What dessert can I make with basic ingredients? Easy recipes for every kitchen

When you want dessert but only have basic ingredients, you don’t have to stress about complicated recipes or rare items. You can whip up simple, tasty treats using just a few staples like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.

These basics are the backbone for lots of easy desserts that don’t ask much from you in terms of time or effort.

Maybe you think you need fancy tools or exotic flavors, but honestly, classics like cookies, cakes, or custards come together pretty fast and totally hit the spot. Whether you’re craving something baked or want to skip the oven, you’ll find plenty of recipes that use only what you already have in your pantry or fridge.

Easy Desserts With Pantry Staples

You can make great desserts with just a few common ingredients found in most kitchens. These treats skip the complicated steps and weird ingredients.

Stick with simple cakes, no-bake ideas, and classic cookies that just need flour, sugar, eggs, and some basic flavorings.

Simple Cake Recipes With Minimal Ingredients

Try baking a basic cake with just flour, sugar, eggs, and butter or oil. A simple sponge cake uses these four and bakes in about 30 minutes.

If you’ve got baking powder or soda, toss it in to help the cake rise. Add vanilla for a little flavor, or cocoa powder if you’re after something chocolatey.

Mix your dry and wet ingredients separately, then bring them together. Bake in a greased pan at 350°F (175°C) until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

Most simple cake recipes just need one bowl, so prep is a breeze. Serve the cake plain or top it with jam, honey, or a dusting of powdered sugar if you’re feeling fancy.

No-Bake Treats Anyone Can Make

No-bake desserts are a lifesaver when you’re short on time or just don’t want to turn on the oven. All you need are pantry items like crackers, cocoa, peanut butter, or sweetened condensed milk.

Try mixing crushed cookies with sweetened condensed milk, then press the mix into a pan and chill it. Or make rice pudding with cooked rice, milk, sugar, and cinnamon.

You don’t need any oven heat for these, so they’re perfect for hot days or those moments when you just want a quick sweet fix. Usually, you’ll just need a mixing bowl and your fridge or freezer to set things up.

You’ll find these recipes come together in minutes, using stuff you probably already have.

Classic Cookies From Basic Pantry Items

Cookies are always a crowd-pleaser, and you can make them with pantry staples like flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. Think oatmeal cookies, shortbread, or sugar cookies.

Oatmeal cookies just need oats, flour, sugar, butter, and one egg. They mix up quickly and bake in about 10-15 minutes. Shortbread is even simpler—just butter, sugar, and flour, but it’s so rich and buttery.

If you’ve got extras like chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts, throw them in. Most cookies bake at around 350°F (175°C).

Cookies are pretty forgiving, so you can tweak sweetness or texture depending on your mood and what’s in your kitchen. They’re simple but satisfying, and you don’t need much to get good results.

For more ideas, check out easy pantry desserts that use everyday ingredients at Taste of Home.

Creative Ways to Use Everyday Ingredients

You can make some pretty delicious desserts with just pantry staples. With a few basic ingredients, you can bake treats or whip up sweet snacks—no need for fancy stuff like butter or cream.

Throw in some common fruits if you’ve got them, and you’ll get fresh flavors in your easy desserts.

Desserts Using Just Flour, Sugar, and Eggs

With flour, sugar, and eggs, you can bake all kinds of classic desserts. A simple cake or sponge is probably the easiest—beat eggs and sugar until fluffy, fold in flour, and bake.

You’ll get a light, sweet base that works for lots of things. Pancakes or crepes are another option—just mix those three, cook them up, and top with jam, honey, or powdered sugar.

If you skip the butter, you can even make sugar cookies with just these three. Just shape and bake them.

You don’t need leavening or dairy, so these are perfect when supplies are low. Just make sure you mix things well for good texture.

Sweet Snacks Without Butter or Dairy

No butter? No dairy? No problem. Swap in oil or applesauce for butter in your recipes.

You can make brownies or bars by mixing sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and oil. No-bake treats are handy too—mix crushed cookies or cereal with honey or syrup, shape into balls or bars, and chill.

Try combining rice or puffed grains with melted marshmallows for chewy snacks. It’s a simple mix and doesn’t take much effort.

Fruit-Based Desserts With Common Foods

Adding fruit to desserts really brightens up the flavor. It also brings in some welcome moisture.

Grab apples, bananas, or berries for easy dishes like fruit crisps or compotes. Just mix your fruit with a little sugar and toss on a simple topping made from flour and sugar.

Baked fruit might be the easiest route. Slice up apples or pears, sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar, and bake. You don’t even need any extra fat for this to work.

Try mashing bananas and mixing them into pancake batter or quick breads. That way, you get natural sweetness and a moist texture.

Fresh or frozen fruit both work just fine in these recipes. Use whatever you have on hand.

For more ideas, take a look at 50 Easy Desserts to Make with What’s in Your Pantry.