Home Recipes Cookies No-Bake Cookies
ByDana Meredith
Taste of Home's Editorial Process
Updated: Jan. 30, 2024
No-bake cookies take the heat off of making sweet treats. Serve up some PB&J bites, rum balls or mint sandwich cookies at your next get-together.
Whether you’re assembling a no-bake pie to free up space in your oven during the holidays or turning to an icebox cake to keep the house cool in the summer, there are few things better than no-bake desserts. Plus, they utilize delectable ingredients like lemon, fresh fruit, nut butter and (maybe the tastiest) Oreos to make the most of what you have on hand.
No-bake cookie recipes are our favorite bake-free desserts since they’re super easy and are made with simple, convenient ingredients. Try one of these recipes today to blow away your taste buds!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
This chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookie recipe brings back fond memories of my mom. They were her favorite, and she always made a batch when she knew company was coming. —Jacquie McTaggart, Independence, Iowa
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You’ll win hearts—and maybe a ring—with this recipe for Marry Me cookies. It’s loaded with two kinds of chocolate!
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Raspberry Coconut Balls
My family loves Hostess Zingers, especially the raspberry flavor coated with coconut, inspiring this treat to make for school bake sales. We can make about four dozen in 30 minutes, and they sell out fast! —Pam Clark, Wheaton, Illinois
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No-Bake Fudgy Coconut Cookies
My daughter works at a summer camp, so I send treats. Instead of a cookie jar we use a coffee can and call it the Wrangler Feeding Trough. Everyone asks for this cookie. —Sue Klemm, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
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Fruity No-Bake Cookies
Keep your kitchen cool with this freezer no-bake cookie recipe made with fruity cereal. They’re extra sweet and even more fun for kids to help make. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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MOLLY ALLEN FOR TASTE OF HOME
Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
No need to turn on the oven! Make no-bake peanut butter cookies with just six simple ingredients. —Molly Allen, Hood River, Oregon
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Almond-Pecan Date Truffles
My daughter and I came across a date candy recipe when she was learning about ancient Egypt. We changed some of the spices and nuts to suit our taste. My dad was a beekeeper and Mom always made a coconut date ball for Christmas. The truffles remind me of past Christmases and are ideal for something quick yet festive on a holiday tray. —Lori Daniels, Beverly, West Virginia
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These no-bake cookies are fun to make and fun to eat! For a change of pace, replace the jam with Nutella and the rolled oats with sugar or crushed puffed rice cereal. —Kelly Ward, Stratford, Ontario
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Rum Balls
Rum flavor comes through nicely in these traditional, no-bake rum balls. I like to make a few dozen at a time and give them to my neighbors for Christmas—Audrey Larson, Bloomington, Minnesota
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9/39
When I was deciding what type of no-bake cookie recipe to make for a Christmas swap, I opted for something with coconut, pudding mix and salted caramel. Boxed, these could make a great gift as well. I like to drizzle caramel over the tops of the cookies before serving for a special touch. —Stacey Ritz, Sudbury, Ontario
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Easy Mint Thins
My friends often try to guess the ingredients, but I never tell them how simple they are to make. They taste just like the Girl Scout cookie, and they're perfect for Christmas and bake sales. —Jennifer Setser, Morgantown, Indiana
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11/39
Crunchy Apricot-Coconut Balls
My Mom gave me this no-bake cookie recipe years ago when she included them on her Christmas buffet. I can’t believe how simple they are to make. —Jane McMillan, Dania Beach, Florida
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Kids and grown-ups alike adore these sweet and crunchy no-bake cookies. Add more candy for lovers of M&M's, or toss in a few additional pretzels for an extra-salty bite. —Madison Allen, Destrehan, Louisiana
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Yummy Cracker Cookies
These treats are my family’s favorite. In fact, it seems no matter how many I make, they always disappear too soon! —D. Weaver, Ephrata, Pennsylvania
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Holiday Rum Balls
I make these rum balls for special occasions with my wonderful family and friends. The treats are so easy to make and pack a festive punch. — Diane Duschanek, Council Bluffs, Iowa
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15/39
Buttery Lemon Sandwich Cookies
My grandson approves of these lemony no-bake cookies made with crackers and prepared frosting. Decorate them with whatever sprinkles you’d like. —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
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Butterscotch-Rum Raisin Treats
I love making rum raisin rice pudding around the holidays. Those flavors inspired this recipe. Crispy rice cereal adds crunch, but nuts, toasted coconut or candied pineapple could do the job, too. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
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Chocolate Rum Balls
Roll these truffle-like rum balls in crushed Oreos to get just the right amount of crunch. They can be made three days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I also tuck some in the freezer!
