No-Bake Dessert Recipes - easy desserts that need no baking

No-bake desserts are a bit of a specialty of mine. Yes, I love baking cakes and cookies but when it comes to making desserts, especially for a crowd for a party or potluck, I generally default to no-bake recipes that need no baking, no oven, and in some cases, no cooking or heat at all. Mind you, no baking does not necessarily mean it takes lesser time. Some of these recipes do need to set in the fridge or be cooked in a particular way for them to be ready but yet, if your oven is not working or it's a particularly hot time of year and you just don't want to bake anything, these recipes are for you.

The usual methods of making no-bake dessert is to
a) use a microwave
b) use a steamer
c) use the stove top
d) no cooking needed - just mix and maybe allow to set in the refrigerator.

My favourite methods among all of this is using the steamer. This is because it allows the dessert to cook anyway and gives you similar results as baking. Of course, this depends on what you are making. No-bake cheesecakes require no steamer or oven and yes, that's one delicious dessert too!

So take your pick and I hope you enjoy making these. Please leave a comment if you have a favourite no-bake recipe that's not listed here. I have avoided sharing Indian dessert recipes that need no baking simply because Indian desserts by nature are not usually baked. The cooking methods tend to be elaborate though and can't usually be classified as "simple". These are desserts that are more for parties or when you are cooking for a crowd.

Share and enjoy!

Steamed Chocolate Cake

Pressure Cooker Cake

Oreo Cheesecake

Chocolate Mug Cake

Banana Toffee Pie

Tiramisu

Eggless Strawberry Mousse

Biscuit Brownies

Microwave Chocolate Cake

Mango Cheesecake

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge

I will be adding more no-bake recipes as I post them so keep checking back. If you try any of these recipes, do drop me an email with the picture of your dish and I'll feature it in my Facebook page! All details here.

Rasgulla Recipe - How to Make Bengali Rasgulla Step by Step

Rasgulla. Say that word a few times and you will actually get a feel of how the spongy Bengali sweet rasgulla can taste like. You can buy pretty decent rasgullas in cans but nothing beats the taste of making rasgulla at home, especially during Diwali. TH is not a fan of sweets in general but give him rasgulla or rasmalai and that'll make his day. So this Diwali, I chose to make a fresh batch of homemade rasgulla and here's the step by step recipe for you.

The first step in making rasgulla is to making chenna. The process is similar to how paneer is made - curdling milk and separating the cheese from the whey. I am outlining the steps after you have made the fresh chenna so please check out this post on how to make chenna.

The chenna is made into balls and cooked in sugar syrup. I liked how Manjula's Kitchen had recipe of rasgulla made in a pressure cooker, eliminating a lot of guesswork and standing over the stove so I followed the same method. I made very minor changes in the quantities and such and also made much smaller balls than is usually done.

Check out some easy and delicious milk-based recipes I have shared in the past. They are really our favourite kind. You can make rasmalai using rasgulla in ten minutes, a super quick paneer payasam, delicious sandesh, a popular Bengali sweet, and many more. Check out full list of Diwali sweet recipes for more inspiration too.

BENGALI RASGULLA RECIPE

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Makes 20 small rasgulla
Recipe source: Manjula's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:
1 litre of full fat milk
2-3 tbsp of fresh lime juice or vinegar
1 cup of sugar
3 cups of water
1 tbsp of crushed pistachios (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS:

First, make chenna. After it has drained for about 30 minutes, give it a whizz in a blender or mixer to make it smooth and let out more water.

Remove and knead well for 3 minutes. At the end of it, you should be able to make smooth balls out of the chenna easily. If not, knead for a bit longer. The size of the rasgulla will double on cooking in sugar syrup so remember to make smaller sizes than you would like the rasgullas to end up as.

Add the sugar and water to your pressure cooker and bring to boil. Mix well for the sugar to dissolve, lower heat to very low and add the rasgulla balls gently into the syrup.

Cover the pressure cooker and cook without whistle for about 7-8 minutes on medium-low flame.

Turn off heat and wait 5 minutes before opening the cooker lid. You'll find spongy rasgulla that's doubled in size!

