10 No-Bake Desserts For The Hottest Summer Days

In peak summer temperatures, home bakers with the biggest sweet tooth find themselves switching up the routine a bit. Cake enthusiasts might transition to ice cream for the season, dreading the idea of preheating the oven. But beyond frozen desserts, there are plenty of other no-bake treats you can make for backyard cookouts and other summer gatherings, ones slightly less liable to melt all over the guests.

Below are 10 great ideas for your next summer baking project, none of which involve actual baking. (And yes, okay, we've thrown in a great no-churn ice cream recipe, too—we couldn't help ourselves.)

These No-Bake Brownies are taken from North Country Cabin Cooking, a cookbook full of recipes designed for vacation-goers who don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. The "brownies" are more like refrigerator fudge, and the addition of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a small amount of coffee lend them a surprising richness and complexity. They're dense and filling, so a single batch can feed a crowd. Get the recipe here.

The phrase No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pudding Pie is a bit of a mouthful, so why don't we just call this recipe "highly necessary" and leave it at that? The crust is "raw" cookie dough, and the filling is cookie-flavored pudding. Making this pie requires virtually no special skills or kitchen know-how, and sourcing ingredients is simple. You're probably not reading this anymore because you're already drawing up your shopping list. Get the recipe here.

We love a good icebox cake, and this Oreo Torte is one of the richer entries in the category. Six simple ingredients (including a whole package of Double Stuf Oreos) join forces in one big pan to feed a whole army's sweet tooth without ever preheating the oven. For how practical and economical it is, you could just as easily call it dessert casserole. Get the recipe here.

These Taffy Grapes are such a crowd-pleaser that entrepreneurial bakers have sold them at lots of unexpected places across Chicago, such as hair salons and chicken shops—and they always sell out. Simply put, they're green grapes dipped in white chocolate and rolled in crushed peanuts, then stored in the fridge until serving. Don't ask us why they taste like a taffy apple; they just do, and you'll have to try a batch for yourself to see what makes them so special. Get the recipe here.

The great Scotcheroo (or Scotcharoo) is a no-bake dessert that requires only five simple ingredients and about 10 minutes of active "cooking" time. "Cooking" here means a bit of time stirring things over the stove, but not long enough to grow hot on a summer afternoon. Once you make a batch of Scotcheroos, you'll feel a sense of Midwestern accomplishment that only the preparation of something so practical and crowd-pleasing can bring. Get the recipe here.

Ice cream is the perfect summer recipe, but not everyone knows that you don't have to have an ice cream maker to produce a rich, silky batch of it. This recipe for No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream is essentially a simple mousse textured with sweetened condensed milk to create the ice cream dupe of your dreams. (If you've heard of semifreddo, that's kind of what we're doing here.) Add flavorings or mix-ins to make the ice cream flavor you want most. Get the recipe here.

This Cannoli Pudding is so easy, you'll feel like you typed in a cheat code for summer desserts. Simple, flavorful, and bursting with possibilities for customization, it's a recipe that only needs a hand mixer—and, of course, a fancy glass for serving. Get the recipe here.

This recipe for Magic Shell is the simplest of any on this list—only two ingredients, if you go with the basic mixture of chocolate and coconut oil. True to the store-bought product, this sundae topper starts as a sauce, then quickly hardens on top of your ice cream to form a cracklingly delicious shell you can break through with your spoon. Get the recipe here.

It doesn't matter that Girl Scout cookie season has passed us by. Armed with this Copycat Thin Mints recipe, you'll have access to the best cookie year-round, and at a fraction of the cost. Ritz crackers form the center of each "cookie," their crispy, buttery layers an unlikely but perfect pairing to the sweet mint chocolate coating. Get the recipe here. 

These Raisin Bran Bites have only three ingredients, require only a microwave, and will surprise anyone who samples one—because it seems unlikely that something so outwardly ugly would taste so delicious. This cereal bar is seriously crunchy, bound by a velvety combination of peanut butter and butterscotch, and a batch sets up quickly in the fridge for nearly instant gratification. Get the recipe here.