You know how American buttercream can sometimes be sickeningly sweet? 🤮

Swiss meringue buttercream is likely what you’re eating when you describe it as “less sweet frosting.”

And while it involves a little bit more elbow grease than traditional American buttercream, it is still TOTALLY doable for someone with even just mediocre baking skills.

Plus, my post breaks down ALL of the troubleshooting you need to successfully make your first batch of this velvety smooth frosting and never turn back to the “too sweet” stuff again 😮

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my Swiss meringue buttercream recipe (and the chocolate version!) directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream/

#frosting #swissmeringuebuttercream #buttercream #cupcakelover ...

Sure, zucchini bread is GREAT, but there’s more to zucchini life than that. In fact, I’d say I’ve made MORE ravioli with my zucchini than I have loaves of bread (with or without chocolate chips) 😎

This recipe is one of my favorites, because it changes things up and I can add extra protein to it if I want to. Or it can stay vegetarian when I want to make it for someone else!

It’s super versatile, customizable, and a great way to use up that fresh produce you may be overrun with here in a second 😉

Welcome to July’s Bake Along recipe 🎉 #fafbakealong

What is the Bake Along?
1️⃣ bake the assigned recipe (or alternate)
2️⃣ snap a pic
3️⃣ include a video for one bonus entry
4️⃣ leave a review (as a mega favor 💙)
5️⃣ get entered to win $100 to YOUR CHOICE of merchant

It’s that simple 🙌

July’s recipe is ZUCCHINI RAVIOLI 🍝 and the alternate is TACO ZUCCHINI BOATS 🌮

Want in on the fun this month? Comment the words “bake along” below and I’ll send the link to the Bake Along page right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/bake-along/

#zucchini #zucchinirecipes #ravioli ...

Ready for an unforgettable trip of a lifetime with a group of fellow bakers and sweets lovers? 🤗 Because together, we’ll be exploring the coast and countryside of GORGEOUS Southern France! 🥰

🗓️ DATES: April 13-18, 2027
📍CITIES: Nice and Aix-en-Provence

What’s included:
🥐 6 days / 5 nights in a 4-star hotel
🥐 5 breakfasts, 2 dinners
🥐 A dedicated local expert guide for the whole trip
🥐 City & activity transfers
🥐 Access to a whole host of activities

What’s on the agenda:
🥐 A guided walking tour of Nice
🥐 A PRIVATE baking workshop (macarons & cream puffs)
🥐 An optional half day trip to Monaco/Monte Carlo/Èze
🥐 Wandering cobblestone streets
🥐 A visit to the beach
🥐 Seeing palaces and other historic buildings
🥐 Local markets
🥐 Artisan boutiques
🥐 Welcome and farewell dinners

The trip has enough space for 22 travelers, and right now, there are 11 of us signed up for the trip. We’ve got a mix of solo travelers, sisters, friends, and as a whole, we’re really all a bunch of complete strangers agreeing to adventure around France together 🤗

If that sounds like your jam, comment “interested” and I’ll send you a link to reserve your spot 💌 https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/france/france-with-lynn-april-apr-2027

#trovatrip #france #southernfrance #travel ...

SAVE THIS for your next cookie bake! 🍪 Or comment “recipe” below and I’ll send it right to ya! ⬇️

As an internet baking teacher for the past 12 years, the more cookie recipes I write, the more I realize that folks really do love the simple classics the best.

One of the unexpected perks of what I do is getting to see real time feedback from taste testers as soon as a recipe leaves my kitchen, as well as hear from neighbors and fellow school parents in passing regularly.

And the thing that keeps showing up is some version of “I made your chocolate chip cookies and they were SO GOOD” or “I always make your chocolate chip cookies because they’re our family’s favorite.”

In fact, this review from Betty from last month:
“The very BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE EVER! I made it today and my family cannot get enough of them. THANK YOU.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And Caroline simply called it her “new keeper recipe!” 🥰

If you are looking for simple recipes that will stick around for years to come, you’ll like it here. Follow along for more! 🫶

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these chocolate chip cookies right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#chocolatechipcookies #chocolatechip #chocolatechipcookie #cookies ...

