These easy desserts don’t require a long ingredients list, which is one of the reasons we can’t stop making ‘em.
4-Ingredient Desserts We Could Make Every Week
Updated on Mar. 06, 2024
Aunt Rose’s Fantastic Butter Toffee
I don’t live in the country, but I love everything about it—especially good old-fashioned home cooking! Every year, you’ll find me at our county fair, entering a different contest. This easy toffee recipe is a family favorite. —Kathy Dorman, Snover, Michigan
1/29
2/29
Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
15 sandwich cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
You’ll love to give tins of these chocolate-coated cookies to your lucky friends. The shortcut holiday recipe is almost too simple to believe! Here's how to make peanut butter cookies without eggs. —Jackie Howell, Gordo, Alabama
3/29
Confetti Cake Batter Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Mom and I took up cake decorating. Funfetti was our favorite cake, so we used the mix to make cutout cookies. Plain or decorated, they’re a fave at parties. —Danielle DeMarco, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
4/29
Cheesecake Berry Parfaits
Total Time
15 min
Servings
2 parfaits
From the Recipe Creator:
The summer berry season is a real treat. This is an easy way to enjoy berries with cheesecake, which is a refreshing change from traditional pudding and fruit parfaits. —Patricia Schroedl, Jefferson, Wisconsin
5/29
White Chocolate Cereal Bars
Total Time
15 min
Servings
about 3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
A friend shared with me this fresh take on traditional crispy treats. My husband loves them, and I feel so efficient with their quick prep time. —Anne Powers, Munford, Alabama
6/29
Fudge Pops
Total Time
20 min
Servings
about 1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This chocolate frozen dessert is the perfect summer treat! Invite your kids into the kitchen to help you stir the pudding. —Ruth Ann Stelfox, Raymond, Alberta
7/29
Coconut Macaroons
Total Time
30 min
Servings
32 cookies
From the Recipe Creator:
These chewy cookies are my husband's favorite, so he requests them often. I like to make the macaroons on cold winter days and keep them in an airtight bowl on the kitchen counter. They never last long! —Peggy Key, Grant, Alabama
8/29
Fruit Juice Pops
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I've used this recipe for years as a refreshing treat. My children enjoyed these pops more than any store-bought ones I ever brought home. They taste great with either pineapple or orange juice. Try freezing and serving in cups made from hollowed-out oranges. —Barbara Stewart, Garland, Texas
9/29
Frozen Chocolate Monkey Treats
Total Time
20 min
Servings
1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Everyone needs a fun, friendly way for kids to play with food. These rich bites are nutty and yummy. Just coat bananas in chocolate and dip them into peanuts, sprinkles or coconut. —Susan Hein, Burlington, Wisconsin
10/29
Scottish Shortbread
Total Time
35 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My mother, who is of Scottish heritage, passed this shortbread recipe, along with other favorite recipes, on to me. When I entered this treat at our local fair, it won a red ribbon. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba
11/29
Rocky Road Cookie Cups
Total Time
35 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Traditional rocky road ice cream has nuts, marshmallows and chocolate. Using prepared cookie dough makes it easy to put the flavors together in these fast, kid-friendly rocky road cookis. —Charlotte McDaniel, Jacksonville, AL
12/29
No-Bake Cookie Butter Blossoms
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Chewy and sweet, these easy treats mix Rice Krispies, cookie spread and chocolate kisses in an unforgettable spin on an old favorite. —Jessie Sarrazin, Livingston, Montana
13/29
Easy Strawberry Lemonade Freezer Pie
Total Time
15 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Three simple ingredients mixed together and spread into a graham cracker crust make magic while your freezer does all the work. Prep this pie ahead and freeze it overnight or even longer. Feel free to vary the fruit if you'd like! —Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas
14/29
Marbled Meringue Hearts
Total Time
45 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Pretty pastel cookies are a fun way to brighten any special occasion. Replace the vanilla with a different extract for a change of flavor. —Laurie Herr, Westford, Vermont
15/29
Homemade Butterfinger Bites
