These No-Bake Desserts Will Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, No Oven Required
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
For even the most seasoned bakers, there are days when you simply can't imagine putting in the effort to prepare an elaborate dessert in the oven. Enter: the no-bake dessert. Even The Pioneer Woman herself knows that firsthand! "I'm all about no-bake recipes these days," Ree Drummond says. And who isn't? They're fast, easy, and really delicious without all that effort or the blast of heat in your face.
These sweet treats often rely on a few key ingredients you already have in your pantry or fridge, like fruit, chocolate, peanut butter, ice cream, and puffed rice cereal. Many are ready in mere minutes like Ree's beloved mug cake recipes or assemble very quickly and just need time to firm up in the fridge like delectable pie recipes with cookie crusts.
Here, you'll find easy no-bake desserts no matter what kind of flavors you like: chocolate desserts, lemon desserts, strawberry desserts, and more. And while they are good any time of year (adorable Christmas reindeer pops come to mind), they work especially great in the hot months when turning on the oven seems especially brutal. Get ready for so many Fourth of July dessert ideas that will stun at any backyard barbecue like icebox cakes and lots of fun plays on nostalgic frozen desserts. So take it from Ree and these no-bake ideas―you can satisfy your sweet tooth in no time with no oven required. 🙌
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
If you've never made ice cream from scratch, you're in for a treat―literally! It takes a few minutes on the stove, but that's the only heat that's required. Then churn away for a smoother and tastier version of this classic.
Get the Cookies and Cream Ice Cream recipe.
Grilled Peaches
Fire up that grill or use a grill pan inside and take advantage of peach season while you can. It only takes ten minutes and then you can serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Get Ree's Grilled Peaches recipe.
Panna Cotta
Who knew something so elegant doesn't require an oven? If you can make Jell-O, you can make panna cotta―it's that simple and even more impressive.
Get the Panna Cotta recipe.
Nutella Krispie Treats
Let's be honest, Rice Krispie treats are a favorite of everyone young or old. And as good as they are plain, they're even better mixed with Nutella and pecans and then drizzled with extra chocolate.
Get Ree's Nutella Krispie Treats recipe.
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Turn store-bought ice cream into the nostalgic treat you remember so fondly! The secret is crushed up sugar cookies mixed with freeze-dried strawberries. The result is pure childhood magic!
Get the Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars recipe.
Oreo Icebox Cake
Layers of Oreos, fresh raspberries, and sweetened whipped cream cheese make for an irresistible layered dessert, perfect for any potluck or backyard party. It only takes 30 minutes to make, too!
Get the Oreo Icebox Cake recipe.
No-Bake Orange-Vanilla Cheesecake Bars
Creamsicle lovers will swoon over these dreamy cheesecake bars. They have triple the orange flavor and none of the hassle of baking them in the oven. The hardest part is waiting for them to set!
Get Ree's No-Bake Orange-Vanilla Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Chocolate Mousse
Get ready to impress your guests and yourself by making chocolate mousse from scratch. It takes a few minutes on the stovetop and a few hours of waiting while it sets, but then wow! What an airy yet decadent delight.
Get the Chocolate Mousse recipe.
Scotcheroos
Chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch all in one bite? Yes! You can even swap out regular Rice Krispies for Cocoa Krispies for an extra chocolatey treat.
Get the Scotcheroos recipe.
Homemade Waffle Cup Sundae
If you don't want to take the time to make ice cream from scratch, you can still make an impressive dessert by making the waffle cups! It's just as easy as making waffles or pizzelle.
Get the Homemade Waffle Cup Sundae recipe.
Jell-O Mold
Channel your inner grandma and make this retro delight. Everyone will marvel at the pretty colors and the fun flavors. And you'll marvel at how easy it was to make!
Get the Jell-O Mold recipe.
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
It's strawberry season! This creamy, dreamy delight is assembled with a graham cracker crust, a gelatin-based filling, and fresh berries. Just remember to save yourself a slice.
Get the No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake recipe.
Copycat Drumstick Ice Cream Cone
Another ordinary to extraordinary transformation is taking store-bought cones and ice cream and turning them into another childhood classic: the Drumstick. Making the chocolate dip couldn't be any easier!
