5 No-Bake Recipes to Try During the Holidays

Christmas is just around the corner and if you are looking for some gift ideas to give your friends and family, why not make some delicacies from scratch? Many Filipinos have resorted to baking since the pandemic has forced us to stay at home. Some have developed it as a hobby, while some have fruitfully turned it into a business.

But what if you don’t have an oven? Don’t worry, it’s very possible to bake without one. You will need a reliable refrigerator though and Condura happens to have a range of refrigerators that are suited for your no-bake wonders. Condura’s Home Prima No-Frost Inverter is your perfect partner for refrigerator cakes. This two-door unit has a 53-liter freezer, which allows you to chill more no-bake goodies. It’s also eco-friendly, has humidity control, and is energy efficient. Best of all, its motor comes with a 10-year warranty. No-bake cakes have become a go-to dessert for Filipinos because it’s super easy to make and they taste as good as baked delicacies. Here are some recipes to try:

Mango float cake

Probably a Filipino favorite not just during the Christmas season, but all year round. It’s a classic example of an icebox cake. For the filling, combine 2 cups of all-purpose cream, 1 can of condensed milk, and 1 can of evaporated milk. Mix it well until combined and let it chill in the freezer for at least an hour. Next, use graham crackers as your base and then place a small amount of the milk mixture just until the graham cracker layer is covered. Top it with sliced ripe mango and repeat the process until it fills your container. If you don’t have mangoes, peaches are good alternatives. Top it with graham cracker crumbs or crushed Grahams. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Classic Cheesecake

Gone are the days when you can only make a cheesecake with an oven. You can now achieve a refrigerator cake version to pair with a cup of coffee or tea, but remember that cream cheese is the life and blood of any cheesecake so make sure that you choose a good brand. For the base, combine 1 ½ cup of crushed graham, 2 tbsp. of sugar, and ½ cup of melted butter. Mix well until moistened and crumbly. Transfer it into a pie plate or a spring form pan and press the crumbs onto the pan as flat and as even as you can. For the cream cheese filling, beat 8oz of cream cheese with ¼ cup of white sugar until light and well blended. Make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing. To give your filling structure, dissolve 1 ½ tbsp. of unflavored gelatin with 3 tbsp. of warm fresh milk and combine with the mixture. In a separate bowl mix 1 cup of whipped cream and 1 cup of all-purpose cream and whip. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and fold with the cream cheese mixture and combine until well blended. Pour the mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to set the cream completely. You can decorate the top with canned blueberry for that classic New York cheesecake vibe. You can also fold in some crushed Oreos in the mixture before chilling for that perfect no-bake Oreo cheesecake.

Cappuccino Refrigerator Cake

For coffee lovers, this dessert is for you. For the cream filling, mix whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 3 tbsp. of instant cappuccino mix plus 2 tbsp. of water of milk. Add 2 cups of Greek or plain yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 4tbsp of brown sugar. For the crackers, combine 5 tbsp. of instant cappuccino mix with ¼ cup of warm milk. Soak each graham cracker in this mixture before placing it in a pan. Add a portion of your whip cream mixture and keep layering until you’ve filled the pan. Dust the top with cappuccino mix for that caffeine kick. Cover it with a cling wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.

Choco Cake pops

Not exactly a cake, but it has chocolate and it comes in bite-size, which are perfect for kids and for adults who don’t want to get a sugar rush. Beat 2 cups of crushed Oreos with 8oz of cream cheese until well combined. Roll them into small balls and line them on a baking pan atop a baking sheet. Chill them in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. While chilling, melt 250 grams of white chocolate or white candy melts. After getting the chilled cake pops, roll them in melted white chocolate and drizzle them with crushed Oreos, or you can roll them in a sprinkle. Freeze for another hour before serving. You can also use red and green gel food coloring with the melted white chocolate and get festive with the Christmas-themed cake pops. These cake pops are so easy to make and require only three main ingredients. It can also be a good activity for you and your kids to bond over.

Choco banana pudding

Something for the health-conscious because the yuletide season comes with so many parties and get-togethers and this healthy and nutritious snack should compensate for the cheat days we are going to have. In a chiller-friendly tumbler or tall glass, mash 1-2 ripe bananas and mix 3-4 tbsp. of chia seeds or flax seeds. Add 1 cup of almond milk or fresh milk, 1 tbsp. of chocolate powder, and 1 tbsp. of honey. Mix them all together and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Before serving, top your pudding with sliced bananas granola bits. You can pour in some more milk if the pudding is too sticky. Making desserts has never been this easy with these no-bake recipes. Gone are the days when you can only bake cakes and other desserts if you have an oven. You can even make these specialties to gift to friends and family for the holidays.