Our Best 5-Minute Recipes

Cran-Apple Salad

This tart and tasty salad goes so wonderfully with lots of different meals. Folks will think you slaved over it, but with less than five ingredients, preparation takes only minutes! Crunchy walnuts, celery and apples are special way to dress up canned sauce. —Lucille Foster Grant, Nebraska

Beer Dip

Ranch dressing mix flavors this easy dip packed with shredded cheese. It's perfect paired with pretzels. Be forewarned, though—it's hard to stop eating once you've started! The beer cheese dip can be made with any type of beer, including nonalcoholic. I've taken it to many parties and I am always asked for the recipe. —Michelle Long, New Castle, Colorado

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

To add delicious flavor to your pumpkin pie recipe, try this pumpkin spice. This pumpkin pie spice blend can also be used to make spiced nuts. —Mary Dixon, Catlin, Illinois

Thick Strawberry Shakes

Cool off with a thick and rich treat that will remind you of a malt shoppe! Nothing can beat this strawberry shake recipe. —Kathryn Conrad, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Maple Glaze for Doughnuts

Cider doughnuts are a tradition in Vermont, but here in Texas, we love maple flavors, too. Our maple glaze of choice features delicious maple syrup. —Barbara Elliott, Tyler, Texas

Apple Amaretto Sours

An amaretto sour has always been one of my favorite cocktails. This version has a special touch that makes it perfect for enjoying throughout the holiday season. —Amber Forbes, Roper, North Carolina

Yogurt Breakfast Drink

Sleepyheads will savor this dreamy smoothie. Simply blend yogurt, milk and orange juice concentrate for a fresh start to your day. —Renee Gastineau, Seattle, Washington

Snack Crackers

Our 13-year-old daughter, Dana, loves to make this crunchy and flavorful snack for us. Her four older brothers finish off a batch in no time. —Sue Manel, Milladore, Wisconsin

Dill Vegetable Dip

A friend gave me this zesty dip recipe many years ago, and now I serve it at our annual holiday open house. To make it mobile, spoon a serving of the dip in the bottom of a small cup, then garnish with fresh veggies. —Karen Gardiner, Eutaw, Alabama

Vanilla Frosting

Don't know how to make icing for cake but don't want to settle for store-bought frosting? This four-ingredient easy vanilla frosting recipe is the perfect topper for your cakey creations. The homemade taste just can't be beat. —Mary Faulk, Cambridge, Wisconsin

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal Mix

Apple cinnamon oatmeal is a breakfast staple at our house. It's a warm nutritious start to the day that keeps us going all morning. We used to buy the oatmeal mixes, but we think our homemade version is better! Feel free to substitute raisins or other dried fruit for the apples. —Lynne Van Wagenen, Salt Lake City, Utah

Coffee Milk

It's the official state drink of Rhode Island, and once you taste it, you'll understand why it has so many fans! —Karen Barros, Bristol, Rhode Island

Raspberry Sorbet

With an abundant crop of fresh raspberries from the backyard, it's no wonder why I rely on this dessert for a tasty, no-fuss frozen dessert. —Karen Bailey, Golden, Colorado

Nutty Berry Trail Mix

This recipe, my son’s favorite, earned me an A in my early childhood nutrition course. It lets you take control of what your children snack on! —Cheri Majors, Claremont, California

Fruity Peanut Butter Pitas

My kids ask for these pita sandwiches all the time. They haven’t noticed that as good as the pitas taste, they’re good for them too.—Kim Holmes, Emerald Park, Saskatchewan

Blueberry Fruit Smoothie

This fruit smoothie recipe is one of my favorites. The yummy blend just might take you back to soda-fountain days…but it's a nutritious low-fat alternative to traditional malts, shakes and sodas. —Mary LaJoie, Glenoma, Washington

Pineapple-Strawberry Cranberry Relish

My son is a strawberry fanatic. Anything with strawberries in it is a must-have in his book. I'll always remember the look on his face the first time he tried this. It was love at first sight! —Karen Wilkes, Lakewood, California

Cannellini Bean Hummus

My version of hummus features a delightful nuttiness from tahini, a peanut butter-like paste made from ground sesame seeds. The beans pack a lot of protein so it's a healthy snack for kids. —Marina Castle Kelley, Canyon Country, California

