4-Ingredient Desserts We Could Make Every Week

Updated: Mar. 06, 2024

These easy desserts don’t require a long ingredients list, which is one of the reasons we can’t stop making ‘em.

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Aunt Rose’s Fantastic Butter Toffee

I don’t live in the country, but I love everything about it—especially good old-fashioned home cooking! Every year, you’ll find me at our county fair, entering a different contest. This easy toffee recipe is a family favorite. —Kathy Dorman, Snover, Michigan

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Dipped Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

You’ll love to give tins of these chocolate-coated cookies to your lucky friends. The shortcut holiday recipe is almost too simple to believe! Here's how to make peanut butter cookies without eggs. —Jackie Howell, Gordo, Alabama
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Confetti Cake Batter Cookies

Mom and I took up cake decorating. Funfetti was our favorite cake, so we used the mix to make cutout cookies. Plain or decorated, they’re a fave at parties. —Danielle DeMarco, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
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Cheesecake Berry Parfaits

The summer berry season is a real treat. This is an easy way to enjoy berries with cheesecake, which is a refreshing change from traditional pudding and fruit parfaits. —Patricia Schroedl, Jefferson, Wisconsin
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White Chocolate Cereal Bars

A friend shared with me this fresh take on traditional crispy treats. My husband loves them, and I feel so efficient with their quick prep time. —Anne Powers, Munford, Alabama
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Fudge Pops

Stock your freezer with a batch of rich and chocolatey fudge pops made with just pudding mix, milk and cream.
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Coconut Macaroons

These crunchy, golden and chewy coconut macaroons are ideal for their simplicity and texture, and you can have this treat on the table in 30 minutes or less.
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Fruit Juice Pops

I've used this recipe for years as a refreshing treat. My children enjoyed these pops more than any store-bought ones I ever brought home. They taste great with either pineapple or orange juice. Try freezing and serving in cups made from hollowed-out oranges. —Barbara Stewart, Garland, Texas
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Frozen Chocolate Monkey Treats

Everyone needs a fun, friendly way for kids to play with food. These rich bites are nutty and yummy. Just coat bananas in chocolate and dip them into peanuts, sprinkles or coconut. —Susan Hein, Burlington, Wisconsin
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Pixie Dust Cookies

These crisp and buttery cookies are based on a favorite Scottish shortbread recipe. They're just the right amount of sweet—and fun to decorate! —Peggy Goodrich, Enid, Oklahoma
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Rocky Road Cookie Cups

Traditional rocky road ice cream has nuts, marshmallows and chocolate. Using prepared cookie dough makes it easy to put the flavors together in these fast, kid-friendly rocky road cookis. —Charlotte McDaniel, Jacksonville, AL
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No-Bake Cookie Butter Blossoms

Chewy and sweet, these easy treats mix Rice Krispies, cookie spread and chocolate kisses in an unforgettable spin on an old favorite. —Jessie Sarrazin, Livingston, Montana
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Easy Strawberry Lemonade Freezer Pie

Three simple ingredients mixed together and spread into a graham cracker crust make magic while your freezer does all the work. Prep this pie ahead and freeze it overnight or even longer. Feel free to vary the fruit if you'd like! —Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas
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Marbled Meringue Hearts

Pretty pastel cookies are a fun way to brighten any special occasion. Replace the vanilla with a different extract for a change of flavor. —Laurie Herr, Westford, Vermont
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Homemade Butterfinger Bites

Bent on using up a stash of leftover candy corn, I decided to experiment. Turns out, if you melt it, mix it with peanut butter and coat the balls with chocolate, you get a softer, denser version of a Butterfinger bite. Who knew? They’re delicious! —Melissa Hansen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Elegant White Chocolate Mousse

This Elegant White Chocolate Mousse is the ideal decadent finish to a lighter summer dinner. It is buttery and sweet, with strong notes of vanilla and a silky smooth texture, making it nearly impossible to put down. It’s also a busy cook’s dream recipe, as it comes together quickly and with only a handful of ingredients, all for a deliciously impressive result.
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Magic Wands

These fun and colorful wands don't need to be made by a magician to be magical. You can change the colors to fit any party theme. —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota
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Coconut Milk Strawberry-Banana Pops

These four-ingredient freezer pops are a delicious way to use up a pint of fresh strawberries. You'll love the hint of tropical flavor, thanks to the coconut milk. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Chocolaty S'mores Bars

One night my husband had some friends over to play poker and he requested these s'mores bars. They polished off the pan and asked for more! I shared the recipe, and now their families make them, too. —Rebecca Shipp, Beebe, Arkansas
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Strawberry-Citrus Freezer Pops

I knew that clementines and strawberries would create a luscious combination in a fruit pop, and I have to say these are delicious! —Colleen Ludovice, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Quick & Easy Gumdrops

These homemade candies are softer than store-bought. They've got that classic, fun appeal that people really love. —Leah Rekau, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Tiger Butter Bark Candy

Fans of tiger butter fudge will revel in this version that's very similar to bark candy. The chocolate swirls are pleasing to the eye, and the creamy peanut flavor is a treat for the taste buds.—Philip Jones, Lubbock, Texas
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Berries in Yogurt Cream

Yogurt, cream, brown sugar and fresh fruit are all you need to wake up your taste buds on mornings you'd rather sleep in. Save time by having guests assemble their own parfaits. —Michelle Stillman, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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Watermelon Vodka Sorbet

This icy granita is a cooling delight on a hot summer day. This is an adults only goody. You can use watermelon vodka for plain vodka if you like. —Rebekah Beyer, Sabetha, Kansas
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Gooey Chocolate-Peanut Bars

These are so easy to make and take no time at all. They’re great to package up for those college kids looking for something from home. Everyone will want this recipe. —Elaine Grimme, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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Fluffy Key Lime Pie

For a taste of paradise, try this no-bake Key lime pie recipe. It's low in fat, sugar and fuss. It truly is the best Key lime pie recipe ever! —Frances VanFossan, Warren, Michigan
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Mocha Truffles

Nothing compares to the melt-in-your-mouth flavor of these truffles...or to the simplicity of the recipe. Whenever I make them for my family or friends, they're quickly devoured. No one has to know how easy they are to prepare! —Stacy Abell, Olathe, Kansas
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Chocolate Peanut Drops

This is a recipe that I got from a friend, who got it from her sister, and between the three of us we've handed it out everywhere! The chocolaty candies couldn't be easier to make in the slow cooker and, depending on the size of your spoon, you can get dozens of candies from one batch. So easy and great for gifts.—Anita Bell, Hermitage, Tennessee
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Coffee Bean Bark

Chopped coffee beans add a yummy crunch to this pretty two-toned bark. Coffee lovers won’t be able to resist pieces of the chocolaty candy treat. —Anne Addesso, Sheboygan, Wisconsin