23 No-Bake Holiday Cookie Recipes

Updated November 14, 2019
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.

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Edible and Bakeable Cookie Dough

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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. That said, unlike a number of the edible cookie dough recipes out there, which oftentimes do not include an egg at all, this dough will also produce a delicious batch of chocolate chip cookies when baked. So if eating cookie dough by the spoonful isn’t exactly your thing, you can treat this recipe as you would any cookie recipe—except that you can “clean” the bowl with no worries. 

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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bugle Bars

Credit: 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.”

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No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars

Credit: 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.

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Chocolate Ganache Sandwiches

Credit: 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.

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Bourbon Balls

Credit: 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.

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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.

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Whole Grain Marshmallow Crispy Bars

Credit: 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.

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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.

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Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

Credit: 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.

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Wreath Cookies

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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.

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Cranberry Crisp Bars

Credit: 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.

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Swag Bars

Credit: 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.

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Green Pumpkinseed and Cranberry Crispy Bars

Credit: 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.

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Coconut Dates

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Coconut Dates Recipe

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

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Chocolate Almond Cherry Crisps

Credit: 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.

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Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Credit: 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.

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No-Bake Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies

Credit: 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.

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Royal Rum Balls

Credit: 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.

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Peanut Butter Balls

Credit: 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.

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Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties 

Credit: 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. 

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Peanut Butter Wreaths 

Credit: 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. 

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4-Ingredient No-Bake Funfetti Breakfast Bars

Credit: Photos by Teresa Sabga / Styling by Jiselle Basile

4-Ingredient No-Bake Funfetti Breakfast Bars Recipe

You don’t need permission to eat cake for breakfast. You’re an adult who deserves to treat yo' self occasionally (and your kids—if you have any—just because they love sugar and they’re cute sometimes). Think of these breakfast bars as a no-bake cheesecake that doubles as breakfast and dessert, so you can have the best of both worlds. Prepare the no-bake breakfast bars before bed and you’re all set for sweet indulgence when you wake up. Of course, because this is a funfetti recipe, sprinkles are involved. And sure, these kid-friendly funfetti breakfast bars get a bit messy, but that’s half the fun.

No-Bake Funfetti Breakfast Bars

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White Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck

White Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls Recipe

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