Whether you’re new to baking, short on time, or just looking for something quick, these easy dessert recipes are ready in under an hour and make baking feel simple and stress-free.
If you’re new to baking (or simply short on time!), figuring out what to bake can be overwhelming. This collection of easy dessert recipes is full of homemade treats ready in under an hourwithout complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
Whether you need a last-minute dessert for a party or just want something sweet tonight, these recipes don’t require hours in the kitchen. And because my team and I have triple-tested these recipes (and sometimes more!), you can bake them with confidence.
From 30-minute sugar cookies and reader-favorite chewy brownies to fruit desserts, quick breads, cakes, and more, these recipes make it easy to find something you’ll want to bake. Browse the categories below and pick something you’re in the mood for!
6 Easy Desserts to Try First
Not sure where to start? Here are six easy recipes I recommend trying first. They’re simple and great for when you need something quick.
My BEST Ever Chewy Brownies are just as chewy as boxed brownies but with better chocolate flavor. One bowl recipe, ready in less than 1 hour. I've made this recipe over 200 times (no joke!).
Possibly the HAPPIEST recipe ever, these easy 1-hour Funfetti Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are fluffy, moist, and nostalgic — perfect for any birthday, potluck, or celebration.
Takes just 15 minutes and is SO much better than store-bought. Drizzle it over ice cream, brownies, cheesecake, and more, or use it as a dip for fresh fruit!
EASY Chocolate Sheet Cake with simple fudge frosting takes just minutes to prepare and doesn’t even require an electric mixer. Such a crowd pleaser perfect for any party or BBQ!
Finally, the perfect Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, with a thick chewy texture, soft center, and golden brown edges. This kitchen-tested, easy recipe can be made in 30 minutes. Now with gluten-free and egg-free options!
Peanut Butter Cookies are thick, soft, and slightly chewy with TONS of peanutty flavor! Quick and easy to make, no chilling required. Your new go-to Peanut Butter Cookie recipe!
30-minute Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies are an all-time family favorite! Just like your favorite bakery cookies, with tons of flavor – and a crave worthy texture you'll dream about for days. Foolproof recipe!
Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies are thick, chewy, soft peanut butter cookies stuffed with gooey, decadent Nutella. This quick and easy recipe doesn’t even need a mixer, so it’s perfect for the holidays!
Glazed Lemon Cookies are buttery, citrusy, soft lemon cookies topped with a sweet lemon glaze. These are the best lemon cookies that come together quickly, contain simple ingredients, and don’t require chilling.
My Monster Cookie recipe has been tested to thick & chewy perfection with peanut butter, chocolate, and M&Ms. Ultra quick recipe, your family will go crazy for these!
This Snickerdoodle recipe produces thick, soft, chewy cookies with perfectly crisp edges and the most wonderful classic cinnamon sugar flavor. 30-minute recipe, no chilling required!
Chocolate Coconut Cookies are rich and fudgy cocoa cookies, packed with chewy flaked coconut, and studded with semisweet and white chocolate chips. These delicious cookies don’t require a mixer and are ready in just 30 minutes!
The Best Easy Brownie recipe uses just 1 bowl, no mixer, and takes less than an hour to make! These from-scratch brownies are tall, fudgy, and chewy with that thin shiny crust on top and tons of chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars are perfectly soft and chewy, with a thick layer of homemade chocolate fudge frosting, all topped with rainbow sprinkles. These bars come together in no time for a super quick and easy crowd-pleasing treat.
Ultra flavorful Gooey Chocolate Chunk Blondies are ridiculously chewy, gooey, and absolutely loaded with chunks of chocolate. 35 minutes, no mixer required.
Monster Cookie Bars are gooey, chewy, and ultra-thick, packed with peanut butter flavor, and loaded with chocolate chips and M&Ms. These cookie bars are easy to make, ready in under 45 minutes!
Chocolate Coconut Blondies are crazy thick, chewy, and loaded with gooey chocolate chunks and aromatic coconut. This easy recipe is ready in under an hour!
Brown Butter Triple Chocolate Blondies are insanely flavorful, with caramel-y browned butter notes, three kinds of chocolate, and a perfectly chewy texture. Ready in under 1 hour!
