15 simple desserts that wow every time

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Become the dessert whisperer who always brings the house down with minimal effort! This lineup of 15 simple desserts aren’t just easy; they’re standing-ovation easy.

Chocolate dump cake topped with colorful M&Ms.
M&M Chocolate Dump Cake. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Cake Mix Donuts

Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts decorated for halloween with frosting and sprinkles.
Cake Mix Donuts. Photo Credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Whip up a batch of cake mix donuts and watch your guests’ eyes pop at the sheer brilliance of your baking… with barely any baking. Just grab your favorite mix, add a few extras, and you’ve got a customizable treat that’s ready for any party theme.
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix Donuts

Lazy Peach Cobbler

Plate with peach cobbler and a blue napkin.
Lazy Peach Cobbler. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

This lazy peach cobbler is the dessert equivalent of hitting the snooze button and still having a perfect hair day. Fresh, frozen, or canned peaches stumble into a dish, and out comes a cobbler that’s just peachy.
Get the Recipe: Lazy Peach Cobbler

Pistachio Fluff Salad

Pistachio salad topped with nuts and cherries.
Pistachio Fluff Salad. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Unleash the fluff with this pistachio fluff salad that’s as fun to say as it is to eat. Five ingredients and you’ve got a dish that’s part potluck, part magic trick. It’s the green, fluffy cloud of joy your dessert table never knew it needed.
Get the Recipe: Pistachio Fluff Salad

Reeses Pieces Bars

A square of Reeses pieces cookie bars on a cutting board.
Reese’s Pieces Bars. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Chocolate and peanut butter collide in these Reese’s Pieces Bars. Pass these around and watch them disappear faster than your ability to say ‘no’ to seconds.
Get the Recipe: Reeses Pieces Bars

Apple Crisp in a Mug

A mug with a scoop of ice cream and apple crisp.
Apple Crisp in a Mug. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Zap a single-serve apple crisp in a mug and make everyone at the table jealous. It’s like a tiny, personal apple heaven topped with a crumbly halo, ready in just minutes. Who knew microwaves could double as a gourmet kitchen?
Get the Recipe: Apple Crisp in a Mug

Blueberry Pie Bites

Blueberry pie bite cut in half to show the filling.
Blueberry Pie Bites. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Get ready for a flavor blast with these blueberry pie bites. Four ingredients and a little bit of mischief are all it takes to create these bite-sized wonders. It’s like a pie went on a diet and these adorable little bites are the result.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Pie Bites

Chocolate Dump Cake

Chocolate dump cake topped with colorful M&Ms.
Chocolate Dump Cake. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Behold the chocolate dump cake, where you literally just dump ingredients together and end up with a gooey masterpiece. It’s the lazy person’s guide to a chocolatey wonderland, complete with chocolate chips and M&M’s.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Dump Cake

Bisquick Cookies

Bisquick chocolate chip cookies on a cooling rack.
Bisquick Cookies. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Bisquick cookies to the rescue when you need a sweet fix without a fuss. Six ingredients, less than 30 minutes, and you’ve got a batch of chewy chocolate chip goodness.
Get the Recipe: Bisquick Cookies

Air Fryer Donuts

Air Fryer Donuts with chocolate glaze and sprinkles.
Air Fryer Donuts. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Transform refrigerator biscuits into air fryer donuts and everyone will think you’re a wizard in the kitchen. A quick dip in chocolate glaze, a sprinkle of… well, sprinkles, and you’ve got a dessert that’s as easy as it is enchanting.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Donuts

Orange Float

Orange float in a glass topped with whipped cream and a cherry.
Orange Float. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Pour up an orange float and watch as faces light up with that nostalgic creamsicle glow. It’s fizzy, it’s creamy, and it’s the kind of refreshment that brings out the kid in everyone. Just try not to get a brain freeze as you’re reliving those childhood summers.
Get the Recipe: Orange Float

Peanut Butter Pie

Side view of a slice of peanut butter pie topped with whipped cream on a plate.
Peanut Butter Pie. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

No bake, no problem with this peanut butter pie that’s a creamy dream come true. Six simple ingredients and zero oven time mean you can whip this up fast. It’s the slice of life you didn’t know you were missing.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Pie

Cool Whip Cookies

Cool whip cookies on parchment with powdered sugar.
Cool Whip Cookies. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Lemon cake mix and Cool Whip join forces to create cookies that are so zesty and light, they practically float off the plate. With just three ingredients, you’ll have a sunny batch of cookies ready in no time.
Get the Recipe: Cool Whip Cookies

Chocolate Lush

Slice of chocolate peanut butter lasagna on a plate.
Chocolate Lush. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Dive into layers of Oreo cookies, peanut butter cheesecake, chocolate pudding, and cool whip with this no-bake Chocolate Lush. It’s like a lasagna went to the dark side… and came back delicious.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Lush

Mini Cheesecake Parfaits

Cheesecake parfaits in shot glasses with blueberries and strawberries for a red white and blue dessert.
Mini Cheesecake Parfaits. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Stack up some mini cheesecake parfaits and watch your guests ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the pretty layers. Fresh fruit and cheesecake filling in a glass—simple, elegant, and no sharing required.
Get the Recipe: Mini Cheesecake Parfaits

Frozen Lemonade Pie

Slice of lemonade pie on a plate with lemonade in the background.
Frozen Lemonade Pie. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

When life gives you lemons, forget lemonade—make a frozen lemonade pie instead. Four simple ingredients, five minutes, and you’ve got a cool, tangy dessert that screams fun.
Get the Recipe: Frozen Lemonade Pie

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