16 Treats You Can Bake With 5 Ingredients or Less

Nothing beats a homemade dessert, but we'll be the first to admit that baking one from scratch can sometimes be a big endeavor. Thankfully, there are plenty of easy-to-make treats that come together with just a handful of pantry staples, making them a breeze to whip up when you're short on ingredients — or just feeling a little lazy. From simplified takes on the classics to pastries that use a box mix as a shortcut, you'll find plenty of options here, including cookies, brownies, custards, cakes and more.

One of our favorites? These unbelievably easy (and gluten-free) cookies that rely on just three ingredients. Plus, they're a great way to use up those extra mixed nuts hanging out in your pantry.

Using melted ice cream is a baking shortcut that makes sense -- in one ingredient you get cream, sugar, cookies and vanilla. Mix it with self-rising flour for the ultimate easy muffins. And a cookie in the middle is a sweet surprise!

This crave-worthy coconut treat is a lot like macaroons – only easier. Instead of scooping balls of sweetened coconut mixture onto a sheet pan, just pour the mix into a 9-by-13-inch pan and bake.

We can’t think of a better use for five ingredients we always have on hand (butter, chocolate, eggs, sugar and salt) than this torte. If you have the optional sixth ingredient (cocoa powder), use it – a light dusting will enhance the chocolate flavor and give the dessert a pretty finish.

This beautiful yet simple bread comes together with just three basic, easy-to-find ingredients: bananas, eggs and store-bought cake mix! The bananas make this quick bread moist and sweet, while the spice cake mix adds a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Forget boxed brownie mix — Ree has a recipe that’s just as easy and, dare we say it, even more delicious. Her secret ingredient? Chocolate-hazelnut spread!

These cookies only use a few ingredients but the last one, sea salt, is key as it gives them their addictive salty finish. Since the cookies are flourless, they're very tender, so let them cool awhile on the pan before moving them.

Proof that the best things in life are often the simplest! This rich and creamy custard isn't too sweet, has that signature layer of crunchy, caramelized sugar on top and comes together in 45 minutes with just 5 ingredients.

We don’t know about you, but puff pastry is one of those ingredients that we’ve always got tucked away in the freezer. So, when we need a sweet treat fast, it’s our go-to. All it needs is a sugary glaze and a few minutes in the oven to become the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

If you’ve got store-bought pie crust on hand (or homemade pie crust that you’ve tucked away in your refrigerator), now is the time to use it. The filling comes together with just 3 additional ingredients – making the most difficult part of baking this pie, waiting for it to cool so you can eat it!

These gluten-free treats are a classic German Christmas cookie, but we'll eat them any time of the year. They've got a delicious nutty, spiced flavor and, because they're designed to keep for a long time, they get nice and chewy as time passes.

This super-sized take on a favorite candy has everything: a creamy peanut buttery center, devil's food layers and even a hard chocolate shell. And it's a combo that only looks hard to pull off.

We love a good shortcut recipe — like this one, made with a boxed brownie mix. Despite only using 4 ingredients, the cookies are chocolatey, fudgy and pleasing for brownie and cookie lovers alike.

If you’re a fan of classic coconut macaroons, you’ll love Ina’s easy recipe. They’re perfectly sweet and chewy, thanks to the addition of sweetened condensed milk.

You don’t need ton of ingredients to make these bright and sunny cookies. Just add a little lemon extract!