Throwing a party doesn’t mean that you have to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen. You can create delicious desserts without having to use the oven once. This is a great way to balance out your desserts and your main dishes for your guests.
No-bake desserts often look like you’ve put hours of work into them. They’re tasty and easy to eat, making popular finger food at your weekend parties.
Here are eight desserts that you’ll definitely want to make for your next weekend party. If there happen to be any leftovers, your kids will love them as snacks! You can also box them up to let your guests take them home or box them for friend get-togethers.
Make Your Own Frozen Dessert Pizza
Pizzas and desserts aren’t usually two words that mix together, but that’s not the case with this recipe. While pizzas are usually considered as something for the main dish, they can be delicious with a sweeter taste. And there’s no need for the oven, despite the belief that all pizzas are baked. Frozen dessert pizzas are luxurious.
Ingredients for the crust:
- 2 cups of Rice Krispies
- 2tbsp brown rice syrup + 1 1/2tsp
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 4tsp cocoa powder
- 1 batch of mashed frozen banana
- Ingredients for the toppings:
- 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips
- 1tbsp+ 2tsp coconut oil, divided
- 1tbsp peanut butter/almond butter
- 1tsp maple syrup
- 4tsp sliced almonds
- 2tsp chopped chocolate
- 1tbsp shredded coconut
Method:
- Start with the crust by missing the cereal in a bowl with everything except the frozen banana, coating all the cereal
- Grease a pizza pan and spread the mixture in a circle as the base
- Press the base down with parchment paper to keep it even
- Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, until firmed
- Spread the banana over the top, leaving about an inch around the edge
- Put back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips with the 2tsp of the coconut oil in a saucepan over a low heat
- When two-thirds have melted, remove from the heat and stir until melted and smooth
- In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter and rest of the coconut oil (melted) and the maple syrup, stirring to combine
- Place the peanut butter mixture in a piping bag
- Drizzle a third of the chocolate over your pizza base and then pipe a third of the peanut butter mixture over the top
- Sprinkle half the sliced almonds, chocolate, and coconut over the top
- Repeat steps 11 and 12 until you run out of toppings
- Put back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes
Serve the dessert immediately. If you’re throwing a pick and mix party, pull the dessert out of the freezer when everyone has enjoyed some of the mains first. The pizza does melt very quickly.
Cinnamon-Vanilla Rolls for Your Guests
Cinnamon rolls are extremely popular, but they require baking right? Well, it’s time to create something a little similar and just as delicious. You also get to avoid the weight-gaining treat with this no-bake dessert option. One of the best things is they’ll only take around 30 minutes to make, so you can have plenty of time getting ready for your weekend party.
Ingredients:
- 60 vanilla wafers
- 1/3 cup of raisins, preferably seedless
- 3tsp brown sugar
- 3tsp ground cinnamon
- 3tbsp condensed milk
- 1 1/2tbsp butter, softened
- 3/4tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2tbsp skimmed milk
- ½ cup of milk chocolate, chopped
Method:
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper and put to one side
- Process the wafers in a food processor to create fine crumbs
- Add the sugar, raisins, and half the cinnamon, processing for 30 seconds
- In a bowl, whisk the condensed milk, butter, milk, and vanilla together until smooth
- Pour the milk into the wafer mixture and pulse for about 30 seconds to create a dough
- Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and roll out small 1in balls and place on the baking sheet
- Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the top of the truffles
- Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon over the top and place in the fridge for 30 minutes
Don’t pull them out of the fridge until you’re ready to serve. They taste delicious when still solid.
Make Your Own Icebox Cake
It’s time to pull out all the stops for a special event. Make it look like you’ve spent hours over the stove and with the oven to create a delicious cake. The difference is this cake will take less than an hour to prepare. The longest time is when it’s in the fridge, so you barely have to do anything!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of heavy cream
- 3tbsp sugar
- 1tbsp vanilla extract
- 9oz chocolate wafers
- Cocoa powder, to taste
Method:
- Beat the cream with the vanilla and sugar in a large bowl until peaks form; an electric mixer will make things easier
- Arrange seven of the wafers on a serving plate in a circle, keeping one in the center
- Spread the cream mixture over the top and then top with the rest of the wafers and cream, repeating until you’ve used everything up
- Cover with cling film and put in the fridge overnight
Serve with the cocoa powder sprinkled over the top. You will likely have some wafers left over. Don’t worry about this. You can opt to eat them yourself or serve them at the side for your guests to dip into the top layer of the cream.
You can alternatively sprinkle with some cinnamon or nutmeg. These different toppings are great for seasonal weekend parties!
