Easter Egg Cake Pops with a Disney Spin

Join us on another Disney inspired baking adventure, just in time for the Easter holiday!

Allergy Friendly

If you have a food allergy, then you probably know finding sweet treats that are gluten free while at a Disney Park can be a challenge. Now, there are some out there to be found but not quite as many as we would like. So, this specific recipe is geared toward those of us with a gluten allergy. BUT don’t worry, you can still use this same recipe using regular ingredients.

What You Will Need

We need to get all of our ingredients together before we start. Grab a pen and paper or just screen shot this section of the blog and head on out to the grocery store. I use both Betty Crocker and Pillsbury products. I shop by sale or whichever is available at the time. There are several other brands available that will work just the same.

Cake Pops

• 1 Box – Gluten Free Cake Mix – (Sub for Regular if desired)
• 2 (16oz)- containers of Gluten Free Frosting (Sub for Regular if desired)
• 10 to 12 Ounces gluten free semi-sweet baking chocolate

Decorating

• Food Coloring 
• 1 pack – Lollipop Sticks – (optional) 
• Sprinkles, Decorative Sugars, Marshmallows, Mike & Ike Candies (or jellybeans), decorative eyes, gels, and any other items for decorating you desire.

Instructions

First, prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. I just used a square cake pan. You can use any size pan you would like. I don’t suggest a cupcake pan unless that is the only one you have available. Only because we will just be crumbling up the cake in the next steps.

While the cake is baking, go ahead and prepare your decorations. Mix up different color frostings. Place marshmallows and candies in a bowl for easy access and so you don’t get frosting all over the bag while decorating.

Prep 

Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Place the pan on a counter or cooling rack. You don’t want to leave it on top of the warm oven. While the cake is cooling line two baking sheets with parchment paper. You will need to place these in the freezer later so use this time to make sure there is space in the freezer for the pans to sit flat.

Next Steps

Once the cake has cooled, in a large bowl crumble the cake with your fingers.  Add half a can of the frosting and press the cake together using a spoon. You will want to add more frosting as necessary until the mixture is smooth.

Shape the mixture into egg shaped pieces. You can make other shapes or just round as well. Place each shaped piece onto the baking sheets you prepared earlier. Once you have shaped all of your cake mixture place your pans in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Or up to a few hours if you plan to decorate later.

Using Lollipop Sticks

If you are planning to use the lollipop sticks you will need to prepare them before you begin decorating. First, you will need another cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. In a microwave safe bowl, melt 10 ounces of the semi-sweet chocolate on high for 30 seconds at a time. Stirring in between until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Stick the tip of one side of the lollipop sticks into the melted chocolate. Place them on the lined cookie sheet and freeze for one minute until the chocolate is set. If you are not using lollipop sticks just leave each egg on the cookie sheet.

Let’s Decorate

Now, for the fun and messy part! Decorating. I don’t know about you, but I like recipes that are fun and easy. To decorate, I just simply frost each egg and then used the gels, candies and marshmallows to create eggs that represent some of my favorite Disney characters. 

Don’t be afraid to get creative! Trust me, unless you are a professional chef who has been trained, they are likely not going to be perfect. That is ok, just go with it have fun and let the kiddos make a mess all while you create some Easter memories. Place any left over cake pop eggs in an air tight container and store in the freezer.

Easter Egg Cake Pops With A Disney Spin are such a cute way to incorporate a little Disney into your Easter holidays! If you enjoyed this recipe you may want to also want to give our Dole Whip Cupcakes a try!

We would love to see your egg cake pop decorations! Snap a photo and come share it with us over on Facebook at Disney Express Lane. 

The post How To Make Easter Egg Cake Pops With A Disney Spin appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

. While we love this cold treat, I want to share with you a new twist on this oh so famous dessert. Dole Whip Cupcakes! Yes, I said cupcakes.

Dole Whip Cupcakes

While searching the internet looking for a fun Disney inspired treat to make for my parents 45th wedding anniversary, I came across (in my opinion) THE best cupcake recipe ever! So, how do you make these yummy Dole Whip Cupcakes? First, gather your ingredients. Of course, I made ours gluten free but you can make these using a regular cake mix as well.

Cupcakes

• 1 box yellow cake mix (I substituted with a gluten free mix)
• 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
• 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325°. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners. This recipe will make approximately 24 cupcakes. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix cake mix with crushed pineapple, oil, and eggs. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans and bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.

While the cupcakes are cooking and cooling, it is time to make the frosting. It is best to go ahead and lay the two sticks of butter out to let them soften while you prepare the cupcake batter.

Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Small pineapple wedges, for garnish. I just used canned pineapple tidbits that I had on hand already

In a large bowl, combine butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, pineapple juice, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth. Add remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

You can then transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting. Swirl the frosting on using the pastry bag or you can just frost them with a spoon like I did and garnish each cupcake with a pineapple wedge or tidbit.

