Need an easy-to-fix dessert? These five-ingredient brownie and bar recipes are here to the rescue.
5-Ingredient Brownies and Bars You Can Make in a Hurry
Updated on Jan. 10, 2022
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
To make a dairy-free dessert, I created chocolate peanutty bars. My kids and their friends gobble them up. I’ve written about it on my blog, joyfulscribblings.com. —Dawn Pasco, Overland Park, Kansas
1/28
2/28
Fudgy Brownie Recipe
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Coffee granules enhance the chocolate flavor in these amazingly fudgy brownies. Add chocolate chips to the batter and you’ve got some seriously irresistible treats. —Sarah Farmer, Waukesha, Wisconsin
3/28
Magic Brownie Bars
Total Time
50 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When I was a kid, one of my all-time favorite treats was magic cookie bars. This recipe combines all the same classic flavors in a magic brownie bar! —Mandy Rivers, Lexington, South Carolina
4/28
Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These chewy peanut butter chocolate bars are the perfect no-fuss dessert. I’ve discovered the trick is to get them into the refrigerator to set up before they disappear! —Lorri Speer, Centralia, Washington
5/28
Easy Cake Mix Bars
Total Time
25 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I take this dessert to work for Friday pick-me-ups. It’s one of my favorite yellow cake bar recipes. I love to share them because they’re so easy to eat, easy to make and easy on the wallet. —Amy Rose, Ballwin, Missouri
6/28
Easy Mexican Brownies
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I was hosting a fun Mexican-themed cocktail party and needed a quick dessert. Dressing up an ordinary boxed brownie mix made life easy and delicious! —Susan Stetzel, Gainesville, New York
7/28
No-Bake Cereal Bars
Total Time
20 min
Servings
about 10 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
With two kinds of cereal and peanut butter, these bars taste almost like candy. —Pauline Christiansen, Columbus, Kansas
8/28
Chocolate Peanut Treats
Total Time
20 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When I was in high school, I took these sweet and crunchy squares to bake sales— and they were the first to sell out. I still make them for family and friends who love the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter. —Christy Asher, Colorado Springs, Colorado
9/28
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
10/28
Cherry Crumb Dessert
Total Time
45 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This sweet treat is especially when garnished with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. The crumb topping adds a wonderful nutty flavor, and nobody will guess this streusel started with a handy cake mix —Ann Eastman, Greenville, California
11/28
Morning Buzz Rice Krispies Treats
Total Time
20 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These caffeinated cereal bars will help you perk right up! —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
12/28
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
13/28
Strawberry Heart Brownies
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Dress up your favorite brownie recipe for Valentine's Day! Adding heart-shaped strawberries gives them festive flair. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
14/28
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Total Time
10 min
Servings
9 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I have to be super careful when cooking for my daughter because of food sensitivities, so I make these no-bake peanut butter oatmeal bars with certified gluten-free oats. Everyone loves these bars! —Angela Lively, Conroe, Texas
15/28
Chocolate-Raspberry Rice Krispies Treats
Total Time
20 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Move over, chocolate and strawberries! Dried raspberries paired with chocolate may become your new favorite flavor combo. Watch them shine in this Rice Krispies Treat. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
16/28
Toffee Turtle Squares
Total Time
30 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Here’s an easy way to make turtle candy. These bars are very rich, so a little square will do ya. —Glenna Tooman, Boise, Idaho
17/28
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
18/28
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
19/28
Macaroon Bars
Total Time
40 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Guests will never recognize the refrigerated crescent roll dough that goes into these almond-flavored bars. You can assemble the chewy coconut treats in no time. —Carolyn Kyzer, Alexander, Arkansas
20/28
Fruity Cereal Bars
Total Time
20 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
With dried apples and cranberries, these crispy cereal bars are perfect for snacks or brown-bag lunches. —Giovanna Kranenberg, Cambridge, Minnesota
21/28
Frito Candy
Total Time
15 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Yep, they’re made with corn chips, but don’t let that fool you. These salty sweets were a staple after meetings at the quilt guild I once belonged to. —Carol Tramp, Wynot, Nebraska
22/28
Apple Bars
Total Time
1 hour 35 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe is about family, comfort and simplicity. My mom made this delicious sweet treat many a winter night and served it warm with some of her famous homemade ice cream. I like to make a double batch and pass on the love! —Elizabeth Monfort, Celina, Ohio
23/28
Peanut Butter Cereal Treats
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Kids will love these colorful, crunchy bars. They’re a fun twist on the traditional marshmallow crispy treats…and because they’re so easy, older kids could whip up a batch on their own! —Christie Porter, Shipshewana, Indiana
24/28
Microwave Oatmeal Bars
Total Time
20 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My mother shared this speedy recipe with me. There are not a lot of ingredients, and these microwave treats are easy to fix in the microwave. —Annette Self, Junction City, Ohio
25/28
Peanut Butter Popcorn Bars
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
If you're looking for a fun snack for kids, try this chewy peanut butter popcorn recipe that have a mild peanut butter taste. They're easy to mix and can be pressed into a pan to form bars, or shaped into balls. —Kathy Oswald, Wauzeka, Wisconsin
26/28
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Total Time
35 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This dessert is super easy to pull together, and the flavorful results will win you nothing but rave reviews. —Aimee Ransom, Hoschton, Georgia
27/28
Funky Monkey Rice Krispies Treats
Total Time
20 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These peanut butter banana Rice Krispies Treats prove that bananas and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
28/28
Black & White Cereal Treats
Total Time
20 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When my daughter was just 7 years old, she had the brilliant idea of adding Oreo cookies to cereal treats. Now an adult, she still asks for them on occasion; they're that good. —Tammy Phoenix, Ava, Illinois
