Kelsey Nixon's Best Dessert Recipes

Having Kelsey's arsenal of bulletproof and exceptionally comforting dessert recipes in your back pocket will be pretty sweet.

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Fresh Peaches and Cream Rustic Pie

Kelsey sprinkles nutmeg, lemon juice and brown sugar on top of her back-to-basics peach pie to add flavorful depth to each slice. Best of all, her simple homemade crust is easy as, well, you know.

Get the Recipe: Fresh Peaches and Cream Rustic Pie

Berry Pie Pops (Pie on a Stick)

These playful bite-size pies are as fun to eat as they are to make. Kelsey fills them with a mix of raspberries and strawberries, but you can swap in other fruits as the seasons change.

Get the Recipe: Berry Pie Pops (Pie on a Stick)

Carmelitas

Kelsey’s irresistible salted caramel sauce pulls double duty — use it to make her finger-friendly carmelitas bars or blend with vanilla ice cream for a fancy shake.

Get the Recipe: Carmelitas

Sugar Cookie Crust Fruit Pizza

With circles of summer fruits layered elegantly on top of a tangy cream cheese spread, this sweet take on pizza will no doubt impress your dinner guests.

Get the Recipe: Sugar Cookie Crust Fruit Pizza

Peppermint Meltaways

Tender, buttery and minty — these two-bite gems are named for their melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Get the Recipe: Peppermint Meltaways

S'mores Pudding Pie

Nothing screams summer like s’mores. Bring the campfire treat indoors with Kelsey's delectable pie, which layers chocolate pudding and gooey bruleed marshmallows atop a graham cracker crust.

Get the Recipe: S'mores Pudding Pie

K and C Thumbprint Cookies

Kelsey joins forces with supermodel Chrissy Teigen to put a modern twist on traditional thumbprint cookies. The food-loving friends swap out sugar for grated Parmesan in the dough and add fresh thyme to the cranberry-orange marmalade. Their finishing savory touch? A sprinkle of ground black pepper.

Get the Recipe: K and C Thumbprint Cookies

Tres Leches Bread Pudding

Kelsey infuses this bread pudding with the rich flavors of tres leches cake, forming a five-star dessert that reviewers call "absolutely delicious." Don’t be turned off by the long cook time — most of the work is done by a slow cooker.

Get the Recipe: Tres Leches Bread Pudding

Grilled Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Cream

Keep the grill going after dinner. Kelsey tosses on strawberries and pound cake for a nice smoky char, then packages them into a tidy sweet sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Cream

Watermelon, Ginger and Lime Granita

Kelsey’s watermelon granita — zipped up with lime juice and ginger — is the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day.

Get the Recipe: Watermelon, Ginger and Lime Granita

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Sheet cakes are one of the easiest and fastest ways to bake for a group. The party-perfect confection requires little prep and you can fashion them into petit fours or tiered cakes if you have extra time.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Apple Empanadas with Almond Pastry Cream

Empanadas are South American turnovers typically stuffed with meats and vegetables. Kelsey gives the hand pies a sweet twist by filling them with apples and nutty almond cream.

Get the Recipe: Apple Empanadas with Almond Pastry Cream

Homemade Fudge Brownies

With Kelsey’s recipe for fudgy, decadent brownies in your dessert arsenal, you’ll never reach for the boxed stuff again.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Fudge Brownies

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tired of banana bread? Kelsey has come up with another smart and tasty way to use up overripe bananas — by boosting chocolate chip cookies with the fruit, along with dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Get the Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Panna Cotta with Cherry Compote

Almonds add a nutty aroma to this silky Italian custard, which is topped with a tart cherry sauce.

Get the Recipe: Almond Panna Cotta with Cherry Compote

Peppermint Fudge Crinkle Cookies

Kelsey gives this Christmas classic an extra dose of holiday spirit by adding peppermint to the batter.

Get the Recipe: Peppermint Fudge Crinkle Cookies

Stone Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Chips and dip becomes a unique dessert when crispy cinnamon-dusted tortillas are paired with a sweet stone fruit salsa.

Get the Recipe: Stone Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Cherry Pie-in-a-Jar

Good things come in small packages. By baking pies in oven-safe jars, you make them portable and personal.

Get the Recipe: Cherry Pie-in-a-Jar

Apple Crisp

This rustic fall dish brings together the flavors of apple pie without the fussy, time-consuming crust. Serve with a scoop of ice cream to take your apple crisp over the top.

Get the Recipe: Apple Crisp

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Penuche

To match the caramel undertones of penuche, a fudge-like candy made from brown sugar and cream, Kelsey adds pumpkin puree and fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to her cookie batter.

Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned Pumpkin Penuche

Chocolate Pasta

Looking for an unusual meal capper? Try this chocolate pasta — a Tuscan specialty — which twirls cocoa-infused noodles in an indulgent chocolate-hazelnut sauce. Fresh raspberries balance out the decadent plate.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Pasta with Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Sauce, White Chocolate Shavings and Fresh Berries