Toffee Brownies are chewy, rich, packed full of chocolate flavor, and studded throughout with toffee pieces. The perfect combination of decadent chocolate and crunchy, nutty toffee! Easy recipe, no mixer required.
This easy Apple Crisp Recipe has a spiced brown sugar apple filling with an oaty cinnamon streusel topping. Serve with fresh vanilla ice cream on top for the best Summer, Fall, or Thanksgiving dessert!
My from-scratch Cranberry Orange Scones recipe yields light, flaky, buttery scones bursting with flavor in under an hour! Perfect for holiday brunches and cozy weekend mornings.
Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies feature adorable sugar cookies filled with luscious raspberry ganache, with a white chocolate drizzle and a sprinkling of freeze-dried raspberries. These cookie sandwiches are sweet, tangy, and so pretty – perfect for Valentine’s Day, baby showers, or just a sweet treat for the family.
Easy 40-minute homemade Blueberry Scones recipe! Extremely tender, moist, flaky, light, and full of fresh summer flavors. Topped with an easy vibrant naturally-colored lemon blueberry glaze. Don't skip this one!
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake features moist, soft coffee cake studded with chocolate chips, layered with a heavenly brown sugar streusel. This coffee cake comes together in no time as the perfect easy treat for breakfast, dessert, or any time of day, no mixer required!
Possibly the HAPPIEST recipe ever, these easy 1-hour Funfetti Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are fluffy, moist, and nostalgic — perfect for any birthday, potluck, or celebration.
Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake features an ultra-tender, slightly spongy cinnamon apple cake with a thick and shiny salted caramel glaze. Easy sheet cake recipe, no mixer required!
Ultra rich, moist, and fudgy Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake is the perfect summer treat for any chocoholic and can be made in less than 1 hour! No mixer required. Tons of chocolate flavor!
These Red Velvet Cupcakes are soft, moist, and pretty simple to make from scratch. With a subtle chocolate flavor, a tender crumb, and just the right amount of tang, this recipe is unbeatable!
Chocolate Lava Cakes are made with just a handful of ingredients and have rich, molten chocolate centers. Perfect for dinner parties, Valentine's Day dessert, or any special occasion, these decadent desserts are easy to make and can even be made ahead of time.
What is the easiest dessert to make for beginners?
If you’re brand new to baking, start with something that doesn’t require specialty ingredients or complicated techniques. Simple drop-style cookies (ones you can shape with a cookie scoop), brownies, quick breads, and muffins are all great places to start. Look for recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, too. They’ll make the whole process feel much less intimidating!
What are some easy desserts to make when you’re short on time?
Look for recipes with a short prep time and little to no inactive time, like mandatory chilling of the dough or batter. Recipes like my Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sugar Cookie Bars, and Chewy Brownies are great options because they come together quickly and are easy to transport. You can also prep cookie dough ahead of time and keep it in the freezer so you can bake it at a moment’s notice (learn how to bake from frozen here!). Or if you’re really pressed for time, try something like my 15-minute Caramel Sauce to drizzle over sliced apples or store-bought brownies (I won’t tell!).
What desserts can I make with basic ingredients?
Many dessert recipes are made with simple pantry staples like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and chocolate. Muffins, sugar cookies, brownies, and simple cakes are all good places to start if you don’t want to make a special trip to the store.
What are some tips for beginner bakers?
1. Start by reading the recipe all the way through before you begin, and make sure you have all your ingredients and equipment ready.
2. Use a digital kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, especially flour. Too much flour can make your baked goods dry, dense, or crumbly. If you don’t have a digital scale, use the spoon-and-level method.
3. Pay attention to the recipe’s instructions for butter temperature. For most cookies, butter should be soft but still cool, around 67°F. If it gets too warm and greasy, your cookies can spread too much and turn out flat. Want to see what I mean? I explain it more in this video.
4. Follow the recipe as written the first time, and pay attention to the visual cues (what the batter or dough should look like) at each step.
5. Don’t worry if your bake isn’t perfect. It’ll still taste delicious! The more you bake, the more you’ll learn and the more confident you’ll become.
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