Budget Dessert Recipes: Sweet Treats Without Breaking the Bank
Make delicious desserts cheaply. No expensive ingredients or specialty equipment needed.
Dessert Without Specialty Ingredients
Good desserts don't need specialty ingredients. Most classic recipes rely on flour, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, oats and fruit. Skip the expensive extras like specialty chocolates or exotic flavourings, and use what's in season and on sale instead.
Simple Cookie Ideas
Cookies give the most dessert for the money. Oatmeal, peanut butter, sugar cookies and snickerdoodles use pantry basics. Bar cookies and brownies baked in one pan take even less time. A single batch covers dessert and lunch box treats for the week.
Cake and Frosting Budget
A homemade cake costs much less than a bakery cake. A simple vanilla or chocolate sheet cake uses basic ingredients, and a basic buttercream needs only butter, icing sugar and a splash of milk. For less sugar and cost, dust the top with icing sugar or serve with fruit instead of frosting.
Pie and Tart Strategies
Pies and tarts are cheaper with homemade crust made from flour, butter, salt and cold water. Fill them with whatever fruit is on sale, or with frozen fruit out of season. A crumble or crisp gives the same taste with less work: fruit underneath, a mix of oats, flour, sugar and butter on top.
Fruit Desserts
Fruit desserts make the most of sales. Baked apples, poached pears, berry crisp, banana bread and grilled peaches in summer all use fruit as the star. Overripe fruit that's no good for eating fresh is perfect for these, which also cuts waste.
No-Bake Desserts
No-bake desserts save oven time and energy: rice pudding on the stovetop, chocolate oat no-bake cookies, icebox cake layered from cookies and whipped cream, and fruit with yogurt and granola. They're quick, cheap and good for warm days.
Featured Cities
Baking staples and fruit go on sale at different stores each week. Browse this week's deals in your city before your next dessert shop.
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