45 No-Bake Holiday Candy, Treats, And Cookies

As the holiday season gets underway, you don't have to do any baking to indulge in holiday candy, treats, and cookies. Whether you're not a fan of baking or don't have access to an oven, you can still make these treats using other methods.

While none of the recipes require an oven, they typically require heat of some sort from a stovetop, microwave, air fryer, Instant Pot, or slow cooker. That's because all require melting down solid or semi-solid ingredients like peanut butter, marshmallows, or chocolate chips. Then, they usually need to sit out on the counter, in the fridge, or in the freezer for the ingredients to re-solidify and turn into a tasty treat.

We've included a wide variety of no-bake treats, including chocolate-covered candy, fudge, barks, brittles, cookies, and a few that defy easy categorization but taste great nontheless. Get ready to scroll through and find inspiration for your holiday no-baking this year.

If you're a fan of boozy holiday treats, you'll want to make Chocolate Fireball Fudge. The ingredient list is simple: chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and cinnamon-infused Fireball whiskey. 

All you have to do is microwave the chocolate chips, add the remaining ingredients, spread the mix on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least four hours. You'll get about 20 pieces of fudge from this recipe. Once you've tried it, consider using other liquors like Amaretto or Kahlúa.

Recipe: 4-Ingredient Chocolate Fireball Fudge

Peanut brittle is a classic, but it can be intimidating on the stovetop. However, when you make it in the microwave, you don't even need to use a candy thermometer. 

The process involves microwaving sugar and corn syrup for four minutes, adding peanuts for three to five more minutes, then butter and vanilla for an additional minute or two, and finally baking soda. Cool it on a baking sheet in the refrigerator for an hour before breaking it into about six servings.

Recipe: Microwave Peanut Brittle

Peanut butter haystacks bridge the gap between candy and no-bake cookies and take under 20 minutes to make. To make them, simply mix broken and raw chow mein noodles with melted peanut butter, butterscotch chips, and chopped peanuts. Then, form them into four haystack-like shapes and put them in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden. 

While butterscotch chips are traditional, you can also try these with chocolate chips or another type of nut butter or nut.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Haystacks

While praline-flavored treats are popular year-round, you may realize that you've never tried real pralines before. If not, you're in for a treat from this rich caramel candy. The caramel cooks on the stovetop in about 10 minutes with white and brown sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. 

A candy thermometer is necessary to mark the proper temperature before you add the pecans and vanilla. This mixture makes 24 candies and will need 15 minutes to set. A sprinkling of sea salt over the top is nice, but try a sprinkling of cinnamon, too.

Recipe: Sweet And Crunchy Pralines

If you've only ever had kettle corn at fairs and festivals, you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn how quickly and easily you can make it at home. The process is just like making stovetop popcorn except you add sugar to mix. 

The trick is to keep shaking the covered pot while the popcorn pops to prevent sticking and burning. Once they're done, add sea salt and enjoy. For a holiday twist, add a shake of cinnamon or gingerbread spices.

Recipe: Easy Kettle Corn

Peanut butter fudge is easy to make and a big hit with peanut butter lovers. All you have to do is melt peanut butter and butter together on the stovetop, remove it from the heat, and mix in vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar.

It sets up in a pan in the fridge after three hours and makes 25 servings. Try making it with a different nut butter or adding cocoa powder for a chocolate variation.

Recipe: Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

If you're looking for a unique take on fudge, this orange and pecan Christmas fudge may be just the thing. To start, heat milk, sugar, heavy cream, and butter on the stovetop with 20 minutes of constant stirring. 

Next, add vanilla, pecans, and orange zest, then let it cool for four hours before you cut it into 16 pieces for serving. Top with holiday-colored sprinkles or a sprinkling of holiday spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Recipe: Christmas Fudge

Dalgona candy doubles as a game to see who can remove the inner shape without breaking the whole thing. Luckily, the stakes for success are far lower than on the "Squid Game" series that popularized these treat. 

To make these, melt sugar in a saucepan. remove from the heat, and stir in baking soda. Press the mixture into four cookie-shaped rounds, and then press a shape into the middle with a cookie cutter before cooling for five minutes.

Recipe: Copycat Squid Game Dalgona Candy

Once you learn how to make white chocolate fudge, you'll wonder why you didn't try it sooner. Simply mix together melted white chocolate chips and condensed milk that you've warmed separately in the microwave. Then, let it set in the fride for four hours. 

This recipe makes 36 servings. Add nuts or holiday spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to take these to the next level.

Recipe: White Chocolate Fudge

Bring back an old-fashioned treat you probably haven't had in years by making popcorn balls this holiday season. You'll need a candy thermometer to get sugar, corn syrup, and water to the right temperature before removing it from the heat and adding butter. 

Next, add popped corn, let it cool slightly, and shape the sweet buttery mixture into about 20 balls. You can add cinnamon to these or even holiday-colored sprinkles.