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Bent on using up a stash of leftover candy corn, I decided to experiment. Turns out, if you melt it, mix it with peanut butter and coat the balls with chocolate, you get a softer, denser version of a Butterfinger bite. Who knew? They’re delicious! —Melissa Hansen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
16/29
Elegant White Chocolate Mousse
Total Time
20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Simply elegant is a fitting description for this smooth treat. Whipped cream teams up with white chocolate to make this easy white chocolate mousse recipe extra special. —Laurinda Johnston, Belchertown, Massachusetts
17/29
Magic Wands
Total Time
25 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These fun and colorful wands don't need to be made by a magician to be magical. You can change the colors to fit any party theme. —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota
18/29
Strawberry Banana Popsicles
Total Time
10 min
Servings
12 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
These four-ingredient freezer pops are a delicious way to use up a pint of fresh strawberries. You'll love the hint of tropical flavor, thanks to the coconut milk. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
19/29
S’mores Bars
Total Time
15 min
Servings
1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
One night my husband had some friends over to play poker and he requested these s'mores bars. They polished off the pan and asked for more! I shared the recipe, and now their families make them, too. —Rebecca Shipp, Beebe, Arkansas
20/29
Strawberry-Citrus Freezer Pops
Total Time
20 min
Servings
10 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
I knew that clementines and strawberries would create a luscious combination in a fruit pop, and I have to say these are delicious! —Colleen Ludovice, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
21/29
Quick & Easy Gumdrops
Total Time
25 min
Servings
64 pieces (1 pound)
From the Recipe Creator:
These homemade candies are softer than store-bought. They've got that classic, fun appeal that people really love. —Leah Rekau, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
22/29
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy
Total Time
10 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 pounds
From the Recipe Creator:
With only three ingredients, these chocolate-swirl treats take just moments to whip up! If you have little ones visiting for the holidays, have them help you with the stirring. —Holly Demers, Abbotsford, British Columbia
23/29
Berries in Yogurt Cream
Total Time
5 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Yogurt, cream, brown sugar and fresh fruit are all you need to wake up your taste buds on mornings you'd rather sleep in. Save time by having guests assemble their own parfaits. —Michelle Stillman, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
24/29
Watermelon Sorbet
Total Time
35 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
No ice cream maker is needed to make this easy, 3-ingredient watermelon sorbet recipe. We couldn't keep enough watermelon in the house to keep up with the demand! —Kory Figura, Waverly, Iowa
25/29
Gooey Chocolate-Peanut Bars
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These are so easy to make and take no time at all. They’re great to package up for those college kids looking for something from home. Everyone will want this recipe. —Elaine Grimme, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
26/29
Fluffy Key Lime Pie
Total Time
20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
For a taste of paradise, try this no-bake Key lime pie recipe. It's low in fat, sugar and fuss. It truly is the best Key lime pie recipe ever! —Frances VanFossan, Warren, Michigan
27/29
Mocha Truffles
Total Time
25 min
Servings
5-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Nothing compares to the melt-in-your-mouth flavor of these truffles...or to the simplicity of the recipe. Whenever I make them for my family or friends, they're quickly devoured. No one has to know how easy they are to prepare! —Stacy Abell, Olathe, Kansas
28/29
Chocolate Peanut Drops
Total Time
1 hour 50 min
Servings
about 11 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This is a recipe that I got from a friend, who got it from her sister, and between the three of us we've handed it out everywhere! The chocolaty candies couldn't be easier to make in the slow cooker and, depending on the size of your spoon, you can get dozens of candies from one batch. So easy and great for gifts.—Anita Bell, Hermitage, Tennessee
29/29
Coffee Bean Bark
Total Time
20 min
Servings
about 1-1/2 pounds
From the Recipe Creator:
Chopped coffee beans add a yummy crunch to this pretty two-toned bark. Coffee lovers won’t be able to resist pieces of the chocolaty candy treat. —Anne Addesso, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
