12 White Chocolate Recipes That Hold Their Own

20170125-malted-white-chocolate-butterscotch-pecan-cookies-vicky-wasik-16.jpg — Vicky Wasik

Some chocolate purists scoff at white chocolate. They say it's too sweet, or it lacks the bitterness and complexity of dark chocolate. We hear you, but there's so much more to white chocolate than cheap candy bars and cloyingly sweet desserts. Used properly, and balanced with the contrasting flavors of fruits and spices, white chocolate brings a mellow, nutty sweetness that can't be rivaled.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Vicky Wasik

These thick and rich cookies call for blending butter with melted white chocolate and toasted sugar. They're not too sweet, and chunks of both dry-roasted macadamia nuts and high-quality white chocolate throughout the batter provide tons of texture. They might look plain, but these nutty cookies have so much more going on than meets the eye.

Get the recipe for White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
White Chocolate and Pistachio Sponge Blondies

Myles New

Don't confuse these with the super-rich, dense American blondies many of us are more familiar with. These European ones are light and spongy, with plenty of flavor from pistachio, strawberry, and white chocolate. Enjoy a piece—or two—on its own, or pour yourself a glass of Prosecco to go along.

Get the recipe for White Chocolate and Pistachio Sponge Blondies
Flourless Bitter Lime Coconut Macaroon Cake With White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Yvonne Ruperti

This moist flourless cake plays off the flavors of a classic coconut macaroon. Add puréed whole limes (peeled, of course) to the batter, giving the cake a refreshing zing that stands up to rich coconut and an airy white chocolate whipped cream.

Get the recipe for Flourless Bitter Lime Coconut Macaroon Cake With White Chocolate Whipped Cream
White Chocolate–Dipped Lemon Macaroons

Carrie Vasios Mullins

Speaking of macaroons, you should definitely try your hand at these chewy cookies. Lemon zest makes them brighter than most store-bought alternatives, and a white chocolate bottom provides an extra layer of sweetness and flavor.

Get the recipe for White Chocolate–Dipped Lemon Macaroons

Continue to 5 of 12 below.
Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

Natalie Holt

Caramelized white chocolate has a nutty, deep flavor similar to that of dulce de leche. Mixed with cream and a pinch of salt, it pairs perfectly with ice cream, and makes an impressive, shiny glaze for cakes.

Get the recipe for Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache
Marbled Ganache

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Marbled Dipping Ganache

Speaking of ganache, combine dark chocolate and white chocolate ganache and you get a very pretty and delicious accent for fresh fruit of all kinds (think: strawberries, of course, but also apple slices, say), little bits of pretzel, or anything else you can think of that would benefit from a bit of extra sweetness and richness.

Get the recipe for Marbled Ganache
Matcha and White Chocolate Popcorn

Daniel Gritzer

You can never, ever have too many popcorn variations. Here, we coat freshly popped popcorn with a lovely green-tinted mixture of melted white chocolate and matcha.

Get the recipe for Matcha and White Chocolate Popcorn
Champagne Cake Roll With White Chocolate (White Chocolate Bûche de Noël)

Nila Jones

This cake is about as impressive—and festive—as it gets. To make it, we roll a sheet cake around a Champagne buttercream, which is finished with decorative shards of white chocolate and sugar pearls.

Get the recipe for Champagne Cake Roll With White Chocolate (White Chocolate Bûche de Noël)

Continue to 9 of 12 below.
Fresh Basil Mousse

Vicky Wasik

White chocolate plays a supporting role in this vibrant basil mousse. To make it, fresh basil is mashed to a pulp with some granulated sugar, and the basil-sugar pulp is steeped in a mixture of milk, white chocolate, and gelatin, which, when strained, forms the flavor base for an eggless custard. Once cool, the base is whipped until it's smooth, and then whipped cream is folded in to finish.

Get the recipe for Fresh Basil Mousse
Malted Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies

Vicky Wasik

For these cookies, chunks of white chocolate and pecans complement the crisp-chewy cookies perfectly, adding a little richness to go alongside the malty flavor imparted by the barley malt syrup included in the cookie dough. You can use whatever chocolate you like, of course, but be sure to skip store-bought chocolate chips.

Get the recipe for Malted Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies
Pumpkin Skillet Coffee Cake With Streusel Topping

Vicky Wasik

Ground or grated white chocolate gives this pumpkin skillet coffee cake a nice and moist crumb, but it also lends it a little fudginess, too. Think of it as a cross between a pumpkin streusel muffin and a blondie(!).

Get the recipe for Pumpkin Skillet Coffee Cake With Streusel Topping
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

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Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

These pitch-perfect clones of Strawberry Shortcake Bars are wonderful for many reasons: the vibrant strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries; the perfectly light interior, thanks to the frozen Swiss meringue; the small hit of rose water to counteract the way freezing can mute the flavor of the fruit. But the whole thing wouldn't work without the white chocolate glaze, which helps the coating stick and stays crisp, which provides a pleasing textural contrast with the soft no-churn ice cream it contains.

Get the recipe for Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

12 White Chocolate Recipes That Hold Their Own

Marbled Dipping Ganache

Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars