We’ve all been there. You’re hosting a dinner party, or you want to celebrate an achievement with your crew. Dessert is on your mind, but you’re unsure of what to make. Here’s a list of random but oh-so-tasty dessert recipes that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth when you’re in an indecisive pinch. We’ve answered some baking FAQs for more inspiration, too.

Cake ideas for dessert

1. Peanut butter mug cake

Anastasia Izofatova – stock.adobe.com

This simple and quick dessert recipe for peanut butter mug cake takes only five minutes to put together. It makes one serving, ideal if you’re dining solo, but they cook so quickly you can easily make multiples.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 egg white from a large egg

• 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter, creamy

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips

Directions

1. Whisk the wet ingredients in a mug with a fork until combined.

2. Mix in the peanut butter.

3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

4. Microwave for 70 seconds, one cake at a time.

Nutritional values per serving

• Calories: 704

• Fat: 45 grams

• Saturated fat: 24 grams

• Cholesterol: 2 milligrams

• Sodium: 253 milligrams

• Carbohydrates: 65 grams

• Fiber: 3 grams

• Sugar: 42 grams‍

• Protein: 16 grams

Recipe adapted from:Oh Sweet Basil

2. Vanilla cake

nata_vkusidey – stock.adobe.com

Who knew something so minimal could be so delightful? If you’re looking for a dessert that your crew at home will love, or you want to impress your guests, vanilla cake is the perfect canvas for creating a sweet masterpiece. Here’s a recipe for you to make this fancy or basic dessert from scratch.

Cookie dessert ideas

3. Double chocolate cookies

c_atta – stock.adobe.com

These chocolatey cookies are a perfect, fussless last-minute dessert for any event. This recipe makes 36 cookies and takes 30 minutes to prepare and cook.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 18 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

• 12 ounces of chocolate chunks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉

2. With parchment paper or a baking mat, line two baking sheets and set them aside.

3. Combine the dry ingredients, minus the sugars and chunks, in a medium bowl.

4. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.

5. Scrape the sides of the sugar bowl and mix in the eggs one at a time.

6. Stir in the vanilla.

7. Add the dry ingredients one third at a time, stirring until combined.

8. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

9. Drop the batter onto the baking sheets, one and a half tablespoons at a time.

10. Place the cookies in the oven one sheet at a time, cooking for nine to 12 minutes.

11. Let them sit on the sheet for five minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Nutritional values per serving

• Calories: 172 

• Protein: 2 grams

• Carbohydrates: 23 grams

• Fiber: 1 gram

• Sugar: 15 grams 

• Total fat: 9 grams

• Saturated fat: 6 grams‍

• Cholesterol: 26 grams

Recipe adapted from: Inspired Taste

4. Sugar cookies

Robyn charnley – stock.adobe.com

Like vanilla cake, this sugar cookie recipe creates fantastic canvases making scrumptiously cute desserts from scratch. You can also get away with serving these cookies plain, as they’re so deliciously chewy.

Pie dessert ideas

5. Classic pumpkin pie

tynza – stock.adobe.com

While it takes approximately one hour to make this pie, 35-40 minutes is passive cooking time. You can spend that time reading a book, playing video games, or catching up on some exercise. Just remember it’s in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked

• 15 ounces pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉

2. Roll out your pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan

3. Combine all the ingredients, minus the eggs, in a large bowl.

4. Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time while mixing in between each egg.

5. Beat the mixture until it’s soft and airy. This should take three to five minutes.

6. Scoop or pour the mixture into the prepared crust.

7. Bake for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to 350℉ to cook the pie for 35-40 additional minutes or until the center of the pie is no longer gelatinous. It’s crucial to use a timer to know when to check in on your pie’s progress.

8. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving. Once cooled, cover your pie and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

Nutritional values

• Calories: 318 

• Carbohydrates: 44 grams

• Protein: 5 grams

• Fat: 14 grams

• Saturated fat: 7 grams

• Cholesterol: 86 milligrams

• Sodium: 216 milligrams

• Fiber: 2 grams‍

• Sugar: 30 grams

Recipe adapted from: I Wash You Dry ‍

6. Apple pie

Nevena – stock-adobe.com

Apple pies are a popular favorite, and if you’re new to making them, they’re more straightforward than you’d think. Here’s a recipe for one of the best apple pie desserts. It details how to make a perfectly cooked pie with a golden crust.

Dessert FAQs

What are some desserts you can make from scratch?

You can make just about any dessert from scratch, such as pies, cakes, cookies, puddings, tarts, and bars. You can even make your own souffle. It all depends on your skill level and what you’re comfortable with, but the more you do it, the easier it will become.

What are the most popular desserts?

That depends on who you ask and where they’re from. Some say the most popular dessert in the U.S. is apple pie, some say ice cream, and others say chocolate chip cookies.

What is the easiest dessert to make from scratch?

Mug cakes are one of the easiest desserts to make from scratch, thanks to their simple ingredients, their easy assembly, and the fact that they only use one mug. What’s more, no baking is necessary to make this easy dessert recipe. Mug cakes are good desserts to make at home or on vacation. All you need is access to a microwave.

What is the most delicious dessert in the world?

The answer to this is essentially impossible to pinpoint. However, you can find plenty of dessert inspiration across the world, such as:

• Tiramisu, a coffee-chocolatey cake that hails from Italy

• Pasteis de nata, a custard tart from Portugal

• Churros, deep-fried dough from Spain

• Gulab jamun, a deep-fried milk and flour concoction soaked in sweet syrup that’s popular in India

• Lamingtons, a chocolate-coated sponge cake from Australia

• Rum cake, a delightful dish from the Caribbean

• Baklava, a fantastic pastry from the Middle East

• Eszterhazy torta, a gorgeous almond meringue and chocolate buttercream cake from Hungary

• Black Forest cake, a sinfully rich chocolate cake from Germany

• Chocolate mousse, a delectable sweet from France

Happy baking

With so many options, sometimes it seems nearly impossible to choose just one recipe. If you discover you’re missing ingredients, Gopuff’s bakery and pantry sections carry the items you need to get the job done. You can also let Gopuff handle the baking and the shopping, with various desserts available for order.