21 Easy No-Bake Bars and Cookies That Are Ready in a Snap
No-bake bars and cookies are just as delicious as baked versions, but they won't heat up the house or take up valuable oven space. These delectable desserts are quick, easy, and—most importantly—don't require an oven!
No-Bake Lemon Drops
Get ready to pucker up for this no-bake cookie recipe. It's got a double dose of tart. Tangy crushed lemon drop candies are mixed into the cookie, and then each ball is rolled through even more crushed candies. Though these no-bake lemon cookies are small, they pack a ton of citrus flavor into a one-bite dessert.
Pistachio Bars
These gorgeous no-bake bars are SO pretty when they're sliced. You can truly appreciate the layers of pistachio-graham cracker crust, pistachio pudding, and luscious chocolate ganache. With a sprinkle of extra pistachios on top, this pistachio dessert is eye-catching and enticing even before you make the first cut.
Chocolate-Marshmallow-Peanut Clusters
Peanut lovers, add this peanut butter no-bake cookie recipe to the very top of your list of desserts to try. Chocolate and peanut butter help hold together honey-roasted peanuts and mini marshmallows in this tasty, crunchy, and chewy dessert. The recipe makes about 45 servings, so you can serve a crowd.
Choose-Your-Flavor Edible Cookie Dough
If you find yourself reaching for a taste of the cookie dough before your cookies go in the oven, here's an easy no-bake dessert to try. To make raw flour safe for eating, all you have to do is spread it on a shallow baking pan and pop it in the oven for a few minutes. From there, you can build the cookie dough of your dreams. Choose from chocolate chips, sprinkles, peanut butter cups; you name it!
Chocolate-Cherry Dips
This chocolate no-bake cookie recipe might trick your guests into thinking you spent all day in the kitchen. But really, these easy chocolate-cherry treats don't require much effort. Just sandwich a scoop of creamy cherry filling between two vanilla wafers, dip in melted chocolate, add sprinkles if you're feeling fancy, and let them cool. You'll have a showstopping dessert in minutes, not hours.
Dulce de Leche Pretzel Bites
Sweet-and-salty pretzel bites easily make any dessert plate look more festive. A decadent dulce de leche filling is sandwiched between two crunchy pretzels, then covered with vanilla candy coating. Since dulce de leche is sticky enough to hold the pretzels together on its own, this is a rare no-bake cookie recipe without peanut butter (great news for anyone with allergies!).
No-Bake Butterscotch Bars
Love Butterfinger candy bars? Then you've got to make these no-bake butterscotch bars that use Butterfingers as one of the main ingredients. We mixed some of the chopped candy bars into the butterscotch pudding layer, and the rest were sprinkled on top of the chocolate frosting. Each square is like your own homemade candy bar!
Classic No-Bake Cookies
These classic no-bake oatmeal cookies are one of our all-time favorites. Rolled oats, peanut butter, and chopped peanuts make for an extra tasty cookie, while a scoop of cocoa powder makes them chocolaty to boot. This easy recipe only takes 20 minutes of hands-on time. The other 30 minutes are just testing your patience while you wait for them to cool.
Peanut Butter Truffles
Just as good as no-bake peanut butter bars, this chocolate peanut butter cookie is essentially the same thing in bite-size ball form. Dark chocolate pairs with creamy peanut butter in these decadent treats. And you can make your homemade truffles look like they came from a fancy bakery by sprinkling them with chopped peanuts before the chocolate is set.
No-Bake Butterscotch-Pretzel Bars
A pretzel-peanut butter crust holds these no-bake bars together but lets the butterscotch flavor shine. Everything about this dessert is delicious (you can't go wrong with peanut butter desserts, after all), but the combination of salty and sweet makes this one of our best no-bake bars.
Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Any collection of no-bake bars must include cheesecake bars, like this chocolate version. Spike the cream cheese frosting with chocolate liqueur for a rich, boozy finish. Top off this sweet recipe with chocolate chips to add even more decadence to these extra-chocolaty bars.
Yummy No-Bake Bars
Peanut butter and chocolate are like the PB&J of the dessert world: a perfect match! This is especially true in the form of no-bake peanut butter bars. A sweet peanut butter-cereal crust is topped with layers of creamy vanilla pudding and rich chocolate frosting. If you want to add a little crunch to your no-bake bars, add a sprinkle of peanuts on top.
No-Bake Cake Batter Puppy Chow Bars
Colorful sprinkles and vanilla extract are the secrets to capturing the flavor of cake batter in these no-bake bars. Toss them with butter, marshmallows, cereal, and vanilla candy coating for this easy-to-make treat. A dusting of powdered sugar is the finishing touch.
No-Bake Irish Cream Pudding Bars
Picture this: a layer of crispy cookies followed by a layer of creamy spiked pudding followed by yet another layer of rich chocolate. Sounds mouthwatering, right? You can enjoy all those delicious layers in this easy no-bake bar recipe.
No-Bake Peanut Butter-Oat Bites
Reminiscent of peanut butter cookies, this no-bake cookie recipe is peanut butter and honey at its core. Coconut, oats, chocolate, and fruit make these bites look pretty and amp up the flavor. Roll each ball through shredded coconut before chilling to give the exterior a fancier finish.
Prizewinning Caramel Apple Bars
These six-ingredient no-bake bars may look complex, but they only take 25 minutes to toss together. Let them sit for an hour before enjoying the peanut buttery, caramel-appley, nutty flavor fusion. Indulging in one of these yummy no-bake bars is healthier than having a traditional caramel apple for dessert, thanks to the higher protein and smaller serving size.
4-Layer Nougat Bars
With so many delicious layers, these no-bake bars will have you hooked in no time. Start with a rice cereal base, followed with a layer of nougat, add a layer of caramel, then top things off with a chocolate-butterscotch mixture and a sprinkle of peanuts. That's so many layers we've almost lost track, but each adds an element to the well-balanced flavors in each bite.
Chocolate-Raspberry Bites
As this no-bake cookie recipe proves, chocolate and raspberry are a truly decadent combination. Spread sweet raspberry jam between two chocolate wafers, then add a thick layer of chocolate icing and let it drip over the side for effect. For a fresh finish, try adding a raspberry on top of this no-bake dessert (before the chocolate fully hardens).
Coconut-Date Cracker Bars with Browned Butter Glaze
Crackers make for a super easy, buttery crust that balances the browned butter topping (and a tasty change from graham crackers). The coconut-date layer adds flavor and texture, and the dates do double duty as a natural sweetener. You can freeze these no-bake dessert bars for up to a month, so feel free to get a jump on your holiday dessert-making now.
Key Lime Cheesecake Bars
Rather than spending a huge part of your day making a cheesecake from scratch, make these no-bake cheesecake bars. They're still creamy and delicious but a lot less work. Lime gelatin and key lime wedges give these bars their tang, while cream cheese and cottage cheese (yes, cottage cheese!) make them smooth and creamy. This no-bake dessert might even be gobbled up faster than key lime pie.
Neapolitan Marshmallow Treats
The classic Neapolitan flavors, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, shine in these easy marshmallow treats. Take a cue from one of our BHG home cooks and customize it with your favorite flavors. "I used raspberry jam instead of strawberry!"