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Cherry-Coconut Slices
My mother got this no-bake cookie recipe from a woman named Emmie Oddie, a well-known home economist in Canada who had a column in a farming newspaper. Oddie would test reader recipes in her own kitchen and write about it. These tasty sweets are so rich that you need only a small piece. —Judy Olson, Whitecourt, Alberta
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19/39
Easy Cinnamon Thins
When a co-worker’s husband came home from Iraq, we had a potluck for him. These cookies with coarse red sugar matched our patriotic theme. —Janet Whittington, Heath, Ohio
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20/39
Butterscotch No-Bake Cookies
More like a candy than a cookie, these little butterscotch no-bake cookies are delightful. —Andrea Price, Grafton, Wisconsin
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Mint Sandwich Cookies
Canned frosting, peppermint extract and chocolate candy coating quickly turn crackers into these wonderful little no-bake cookies. My children and I like to assemble them for parties and holidays. I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do. —Melissa Thompson, Anderson, Ohio
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22/39
Coconut Rum Balls
My mom has made rum balls for as long as I can remember. They look beautiful on a dessert spread and can be packaged in a decorative tin as a gift. I substituted coconut rum for the traditional rum and added shredded coconut. —Jana Walker, Macomb, Michigan
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23/39
No-Bake Ginger Cookies
One of my favorite desserts in England was a cake featuring chocolate and ginger. When I came home, I tried creating different recipes using these flavors. This is easy to make and tastes fantastic! —Jennifer Warner, Rochester, Minnesota
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24/39
Chocolate Lebkuchen Cherry Balls
This no-bake cookie recipe is my twist on the traditional German holiday lebkuchen—with a surprise inside. —Arlene Erlbach, Morton Grove, Illinois
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25/39
Chocolate-Cherry Sandwich Cookies
I make this no-bake cookie recipe often at Christmastime, but it’s a winner for summer parties, too. Chilling the cookies before you dip them into chocolate is important because it firms up the filling. —Amy Sauerwalt, Columbia, Maryland
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Black Forest Icebox Cookies
These rich chocolate wafers are the perfect complement to the creamy filling's sweet-tart tones. Chill for up to four hours; any longer and the wafers get too soft to pick up with your hands. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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My son Micah and I love peanut butter cups, so we made them into a new treat. We entered these peanut butter no bake cookies in a creative baking contest and won first place! —Autumn Emigh, Gahanna, Ohio
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Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
My secret to these rich no-bake cookies? Pretzels in the crust. They add a salty crunch to the classic peanut butter and chocolate pairing. —Jennifer Beckman, Falls Church, Virginia
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Cherry No-Bake Cookies
I always loved my no-bake cookie recipe, but I was never able to place at the fair with it. So I mixed in some maraschino cherries, added almond extract and voila! I won a blue ribbon at the county fair in 2010. —Denise Wheeler, Newaygo, Michigan
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No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints
Years ago, a friend gave me a recipe for chocolate peanut treats that didn't require baking. I thought it was a quick and clever way to whip up a batch of sweet snacks without heating up the kitchen, and I started making different variations. This one includes luscious Nutella and crunchy hazelnuts. Yum! —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida
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Key Lime Pie Balls
The classic creamy filling, graham cracker crust and burst of lime are all mixed together in every bite of this no-bake cookie recipe. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Homemade Butterfinger Bites
Bent on using up a stash of leftover candy corn, I decided to experiment. Turns out, if you melt it, mix it with peanut butter and coat the balls with chocolate, you get a softer, denser version of a Butterfinger bite. Who knew? They’re delicious! —Melissa Hansen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Gooey Caramel-Topped Gingersnaps
Making these cookies is therapeutic for me. And they are always quite popular at fundraisers. If you’d like, you can make variations by using different nuts.—Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
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Nutty Rice Krispie Cookies
My mom and I used to prepare these Rice Krispie cookies for Christmas every year. Making them with just the microwave means they're super easy and fun to mix with the kids. —Savanna Chapdelaine, Orlando, Florida
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S’mores No-Bake Cookies
There’s no easier way to get that s’mores goodness in your kitchen. Mix these no-bake cookies together and chill till you’re ready to share. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Coconut Christmas Mice
Off-the-charts cuteness makes it nearly impossible for guests to resist these fluffy, coconutty treats. Luckily, they’re really easy to make—no oven needed. Merry Christ-mouse to you! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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No-Bake Cookie Butter Blossoms
Chewy and sweet, these easy treats mix Rice Krispies, cookie spread and chocolate kisses in an unforgettable spin on an old favorite. —Jessie Sarrazin, Livingston, Montana
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Cathedral Cookies
Children love the colorful marshmallows in these festive no-bake cookies, which look like stained glass when they’re sliced. They practically light up the room from the serving platter at our holiday parties. —Carol Shaffer, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
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Peanut Butter Penguins
Could these be any more adorable? To treat your guests to this chocolaty, peanut buttery goodness, just cover Nutter Butter cookies with chocolate and decorate! They’re a lot of fun to make and even more fun to eat. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Originally Published: May 15, 2019
Author
Dana Meredith
Dana is a professional editor who has been part of many magazine editorial teams, including Taste of Home, Simple & Delicious, Country and Bead Style. When she’s not wielding her red pen, she can be found tending her flower gardens, remodeling her house and creating unique jewelry pieces.
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