Make them as decorative as you would like. But if you are like me, it is all about how they taste more then how they are presented especially if you are just baking them to eat at home. We just frosted, added a pineapple tidbit and enjoyed.

My family loved these! They are so good and are very addictive. You will not be able to eat just one. I cannot wait to make them again soon. Do you have a favorite Disney inspired recipe? Come share it with us over on Facebook at Disney Express Lane.

Are you looking to make a trip to the magic soon? Let one of our friends over at Walt Express Travel help you!

The post Whip Up Some Disney Inspired Dole Whip Cupcakes At Home appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Copycat Recipes: Mickey Waffles

Seriously, I don’t know a single person who has tried Mickey Waffles and not loved them! While we try to enjoy as many new Disney snacks and meals as possible whenever we visit, we always make a point to have at least one classic DisneyWorld breakfast complete with those light, crunchy and not-too-sweet Mickey Waffles.

For those who haven’t been lucky enough to try them at the parks, they have the texture of a Belgian waffle – crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside – however, they aren’t sweet like Belgian waffles so you can add all of your favorite indulgent toppings without it being too sweet.

Because as far as I’m concerned, you can never have too much of a good thing – I’ve bought an amazing waffle maker and learned how to make Mickey waffles at home… and we make them quite a bit!

While we’ve perfected a from-scratch recipe… I have a secret to tell you.

Those Disney waffles? The ones everyone says taste worlds better than any waffles they’ve ever had before? They are made with a mix. And it’s the same mix that many of us have used at continental breakfasts across the US – Golden Malted Waffle Mix.

They come in both the standard and a gluten-free mix, so even gluten-free families can enjoy these waffles at home. I’ll still share the from-scratch recipe below… but I’ll tell you, the Golden Malted mix is just as good – and a heck of a lot less work!

Regardless if you make them from a mix or from-scratch, you will want to invest in a good-quality Mickey Waffle maker. I tried a cheap $30 model and even with the same recipe, it yielded soft waffles that were more like pancakes. You need a waffle iron that gets to and holds the right temperature – about 350F – which the cheaper models simply don’t do.

Quick Tip: Make more than you need! I always make a few extra, wrap and then freeze in ziptop bags. Then, we’re all set for a lazy morning complete with Mickey Waffles the next time we get a craving – just pop them in the toaster and enjoy!

Copycat Mickey Waffles Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (can use all-purpose or gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 1 cup whole milk yogurt
• 6 fluid ounces of milk (room temperature)

How to Make Mickey Waffles:

1. Preheat and prepare your Mickey Waffle Iron.
2. Prepare the waffle batter.
3. Pour or scoop about 1/3 cup of the waffle batter into each Mickey Waffle shape on the iron.
4. Follow the waffle maker’s instructions to fully cook the waffles.
5. Remove waffle from waffle iron with a pair of tongs.
6. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Yield: 8-10 waffles

Copycat Disney Mickey Mouse Waffles

Print

A foolproof recipe for the perfect Mickey Waffles - the perfect Copycat Mickey Waffles with crispy edges and a soft, fluffy inside. Can be made gluten-free!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (can use all-purpose or gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 1 cup whole milk yogurt
• 6 fluid ounces of milk (room temperature)

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare your Mickey Waffle Iron according to the directions.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk together.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with a hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) until stiff (but not dry) peaks form.
4. 
5. Place the egg yolks and oil in a separate large bowl and blend with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until creamy.
6. Add the yogurt and milk, and blend until well combined.
7. Add the dry ingredients, and blend again. The mixture will be smooth and thickly pour-able.
8. Fold the beaten egg whites gently into the large bowl of batter until only a few white streaks remain.
9. 
10. Pour or scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into each indentation of the prepared Mickey waffle iron.
11. Spread into an even layer.
12. Close lid and follow waffle maker's directions for cooking; or let cook for about 3 minutes or until steam stops escaping from waffle iron.
13. 
14. Remove waffle from waffle iron with a pair of tongs.
15. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Looking for more delicious copycat recipes? Try the Grey Stuff!

What are your favorite Disney recipes? Do you have an amazing copycat recipe to share? Join the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics.

The post Disney World Copycat Recipes: Mickey Waffles appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Mickey Breakfast Pizza Recipe

I don’t always cook breakfast, but when I do, it’s usually Disney inspired! HA! I am ALWAYS looking to add more “magic” to the table and thanks to Disney Family Recipes, it happens! Disney Family Recipes posted this great “how to” recipe! You all know me, anything with food and Disney is usually AMAZING, so I tried it. I made a few minor adjustments and VOILA! Mickey Mouse Breakfast Pizza. I will warn you: IT GOES FAST! Stash your slice away and enjoy later.

