). Sprinkle sprinkles on tops of 15 cookies — these will be tops of the blue whoopie pies. Using a new or clean piping bag fitted with piping tip, refill with purple-tinted batter and repeat the process, piping 30 more 1-inch circles. Sprinkle sprinkles on tops of 15 purple cookies to create tops for the purple whoopie pies.
- Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges and centers are set. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks; cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- In 2 small bowls, divide frosting; add blue and purple food colors as desired. For each whoopie pie, spread about 1 teaspoon of the opposite color frosting—spread purple frosting on the bottoms of blue whoopie pies and blue frosting on the bottoms of purple whoopie pies—on a cooled, unsprinkled cookie. Top each with a sprinkled cookie, bottom side down; gently press together. Store loosely covered with waxed paper between layers.
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Mini Galaxy Whoopie Pies turn out best when baked one sheet at a time on middle oven rack. Allow cookie sheet to cool completely between batches. Otherwise, cookies will spread too much.
To easily fill your piping bag, place it in a tall glass and fold the top down over the rim like a collar. Spoon in the batter, then lift the bag, twist the top, and squeeze the batter toward the tip—you’re ready to pipe. No piping bags? Use a large resealable freezer bag instead—just fill it, snip off one bottom corner, and squeeze to pipe.
Making a parchment paper template helps your cookies stay evenly sized so they bake and sandwich together perfectly. To make 1-inch circles, flip over a round piping tip—the wide end is often just the right size. If not, you can also use a small bottle cap or any round object that’s about 1 inch across. Just be sure to place the parchment pencil-side down so no marks transfer to the cookies.
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Star-Sprinkled Chocolate Chip Muffin Loaf
Prep time: 20 min.
Total time: 2 hrs. 55 min.
Servings: 8
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- Bread
- 1 box (14.75 oz) Betty Crocker™ Chocolate Chip Muffin & Quick Bread Mix
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons Betty Crocker™ Star Sprinkles (from 1.2-oz container)
- Frosting and Decoration
- 1/2 cup from 1 tub (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting
- Blue gel food color from 1 box Betty Crocker™ Classic Gel Food Color
- Neon purple gel food color from 1 box Betty Crocker Neon Gel Food Color
- 2 teaspoons Betty Crocker™ Star Sprinkles (from 1.2-oz container)
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- Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottom only of 8x4-inch loaf pan.
- In medium bowl, stir muffin mix, water, oil, and eggs just until blended (batter will be lumpy). Gently stir in 2 tablespoons of the sprinkles. Pour into pan.
- Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top of loaf is deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Divide frosting into 2 small bowls; tint frosting with food colors to desired blue and purple colors. Drop colors of frosting by mounded measuring teaspoonfuls onto top of loaf in a random pattern.
- Using a small icing spatula, spread frosting by carefully swirling the two colors together. Avoid over-swirling to keep the colors from blending too much. Immediately sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the sprinkles on top.
- When ready to serve, cut into slices. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
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For best results, cut loaf with a serrated knife, using a light sawing motion.
Make and bake this chocolate chip muffin bread the night before to serve for breakfast or brunch the next day.
Grease only the bottom of the loaf pan—this helps prevent a dry edge or lip from forming around the sides. And don’t worry if your quick bread cracks on top—that’s completely normal and just a sign of the leavening doing its job.
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Star-Dusted Toaster Strudel™ Pastries
Prep time: 10 min.
Total time: 20 min.
Servings: 2
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- 2 Toaster Strudel™ from 1 package (11.7 oz) frozen Pillsbury™ Strawberry Toaster Strudel™ (6 Count)
- Blue or purple gel food color
- Star-shaped candy sprinkles or galaxy nonpareils, as desired
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- Toast pastries as directed on package. Let stand 10 minutes.
- Squeeze the 2 packets of icing into small bowl. Tint to desired color with food color.
- Place tinted icing in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag.
- Squeeze bag to drizzle icing over pastries. Sprinkle with sprinkles. Serve immediately.
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Feel free to swap in your favorite Toaster Strudel™ flavor—any variety works for this fun, easy-to-make treat.
In a hurry? Just grab a fork and drizzle the tinted icing over the toaster pastry.
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Annie's Cosmic Cheddar, Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 20 min.
Total time: 30 min.
Servings: 5
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- 2 boxes (6 oz) Annie’s™ Super! Mac Shells & Real Aged Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
- 1 cup fresh or frozen chopped broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)
- 1/2 cup chopped, cooked bacon (1 3/4 oz)
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- In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 2 quarts water to boiling. Add pasta (from both boxes); return to boiling. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add broccoli and continue to cook 4 to 5 minutes longer, stirring frequently, to desired doneness; drain and return to saucepan.
- Stir in milk, butter, and cheese packages (from both boxes). Remove from heat.
- Stir in cheddar cheese and bacon.
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Annie’s™ Shells & Real Aged Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese can be used in place of the Super! Mac Shells & Real Aged Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese.
Other small or chopped frozen vegetables, like green peas and mixed vegetable blends, make good substitutes for the broccoli in this recipe.
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Annie's Galactic Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 20 min.
Total time: 30 min.
Servings: 5
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- 24 frozen cooked mini meatballs (about 1/3 oz each) (from 12-oz bag)
- 2 boxes (6 oz) Annie's™ Super! Mac Shells & White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
- 3/4 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 3/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese (3 oz), divided
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- Make meatballs as directed on bag.
- In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 2 quarts water to boiling. Add pasta (from both boxes); return to boiling. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, #until pasta is tender; drain and return to saucepan.
- Stir milk, butter, and cheese packages (from both boxes) into pasta in saucepan, then stir in prepared meatballs. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.
- Top each serving with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
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Annie’s™ Shells & White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese can be used in place of the Super! Mac Shells & White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese.
Top with grated Parmesan and shredded fresh basil leaves.
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Annie's Galactic Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 35 min.
Total time: 35 min.
Servings: 24
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- 3/4 cup from 1 tub (12 oz) Betty Crocker™ Whipped Vanilla Frosting
- 1/2 teaspoon blue gel food color
- 1/8 teaspoon purple gel food color
- 1 tablespoon galaxy sprinkles
- 1 box (4.8 oz) Gushers™ Fruit Flavored Snacks, variety pack (6-ct)
- 1 box (5 oz) Betty Crocker™ Fruit Roll-ups™ Chewy Fruit Flavored Snacks, variety pack (10-ct)
- 1 box (4.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ Fruit by the Foot™ Berry Tie Dye™ Chewy Fruit Flavored Snacks (6-ct)
- 3 star shapes cut from 2 (1/2-inch thick) pineapple planks
- 1 medium plum, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup halved purple grapes
- 2 pouches (1.49 oz each) from 1 box (8.9 oz) Nature Valley™ Oats ‘n Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, unwrapped and quartered
- 2 cups Bugles™ Original Corn Snacks
- 1 cup pretzel sticks
- 1 cup popped popcorn
- 1 cup chocolate-covered pretzels
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- In medium bowl, place frosting and blue food color; mix until combined. Transfer to small bowl, and place purple food color in center. Using a toothpick, drag the purple food color through the frosting to create a galaxy effect. Top with sprinkles; place on large serving platter.
- Unwrap the Gushers™ snacks, and place on platter. Unwrap Fruit Roll-Ups™ snacks, but do not remove plastic. Cut each piece in half, then unroll and remove plastic, then reroll each half. Stack Fruit Roll-Ups™ halves on platter. Unwrap Fruit by the Foot™ snacks, and remove paper backing. Gather each piece into a decorative flower shape by folding the candy back and forth and pinching together in the middle. Place on platter.
- Decoratively arrange fresh fruits.
