Two-Ingredient Recipes: 18 Sweet and Savory Shortcuts That Taste Like You Tried All Day

Two-ingredient recipes sound too good to be true, but they are some of the most loved cooking videos online. One Tasty video of five of them has more than 22 million views, and a single condensed milk truffle video has passed 44 million. The trick is simple: pick two hard-working store-bought ingredients and let them do the job. Salt, pepper, oil and water do not count, because every kitchen has them. Below you will find soft breads, weeknight dinners, party bites and holiday sweets, all with just two things on the list. Some will save a busy Tuesday, and some will make you look like a holiday baking star..

Two-ingredient recipes that taste like you tried hard

Two ingredients. That is all these recipes ask for, not counting salt, pepper, oil or water. People clearly love the idea: few-ingredient videos keep pulling millions of views year after year. Let us warm up with the easiest treat of all, chocolate dipped pretzels, which kids can make while you cook dinner. How many ingredients does your favorite recipe have..

You will need: 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, 3 cups pretzel twists

How to make it: 1. Line a tray with parchment paper. 2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring each time. 3. Dip each pretzel halfway into the chocolate. 4. Let the extra drip off and lay it on the tray. 5. Chill 15 minutes until set.

Two-ingredient dough flatbread

This is the recipe that made two-ingredient cooking famous. Self-rising flour and thick Greek yogurt come together into a soft dough in two minutes, with no yeast and no waiting. Cook it in a dry skillet and you get warm, puffy flatbreads that taste like they came from a bakery. The same dough makes bagels, pizza crust and garlic knots.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

How to make it: 1. Stir the flour and yogurt together until a shaggy dough forms. 2. Knead on a floured counter for 1 minute until smooth. 3. Cut into 6 pieces and roll each one thin. 4. Cook in a hot dry skillet 1 to 2 minutes per side until puffed and spotted. 5. Brush with a little butter if you like and serve warm.

Banana and egg pancakes

Two eggs and one ripe banana turn into tender little pancakes that taste like banana bread. They have no flour and no sugar, so they are a quick breakfast for kids and grownups alike. Keep them small so they are easy to flip. Top with berries or a drizzle of syrup. Would your family eat these on a school morning?

You will need: 1 large ripe banana, 2 eggs

How to make it: 1. Mash the banana in a bowl until almost smooth. 2. Whisk in the eggs. 3. Heat a nonstick pan over medium low heat with a little oil. 4. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake. 5. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until set and golden.

Condensed milk chocolate truffles, two-ingredient recipes for gifts

These are the truffles from the video with more than 44 million views. Sweetened condensed milk and chocolate cook together into a thick, fudgy mixture you can roll into balls. Roll them in cocoa, sprinkles or chopped nuts and they look like they came from a candy shop. Pack them in little boxes for Christmas gifts.

You will need: 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup chocolate chips (plus cocoa powder for rolling, optional)

How to make it: 1. Pour the condensed milk and chocolate into a nonstick pan. 2. Cook over low heat, stirring all the time, for 8 to 10 minutes until it pulls away from the pan. 3. Spread on a buttered plate and chill 1 hour. 4. Roll into small balls with buttered hands. 5. Roll in cocoa or sprinkles and keep cold.

No-churn vanilla ice cream, the easiest two-ingredient recipes for dessert

You do not need an ice cream machine for creamy, scoopable ice cream. Whipped heavy cream folded into sweetened condensed milk freezes smooth and rich. Add a splash of vanilla or a handful of crushed cookies if you like. It is the base for endless flavors. Poll: A) plain vanilla, B) cookies and cream, C) chocolate swirl, D) peppermint for Christmas?

You will need: 2 cups cold heavy cream, 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

How to make it: 1. Beat the cold cream to stiff peaks. 2. Pour the condensed milk into a large bowl. 3. Fold in the whipped cream gently in two parts. 4. Spread into a loaf pan and cover. 5. Freeze at least 6 hours, then scoop.