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Popcorn Balls

If you don't have a good popcorn pot for the stovetop, we'll let you in on a secret: you can make popcorn using the sautée setting on your Instant Pot. 

To make kettle corn in the Instant Pot, add sugar and salt to the popcorn and oil once the popcorn starts popping. It's really that easy. Just be sure to shake the pot every 30 seconds during popping. If you want a more robust flavor, try using brown sugar instead of white.

Recipe: Instant Pot Kettle Corn

Muddy Buddies are always a hit, so you can't go wrong making these for your next holiday party. They're also fairly easy to make. Start by melting butter, vanilla, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and peanut butter together in the microwave. 

Then mix it together with a box of Chex cereal. You'll divide the result between two large freezer bags to shake and distribute powdered sugar evenly over your Muddy Buddies. Cinnamon Chex cereal make for an interesting holiday variation.

Recipe: Muddy Buddies

For a fluffier version of peanut butter fudge, reach for some marshmallow fluff. For this easy and quick recipe, first boil sugar and milk together before adding marshmallow fluff, vanilla, and peanut butter. 

Transfer the mixture to a buttered dish and cool at room temperature before slicing into 36 pieces. While the recipe calls for creamy peanut butter, there's no reason you couldn't use the crunchy version or even add peanuts for extra texture.

Recipe: Marshmallow Fluff Peanut Butter Fudge

Another genius way to update your Rice Krispie treats for the holiday is with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. You'll be using Cocoa Krispies instead of plain and adding peanut butter as well as chopped pieces of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to the mix. 

It takes less than 10 minutes to get these into a buttered pan, where the mix will cool for 20 minutes before you cut them into 12 squares.

Recipe: Reese's Rice Krispie Treats

If the idea of using your stove to make candy is unappealing, why not use your slow cooker? These Chocolate Nut Clusters take a little over an hour to make. Begin by adding peanuts and almonds into the slow cooker, followed by chocolate chips, sea salt, and vanilla syrup. 

Stir every 20 minutes until the chocolate has completely melted. The recipe makes about 48 clusters that need to set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chocolate Nut Clusters

No-Bake Reese's Krispie Cookies come together slightly differently than ordinary Rice Krispie treats. Instead of adding melted butter and marshmallows to Rice Krispies, add a heated mixture of peanut butter, sugar, and corn syrup along with chocolate chips and chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. 

After you form the mixture into about 40 balls, pop them into the freezer for 30 minutes to set. For a different flavor profile, use Reese's Pieces instead of Reese's Cups.

Recipe: No-Bake Reese's Krispie Cookies

Once you realize how easy it is to make these copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, you may not want to go back to store-bought. The filling is simply warm creamy peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar, corn syrup, and salt. 

All you have to do is pour a little melted milk chocolate into 12 ruffled cupcake papers, top with a disk of the peanut butter mixture, and pour more melted chocolate on top. They'll harden in 30 minutes in the fridge.

Recipe: Copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

No-bake cookies are always a hit with peanut butter fans. Plus, they're easier to make than ordinary cookies. Here, all you have to do is add peanut butter and oats to a boiling mixture of butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla. 

Allow this to cool, then form into cookies and set in the fridge for an hour. You can play with the flavor a little if you use flavored instant oatmeal (maple or cinnamon varities work well here) instead of plain.

Recipe: Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookie

Puppy Chow might look like dog food, but it's definitely for the favorite humans in your life. This version comes together in 20 minutes and uses just one large bowl. 

Simply toss melted mixture of peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butter with vanilla and Chex cereal. After it's coated, add owdered sugar. Try it with butterscotch chips or a little cinnamon for some holiday flair.

Recipe: 20 Minute Puppy Chow

If you thought fudge was complicated to make, think again. All you need is two ingredients and 10 minutes to this make delicious, crave-worthy treat. The only negative is that you'll have to wait at least 4 hours for it to set in the fridge. 

To make melt chocolate chips by adding hot sweetened condensed milk. Change it up a bit by adding nuts, pieces of candy, or different kinds of chips. It makes 64 pieces.

Recipe: Quick 2-Ingredient Fudge

This is a simple and easy fudge that can be served as-is or with a variety of fun additions. To make it, first heat sweetened condensed milk with chocolate chips until the chocolate melts. Then, add in vanilla and any add-ins and chill it in the fridge for an hour. 

Some variations include nuts like pistachios or chopped Oreo cookies. You can even swirl in a cup of creamy peanut butter.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Fudge

We love these no-bake oatmeal cookies because they don't rely on peanut butter and chocolate like many others. Not only are they tasty, but they take almost no effort to make. Mix together heated almond butter with oats, raisins, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. 

After you form the mixture into 15 cookies, give them 25 minutes to set in the fridge. Try apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon for something a little different.

Recipe: No-Bake Oatmeal Cookie