No-Bake Desserts for Summer

ck-Softened Plums with Vanilla Yogurt Image

The last thing you want to do on a hot, summer day is turn on the oven. But when company is coming, you've been tasked with dessert for the potluck, or just have a craving for something sweet and indulgent, what else can you do? These are our best no-bake desserts that will keep your kitchen cool, and everyone around the table pleased.

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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 make for a fun and delicious twist on a typical crumb crust. They lend the perfect hit of salty, crispy, buttery goodness in the base of this cookie bar.

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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.

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Chocolate Infinity Pie

Photo: Lara Ferroni

Chocolate Infinity Pie Recipe
This pie has it all. It's full of chocolate flavor, has a silky-smooth texture, and it's also gluten-free. To make this pie vegan, be sure to use vegan chocolate chips. With this fantastic pie recipe, everyone gets to indulge.

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Vegan Mini Pumpkin Spice Bites

Jamie Vespa

Vegan Mini Pumpkin Spice Bites Recipe
With a simple walnut-pecan-date crust, the key to this treat lies in the silken tofu filling. Providing a creamy consistency without affecting flavor, silken tofu is the best-kept vegan dessert secret.

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Vegan Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart with Fresh Berries

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Styling: Rishon Marie

Vegan Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart with Fresh Berries Recipe
Easy to prep, and filled with rich chocolate-hazelnut flavor, this vegan dessert is perfect for anyone following a special diet or simply trying to clean their eating habits up a bit. Serve it for a special occasion, or just as a “treat yo-self” indulgence—since there’s no need to crank up the oven, it’s especially ideal to satisfy a summertime sweet tooth.

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Mini Vegan Key Lime Icebox Pies

Mini Vegan Key Lime Icebox Pies Recipe
This “custard” has an insanely rich and silky mouthfeel born from avocado (which also provides the natural green coloring) and tofu. The blend of fats released from the ground nuts and a bit of added coconut oil combined with the sugary moisture of the dates create not only a cohesive crust, but one that is deep in flavor and wonderfully crisp once chilled.

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The Ultimate Unbaked Brownies

Photo: Lara Ferroni

The Ultimate Unbaked Brownies Recipe
These incredible brownies are a lot of things all at once: They're no-bake, vegan, and gluten-free. They're also incredibly delicious, and feature a luxurious layer of chocolate ganache on top.

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Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Tart

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Styling: Rishon Hanners

Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Tart Recipe
This show-stopping dark chocolate tart offers an incredibly rich chocolate flavor and silky pudding-like texture—but it’s so easy to whip up, even the most inexperienced baker/dessert-maker will look like a pastry pro bringing it to the table.

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Vegan Coconut Cream Tart with White Peaches and Blueberries

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Styling: Rishon Hanners

Vegan Coconut Cream Tart with White Peaches and Blueberries Recipe
This show-stopping vegan dessert offers rich, toasty flavor and sweet tooth satisfaction—without adding refined sugar. And since there’s no need to crank up the oven to make it, this treat especially ideal for summer.

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No-Bake Strawberry Nutella Cheesecake

Photographer and Food Stylist: Briana Riddock

No-Bake Strawberry Nutella Cheesecake Recipe
Strawberry season is an indicator of two things; it means the sun is out and the oven is off. Take a break from a hot kitchen to make this easy, fresh and stress-free no-bake Nutella flavored cheesecake. The hazelnut spread not only gives the cheesecake a velvety texture and chocolatey taste, but it also helps stabilize the pie to set up a creamy yet firm consistency when chilled. The addition of condensed milk adds a touch of milky sweetness and the lemon juice creates a mellow, zesty flavor that balances the cheesecake’s sweetness. This cheesecake will be a hit at any summer event, and it’s a great way to use up the season’s favorite berry.

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Drops

Photo: Oxmoor House

No-Bake Peanut Butter Drops Recipe
No-bake cookies make even the most oven-shy baker look like a hero. You’ll see them at bake sales, fundraisers, and in millions of homes across the country as an after-school snack. We've cut out a lot of the unnecessary butter and added chocolate chips, providing firmness, texture, and a great gloss to these cookies.

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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.

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Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

Photo: Oxmoor House

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert Recipe
This make-ahead dessert is quite a crowd-pleaser, even for people who aren't counting carbs. Look for the rectangular no-sugar-added or low-carb ice cream sandwiches instead of the round ones because the rectangles will fit better in the baking dish.

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Key Lime-Shortbread Icebox Cake

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Key Lime-Shortbread Icebox Cake Recipe
Layers upon layers of fresh key lime, luscious cream cheese, and shortbread cookies make for a delicious no-bake cake with a show-stopping presentation. A thin layer of pistachios adds a crunch to each creamy, bright bite. The taste is light and sweet, making it the perfect ending to a large holiday meal.

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No-Bake Samoa Pie

Photo: Daniel Agee; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

No-Bake Samoa Pie Recipe
Save a stash of Samoas (or Caramel DeLights) in order to make an epic pie that looks, and tastes, just like the classic Girl Scout cookie. Use the back of a measuring cup to press the crust into the pie plate and add heavy cream to the caramel when melting for a smoother, drizzle-with-ease consistency. Serve chilled, as you would a coconut creme pie.