Two-ingredient chocolate mousse

Real chocolate mousse usually takes eggs, sugar and patience. This one takes melted chocolate and whipped cream, and it is ready to chill in 10 minutes. It comes out light, silky and rich, perfect in small glasses or spread into a cookie crust as a pie. Top it with berries for a party.

You will need: 6 oz semisweet chocolate, 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

How to make it: 1. Melt the chocolate and let it cool until just warm. 2. Whip the cream to soft peaks. 3. Stir one big spoon of cream into the chocolate to loosen it. 4. Fold in the rest of the cream until no streaks remain. 5. Spoon into glasses and chill 2 hours.

Peanut butter fudge in the microwave

Old-fashioned peanut butter fudge can be fussy, but this version needs only creamy peanut butter and white chocolate. Melt them together, pour into a pan and let the fridge do the rest. It cuts into soft, creamy squares that taste just like grandma used to make. It keeps for a week and travels well to parties.

You will need: 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 cups white chocolate chips

How to make it: 1. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment. 2. Microwave the peanut butter and white chocolate in 30 second bursts, stirring each time. 3. Stir until smooth and glossy. 4. Spread in the pan. 5. Chill 2 hours and cut into small squares.

Puff pastry Christmas tree, two-ingredient recipes for the holidays

This pull-apart tree is the showstopper of easy holiday baking. Two sheets of puff pastry sandwich a layer of chocolate hazelnut spread, then get cut into a tree shape with twisted branches. It bakes golden and flaky and looks like a bakery treat. You can also make small trees on sticks like these. Guests always ask how you did it.

You will need: 2 sheets puff pastry thawed, 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F. 2. Spread the chocolate on one pastry sheet and lay the second sheet on top. 3. Cut a large triangle tree and a trunk, then cut thin branches along both sides. 4. Twist each branch two times. 5. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until puffed and golden.

Cake mix and pumpkin muffins

Skip the eggs and oil on the box. A can of pumpkin puree mixed into spice cake mix makes moist, tender muffins that taste like fall. They are lighter than regular muffins and come together in one bowl. This is one of the two-ingredient recipes kids can make almost by themselves. Add a few chocolate chips if you want.

You will need: 1 box spice cake mix, 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and line a muffin tin. 2. Stir the cake mix and pumpkin together until smooth. The batter will be thick. 3. Fill each cup about two thirds full. 4. Bake 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 5. Cool 10 minutes before eating.

Cake mix and soda chocolate cake

It sounds like a joke until you taste it. A can of soda replaces the eggs, oil and water in a boxed cake mix, and the bubbles make the cake light and moist. Chocolate cake mix with cola is a favorite, and white cake with lemon lime soda is lovely too. Which pair would you try first?

You will need: 1 box chocolate cake mix, 1 can (12 oz) cola or other soda

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9 by 13 inch pan. 2. Pour the cake mix into a bowl. 3. Slowly stir in the soda until smooth. 4. Spread in the pan. 5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the center springs back, then cool.

Crescent dough pigs in a blanket

Few party foods disappear faster than pigs in a blanket. Little cocktail sausages roll up in strips of crescent dough and bake golden and buttery. They are a hit at game day, Christmas Eve and kids birthday parties. Set out mustard or ketchup for dipping, and make more than you think you need.

You will need: 1 can (8 oz) crescent roll dough, 24 cocktail sausages

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F. 2. Unroll the dough and cut each triangle into 3 thin strips. 3. Roll a strip around each sausage. 4. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. 5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden.

Slow cooker salsa chicken, two-ingredient recipes for busy nights

Put two things in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to dinner. Chicken breasts cook in a jar of salsa until they shred with a fork. Pile it into tacos, burrito bowls or over rice. It also freezes well, so it is great for meal prep. What would you serve it in: tacos, bowls or lettuce wraps?

You will need: 2 lb boneless chicken breasts, 1 jar (16 oz) salsa

How to make it: 1. Put the chicken in the slow cooker. 2. Pour the salsa over it. 3. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or high 3 hours. 4. Shred the chicken with two forks right in the pot. 5. Stir it into the sauce and serve.

