29 No-Bake Desserts To Add To Your Summer Lineup

By

Kaitlyn Yarborough

Updated on June 19, 2024

Southern Living Peach Milkshake in glasses to serve — Photo:
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Summer in the South can be described in two words: hot and humid. Turning on the oven can seem like a chore and since giving up dessert just isn't an option, we'd rather combat the dog days of summer with icebox cakes, ice cream pies, and homemade sundaes. We're making use of all the freshest fruits that summer has to offer, and we're recreating old-fashioned treats with a no-bake twist. Instead of the oven, these recipes rely on the microwave, refrigerator, and freezer to help them come together. Check out our best no-bake desserts to add to your summer lineup.

01 of 29

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad — Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Now you can have all the flavor of cheesecake without any of the fuss. Making this dessert doesn't require any stovetop time or baking at all. Graham crackers add a bit of crunch to this deconstructed strawberry cheesecake dish.

02 of 29

Cherries-And-Cream Icebox Cake

Cherries-and-Cream Icebox Cake — Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner

This layered cake is as pretty as a picture. The make-ahead dessert layers graham crackers with cherry preserves. Then it gets the ultimate treatment with thick dollop of homemade whipped cream swirled with more cherry flavor.

03 of 29

Homemade Cookies-And-Cream Ice Cream

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream — Caitlin Bensel

We don't skimp on the cookies in this ice cream recipe, which requires just five ingredients. We blend in a generous amount and then add chunks on top. There are no eggs, so all you need is an ice cream maker and a little freezing time.

04 of 29

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Strawberry cheesecake bites on a pink tray — Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Love the flavors of strawberry cheesecake but don't have the time to make one? Go for these no-bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites instead. The center of each berry is hulled out, and then stuffed with a delicately sweet cheesecake filling. A crunch comes from crumbs of graham crackers.

05 of 29

No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie

No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie — Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hilegas

Craving lemon meringue? This lemony treat is just what you need when turning your stove on is the last thing you want to do. This recipe swaps out classic crust for gingersnap, adding a little spice.

06 of 29

Mascarpone Cheesecake

Mascarpone Cheesecake — Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

A bite of this berry cheesecake will melt in your mouth, even though it's frozen. If you freeze it overnight, let it sit out 15 minutes before serving. The recipe calls for blueberries and raspberries stirred into raspberry jam, but you can substitute with your favorite berries.

07 of 29

Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake — Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff

We combined two Southern favorites—strawberry cake and banana pudding—into a cool and creamy icebox cake that's perfect for hot summer days. This recipe requires a few minutes of stovetop time to cook the luxurious homemade custard.

08 of 29

Sea Salt Ice Cream

Sea Salt Ice Cream — Photograher: Greg DuPree Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Salted vanilla ice cream fans take note. This salty-sweet vanilla uses a cup of brown sugar to add caramel undertones. Top it with shaved chocolate or pretzel bits.

09 of 29

No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie

No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Say hello to your new favorite no-bake dessert. From the creamy filling to the crunchy crust, this mile-high peanut butter pie is nothing to be messed with. Add the whipped cream, fudge topping, and chopped peanuts when serving.

10 of 29

Lemon Tiramisu

Lemon Tiramisu — Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck

This recipe is a mashup of lemon cheesecake and airy tiramisu, but without the coffee flavor. It also doesn't include any cooking at all and takes 15 minutes to prepare. Serve your lemon dessert after it firms up in the fridge for two hours.

11 of 29

Pineapple Ice Cream

Pineapple Ice Cream — Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

You're practically on vacation when you make this three-ingredient recipe. The fresh pineapple flavor will transport you to the tropics, too. Serve it with pineapple wedges or atop a slice of pound cake.

12 of 29

Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge

Mamie Eisenhower’s Chocolate Fudge — Southern Living

Put away the candy thermometer: we'll tell you exactly how long to cook this quick and easy fudge. The vintage recipe relies on simple store-bought ingredients. We recommend making the fudge the day before serving so it has time to set and become firm overnight.

13 of 29

Key Lime Icebox Cake

Key Lime Icebox Cake — Photo: Hector M Sanchez; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck; Food Stylist: Vanessa Rocchio

This layered, limey dream makes a fitting dessert for the summer cookout. Make the custard ahead of time and cool before assembling four decadent layers. You can use Key limes or standard limes from the store.

14 of 29

S'mores Pie

S'mores Pie — Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray

We turned the classic campfire treat into a cool dessert you can make in the kitchen. You'll firm up the graham-cracker crust in the freezer instead of the oven. Top the pie with a blend of marshmallow and whipped creams.

