A semi-homemade sweet that is perfect when you suddenly have a craving.
When you’re craving dessert but your energy (and patience) is low, a quick dessert comes into its own. This collection is all about sweet treats with clever ingredients, including cake and brownie mixes, ready-made cookie dough, and ice cream.
From easy ice cream pie and three-ingredient peach cobbler to cake mix cookies and chocolate chip dump cake, these desserts prove you don’t need a lot of ingredients (or effort) to end your night on a super sweet note.
01/20
easy ice cream pie
Get the recipe: Easy Ice Cream Pie
“Choose your favorite flavor combination for ice cream and crust, then dress it up with everything from whipped toppings and fudge sauce to sprinkles, candy, caramel, and fresh fruit.” —Molly Allen, Recipe Developer
02/20
cake mix cookies
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix Cookies
“Cake mixes are a great shortcut to baking cakes, but I recently learned how to use my favorite mix to make moist, soft cookies. All you need is your favorite cake mix, butter, and eggs.” —Meghan Sprown, Recipe Developer
03/20
brownie cookies
Get the Recipe: Brownie Cookies
“You only need three ingredients and 20 minutes to make chewy, decadent chocolate cookies. Thanks to some clever shortcut ingredients, it couldn’t be easier. The trick is to use a boxed brownie mix. Mix in some eggs and melted butter for the perfect cookie dough.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director
04/20
pumpkin express delivery
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Quick Menu
“The 1960s recipe calls for just two ingredients: spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. Just mix them together, scoop out with a cookie scoop, and bake. That’s it. Here’s the recipe. It couldn’t get any easier, so I went for it.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director
05/20
nutella brownie
Get the Recipe: Nutella Brownies
“Use a scale. I can’t stress this enough. If you don’t have a scale yet, this is your chance to get one. A scale is much more accurate and will save you a lot of time and cleanup. Not just for this recipe, but for all bread recipes in general.” —Chris Osborne, Recipe Developer
06/20
easy cinnamon apple cobbler
Get the recipe: Easy Cinnamon Apple Cobbler
“This two-ingredient apple cobbler combines a can of store-bought cinnamon rolls and a can of apple pie filling and bakes them together in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.” —Jessica Furniss, recipe developer
07/20
easy raspberry jam bars
Get the recipe: Easy Raspberry Jam Bars
“Textually, these bars have everything you want in a snack: a layer of chewy, buttery crust, a layer of gooey jam, and a little crunch from the addition of a surprising ingredient: cornflakes. They’re totally irresistible and guaranteed to have everyone asking for the recipe.” —Jamie Anulewich, Recipe Developer
08/20
chocolate chip cookie bark
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bark
“I like a generous sprinkle of flaky salt to balance out the sweetness, but that’s optional, of course. You can also add colorful sprinkles, chopped nuts, or health bar crumbles. Be sure to add toppings while the chocolate is still melting so it all sticks together.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director
09/20
soda spice cake
Get the Recipe: Soda Spice Cake
“In fact, I had my 4-year-old test all the recipes here. He’ll tell you everything there is to know about recipes. It couldn’t be easier.” —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer
10/20
Ice cream sandwich made with 2 ingredients
Get the recipe: 2-ingredient ice cream sandwich
“Premium ice cream is most effective during the shaping stage. Premium ice cream is denser, creamier, and melts slower than lower-quality ice cream, which is lighter and airier (a property known in the ice cream world as ‘overrun’).” ” —Laura Manzano, Recipe Developer
11/20
shortcut brookie bar
Get the recipe: Shortcut Brookie Bar
“These Shortcut Brookie Bars are easy to assemble using store-bought cookie dough and brownie mix. Layering the cookie dough on the bottom helps keep them soft even with longer baking times. The bars stay moist and chewy for days, making them perfect for making ahead.” —Kayla Hoang, Recipe Developer
12/20
Easy blueberry cobbler with 3 ingredients
Get the recipe: 3 Ingredient Shortcut Blueberry Cobbler
“It takes less than 5 minutes to spread pie filling in a baking dish, top with canned biscuits, and sprinkle with sugar. After about 35 minutes in the oven, you’ll have a blueberry cobbler packed with nostalgic flavor that doesn’t even require a mixing bowl. I like to serve it with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream for that classic warm fruit-melting cream combo that everyone loves.” —Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer
13/20
Jam bars made with 2 ingredients
Get the Recipe: Two Ingredient Jam Bars
“One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s a single-use dessert. If you have a half-jar of jam sitting in your fridge, you can use it for this recipe. You can even use more than one to create fun flavor combinations.” —Laurel Randolph, Editorial Assistant Director
14/20
Lemon curd tart made with 3 ingredients
Get the recipe: 3-ingredient lemon curd tart
“If you want to take it up a notch, top it with freshly whipped cream for a great bright lemon flavor. It’s also delicious with a generous dusting of powdered sugar or Swiss meringue.” —Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer
15/20
chocolate chip dump cake
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Dump Cake
“The best part is how forgiving this cake is. You don’t need a mixer, you don’t have to follow any complicated steps, and it’s very hard to mess up. Just open the store-bought product, layer, bake, and serve.” —Morgan Baker, Recipe Developer
16/20
ritz toffee bar
Get the recipe: Ritz Fever
“The ingredients are crushed Ritz, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and toffee bits. That’s it! I couldn’t imagine the taste when I looked at the recipe, so I made it. My family ate it all, so I made it again.” —Sarah Bill, former senior editor
17/20
No-bake lemon oreo truffles
Get the Recipe: No-Bake Lemon Oreo Truffles
“The main reason I love these simple truffles is because they’re so delicious. The lemon Oreos create a sweet and tangy flavor that pairs well with the tart, rich cream cheese. And the white chocolate candy coating gives each bite the perfect snap.” —Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer
18/20
Strawberry cake mix cookies made with 3 ingredients
Get the recipe: 3 Ingredient Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
“With only three main ingredients and no measuring of dry ingredients, these cookies are quick and easy to prepare. To transform into cookies, simply combine cake mix with melted butter and eggs, scoop the mixture onto a baking sheet, and bake.” —Amanda Luchtel, Recipe Developer
19/20
Peach cobbler made with 3 ingredients
Get the recipe: 3 Ingredient Peach Cobbler
“Recently, a very Southern friend of mine showed me how to make peach cobbler with just three ingredients: butter, canned peaches, and a box of cake mix. And, wouldn’t you know it? My whole family loved it, including me.” —Meghan Sprown, Recipe Developer
20/20
angel bar
Get the Recipe: Angel Bars
“These sweet and tangy bars are made with just two ingredients: combine a box of Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake Mix with a can of Lemon Pie Filling and bake for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for 1 hour to chill.” —Jessica Furniss, Recipe Developer