- Decoratively arrange remaining ingredients on platter. Serve immediately.
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We used 2 1/2- and 3-inch cutters for pineapple stars, but feel free to use whatever size cutters you have on hand.
We used kettle corn, but any popped popcorn will work.
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Pepperoni Pizza Rolls™ with Fire Sauce and Cosmic Ranch
Prep time: 15 min.
Total time: 15 min.
Servings: 4
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- 24 Pizza Rolls™ from 1 box (48.8 oz) frozen Totino's™ Pepperoni Pizza Rolls™ (100 Count)
- 1/4 cup marinara sauce, heated
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1/8 teaspoon pastel blue gel food color
- 2 drops blue gel food color
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- Make Pizza Rolls™ as directed on box.
- Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix sauce and pepper flakes.
- In another small bowl, mix dressing and pastel blue food color. Place blue food color in center of mixture. Using toothpick, drag blue food color through dressing mixture to create a swirl effect. Serve Pizza Rolls™ with sauces.
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If desired, drizzle cosmic ranch sauce over pizza rolls.
A heated, prepared spicy pasta sauce, such as arrabbiata, works in place of the marinara and pepper flakes.
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Shooting Star Bugles
Prep time: 35 min.
Total time: 4 hrs. 35 min.
Servings: 6
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- 1 cup from 1 tub (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon blue gel food color
- 1/4 teaspoon purple gel food color
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pink gel food color
- 36 Bugles™ Original Corn Snacks (1 1/3 cups)
- 36 large star-shaped candy sprinkles
- Silver, gold, and pink edible glitter, if desired
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- Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
- In each of three small bowls, mix 1/3 cup frosting and one food color until combined. Add each tinted frosting next to each other in medium bowl; microwave frosting uncovered on High 15 to 20 seconds or until melted and smooth. Using toothpick, drag the different colors of frosting through each other to create a galaxy effect.
- One at a time, using fork, dip snacks into frosting to coat completely; allow excess frosting to drip off. Place dipped snacks on cookie sheet in single layer. Immediately decorate with star sprinkle at top point of each snack. If necessary, reheat frosting 5 seconds at a time as needed for dipping consistency.
- Let stand at room temperature about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Sprinkle with edible glitter.
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After Shooting Star Bugles have dried completely, store them in an airtight container in layers, separated by waxed paper to prevent sticking, at room temperature, up to 4 days.
Place on a black, blue, silver, or gold tray to create a galactic theme.
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Galactic Pancake Taco Bar
Prep time: 20 min.
Total time: 20 min.
Servings: 13
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- Pancakes
- 2 cups Bisquick™ Original Pancake & Baking Mix
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- Blue and red liquid food colors
- Toppings, as desired
- Star-Shaped Lucky Charms Magically Delicious™ Marshmallows
- Starry sprinkle mix
- Assorted fresh fruit such as fresh blueberries, sliced fresh strawberries, or sliced bananas
- Cooked bacon slices
- Hazelnut spread with cocoa
- Strawberry jam
- Whipped cream topping
- Chocolate sauce
- Real maple syrup
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- Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or electric griddle to 375°F. (Surface is ready when a few drops of water sprinkled on it dance and disappear.)
- In medium bowl, beat Bisquick™ mix, milk, oil, and eggs with whisk until blended.
- Brush the griddle with vegetable oil or shortening. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot griddle. Add 2 to 4 drops of food color onto each pancake, then immediately swirl the colors using a toothpick—be careful not to push the toothpick all the way through the batter to the griddle; just swirl the food color gently on the batter’s surface. Note: The marble color swirls will appear on one side only.
- Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until puffed and bubbles begin to form on top. Turn; cook other side until golden brown. Remove from griddle to serving plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
- To serve, serve with toppings, either folded like tacos or served flat as traditional pancakes.
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Don’t flip ’em more than once! Cooking both sides repeatedly can make pancakes tough instead of nicely browned.
