The oven is busy with the ham. Every burner is taken. Someone just remembered dessert. This is where no-bake Christmas desserts save the day: they set in the fridge while you do everything else, and most of them can be made a day or two ahead.
None of these need special skills. If you can melt chocolate and stir, you can make every single one. And they look festive enough that nobody will guess they took 15 minutes.
1. Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Cups
Crush a sleeve of chocolate sandwich cookies and press a spoonful into the bottom of small cups. Beat 8 oz of softened cream cheese with half a cup of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla, then fold in a tub of whipped topping. Spoon it over the cookie base and chill for at least 2 hours.
Right before serving, top each cup with crushed candy canes and a little shaved chocolate. The cups look like they came from a bakery, and since each person gets their own, there is no slicing and no mess.
2. Christmas Crack (No-Bake Version)
The classic version bakes saltines in toffee, but this one skips the oven. Line a sheet pan with pretzel crisps or saltines. Melt 1 cup of butter with 1 cup of brown sugar in a saucepan and let it bubble for 3 minutes, stirring, then pour it over the crackers. Scatter chocolate chips on top, wait 5 minutes for them to melt, and spread them into a smooth layer.
Add sprinkles or crushed peppermint, chill for an hour and break it into pieces. It is sweet, salty and completely addictive, and it travels well in a tin, which makes it a great last-minute gift too.
3. Oreo Truffles
Crush a full pack of Oreos into fine crumbs (a food processor does it in seconds, a zip-top bag and a rolling pin work too). Mix with 8 oz of softened cream cheese until it forms a dough. Roll into small balls, chill for 30 minutes, then dip them in melted white chocolate.
Decorate with red and green sprinkles before the coating sets. Three ingredients, no baking, and they look like fancy chocolate shop truffles. Keep them in the fridge until party time.
4. Gingerbread Trifle
A trifle looks impressive in a glass bowl and is pure assembly. Layer store-bought gingerbread or spice cake cubes, vanilla pudding and whipped cream, then repeat. Sprinkle crushed gingersnaps between the layers for crunch.
Make it the night before so the cake soaks up some of the pudding. Finish with a few gingersnaps and a dusting of cinnamon on top. You can also make mini versions in small cups for a buffet.
5. Chocolate Peanut Butter Wreaths
Melt 2 cups of chocolate chips with half a cup of peanut butter. Stir in 4 cups of cornflakes or rice cereal until everything is coated. Drop spoonfuls onto parchment and shape each one into a small ring with your fingers (slightly wet hands help).
Press a few red candy pieces on each wreath as berries and let them set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Kids love helping with this one, and it is nearly impossible to mess up.
6. No-Bake Eggnog Pie
Use a store-bought graham cracker crust. Whisk a box of instant vanilla pudding with 1 and a half cups of cold eggnog for 2 minutes, then fold in a tub of whipped topping and a pinch of nutmeg. Pour it into the crust and chill for at least 4 hours.
Top with extra whipped cream and nutmeg right before serving. It tastes like the holidays and takes about 10 minutes of actual work.
7. Hot Chocolate Fudge
Microwave a can of sweetened condensed milk with 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth. Stir in a packet of hot cocoa mix and a teaspoon of vanilla. Spread it in a lined 8×8 pan and press mini marshmallows on top.
Chill for 2 hours, then cut into small squares. It is rich, so small pieces go a long way. Wrapped in a cellophane bag with a ribbon, it is an easy homemade gift.
8. Strawberry Santa Hats
The cutest dessert on any Christmas table, and it takes no cooking at all. Cut the tops off strawberries so they sit flat, pipe a little whipped cream or cream cheese frosting on a brownie bite or a mini cookie, stand a strawberry on top and add a dot of cream on the tip for the pompom. Put them out right before serving so the cream stays fresh.
Make-Ahead Tips
- Most of these last 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Truffles, fudge, bark and wreaths even freeze well for up to a month.
- Add crunchy toppings at the end. Crushed candy canes and cookie crumbs get soft and sticky if they sit on a cream dessert overnight.
- Melt chocolate gently. Use 30-second bursts in the microwave and stir every time. Overheated chocolate gets thick and grainy.
- Use the freezer for speed. Ten minutes in the freezer sets chocolate coatings almost as well as an hour in the fridge.
If your chocolate seizes or your filling is too runny, the free Lazy Kitchen Rescue Kit has a cheat sheet with fast fixes for common kitchen fails. It is handy to keep on the fridge during the holiday rush.
Tools That Make It Easier
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Small dessert cups with lids turn any of these into individual servings you can stack in the fridge. These mini dessert cups with spoons are perfect for cheesecake cups and mini trifles.
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Silicone molds make truffles, fudge bites and chocolate shapes look professional with no skill at all. Just pour, chill and pop them out.
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A simple hand mixer whips cream cheese and cream in a minute, and it is much easier to clean than a big stand mixer.
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More Sweet Holiday Ideas
Want more? Try these easy Christmas cookie shortcuts, blend one of our holiday dessert protein shakes, or find a present in our gifts for people who hate cooking guide.
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