If you’re cooking for one, you definitely need a few single serving dessert recipes in your back pocket, here are 14 tasty recipes to get you started. Make one serving of a favorite dessert so it doesn’t go bad.
When to make single serving desserts
I love single serving desserts, they’re satisfying, easy (mine are at least!) and don’t leave me with tons of extra servings to eat up before they go bad.
It’s a great food to make if you’re craving dessert and want to spend some time in the kitchen.
Single serving recipes also leave you with random amounts of leftover ingredients, like an egg white (which can easily be used in eggs or other recipes). Just keep this in mind.
I also am feeling like cookies and other baked goods are sometimes (or often) better made in small batch recipes instead of single serving desserts. That way you’re spending the same amount of time preparing and also baking them.
Small batch recipes also work well if you’re making dessert for a small crowd or for recipes that freeze well like cookies and many dessert bars.
Make what you want, as you can see I say I don’t like single serving cookies and have recipes here. I just hope that this is helpful context to have in mind when you’re baking or planning on making some dessert.
Check out the 16 Best Small Batch Desserts.
How desserts can help with Intuitively Eating
As a non-diet dietitian, I’m always reminding myself and encouraging my clients (when it’s appropriate for their stage of eating or recovery), to keep desserts and forbidden foods around.
Or at least incorporate treats into daily or so eating.
This is key to reducing anxiety and feeling out of control around certain foods. That’s right, totally counter-intuitive, but it’s so helpful.
Once we get used to foods and knowing they’ll always* be around, they lose some of that overwhelming power over us. Our nervous systems trust that we can eat it whenever, and chill out. It’s cool.
Now, I’ll be honest here, many people do experience a bit (or a hard) pendulum swing when opening up fear foods. It’s typical to go from never eating brownies to wanting them all the time, and feeling out of control. That’s expected.
It may be helpful to find a non-diet dietitian to help with that transition so you end up with lower anxiety and stress around those foods, and find a happy medium for yourself.
Check out my nutrition services here (many insurances cover nutrition appointments!)
Cookies
Single serving cookies are great! Make one perfect cookie for yourself. Although I do like making a small batch of cookies (see above!), there are definitely times for a single serving cookie, and these are the best.
This single serve chocolate chip cookie is such an easy cookie, that’s perfect with crispy edges and gooey middle. It’s great when you’re in the mood for chocolate chip cookies, but don’t have freezer or counter room.
This single serving cookie is perfection. Gooey center with so many dots of chocolate, and crispy edges. My cookies always spread, but it’ so easy to press the sides in to keep a classic cookie shape, and make it a bit thicker.
This single serving oatmeal cookie has wonderfully crunchy edges and a gooey center, making it the perfect cookie. It’s wonderfully spiced with cinnamon, and a great cookie to add raisins to, if you like them.
I love a good oatmeal cookie, especially with raisins. But the cookie has to have a noticeable cinnamon/spice flavor. This single serving dessert is great if you like oatmeal cookies too! Bake your sweet treat in the oven or Air Fryer.
Sometimes you just want the cookie dough instead of baked cookies, I feel you. Single serving desserts are best when they’re quick. Keep your cookie safer to eat (raw egg and flour aren’t the safest to eat!) by making a few swaps.
Milkshakes
Milkshakes are great single serving desserts, they’re easy to make any number of servings, are quick desserts, and are best eaten right away.
5 minute creamy butterscotch milkshake for one is made with just 3 ingredients, when you use store bought butterscotch sauce. Or make it with my easy butterscotch recipe. Because it’s so easy, it’s a great spring/summer dessert to cool down with.
You don’t need to buy butterscotch to make this easy recipe. You can make your own in just a few minutes, with a few ingredients. I feel like milkshakes are the perfect single serving dessert, they’re easy to make for one and so tasty!
A biscoff milkshake for one takes 5 minutes and 4 ingredients, so it’s the perfect dessert when you need a quick dessert. Caramel and cinnamon flavors of Biscoff cookies and butter, blend together with creamy vanilla ice cream for a cool treat.
You just need ice cream, milk, and some Biscoff cookies (even use leftover ones from flying, if you didn’t get a chance to eat them already!). Add some Biscoff cookie butter for extra creaminess and cookie flavor.
This 6 ingredient, 5 minute strawberry banana milkshake is a satisfying, quick dessert for one. It’s got 2 secret ingredients to give it a summery bright strawberry flavor and is made with ingredients you can find in your fridge and freezer.
