With the Walt Disney World parks being closed for the past couple months we have been trying to find ways to incorporate some Disney fun into everyday life. With some online recipes being released and products available at home we have been experimenting with what is fun, easy, and delicious. Read on for six ideas we tried and see what we think is worth it. Apologies in advance for causing any cravings…
We like to make a big batch and freeze them for later!
1. Mickey Waffles
One of our favorite things to eat on a Disney vacation is Mickey waffles for breakfast. When Select Brands released this amazing Mickey Mouse 90th Anniversary Double Flip Waffle Maker we knew we had to add it to our collection. This double sided waffle maker makes 3 Mickey waffles on each side. They look just like the ones in the park and are the same size (although we think a little less thick, it’s hard to tell since it’s been awhile since we’ve seen a Park Waffle). The waffle maker comes with this easy to follow recipe:
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups all-purpose flour (we use gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your waffle iron.
In a mixing bowl, which together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar
In a seperate bowl beat eggs and melted butter. Add buttermilk
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Cook according to waffle maker instructions.
This official Disney Parks waffle maker is on the pricey side at $74.95 but is very high quality. Our only complaint is it tough to clean, we wish the plates were removable. If this one is out of your budget you may want to check out this Classic Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker for $39.99. (You could also try making Mickey shaped pancakes that require no machine!)
Difficulty Rating: 3/5
Taste Rating: 4/5
Fun Rating: 5/5
Worth making? Yes!
We had fun decorating this batch of treats!
2. Mickey Krispy Treats
One of Julie’s favorite treats from the parks is a Mickey Krispy Treat. At home Rice Krispy Treats are a go to dessert since they are so easy and pretty allergy friendly. We decided to try to take our at home recipe up a notch and make them into Mickey shapes. Here is the classic recipe:
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter
1 package (10 oz., about 40) JET-PUFFED Marshmallows OR 4 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
DIRECTIONS
In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray.
Spray a Mickey Mouse shaped cookie cutter with spray and cut a shape out of the tray. (We found it helps to add a little extra mixture to pack the cookie cutter tight on each side of the cutter. Push out of cookie cutter and repeat. (You will need to respray the cookie cutter every so often.)
Feel free to decorate with sprinkle, chocolate, or other fun toppings!
We found that shaping the treats took an extra step, but it still wasn’t too hard and we found it was worth it in the end to have cute Mickey treats to enjoy.
Difficulty Rating: 3/5
Taste Rating: 5/5
Fun Rating: 5/5
Worth making? Yes!
(Photo credit: Dole)
3. Frozen Dole Whip
One of Andrew’s favorite treats from the parks is a Dole Whip. Disney has released an at home recipe but it didn’t sound quite authentic because it wasn’t dairy free. So we came across a recipe on the official Dole website we decided to try:
INGREDIENTS
1 cup ripe DOLE® pineapple, chopped and frozen
1 ripe DOLE® Banana, peeled and frozen
2-1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon lime juice
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Cover; blend until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh pineapple. Serve immediately.
So this one was a BIG disappointment. We went to the store and bought the supplies and had to wait to freeze them. Blending in our Vitamin was easy, but the texture was still really icy. Not sure how the picture above was created but we were unable to pipe it at all or get it to look anything like soft serve. The worst part? All we could taste was banana. It was basically a banana smoothie then anything close to resembling a Dole Whip. We don’t think anything in a blender will really come close to the amazing soft serve at Disney.
Difficulty Rating: 2/5
Taste Rating: 2/5
Fun Rating: 1/5
Worth making? No
Jumbo rolls for two!
4. Jumbo Mickey Cinnamon Rolls
Have you ever been to the Main Street Bakery and enjoyed a ginormous Mickey cinnamon roll? We wanted to see if we could copy this treat with minimal effort. We went to the store and bought a tube of cinnamon rolls. Make sure to get the larger size that makes 5, not the one that makes 8. (We recommend the Organic ones from Annie’s or Trader Joes!)
DIRECTIONS
Follow the directions on the tube in regards to temperature, greasing the pan, etc.
Start by placing two of the cinnamon rolls on the tray about 6 inches apart.
Take the other three rolls and unroll completely. Cut in half.
Use one roll (two halves) to add an extra outer ring to each of the rolls on the tray.
Use the rest of the halves to create 4 mini rolls to create ears and add to each roll.
Top with icing and enjoy!
Difficulty Rating: 1/5
Taste Rating: 5/5
Fun Rating: 5/5
Worth making? Yes
(Photo credit: Disney)
5. Churro Bites
When Disney released a recipe for churro bites we were excited to try them. But we have to be honest, we had the ingredients on hand ready to go. And they sat there. And sat there some more. Knowing we had to deal with batter, work with hot oil, and pipe the dough. It just sounded like so. much. work. So when we ended up coming across frozen churro bites at the store we couldn’t help but buy them instead and give up on our homemade plan. Sometimes we find effort is warranted and have fun with a more difficult recipe, but it was hard justify in this case when we could pop some in the oven that looked like the ones from the parks. If you want to take a stab at them you can check out the original Disney Parks recipe. Or you can cheat like us and find some great frozen ones at Aldi or Trader Joes.
Difficulty Rating: 5/5
Taste Rating: N/A
Fun Rating: N/A
Worth making? Not for us
We love having some of these treats in the freezer!
6. Disney Ice Cream by Nestle
This isn’t a recipe, but we had to include these on the list! To celebrate Mickey’s 90th birthday Nestle launched Mickey shaped ice cream bars in the grocers aisle. They have been so popular they have stuck around and the line has expanded to include:
Mickey Shaped Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Bars (6 in a box)
Mickey Shaped Cookies ‘n’ Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches (6 in a box)
Mickey and Minnie Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream Cups (10 in a box)
Star Wars Millennium Falcon Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches (6 in a box)
While these treats can be expensive (about $8.00 a box) they are still cheaper than in the park. They also are delicious and adorable. We love to try to have these in the house for a special treat.
Difficulty Rating: 0/5
Taste Rating: 5/5
Fun Rating: 5/5
Worth buying? Yes!
