If life is as busy for you as it is for me, then these recipes should come in handy.
Minimal prep times and brief baking times, and desserts that are satisfying, taste wonderful, and everyone will think you slaved over them.
Sometimes the quick and easy recipes trump the far more time-consuming and complicated ones, and that’s what these recipe are about.
None of the following recipes use a mixer – everything is mixed by hand, usually in own bowl. And everything is ready in a half hour or less:
1. Nutella Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Glaze – They give traditional cinnamon rolls a serious run for their money and ready in under a half hour
2. Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies – Salty and sweet, crunch and gooey, soft and chewy
3. Coconut Peanut Butter Magic Cake Bars – Like Magic Bars or Seven Layer Bars with a cake base rather than graham cracker base
4. Cinnamon Sugar Chocolate Pretzels (no-bake, vegan, GF) – Ready in 5 minutes and so much better than you can imagine based on the simple recipe. My husband begs for these
5. Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache – The best chocolate cake and the easiest. Never use a boxed mix again with this one-bowl, whisk-together cake that’s ready in under a half hour
6. Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
7. Seven Minute Microwave Caramels (no-bake, gluten-free) – They sound too good to be true but it really works. Caramels in the microwave and no candy thermometer required
8. Coconut White Chocolate Chip Blondies – Dense, rich, and almost fudge-like
9. Snickerdoodle Cookie Granola Bars (no-bake, vegan, GF) – A healthy granola bar that tastes like cookies
10. White and Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake Bars – All the decadence of cheesecake, minus the work
11. Ritz Cracker Stuffed Peanut Butter Cups (No Bake, Vegan)
12. Browned Butter Rice Krispies Treats (no-bake with vegan and GF options) – The best RKTreats I’ve ever had and I’m a connoisseur. These are my favorites
13. 10-Minute Homemade Hot Fudge (GF) – Dense, rich, thick, decadent and easy. No need to ever buy it again
14. Nutella Brownie Truffle Bites (no-bake with vegan and GF options)
15. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (no-bake, vegan, GF) – My favorite granola bar for producing Quaker Chewy-style bars. Customizable, fast, easy and very popular with readers
16. Marshmallow Caramel Oreo Cookie S’Mores Bars
17. Cinnamon Oatmeal Date Bars with Chocolate Chunks (no-bake, vegan, gluten-free) – Bars that taste like a bowl of cinnamon raisin oatmeal, topped with chocolate
18. The Ultimate Fudgy Caramel Brownies – My favorite brownie recipe, to date. Dense, rich, fudgy and easy. Never used a box mix again with these whisk-together brownies
19. Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (no-bake, vegan, GF) – One of the most popular recipes on my site since 2009. Healthy cookie dough that tastes like the real thing
20. Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars – A new favorite bar that’s dense, rich, smooth, soft, chewy, supremely moist and loaded with peanut butter cups
Do you have a favorite fast and easy dessert?
Please leave links to your favorite recipes. I love hearing about quick and easy recipes that are longtime favorites of yours.
Thanks for the Odwalla Juices Giveaway entries
These recipes are absolutely INSANE! I was just messing around on pinterest and saw THIS. OH MY GAWD! I have to wipe up all the shoelace drool off of the keyboard now thanks to you. I am definitely going to make these and share with my family and be the envy of every party and family gathering forever!,(insert maniacal laugh here…)BWAAAAAHAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAHAAAAAA!!!!!!!
-Thank You Vey Much for making my Day! :)
Chris thanks for finding me and funny you should write because tomorrow I have a 20 Cinco de Mayo/Easy Summmertime Entertaining Recipes Roundup going out. I hadn’t done one since this post and tomorrow I have one. Glad you enjoy the recipes & if you make anything, Please LMK!
Hi
This is fantastic–I am tempted to try out all—in your Nutella truffle recipe there is mention of flour but does it not need to be baked or something???if you just chill it woudn’t it taste kind of raw???
No it doesn’t taste off in any way. I assure you, they’re pure fudgy goodness as the recipe is written!
I don’t think I could possibly pick just one of these to make :) they all look so delectable!
Oh Wow! These look so yummy ! I have my daughter’s class coming over for her birthday this weekend. I’ll try my best to make some of these (fingers crossed!) Thanks for sharing !!
If you try anything, please LMK how it goes!
Those brown butter krispie treats stopped me in my tracks!! YUM!
Oh my, oh my! All of these look so amazing! I’m bookmarking this page and coming back again for inspiration. Wishing these were sitting in front of me right now!
Thanks, Sylvia!
I just had a mango for dessert and suddenly that is not cutting it anymore. Whenever you post a picture of those caramel brownies, I swoon a little!
I had a couple fresh mangoes on hand and while I do love mango, caramel brownies are their own league!
You seriously amaze me. I want to live next to you and come over everyday.
A sweet treat that goes from mixing bowl to mouth – in a short amount of time – is always a welcome recipe. (Especially on a lazy Monday!) The cinnamon bun doughnuts are making me week in the knees! :D
Sometimes (most times) the quicker recipes are the ones that everyone wants anyway!
Loooove this round up! Perfect for when a craving hits and I just wanna throw something together!
Gosh knows I need quick and easy anything these days – desserts especially. And Averie, you my friend, are the convenience queen! Such a clever round up idea. I am dying to try one of those yummy Nutella cinnamon rolls! Oh and the ritz cracker stuffed pb cups. :) And everything else!
And Averie, you my friend, are the convenience queen! <-- necessity is the mother of invention :)
I want the chocolate cake with ganache. Every day. Oh my.
