Easy Desserts at Home: Sweet Treats Without the Fuss

If you are craving for something sweet but cannot afford to spend hours in the kitchen, these easy-to-make and quick-to-serve desserts are all you need to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. Whether you're in the mood for something rich and chocolatey, fruity and fresh, or satisfyingly crunchy, these cheat treats are your guide to making easy desserts at home.

1. The Chocolate Mug Cake

When midnight cravings hit, there’s no power that can suppress them. While a Chocolate Mud Cake might take quite some time to get ready for you to devour, making this easy Chocolate Mug Cake instead will be your safest choice.

Ingredients:

• 40 gm all-purpose flour
• 30 gm sugar (brown or white)
• 15 gm unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1.5 gm baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 45 ml milk (any kind)
• 15 ml vegetable oil
• 1.5 ml vanilla extract
• Optional: 30 gm chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. In a microwave-safe mug, mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Now add the wet ingredients (milk, oil, and vanilla). Stir until it’s all smooth, to get a rich, chocolatey sludge.
3. Microwave on high for about 1 minute to 1 minute 15 seconds.
4. Let it cool slightly, then dive in. Feel free to top it with ice cream.

2. The 3-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

Do not let the bananas on your counter go to waste. Overripe bananas are perfect for making ice cream. This recipe will help you make a tub of healthy and tasty ice cream, in no time.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas (peeled and sliced)
• 60 ml milk
• Optional: 15 gm peanut butter or chocolate chips for fun

Instructions:

1. Slice those bananas and throw them in the freezer for a couple of hours
2. Once frozen, toss them into a blender along with the milk and any optional add-ins.
3. Blend until smooth. You’ve just made ice cream! You can serve it in a bowl or eat it directly from the blender.

3. The No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars

No oven, no problem! These peanut butter oat bars are healthy, so feel free to call them breakfast if you want. You can also have them instead of Chocolate Tart as a healthy snack alternative.

Ingredients:

• 200 gm rolled oats
• 150 gm peanut butter
• 100 gm honey or maple syrup
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• Optional: 50 gm Cadbury dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the peanut butter and honey together over low heat until they get cozy and start to melt together.
2. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Add the oats (and chocolate chips, if using), and mix until everything is well-coated in that sweet peanut buttery goodness.
4. Press the mixture into a lined baking dish (8x8 inches works great).
5. Pop it in the fridge for an hour or two until firm, then slice it into bars.

4. The Easy Eton Mess

Despite the fancy name, Eton Mess is essentially the lazy person’s dessert dream. It’s a delightful mess of cream, meringue, and fruit that takes minutes to throw together but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 200 ml heavy cream
• 100 gm store-bought meringues
• 150 gm fresh strawberries
• 15 ml powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions:

1. Whip your cream to soft peaks. Remember to not go too far, or you’ll end up with butter.
2. Roughly crush the meringues and slice the strawberries.
3. Fold the meringue and strawberries into the whipped cream. If you like things extra sweet, add the powdered sugar.
4. Serve in glasses or bowls. Or eat it straight from the mixing bowl.

5. The Ultimate Cheat: Store-Bought Puff Pastry Turnovers

Although it’s really fun and quite therapeutic to bake a Truffle Cake from scratch, sometimes it’s okay to cheat by buying store-bought ingredients to make easy desserts at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry
• 100 gm fruit preserves or jam
• 1 egg (beaten, for egg wash)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C.
2. Roll out the puff pastry sheet and cut it into squares (about 10cm x 10cm).
3. Place a spoonful of your chosen jam in the center of each square, then fold the dough diagonally to make a triangle.
4. Seal the edges with a fork, brush with the beaten egg, and pop them onto a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 200°C for 12-15 minutes, until golden and puffy.
6. Let them cool slightly, then dig in. It’s like a mini pie in under 20 minutes.