41 Easy Dessert Recipes You Can Make in One Bowl

Martina McBride Chocolate Cake
Photo: OXMOOR HOUSE

Baking can be complicated. Whether you're trying to get those cake layers perfectly flat, figure out the science behind baking soda versus baking powder, or guess how high to fill that Bundt pan so it doesn't overflow, preparing dessert can get confusing. Luckily, you now have some of the easiest dessert recipes up your sleeve.

From no-bake cookies to summer cobblers and decadent pound cakes, these easy recipes are totally doable for chefs of any level. There's our Our Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever, which lives up to its name. There are our 4-ingredient Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies and our Easy Skillet Apple Pie. And you better believe that we have a few tricks up our sleeve (Two-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake? Yes, please). If you need a recipe in a hurry, these favorites won't let you down. Quick cleanup, foolproof methods, and simple ingredient lists—these recipes are the answer to all your baking woes.

01 of 41

Two-Step Pound Cake

Million Dollar Pound Cake
Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Two-Step Pound Cake

This pound cake really is as easy as mixing the ingredients together and baking them.

02 of 41

Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler
Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Vanessa Rocchio; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

Recipe: Peach Cobbler

With this easy recipe, the slow cooker has dessert handled.

03 of 41

Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies

Rich dark chocolate mixed with bourbon and espresso make this recipe our favorite grown-up brownie ever.

04 of 41

Rum Balls

Rum Balls Recipe
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Rum Balls

Originally published in 1993, we haven't spent a holiday season without making these since.

05 of 41

Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding Trifle

Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding Trifle
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding Trifle

This easy trifle is delicious with a hint of peanut putter from the cookies.

06 of 41

Two-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake

a corner slice of Two-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake on a white plate with a fork
Jessica Furniss/Southern Living

Recipe: Two-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Not only is this cake made in just one bowl, it requires just two ingredients: angel food cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple. It really couldn't be easier. For extra flavor and presentation points, frost it with whipped topping and decorate with fruit or sprinkles.

07 of 41

Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars

Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars

You don't even have to turn the oven on to whip up this delicious treat with just one bowl!

08 of 41

Blueberry-Cheesecake Ice-Cream Pie

Blueberry-Cheesecake Ice-Cream Pie
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Blueberry-Cheesecake Ice-Cream Pie

This cool treat is perfect for a hot summer afternoon.

09 of 41

Spiced Pecan Pie Bars

Spiced Pecan Pie Bars
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Spiced Pecan Pie Bars

Ground cinnamon and ginger give classic pecan pie a welcome twist—in big-batch bar form!

10 of 41

No-Bake Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies

No-Bake Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies
Romulo Yanes

Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies

Waste no time preheating the oven with this festive treat.

11 of 41

Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts

Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts
Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts

These mini delights are great for cocktail parties or luncheons with serve-yourself dessert tables, and they're so easy to make.

12 of 41

Easy Blackberry Cobbler

Easy Blackberry Cobbler
John O'Hagan

Recipe: Easy Blackberry Cobbler

When we say easy, we mean easy! Make use of fresh blackberries this summer with this quick treat.

13 of 41

Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie

Classic Buttermilk Pie
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie

This old-school favorite came around in the era of desperation pies, and we're still making it today.

14 of 41

Coconut Pudding

Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake
Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Coconut Pudding

Top these coconut pudding cups with whatever festive toppings you have on hand for pretty presentation.

15 of 41

Turtle Trifle

Turtle Trifle
John O'Hagan; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey

Recipe: Turtle Trifle

This recipe uses store-bought ingredients like frozen pie and caramel topping to cut down on prep time.

16 of 41

Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls Recipe
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Recipe: Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

During the holidays, these are the best bite-sized treats to give as hostess gifts.

17 of 41

So Good Brownies

So Good Brownies
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: So Good Brownies

If you're in need of a go-to easy brownie recipe, save this one.

18 of 41

Shaker Lemon Pie

Shaker Lemon Pie
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly

Recipe: Shaker Lemon Pie

You can thank the Junior League of Charleston, West Virginia, for this old-school pie that uses every bit of the lemon—peels, too.

