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28 No-Bake Dessert Recipes That Don’t Require an Oven
By Katherine Gillen,
25 days ago
Whether it’s 90 degrees outside and you don’t want to heat up your kitchen, or you’re craving something sweet but feeling supremely lazy, there’s no need to turn on the oven to get your fix. All you have to do is whip up one of these 28 impossibly easy, no-bake dessert recipes. From key lime cheesecake to gluten-free brownies , they’re all crowd-pleasers, promise.
Pies have a reputation for being fussy to make, what with all that dough mixing and crust rolling. Not here: Just assemble, freeze and serve. (And then rake in the compliments.)
Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <15 minutes, beginner-friendly
Serves: 6 to 8
So you’ve got a thing for cake, but don’t have the energy to stack tiers and pipe frosting. This dip is the answer. If you’re concerned about the raw flour from the cake mix, you can microwave the mix on high in 30-second intervals until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F throughout.
This one goes out to the fudge-y brownie enthusiasts in the room. A combination of dates, almonds and cocoa powder is responsible for the decadent texture, while dried cherries and macadamia nuts add intrigue to each bite.
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 10
You’re looking at cheesecake heaven. It’s not just that this no-bake dessert recipe is exceptionally creamy; it’s also that you can make it without having to futz with a water bath.
Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 15
With swoops and swirls of whipped cream (and plenty of toasted coconut), this pie is almost as pretty as it is delicious. If you want to make it ahead, simply refrigerate for up to two days and hold off on the topping until you're ready to serve.
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, dairy free
Serves: makes 8 to 10 ice pops
In my opinion, you’re never too old to enjoy an ice pop, especially if it’s made with real fruit (and minimal added sugar). You can make these any flavor, like blueberry, peach or raspberry. Keep ’em in your freezer for the days you’re so hot, you could melt.
Since these snackable bars are no-bake, there are no eggs required. Heck, you could even use gluten-free pretzels and almond butter in place of the PB if you want to make them super allergen-friendly. (Either way, they’re salty, sweet, crunchy, smooth and delicious.)
Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
Serves: 8
These cuties take about ten minutes to mix up and assemble, and most of the time commitment is waiting for them to chill in the fridge. Want to mix up the jelly flavor or switch the spices? Go right ahead.
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
Serves: 10
This no-bake dessert is light enough to enjoy under the sweltering sun, and I highly recommend you use the freshest summer fruits you can find. (Berries are in season, after all.)
Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Serves: makes 20 truffles
Can I convince you to get out your food processor for these bad boys? (After all, you don’t have to turn on your oven...) Skip the seasonal sprinkles if you want to make them year-round.
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, make ahead
Serves: 10
Pretty and easy to make? You can have it all. Just choose five ice creams in various shades (pictured, it’s raspberry, strawberry and vanilla), get the ice cream a little melty and layer each in a pan to make a multicolored frozen masterpiece.
Time Commitment: 8 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 16
The base is a press-in graham cracker crust, the filling is a blend of cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream, there’s no water bath required and nothing needs to be baked. Is this your dream easy summer dessert or what?
Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, gluten free
Serves: 8
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you can make whipped cream, you can make a batch of no-churn ice cream . This one features fresh mint, which gets steeped in the base before freezing for a uniquely herbal taste. (You may never go back to store-bought.)
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 8
Refreshing and Instagram-worthy, this inventive tart showcases avocado as an ingenious way to make a creamy, no-bake dessert sans dairy. Confectioners’ sugar, vegan cream cheese and lime juice ensure it tastes “key lime pie” and not “guac in a pie crust.”
Dessert lasagna ? Yep, it’s a think, and there are no noodles involved. Imagine layers of cookies and whipped cream, plus chocolate and tart cherry jam. Now imagine yourself enjoying a slice.
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
Serves: 6 to 8
For the unfamiliar, an icebox cake is a no-bake dessert recipe consisting of layered wafer cookies, creams and other ingredients that sets in the refrigerator. This one is rainbow-hued thanks to food dye and some raspberry jam, but you can also get creative with the filling flavors.
Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 8
Whoa there, crowd-pleaser. It’s hard to believe this salty-sweet delight takes just 30 minutes to make, but that’s thanks to the press-in pretzel crust and simple chocolate filling. And somehow, it’ll still impress.
Time Commitment: 6 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 10 to 12
Proof that no-bake dessert recipes aren’t just for summertime. Other than the chilling, this recipe is a breeze to make, and you can easily adapt it to another shape or size vessel—you might end up with thicker or thinner layers depending on its volume, but it will taste the same.
Why I Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
Serves: 12
If you were born in the ’80s or ’90s, you probably remember eating vanilla ice cream drowned in crackly ice cream shell. Did you know you can make it at home in about ten minutes, and with any flavor of freeze-dried fruit you desire?
Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Serves: 4
Make this strawberry ice cream first, then use the recipe as a jumping-off point for all kinds of fruit flavors. Peaches, blueberries, cherries—they’d all be delicious. (Imagine it: banana ice cream.)
Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 10
Sure, this no-bake dessert recipe is ultra-patriotic, but you don’t have to save it for the summer holiday. Simply swap the flavors of ice cream and follow the basic format to choose your own ice cream adventure.
Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 8
A semifreddo is an Italian frozen treat that’s almost like a cross between meringue and ice cream—it’s creamy yet fluffy, melty and sweet. Make it for a summer dinner party and wow your guests.
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 10
The avocado is like your secret trick to making a super creamy cheesecake (yes, even creamier than the original). It also does a fine job of balancing the sweetness of all that sugar.
Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
Serves: 6
Sure, you have to turn on the burner for this no-bake dessert—but there’s still technically no oven involved! It’s a creamy custard that tastes just like the original beverage, and it should go on your to-make list ASAP.
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy
Serves: 4 to 6
This is one of those no-bake dessert recipes that looks really fancy but is secretly foolproof. It’s like making chocolate whipped cream and layering it with jam (and yep, you can totally use store-bought for that).
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Serves: makes 30 truffles
Presenting the easiest way to end your meal on a sweet note, especially if you’re having a few friends for dinner and you forgot dessert. Even better, you’ll melt the chocolate in the microwave—no double boiler here.
Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 10
Once you learn the ropes, you can easily customize the flavors—but I highly recommend starting with caramel and vanilla to see what type of no-bake treat you’re in for. (Spoiler: It’s soo good.)
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