43 Shortcut Desserts to Save Time and Energy

Any keen home cook will love this collection of semi-homemade shortcut desserts, as they offer all the flavor you want but also reduce the amount of time and effort you have to spend in the kitchen. A semi-homemade dessert recipe still counts as a homemade dessert, so get ready to meet your new favorite dessert and treat all the family to something sweet, special and mouthwateringly delicious!

Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Puff Pastries

If you’ve been looking for a single-serve dessert with pre-made puff pastry shells and cherry pie filling, you’re going to love these!
Get the Recipe: Easy Cherry Cream Cheese Puff Pastries

Easy Instant Pot Fireball Apple Shortcakes

Instant Pot Fireball apple shortcakes are a winning dish! It’s made with cinnamon apples soaked in Fireball whisky along with premade sponge cake dessert cups.
Get the Recipe: Easy Instant Pot Fireball Apple Shortcakes

Brownie Sundae Waffle Bowls

Using boxed brownie mix, these easy brownie sundae waffle bowls are a delicious and visually impressive dessert option that combines the best of brownies, waffles, and ice cream. Perfect for pleasing a crowd, this dessert is sure to be a hit.
Get the Recipe: Brownie Sundae Waffle Bowls

No Bake Granola Bars

These no bake granola bars are really easy to make and you can customize them with your favorite add-ins, making them different each time!
Get the Recipe: No Bake Granola Bars

Funfetti Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Funfetti and buttercream ice cream cone cupcakes are fun and cute. These homemade cake cones are easy to make using Funfetti cake mix.
Get the Recipe: Funfetti Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Cake Mix Coffee Cake

This easy yet impressive cake mix coffee cake is so easy to whip up. The cake is moist and light, and the streusel layer is really tasty too!
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix Coffee Cake

Cream Cheese Berry Danish

You’re going to love this delicious cream cheese berry Danish recipe. It’s not hard to make and the creamy and fruity fillings taste so good.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Berry Danish

Berry Cheesecake Puff Pastry Tart

This easy berry cheesecake puff pastry tart is perfect for your 4th of July celebrations. Whip this up and taste the red, white and blue.
Get the Recipe: Berry Cheesecake Puff Pastry Tart

Air Fryer Lucky Charms Marshmallow Donuts

These air fryer Lucky Charms marshmallow donuts are perfect. They are made with canned buttermilk biscuits as a shortcut.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Lucky Charms Marshmallow Donuts

Easy Monkey Bread

This easy monkey bread recipe uses canned biscuit dough and is sweetened with white and brown sugar and flavored with cinnamon. It’s a delicious pull-apart bread that is easy to make and is sure to be a hit whenever you choose to make it.
Get the Recipe: Easy Monkey Bread

Air Fryer Apricot Apple Cinnamon Dumplings

This is an autumn air fryer dessert with almond, sugar, caramel, and cinnamon flavors. The air fryer dumplings are made with puff pastry dough. You could make your own or save time using the readymade sheets.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Apricot Apple Cinnamon Dumplings

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies are incredibly delicious. Get the easy recipe and learn how to make the best cookies with 3 ingredients.
Get the Recipe: 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Easy Strawberry Dump Cake

Whip up a delicious dessert with this easy strawberry dump cake recipe. Made with just three ingredients, it’s perfect for busy days!
Get the Recipe: Easy Strawberry Dump Cake

Easy Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Easy Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies! The Best Peanut Butter Filled Brownie Mix Cookies with Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix! Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
Get the Recipe: Easy Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Apple Spice Dump Cake

Our Apple Spice Dump Cake is an instant hit – sweet, moist, and a breeze to prepare. Enjoy this delicious blend of sweet apple filling, spicy cake mix, and a pop of fizzy ginger ale, creating a textured and flavorful dessert.
Get the Recipe: Apple Spice Dump Cake

Chocolate Kahlua Cake

This recipe for rich, decadent Chocolate Kahlua Cake lets you have a truly sensational cake in record time.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Kahlua Cake

Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake

The best twist on strawberry shortcake! Grab canned refrigerator biscuits and make deep-fried strawberry shortcake.
Get the Recipe: Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake

Easy Boston Cream Pie

Our easy Boston Cream Pie recipe is simplified using a cake mix, though with a simple technique is still has the classic sponge cake texture.
Get the Recipe: Easy Boston Cream Pie Recipe

Traditional Baked Alaska Using Cake Mix

This traditional Baked Alaska recipe combines creamy ice cream, fluffy cake, and toasted meringue in one showstopping dessert.
Get the Recipe: Traditional Baked Alaska Using Cake Mix

Strawberry Danish

This strawberry danish recipe features a sweet strawberry filling, tangy cream cheese mixture, and golden, perfectly baked crust.

Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake

Lemon Blueberry Cake is the perfect dessert for spring! With both gluten-free and refined sugar-free options and made with just five ingredients, this is the perfect recipe to fit all your baking needs.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake

Cream Horns

This easy Cream Horns recipe is made with puff pastry that’s wrapped and baked until golden flaky and filled with a sweet and fluffy cream filling!
Get the Recipe: Cream Horns Recipe

Coconut Rum Cake

Coconut Rum Cake is made with vanilla cake mix, sweet coconut, and spiced coconut rum. It’s a special adult dessert for holidays and celebrations!
Get the Recipe: Coconut Rum Cake

Cake Mix Brownies

Decadent, easy, and delicious, these cake mix brownies are sure to satisfy any chocolate craving in no time.
Get the Recipe: Cake Mix Brownies

Strawberry Jello Pie

With fresh, ripe strawberries and just a few simple ingredients, this Fresh Strawberry Pie is the perfect summertime dessert that only takes 10 minutes to prep. It’s bursting with flavor and the perfect treat to share at cookouts and barbecues.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Jello Pie

Cream Cheese Pineapple Pound Cake

Deliciously moist and tangy, cream cheese pineapple pound cake offers a tropical twist on a classic treat that’s perfect for any occasion.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Pineapple Pound Cake

Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

This homemade strawberry Pop-Tarts recipe is even better than everyone’s childhood favorite. It’s sweet, delicious, and so easy to make.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

The Best Honey Bun Cake

Semi-homemade Honey Bun Cake is a sweet and tender yellow cake with a gooey cinnamon sugar swirl in the center.
Get the Recipe: The Best Honey Bun Cake

Birthday Cake Blondies (Made With Cake Mix)

Birthday Cake Blondies combine rainbow sprinkles, a yellow box cake mix, and 4 pantry staple ingredients to make a deliciously chewy treat!
Get the Recipe: Birthday Cake Blondies (Made With Cake Mix) Recipe

Lemon Cheesecake Loaf

This easy Lemon Cheesecake Loaf recipe is the perfect dessert for lemon lovers. It combines an easy shortcut of lemon cake mix and instant lemon pudding for a light and tangy base with cheesecake filling swirled throughout the loaf.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Cheesecake Loaf

Earthquake Cake

This earthquake cake recipe is a tasty and decadent dessert that combines chocolate cake (from a box!) with a swirl of cream cheese, pecans, and coconut.
Get the Recipe: Earthquake Cake Recipe

Mississippi Mud Brownies (With Brownie Mix)

Shortcut Mississippi Mud Brownies recipe made with fudge brownie mix, marshmallows, and melted store bought chocolate icing.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Mud Brownies (With Brownie Mix)

2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge (No Bake)

This no bake 2-ingredient peanut butter fudge is quick and easy to make in the microwave. You only need peanut butter and frosting, that’s it!
Get the Recipe: 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge (No Bake)

M&M Rice Krispie Treats

These no-bake M&M Rice Krispie Treats are easy to make with just 5 ingredients! They are thick, chewy, gooey, and full of chocolate M&Ms.
Get the Recipe: M&M Rice Krispie Treats

Cinnamon Sugar Croissant Muffins (Aka Cruffins)

Introducing this Easy Cinnamon Sugar Croissant Muffin Recipe, also known as Cruffins! With just 4 ingredients!
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Sugar Croissant Muffins (Aka Cruffins)

Quick And Easy Puff Pastry Peach Danish

This Puff Pastry Peach Danish is crunchy and soft, with a layer of cream cheese filling, sugared peaches, and icing and almonds.
Get the Recipe: Quick And Easy Puff Pastry Peach Danish

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle Recipe

This chocolate raspberry trifle recipe is made in 20 minutes, with layers of raspberries, chocolate pudding, cake & whipped cream.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Raspberry Trifle Recipe

Cinnamon Chip Biscotti

Cinnamon Chip Biscotti baking, are crunchy cinnamon cookies, perfect for gift bags, care packages, and your morning coffee!
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Chip Biscotti

Bisquick Coffee Cake

This easy Bisquick Coffee Cake is a simple semi-homemade recipe. The cake is light and subtly sweet with a brown sugar and cinnamon streusel topping.
Get the Recipe: Bisquick Coffee Cake

Strawberry Bundt Cake With Strawberry Glaze

This easy Strawberry Bundt Cake is moist, fluffy, and bursting with strawberry flavor. You’ll love the tangy sweet strawberry glaze!
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Bundt Cake With Strawberry Glaze

Mini Lemon Tarts With Phyllo Cups

Tangy lemon curd, crispy phyllo shells, and homemade whipped cream make these mini lemon tarts a quick and easy bite-sized dessert.
Get the Recipe: Mini Lemon Tarts With Phyllo Cups

Easy Almond Croissants

Easy Almond Croissants. How to make the easiest homemade almond croissants ever! These buttery, flaky croissants filled with a homemade almond filling and topped with crunchy almonds will rival any bakery. You can make these bakery-style almond croissants in 25 minutes!
Get the Recipe: Easy Almond Croissants

Twinkie Cake (No Bake)

This delicious, no bake Twinkie cake features vanilla pudding, whipped cream, banana, and pineapple! It takes just minutes to assemble.
Get the Recipe: Twinkie Cake (No Bake)