The short answer: for an easy dessert, start with a recipe that needs no special equipment, like a cobbler, a sheet cake or drop cookies. Best desserts collects easy options.
- Cookies: cookie recipes.
- Pies: how to make pie crust, apple pie and pecan pie.
- Holiday baking: Christmas treats and baking.
Our picks for desserts & baking
Printables
Family Recipe Binder
Section dividers, four recipe page layouts with room for the family story, 4x6 and 3x5 cards and a conversion chart - print it or type into the fillable version.
$6.99Buy
Paperback planners
My Family Recipes (Paperback)
Blank Recipe Book to Write In Your Own Recipes, with Room for 100 Favorites
$10.99Coming soon
Cookies
- Cookie RecipesEasy cookie recipes: 40 homemade cookies grouped by type, a time and temperature baking chart, the basic method, problem fixes and…
- Host a cookie exchangeHow to host a cookie exchange: how many guests and cookies, simple rules, a three-week timeline, host supplies, packaging and alle…
- Chocolate chip cookiesOur best chocolate chip cookie recipe: brown butter optional, exact amounts, chill and bake times, chewy vs crispy fixes, and how …
- Chocolate crinkle cookiesAn easy chocolate crinkle cookies recipe made with cocoa: exact amounts, the chill time that makes the crackle, bake times, fixes,…
- Christmas Cookies81 Christmas cookie recipes priced per dozen (52¢ to $3.19), Christmas sugar cookies, a shopping list, a baking schedule and freez…
- Christmas cookie box ideasChristmas cookie box ideas: a balanced lineup, how many cookies per box, a baking timeline, packing and shipping tips and a cost p…
- Edible cookie doughHow to make edible cookie dough with heat-treated flour and no eggs: a 10-minute chocolate chip batch, what FDA and CDC say on raw…
- Gingerbread cookiesA soft gingerbread cookie recipe for gingerbread men: amounts, chilling and rolling tips, bake times for soft or crisp cookies, ic…
- Molasses cookiesA soft, chewy molasses cookie recipe with exact amounts and spices, how to get crinkly tops, chill and bake times, make-ahead free…
- Oatmeal cookiesHow to make oatmeal cookies that stay chewy: exact amounts, bake times, why cookies turn crispy, 8 variations, and how to store an…
- Peanut butter cookiesA classic peanut butter cookies recipe with the fork criss-cross: exact amounts, bake times, soft vs crisp tips, 3-ingredient vers…
- Pumpkin chocolate chip cookiesSoft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with real pumpkin puree and warm spices: amounts, the blotting trick for chewy cookies, bake t…
- Shortbread cookiesA classic shortbread cookie recipe with butter, sugar and flour: exact amounts, pan or cut-out methods, bake times, flavor swaps, …
- Snickerdoodle recipeA snickerdoodle recipe for soft, chewy cookies: exact amounts, why cream of tartar matters, the cinnamon sugar coating, bake times…
- Snowball cookiesAn easy snowball cookies recipe with 6 ingredients: exact amounts, the double sugar roll, nut-free swaps, fixes for flat or crumbl…
- Spritz cookiesA classic butter spritz cookie recipe for a cookie press: amounts, why the dough won't stick and how to fix it, bake times, decora…
- Sugar cookie recipeA sugar cookie recipe for soft cut-outs that keep their shape: exact amounts, chilling times, bake times by thickness, decorating,…
- Thumbprint cookiesA buttery jam thumbprint cookie recipe: amounts, how to keep the wells from cracking or spreading, filling ideas, make-ahead freez…
Pies and cobblers
- Apple pie recipeAn easy homemade apple pie recipe: the best apples to use, step-by-step baking, fixes for runny filling, plus make-ahead, storage …
- Chess PieA classic chess pie recipe made with butter, sugar, eggs and a little cornmeal. Includes chocolate, lemon and buttermilk versions …
- How to make pie crustHow to make pie crust from scratch: the 3-2-1 ratio, a flaky all-butter method, blind baking, make-ahead tips and fixes for tough …
- How to make sweet potato pieHow to make sweet potato pie: ingredients, step-by-step baking, how to tell when it's set, sweet potato vs pumpkin pie, and make-a…
- Peach cobbler recipeAn easy Southern peach cobbler recipe with fresh, frozen or canned peaches, a buttery golden batter, cinnamon and a crisp sugar to…
- Pecan pie recipeAn easy pecan pie recipe: ingredients, step-by-step baking, how to tell when it's set, light vs dark corn syrup, a no-corn-syrup s…
- Pumpkin pie recipeAn easy pumpkin pie recipe: ingredients, step-by-step baking, how to tell when it's done, swaps, crack fixes, plus make-ahead and …
- Pumpkin pie spiceMake pumpkin pie spice at home in 2 minutes: the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove ratio, a 1-teaspoon substitute, how …
Cakes and frosting
- Banana cakeBanana cake made with 3 ripe bananas, buttermilk and a 9x13 pan, baked at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes and topped with cream cheese …
- Carrot cake recipeA moist carrot cake recipe with warm spices, grated carrots, optional pecans and tangy cream cheese frosting, plus layer, sheet an…
