Easy Desserts to Make with Almost Nothing

Desserts to make with almost nothing! You'll be surprised by what you can pull together with a bit of creativity. There are recipes for 3-ingredient cookies, two-ingredient "faux fudge," dessert dips, recipes starting with a box mix, and more.

a pile of brownie mix cookies on a pink plate. — If you love the taste of brownies but want something a little different, try these brownie mix cookies. With just a few tweaks to a box of brownie mix, you can have soft, chewy cookies that are loaded with rich, fudgy flavor. Perfect for any occasion or quick treat.

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Pantry Desserts: Make Sweet Treats from What You Already Have
No-Oven, No-Problem: Quick Stovetop and No-Bake Desserts
Just a Few Ingredients: 3-Ingredient Dessert Ideas
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Pantry Desserts: Make Sweet Treats from What You Already Have

sugar cookies with sprinkles on top on a rack next to a small bowl of nonpareils. — You'll enjoy these sugar cookies that just have a minimum of ingredients: sugar, butter, flour, salt, and vanilla. No baking powder, no baking soda, and no eggs.

Simple sugar cookies with no eggs or baking powder
Microwave mug cakes
No-bake oatmeal cookies
You've got marshmallows and chocolate, but no graham crackers? Make s'mores anyway with what you have (giant list of graham cracker alternatives).

No-Oven, No-Problem: Quick Stovetop and No-Bake Desserts

chocolate covered Rice Krispie treats on silver tray — Chocolate-covered Rice Krispie treats are about the best thing since sliced bread.

Stovetop chocolate pudding
Rice Krispie treats or cereal bars
Orange Sherbet (no-churn)

orange sherbet in a a hollowed out orange. — Orange Sherbet is a creamy, refreshing dessert using an easy no-churn recipe that you make with ingredients you'll likely already have in your fridge and pantry.

Just a Few Ingredients: 3-Ingredient Dessert Ideas

Peanut butter and honey toast with cinnamon
Banana ice cream (frozen bananas blended smooth)
Sweetened condensed milk fudge
Three-ingredient peanut butter cookies: mix ¾ cup sugar, one cup peanut butter, and one egg. Beat together, form into balls, and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350F°.
"Faux fudge": take any can of store-bought frosting and melt it with a bag of either chocolate chips or another flavor of chips until combined. Pour into a parchment-lined 8x8 square pan and let cool. Slice and enjoy.
Dessert Dips like S'mores Dip
3-Ingredient Key Lime Pie
S'mores Mini Tarts
Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla chips: Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over a handful of tortillas you've placed in your air fryer on a liner and air fry until crisp and sugar has lightly caramelized.
Make shortbread cookies: flour, sugar, and butter. Salt and a flavoring, like an extract, are nice but not necessary.

two miniature s'mores pies on a countertop. — Oooey, gooey, and chocolatey, you're going to love these mini s'mores pies.

Dessert Hacks: Turning Store-Bought Items Into Something Special

pile of homemade donuts on a white cloth. — Easy homemade donuts start with the cheapest can of refrigerator biscuits you can find.

One of my favorite hacks is turning a super cheap can of refrigerator biscuits into homemade donuts.
Make frosting with butter and powdered sugar. This easy cookie icing can be drizzled over anything, even fruit and crackers.
Upgrade boxed brownie mix with pantry add-ins like peppermint candy for Peppermint Brownie Cookies or M&M's for colorful M&M Brownies or M&M Brownie Cookies.
Box Mix Brownie Cookies (My very favorite!)
Pie Crust Cookies

pie crust cookies on wire rack — Pie crust cookies can be whimsical, like these unicorn cookies, or traditional, like little leaves to adorn a pie.

Bare Pantry? Emergency Sweet Fix: Super-Fast Desserts in 5 Minutes or Less

pecan on a fork covered in chocolate dripping into a small glass bowl of chocolate. — Chocolate Pecans are crunchy, salty, chocolatey, delicious nuts that you can make yourself or others in just a few minutes.

Chocolate-dipped anything (crackers, fruit, pretzels). Try dates drenched in chocolate or chocolate pecans also.
Hot cocoa with a fancy twist (whipped cream, cinnamon, caramel drizzle)
White chocolate-dipped Oreos
Cinnamon sugar toast.
Air Fryer S'more s
No-bake oatmeal cookies
Maybe this is a middle-aged lady thing, but I love a bowl of plain Greek yogurt drizzled with local honey and sprinkled with cinnamon. Add a few chopped nuts if you have them.