This Christmas, give yourself the gift of quick holiday desserts with simple no-bake recipes. Give your oven a break and get a dessert on the table, STAT.
Peppermint Bark Popcorn
The perfect holiday treat with a twist. Inspired by William-Sonoma, the peppermint bark popcorn only takes 20 minutes to make and it’s poppin!!!
Santa’s sweet ingredients
1 Bag microwave popcorn
1 cup white chocolate
1 tbsp. Vegetable oil
2-3 mini candy canes, crushed
½ cup crumbled peppermint bark (for the peppermint extract)
Optional
2 tbsp. red and green sprinkles
5-6 crushed pretzels
Directions:
- Microwave the popcorn according to the packages instructions. Set aside.
- Melt the white chocolate and vegetable oil in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between.
- Spread out the popcorn on an oven sheet and add the melted white chocolate and crumpled peppermint bark. Top it with the crushed candy cane pieces, sprinkles, and pretzels. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.
Gingerbread Fudge
Have you ever made fudge from scratch? This fudge is so quick to make and it screams Christmas on the dinner table!!
Santa’s Sweet Ingredients
12 ounces of white chocolate, melted
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
Optional
½ tbsp. red nonpareils
½ tbsp. green nonpareils
Directions:
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well together. Then, add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger and stir until you reach a smooth consistency.
- Once combined, you can add the optional ingredients and stir thoroughly.
- Using a spatula, transfer your sweet concoction into a parchment-lined glass baking dish, smooth it over. Sprinkle more nonpareils if you like and let it sit until the fudge is firm (at least an hour).
- Cut into squares and your fudge is ready!
Eggnog Pudding Dip
Your favorite holiday beverage with a twist!
Santa’s sweet ingredients
2 cup heavy cream
1 packet instant vanilla pudding mix
1 ½ cup eggnog
1 tsp. nutmeg
Optional
Extra nutmeg for garnish
Ginger snap cookies, for serving
Directions:
- In an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, pour in the pudding mix and eggnog. Whisk it and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- Fold the pudding into the whipped cream mixture, along with the nutmeg. Chill if you like!
- Sprinkle more nutmeg and serve it with ginger snap cookies.
Bailey’s Truffle
This recipe is definitely a crowd-pleaser, **it could be because of the little booze**.
Santa’s sweet ingredients
2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 cup Baileys
Pinch kosher salt
1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
2 tsp. coconut oil
Directions:
- Melt the chocolate chips using a double boiler. Add the heavy cream and stir the two ingredients together until melted.
- Take it off the heat and stir Baileys with a pinch of salt. Let the chocolate mixture sit in the refrigerator for about an hour. Roll into balls.
- Microwave the white chocolate and coconut oil together in 20-second intervals until melted.
- Using a small cookie scoop, roll the chocolate into 1-inch balls and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a fork, dip each truffle into white chocolate, turning to coat. Place it back on the baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve
Tips
You can freeze the truffles up to 4 weeks and they will still taste fresh and boozy!
Nutella Cheesecake
Make sure to un-invite anyone who has a nut allergy because this cheesecake is definitely worth it.
Santa’s sweet ingredients
10-ounce chocolate biscuits
7 tbsp. butter, melted
2 ½ cup cream cheese
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 ½ cup Nutella
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
Optional:
For the Nutella Ganache
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Nutella
Directions:
- Use a food processor to form crumbs from the biscuits. Add the melted butter and churn again until combined.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch circle pan. Let it sit in the refrigerator until the filling is made.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until there’s a smooth and creamy consistency. Add the Nutella, cocoa powder and the vanilla extract. Beat again.
- Pour the mixture into the pan and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. If the cheesecake is needed for later, you can also freeze it!
- For the ganache, set aside Nutella in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, place the heavy cream and let it simmer. Remove from the heat and pour over the Nutella. Let it stand for 2 minutes and stir it until the ganache is smooth.
- Let the ganache cool and pour over the cheesecake.
- You can pour it on the cheesecake while it’s sitting in the pan
- You can pour it once the cheesecake is out of the pan
- Freeze it for about 2 hours before serving
Tips:
Before removing the cheesecake from the pan, run a knife around the outer edge of the cheesecake to loosen it. This makes it look more aesthetic and you would be able to see all the layers of the cheesecake!
Hot Cocoa Ice Cream
This dream recipe tastes just as good cold as it does when it’s warm.
Santa’s sweet ingredients
3 cups heavy cream
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 hot cocoa packets
1 cup mini marshmallows
Optional:
Chocolate pieces for garnish
Marshmallows for garnish
Directions:
- Using an electric mixer, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form
- Fold in the sweetened condensed milk, the hot cocoa packets, and mini marshmallows.
- Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Top with additional marshmallows and freeze for 5 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and let it soften for 10 minutes for maximum flavor!!