Create Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
While Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are easily accessible, you can make your own. This recipe is much healthier than the types you get in the store and tend to be much more delicious. Your guests will kill for this recipe when they’ve tried them!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of butter or a butter substitute
- ¾ cup of crunchy peanut butter
- 10 graham crackers, processed into crumbs
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of chocolate chips
- ¼ cup of milk, you can use a milk alternative for this if you want
- ¼ cup of pecans or peanuts, chopped
Method:
- Line a muffin tin with paper liners and put to one side
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and then stir in the peanut butter, graham crackers, and sugar, combining well
- Remove the mixture from the heat and place in the muffin liners evenly
- In a separate pan, combine the milk and chocolate chips, melting the chocolate fully
- Spoon the chocolate mixture over the top of the peanut butter mixture and then top with the nuts
- Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours
You want to serve when it’s time for the dessert as the chocolate will melt. If you want to throw a buffet party, pull out the chocolate cups when people are ready for the dessert.
You may have some crumbs left over. Store them in an airtight container for another recipe later or make extra peanut butter cups for your guests.
Panna Cotta and Balsamic Strawberries for Something Different
How about a little zing with your sweet? Desserts don’t have to be backed with sugars and fatting ingredients. You can add natural and delicious fruits. This pannacotta is delicious and will go down a treat for weekend dinner parties.
Ingredients for the pannacotta:
- 1 ½ cups of heavy cream
- ½ cup of light brown sugar
- 1/4oz of gelatin
- 2 cups of buttermilk
- Ingredients for the strawberries:
- 1 pint of strawberries, quartered
- 3tbsp light brown sugar
- 2tbsp balsamic vinegar
Method:
- Start with the pannacotta by combining the cream and sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat, cooking until hot
- In a small bowl sprinkle the gelatin over 2tbsp of cold water and allow to stand until soft
- Add the gelatin to the cream and stir until the gelatin completely dissolves
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the buttermilk, stirring until combined fully
- Pour into 6 dessert cups/bowls and place in the fridge for 4+ hours
- For the strawberries, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine
- Place the strawberries in the fridge for 1+ hours
Serve the pannacotta with the strawberries over the top. Don’t be afraid to drizzle all the juices over the top. If you’re not sure how your guests would like their pannacotta, you can always put the strawberries in a bowl and serve the pannacotta separately. Leave them to choose how they want to eat their dish.
Chocolate and Raspberry Bonbons for a Finger-Licking Dessert
Not all desserts need to be eaten with a fork. Sometimes your guests will just want to pick up their dessert and tuck right in. These bonbons are perfect for that.
Ingredients:
- 1qt of raspberry ice cream softened slightly
- 10oz of chocolate, chopped
- 1 ½ cups of heavy cream
Method:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put to one side
- Roll the ice cream into small 1in sized balls and place on the tray
- Freeze for about 45 minutes
- In a saucepan, add the cream and heat until it bubbles
- Place the chocolate in a separate bowl and pour the cream over the top, leaving to 30 seconds before whisking together
- Allow to cool, but make sure it remains a liquid
- Dip the ice cream balls into the chocolate and place back on the baking sheet
- Place in the freezer for 45 minutes
You’ll want to keep this in the freezer until you’re ready to serve. You can always pull out a few at a time to make sure the chocolate and ice cream don’t melt before your guests get the chance to try the delicacies.
Opt for Healthy Fresh Fruit Ice Pops
Who said that dessert has to be bad for you? While there are plenty of sugary options, even on this list, this no-bake dessert is one of the healthiest options. It is also brightly colored, making it far more appealing to all. You will need some ice pop molds and popsicle sticks to be able to make this dessert.
The benefit of this recipe is there’s no set fruit to use. You can blend up any types of fruits you want. Opt for some individual fruit mixtures and then combine others that you’d like to share. Have a selection of mixed berry recipes and don’t forget about orange and mango combining together well.
Just blend down the fruits into smoothie textures and pour straight into your molds. You can then freeze for 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the consistency of your freezer pops. If you want slushies, 30 minutes is perfect.
Make Your Own Trail Mix Bark
It’s time to put your trail mix together as a delicious dessert. This bark is one of the easiest to make and takes just 10 minutes. You’ll also serve the most guests with it! It’s perfect for those buffet parties.
Ingredients:
- 1lb of chocolate of choice, chopped into pieces
- 1 cup of Pretzel Twists
- 1 ½ cups of trail mix, either buy or make your own
- 4oz of which chocolate, chopped
Method:
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set to one side
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds
- Pour the chocolate over the baking sheet and spread evenly across the parchment paper
- Sprinkle the pretzel twists and trail mix over the top of the chocolate, while the chocolate is still hot
- Melt the white chocolate, stirring every 30 seconds
- Drizzle over the top of the bark
- Place in the fridge for 1+ hours and break into pieces
You can store this in pieces in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. This is also the place to store your leftovers. They make excellent snacks for the kids after your weekend party.
Enjoy Simple Desserts for Your Parties
Don’t worry about creating something big and impressive for your weekend parties. No-bake desserts are some of the best options. They’re simple for you, meaning less stress when getting ready for the party. Your guests will love them, especially some of the desserts they’ve either never heard of or would never have considered trying if they hadn’t been at the party.
