The 9 Easiest Recipes EVER: 3 Ingredients or Fewer

While cooking meals in your dorm or apartment can be a great way to stay healthy and save money, as busy collegiettes with heavy course loads, extracurriculars and social lives, it can be tough to find time to spend in the kitchen. With this list of easy recipes that use no more than three ingredients, you can effortlessly and inexpensively whip up some healthy and tasty snacks!

1.  Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Made with bananas, oats and no added sugar, this chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe from The Burlap Bag is quick and guilt-free!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray.
3. Combine the mashed bananas and oats in a bowl.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips and place a tablespoon of each on the cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.

2. Oat and Date Bars

Cooking couldn’t get easier than this no-bake oat and date bar recipe from Colorful Canary. With its only two ingredients being oats and dates, this recipe provides a tasty, nutritious and high-fiber snack option.

Ingredients:

• Medjool dates 
• Oats 

Instructions:

1. Pulsate water and dates in a food processor until a thick, smooth paste forms.  It should be the consistency of a thick jam.  
2. Add the oats; pulsate until blended.
3. Press into the bottom of a glass pan to about 1/2" thickness and chill.
4. Once chilled and firm, cut and serve.

3.  Banana Pancakes

It’s sometimes hard to set aside enough time to work a healthy breakfast into a hectic schedule, so this three-ingredient banana pancake recipe from Eugenie Kitchen is the perfect choice for the busy, health-conscious collegiette. The combination of eggs and bananas provides protein and potassium to kick-start your day!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ large bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Crack the two eggs into a bowl and whisk together.
2. In a separate bowl, mash the banana with a fork or masher, but do not over-mash as this will cause your pancakes to not be fluffy. Be sure to use enough egg to hold the mashed banana together, but make sure that you don’t use too much banana, or else the pancake will not hold.
3. Combine both bowls of ingredients together and stir.
4. Cook in a pan over medium-low heat, using only about one to two tablespoons of batter for each.
5. Once bubbles begin to form, flip the pancake over and allow it to cook for an additional minute.

4.  Oat Pancakes

While the natural sugars in the bananas add sweetness to the previous recipe, pancake lovers who prefer savory to sweet can go with this sugar-free, two ingredient pancake recipe from Run Eat Repeat, which uses only oats and eggs. For extra flavor, protein and healthy fats, you can also use your favorite nut butter as a topping!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 packet of instant oatmeal

Instructions:

1. Whip up the egg and stir with the packet of oatmeal.
2. Spread the mixture onto a hot, oiled pan.
3. Wait to flip until the first side has set.

5.  Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

This chocolate chia pudding from Babble is healthy and vegan dessert option for chocolate lovers.  The incorporation of chia seeds not only adds texture but also fiber, protein, minerals and omega fatty acids. You can find chia seeds at health foods stores like Whole Foods, and maybe even at your local supermarket.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soy milk (vanilla)

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tsp cacao powder

Instructions:

1. Briskly stir the seeds, cacao powder and soy milk for a few minutes until the seeds begin to plump.
2. Alternate, easy (no-stir) version: Place all ingredients in a blender and allow to mix on the lowest setting possible (ultra-low) for a few minutes until thickened.

3. Place in fridge to chill.
4. Serve with fresh fruit.

6.  Peanut Butter Cookies

Another easy cookie recipe is Better Recipes’ peanut butter cookie recipe.  The peanut butter and egg base is a good source of protein, and since the recipe’s other ingredient is sugar, an option for those looking to reduce their sugar intake is to substitute regular sugar for a zero-calorie option such as Stevia, Truvia or Splenda.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Combine peanut butter, sugar and egg.  
2. Refrigerate at least one hour or until firm.  
3. Roll into 1-inch balls and press down with a fork, making crosshatch marks.  
4. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

7.  Sugar-Free Raspberry Yogurt Pie

This light, fluffy, low-calorie dessert option from Kalyn’s Kitchen requires only a microwave and two ingredients. Greek yogurt is rich in protein, calcium and potassium, so this dessert can help power your through a late-night study session.

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
• Sugar-free raspberry Jell-O (or use any flavor you like)

Instructions:

1. In a large, microwave-proof bowl, mix together the yogurt and sugar-free Jell-O powder until it's all combined. 
2. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir several times, then microwave 1 minute more. 
4. Pour the heated yogurt mixture into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. 
5. Refrigerate three hours or until set, then cut and serve with a dollop of sugar-free nonfat whipped topping if desired.

8. Tomato and Avocado Sandwich

While you may think the best sandwiches contain several ingredients, by picking only two ingredients that complement each other, such as tomatoes and avocado in this recipe from Saveur, you can create a tasty and nutritious vegetarian lunch or dinner option that serves as an excellent source of vitamin C and healthy fats.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of seven-grain bread
• ½ avocado, peeled and sliced
• 3 tomato slices

Instructions:

1. Top one slice of bread with tomato and avocado.
2. Top with the other slice of bread.

9. Bun-less Turkey Burger

Turkey burgers are leaner than regular beef burgers but still pack in a lot of protein. By eliminating the bun, you avoid refined carbohydrates that are essentially empty calories because they contain sugar but no other nutrients to really fill you up.

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen turkey burger patty, such as Jennie-O Turkey Burgers
• 2-3 slices of tomato
• 1 lettuce cup

Instructions:

1. Prepare turkey burger according to package instructions.
2. Place tomato slices on top of cooked burger and wrap in lettuce.
3. Top with ketchup, mustard or other condiments of your choice.

While cutting down the number of required ingredients will make a recipe quick and easy, there are other ways to speed up the mealtime process, like making microwavable meals. For more easy meal ideas, check out these 7 easy meals to make in your apartment!