I heard you like ice cream cake! 🎂🍨

So you’ll be happy to know that you can make your own easy layered ice cream cake at home with store-bought ice cream, gooey hot fudge, creamy whipped cream topping, and plenty of Oreos in each bite.

But guess what? You can also use any ice cream flavor you want in there, which makes this a super fun option for any summer birthday on your calendar 🥳

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to this ice cream cake right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/cookies-and-cream-ice-cream-cake/

#icecreamcake #icecream #icecreamlovers #cake ...

This may be my new favorite twist on a classic 🥰

And here’s the thing every cinnamon roll girlie needs to know— not every batch of cinnamon rolls needs to yield 12.

In fact, just about ALL of the cinnamon roll recipes on my site are small batch, which yields just 6. And doubling it If needed? Super simple math, and I have information in each post about what that looks like ☺️

Seriously, once you taste that chai-spiced cream cheese frosting, you’ll never go back to plain cinnamon again 🫖

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these chai cinnamon rolls right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/chai-cinnamon-rolls/

#chai #chailover #chaiislove #cinnamonroll ...

This moment was made for you ✨

Whether your PlayDoh skills originated in the 80s or 90s or you have gotten a resurgence of practice with your own kids in the mid-2000s, you had NO idea you were training for your new favorite homemade snack 🥨

And here’s the thing— sometimes recipes that claim to be better than store-bought are simply lying 🤥

This recipe is NOT. Promise.

Those pretzels twirling around at the movie theater or the ones in the freezer section at your grocery store don’t hold a candle to the mega soft and chewy texture you get from freshly baked pretzels from your own oven 🥰

A little elbow grease? Sure! But you can do this… You’ve truly been practicing your whole life 😏

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these homemade soft pretzels right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/homemade-soft-pretzels/

#pretzel #softpretzel #softpretzels #homemade ...

Did you know this? 🧐🍪

My beloved chocolate chip cookies are flawless, EVEN WITH their mandatory chill time. But sometimes I need cookies faster, and these chocolate chip cookie bars, which are made from the EXACT SAME COOKIE DOUGH, are the answer to that 😮

PS… I promise you’ll be ridiculously glad you added this recipe to your collection. And since you can have edge, corner, or middle pieces, no one misses out on the crisp-edged, gooey centered goodness we all love about the OGs 😏

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these chocolate chip cookie bars right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/

#chocolatechipcookie #cookiebars #cookiebar #cookies ...

Comment sections of my videos and photos of my pie crust have historically gone NUTS over my butter chunks claiming this crust will “fall apart” or “completely melt” in the oven 🤦🏻‍♀️

The actual result?

THE FLAKIEST CRUST 🤩

Here are my best tips for getting a perfect and flaky crust every time:

1️⃣ When you’re making your pie crust, keep the big chunks of butter. They = flaky flakes!!
2️⃣ Roll from the center out rather than over top the whole thing.
3️⃣ Don’t be afraid to touch your pie crust to fix the sides, fill in holes, or press some of it together to keep it even. If it gets too warm from your fingers, see next step.
4️⃣ The refrigerator is your friend! Stop and chill any time you’re worried it’s too warm.
5️⃣ I always re-chill a pie crust once it’s in the pie plate for at LEAST 15-20 minutes before baking to prevent shrinking and encourage flakes.
6️⃣ Flip your pastry mat into the pie plate rather than try to roll the pie crust onto a rolling pin or lift it off.
7️⃣ Take your time! There is no need to rush the process.
8️⃣ Know with practice, you will get more comfortable with the process. You can do this! 🙌🏼

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my perfectly flaky homemade pie crust directly to your DMs! 💌 https://freshaprilflours.com/my-favorite-homemade-pie-crust/

#pie #piecrust #bakingtips #bakinglove ...

I shared this video in December, during my 12 Days of Cookies— the first time I made and tasted my dad’s cookie since he taught it to me ten years ago 💕

This recipe is a thread between four generations, one that my great grandmother brought with her from Italy 🇮🇹 My dad was the one who put the Italian in her head onto paper in English so it would be repeatable for generations to come 🫶🏼

Today is my first Father’s Day without him, and I wanted to share it again.

This video is… A lot.

It’s stalling, deep breaths, and letting the grief and joy sit in the same room 😮‍💨

It’s incredibly vulnerable, mostly quiet, and was 2 minutes long without edits.

But the moment they tasted exactly like his? I swear I could feel him. Food has a way of doing that to us. For better or worse.

My dad would’ve been so proud 🥹

I don’t know exactly what today feels like yet— I’m still learning. But if you’re also missing someone today, whether it’s been months or years, I see you. It’s okay if today is hard.

No recipe prompt with this one, just an invitation to share below a memory of your dad, or anyone you’re missing today, if you feel so inclined 😇

(And if you’re interested in the recipe, you can find it by searching my site— honey walnut cookie sticks/sfratti) #fathersday #grief #griefandloss #griefandloss ...

Sometimes you just need to move past the recipe you’ve always used and try something new ✨

For me? It’s as simple as trying a new chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Hi! I’m Lynn 👋 I’ve been teaching people on the internet how to bake from scratch for more than a decade, and I believe that really good chocolate chip cookies are a non-negotiable.

If you’ve ever thought there can be something better out there than what’s on the back of the bag, you’re right. And you’ve got to try this recipe.

It consistently converts Toll House die hards into Fresh April Flours die hards with one bite 🍪

I’m so happy you found me and them! 🥰

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these life-changing chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌#freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#chocolatechip #chocolatechipcookies #chocolatechipcookie #cookielover ...

Where are my fellow graham girlies at? 👀

The graham is the best part of the s’more, and you can’t tell me otherwise 🙂‍↔️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my s’mores layer cake right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/smores-layer-cake/

#smorescake #smores #cake #cakes ...

Looking for the easiest sugar cookie recipe? Say less…

⭐️ TO BE CLEAR: I am not suggesting you do this with a recipe that has not been written to accommodate this swap. If you want to try it, it is at your own risk! ⭐️

As a recipe creator, I’m here to make scratch baking simple and feel less intimidating.

This was my first ever VIRAL Instagram recipe— the one that got me to 10K followers in 2021, and the one that pulled in 10 MILLION views in 2025.

It’s easy, it’s reliable, and it’s the base for so many variations of it in my recipe collection.

It deserves all of the praise it gets, to be totally honest 🥰

In fact, check out this 5-star review from Dee:

“I have baked cookies, cakes, cupcakes, desserts for over 20 years for my family of 5. I have tried many sugar cookie recipes and they were always dry and tasteless. All said this is my go-to sugar cookie recipe, the only one you need. This is the only one that works for me. I appreciate the recipe and the notes.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Want more super simple recipes with all the notes so that you have success the first time? Be sure to follow @freshaprilflours and share this with a friend who also loves simple bakes! 🍪

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my no-chill vanilla sugar cookies right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/

#viralcookies #cookie #cookies #cookiestagram ...

Where are all my “I’m afraid of yeast”ers at? 👀

As someone who used to avoid yeast but now teaches people who have never touched it before how to use it and use it WELL, the hill I’m willing to stand on is that anyone can make soft and fluffy bread at home with the right recipe and guidance 🍞

But you don’t just have to take MY word for it…

Barbra says: “I admit to being super intimidated to make these, but they really are a great recipe for beginners. The step-by-step instructions were perfect, and my rolls turned out great. Thanks so much for the recipe.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And Erin said: “We made these for Thanksgiving, and they were a MASSIVE hit. (Both of my kids ate three a piece along with their meals.) We’ll definitely be serving this recipe at future holiday gatherings. Thank you!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh oh oh and Robyn said: “I have not had good luck with yeast recipes in the past but this was exactly as the title describes… EASY! I made these following the make ahead directions for Thanksgiving dinner and they came out amazing. Everyone was commenting how good they were. I even added a sprinkling of finishing salt on top before baking. Everyone should give these a try!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ready to tackle yeast? I’ve got you! 🍞

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these fluffy beginner-friendly rolls right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/easy-yeast-rolls/

#bread #breadrecipe #yeastbread #yeast ...

