40 No-Bake Christmas Cookies & Treats
Updated: Aug. 24, 2023
Get dazzling holiday treats without the mess and time of regular baking! Skip right to dessert with these delicious no-bake Christmas cookies.
Find the Taste of Home team’s essential tools for holiday baking and more.
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Frosty Polar Bears
I love spending time in the kitchen with my nieces. This is the perfect recipe to make with the little ones. Dang cute, easy and portable! —Emily Tyra, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(We think you’ll love this sugarplums recipe, too!)
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Chocolate Caramel Wafers
To keep my holiday cooking quick, I've come to rely on fast recipes like this one. The crunchy-chewy tidbits are our youngster's favorite.
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Rum Balls
Rum flavor comes through nicely in these traditional, no-bake rum balls. I like to make a few dozen at a time and give them to my neighbors for Christmas—Audrey Larson, Bloomington, Minnesota
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Mint Sandwich Cookies
Canned frosting, peppermint extract and chocolate candy coating quickly turn crackers into these wonderful little no-bake cookies. My children and I like to assemble them for parties and holidays. I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do. -Melissa Thompson, Anderson, Ohio
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No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints
Years ago, a friend gave me a recipe for chocolate peanut treats that didn't require baking. I thought it was a quick and clever way to whip up a batch of sweet snacks without heating up the kitchen, and I started making different variations. This one includes luscious Nutella and crunchy hazelnuts. Yum! —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida
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Gooey Caramel-Topped Gingersnaps
Making these cookies is therapeutic for me. And they are always quite popular at fundraisers. If you’d like, you can make variations by using different nuts. —Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
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Nutty Rice Krispie Cookies
My mom and I used to prepare these Rice Krispie cookies for Christmas every year. Making them with just the microwave means they're super easy and fun to mix with the kids. —Savanna Chapdelaine, Orlando, Florida
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Grahams
Because so many people seem to love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, I came up with this no-bake cookie recipe.—Geraldine Sliwa, Elgin, Illinois. Looking for more recipes? Try these peanut butter no-bake cookies.
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Cathedral Cookies
Children love the colorful marshmallows in these festive confections, which look like stained glass when they're sliced. They practically light up the room from the serving platter at our holiday parties. —Carol Shaffer, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
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Butterscotch-Rum Raisin Treats
I love making rum raisin rice pudding around the holidays. Those flavors inspired this recipe. Crispy rice cereal adds crunch, but nuts, toasted coconut or candied pineapple could do the job, too. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
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Mint Chocolate-Covered Cookies
At our house, everyone lends a hand to make these easy chocolate-covered cookies. They remind me of Thin Mints. Decorate them with sprinkles to match the occasion. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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Holiday Cornflake Cookies
I can't seem to make enough of these cornflake wreaths around the holidays. The cookies firm up quickly, so you'll need to place the Red Hots right away. —Kathleen Hedger, Fairview Heights, Illinois
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Salted Butterscotch & Pecan No-Bakes
When I was deciding what type of cookie to make for a Christmas swap, I opted for something with coconut, pudding mix and salted caramel. Boxed, these could make a great gift as well. I like to drizzle caramel over the tops of the cookies before serving for a special touch. —Stacey Ritz, Sudbury, Ontario
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Buttery Lemon Sandwich Cookies
My grandson approves of these lemony sandwich cookies made with crackers and prepared frosting. Decorate them with whatever sprinkles you'd like. —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
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Fruity No-Bake Cookies
Keep your kitchen cool with these freezer cookies made with fruity cereal. They're extra sweet and even more fun for kids to help make.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Chocolate Lebkuchen Cherry Balls
Here’s my twist on the traditional German holiday lebkuchen—with a surprise inside. —Arlene Erlbach, Morton Grove, Illinois
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No-Bake Cookie Butter Blossoms
Chewy and sweet, these easy treats mix Rice Krispies, cookie spread and chocolate kisses in an unforgettable spin on an old favorite. —Jessie Sarrazin, Livingston, Montana
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Peanut Butter Penguins
