50 Homemade Dessert Recipes with 8 or Fewer Ingredients
I love sharing simple recipes with you. That’s what BoB is all about! But this collection of recipes takes simplicity a step further.
Baking recipes tend to have a long list of ingredients. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just that by the time you get the basics – flour, sugar, butter, eggs, etc. – on the list, you’ve already got several ingredients listed before you start with anything else you need for the recipe. These recipes, however, give you fantastic homemade desserts with no more than EIGHT ingredients!
I am a from-scratch baker. It’s what I love to do! So, rest assured that there are no mixes involved here. You will find a few shortcut ingredients like puff pastry, store-bought caramel, and things like that. You’ll also find some cookie crusts made with store-bought cookies and some fun things like rice crispy treats made with cereal.
This is quite a long list, so I’m going to organize it by type of dessert. There’s definitely some overlap here, as I’ve noted on a few of the recipes. I hope you’ll be inspired by these minimalist recipes and make something delicious!
Happy baking!
Dessert Recipes with 8 or Fewer Ingredients
These recipes run the gamut from cheesecakes, cookies, bars, bread puddings, and a whole lot more. I think you’ll be surprised just how many amazing desserts you can make with a short list of ingredients!
Brownie and Bar Recipes with 8 or Fewer Ingredients
Brownies and bars are two of my favorite things to bake, whether they’re tried and true Magic Bars and rice crispy treats, simple cookie bars, a classic brownie, or some other variety. The short ingredients lists of these recipes put them at the top of my favorites list!
- Coconut Pecan Shortbread Squares (pictured above)
- Salted Chocolate Brown Butter Crispy Treats (also no-bake)
- Caramel and Chocolate Pecan Bars
- Salted Nut Squares (also no-bake)
- Dark Cocoa Powder Brownies
- Dulce de Leche Magic Bars
- Cranberry White Chocolate Crispy Treats (also no-bake)
- Double Chocolate Skillet Brownies for Two
- Strawberry Magic Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Treats (also no-bake)
- Favorite Fudgy Brownies
- Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Bars
- Irish Cream Brownie Bites
- Peanut Butter Corn Flake Bars (also no-bake)
- Double Delicious Cookie Bars
Cookie Recipes with 8 or Fewer Ingredients
Most cookie recipes have a long list of ingredients, thanks to add-in flavors like chocolate chips and nuts. These cookies, though, keep things simple while not getting short-changed in the flavor department!
- Hazelnut Macaroons (pictured above)
- Coconut Pecan Macaroons
- Brown Sugar Shortbread
- Hazelnut Crescent Cookies
- Cinnamon Pecan Puffs
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
No-Bake Recipes with 8 or Fewer Ingredients
You’ll quickly be able to appreciate my love of no-bake cheesecakes in this list, but you’ll also find a few other treats that skip the oven time and keep dessert simple.
- No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake (pictured above)
- No-Churn Stracciatella Ice Cream
- No-Bake Pineapple Cheesecakes
- Icebox Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Chip Pecan No-Bake Cookies
- Strawberry No-Bake Cheesecakes
- Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake
- Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars
- No-Churn Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
- No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecakes
Pie Recipes with 8 or Fewer Ingredients
Pies don’t often come to mind when thinking about recipes without a lot of ingredients. These pies are each a bit off the traditional pie path, though, and offer sweet, simple dessert ideas!
- Nutella Pie (pictured above)
- Fudgy Nut Tart
- Berry Fool Tarts
- Salted Caramel Whipped Cream Pie
- Berries and Cream Tartlets
Other Recipes with 8 or Fewer Ingredients
And here we have everything else! If you’re looking for something a little different, try these easy desserts. I have to tell you that a few of these are on my go-to list for quick and easy desserts that always impress. Get ready to add these to your regular baking rotation!
- Pecan Pie Cupcakes (pictured above)
- Butterscotch Pudding
- Chocolate Pots de Creme
- Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding
- Easy Chocolate Torte
- Salted Caramel Panna Cotta
- Italian Jam Crostata
- Double Chocolate Pudding
- Almond Gâteau Breton
- Dark Chocolate Bourbon Bread Puddings
- Peach Crumbles for Two
- Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
- Peanut Butter Pudding
- Apple-Pear Biscoff Crisp
Whew! After all of that deliciousness, I hope you’re excited about how simple dessert can be with these recipes with short lists of ingredients. The toughest part will be deciding which one to try first!
