23 No-Bake Holiday Cookie Recipes

November 14, 2019
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck
No hot oven required for these easy, no-bake cookies that are perfect for holiday entertaining and gift giving.
Start Slideshow

1 of 23

Edible and Bakeable Cookie Dough

Time Inc. Video Studio
Edible and Bakeable Cookie Dough Recipe

If you’ve ever been scolded for eating raw cookie dough straight from the mixing bowl, get ready to enjoy the satisfaction you were once denied. This edible cookie dough eliminates the fear factor of eating raw cookie dough by following similar safety protocols as manufactures who produce cookie dough that is intended to be eaten raw (like that used in cookie dough ice cream and the cookie dough served at the increasingly popular dessert spots like NYC’s DŌ). The 2 key details of this recipe that give you a pass to enjoy the dough in a raw state is using pasteurized eggs and toasting your all-purpose flour before using it to make the dough.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 23

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bugle Bars

Photo: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Ivy Odom; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bugle Bars Recipe

Creamy, crunchy, rich, salty, and sweet all at the same time—these no-bake, chocolate-peanut butter bars are everything. Crisp crushed Bugles (one of our staffs’ junk food favorites) make for an fun and amazingly delicious twist on a typical crumb crust. They lend the perfect hit of salty, crispy, buttery goodness in the base of this cookie bar, and topping the assembled bars with a another handful of the the whole chips is a playful touch that lets folks know what’s in store when they bite into this salty-sweet situation. These decadent cookie bars were a huge hit in the test kitchen, and recipe developer Ivy Odom notes that they would be “perfect for tailgates, school parties, or for eating in front of the TV, with wine and the rest of the bag of Bugles, after a long day at work.”

3 of 23

No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine
No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars Recipe

These gooey bars will be your new favorite no-bake cookie. Serve chilled for less mess.

Advertisement

4 of 23

Chocolate Ganache Sandwiches

Photo: Melanie Acevedo
Chocolate Ganache Sandwiches Recipe
The only cooking that’s involved in these easy 3-ingredient sandwich cookies is heating the chocolate chips and cream in a saucepan.

5 of 23

Bourbon Balls

Photo: Jean Allsopp
Bourbon Balls Recipe
Shape a mixture of crushed vanilla wafers, ground pecans, corn syrup and bourbon into balls and roll in powdered sugar for these classic Southern holiday cookies. Make them at least a week ahead to get the best mellow bourbon flavor.

6 of 23

Snowballs

Snowballs Recipe
These kid-friendly no-bake cookies are perfect for beginners since the recipe requires no oven and no knives if you buy pre-chopped nuts.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 23

Whole Grain Marshmallow Crispy Bars

Van Chaplin
Whole Grain Marshmallow Crispy Bars Recipe
Make traditional Rice Krispies Treats a little more nutritious by using multi-grain cereal and dried cranberries.

8 of 23

Key Lime Coconut Snowballs

Key Lime Coconut Snowballs Recipe
Snowball cookies take a tropical turn with the addition of key lime juice and lime rind. For those of you in tropical climates, these coconut-covered cookies really don’t look that much like true snowballs, but you can dream.

9 of 23

Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

Quentin Bacon
Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats Recipe
This healthy version of crispy rice cereal bars uses brown rice cereal, natural peanut butter, honey instead of corn syrup, and dried cherries. With 2 grams of fiber per bar, you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 23

Wreath Cookies

Photo: Oxmoor House
Wreath Cookies Recipe
Use your microwave oven to transform shredded wheat cereal into festive holiday cookies. Just stir in vanilla candy coating, green food coloring and assorted candies.

11 of 23

Cranberry Crisp Bars

James Carrier
Cranberry Crisp Bars Recipe
Savor a nutty version of cereal-marshmallow treats packed with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, dried coconut and colorful dried cranberries. The sturdy bars make great travel snacks, but they’re also nice for gifts since you can pack them easily into a holiday tin.

12 of 23

Swag Bars

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Swag Bars Recipe
Make these no-bake bar cookies quickly with common pantry ingredients such as peanut butter, sugar, corn syrup and whole-grain cereal.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 23

Green Pumpkinseed and Cranberry Crispy Bars

Randy Mayor
Green Pumpkinseed and Cranberry Crispy Bars Recipe
Green pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries are the star ingredients of this creative take on cereal-marshmallow treats. Keep them on hand for snacks, or package them for holiday gifts.

14 of 23

Coconut Dates

Jim Bathie
Coconut Dates Recipe
You’ll only need 3 ingredients—dates, puffed wheat cereal, and shredded coconut—for these super-easy, totally no-cook treats.

15 of 23

Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr; Leigh Ann Ross
Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps Recipe
These no-bake treats taste like bite-sized candy bars and are terrific with a cup of coffee. Prepare them up to two days in advance, and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 23

Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Stylists: Mindi Shapiro, Ana Kelley
Peppermint Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Make an easy peppermint cookie filling with ready-to-spread vanilla frosting, peppermint candy and peppermint extract, and spread the filling between chocolate waters. You can make these cookies ahead and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

17 of 23

No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Stylists: Mindi Shapiro, Ana Kelley
No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Shape a sweet mixture of oats, peanut butter, coconut and cocoa into balls and let them set up on sheet of wax paper before serving. No oven required.

18 of 23

Royal Rum Balls

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Stylists: Mindi Shapiro, Ana Kelley
Royal Rum Balls Recipe
Gingersnap crumbs and chocolate wafer crumbs form the base of these truffle-like cookies, coconut and ground pecans provide the texture, and dark rum contributes the distinctive flavor. Rum balls are a popular Christmas treat in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and a number of countries in Eastern Europe.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 23

Peanut Butter Balls

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Stylists: Mindi Shapiro, Ana Kelley
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Perhaps the easiest cookie recipe ever, these peanut butter treats have only 5 ingredients and require no cooking, no baking, and no chilling. Just a bowl, a spoon, and your hands.

20 of 23

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties 

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties  Recipe

We’re not exaggerating when we say these peppermint patties knock York’s out of the water. These are perfect to make with kids because they’re easy and—let’s face it—messy. They make a sweet after-dinner treat, mid-day pick-me-up, or even cookie swap contribution. If you’re not crazy about peppermints, try leftover candy canes, crushed, nuts, sea salt, or sprinkles as toppings. 

21 of 23

Peanut Butter Wreaths 

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke
Peanut Butter Wreaths  Recipe

Looking for the ultimate easy cookie? These no-bake peanut butter wreaths should do the trick. The oats and peanut butter add buttery and salty notes, making these almost like a praline. Toasting the oats beforehand really enhances the flavor and prevents the oats from getting soggy. Since these cookies are so easy and make a huge batch, you can get creative with your toppings—try other candies, like chocolate chunks, or fun holiday sprinkles to give these some serious spirit. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 23

4-Ingredient No-Bake Funfetti Breakfast Bars

Photos by Teresa Sabga / Styling by Jiselle Basile
4-Ingredient No-Bake Funfetti Breakfast Bars Recipe
Sprinkle-stained fingers are fun, fun, fun

23 of 23

White Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck
White Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls Recipe
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next