No-oven-required desserts

photo by alibree

No-bake recipes are quick and easy. Their simplicity makes them ideal for kids to create (very little wait time) or on days you’re in a hurry or don’t feel like turning on the oven. Best of all, there’s minimal cleanup.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats

Add the first 4 ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper-lined baking sheets. Let cool until set. — Ellise, South Carolina

Granola Bars

2-1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Cook’s note: You can use Honey Nut Cheerios instead of rice cereal.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside. Bring brown sugar and syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until blended. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until coated; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in chocolate morsels. Press mixture firmly into a 13-by-9-inch pan; cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. — Cheriede, Indiana

Pink Fluff

2 3-ounce boxes strawberry gelatin
3 cups water
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
8 ounces whipped topping
1 pint strawberries

Make the gelatin using only 3 cups of water total. Place in a large mixing bowl. Set in fridge to set. When set, place 1-1/2 cups of the graham cracker crumbs into a 9-by-13-inch pan. Mix the gelatin with electric mixer to when it looks like chunky applesauce. Add the whipped topping and mix in until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the strawberries. Dump this mixture on top of the graham crackers. Top with remaining graham crackers. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. — Debra, Nebraska

Peanut Butter Pie

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16-ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker or chocolate cookie crusts
chocolate syrup
Reese’s Pieces, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or crushed Oreos, for topping

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into two 9-inch graham cracker pie shells. Drizzle with chocolate syrup, cover and freeze until firm. Top with Reese’s pieces, crumbled Reese’s peanut butter cups or crushed Oreo. — Brenda, Kansas

Chocolate Cream Cake

2 (3.5-ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 cups milk
1 (16-ounce) package graham cracker squares
1 (16-ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting

In a medium bowl, mix the pudding mix, whipped topping and milk. Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers. Spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving. — Niko, Florida