I could go for some of those Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls right about now…it’s never too late to make a quick easy dessert right?!
Who doesn’t have 30 minutes to make one or two of your desserts? Dam I want to make them all! Averie, you need to have a party, make all of these along with your bread recipes and I am so flying or driving to S. CA! Everything looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!
You’re so sweet, Jen! I wish I could share it with you. I’ve had to start donating stuff to people b/c I have soooo much. We just can’t get through it all! If we want to fit thru the door :)
I’m taking you at your word…I’m setting aside 600 minutes because I need to make every one of these…:)
LOL. I’m glad you’re good at math. That makes one of us.
I love this! I love things that you can put together quickly that taste amazing, and I’m sure all of these fit the bill! They all look great!
Ok…you know what really got me? “all in one bowl”
The less dishes to wash, the more I love a recipe!!
Me too b/c I handwash all my baking equipment b/c the dishwasher beats it up so I am the same way!
Hey girl! Love this great recap post. I mean who doesn’t like a quick and easy dessert? When I first saw this post, I thought maybe you had launched another book. I was like, you go girl! Those ritz peanut butter cups are totally on my to-make list.
My favorite quick and easy dessert is to make s’mores in under the broiler. My favorite quick and easy desserts are my no campfire s’mores http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2012/07/no-campfire-smores/ and homemade dark chocolate magic shell http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2012/08/homemade-dark-chocolate-magic-shell-cooking-with-kids/. I always have the ingredients for both recipes on hand at all times because my kids love dessert every night. Have a great night girl! xoxo, Jackie
Dessert every night is mandatory here :) And love those links – thanks for the reminders!
This is a dangerous list… :)
Boy oh boy do I ever need this! Wow, this is a perfect guide for my crazy schedule!!
Great round-up, Averie! I love anything that comes together fast.
Honestly, all my recipes for cookies are done in less than 20 minutes. I have no patience, so I can’t be bothered if they take any longer than that. But, if I had to pick a favorite, I’d say that a spoonful of sunflower seed butter, homemade and straight from the jar, is my favorite “dessert”. Yeah, it is dessert. To me, anyway.
What a great round-up of quick and easy desserts, Averie. So many of these are calling to me! But especially that chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. I’ve been meaning to try that for a while now!
Averie, you have just solved my problem with having all of these delectable treats in one place! Every Sunday my niece and youngest son make a sweet treat together– I teach them techniques on how to make the treat, and then she gets to take it home to share with the fam. So, today we’re going to make your White and Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake Bars! They’re way excited! (=
YAY! That is so sweet of you to bake with them every weekend! LMK how the bars turned out for you!
Well, Averie…let me just say this first– my hubs rarely will eat sweets. And he ate half the pan! They were all gone within 1 hour of cutting them up! The kids gobbled them up! Now, I have to make more this week so “I” can enjoy them all to myself! You’re the best, Averie! Loves!
Oh so glad to hear these were a huge hit with you…and your non-dessert eating hubs and the kids! Thanks for the great feedback and trying them! :)
So many stunners here Averie ~ especially those pretty cinnamon rolls :)
Thanks my friend :)
I’m pretty sure I need one of each, please! :)
Stop torturing me! This makes it all the harder to decide! I think I’m going to make your peanut butter crumble bars tomorrow…but all these look delicious.
Wise choice!!!! LOVE THEM!! Lmk how they go!
Gah! So many awesome recipes here! I really want to try your chocolate cake recipe!
The best, easiest little chocolate cake ever!
Seriously – what a great body of work you have, Averie! I love the layout of all the recipe photos together. I know that for me, at least 75% of what I make has to be easy, quick and simple yet delicious. That chocolate cake and the nutella rolls are calling my name!
Thanks for saying you like the layout! I liked it too. I don’t do too many collages but figured what the heck, I would for this one :)
This round-up makes me want dessert for breakfast–but several of these would be very appropriate for a Sunday am treat! I have made a few (granola bars, PB cups, nutella truffle bites, and caramel brownies). All delicious! It’s always really difficult to choose what to make when I scroll through your recipes–everything always looks so good. I made the sandwich bread and left my comments on that post. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I know you’ve made tons of these and thank you!
Whoa! Love this link up! You have the best dessert recipes! So many amazing ones to choose from, but the peanut butter cup bars with the sweetened condensed milk you made lats week look amazing!
Wow, I’m in awe of this awesome list. Averie! I also want one of everything!
Everything sounds fantastic!! I love the idea that you can prepare a delicious dessert in a reasonable amount of time!
I love having some easy dessert recipes on hand. I love making elaborate desserts like layer cakes sometimes, but others I’m just not in the mood.
Thanks for compiling this list, Averie! It is wonderful having such a wide range of easy and hassle-free desserts all in one place!
What a wonderful round-up of quickie recipes! Love them all – but right at this very moment, those nutella cinnamon rolls are jumping off the screen at me!!! YUM! Have a great Sunday, Averie!
This cinnamon infused chocolate shake I made totally made me think of you, fellow cinnamonster:)
http://scrumptiousgruel.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/how-peculiar/
cinnamonster = so true. Love.it. :)
Such a great round up! You have me oohin and ahhin wanting to get out of bed and make a few of these recipes right now!! Especially that hot fudge sauce, it keeps looking at me! LOL
Trust me, it’s happened to me before. I’ll see something in a mag or on a blog, and I HAVE TO make it…no matter the hour!