Allow me to introduce you to your new favorite way to eat pizza 🍕

Use frozen rolls or make ‘em from scratch— either way, you’re going to love how fun this method makes it to eat your next slice!

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my pizza dip directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/skillet-pizza-dip/

#pizza #pizzaislife #easydinner #easydinnerideas ...

To be totally transparent, my initial thought when I learned Instant Pot made a cheesecake was “I bet that’s gross” 😒

But I took a chance, bought their 7.5” springform pan, and my life was TRULY changed.

I was SHOCKED to find that the cheesecake that came out of my pressure cooker was soft, velvety smooth, and not lacking one bit in texture or flavor from my traditional 9” springform oven baked cheesecakes. And it’s basically been my go-to size ever since 🤩

In a house of 4 people, there are only 2 of us who like cheesecake. Well, that’s a lie. There are 3 of us. But one of those people is gluten and dairy free 😆

So whenever my kiddo requests cheesecake for his birthday, THIS is the size I make. It’s perfect for the two of us to share (with leftovers, of course) without being stuck with cheesecake slices to eat for a week 😅

And my FAVORITE part? You can use this recipe as a guide for LITERALLY ANY CHEESECAKE RECIPE YOU WANT.

If the recipe is written for a standard 8-10″ springform pan, you simply have to halve the ingredients. BOOM! Magic💥

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to this pressure cooker cheesecake along with my favorite small cheesecake pans directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/instant-pot-cheesecake/

#cheesecake #instantpot #cheesecakelover #instantpotrecipes ...

And no, that’s not clay and those aren’t mashed potatoes, like people usually think when they see this video 🤭

I heard you could use a little changeup with your sugar cookies, so allow me to introduce you to cream cheese drop sugar cookies.

These buttery sugar cookies boast a slightly tangy flavor thanks to the addition of cream cheese. They start with a melt-in-your-mouth sugar coating that leads to a firm bite with a chewy interior, and I think you’re going to loooooove them 🤩

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my cream cheese sugar cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/cream-cheese-sugar-cookies/

#sugarcookies #cookies #creamcheese #cookie ...

Chocolate chip cookies aren’t just any cookie, they’re a dessert best shared 🍪

From the melted butter for mega chew and the combination of two types and sizes of chocolate chips for a surprise in every bite, my cookies have been turning Toll House regulars into Fresh April Flours superfans since 2014 💁‍♀️

Tag your chocolate chip cookie loving friend and follow @freshaprilflours for time-tested, repeatable bakes you’ll keep in your kitchen for years to come 🫶

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my reader-favorite chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#chocolatechipcookies #chocolatechip #chocolatechips #cookies ...

And here’s why you need them: fiber, protein, and complex carbs carbs, all wrapped up in a bite that tastes like dessert 🍨

Listen, you know I’m not about the word “healthy” when it comes to dessert, and that’s definitely not what this is. It’s truly just a recipe my family loves to have on hand for snacking and it just so happens to have some gems in it. That’s all.

And at the pool? They taste even better 🤭

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to this recipe directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/chocolate-chip-oat-bites/

#oats #oat #oatmeal #poolsnack ...

Oh you want mini cookies? I got you…

And to save you the hassle of trying to measure the perfect size dough ball, here’s what I use for ALL of my mini cookies 🍪

The best part? You don’t have to go looking for a mini cookie recipe to use it with— I already have a mini chocolate chip cookie recipe you’re going to love! 💕

Consider this review from Ace: “I trusted the comments that said to make a double batch. And while I’m grateful for them, I’ll raise that and say make triple or quadruple the amount. These are the best chocolate chip cookies I maybe ever made.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Comment the word “SCOOP” below and I’ll send the link to my favorite scoop + mini chocolate chip cookie recipe directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/mini-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#minicookies #minicookie #chocolatechip #chocolatechipcookie ...