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8 Quick and Easy Desserts for Your Holiday Dinner

Call me crazy but I’d rather stab myself in the eyeball with a fork than go to the grocery store during the holidays.  It never fails: the day I decide to venture out, everyone and their dog has also decided to stock the pantry. The too-loud elevator music, rushed shoppers and the darn cart that just refuses to roll is not my idea of holiday fun.

And if you’re thinking that I’m dragging 3 kids along so they can drag their feet and walk as slowly as possible in the midst of the chaos, you are out of your mind. It just ain’t happening!

I was wise this year. A week before the Thanksgiving rush, I headed to the grocery store and filled my cabinets to the brim! The plan is to avoid the large grocery stores until AFTER Christmas.  Yep, that’s 6 weeks of avoiding the long lines. Sure, I’ll probably have to break down and pay $8 for a gallon of milk and $4 for a loaf of stale bread at the gas station but to me, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

But when sweet old Granny calls just days before the big holiday dinner requesting that you bring a dessert, what’s an overwhelmed mama to do? Scour the internet and search for the best quick and easy desserts she can find using what she has on hand, that’s what!

YUM-O! I love quick and easy. I even had all the ingredients for #6 and it was HEAVENLY!

  1. Apple Crescent Dumplings: This has been my go-to dessert for YEARS! It was love at first bite! I searched high and low for the recipe and I finally found it at Pillsbury.  It’s as easy as it is delicious and it’s really quite yummy! Using only 6 ingredients you likely already have, it is mess-free and doesn’t require a ton of effort. If you have apples, crescent rolls, and a can of Mountain Dew, you’re set! Trust me, people will be begging for the recipe!
  2. Dump Cake: Because everything delicious sounds like it’s made in the bathroom, right? 😉 Dump cakes have become mega-popular due to the tiny amount of effort you need to put in for such scrumptious results. Who would’ve guessed that a dry cake mix, a can of pineapples and your favorite fruit could turn into something that resembles your grandma’s old fashioned crisp? 8 quick and easy desserts using ingredients you already have in your kitchen!
  3. Pumpkin Pie Fudge: We all have that one friend who dreams of pumpkin-flavored everything. Make their day when you show up to the gathering with this simple yet oh-s0-delightful pumpkin pie fudge.  Satisfy your sweet tooth using sugar, butter and marshmallow crème.  Top with chopped pecans to add some saltiness to the mix!
  4. No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars: For the chocolate lovers in your life, this tasty recipe is perfect. Not only does it whip up with only a few minutes prep but it can be frozen, too! Double your recipe and have a yummy dessert for the next party waiting for you in your freezer. Using cooking oats, peanut butter and chocolate chips make it perfect for baking on those cold winter days.
  5. 45-Minute Cinnamon Rolls: Oh my heavens! I love making cinnamon rolls but they just take so.much.time! With this genius trick to make your dough rise faster, you can cut your kitchen time in half. All you need are some staple items from the kitchen, like flour, cinnamon, and vanilla. Personally, I love adding some maple flavoring to my icing. It gives it just the punch it needs to make my taste-buds sing.
  6. Snickerdoodle Blondies: It’s true! Blondes really do have more fun. (And trust me- I’ve had every color of hair known to man, so I am speaking from experience.) These Snickerdoodle Blondies are so easy it’s almost annoying. Because now that you’ve met them, you will want to whip up a batch every time you set foot in your kitchen. And that’s no good for your waistline. The ingredients are probably already lurking in your kitchen, just begging for you to make them into irresistable blondies.8 quick and easy desserts using ingredients you already have in your kitchen!
  7. M&M Pizza: Because, let’s face it: You probably still have some Halloween candy lying around. In fact, there may even be some left from Easter. Eh, no shame. If you want to be the most popular person with the little ones this season, this dessert is just what you need. I’ll bettchya the kids will be begging for this again next year, which will make Aunt FoFoo pretty angry, considering she spent upwards of 6 hours perfecting her lemon meringue pie. All in good cheer, I’m sure.
  8. Salted Caramel Brownies: Let me just say that again. Salted. Caramel. Brownies. Yep, you should just head to the kitchen now! With only 4 simple ingredients, you cannot go wrong. Grab a bag of pretzels, some brownie mix, a jar of caramel and salt and you’re on your merry way to pure happiness. Your taste buds will thank you.

This holiday season, when you’re desperate for a simple and quick dessert to whip up using ingredients you already have, try one of these. Because nothing, I mean nothing, is worth  an extra trip to the store.

YUM-O! I love quick and easy. I even had all the ingredients for #6 and it was HEAVENLY!