Everyone loves dessert. There is nothing like having that little pop of sweet after a delicious meal to tie it all together. But during the week, that little bit of sweet can seem like a big effort. I mean who has time on a Tuesday to bake a cake?

On the flip side, store bought desserts and sweets can be expensive. Of course, they are also loaded with crap that you would don’t want to eat or feed to your family. But, there is another way to get that sweet fix.

Today, I thought I would share with you my five favourite throw-together dessert that are perfect for any weeknight.

Let’s take a look…

Yogurt, and honey

This very simple dessert out of the Middle East is exactly what it sounds like. Plain yogurt, drizzled with honey and topped with chopped pistachios.

It sounds a little too simple. Kind of boring. Maybe even sort of gross. Try it. Seriously.

I also like to add a pinch of ground cardamom to the yogurt. Just a pinch goes a long way and really compliments all the other flavours.

To make this all I do is put about 1/2 cup of yogurt in a cup that I have mixed with a small pinch of ground cardamom. Then I drizzle the yogurt with 1-2 tbsp of honey, depending on how sweet I want it. Finally, I top it with a small handful of chopped, salted pistachios. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

This will satisfy that sweet craving. It also works really well as a refreshing snack on a hot summer afternoon.

Lemon Curd

Lemon curd is one of those things that seems really complicated but actually isn’t. Epicurious has an amazing lemon curd recipe that only takes about 10 minutes to put together. The only kicker is that it has to cool for about an hour. But, if you make it while you’re making the rest of your dinner, by the time you eat and get the dishes done, it will be ready to go.

I like to serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, and some fresh raspberries.

You can find the recipe from epicurious right here.

Sautéed Bananas with Caramel

This is such a delicious dessert. To make it you just need a few firm bananas, some vanilla ice cream, a bit of brown sugar, and some butter. You can also add a bit of rum or bourbon to this.

To make it get a frying pan hot over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter. Once the butter starts to foam add bananas that have been peeled, sliced in half length wise, and then split down the middle. Put them in the pan flat side down.

Let the bananas cook for a minute or two browning the under side. Flip the bananas, and sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar into the pan along with 1-2 more tablespoons of butter. If you are using alcohol add it before the sugar and butter and cook it for a minute to get rid of the alcohol flavour.

Once the sugar has formed a caramel, about four to five minutes, remove from the heat, let cool for a minute or two and then serve over vanilla ice cream. I like to top it with crushed peanuts.

Crumbles

Crumbles take a bit of time to bake, but no time to put together. If timed properly, just like with the lemon curd, by the time dinner is over and the tidying is done, the crumble should be cooked and cooled enough to eat.

You can even speed up the cooking time by making the crumbles in ramekins.

You can check out my post about crumbles here for more information about them.

Berry and Cream Cups

This can be as simple as putting some berries in a cup and topping with whipped cream. Or you can do things a little different and marinated/macerate the berries in ginger ale or simple syrup with mint.

You can layer the berries and cream with cookies similar to a trifle. You can even just finish it with some graham cracker crumbs for a little crunch.

No matter how you make it, this is guaranteed to please.

Conclusion

When we think of dessert we often think of cakes and pies. Those are delicious, but they aren’t the only option.

I hope you walk away from this realizing that you can have a nice, delicious dessert any night of the week. It’s doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort to satisfy that sweet craving after a delicious meal and a hard day.

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