- CheesecakeA classic New York cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust, a water bath for no cracks, make-ahead tips for the holidays an…
- Chocolate Cake RecipeA moist chocolate cake recipe made in one bowl, with fudgy chocolate buttercream, bake times for layers, 9x13 and cupcakes, flavor…
- Coffee cakeCoffee cake recipe with a thick cinnamon streusel: sour cream batter, a cinnamon swirl in the middle, 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes i…
- Cream Cheese FrostingAn easy cream cheese frosting recipe with 5 ingredients, tips to keep it thick enough to pipe, amounts for cakes and cupcakes, 10 …
- German Chocolate CakeA classic German chocolate cake recipe with three tender layers and cooked coconut pecan frosting, plus sheet cake swaps and easy …
- Hummingbird cakeHummingbird cake with banana, pineapple and pecans, baked in three round pans. Follow the mixing, cooling, frosting and refrigerat…
- Royal icingAn easy royal icing recipe for sugar cookies: meringue powder and egg white versions, piping and flood consistency, coloring, dryi…
- Strawberry shortcakeClassic strawberry shortcake with tender sweet biscuits, juicy sugared berries and fresh whipped cream, plus make-ahead tips, swap…
Quick breads and puddings
- Banana bread recipeAn easy banana bread recipe made in one bowl with 3 ripe bananas: exact amounts, bake time, how to tell it's done, add-ins, muffin…
- Banana pudding recipeA Southern banana pudding recipe with stovetop vanilla custard, ripe bananas, vanilla wafers and meringue or whipped cream, plus m…
- Bread PuddingAn easy classic bread pudding recipe with day-old bread, a cinnamon custard and a quick vanilla sauce. Plus variations, make-ahead…
- Monkey breadAn easy monkey bread recipe with canned biscuits, cinnamon sugar and a brown sugar butter glaze: exact amounts, bake time, make-ah…
- Pumpkin bread recipeA moist pumpkin bread recipe with canned pumpkin, oil and warm spices: exact amounts, bake times by pan, chocolate chip and muffin…
- Rice puddingRice pudding recipe on the stovetop: 1/2 cup rice, 4 cups whole milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, simmered about 40 minutes. Serv…
- Zucchini Bread RecipeAn easy zucchini bread recipe that bakes up moist every time, with 10 variations like chocolate and lemon, muffin times, and tips …
Candy, fudge and treats
- Christmas Crack RecipeAn easy Christmas crack recipe with 5 ingredients: saltine toffee, step-by-step directions, fixes for chewy toffee, 10 variations …
- Christmas candyChristmas candy you can make at home: 20 easy and classic recipes, a candy thermometer stage chart, how long each keeps, and tips …
- Fudge recipeAn easy fudge recipe with chocolate chips and condensed milk, a classic cooked fudge with temperatures, flavor variations, fixes, …
- How to make peanut brittleHow to make peanut brittle: exact temperatures, a step-by-step stovetop method, a microwave version, fixes for chewy brittle and t…
- Peppermint barkPeppermint bark recipe with 4 ingredients: exact amounts for 12 oz dark and white chocolate, how to keep the layers stuck, gift pa…
- Puppy chowThe classic puppy chow recipe with Chex, chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar, plus no-clump tips, a peanut-free swap, Chri…
- Rice Krispie treatsHow to make Rice Krispie treats that stay soft: the classic and extra-gooey ratios, step-by-step method, fixes for hard bars, Chri…
- Rum ballsAn easy no-bake rum balls recipe with vanilla wafers, pecans and cocoa: exact amounts, how long to let them age, non-alcoholic swa…
Guides
- Best Desserts Start hereThe best desserts to make at home: 70 classic cookies, cakes, pies, bars and no-bake treats in 8 groups, plus picks by occasion an…
- Easy Baking RecipesEasy baking recipes for beginners: 34 cookies, bars, quick breads, cakes, yeast breads and savory bakes with amounts, oven temps, …
- Easy Dessert Recipes30 easy dessert recipes with short ingredient lists: brownies, cookies, no-bake bars, mug cakes, fruit desserts and crowd treats, …
Ideas and how-tos
- Brownie RecipeAn easy one-bowl brownie recipe: melted butter, sugar, 2 eggs, cocoa and ½ cup flour, baked at 350°F for 22 to 27 minutes. Pan siz…
- Christmas Desserts30 Christmas desserts by type, from easy no-bake candy to yule log, with a make-ahead timeline, how much to make and food safety a…
- Christmas baking listA Christmas baking list template: choose what to bake, build one grocery list, bake in a smart order, plan a baking week and store…
- Healthy desserts20 healthy desserts under 280 calories, each with calories, added sugar, protein and fiber from USDA data, plus no-bake picks, swa…
- Mexican desserts30 Mexican desserts, from flan and tres leches to churros and paletas, with a quick guide to which are easy or make-ahead, a party…
- Thanksgiving Desserts30 Thanksgiving desserts: classic pies, non-pie ideas and easy bakes, plus how many to make, a make-ahead baking schedule and safe…