SO Many Options

There are so many ways to adjust and make this your own, or you can follow the directions down to the “letter M” (M of course stands for Mickey). Your kids will love experimenting and doing it their way. Eggs, bacon, sausage, Canadian bacon…SO MANY OPTIONS! We also use this same base for dinner pizzas, just changing the toppings. Of course, cheese is a BIG component. We like to incorporate some adventurous options such as ham and pineapple or spinach with Alfredo sauce. Whatever your taste, you can’t go wrong with this one!

Original Recipe

You can find the original recipe right here: Mickey Mouse Breakfast Pizza. Disney Family used a Mickey shaped cookie cutter, but you can achieve the same goal just by “shaping” the dough with a knife.

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Mickey Pizza Party

Host a Mickey themed pizza party using this recipe. If doing an in person party, set up cute little dishes with all the toppings so everyone can create their own. While we are practicing SOCIAL DISTANCING, set up a zoom call and cook together. This would be a great to get the kids together with friends, grandparents or other family members. A total WIN-WIN for everyone.

TIPS:

• Always preheat your oven before baking any type of pastry crust or dough.
• If you want a Mickey breakfast pizza, grab yours FIRST! There won’t be any left!!
• Make these personalized to each family member. Add their favorite toppings before you bake.
• Even better, get the kids in on the action. Allow each child to create their own Mickey Masterpiece.
• We accidentally used refrigerated Pie Crust instead of Pizza Dough the first time and now we cannot live without it! Best mistake ever! It was delish!
• We used Colby and sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use any type that you fancy!

We have some pretty awesome DIY recipes and projects that we think you will just love. Take a peek at this DIY MICKEY MOUSE WREATH!

Be sure to check out our Facebook group for more recipes and Disney Parks tips at DISNEY EXPRESS LANE. Hope to see you there! Make sure you introduce yourself!

More Disney Recipes Your Family Will Love

Disney World Copycat Recipes: The GREY STUFF!

Disney World Copycat Recipes: Mickey Waffles

The post Dishes By Disney: Mickey Mouse Breakfast Pizza Recipe appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

How We Made Disney Copycat Churro Bites At Home.

Disney Copycat Churro Bites

Making Churro Bites at home was very easy and did not take long at all. The ingredients are likely already in your kitchen. One of the BEST things about this recipe is it can be totally adjusted to accommodate some allergies! Yes, this Disney Copycat Churro Bites recipe can be ALLERGY FRIENDLY!

Ingredients

•  1 cup water
•  8 tablespoons butter
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
•  1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (Use Gluten Free Flour for Allergy Friendly)
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups vegetable or canola oil (I use Olive Oil)
• 1/2 cup sugar (I used Truvia)

I recruited my husband to help me bring this recipe to life. As you may know, I have a gluten allergy. When we make Churros at home, I alter the recipe with a simple switch. This recipe calls for all-purpose flour, so I used gluten free all-purpose instead.

First Step

Combine water, butter, salt, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon in 1 ½-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring pot to rolling boil. Then reduce heat to low. We added in the flour and stirred vigorously until the mixture forms into a ball. Remove from heat and let rest for 5-7 minutes.

While we waited for the 5-7 minutes to pass, we cleaned up the counters. Next we got a piping bag and fitted it with a large star tip. Now we are ready for our dough. TIP: If you do not have a piping bag or star tip on hand you can use a large zip lock bag and just cut the tip to squeeze out your churro mix.

Second Step

Once the 5-7 minutes is up, we added in the eggs, one at a time. Stir until combined. Set aside. Next, we heated the oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until the temperature reached 350˚.

While the oil was heating up, we spooned the dough into piping bag fitted with large star tip. Once the oil was heated, we piped 1-inch strip of dough over saucepan, cut with knife, and dropped it into hot oil. We repeated until churro bites fill saucepan with room to fry.

Fry churro bites until golden brown. We removed each one with slotted spoon. You can also use a mesh spider strainer if you have one. Drain churro bites on paper towel.

Third Step

While my husband finished up with cooking the remainder of the churros, I went ahead and mixed up the sweet coating! Use 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl. I started tossing the churro bites until evenly coated.

Fourth AND Best Step

We placed them on a serving plate and enjoyed them immediately. The Churros can be eaten with your favorite dipping sauce. We love to eat them just the way they are. Making churros at home was a fun family activity. We suggest eating them all as soon as they are done however, they can be stored and refrigerated to enjoy the next day.

Whip up some of these delicious bites and play Disney Charades! A perfect night!

Have you made this delicious treat? We would love to see your version. Join our Facebook Group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE!

The post How We Made Disney Copycat Churro Bites At Home appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Disney Dole Whip Recipe

It’s no secret that Disney’s Dole Whip is my all time favorite Disney snack. According to our readers, it’s A LOT of y’all’s favorite too! In fact, it was no surprise that it was number ONE on our list recently. Check it out, right here: 20 Snacks You Can’t Miss in Disney World.

For years, Disney fans like myself have tried to replicate the deliciousness that is Disney Dole Whip.

This sweet and tart, creamy pineapple ice cream is an essential snack on any Disney vacation – and it’s the first thing I start to crave after I haven’t been at the parks in a few months. It’s the perfect treat to cool down in the Florida heat… but who am I kidding? This Dole Whip tastes great at any time of year.

Disney finally shared the official recipe – so we’ve scraped our original attempt (which wasn’t quite perfect) and have now replaced it with this perfect copycat.

“Whip” up a batch of this delicious goodness and share with the family. Or, DON’T share! It’s totally up to you!

Disney World Dole Whips

Disney Dole Whips are less than $5 at the parks and are also available to purchase using a snack credit if you’re using the Disney Dining Plan.

There are several locations around Disney World to find a Dole Whip. One of our favorite spots is in the Magic Kingdom at Aloha Isle. Another favorite spot is at Disney’s Polynesian Resort at their very own Pineapple Lanai where you can also opt for the a pineapple-vanilla twist (my daughter’s favorite) or get a shot of rum added to your whip.

I also really love the Dole Whip Float, which is a Dole Whip added to a glass of pineapple juice. It sounds like a very basic addition but I LOVE this upgrade.

Disney Dole Whip Ingredients

• 2 cups Frozen Pineapple
• ½ cup Pineapple Juice
• Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream

How to Make Disney Dole Whips

1. Blend ingredients until pineapple chunks are completely broken down.
2. Scoop dole whip mixture into prepared piping bag.
3. Swirl the mixture into your serving cups.
4. Garnish and enjoy immediately.

Yield: 1 serving

Disney's Famous Dole Whip Recipe

Print

The perfect copycat recipe for Disney's Famous Dole Whip recipe - a sweet and tart pineapple soft serve that tastes like it came straight from Adventureland instead of your kitchen!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Frozen Pineapple
• ½ cup Pineapple Juice
• Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream

Instructions

1. Optional: fit a piping bag with a large star tip. This will allow you to swirl the dole whip into your glasses for the perfect "soft serve" presentation, just like at the parks. However, this step is not essential and your dole whip will still taste great!
2. Prepare your serving glasses and have them ready as dole whips melt fast!
3. Measure out the ingredients into a smoothie-style blender.
4. Puree just until the pineapple chunks are broken down completely.
5. Scoop the mixture into the prepared piping bag, then swirl the dole whip into your serving glasses.
6. Garnish and enjoy immediately.

Be sure to keep watching Walt Express for MORE great Disney World copycat recipes! You can check out our Homemade Mickey Waffles here or our Gray Stuff recipe here.

If you have a favorite you would like to create at home, or have created at home let us know on the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics.

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Disney Recipes: The GREY STUFF!

We know you want to be in Disney World every single day. We totally get it! So do we. Sometimes you just need a little Disney magic in your life and we are here to help with that. By making some of these delicious treats at home, it’s a total WIN-WIN! You get some family togetherness and you also get to have all the Disney World feels. I promise, this one is super easy and you may have everything you need on hand to get started.

All About The Grey Stuff

Everyone knows about the “grey stuff” or better known as the delicious topping to the “The Master’s Cupcake”. This deliciousness was made famous by Disney’s own “Beauty and the Beast” many, many years ago. This delectable dish is now served at Be Our Guest (better known as The Beast’s Castle) in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Did you know that you can order the grey stuff for breakfast, lunch or dinner? Yes, I said even breakfast! Just head on over to Fantasyland and find your way to the Beast’s Castle.

Be our guest
Be our guest
Put our service to the test
Tie your napkin ’round your neck, cherie
And we provide the rest
Soup du jour
Hot hors d’oeuvres
Why, we only live to serve
Try the grey stuff, it’s delicious
Don’t believe me? Ask the dishes

You know the song, so go ahead and sing it while you whip up a batch of this yumminess. Or better yet, watch the Beauty and The Beast movie while you recreate this dish. Now, without further ado, the dining room (or Walt Express, we should say) presents: The Grey Stuff!

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Disney Recipes: The GREY STUFF Tips

• You don’t have to have a fancy cake decorating set. Simply grab a plastic baggie (not the cheap ones-they burst easily) and a tip. Snip the plastic baggie and place the decorating tip in the corner that you just snipped. Easy Peasy!
• The “grey stuff” is also great on cupcakes. Of course, we prefer it best straight off the spoon. Grab your napkin, cherie!
• Be sure to refrigerate as soon decorating is done.

The post Disney World Copycat Recipes: The GREY STUFF! appeared first on WaltExpress.com.