Frozen strawberries and banana are great additions to ice cream for a summery milkshake treat. This is a bright, refreshing single serving dessert for anyone!
Fruit Desserts
Pair tasty fruit with sweet toppings to make the most delicious single serving desserts with fruit. There’s a great tart, crumble and xxx recipe.
This easy single serving apple crumble tart is the perfect cool weather dessert. To save time, add a few ingredients to half of the shortbread like crust recipe to make the crumble topping. It’s filled with tart apples for the perfect sweet, tart, crumbly bite.
Apples and oats (with cinnamon and other ingredients!) is such a great flavor combination. I worked hard to make this crumble tart easy and wonderfully tangy and sweet. It’s perfection in my mind. A great fall dessert!
This single serve apple crisp is the perfect easy fall dessert for one. It takes just 10 minutes to assemble, and about 30 to bake. It’s good out of the oven, but honestly really shines at room temperature-if you can wait!
Easier than the single serving apple tart above, this apple crisp is a great way to use up the best fall fruit! It’s got tender apples with a sweet, crunchy topping. It’s so delicious.
This peach crumble dessert is made on the stove in just 15 minutes, it’s the perfect quick summer dessert for one. All you need are fresh or canned peaches, and a couple pantry ingredients for the tasty crumble topping.
Aside from all the tasty baked single serving desserts, this peach crumble is made on the stove. It’s faster, easier, and so tasty! Just cook the peaches, then topping and you’re good to go. Easily swap the peaches for another fruit.
Chocolate Desserts
If you’re a chocolate lover, these recipes are for you. We’re not about chocolate light here, it’s got to be dark, flavorful, and so so chocolate-y. Swap dark for milk chocolate to make these single serving desserts perfect for you!
Make this single serve brownie when you’ve got a chocolate craving. It’s got gooey chocolate chips, can be cooked to your preference, and just takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. You’re just a few minutes to getting your chocolate fix.
Another dessert perfection, this brownie is gooey in the center, with dots of chocolate, and wonderfully crispy edges. It’s great on it’s own or with a scoop of your favorite ice cream (including chocolate for SO MUCH chocolate!)
This single serving chocolate pudding is rich, creamy, and smooth. With just 5 pantry ingredients, it’s easy to make in about 10 minutes, any day. It does need to chill about an hour for best chilled results.
If you’re a chocolate lover, this is the chocolate dessert for you. It’s got a rich chocolate flavor and is so creamy. Making your own chocolate pudding is easier than you’d think, give it a try!
Snacky Desserts
Not all desserts have to be typical cakes, cookies, and brownies. Sometimes desserts can be more of a snack. These are great in between meals, when you’ve got a craving, or when you want something sweet, but are kinda full.
Single serve banana bread is a great easy recipe to use if you have just one ripe banana to use up. It’s a great breakfast or snack recipe for one person, especially when it’s topped with peanut butter.
Dessert or breakfast or snack, this single serve banana bread is great! I like to smear some peanut butter on top, and sprinkle chocolate chips on top of that. It’s not a dessert dessert, but it’s so good and can be eaten any time!
Popcorn with M&Ms is a great snack or treat for any day, it’s made with salty popcorn, a delicious chocolate drizzle, and crunchy m&m’s. It can be made in about 10 minutes, is crispy, crunchy, salty, and chocolatey.
Another not super dessert-y dessert, but let’s have some options! Maybe you’re feeling snacky and not particularly hungry or wanting a dense brownie. popcorn with candies and chocolate may hit the spot!
Chocolate covered popcorn for one is the perfect sweet and salty snack that’s ready in 5 minutes. Make your popcorn in a silicone bag or paper bag and add a quick chocolate drizzle and a dusting of salt to your already popped popcorn.
I love to make popcorn from scratch. I just use a Stasher bag in the microwave, and cook about 2 minutes. Drizzle some melted chocolate chips on top for a tasty snack/dessert.
FAQ
Make safe (see above) cookie dough, pudding, or something frozen to avoid using the oven. There are so many no-bake desserts, this doesn’t even cover them all!
The best way to make a single serving dessert is to find a recipe for the dessert you want, that makes one serving. Cutting a recipe by more than half can leave you with a baked good that doesn’t turn out well.
Many desserts can be made in one serving, no bake desserts are usually the easiest, like pudding, cookie dough, and others. But single serving cookies are easy, and delicious too. See recipes above for options!
Did you make any of these single serving desserts? Leave me a comment & rating to share how they turned out!
