It’s almost Christmastime, which means it’s time to start prepping holiday desserts. Unfortunately, baking isn’t an option for many students whose on-campus housing options are without ovens. It’s impossible to achieve the exact cookie taste and texture without an oven, but there are plenty of no-bake alternatives. Below are 5 no-bake recipes perfect for any oven-less college student, linked from one of my favorite baking blogs, Cooking with Karli.
Muddy Snowballs
Think Rice Krispie treat meets puppy chow. These “cookies” are essentially balls of Rice Krispie treats dipped in a chocolatey-peanut butter blend. This recipe only has 6 ingredients: Rice Krispies, marshmallows, butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. This recipe requires a microwave for melting butter and marshmallows. Find the recipe here!
Oreo Balls
This recipe requires just three ingredients: Oreo cookies, cream cheese, and white chocolate chips. This recipe calls for a food processor or blender to crush Oreos, but bakers could alternatively put the Oreos in a plastic gallon bag and crush them with another tool. Bakers will need a refrigerator to chill the Oreo-cream cheese mixture before coating them in white chocolate and again after coating them in chocolate. Find the recipe here!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
These peanut butter bars are the perfect treat for fans of Reese’s peanut butter cups. This recipe calls for butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs, vanilla extract, salt, and chocolate chips. Bakers will need some method of crushing graham crackers to achieve graham cracker crumbs. Additionally, this recipe requires a microwave for heating ingredients and refrigerator space to cool the finished bars. (The recipe requests that bars be put in a freezer, but a refrigerator should be a fine alternative). Find the recipe here!
Cookie Dough Fudge
This recipe doesn’t require an oven, but it does need a microwave, baking dish (preferably 8×8, but any similar sized container would probably work), and some fridge space. The microwave is used to melt chocolate chips and to warm condensed milk. Bakers will combine ingredients, pour into a baking dish, and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours until the fudge has set up. Find the recipe here!
Little Debbie Christmas Cake Balls
This recipe is technically not for cookies, but it is both easy and holiday themed. This recipe is perfect for the baker low on space and time—it only requires two ingredients: Little Debbie Christmas tree snack cakes and chocolate chips. Bakers will essentially mix the snack cakes until they turn into a dough, cover with melted chocolate, and chill until the chocolate has solidified. Add festive sprinkles for an extra touch! Find the recipe here!
While these recipes might not be a perfect substitute for homemade Christmas cookies, they should be close enough to satisfy students until winter break.