- Recipes
- Desserts
- Cookies
Collette Reitz
Collette ReitzSpecial Projects Editor
Collette Reitz is an editor and writer based in Chicago. She was previously an editor at Elite Daily, covering trends, tech, social media, food, and travel. She was also a freelance journalist, producing lifestyle, entertainment, and health content for publications including StyleCaster, People, Best Products, and The Checkup. She loves em dashes and blasting anything by Taylor Swift during a run.
published Dec 26, 2023
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Dessert is the best part of any meal, and you can’t convince me otherwise. But there are so many options when it comes to a sweet finale. How do you choose the right one? Sometimes I know exactly what I’m craving (right now, that’s a classic holiday dessert), but other times I’m stumped, and that’s when I like to see what other people are making and baking. Looking at The Kitchn’s 15 most popular desserts of 2023, there are some clear winners.
From three dump cakes filled with apple, cranberry, and blueberry that couldn’t be easier to make to no-bake recipes like pumpkin mousse and peanut butter bars, there’s something for every occasion. Check out the best dessert recipes readers kept coming back to all year.
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Cranberry-Apple Dump Cake Recipe
For the easiest dessert, just dump apple pie filling, cranberry sauce, cake mix, and butter into a dish and bake. Every bite will be filled with cinnamon-spiced apples, tart cranberries, and the buttery crunch of a cobbler-esque topping.
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Pecan Pie Brownies Recipe
Calling for nothing more than a boxed brownie mix and a simple one-pot pecan pie topping, these cuties will be cooling on your counter within an hour.
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15
Apple Delight Recipe
Packed with five creamy layers of spiced apples, cream cheese, fluffy whipped cream, and sweet caramel, this no-bake dessert will make everyone forget all about pie.
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No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
These chocolate-topped peanut butter bars take only five ingredients and 15 minutes to make. Thanks to the addition of crushed graham crackers, the fudgy peanut butter layer is slightly crispy. It tastes just like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
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Apple Dump Cake Recipe
Layer — or, rather, dump — canned apple pie filling, box cake mix, and thinly sliced butter in a baking dish and bake. Then, dig into the crisp, golden crust and warm cinnamon-spiced apple filling.
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Blueberry Dump Cake Recipe
With only four ingredients, this easy one-pan bake uses supermarket shortcuts like canned blueberry pie filling and cake mix. There's no mixing required to make a rich and tender golden-brown cake studded with fruity blueberries.
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7
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Pumpkin Cookies Recipe
Tender and moist, this version of a fall classic has big pumpkin spice flavor. But the very best part of all is the spiced sugar coating — it adds a pretty sparkle to the cookies and the most irresistible crunch.
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Strawberry Delight Recipe
This impressive no-bake dessert is packed with six layers (yes, six layers) of creamy, dreamy berry goodness. With a flavor reminiscent of no-bake cheesecake, it might remind you of something you ate as a kid.
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Snowball Cookies Recipe
Bite-sized and sugar-coated, eating these five-ingredient cookies is like biting into pure nostalgia. Taste the flavors of butter, toasted nuts, and warm vanilla as you enjoy their crumbly texture.
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3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
You only need peanut butter, sugar, one egg, and 30 minutes to make a batch of soft and chewy cookies that'll surely become a staple recipe.
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Boston Cream Pie Recipe
This classic dessert has three components: a fluffy sponge cake for its base, pastry cream for the filling, and a shiny coat of chocolate ganache. It's a simple yet stunning dessert that is rich, moist, and not too sweet.
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12
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Limoncello Bars Recipe
This twist on classic lemon bars is packed with bright, citrusy flavor. They begin with a traditional graham cracker crust but quickly get a modern makeover by adding a layer of creamy limoncello-infused filling.
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Icebox Cake Recipe
As it cools in the refrigerator, the whipped cream softens the crisp cookies, yielding slices of tender, cake-like layers for a simple, no-bake dessert.
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14
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Pumpkin Mousse Recipe
Each serving of this no-bake dessert is filled with crunchy graham crackers, silky pumpkin mousse, and fluffy mascarpone whipped cream — all in an elegant glass.
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Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars Recipe
With three impressive layers, plus a double dose of caramel sauce, these apple pie bars are much easier than making a whole pie.
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