23 No-Bake Desserts You Can Assemble Without Breaking a Sweat
The allure of no-bake desserts seems to peak with the temperature during warmer months. I get it—why crank the oven when it already feels like one outside? But that’s not why I love no-bake dessert recipes. For me, it’s the minimal amount of effort most of them require, which tends to be inversely proportional to the level of deliciousness. And those that do require a little work can be tackled in stages so you have time to chill while your crust, filling, or topping does the same in the fridge.
I also find that summery no-bake recipes, like sticky rice and mango and mini strawberry Eton mess, that involve lots of fruit allow the season’s jewels to shine on their own. But if your love for chocolate and caramel knows no seasonal bounds, the chocotorta, banoffee pie, or quick and easy chocolate mousse should do the trick. The list below has all of these recipes and many other no-bake desserts that will keep your sweet tooth satisfied all summer long.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert1/24Vanilla No-Bake Cheesecake With a Chocolate Cookie Crust:
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich3/24Mini Strawberry Eton Mess
This Eton mess is an easy, breezy, but fancy way to entertain guests without the hassle of baking. It features layers of strawberries, whipped cream, and store-bought meringues, which become marshmallow-like as they soak up all the juices from the berries.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Kim4/24No-Bake Peach Cheesecake With Wheat Thins Crust
Unlike the usual sweet cheesecake crust suspects like graham crackers, chocolate wafers, and gingersnaps, Wheat Thins add a much-needed saltiness to the dessert. The salty crust plays well with the sweetness of the cheesecake and complements the tart, summery flavors of the peach jam filling running throughout.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton5/24Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova6/24Frosé Ice Pops
Part frozen drink, part frozen dessert, these fruity, boozy ice pops need just fifteen minutes of prep (plus five hours of freezing time), and they’re perfect for a backyard chill or on a front stoop hang.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne7/24Banoffee Pie
This modern British classic involves very little cooking and is mostly an assembly job. The crust is made with digestive biscuits, such as McVitie’s, and it gets filled with caramel, sliced bananas, and whipped cream. An hour-long rest in the fridge results in the most perfectly layered filling set over a buttery, crumbly crust.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews9/24Chocolate Mousse
Photo and Food Styling by Edd Kimber11/24Hazelnut Rocher Cheesecake Bars
Okay, this one does require slightly more effort than most desserts on this list, but it’s worth it. These bars are sort of like a cross between a cheesecake and a Klondike Bar with flavors reminiscent of Ferrero Rochers.
Photo by Rachel Tolosa Paz12/24Chocotorta
A common birthday cake in Argentina, the chocotorta contains layers of chocolate cookies, dulce de leche, and cocoa-infused milk, swathed in a silky dark chocolate ganache. This no-bake cake takes a bit of time and care in assembling, and for best results it really needs a good overnight rest in the fridge for everything to set nicely.
Leigh Beisch13/24Balsamic-Strawberry Pops
A little tangy balsamic vinegar brings out the sweetness of the fruit in these refreshing ice pops.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.14/24Milky Shaved Ice With Strawberries
If you don’t have enough space for a shaved ice machine, worry not, you can still make sweet, refreshing, super fluffy shaved ice cream pretty easily. This version is made granita-style, by freezing milk in a pan and scraping with a fork. Drizzle some condensed milk, and go crazy with the toppings.
donna hay magazine, photography by Benjamin Dearnley15/24Chocolate Swirl Tiramisu
This single-serve spin on tiramisu is a one-way ticket to stress-free summer entertaining, which means you get to spend more time outside in the sun. It features store-bought ladyfingers, mascarpone-laced whipped cream, and melted dark chocolate mixed with espresso and coffee liqueur for a simpler take on the classic dessert.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne16/24Nanaimo Bars
These iconic bars from our friendly neighbors up north are a textural masterpiece. A creamy middle made with custard powder gets sandwiched between a crumbly coconut graham cracker crust and a rich dark chocolate topping, all of which is set in the fridge in two- to three-hour intervals.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova19/24Sticky Rice With Mango
This classic Southeast Asian dessert lets peak summer mangoes take center stage.
Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh21/24Ginger-Lime No-Bake Cheesecake Bars
Gingersnap crust made from blitzed cookies, tangy cheesecake filling whipped up with a hand mixer, and a tart lime curd brightens every bite of these bars. Pro tip: for perfect squares, be sure to wipe your knife after each cut.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh23/24Coconut-Mango-Lime Barfi
