These simple and stress-free dessert ideas will have you out of the kitchen in no time and enjoying the holiday season.

1. Banana Coconut Cream Pie. Slice two bananas and layer half on the bottom of a prepared graham cracker crust. Prepare two packages of instant vanilla pudding according to package directions for pie filling. Stir 2 cups whipped topping into pie filling. Spread half of this mixture over bananas. Layer remaining bananas and then rest of pie filling. Top with 1 cup toasted coconut. Chill about two hours or until set.

2. Mini Pies. Using two prepared pie crusts, cut three inch circles (I use the top of a glass as my “cutter”). Fit each pie crust into a muffin cup. Prick the pie bottoms and bake according to package directions. After pie crusts are cooled, fill with assorted pudding flavors. Use either package mixes or even easier, already prepared pudding flavors. Top each pie with fresh fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles or chopped candies depending on the pudding flavor.

3. Mini Tarts. Fill mini phyllo cups with fresh fruit and whipped topping.

4. Parfait Cups. Layer berries and whipped topping in small plastic cups. For a more formal presentation use wine or cordial glasses.

5. Mini Cheesecakes. Prepare a no bake cheesecake mix according to package directions but instead of using a pie plate, divide mix evenly among 12 cupcake papers. Top with fresh fruit, pie filling or candy morsels.

6. Decorated Cookies. Mix confectioner’s sugar and a small amount of milk until spreading consistency. Use to frost store bought sugar cookies. Decorate with seasonal sprinkles or sugars.

7. Chocolate Strawberries. Wash and dry 1 pint of fresh strawberries. Chill for 20 minutes. In a microwavable bowl melt 12 oz. milk chocolate and 1 tsp shortening at 15 second intervals until melted, stirring each time. Dip strawberries into milk chocolate covering half of the fruit. Place on foil lined baking sheet and cool in refrigerator.

8. Gourmet Brownies. Prepare one box of brownie mix. Add to prepared mix 6 ounces of chocolate chips. Spread in pan. Top with 1 cup chopped nuts. Bake according to package directions.

9. Chocolate Nut Fudge. Combine a 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a bowl. Microwave one minute. Stir until smooth. Add ½ cup chopped nuts. Pour into a greased 8 X 8 pan. Chill until firm.

10. Cupcakes. Using a simple box mix, prepare cupcakes according to package directions. Frost with ready-made frosting. Use seasonal colored sprinkles to decorate in holiday colors.

What is more down home than a freshly baked apple pie? Not much, I tell you. This apple crumble dessert recipe is an easy-to-make variation of the popular two crust apple pie. What makes this an easy apple pie recipe is that you only use one crust (which you don’t even have make), and the filling and topping will only take a few minutes to put together.

1 Ready made frozen pie crust

Filling

6 – 7 tart apples

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Apple Crumble Topping

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, firm texture

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

First of all, don’t peel the apples. Core and cut apples into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place apple slices into the pie crust.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle this spice mixture over the apples.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes until edge of pie is golden brown and the apples are nice and tender. Keep in mind when serving - this pie will have a loose texture and not be firm like regular apple pie.

Apple Square Recipe: Fresh Apple Cake Recipe

This delicious apple dessert recipe is another great way to use fresh apples and will fill your kitchen up with a wonderful homemade aroma. This cinnamon apple recipe is also filled with raisins and pecans for a wonderful crunch and munch flavor experience in every bite.

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup raisins

3 cups fresh apple, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan.

With a spoon, lightly put flour into a measuring cup and level off the top with a knife.

In a large bowl, add the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; mix thoroughly. Add in the milk and egg; blend well.

Spread mixture into the greased baking pan. Sprinkle raisins, apples and pecans evenly over the top of the batter.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until edges are a light golden brown and the apples are nice and tender.

Fall is just around the corner and that means lots of apples just begging to be turned into pies. This fall also offers our United States Presidential Election and what is more American than apple pie? Following are a couple of very tasty apple pie recipes that are perfect for diabetics as well as for anyone. Give them a try and enjoy a delicious piece of apple pie today.

Old-Fashioned Classic Apple Pie

6 cups thinly sliced, peeled, tart cooking apples

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup Splenda granular

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbsp butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice apples into a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to apples; mix together well. Mix apples again with a large spoon then turn into pastry lined pie pan. Dot the surface with the butter or margarine. Place top pastry over pie and seal the edges well. Cut steam vents in center of the top crust or poke several times with a fork. Bake pie in a 425 degree oven for 45 - 55 minutes or until crust turns a golden brown and the filling starts to bubble up through the vents.

NO SUGAR ADDED APPLE PIE

1/3 cup frozen apple juice concentrate

8 tsp Splenda granular

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp ground cinnamon

8 cups thinly sliced baking apples, peeled

1 tbsp butter

Pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, combine juice, Splenda, cornstarch and cinnamon. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry, allowing pastry to overlap sides. Place apple slices over bottom pastry. Pour the juice mixture evenly over the apple slices. Dot with the butter. Top with pastry. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut a slit in center of crust for venting during baking. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Increase oven tiemperature to 400 degrees and bake 15-20 minutes longer until pie is bubbly and crust is a golden brown.

This is a good pastry crust recipe suitable for use with either of these pie recipes.

Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie:

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup lard or solid vegetable shortening

5 to 7 tbsp ice water

In a large bowl, stir flour and salt together until blended. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut lard or shortening into flour mixture until the mixture becomes mealy.

Mix in ice water a little at a time with a fork, stirring until the mixture leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball. Finish shaping dough into a ball with your hands, cut in half with a knife to form two balls for the top and the bottom of the pan. On a lightly floured board, flatten one ball of dough and roll with a lightly floured rolling pin from center to edge in a circular fashion, making a 12-inch circle. Place pastry into a 9-inch pie pan, fitting gently and trimming off excess dough with sharp knife or scissors. Fill or bake according to recipe. Roll out remaining dough in the same manner to use as a top crust.

Enjoy!