Peanut Butter Granola Pinwheels

I came across this easy and tasty snack while searching online for healthy munchies for kids. Great for after school, it's really quick to make and filling enough to hold the kids until dinner. To satisfy heftier appetites or to serve as a power lunch, cut each tortilla into fewer pieces or provide one per child. The recipe is easy to increase as needed. —Mary Haluch, Ludlow, Massachusetts

Lemon Tarragon Butter

Tarragon is a native herb of central Asia and was brought to Spain by the Moors. It has been an important ingredient to French cooking since the 16th century.—Michelle Clair, Seattle, Washington

Garlic Maple Dressing

Here's my go-to dressing for pretty much any salad (or veggie!) under the sun. It stores beautifully, so make it ahead—or leave the shaking to the kids while you finish up last-minute dinner details. They'll do you proud. —Emily Tyra, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Mimosa Floats

Everyone needs a little treat at brunch! I wanted to kick things up a notch, so I added a scoop of ice cream to my mimosas. Sometimes I add chocolate, too.—Amy Lents, Grand Forks, North Dakota

So-Easy Snack Mix

I eat this tasty treat just as much as (if not more than) the kids! Have fun with it by adding other goodies into the mix, like nuts, cereal, pretzels and more. —Jeff King, Duluth, Minnesota

Peanut Butter-Banana Yogurt Parfaits

For a lightning-fast breakfast, I layer vanilla yogurt with bananas, peanuts and multigrain cereal. It’s crunchy, easy and perfect for kids.—Teresa Miller, Hamilton, Indiana

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

We in Louisiana love seasoned foods. I use Cajun seasoning recipe in gravy, over meats and with salads. It makes an excellent gift for teachers. Many have asked for the recipe. —Onietta Loewer, Branch, Louisiana

Nuts and Seeds Trail Mix

A filling blend of nuts, seeds, chocolate chips and dried fruit keeps you healthy by the handful. —Kristin Rimkus, Snohomish, Washington

Thin Mint Milk Shake

Save a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies for this creamy milkshake that's fun for kids and adults, too. —Shauna Sever, San Francisco, California

Granola Trail Mix

My family has always enjoyed this crunchy four-ingredient snack. When we go camping, each person includes one additional ingredient like mini marshmallows, corn chips or cookie pieces. The taste is never the same, and we're often surprised by the combinations. —Shelley Riddlespurger, Amarillo, Texas

Cranberry Fizz

With just five basic ingredients, this wonderfully tangy punch couldn't be much simpler to stir together. —Suzette Jury, Keene, California

Halloween Snack Mix

Here is a simple snack mix I created on the spur of the moment. It's easy to toss together for a Halloween party or to package in individual bags for a fall bake sale. —Barbara Roberts, Middleton, Wisconsin

Basic Buttermilk Salad Dressing

When serving salad to a crowd, this easy buttermilk ranch dressing comes in handy. It make a full quart of creamy, delicious dressing to toss with your favorite greens and veggies. —Patricia Mele, Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania

Easy Cheesecake Pie

This Oreo cheesecake pie recipe is so quick, you'll have it ready in less than 10 minutes. And it's so good! —Cathy Shortall, Easton, Maryland

Quick & Easy Honey Mustard

This fast, easy mustard with rice vinegar and honey has more flavor than any other honey mustard dressing I've ever tried. —Sharon Rehm, New Blaine, Arkansas

Leprechaun Lime Drink

You won't need the help of lucky little elves to ready this refreshing lime concoction. Cheery garnishes can be fixed in a wink to dress up each guest's glass. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Tuna Cheese Spread

The flavor of tuna is very subtle in this thick and creamy spread. It's terrific on crackers or carrot and celery sticks, stuffed in a tomato or used for a sandwich. —Dorothy Anderson, Ottawa, Kansas

Honey Cinnamon Butter

This recipe is a simple yet special spread for breakfast bread and muffins. —Sue Seymour, Valatie, New York

Makeover Nutty Monkey Malts

Get all the flavor of a classic diner milkshake with only a fraction of the calories and fat. Flavored with peanut butter and bananas, this is one drink the kids will go crazy for! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Strawberry Lime Smoothies

Peak-of-freshness strawberries make this thinner, easy drink a summer staple. —Elizabeth Johnson, Greenville, South Carolina