Cool completely, add crushed pistachios on top and refrigerate rasgulla in syrup until ready to serve. It will be delicious, I promise!

NOTES:

- The only step that could go wrong is the kneading and rolling of chenna. It's best to get the chenna as dry as possible (no need to press like making paneer though) and then knead for a good 3-4 minutes to get it as smooth as possible.
- I used lesser amount of sugar and these were perfect. The amount of sugar can be increased if you want the very sweet kind you get to buy
Rasgulla can stay fresh refrigerated for up to 4 days, in the sugar syrup so make some rasgulla for your loved ones and share a picture with me :)

Coconut Sesame Ladoo Recipe - Easy-to-make Diwali Sweet Recipes

Sesame or til ladoos are probably one of the easiest sweets you can make for Diwali or any festival. Traditionally, sesame ladoos are made with just two ingredients - sesame seeds and jaggery. However, in this sesame coconut ladoo recipe, I have added some desiccated coconut to make things a bit more interesting and also cooked the jaggery a bit to make the ladoos taste more candy-like. These ladoos are still very easy to make and take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. So here's wishing you a very sweet Diwali 2014 in advance with my list of 12 Diwali Sweet Recipes under 20 Minutes.

During the last few days in Sydney, I made a lot of odd things. Like many batches of almond cake and small sweets and modaks. I snacked on the mostly since I had a break between jobs but I also gifted a lot and realised how much I like cooking or baking for others. These ladoos were made one evening when I was bored out of my mind. I didn't look up any recipe, rather just threw some things into a pan and cooked it down. In retrospect, cooking the jaggery to the right consistency make have yielded nicer ladoos but these were really very good too and probably easier than waiting for the jaggery to reach a "hard ball" consistency, etc.

Diwali is probably my favourite time of the year, especially being a food blogger. I hear from many of you on recipes you've tried and it's extra special when you share festival menu pictures with sweets and snacks.

Making sweets for Diwali doesn't need to be an arduous task. Here are some quick and easy sweets for you to get started - 15 min coconut ladoo recipe, 15 min date and nut ladoos, 15 min apple kheer recipe, 10 min microwave palkova recipe, and my favourite badusha recipe if you have some more time in hand.

COCONUT SESAME LADOO RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 10 ladoos

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of sesame seeds (white and black would work)
3/4 cup of grated or powdered unsalted jaggery (palm sugar)
1/4 cup of desiccated coconut
1 tsp of ghee or butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

Coarsely grind the sesame seeds

Add the jaggery, coconut, and sesame seeds to a non stick pan and cook on low flame

Add 1/2 tsp ghee mix well to cook on low heat.

You'll find that the jaggery melts and becomes sticky, making it harder to stir but don't stop. Keep stirring gently on low heat.

In about 12-15 mins you'll end up with a thicker mass that leaves the sides of the pan. Keep going until it gets fairly thick and nearly impossible to stir further.

Remove from heat and let it cool down enough for you to handle comfortably. Grease palms in some ghee or butter and roll into small ladoos.

These ladoos stay at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days. Some softening of the jaggery is normal since we didn't cook it to the right consistency, etc. Doesn't affect the taste of the coconut sesame ladoos at all.

Enjoy, and wishing you lots of delicious sweet-making time this Diwali. 

1-Min Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cup - Microwave Choc Chip Cookie Recipe

Chocolate chip cookie in a cup. In one minute. Made in the microwave. Delicious. That's really all I need to say about this awesome recipe but I will talk a bit more because, you know, I love to talk! So yes, this cookie thing in a cup is fabulous you guys. Remember the 5-minute chocolate mug cake recipe? Well, this is even better. The texture is that of a soft cookie and it's really hard to mess it up so great results are guaranteed.

See what I mean? I took the picture of the cookie above after it had cooled down completely and it still remained soft and scoop-able, yet had the consistency of a chocolate chip cookie. You can customize this recipe many different ways but let's all take a moment and thank this day and age when making a cookie in a cup in one minute in a microwave is not only possible, but gets us amazing results.