If not eating right away, transfer pancakes to a cooling rack and keep warm in a 200°F oven. For a quick reheat, use a toaster or microwave.
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No-Bake Cereal Stars
Prep time: 30 min.
Total time: 2 hrs.
Servings: 10
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- 6 cups Lucky Charms™ Cereal
- 1/4 cup butter, cut in pieces
- 4 cups miniature marshmallows
- Decorations, as desired
- Decorating Cookie Icing (in 7-oz pouches), assorted colors
- Multicolored candy sprinkles, nonpareils, and star-shaped candy sprinkles
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- Line 9-inch square pan with foil, letting foil extend over sides of pan. Spray bottom and sides of foil with cooking spray. Spray large bowl with cooking spray. Add cereal to the bowl.
- Spray medium microwavable bowl with cooking spray. Add butter and marshmallows. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
- Pour hot marshmallow mixture over cereal; stir until cereal is coated. Press firmly in pan. Cool at least 1 hour or until firm.
- Using foil to lift, remove bars from pan, and peel foil away. Place bar on work surface. Spray a 3 1/2- or 4-inch star-shaped cookie cutter lightly with cooking spray. Cut cereal mixture into shapes. Press scraps together to use all of the mixture. Place on large cookie sheet lined with cooking parchment paper.
- To decorate: Drizzle cookie icing over tops of shapes and decorate with sprinkles. Let stand until set, about 30 minutes. Store in single layer in covered container.
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No Lucky Charms™ Cereal? No worries! Swap in Cinnamon Toast Crunch™ Cereal or Honey Nut Cheerios™ Cereal—the ingredients and directions stay the same.
If needed, use a 13x9-inch pan for thinner bars that are easier to cut with your metal cookie cutter.
Press the cereal mixture firmly into the pan to help the bars hold together and cut more cleanly. Lining the pan with foil also makes it easier to lift and cut out your shapes.
Lightly spray your cookie cutter with cooking spray to make cutting shapes from the cereal bars easier and cleaner.
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No-Bake Paintbrush Bars
Prep time: 1 hr. 15 min.
Total time: 4 hrs. 25 min.
Servings: 16 bars
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- 8 cups Honey Nut Cheerios™ Cereal
- 1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
- 1 bag (10 oz) miniature marshmallows
- 16 craft sticks (flat wooden sticks with rounded ends)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons red candy melts (from 12-oz bag), divided
- 1 bag (12 oz) dark blue candy melts, divided
- 1 1/2 cups pink candy melts (from 12-oz bag)
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- Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, letting foil extend over sides of pan. Spray bottom and sides of foil with cooking spray. Spray large bowl with cooking spray. Add 4 cups of the cereal to bowl. Place remaining cereal into large resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal bag; coarsely crush cereal with rolling pin. Add crushed cereal pieces to the whole cereal pieces in bowl.
- Spray medium microwavable bowl with cooking spray. Add butter and marshmallows. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Pour hot marshmallow mixture over cereal; stir until cereal is coated. Press firmly in pan. Cool at least 2 hours or until firm.
- Line large cookie sheet with waxed paper. Using foil to lift, remove bars from pan, and peel foil away. Place cereal bar on cutting board and trim edges to make 12x8-inch rectangle. (Set aside end pieces for snacking.) Cut cereal bar 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 (3x2-inch) rectangles. Place rectangles on cookie sheet.
- For craft stick handles: In small microwavable bowl, place 2 tablespoons of the red candy melts. Microwave melts uncovered on Medium (50%) 30 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15-second increments until melted and smooth.
- Using thin-bladed knife, carefully make opening about three-fourths of the way into short end of each cereal bar. Working with one cereal bar at a time, dip one end of craft stick about 1 inch into melted red candy coating, scraping off any excess. Insert dipped end into opening, pushing it in almost all the way—without going through to other side. Gently reshape cereal bar into rectangle around craft stick if needed. Repeat with remaining bars and craft sticks. Discard any leftover melted red candy coating. Refrigerate bars 10 minutes to set.