Get the Copycat Drumstick Ice Cream Cone recipe.
Key Lime Pie Cereal Treats
Crispy rice cereal, fresh zesty citrus—what more could you want in a dessert? These no-bake bars are drizzled with white chocolate and made chewy with soft marshmallows.
Get Ree's Key Lime Pie Cereal Treats recipe.
Nutella Crepes
If you can make pancakes, you can absolutely make crepes. They only take two to three minutes to cook. Then slather on the Nutella, fill with berries, and dollop on the whipped cream.
Get the Nutella Crepes recipe.
Chocolate-Almond Pretzel Clusters
You can enjoy these bites in under an hour, thanks to pantry staples like mini pretzel twists, slivered nuts, and freeze-dried strawberries.
Get Ree's Chocolate-Almond Pretzel Clusters recipe.
Ambrosia Salad
Wait, a salad as a dessert? Well when it contains oranges, pineapple, cherries, marshmallows, and coconut with no lettuce in sight, it is! With five minutes of prep time and no oven, you'll be glad you made this fun, retro treat.
Get the Ambrosia Salad recipe.
Oreo Pie
Let a package of Oreos do all the work! Okay, you'll have to put in around 20 minutes worth of effort, but that's about it. And the result is a creamy, dreamy pie without an oven in sight.
Get the Oreo Pie recipe.
Best Ice Cream Cake
"The really great thing about ice cream is...well, everything about it is great!" says Ree. And we agree, so why not make a cake out of it? Make life easier by buying ice cream from the store and you'll have it assembled (and eaten!) in no time.
Get the Best Ice Cream Cake recipe.
Eclair Cake
A cake without the oven? It's true! This uses graham crackers as the cake layers and a filling made from instant pudding, so you don't even need the stove. Tip: Brush the layers with coffee and make it taste like tiramisu!
Get the Eclair Cake recipe.
Lemon-White Chocolate Truffles
Who loves citrus? These snackable bites are the perfect blend of fresh lemony flavor with smooth white chocolate. Chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes and they're ready to roll in ganache!
Get Ree's Lemon-White Chocolate Truffles recipe.
Neapolitan Ice Cream Bars
Five ingredients and 15 minutes―that's all you need! A chocolate cookie crust is layered with vanilla ice cream and topped with fresh strawberries. They're sweet, refreshing, and super simple to make.
Get the Neapolitan Ice Cream Bars recipe.
Puppy Chow
Do you have five minutes? Then you have all the time you need to make this addictive sweet treat! Chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and Chex cereal... is it missing anything? Only the oven.
Get the Puppy Chow recipe.
Strawberry Icebox Cake
Fifteen minutes is all you need to build a berry delicious dessert. Like the eclair cake, this one relies on graham crackers as the base. With fresh strawberries and a cream cheese filling, it's perfect for spring and summer when the berries are in season.
Get the Strawberry Icebox Cake recipe.
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
A quick two minutes on the stovetop is all that's required for these addictive, old-fashioned bites. With the flavors of chocolate, peanut butter, oats, and coconut, you'll be glad they're ready so fast.
Get the No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies recipe.
Funnel Cake
You can create fair food right at home! You won't need an oven, but you will need the stove to fry these delicious cakes to golden perfection. Top with berries, ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce―whatever you want!
Get the Funnel Cake recipe.
Lemon Cheesecake
"There's something about the addition of lemon—both the zest and the juice—that just adds a nice citrusy freshness," Ree says. And we couldn't agree more! Our cheesecake is smooth, refreshing, and ready to serve in just 20 minutes.
Get the No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake recipe.
Edible Cookie Dough
If you (or your kids!) love to sneak spoonfuls of raw cookie dough, have no fear. We created an eggless cookie dough that you can mix with crunchy M&Ms, savory nuts, or sweet sprinkles so that you can enjoy this delicious dough guilt-free.
Get the Edible Cookie Dough recipe.
Peanut Butter Bars
You probably already have most of the ingredients for these chocolate peanut bars in your pantry! "They're a great treat to have in the fridge for after-school snacks," says Ree. "Or, in my case, after-breakfast snacks."
Get Ree's No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars recipe.