19 of 41

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies
Southern Living

Recipe: Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

These peanut butter cookies only require four ingredients and a few minutes to throw together, so you can satisfy your sweet tooth as quickly and easily as possible.

20 of 41

Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

How fun are these mini pecan pie bites for a cocktail party?

21 of 41

Million Dollar Pound Cake

Million Dollar Pound Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Million Dollar Pound Cake

With just seven pantry staple ingredients, you can make one of our all-time favorite pound cake recipes.

22 of 41

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Easy Skillet Apple Pie
Luca Trovato

Recipe: Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Fresh apple pie, made in your cast-iron skillet from start to finish. It just doesn't get better than that!

23 of 41

Best-Ever Brownies

Best-Ever Brownies
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Best-Ever Brownies

These fudgy brownies truly are the best ever, and the recipe makes 2 ½ dozen so everyone can experience them.

24 of 41

Seven-Layer Cookies

Seven-Layer Cookies
Southern Living

Recipe: Seven-Layer Cookies

This sweet recipe was the first-ever bar cookie featured in Southern Living. It's so easy, that you basically just stack the ingredients up and bake it!

25 of 41

Pumpkin Fudge

Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Fudge

Recipe: Pumpkin Fudge

Enjoy fall flavor with an easy as (pumpkin) pie fudge recipe.

26 of 41

Classic Chess Pie

Classic Chess Pie
Jessica Colyer

Recipe: Classic Chess Pie

A Southern staple, chess pie is simple and sweet, which is all we need in a dessert.

27 of 41

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan Pie Squares
Lee Harrelson

Recipe: Pecan Pie Bars

If you love pecan pie but need a recipe that feeds a crowd, here you go!

28 of 41

Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies

Wreath Cookie
Southern Living

Recipe: Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies

During the holiday season, these cute cookies are so much fun to make with the kids to give to classmates.

29 of 41

Freezer Peach Pie

Freezer Peach Pie
Photo: Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Freezer Peach Pie

You can keep this fresh peach pie filling in your freezer for up to six months for when you need a last-minute dessert or have a serious craving.

30 of 41

Our Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever

Our Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever
Photo: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Our Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever

We named this recipe "easiest ever," and it holds up to it—trust us.

31 of 41

Toasted Oatmeal Cookies

Toasted Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Toasted Oatmeal Cookies

Toasted oats elevated your usual oatmeal cookie in this favorite recipe from our November 1992 issue.

32 of 41

Pecan-Peach Cobbler

Pecan-Peach Cobbler
Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Pecan-Peach Cobbler

Although we prefer this recipe with fresh summer peaches, you can make it with frozen if you have a major craving in the off-season.

33 of 41

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

You can enjoy this beautiful pound cake with your morning coffee or as a pretty luncheon dessert.

34 of 41

Chocolate Parfaits

Chocolate Parfaits
Southern Living

Recipe: Chocolate Parfaits

The kids will love this quick dessert.

35 of 41

Fudge Pie

Fudge Pie
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Fudge Pie

Every chocolate lover has to have a good fudge pie recipe in their collection.

36 of 41

Mini Pecan Pies

Mini Pecan Pies
Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski

Recipe: Mini Pecan Pies

Instead of standing at the dessert table to slice, make these mini pecan pies for easy serving.

37 of 41

Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

You can have decadent pecan pie right from your cast-iron skillet.

38 of 41

Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge

Mamie Eisenhower’s Chocolate Fudge
Southern Living

Recipe: Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge

This first-lady-approved dessert has had our hearts for years.

39 of 41

Quick & Tasty Banana Pudding

Quick & Tasty Banana Pudding
Van Chaplin, Charles Walton IV

Recipe: Quick & Tasty Banana Pudding

Seriously quick, seriously tasty! This banana pudding recipe isn't from scratch, but it's perfect if you're short on time.

40 of 41

Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie

Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie

How could pecan pie get any better? Add chocolate and bourbon and then see.

41 of 41

Mocha Pudding Cake

Mocha Pudding Cake

Recipe: Mocha Pudding Cake

For this pudding cake, simply put all the ingredients in your slow cooker and let it do the baking. We recommend serving it warm with a cold scoop of ice cream.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles