21 Egg-Free Desserts to Make (Whether You’re Vegan or Just on a Budget)
Have you seen the price of eggs these days? Sure you have, and if you’re stashing a whole carton in your fridge, you’re basically a billionaire. Great news, though: You don’t need an egg hook-up or (even an egg) to make any of these 21 egg-free desserts, whether you’re craving a cookie or serving a fancy tiramisu to your friends. Some of them are vegan and some are no-bake, but all are guaranteed to be delicious.
Editor’s note: While we’ve indicated which desserts in this list are vegan-friendly, others may still include egg-based ingredients. If you have an egg allergy, we caution you to double-check the recipe.
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1. 3-Ingredient Blood Orange Granita
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 15 minutes (+ freezing time)
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, dairy free, gluten free, vegan
Falling somewhere between sorbet and Hawaiian shave ice, granita is a lot like a fancy snow cone. It makes an elegant, lightly sweet end to dinner and you can make it entirely in advance.
2. Pineapple Coconut Whip
Ren Fuller/Downshiftology: Healthy Meal Prep
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <15 minutes, dairy free, gluten free, vegan
Skip the Disney trip (and the lines) and make your own version of the park’s beloved frozen pineapple treat at home. It’s dairy free as written, but if you don’t like coconut milk, you can substitute a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
3. Sweet Potato Sugar Cookies with Marshmallow Topping
Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
These cookies get their soft texture and bright color from sweet potato instead of egg—smart, right? If you use vegan marshmallows, you can make them totally plant-based.
4. Vegan and Gluten-Free Apple Blackberry Crumble Tart
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Aran Goyoaga
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: dairy free, gluten free, vegan, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Not only is this plant-based tart a showstopper, but it’s versatile to boot. You can use any seasonal fruit you have on hand in the filling, from sliced stone fruit or pears to frozen berries.
5. No-Bake, Gluten-Free Rose Petal Brownies
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, gluten free, dairy free, vegan
If you’re into fudge, you’ll love the texture of these rich, intensely chocolate treats. They’re studded with tart dried cherries and macadamia nuts, but leave them out if you so desire.
6. No-Bake Berry Tiramisu
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
A crowd-pleasing warm-weather dessert that’s as fresh and light as it is easy to make? Don’t mind if we tirami-do.
7. Easy Nutella Mousse
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, gluten free
If you don’t already have a jar of Nutella hiding in your pantry, consider this eight-ingredient mousse your excuse to go get one.
8. No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 8 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
Why We Love It: no cook, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
The beauty of a no-bake cheesecake is that it doesn’t require a fussy water bath to make, so you don’t have to worry about it cracking or becoming dry in the oven. In fact, the most difficult step is waiting for it to be ready to eat.
9. 7-Layer Bars
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Whether you know them as 7-layer bars, magic bars or Hello Dolly bars, there’s no denying their deliciousness. Swap out the chocolate and butterscotch chips for peanut butter chips or white chocolate, and play around with your favorite nuts instead of pecans.
10. Pumpkin Patch ‘Dirt Cups’
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Whether you’re 5 years old or 95, you can’t deny that dirt cups are equal parts adorable and delectable. Our version is classed up from store-bought pudding, but don’t worry: It’s still simple to make.
11. No-Bake Cheesecake with Raspberry Compote
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 3 hours
Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
With this stunner, you don’t even need to bake the crust. Let your food processor do the work while you take all the compliments from the crowd.
12. No-Bake Chocolate Peanut-Butter Pretzel Bars
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
For snackers who have a tough time choosing between salty and sweet, we have the answer: both.
13. Three-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles
Colin Price/Dinner Then Dessert
Time Commitment: 4 hours, 25 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why We Love It: make ahead, 10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
Behold, the easiest way to end your meal on a sweet note. When choosing a chocolate, this is the time to splurge on something higher end than chocolate chips, which won’t melt as nicely as a bar or discs.
14. No-Cook Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 6 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, no cook, make ahead
Since this autumnal dessert requires no fussing with a cooked custard it’s both egg-free and kinda foolproof.
15. Cheater’s Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cups
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, dairy free
As it turns out, you can do a lot with a box of vegan cake mix and some store-bought apple sauce (like make cupcakes, for one).
16. Swirled Tahini Cups
David Frenkel/Quick and Slow
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, gluten free, vegan
Think peanut butter cups, but gourmet. As long as you use dark chocolate and not milk, these are vegan-friendly too.
17. Vegan and Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Ginger Tart
Nisha Vora
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes (+ chilling time)
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, vegan, gluten free
To be honest, vegan and gluten-free is sometimes a little too healthy-tasting, if you get our drift. But not this fudgy, fancy dessert.
18. No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 5 hours
Why We Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
If you can make whipped cream, you’re already halfway to a scoop (or two) of this refreshing, creamy dessert.
19. No-Churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Kelly Marshall/Sunday Best
Time Commitment: 12 hours (includes freezing time)
Why We Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients
And if mint isn’t your thing, you can use the same no-churn technique to make egg-free strawberry ice cream (or really any flavor you want).
20. Strawberry Delight Ice Cream Pie
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 3 hours, 35 minutes (includes chilling time)
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
Feeling nostalgic? Maybe because this is a modern riff on the Jell-O and pretzel-based strawberry “delight” our grandmas used to lovingly dish up. (This time it calls for just seven ingredients and requires no baking.)
21. Snack-Safe Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, no cook, <15 minutes
The absolute best part of this egg-free dessert? It satisfies your craving for raw cookie dough, with zero risk.
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Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
