17 Easy Shortcut Desserts Made with 5 Ingredients or Less

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Ready for some indulgence but short on time or ingredients? Let’s get creative! These 17 shortcut recipes are big on flavor, small on effort, and perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth in a snap.

Slice of lemonade pie on a plate with lemonade in the background.
Lemonade Pie. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Blueberry Pie Bombs

Blueberry pie bomb cut in half to show the filling.
Blueberry Pie Bomb. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Sweet, tart, and irresistibly delicious, these pie bombs are a must-try! Using canned biscuit dough, canned blueberry pie filling, they’re an easy and fun way to enjoy pie anytime.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Pie Bombs

Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls

Cresdent rolls with cinnamon sugar and icing on a plate.
Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Get the comforting taste of homemade cinnamon rolls without the hard work! Using crescent roll dough, these rolls bake up to be fluffy, sweet, and glazed to perfection. It’s a quick and delicious breakfast treat or dessert that tastes like it took all day to make!
Get the Recipe: Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls

M&M Chocolate Dump Cake

Chocolate dump cake topped with colorful M&Ms.
M&M Chocolate Dump Cake. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This cake is a chocolate lover’s paradise! It uses a mere handful of ingredients including a chocolate cake mix and M&M’s, making it ridiculously simple to prepare. It’s proof that amazing desserts don’t need to be complex.
Get the Recipe: M&M Chocolate Dump Cake

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Crescent Rolls

peanut butter chocolate rolls cut open to show the filling.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Crescent Rolls. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This recipe combines three of the world’s best ingredients: peanut butter, chocolate, and crescent roll dough! It’s a simple treat that bakes up to gooey perfection. Perfect for when you need a quick, chocolatey, peanut buttery fix.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Crescent Rolls

Air Fried Oreos

Biscuit stuffed with an oreo broken in half to show insides.
Air Fried Oreos. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

No need for a state fair when you can make these crispy, chocolatey treats right at home! Just three ingredients and an air fryer are all you need. They’re a super simple, super satisfying way to make any day special.
Get the Recipe: Air Fried Oreos

Cool Whip Cookies

Cool whip cookies on parchment with powdered sugar.
Cool Whip Cookies. Photo Credit: Upstate Ramblings.

If you need a quick dessert that still delivers on taste, these lemony cookies are it! With a base of Cool Whip and cake mix, they’re incredibly easy to make. Plus, they’re melt-in-your-mouth soft.
Get the Recipe: Cool Whip Cookies

Frozen Lemonade Pie

Slice of lemonade pie with a pitcher of lemonade in the background.
Lemonade Pie. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

When life gives you lemons, make this easy peasy Frozen Lemonade Pie! It’s refreshingly tangy, sweet, and perfect for a hot day. Just a handful of ingredients and no baking make this a summertime must.
Get the Recipe: Frozen Lemonade Pie

No Bake Icebox Cake

Icebox cake with raspberries, blueberries and strawberries on a pink plate.
Icebox Cake. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Keep cool in the kitchen with this no-bake cake! Using layers of whipped cream, graham crackers, and your favorite fruit or chocolate, it’s a cinch to assemble. It’s a great last-minute dessert that’s light, creamy, and indulgent.
Get the Recipe: No Bake Icebox Cake

S’mores Crescent Rolls

S'mores Crescent Rolls on a plate drizzled with chocolate.
S’mores Crescent Rolls. Photo Credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Enjoy the flavors of a classic campfire s’more without the camping! With crescent rolls, chocolate, and marshmallows, this recipe brings together gooey, sweet, and slightly toasty flavors in a flash. It’s a fast-track to dessert bliss!
Get the Recipe: S’mores Crescent Rolls

Chocolate Almond Fudge

Plate of chocolate almond fudge stacked with chocolate chips and almonds scattered around.
Chocolate Almond Fudge. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

With this recipe, you’re just five ingredients away from a batch of rich, chocolatey fudge! It’s an easy way to bring home the taste of homemade fudge without any fuss.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Almond Fudge

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Slice of chocolate cherry cake topped with cherry pie filling.
Chocolate Cherry Cake. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Just five ingredients stand between you and this heavenly Chocolate Cherry Cake. Cake mix, cherry pie filling, and a few other simple ingredients create a decadent, moist, and flavorful dessert. It’s an uncomplicated recipe with spectacular results!
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Cake

Cake Mix Donuts

Chocolate cake mix donuts with colorful sprinkles on a baking rack.
Cake Mix Donuts. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

These donuts are a sweet dream come true! With just a simple cake mix and a few extras, you’ll have fluffy, soft donuts. Perfect for quick dessert fixes, they save time without skimping on flavor!
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix Donuts

Puff Pastry Cookies

Puff Pastry Cookies. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

These cookies make baking a breeze! Using puff pastry, sugar, and your choice of flavorings, you can create light, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. They’re a quick and easy way to add some elegance to your dessert lineup.
Get the Recipe: Puff Pastry Cookies

Nutella Mug Cake

Nutella mug cake topped with raspberries and whipped cream.
Nutella Mug Cake. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Craving cake but don’t want to bake a whole one? This quick and easy Nutella Mug Cake is your solution. With just a few pantry staples, you’ll be enjoying a warm, gooey cake in less than 5 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Nutella Mug Cake

Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese

Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese stacked up on a cutting board.
Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese. Photo Credit: Upstate Ramblings.

These cookies are a game-changer! Starting with a basic cake mix and jazzed up with cream cheese, you end up with thick, chewy, and indulgently soft cookies. They’re a testament to the magic of shortcut baking!
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese

Nutella Crescent Rolls

Three nutella crescent rolls on a plate drizzled with chocolate.
Nutella Crescent Rolls. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

These rolls are flaky, gooey, and absolutely decadent. Using premade crescent roll dough and a filling of creamy Nutella, you can create a dessert that seems like you spent hours in the kitchen. Effortless and delicious—what’s not to love?
Get the Recipe: Nutella Crescent Rolls

Apple Pie Bites

Apple pie bites cut open to show the apple filling inside.
Apple Pie Bites. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Imagine the coziness of homemade apple pie, but faster and easier! These bites use simple ingredients like crescent roll dough and canned apple pie filling to make a delightfully simple dessert. They’re perfect for quick cravings!
Get the Recipe: Apple Pie Bites

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