Our Best 3-Ingredient Fall Desserts (2024)

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Updated: Feb. 29, 2024

Yes, you read that right. These are some easy dessert recipes that can be made with 3 ingredients or less!

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Scottish Shortbread

My mother, who is of Scottish heritage, passed this shortbread recipe, along with other favorite recipes, on to me. When I entered this treat at our local fair, it won a red ribbon. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba

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Sugar Cookies

This sugar cookie dates back to a Swedish woman born in 1877! Her daughter, Esther Davis, shared the recipe with me and she came up with all the exact measurements, since the original cookies were mixed by feel and taste. These are my favorite cookies and I hope they’ll become yours as well. —Helen Wallis, Vancouver, Washington

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I have to be super careful when cooking for my daughter because of food sensitivities, so I make these no-bake peanut butter oatmeal bars with certified gluten-free oats. Everyone loves these bars when we go to picnics or potlucks, and I know there will be a dessert for my daughter! —Angela Lively, Conroe, Texas

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Pumpkin Ice Cream

This recipe really captures the flavor of fall. It's good with or without the gingersnaps.

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Tiger Peanut Butter Candy

A good friend gave me this tiger butter bark recipe, and I cut it in half to make just enough for me. The effortless three-ingredient candy will please any chocolate-and-peanut-butter lover. —Roberta Taylor, Sharpsville, Indiana

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This warm Dutch oven cobbler is one of our favorite ways to end a busy day of fishing, hiking, swimming or rafting. It's yummy with ice cream—and so easy to make! —June Dress, Boise, Idaho

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Snickers Cookies

Though you wouldn't know by looking, you'll find a sweet surprise inside these cookies. My mother got this Snickers cookie recipe from a fellow teacher at her school. It's a terrific way to dress up refrigerated cookie dough. —Kari Pease, Conconully, Washington

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Rainbow Gelatin Cubes

These layered jello cubes are fun to serve and to eat! I vary the colors to match the occasion. Kids of all ages snatch them up. —Deanna Pietrowicz, Bridgeport, Connecticut

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Easy Caramel Apples

Kids and adults alike will enjoy whipping up this easy fall treat.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Grahams

Because so many people seem to love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, I came up with this no-bake cookie recipe.—Geraldine Sliwa, Elgin, Illinois

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Cashew Butter Cookies

These cashew butter cookies are on a more sophisticated level than peanut butter. They are vegan and gluten-free, so you'll be able to share with all your friends. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

These chocolate-covered pretzels came from my grandma, who loves to make candy and treats for my students. I have followed in her footsteps and make these for people at work and for other family members. —Aimee Worth, Fair Oaks, California

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Gluten-Free Almond Cookies

My friend loved these gluten-free almond cookies so much, she had to ask for the recipe! Quick and easy, they taste as good as the decadent treats I make using puff pastry and almond paste. Everyone loves them! —Sherri Cox, Lucasville, Ohio

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Marshmallow Pops

Making these pops is a fun activity for a children's party because any age can participate. Customize them for holidays or special occasions by rolling them in coordinating colored sprinkles. —Marcia Porch, Winter Park, Florida

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Lemon Sorbet

Whether you serve it in chilled bowls or scoop it into cut lemon halves, this creamy four-ingredient sorbet is both sweet and tart. It makes a delightfully refreshing finish to any meal. —Goldene Petersen, Brigham City, Utah

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Chocolate Truffles

You may be tempted to save these chocolate truffles for a special occasion since these smooth, creamy chocolates are divine. But with just a few ingredients, this truffle recipe is easy to make anytime. —Darlene Wiese-Appleby, Creston, Ohio

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Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies

With only a few ingredients, these butter shortbread cookies are so simple to prepare. —Pattie Prescott, Manchester, New Hampshire

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S'mores No-Bake Cookies

There's no easier way to get that s'mores goodness in your kitchen. Mix these cookies together and chill till you're ready to share. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Blueberry Cream Pops

Blueberry-and-cream pops are such a fun after-school snack. Make them in the morning so the pops are ready to go when the kids come in the door. —Cindy Reams, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania

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Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

When my mother (who's now a great-grandmother) gave me this no-flour , gluten-free peanut butter cookie recipe about 15 years ago, I was skeptical, because it calls for only three ingredients (and no flour?!). But since then I've never had a failure. For these gluten-free peanut butter cookies—3 ingredients are all you need! —Maggie Schimmel, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

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Palmiers

It takes just two ingredients to make these impressive but easy-to-do French pastries, which are often called palm leaves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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S'more Pops

My daughters and I came up with this treat when planning a candy-making party. The pops also make adorable hostess gifts, are perfect for potlucks and would sell out quickly at a bake sale. —Lisa Haboush, Geneva, Illinois

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Cinnamon Cherry Cobbler

It's not a misprint—there really are just two ingredients in this spiced cherry dessert. It's a good brunch for sweet-lovers, too. —Terri Robinson, Muncie, Indiana

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3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

It is amazing how much flavor is in these simple 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies without brown sugar. I make them very often because I always have the ingredients on hand. —Maggie Schimmel, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

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Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks

My grandmother used to make this haystacks recipe to give to my cousin Vonnie and me when our parents didn't want us to have any more sweets. —Christine Schwester, Divide, Colorado

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Pecan Caramel Candies

Salty and sweet, these candies are the perfect little snack. Form a kitchen assembly line with your kids, and the making becomes just as fun as the eating. —Julie Wemhoff, Angola, Indiana

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Blueberry Ice Cream

The wild blueberries on our property spark recipe ideas. When my daughter and I made this ice cream at a Girl Guide meeting, it was well received. Even today, our 10 children, 19 grandkids and 4 great-grandchildren think it tastes great. —Alma Mosher, Mohannes, New Brunswick

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Angel Macaroons

These chewy coconut cookies start with a boxed angel food cake mix. —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota. If you’re in a rush try out this fluffy cloud cake.

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Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

I’m a busy schoolteacher and pastor’s wife and I wouldn’t dare show my face at a church dinner or bake sale without some of these tempting peanut butter treats. They’re quick and easy to make and always a hit. —Kristi Tackett, Banner, Kentucky

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Minister's Delight

A friend gave me this recipe several years ago. She said a local minister's wife fixed it every Sunday, so she named it accordingly. —Mary Ann Potter, Blue Springs, Missouri

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Potato Chip Clusters

Just three offbeat ingredients add up to one unique, delectable, no-bake treat. These super easy, sweet-and-salty candy clusters make for merry munching during holiday trips or parties. They travel well in containers without melting or getting soft. —Donna Brockett, Kingfisher, Oklahoma

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Quick Double Chocolate Biscotti

Refrigerated cookie dough gives you a head start on making biscotti from scratch. For true chocolate lovers, substitute chocolate chips for the vanilla. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Frozen Banana Cereal Pops

When we want a healthy snack, we dip bananas in yogurt, roll 'em in cereal, then freeze. Ta-da! —Scarlett Elrod, Newnan, Georgia

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Texas Tumbleweeds

Tumbleweeds blow across the roads in some parts of Texas, and I think these cute stacks look like them. I've been making these sweets with my sister for years. —Karen Lemay, Seabrook, Texas

Originally Published: August 27, 2020