Now, what's keeping you? Go grab a cup or mug and go make yourself a cookie immediately. You can then come back and thank me :)

Looking for super quick dessert recipe ideas? Check out this microwave mug cake recipe, 10-min palkova recipe, 15-min apple kheer recipe, or maybe a refreshing fruit salad with custard recipe for summer is more like it?

1-MIN MICROWAVE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1 minute
Serves 1-2
Recipe source: number 2 pencil

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed (press down into the measuring spoon after scooping)
2 drops of vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
1 egg yolk (separate the egg whites from yolk)
2 heaping tbsp of plain flour
2 tbsp chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add 1 tbsp butter to a microwave-safe cup or mug and microwave for 10 seconds until it melts. No need to heat or boil, just make sure it's melted.

2. Add the 1 tbsp white sugar, 1 tbsp brown sugar, pinch of salt, and 2 drops vanilla to this. Mix well.

3. Separate an egg and add just the egg yolk to the above. Mix well to combine.

4. Add the 2 heaping tbsp of flour and mix until no streaks of flour remain. The mixture will be fairly thick.

5. Add the 2 tbsp chocolate chips to this and fold until well combined. I added some more chips on top to make the cookie look pretty when done.

6. Microwave on high (mine is a 1100W microwave) for 45-50 seconds. I stopped at 45 seconds and that was perfect. The top will still be a bit fudgy but remember that the cookie will continue to cook after you take it out.

That's it! Scoop out with a spoon and enjoy. If you have vanilla ice cream lying around in your freezer, add a small scoop to this and you have yourself a great dessert. It's also a nice idea to serve this to guests if you are hosting a small party. Microwave individual portions of cookie, add some ice-cream on top, and serve as is. They're sure to be impressed :)

Note: I haven't tried any other variations of this recipe so I am not sure the best way to make this recipe eggless, etc. You can try the usual substitutes like yogurt or flax seed meal, I just haven't done so yet. The egg yolk adds the creaminess and moisture to this recipe so if you do eat eggs, I urge you to try the recipe without any changes.

Here's the step by step picture collage to prepare microwave chocolate chip cookie which you can pin for later reference.

Let me know if you try this microwave chocolate cookie in a cup recipe, won't you?

Eggless Mango Ice Cream Recipe, Condensed Milk Mango Ice Cream

Eggless mango ice cream using just three ingredients, including condensed milk that needs no machine, no cooking and no churning. Yep, pretty magical those words sound to me too. I was sent the recipe for this super easy mango ice cream recipe by Parmeeta and I finally got to making it. Although I love using my ice-cream maker for homemade ice-cream, there's something to be said for the simplicity of a no-churn ice-cream with just three ingredients.

When making any ice-cream at home, one of the key things to keep in mind is that it shouldn't have any water crystals as it freezes (unless you are making granita). The usual technique if you don't have an ice-cream maker and still want to make ice-cream at home, is to use your blender and whip the ice-cream mixture 2-3 times as it freezes. Obviously, this is a bit of a pain to do and the process doesn't appeal to me at all, mainly because I'd forget to do it. So I was going the ice-cream maker route all this while (here's what I use and love), remembering to freeze the ice-cream maker vessel 24-48 hours ahead all the rest of it.

However, this technique of making ice-cream with condensed milk and cream works really well with almost no crystals at all although you only blend the ice-cream mixture once. Once, you guys! That's pretty amazing, isn't it? You can adapt this basic recipe to include whatever flavours you'd like, like adding 1/2 cup of espresso for a coffee ice-cream, or other fruit purees, or even chocolate sauce, jams, nuts, chocolate chips, the possibilities are endless.

You may also want to check out my chocolate ice-cream recipe, this delicious blueberry cheesecake ice-cream recipe, and some of my favourite easy desserts like this vanilla panna cotta, eggless condensed milk pudding, and of course, the ever-popular mango cheesecake recipe.

EGGLESS CONDENSED MILK MANGO ICE-CREAM RECIPE

Preparation time: 4 hours
Makes ~4 cups

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cream (at least 35% fat content)
1 cup condensed milk
1 cup mango puree (fresh or canned)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Blend 1 cup cream until it slightly thickens. Don't over do this, otherwise you will churn the butter out of the cream!

