50 No-Bake Desserts To Add To Your Summer Lineup

Summer in the South can be described in two words: hot and humid. How many times have we heard the saying, "It's not the heat that gets you. It's the humidity," and nodded in agreement, as you fan your face with your hand? Enough times to know that the last thing we want to do on a hot summer's day is turn on the oven, especially when the AC is already working on overdrive as it is. (Not to mention, our cakes and candies don't always cooperate when the humidity level is high.) That's where these easy no-bake desserts come in handy.

Since giving up sweets 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.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Be prepared for sugar-crazed hysteria when the kids see this fun summertime treat. Assembly is easy, too, thanks to store-bought ice cream sandwiches and cookies. Make your own whipped cream for the richest results or buy it from the market in a pinch.

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

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.

Cherries-And-Cream Icebox Cake

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.

Homemade Cookies-And-Cream Ice Cream

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.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

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.

No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie

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.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

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.

Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

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.

Cookie Dough Fudge

If you're often tempted to take a bite (or two) of unsafe-to-eat cookie dough, this fudge recipe is for you. The microwave can take care of melting the chocolate and making the unbaked flour safe to eat. Only two hours of fridge time will firm up the fudge.

Peach Icebox Cake

We'll take any reason to use up our fresh summer peaches, but especially one that's also no-bake. A glass trifle dish will allow you to feast your eyes on this beauty before you dig into the creamy blend of yogurt and mascarpone cheese layered with fruit and graham crackers.

Caramel Pecan Icebox Cake

This one will satisfy caramel and chocolate fans alike. The pillowy layers of mascarpone and cream are delightful, but the crunchy pecans and drips of caramel take it over the top. We recommend making this one the night before.

Sea Salt Ice Cream

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.

No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie

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.

Lemon Tiramisu

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.

Pineapple Ice Cream

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.

Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge

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.

Triple-Chocolate Milkshake

You might think you already know how to make a chocolate milkshake (and, chances are, you do) but ours takes a special combination of classic ingredients and blends them to perfection. With a triple dose of chocolate, this will be the best milkshake you've tasted. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of syrup.

Key Lime Icebox Cake

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.

S'mores Pie

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.

Strawberry Icebox Cake

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.

Strawberry Lemonade Pie

We made this recipe using store-bought ingredients, because sometimes, it's too hot to bake or make from scratch. The lemonade concentrate packs loads of flavor. The end result is bright, sweet, and relentlessly refreshing.

Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars

Let the microwave do all the work of "baking" this blondie-like dessert. Peanut butter fans will rejoice at the double dose of chopped peanuts combined with peanut butter batter. After you add the chocolate topping, cool for 15 minutes and serve.

Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae

Pecans begin to come into season in September in the South, making butter pecan ice cream the perfect way to cap off your summer. This family recipe includes a rich and sticky praline topping. Sometimes homemade is just worth it.

Bourbon Ice Cream Float

Give your classic Coke float an adult-friendly party twist. Leave out the bourbon to make the old-fashioned treat friendly for kids, too. Or try your favorite ginger ale or root beer—we leave the choice up to you.

Red, White, and Blue Popsicles

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.

Chocolate Lasagna

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.

Chicory Ice Cream

Don't throw away that last half cup from your coffee pot after breakfast: New Orleans' favorite beverage has been transformed into a cool dessert that you'll want to eat all summer long. Simply pour the ingredients into your ice cream maker and wait for the delicious result.

Buttermilk-Peach Popsicles

Use overripe or less-than-perfect peaches for this delicious popsicle recipe. The tangy buttermilk is the secret ingredient that makes these popsicles stand out. The hardest part is waiting for these popsicles to finish freezing.

Key Lime Ice-Cream Pie

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.

Rebecca's Black Bottom Icebox Pie

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.

Coconut-Banana Pudding

This recipe puts the slightest twist on a Southern classic—and it makes such a difference. Just a pinch of coconut extract makes your favorite old-fashioned dessert more exciting for summer.

Millionaire Pie

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.

Hot Chocolate Icebox Pie

It's never too hot for hot chocolate in our opinion. This pie appeases the child in us all with marshmallow cream topping, but gets some grown-up complexity from a teaspoon of instant coffee.

Kool Aid Pie

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.

No-Bake Banana Split Pie

Save yourself the trouble of individual sundaes and pile all of your favorite ice cream sundae ingredients in a chocolate wafer crust to serve. Candy sprinkles? Chocolate syrup? Whipped cream? Yes, yes, and yes.

Watermelon Pie

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.

No-Bake Strawberry Pie

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.

Peanut Butter Pie

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.

Charlotte Russe Cake

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.

Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Cake

This cake is made with layers of Rice Krispies and strawberry and vanilla ice cream. Freeze-dried berries heighten the berry flavor. The result is a slightly crunchy, very cold and creamy delight.

Blackberry Floats

Sometimes it's just too hot to bake a cobbler. Try this delicious blackberry syrup poured over ice cream and topped with club soda instead. You don't even have to cook the syrup—we use a blender instead.

Blueberry-Ripple No-Churn Ice Cream

This recipe shares the secret of how to achieve the creaminess of parlor ice cream without any churning. To get the ripples, dot the top of your ice cream with blueberry preserves and swirl it in. Then top with a sprinkling of graham crackers and freeze.

Strawberry-Orange Trifle

This recipe may look complicated, but prepackaged shortbread cookies and a jar of lemon curd make it quite simple. You can choose whether to toss the fruit with orange liqueur or orange juice, depending on your crowd. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Chocolate Parfait

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.

No-Cook Peach Ice Cream

Of course you can use canned peaches in this recipe, but we never pass up the opportunity to use summer peaches from the farmer's market. Get out your ice cream maker for this easy, no-cook recipe, and revel in the sweetness of peaches and cream.

Turtle Trifle

This decadent take on turtle candy makes creative use of a frozen pecan pie. Just thaw the pie and cut it into chunks. Then layer the pie chunks with whipped cream, chocolate and caramel syrups, and pecans.

Banana Split Pops

If you prefer your desserts in popsicle form, we've got you covered. Start by freezing a banana pudding mixture in popsicle molds. When it's time to serve, dip the popsicles in melted chocolate and rainbow sprinkles.

Bourbon Ice Cream With Bourbon-Caramel Swirl

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.

Pistachio Ice Cream

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.

Blackberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

This ruby-red sherbet gets its beautiful color from pureed blackberries. The recipe uses buttermilk in place of cream, resulting in a refreshing tang. We'd put a scoop of this over anything.

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