With the holiday behind us, you may have sworn off desserts, rich eating, and even alcohol. January is an unspoken time to cleanse ourselves from the indulgent habits of the holiday season and start anew. But it’s also one of the coldest months of the year, beckoning the need for a little comfort food every now and then. That’s where an easy-to-make dessert comes in. Quick and delicious, it’s the perfect way to indulge when you need a little treat.
As you’re starting to settle back into work and put new plans into action for better work-life balance, you’re probably looking into bettering your eating habits. We get it—meal prepping is ideal for keeping yourself on track. However, you can still enjoy a sweet bite every now and then—especially when it’s easy to whip up.
Unlike the decadent dishes from the holidays, these simple desserts are all about utilizing pantry staples to make something delicious. Even better? Aside from being easy to make, many on this list are also fairly healthy. Take the chia pudding parfait, for example, that relies on agave syrup and fresh fruit for sweetness or the flourless cake, which has just a small amount of butter and sugar, is a much healthier option than other beloved chocolate cakes. However, if you are craving something richer, like this decadent banana pudding, we’ve got you covered.
Ahead, see our top five simple dessert recipes for adding a touch of sweetness to your day.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs (separated)
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan on low heat and stir often until mixture is smooth.
- Add cocoa powder and salt to the mixture and stir until smooth.
- Remove pan from burner and let cool.
- While the mixture is cooling, beat egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Stir egg yolks into cooled chocolate mixture.
- Add 1/4 of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and stir.
- Add chocolate mixture to the remaining egg whites, folding in until combined.
- Pour combined mixture into pan and place into the oven.
- Bake until the center of the cake is solid (approximately 40-45 minutes).
- Remove cake from oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Top with extra cocoa powder, cut into slices, and serve.
Easy Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 graham cracker pie crust
- 3 8-ounce cream cheese packages
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add softened cream cheese blocks to a mixing bowl and beat until they are broken up.
- Add in sugar and beat until well mixed.
- Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition to ensure everything is combined.
- Add in vanilla extract and mix until combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour batter into pie crust.
- Bake until the center of the cheesecake is solid (approximately 25 minutes).
- Remove cheesecake from oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Once cooled, move the cheesecake to the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
Cookie Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Add vanilla and eggs, and stir until combined.
- Add flour, baking soda, and salt to a separate mixing bowl.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in batches, mixing after each one.
- Stir in milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Spread the mixture into a cast iron skillet and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove skillet from the oven, finish with ice cream and toppings of your choice, and enjoy.
Chia Pudding Parfait
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chia seeds
- 400 ml coconut milk (1 can)
- 1/4 cup agave syrup
- Handful of mixed fruits
Instructions
- Add chia seeds, coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of the agave syrup to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate mixture for 6 hours or until it’s thickened.
- Add mixed fruit and remaining agave syrup to a bowl and stir.
- Spoon chia mixture into serving bowls and top with sweetened fruit mixture.
Banana Pudding
Ingredients
- 4-5 ripe bananas
- 1 package vanilla instant pudding
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
- 1 container whipped topping
- 1 package vanilla wafers
Instructions
- Add pudding and cold milk to a bowl and stir until combined.
- Add cream cheese to a separate bowl and beat until smooth.
- Stir in condensed milk.
- Fold in the whipped topping.
- Fold cream cheese mixture into pudding until well combined.
- In a clean dish, layer wafers, sliced bananas, and pudding mixture.
- Repeat layers until dish is full.
- Crush remaining wafers on top of pudding and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
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