Salad Dressing to Pancakes: 15 Recipes You Should Be Making Instead of Buying

By Jenn Segal

We love the convenience of store-bought staples, but there are some things that are so much tastier and healthier when you make them at home. Recipes for salad dressing, hummus, applesauce, and guac are just a few of the things you can easily create at home.

Hummus

This is the best homemade hummus recipe — and it’s easy to whip up with very few ingredients.
Roasted Tomato Salsa

The vegetables in this salsa recipe are roasted, intensifying the flavor of the tomatoes, mellowing the onions and garlic, and adding a touch of smokiness.
Granola

This homemade granola boasts huge crunchy clusters, perfect for snacking or spooning over lightly sweetened Greek yogurt.
Best-Ever Rice Krispie Treats

A few tweaks to the back-of-the-box recipe make these Rice Krispie Treats the best ever.
Chunky Homemade Applesauce

This baked homemade applesauce is rich, tart, and sweet — almost like apple pie filling — and a world apart from store-bought.
Guacamole

Easy to make and good for you, this classic guacamole is the ticket to wild popularity at any party you bring it to.
Crispy Honey Nut Granola Bars

Crispy and not too sweet, these granola bars are loaded with oats, nuts, coconut, and dried fruit.
Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Tender, puffy, and fudgy with perfectly crisp edges — these chocolate chunk cookies taste better than Toll House and are more reliable.
Classic Egg Salad

Most egg salads are bland, mayo-laden affairs, but this one is vibrant, fresh, and delicious!
Quick Cinnamon Buns with Buttermilk Glaze

These are the perfect cinnamon buns: tender on the inside, golden and caramelized on the outside, and quick to make.
Pimento Cheese

Pimento cheese is a tangy and creamy cheese spread that’s often referred to as the pâté of the South. It’s wonderful on crackers, crudités, sandwiches, or even burgers.
Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing

Forget the bottled stuff: this zesty homemade Italian dressing is easy to make and packed with flavor.
Best Homemade Pancake Recipe

Fluffy on the inside and crispy on the surface, these are the best breakfast pancakes you’ll ever try.
My Favorite Pie Crust Recipe

With this simple recipe, making a tender and flaky homemade pie crust is totally doable, even for beginners!
The Best Brownie Recipe

Why make boxed brownies when homemade brownies are so easy to throw together? The are fudgy in the center and crisp on the surface — truly out of this world.