
On Wednesday I shared 14 pantry friendly dinner recipes but as a woman with a chronic sweet tooth, had to follow up with a desserts edition.
Nothing can curb the crushing anxiety of the apocalypse like brownies, right? When I come out of social isolation 500 pounds heavier you’ll know why.
Anyways, let me first say that there is nothing wrong with a good old box mix, but every once in a while it’s fun to switch things up and try a new recipe.
The problem I always run into with new dessert recipes is finding ones that are a step above box mixes but that don’t require fancy, obscure ingredients.
So here are some of my favorite sweet treats that will challenge you more than a box mix but that won’t require a trip to the south of France to harvest your own ingredients.
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Snickerdoodles
I grew up eating snickerdoodles (cookies) so they are both a sweet treat and nostalgic comfort for me. If you’ve never tried them, snickerdoodles are basically sugar cookies hulked out with cinnamon sugar. Easy and fun to make.

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Smores Cookie Cups
I found this recipe on Pinterest and immediately gained 10 pounds because I couldn’t stop making (and eating) them. A dangerous recipe to add to your collection but they’re worth every calorie.
Get the recipe here.
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Crescent Roll Pie Bites
I love this recipe because it basically gives you single serve pie bites without any hassle. Grab your favorite pie filling, some crescent rolls, and you’re in business.

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Nutella Strawberry Bites
Similar to the pie bites above, these are super easy to make and require very few ingredients. Nutella is essentially the nectar of the gods, so you know these have to be pure magic, right?
I like to use strawberries but you could also try other fruits like bananas or swapping fresh fruit for your favorite jam. Or go full chocolate and just double up on Nutella. So many mouthwatering options, so little time! (Or in our case, an indeterminant amount of time *nervous sweats*).

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Thumbprint Cookies
I’m 100% here for pretty much anything that involves jam. Another easy recipe with tasty results.
Get the recipe here.
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Cake Balls
I always thought cake balls required special molds and tools (maybe they do and I’m just making them wrong) but with this recipe, all you really need are three ingredients.
They’re bite sized, they’re easy to make, and you can get really creative with your flavor combos. My favorite it classic chocolate cake with vanilla icing but lemon cake is also really good.

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Homemade Brownies
Who doesn’t like brownies? Box mixes are great but nothing beats homemade, from scratch, brownies. And depending on how stocked your pantry is regularly, you might already have all the ingredients you need to whip up a batch.
Get the recipe here.
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White Chocolate Popcorn
Two ingredients and you’re ready to whip up some fancy popcorn. (This recipe also makes for a great homemade gift around the holidays!)

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S’mores Dip
Heaven in a skillet. This is another fun recipe because you can make it in a small, single-serve pan just for yourself or you can make a big skillet full to share. The go to dip scooper is obviously graham crackers but I like using strawberries too (or any traditional fondue vehicle).
*Oven s’mores are also a great single serve option if you don’t have a campfire handy. Build an open-faced s’more (graham on bottom, piece of chocolate, marshmallow on top) and pop in the oven at 350 until your marshmallow is toasted to your desired level of golden brown-ness.

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Macarons
If you’re feeling especially confident, try making macarons. I’d read for years about how hard and finicky macarons are to make but that’s a total lie. They’re definitely a step above cookies or brownies and require steps like sifting, but are so worth it.
You also don’t need fancy tools – use a ziploc bag with a corner cut off instead of a piping bag and use parchment paper instead of those fancy silicone mats.
This is the first recipe I ever tried and have gotten great results every time!
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Happy baking!
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Treva J Maricle says
Clara, you’re precious!!! How about some low-cal recipes?!!
Clara says
Great idea! I’ll have to make that my next recipes list.