Oreo Truffles
Cake pops are the perfect bite-sized treat! These chocolatey pops feature everyone's favorite cookie, plus sprinkles or nonpareils for decoration.
Get Ree's Oreo Truffles recipe.
Red, White, and Blue Trifle
On a warm summer day what could be more perfect than a trifle? It's layered with your favorite berries—blueberries, strawberries, blackberries—store-bought pound cake, and a whipped cream filling. Yum!
Get the Red, White, and Blue Trifle recipe.
Key Lime Pie
A classic key lime pie is one of Ree's favorite summer desserts—specifically, the crust! "I would like to state that I am currently obsessed with refrigerator pies," she says. "These pies often have a graham cracker or other cookie crust, which I think is at the basis of my current obsession."
Get the No-Bake Key Lime Pie recipe.
Concession Stand Crackers
Salty and sweet is our favorite combo—hence, these crackers! They're dipped in a melted Nutella-chocolate mixture and given extra crunch with leftover candy bits.
Get Ree's Concession Stand Crackers recipe.
Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
These adorable personal pies consist of a simple graham cracker crust, lemon curd, and a pretty meringue topping. To make the recipe even easier, you can use store-bought lemon curd.
Get Ree's Mini Lemon Meringue Pies recipe.
Butterscotch-Pecan Mug Cake
Microwave your own dessert in a cup! Add chopped pecans and vanilla ice cream on top, and it's a match made in flavor heaven.
Get Ree's Butterscotch-Pecan Mug Cake recipe.
Mocha Mug Cake
If you've got 10 minutes, you can heat yourself a cup of mocha cake! Just note that if you're making multiple mug cakes, be sure to microwave each one separately.
Get Ree's Mocha Mug Cake recipe.
Sweet Strawberries
This recipe couldn't be easier: You just macerate strawberries in a bowl with sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla. They're perfect on their own or added to pound cake, ice cream, and more.
Get Ree's Sweet Strawberries recipe.
Apple Fritters
The Pioneer Woman loves apple fritters! She recommends them as a warm, yummy breakfast treat or with a side of ice cream for a delicious apple dessert.
Get Ree's Apple Fritters recipe.
Blackberry Icebox Cake
Frozen pound cake is the secret to this simple summer dessert. Blackberry jam and fresh blackberries take it to the next level!
Get Ree's Blackberry Icebox Cake recipe.
Chocolate Pie
This silky chocolate pie is Ladd's all-time favorite dessert! You could bake a pie crust, but you can also just use a pre-baked or store-bought one.
Get Ree's Chocolate Pie recipe.
Raspberry Fool
This traditional English dessert is essentially just berries and cream, but a fancy cocktail glass and garnishes make it look restaurant-worthy! It's fresh, light, and so easy to assemble.
Get Ree's Raspberry Fool recipe.
Reindeer Pops
These adorable little holiday treats are the perfect addition to any cookie platter. And as sweet as they look, they're salty, too—Ritz crackers coated in chocolate provide the face to your deer!
Get the Reindeer Pops recipe.
Cannoli
Making the shells from scratch is totally worth the effort. But if you want to save time, you can purchase pre-made shells and just make the filling from scratch. They'll taste equally as impressive!
Get the Cannoli recipe.
'Fried' Ice Cream
Don't worry, this is much easier than it looks! All you have to do is toast crushed up cereal in a skillet and roll balls of ice cream around in them. Don't forget the cherry on top!
Get the "Fried" Ice Cream recipe.
Edible Easter Nest Eggs
Cereal fans will love this super easy nest egg recipe. Just combine melted chocolate or butterscotch chips and cereal in a muffin pan, refrigerate, fill them with topping treats, and enjoy!
Get Ree's Edible Easter Nest Eggs recipe.
Grasshopper Pie
Ree ate this retro dessert all the time growing up. An Oreo crust (that's no-bake!) perfectly complements the creamy mint filling.
Get Ree's Grasshopper Pie recipe.
Chocolate Bark
A bag of chocolate bark is the perfect gift for teachers, friends, or in-laws! You can whip up multiple batches in under an hour, and customize the toppings to your taste.
Get the Chocolate Bark recipe.
You Might Also Like