Italian dressing chicken

A bottle of Italian dressing is a marinade, seasoning and sauce all in one. Chicken soaked in it for a few hours comes out juicy and full of herb and garlic flavor, whether you bake, grill or pan sear it. Serve it with a salad or rice for a dinner that tastes like more work than it was.

You will need: 4 boneless chicken breasts, 1 cup Italian dressing

How to make it: 1. Put the chicken and 3/4 cup dressing in a zip bag. 2. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. 3. Heat the oven to 400 F and place the chicken in a baking dish. 4. Pour the rest of the dressing on top. 5. Bake 22 to 25 minutes until the center reaches 165 F.

Cranberry sauce meatballs

These sweet and tangy meatballs are a holiday party classic. Frozen meatballs simmer in canned cranberry sauce until glossy and sticky. Put them in a slow cooker on warm with toothpicks and watch them vanish. They are perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers too. Do you like them sweet like this or spicy?

You will need: 2 lb frozen cooked meatballs, 1 can (14 oz) jellied cranberry sauce

How to make it: 1. Put the cranberry sauce in a slow cooker or large pot. 2. Stir until it breaks up. 3. Add the frozen meatballs and stir to coat. 4. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours, or simmer on the stove 20 minutes. 5. Serve warm with toothpicks.

Baked brie with jam, two-ingredient recipes for parties

A wheel of brie and a jar of jam make the easiest fancy appetizer you will ever serve. The cheese turns soft and melty in the oven while the jam bubbles on top. Serve it with crackers or apple slices and everyone gathers around. Fig, raspberry or hot pepper jam all work.

You will need: 1 wheel (8 oz) brie, 1/3 cup fig or raspberry jam

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F. 2. Place the brie in a small baking dish. 3. Spread the jam over the top. 4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until soft in the center. 5. Serve warm with crackers.

Chocolate covered strawberries

Chocolate covered strawberries feel like a special occasion, but they are just two ingredients and a little time. Dry berries are the secret, because water makes the chocolate seize. Drizzle white chocolate on top if you want a fancy look. They are perfect for Christmas, date night or a bridal shower tray.

You will need: 1 lb fresh strawberries, 8 oz semisweet chocolate

How to make it: 1. Wash the strawberries and dry them completely. 2. Melt the chocolate in 30 second bursts, stirring each time. 3. Hold each berry by the leaves and dip it in the chocolate. 4. Lay on parchment paper. 5. Chill 20 minutes until set.

Two-ingredient fruit dip

This fluffy fruit dip is the reason kids suddenly want to eat apple slices. Soft cream cheese beaten with marshmallow creme turns light, sweet and creamy. Set it out with strawberries, grapes and pineapple for parties or after-school snacks. A dash of cinnamon is a nice extra if you have it.

You will need: 8 oz cream cheese softened, 1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme

How to make it: 1. Put the soft cream cheese in a bowl. 2. Beat with a mixer until smooth. 3. Add the marshmallow creme. 4. Beat 1 minute until light and fluffy. 5. Serve with fresh fruit and keep leftovers in the fridge.

Frozen pineapple whip, the last of our two-ingredient recipes

We end with a cool treat that tastes like a theme park favorite. Frozen pineapple chunks and coconut milk blend into a soft serve style dessert in two minutes, with no ice cream maker. It is bright, creamy and dairy free. Two-ingredient cooking works because the ingredients do the heavy lifting, so keep these pantry heroes on hand. For more easy ideas, see our three ingredient desserts that taste like way more work, or watch Tasty make five two-ingredient recipes. Which one will you try first?

You will need: 4 cups frozen pineapple chunks, 1/2 cup canned coconut milk

How to make it: 1. Let the pineapple sit 5 minutes to soften a little. 2. Put the pineapple and coconut milk in a blender or food processor. 3. Blend, scraping down the sides, until smooth like soft serve. 4. Serve right away in glasses. 5. Freeze leftovers and soften before scooping.