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Vegan Mini Peanut Butter Pies

Jamie Vespa

Vegan Mini Peanut Butter Pies Recipe
Love peanut butter cups? This is the treat for you. With a rich, chocolatey crust and a deep, nutty, creamy inside, this dessert is for all the peanut butter and chocolate lovers, whether you're vegan or not. Silken tofu acts as a smooth, thickening component for the filling, as well as canned coconut cream. This easy, no-bake dessert packs all the indulgent flavors of your favorite candy bar, yet it's still dairy-free, gluten-free, and made

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Oreo Icebox Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio

Oreo Icebox Cake Recipe
This decadent Oreo icebox cake is incredibly easy to make and requires only six ingredients. It’s a perfect dessert for kids birthday parties that doesn’t require heating up the kitchen. As is, this cooling cake offers a delightful cookies-n-cream flavor profile, but feel free to switch things up by using your favorite Oreo cookie flavor.

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Rebecca's Black Bottom Icebox Pie

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Rebecca's Black Bottom Icebox Pie Recipe
With a rich, creamy filling and melt-in-your-mouth crust, this is quite possibly the best chocolate pie ever.

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Pink Lemonade Icebox Cake

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty

Pink Lemonade Icebox Cake Recipe
Delicate, thin purchased cookies are the secret to this stunning no-cook dessert, layered between a sweet cream.

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Chocolate-Bourbon-Butterscotch Icebox Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Chocolate-Bourbon-Butterscotch Icebox Cake Recipe
A creamy, butterscotch pudding makes for the perfect base to add a touch of bourbon. The boozy treat is layered between chocolate wafers, and topped with a sweet cream.

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Horchata Icebox Cake with Spiced Mango

Photo: Greg Dupree; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Horchata Icebox Cake with Spiced Mango Recipe
A delicate, rum-infused based is layered between cinnamon graham crackers and a sweetened whipped cream and spiced mango topping.

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Red, White and Blue Ice Pops

Red, White and Blue Ice Pops Recipe
Celebrate red, white, and blue all summer long with these patriotic ice pops. The secret ingredient is a blue sports drink, along with cranberry juice and lemonade.

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Deep Eddy Blueberry Lemon Drop Pop

Time Inc. Video Studio

Deep Eddy Blueberry Lemon Drop Pop Recipe
These adult ice pops are the perfect refreshing summer treat. We made ours using Deep Eddy vodka as we find it to be exceptionally vibrant in flavor, but feel free to use your own favorite brand of flavored vodka. Raspberries would also be a delicious fruit to highlight in these bright and boozy pops.

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Blackberry-Peach Slow Cooker Crumble

Blackberry-Peach Slow Cooker Crumble Recipe
Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt, this simple summer dessert is a great way to satisfy the sweet tooth while reaping the nutritional benefits of summer fruit. Keep the peach slices no less than 1/2 inch thick; any smaller, and they may lose their shape when cooked in the slow cooker.

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Churros and Smoked Chocolate Ice Cream

Churros and Smoked Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Swap out your traditional summer dessert for this fun show-stopper. From-scratch mezcal-infused ice cream is the perfect pair to fresh, stove-top fried churros.

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Watermelon-Jalapeño Ice Pops

Photo: Anna Williams; Styling: Pam Morris

Watermelon-Jalapeño Ice Pops Recipe
Sweet meets heat in this summer-ready popsicle recipe. A bit of pectin helps keep all the ingredients incorporated evenly in this treat; without it, they tend to separate.

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Stovetop Summer Fruit Crisp

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Stovetop Summer Fruit Crisp Recipe
Traditional? No. Delicious? Oh, yes. This quick-fix take hits all the highlights of a classic berry crisp--syrupy-sweet fruit, crisp topping, and cool cream--in a fraction of the time.

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Lemon-Lavender Ice Cream

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Lemon-Lavender Ice Cream Recipe
With a light hint of sweetness, the aromatic floral notes of lavender and citrusy lemon make this flower-infused scoop the perfect summer cool-down treat.

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Coconut Lime Chia Pudding Pops

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Coconut Lime Chia Pudding Pops Recipe
Cool-down with a nutritious and creamy, summer treat. Don't have a popsicle mold? That's ok. Use a mason jar! Mix ingredients in a small mason jar, shake, add crushed raspberries, a spoonful of chia pudding, and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Not only is this method mess-free but it's also super cute!

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Cherry-Vanilla Buttermilk Ice Cream

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Cherry-Vanilla Buttermilk Ice Cream Recipe
Cool-down with a deliciously creamy, summer treat. Don't have an ice cream maker? No problem. Mix your ingredients in a small loaf pan (regularly stirring) and freeze until solid, 5-7 hours.

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Softened Plums with Vanilla Yogurt

Photo: Victor Protasio; Styling: Paige Hicks

Softened Plums with Vanilla Yogurt Recipe
Better and easier than a plum crisp, skip turning on the oven by cooking the plums just on the stove. The ideal summer dessert is fresh, juicy, not overly sweet, and not overly complicated, which is why this end-of-season treat features only 6 ingredients. The plums cook just long enough to soften slightly and release their juices; use a knife and fork to dive in. Sub any toasted nut or seed for the granola.

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31 No-Bake Desserts for Summer