Could these be any more adorable? To treat your guests to this chocolaty, peanut buttery goodness, just cover Nutter Butter cookies with chocolate and decorate! They’re a lot of fun to make and even more fun to eat. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Easy Cinnamon Thins
When a co-worker’s husband came home from Iraq, we had a potluck for him. These cookies with coarse red sugar matched our patriotic theme. —Janet Whittington, Heath, Ohio
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Snowy Pine Cones
Pull out each Goldfish graham and dip it into the soft center to snack on these pine cones. There's nothing more fun or creative on the cookie table this year! —Betty MacArthur, Portland, Oregon
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Coconut Christmas Mice
Off-the-charts cuteness makes it nearly impossible for guests to resist these fluffy, coconutty treats. Luckily, they’re really easy to make—no oven needed. Merry Christ-mouse to you! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Key Lime Pie Balls
The classic creamy filling, graham cracker crust and burst of lime are all mixed together in every bite of these rolled cookies. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Homemade Butterfinger Bites
Bent on using up a stash of leftover candy corn, I decided to experiment. Turns out, if you melt it, mix it with peanut butter and coat the balls with chocolate, you get a softer, denser version of a Butterfinger bite. Who knew? They’re delicious! —Melissa Hansen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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No-Bake Fudgy Coconut Cookies
My daughter works at a summer camp, so I send treats. Instead of a cookie jar we use a coffee can and call it the Wrangler Feeding Trough. Everyone asks for this cookie. —Sue Klemm, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
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No-Bake Minty Oreo Blossoms
My blossoms take the Oreo truffle just a little further—and fancier. They're dressed up with a candy coating and a kiss of mint. —Connie Krupp, Racine, Wisconsin
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Raspberry Coconut Balls
My family loves Hostess Zingers, especially the raspberry flavor coated with coconut, inspiring this treat to make for school bake sales. We can make about four dozen in 30 minutes, and they sell out fast! —Pam Clark, Wheaton, Illinois
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Yummy Cracker Snacks
These treats are my family’s favorite. In fact, it seems no matter how many I make, they always disappear too soon! —D. Weaver, Ephrata, Pennsylvania
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Cherry-Coconut Slices
My mother got this recipe from a woman named Emmie Oddie, a well-known home economist in Canada who had a column in a farming newspaper. Oddie would test reader recipes in her own kitchen and write about it. These tasty sweets are so rich that you need only a small piece. —Judy Olson, Whitecourt, Alberta
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Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars
My secret to these rich no-bake bites? Pretzels in the crust. They add a salty crunch to the classic peanut butter and chocolate pairing. —Jennifer Beckman, Falls Church, Virginia
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Chocolate Rum Balls
Roll these truffle-like rum balls in crushed Oreos to get just the right amount of crunch. They can be made three days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I also tuck some in the freezer!
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Holiday Rum Balls
I make these rum balls for special occasions with my wonderful family and friends. The treats are so easy to make and pack a festive punch. — Diane Duschanek, Council Bluffs, Iowa
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Easy Mint Thins
My friends often try to guess the ingredients, but I never tell them how simple they are to make. They taste just like the Girl Scout cookie, and they're perfect for Christmas and bake sales. —Jennifer Setser, Morgantown, Indiana
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Chocolate Almond Drops
So much rich, chocolaty flavor, so little time! My trufflelike cookies are deceptively easy to make and look so elegant on a party tray. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota
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Easy Candied Fruit Cookies
Family and friends always want me to have these for Christmas, so I make lots of them. They're easy to handle and store and also make nice gifts. —Nan Bush, Morganton, North Carolina
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Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks
My grandmother used to make this haystacks recipe to give to my cousin Vonnie and me when our parents didn't want us to have any more sweets. —Christine Schwester, Divide, Colorado
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No-Bake Ginger Cookies
One of my favorite desserts in England was a cake featuring chocolate and ginger. When I came home, I tried creating different recipes using these flavors. This is easy to make and tastes fantastic! —Jennifer Warner, Rochester, Minnesota
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Cherry No-Bake Cookies
I always loved my no-bake cookie recipe, but I was never able to place at the fair with it. So I mixed in some maraschino cherries, added almond extract and voila! I won a blue ribbon at the county fair in 2010. —Denise Wheeler, Newaygo, MichiganUp Next: Also check out these places to buy Christmas cookies online.
Originally Published: December 23, 2021
