I make desserts when we're having company or going to a pot-luck style party. But it occurred to me recently (what with rising prices etc) that many desserts are darn expensive to make! Eg. anything with nuts, dried fruits, lots of dairy. Yikes. So I've been trying more budget-friendly recipes lately. Two big successes were banana cake or banana loaf. Bananas are sooo cheap - and good for you. The other ingredients are very affordable, with the exception of eggs. A lot of cake for a low price. I also had a big success making lemon bars this week. If you "cheat" and use lemon juice from a bottle with a drop of yellow food coloring to give a little visual interest to the lemon curd topping, they look so pretty but are actually very low-cost. Again, the eggs are the most expensive part, yet they are affordable, too - even the organic cage-free ones I get are not that pricey. I mean, cheaper than, say, lots of chocolate or pecans etc etc.

Anyone else have suggestions to share?

One of my kids can't have any dairy, and I make a coconut-milk based ice cream for him that's a big hit in our house. Coconut milk is waaaay cheaper than heavy cream and eggs, the ice cream has a great "moth feel" and is quite rich, and you can add fruit or nuts or goodies (if you add cocoa powder and chocolate pieces, you don't even taste the coconut at all).