Holiday No Bake Desserts

No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients:

25 graham crackers (crushed to crumbs)
1 stick butter, melted
2 tbsp. sugar
1 pkg. lemon Jello
1 c. boiling water
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
1 lg. can evaporated milk (chilled)

Cooking Directions:

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. (Reserve 1/8 cup for topping.) Press the mixture against the bottom and sides to prepare the crust. Set aside.

Combine lemon Jello and 1 cup boiling water and cool. Cream together the 1 cup sugar and the 2 packages of cream cheese, which have been softened. Set aside.

Whip the can of evaporated milk until very thick. Combine the Jello mixture, the cream cheese mixture and the whipped evaporated milk. Blend on low speed with mixer. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top. Chill until set and firm. (May top with fruit if desired.)

This oreo dirt cake recipe is one that is sure to please the kids! It's best served in a plastic bucket with a shovel. Use the shovel to serve.

Dirt Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
1 med.-sized flower pot (plastic, about 8 inches in diameter)
1 garden trowel
3 lg. gummy worms
Plastic flowers
1 (16 oz.) bag Oreo cookies
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 (4 serving size) boxes instant chocolate fudge flavor pudding
3 c. milk
1 (12 oz.) tub whipped topping, thawed

Cooking Directions:

Crush cookies until they resemble potting soil; set aside. Cream butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy; set aside.

Combine pudding mix and milk until well blended, then fold in whipped topping. Gently fold cream cheese mixture and pudding mixture together.

To put cake together, layer 1/3 of the cookie crumbs followed by 1/2 pudding mixture, 1/3 of crumbs, rest of the pudding mixture and topping with the remaining cookie crumbs. Refrigerate 10-12 hours. About 1/2 hour before serving, remove from refrigerator and decorate with flowers. Serve by digging out with garden trowel. Serves 10-12. Great fun!

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
6 whole honey graham crackers (2 squares on each whole cracker), crushed to fine crumbs
2 Tbsp butter, melted, and mixed with 1 Tbsp honey

Filling:

1 box (3 oz) strawberry-kiwi flavor gelatin
2/3 cup boiling water
1 tub (16 oz) cottage cheese
2 bricks (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp strawberry extract or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1 pt (about 12 oz) fresh strawberries
2 Tbsp strawberry jelly, melted
Garnish: small mint leaves

1. Coat an 8 x 3-in. springform pan with nonstick spray.

2. Crust: Mix crumbs with butter mixture until evenly moistened. Press firmly over bottom and 3/4 in. up side of prepared pan. Place in freezer.

3. Filling: Dissolve gelatin in boiling water in a 1-cup measure. Purée cottage cheese in food processor until creamy. Add gelatin, cream cheese, sugar and extract; process until smooth. Pour into prepared crust; smooth top. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, or until set.

4. Topping: Wash and dry berries; remove stems. Quarter each lengthwise and place in a bowl; add jelly and gently toss to coat. Remove sides of springform pan; place cheesecake on serving plate. Spoon on berry mixture; sprinkle with mint leaves.

Planning Tip: Can be made, without the strawberry topping, up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate covered. Prepare Topping just before serving.

No Bake Pumpkin Pie

I started doing this pie a couple of years back for Thanksgiving when I had a lot of company over and not enough space in the oven for pies. It's delicious any time of the year, though.

Ingredients:

Pre-baked pie crust- 9 inches
1 jar vanilla frosting(like cream cheese)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
3 cups of light Cool Whip or whipped cream

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix the frosting, sour cream, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and the allspice together. Stir well. Fold in the cool whip. Chill for 4-6 hours or overnight. Yummy.

I like this no bake lemonade pie on a hot summer day. It's a refreshing dessert that doesn't require the use of the oven.

No Bake Lemonade Pie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 (9 oz.) carton Cool Whip, thawed
1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade, thawed
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

Cooking Directions:

Mix all three ingredients. Pour into prepared 9-inch graham cracker pie shell. Chill several hours in refrigerator before serving.

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

1 box Gingersnap cookies
4 1/2 T melted butter
1/8 c sugar

Filling:

1 1/2 8oz pkg cream cheese softened
2 cups whipped cream (or 1 8oz tub of cool whip thawed)
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/8 c sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

white frosting (thinned)
1 bag crushed pecans

Preheat oven to 325, puree the Ginger snap cookies and add sugar and melted butter, mix with a fork until butter is incorporated. Lightly grease a baking dish and press crust mix into the bottom and sides using the back of a spoon. Bake at 325 for 8 minutes, let cool before filling.

In a large bowl mix the cream cheese, pumpkin and spices. Fold in the whipped cream and mix until smooth. Pour onto gingersnap crust. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Top with pecans and drizzle thin white frosting all over the top of the pumpkin cheesecake bars!

These no bake treats are better than the regular rice krispie treats!

No Bake Chocolate Krispies Recipe

Ingredients:

5 tbsp. butter
1 (10 oz.) pkg. marshmallows
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c. Rice Krispies
1 c. crushed peanuts (any kind of nuts will work)

Cooking Directions:
Melt butter, marshmallows and chips. Add Rice Krispies and nuts. Press in square pan and refrigerate. Dip half the krispie treat in chocolate and coat with sprinkles or nuts.