- For purple paintbrushes: In 2-quart microwavable bowl, mix remaining 1 cup red candy melts and 1/2 cup of the blue candy melts (to make purple candy coating). Microwave melts uncovered on Medium (50%) 1 minute; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 30-second increments until melted and smooth.
- Remove 5 to 6 cereal bars with craft sticks from the refrigerator. Place on second waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Working with 1 cereal bar at a time, grasp the bar on each side (not the stick) and hold it over the bowl of melted purple candy coating. Dip, spoon, and spread coating to cover about one-third of bar. Smooth away any excess coating. Place coated bar flat on lined cookie sheet. If candy melts have cooled too much, reheat as needed.
- For blue paintbrushes: Repeat melting, dipping, and spreading steps with 5 to 6 cereal bars using remaining blue candy melts. For pink paintbrushes: Repeat melting, dipping, and spreading steps with remaining cereal bars using pink candy melts. Once all cereal bars are coated, let stand at room temperature about 1 hour, or until coating is fully set. Store in covered container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.
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This recipe uses red and dark blue candy melts to make the deep purple shown here. For a lighter, brighter purple, you can mix pink and blue candy melts instead. If you go this route, you can skip the red melts entirely. Use melted pink anywhere the recipe calls for red, including dipping the craft-stick handles. You’ll need about 2 bags of pink candy melts to have enough for both the pink paintbrushes and the lighter-purple coating.
These No-Bake Paintbrushes are meant to be fun and customizable, so don’t feel limited to the suggested colors. Mix and match candy melts to create whatever “paint” shades you like or to match your party theme. Get creative and make it your own!
Find food-safe craft sticks in the craft aisle of large craft stores or in the baking section of some grocery stores. They're often labeled as “Popsicle sticks.” Look for craft sticks in the cake decorating, candy or craft aisles of large discount or craft stores.
Press the cereal mixture firmly into the pan so the bars hold together better and are easier to cut—and to insert the craft sticks. Lining the pan with foil also makes it easier to lift out and cut the bars cleanly.
Candy melts are small, disk-shaped pieces of colored candy coating commonly used for dipping, molding, and candy clusters. You can usually find them in the cake decorating, candy, or craft aisles of large discount or craft stores. Since different brands melt differently, watch closely when melting in the microwave to prevent scorching or burning.
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Galactic Glazed Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 30 min.
Total time: 5 hrs. 30 min.
Servings: 24
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- 1 package (16 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Ready to Bake!™ Sugar Cookie Dough (24 Count)
- 1 cup vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting (from 16-oz container)
- Blue, neon pink, and purple gel food colors
- Star-shaped candy sprinkles, if desired
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- Heat oven to 350°F. Place cookie dough rounds about 2 inches apart on ungreased large cookie sheets.
- Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Divide frosting into 3 small bowls. Tint 1 bowl blue, 1 bowl neon pink, and 1 bowl purple by stirring in food color to desired color. In large shallow microwavable bowl, spoon colored frostings in bottom. (Do not mix colors together.) Microwave uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds or until warmed and thinner consistency. Pull table knife through warmed frosting several times to make swirls.
- Dip top side of each cookie into glaze, letting excess drip off. Place cookie right side up on cooling rack placed over cookie sheet or waxed paper. Top with sprinkles and edible glitter. Rewarm frosting mixture in microwave to maintain dipping consistency, and repeat swirling, if needed. Let stand about 4 hours or until set.
- Store in covered container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.
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For best results, bake cookies one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack.
Be sure the glaze is completely set before storing. This usually takes about 4 hours, depending on room temperature and humidity. To check, gently touch a glazed cookie with your finger; if it feels tacky, wait longer to avoid the cookies sticking together.
