Holiday baking burnout is real. With all the Christmas cookies and cakes, you deserve a break—and so does your oven. From trifles to pies to even cookies (yes, really), there’s a lot you can do without turning up the temperature this holiday season, and many of these desserts can be made ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator overnight or frozen and thawed. Getting dessert on the table is easy with these no-bake Christmas desserts.
Peanut Butter Bars
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Reviewer BAKEaholic says, “I am a beginner baker and have to say that these peanut butter bars are completely foolproof! They taste great and completely satisfy my sweet tooth!” If you ever wanted to have a candy bar for dessert, now’s your chance.
Tiramisu
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
You can’t go wrong with a classic. “This is an incredibly easy dessert that tastes and looks like it was much more difficult to make. It is very important to let it set in the refrigerator for the time stated to allow the coffee flavor to mix with the ladyfingers and the filling. Otherwise the filling will not be sweet enough!” says reviewer Lisa P.
No-Bake Cannoli Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This no-bake cannoli pie tastes sweet, nutty and has lots of fresh citrus flavor from orange zest,” says Test Kitchen Assistant Craig Ruff. “It is made with a waffle cone crust which is similar to cannoli shells.”
Freda’s Cherry Supreme Salad
Allrecipes / Abbey Littlejohn
Use up the last of that cherry pie filling to make this top-rated fruit salad. “This was my grandmother Freda’s ‘famous’ cherry salad,” says Allrecipes member c-biskit. “It was a huge hit at family gatherings. My mom mixes the lemon Jello, lemon juice, cream cheese and mayo in the blender. But here’s the original recipe.”
Chef John’s Dark Chocolate Mousse
Allrecipes Magazine
Serve up this mousse in individual portions or in one large dish like this reviewer did: “Made this for a potluck dinner—quadrupled the recipe and served it in a large casserole dish. The dish was practically licked clean by the end of the evening. It was easy to make, and everyone loved it. Even the gluten-free folks could enjoy it,” says reviewer Doris Cheung.
Eggnog Ice Cream
KGora
You’ll never go back to store bought. The texture is creamy, smooth, just perfect for scooping. And the flavor is classic eggnog — very rich and crazy good.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Allrecipes/Qi Ai
This simple pie takes only 20 minutes to prepare. “Made these for Christmas dessert and it was oh so delicious…I made both pies the night before, which made the consistency perfect,” says reviewer SKB. Some Allrecipes members recommend reducing the amount of sugar called for.
French Silk Chocolate Pie
Yoly
Reviewer cardensaraid says, “I made this for Christmas dinner and it went over really well. The key is to beat each egg for the full five minutes…No leftovers at all!” Garnish with whipped topping and chocolate shavings for an elegant dessert that everyone will think you spent hours on.
Lemon Icebox Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Perfect,” says reviewer Debbie Lopez. “I used this for a dinner party where I did not know in advance what the menu would be, so I need something that would work with almost any type of food and not be too heavy and this fit the bill perfectly. Wow what a hit.”
Pumpkin Pecan No-Bake Cheesecake Pie
Annie Oakley
This recipe was a happy accident from Allrecipes member Melissa Goff who says, “Trying to come up with a pumpkin cheese ball, didn’t work out in my favor but came out with a wonderful pie instead. With cream cheese, pumpkin, pecans, and spices mixed in, it is pure taste-bud heaven served in a graham cracker crust. Such a wonderful turn-out on a mistake.”
Tiramisu Toffee Dessert
janellen
This take on a classic dessert has toffee candy pieces for added crunch. “This was simply wonderful! I wanted something different for dessert for Christmas Eve dinner and this was perfect!” says reviewer Deb Holthouse Brown.
Christmas Cornflake Wreath Cookies
Allrecipes / Victoria Jempty
Get everyone in on the holiday dessert fun without having to use the oven. “Pretty, gooey, and sweet, these have always been a favorite with both kids and adults alike,” says reviewer naples34102. “In fact, they are still one of my kids’ favorites—and they’re now 28 and 30 years old!”
Christmas Cranberry Salad
jam hands
It’s safe to say this cranberry dessert is pretty in pink! “Everyone loved this at Christmas dinner. It looked very pretty next to the rest of the salads,” says reviewer Tammy Lynn.
Rich Chocolate Truffle Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This was very easy to make and turned out well. I made it for some co-workers, who devoured the whole thing. The richness of the chocolate was fabulous.” —Welliegirl
Dining and Cooking