2. Add 1 cup condensed milk and mangoes (or 1 cup puree) to this

and blend again until well combined.

3. Pour into a plastic or glass container with a tight lid. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours.

You don't have to blend it more than once since no crystals will form with this method.

Notes:

• Allow the ice-cream to sit outside for 3-4 mins before trying to scoop
• I found the mango ice-cream quite sweet so next time I'd add more cream or reduce the amount of condensed milk. I also felt the ice-cream had a distinct condensed milk flavour which is not a bad thing at all, but made this taste a bit more like kulfi and less like ice-cream. More cream should fix this
• The colour of my mango ice cream is not very deep because of the kind of mangoes I used. The mango flavour was strong enough though so don't let the depth of colour deter you in case yours turns out the same way
• Use your own flavourings and imagination to create your own unique combinations and flavours

Eggless Strawberry Mousse - Easy Valentines Day Recipes

Learn how to make eggless strawberry mousse, probably the easiest dessert I have made in recent times. This mousse recipe has no gelatin or thickeners, just cream and fresh strawberry puree with some sugar, perfect dessert to finish off a Valentines Day menu.

It may sound cliched but I have never really celebrated Valentines day. Well, unless wearing pink with your girl friends in college (because your boy crush at the time loves pink and not red), or eating chocolate lava cake with your room mate who just had her heart broken, or walking out of a restaurant on finding their V-day menu ridiculously overpriced on the day, counts. I guess all these are parts of 'celebrating' the day but in all honesty, I don't really wait for the day, cook special for it, or give/receive gifts and flowers. Maybe it's not such a bad thing to have one day to celebrate your love but anyway, I don't think TH is going to be on board with that after 8 years of me ignoring it with him.

There's a point behind my rambling here. Every year, without fail, I get the most number of emails around now asking for easy dessert recipes for Valentines Day and a quick and easy Indian Valentines Day menu. I often reply with something vague like "go through the recipe index" or "depends on what you want to eat" etc. I really don't believe Valentines Day food is anything special, just make your favourite dishes and enjoy. However, you can go all out with the dessert. Make it red, make it pink, make it heart-shaped, use the right ingredients, indulge. This easy strawberry mousse is definitely pointed in that direction so enjoy with your partner and loved ones.

More Valentines Day dessert ideas:
Tiramisu
Chocolate Lava Cakes
Fruit Custard
Vanilla Pannacotta
No-Bake Banoffee Pie
Eggless No-Bake Mango Cheesecake
Eggless No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

Also browse all Dessert Recipes on Edible Garden including Eggless Desserts.

EASY EGGLESS STRAWBERRY MOUSSE

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of whipping cream (with at least 35% fat)
2 cups of fresh strawberries
4 tbsp of powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:
Apologies for the bright red in all the pictures, my camera colour settings were a bit off

1. Reserve a few strawberries and puree the rest in a blender until smooth with 2 tbsp powdered sugar.

2. Whip the cream using an electric beater or using the whip attachment of your stand mixer. You can also use a food processor for this. The key here is to whip it just the right amount. As you can see in the picture above, the cream should be airy yet smooth. If you go too further, it will start tuning into butter and you can't bring it back to the mousse stage.

Once the cream is ready, gently fold in half the strawberry puree and remaining sugar into the cream. Test to see if it's sweet enough and add more sugar if needed.

3. Spoon this into a serving glass, bowl, etc of your choice. Wipe out the sides if you spilled a bit while spooning it in.

4. Very gently spoon the remaining puree into both glasses.

5. Refrigerate (covered) for at least 2 hours or overnight until set. You can garnish with some sliced strawberries on top and more cream.

Serve chilled. Since we don't use any thickening agent in this mousse, it will start to melt once taken out of the refrigerator so serve immediately. Tastes best when shared.

Notes:
- adjust sugar levels to your preference
- the strawberries I used were tart so I adjusted sugar amount in the puree
- this is worth repeating - be very careful of not over-whipping the cream
- if you are feeling experimental, replace strawberry puree with melted semi sweet chocolate for a chocolate mousse. I haven't tried this though