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Galactic Chocolate Chip Cookie Pudding Cups
Prep time: 30 min.
Total time: 1 hr. 25 min.
Servings: 6
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- 1 tablespoon multicolored candy sprinkles
- 1 package (16 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Ready to Bake!™ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (12 Count)
- 1 box (6-serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix
- 3 cups cold milk
- 2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
- Blue and purple gel food colors
- Multicolored candy sprinkles, if desired
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- Heat oven to 350°F. Place 1 tablespoon of the sprinkles in small bowl. Dip tops of cookie dough rounds into sprinkles, and place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake 15 to 19 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 3 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- In small bowl, coarsely crumble 6 cookies. Set aside 3 cookies for topping, and store remaining 3 cookies in covered container for another use.
- In large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk; beat vigorously 2 minutes with whisk until smooth and starting to thicken. Set aside.
- Divide whipped topping into 2 small bowls; tint whipped topping with food colors to desired blue and purple colors. (Whipped topping will deflate slightly when stirring in the food colors.)
- Spoon 1/4 cup pudding into bottom of serving glass. Top with 2 heaping tablespoons crumbled cookies and 1 heaping tablespoon each of the blue- and purple- tinted whipped toppings, spreading and swirling to cover cookies. Add another 1/4 cup pudding, then repeat with cookies and whipped topping layers. Repeat layering steps with remaining ingredients to make 5 more glasses.
- Cut the 3 reserved cookies in half, and top each with half of a cookie and sprinkles. Serve immediately.
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You can find the blue, pink, and purple sprinkles we used in the cake decorating section of craft stores, where there are plenty of fun shapes and colors to choose from. Rainbow candy sprinkles are also a great option and are usually found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
We used blue and purple gel food colors to tint the whipped topping. No purple? No problem! To make purple-tinted whipped topping, first add a tiny bit of red food coloring to create pink; then, add blue. Whenever you’re tinting whipped topping—or even frosting—it’s best to start with a small amount of color and add more as needed to reach your desired shade.
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Galaxy Cookie Bars
Prep time: 25 min.
Total time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Servings: 16 bars
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- 1 package (16 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Ready to Bake!™ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (24 Count)
- 1 cup vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting (from 16-oz container)
- Blue, neon pink, and purple gel food colors
- Star-shaped candy sprinkles and gold or silver edible glitter, if desired
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- Heat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch square pan with foil, letting foil extend over sides of pan. Spray bottom and sides of foil with cooking spray.
- Press cookie dough evenly in bottom of pan. Bake 15 to 19 minutes or until edges and center are set and golden brown. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 45 minutes.
- Use the foil to lift baked bars out of pan; remove foil, and place on cutting board or serving tray.
- Divide frosting into 3 small bowls; tint frosting with food colors to desired blue, neon pink, and purple colors. Drop colors of frosting by mounded measuring teaspoonfuls onto cookie bar in random pattern.
- Using small icing spatula, spread frosting by carefully swirling the different colors together. Avoid over-swirling to keep the colors from blending too much. Top with sprinkles and edible glitter.
- To serve, cut bars into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
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To easily line your pan with foil, turn the pan upside down and drape a sheet of foil over the bottom, leaving extra length on the sides. Gently press the foil to mold it around the outside of the pan, then lift it off. Flip the pan upright and press the shaped foil into the corners. When ready, simply lift the cookie bars out using the foil, peel it back, then frost and decorate. Best part: cleanup is hassle-free and quick.
We used blue, neon pink, and purple gel food coloring, but you can create these shades using just blue and red gel food coloring. For deep pink, add a tiny bit of red gel food coloring to the frosting and stir until blended. To make purple, start by making pink frosting and then mix in a small amount of blue gel food coloring. For blue frosting, simply add blue gel food coloring to the frosting. Add the color gradually until you reach your desired shade. A good rule of thumb is that you can always add more, but you can’t take it out.
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