A log of chocolate salami with two slices cut from the end on a white rectangular platter.
David Leite
1 of 8

Portuguese Chocolate Salami ~ Salame de Chocolate

This chocolate salami is an easy, traditional Portuguese no-bake dessert made with butter, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, tea cookies, and Port wine. It can be customized with your favorite nuts or dried fruits, and is made ahead of time, so it’s ideal for entertaining.
Recipe

This chocolate salami is a wonderful no-bake dessert. I’ve made this 5 times and enjoy it more than the desserts eaten in the Azores a month ago.

Susan
A stack of squares of birthday cake fudge on a white marble platter.
Sally McKenney
2 of 8

Birthday Cake Fudge

This birthday cake fudge tastes just like your favorite birthday cake, but comes in convenient bite-sized fudge pieces.
Recipe

This turned out great! I doubled the recipe to fit a bigger dish. These fudge bites are somehow even better than regular birthday cake.

Mia V.
A serving of strawberry icebox cake on a plate with sliced strawberries and a spoon on the side.
David Leite
3 of 8

Easy Strawberry Icebox Cake

Thin layers of strawberry puree, homemade whipped cream, and vanilla wafers make this easy no-bake icebox cake a classic that you'll want to make all summer long.
Recipe

This strawberry icebox cake was a huge hit at my house. Even my DIL, who never takes seconds of dessert, asked for seconds. It was so easy to make, too. And I love that you can make it way ahead of time and throw it in the fridge until serving time.

Amy
A metal loaf pan filled with no-churn coffee ice cream with a long scoop of ice cream missing.
Nico Schinco
4 of 8

No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream

In this no-churn ice cream recipe, which is made without eggs, homemade coffee ice cream gets a boost from a rich chocolate ganache swirl.
Recipe

We love this coffee ice cream! The espresso and the chocolate ganache are perfect together. It’s incredibly easy to put together, and the hardest part is waiting for it to freeze.

Jille B.
A serving of Portuguese sawdust pudding layered in a martini glass.
David Leite
5 of 8

Serradura ~ Portuguese Sawdust Pudding

Sawdust pudding, or serradura, is a Portuguese dessert that’s perhaps the easiest and best last course ever. It’s made by layering crushed tea cookies with sweetened whipping cream. Three ingredients. And elegant enough for entertaining.
Recipe

Honestly, each spoonful of serradura was a little bite of paradise… and ever so easy to make!

Ilda C.
A giant peanut butter cup on a plate, cut into 15 wedges.
Nico Schinco
6 of 8

Giant Peanut Butter Cup

If you're a fan of the iconic Reese's peanut butter cup, then this is the perfect dessert for you.
Recipe
A serving of easy tiramisu on a white plate with a spoon resting on the side and a shot of espresso in the background.
Alexandre Champagne
7 of 8

Easy Tiramisu

This easy tiramisu recipe is darn close to the classic and, dare we say, better. It's simple, it swaps the usual marsala for that lovely coffee-imbued rum known as Tia Maria, and quite frankly, it's the best.
Recipe

This tiramisu recipe was easy to follow, quick to prepare, and a winner at our family event. It made the ideal amount for the 8×8-inch dish I used.

Martha
A partially sliced icebox cake with condensed milk whipped cream and slices on two plates.
Jessie Sheehan
8 of 8

Icebox Cake with Condensed Milk Whipped Cream

This easy icebox cake comes together in just 20 minutes and requires only 5 ingredients.
Recipe

No-Bake Dessert FAQs

What are no-bake desserts?

As the name implies, these are desserts made without using an oven. Occasionally, they may require a little bit of stovetop or microwave heat, but they generally rely on refrigeration or freezing to complete the recipe.

Can I make them in advance?

Yes, these types of desserts are actually ideal for making in advance because they usually require some refrigeration or freezing in order for the ingredients to set.

Do you have any no-bake dessert recipes for a crowd?

Sure. If you need to feed plenty, try this vanilla wafer banana pudding, or whip up a tray of homemade Snickers bars.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appรฉtit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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