15 of 29

Strawberry Icebox Cake

Strawberry Icebox Cake — Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

We paired homemade strawberry whipped cream with store-bought chocolate wafers in this mile-high cake. Make it eight hours ahead to give it plenty of time to chill.

16 of 29

Red, White, and Blue Popsicles

Red, White, and Blue Popsicles — Jennifer Causey

If you remember chasing after the ice cream truck to snag one of these festive pops, it's time to make your own. We've improved the classic with fresh berries and juices. For picture-perfect layers, make each one with about 30 minutes of freezing time between.

17 of 29

Chocolate Lasagna

Chocolate Lasagna — Southern Living

This dessert lasagna will wow all the chocolate lovers in your family and you don't even need to preheat the oven. Crumbled chocolate cookies get topped with cream cheese and chocolate pudding. Top it off with airy whipped cream and chocolate chips.

18 of 29

Key Lime Ice-Cream Pie

Key Lime Ice-Cream Pie — Hector Manuel Sanchez

If it's possible to make classic Key lime pie even more summer-worthy, we did it. This frozen ice-cream pie relies on our recipe for homemade Avocado-Key Lime Pie Ice Cream. The avocados make it that much creamier.

19 of 29

Rebecca's Black Bottom Icebox Pie

Rebecca's Black Bottom Icebox Pie — Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

By "black bottom," we mean a decadent chocolate wafer crust. That's enough to sell us on this custardy no-bake chocolate dessert. Make this pie the night before to give it plenty of chilling time.

20 of 29

Millionaire Pie

Millionaire Pie — Micah A. Leal

If you haven't heard of this creamy Southern pie, please let us introduce you. This recipe is decadent sweetness at its best. Pineapple chunks, maraschino, and coconut are suspended in a slightly gelatinous, condensed milk filling.

21 of 29

Kool Aid Pie

Kool Aid Pie — Micah A. Leal

Revisit childhood summers with this four-ingredient icebox delight. With the purchase of a graham cracker crust, it's almost as easy as stirring a pitcher of Kool-Aid. Tropical Punch is our favorite flavor.

22 of 29

Watermelon Pie

Watermelon Pie — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

We use tapioca powder with pureed watermelon to create the filling in this no-bake summer treat. You can get a deeper pink color if you like by adding a couple of drops of food coloring. Watermelon balls add the perfect touch to every refreshing bite.

23 of 29

No-Bake Strawberry Pie

No-Bake Strawberry Pie — Joy Howard

Strawberries and cream take center stage in this sweet-looking treat. You'll let it set overnight before the final step. To decorate, cushion half-sliced strawberries on dollops of whipped cream.

24 of 29

Peanut Butter Pie

Peanut Butter Pie — Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee

Peanut butter and chocolate are always a winning combination. This simple pie includes two ingredients in the crust and three in the filling. Throw it together, stick it in the fridge, and forget about it until it's time to serve.

25 of 29

Charlotte Russe Cake

Charlotte Russe Cake — Micah Leal

This cake answers the call anytime Southerners want to make a gorgeous pastry without all the baking. Lined with lady fingers, brushed with a lemon-thyme syrup, filled with fresh blackberries and a zesty lemon custard, and topped with more blackberries and whipped cream, this recipe is appropriate for the fanciest summer celebrations.

26 of 29

Chocolate Parfait

Chocolate Parfaits — Southern Living

We love a pretty dessert that feels special but requires little fuss. A package of chocolate pudding mix and chocolate wafers make this recipe easy as can be, and it requires much less chill time than actual pudding.

27 of 29

Bourbon Ice Cream With Bourbon-Caramel Swirl

bourbon ice cream — Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist:Christine Keely Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

This recipe may require some stovetop cooking, but we think you'll find the incredible Bourbon-Caramel Swirl worth it. We use real vanilla bean paste for even more indulgent flavor. Layering ice cream and caramel sauce creates a swirl in each scoop.

28 of 29

Pistachio Ice Cream

Pistachio Ice Cream — Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

This ice cream recipe uses raw pistachios in the custard to help achieve the green color. Salted, roasted pistachios get stirred in later to pack in the flavor and add some crunch. A shortbread cookie makes the perfect garnish.

29 of 29

Peach Milkshake

Southern Living Peach Milkshake in glasses to serve — Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

In just 15 minutes, enjoy a rich, creamy, extra smooth milkshake starring the peach, our Southern summer star.

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