Healthy No-Bake Dessert Recipes

Find healthy, delicious no-bake dessert recipes including cookies and cheesecake. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Cucumber Sandwich

15
This creamy, crunchy cucumber sandwich recipe strikes a lovely balance between decadent and light. The cream cheese-yogurt spread complements the crisp refreshing cucumber while the hearty flavor and texture of the whole-wheat bread holds everything together. Removing the crusts makes it more delicate than your average sandwich.
By Amanda Stanfield

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

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This one-pan pasta that combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal is garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta" and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love.
By Devon O'Brien

Vegetarian Protein Bowl

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This vegetarian protein bowl has everything you need for a complete meal in one bowl. Beans not only boost protein, but also add creaminess to the farro mixture. Chimichurri sauce brightens the dish.
By Ali Ramee

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

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This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables depending on your mood.
By Katie Webster

Loaded Broccoli Salad

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This is the broccoli salad you will get special requests for. The combination of bacon, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions and Cheddar is hard to resist. And the addition of rice vinegar or cider vinegar sharpens all the flavors.
By Carolyn Casner

Loaded Cucumber & Avocado Sandwich

3
This loaded cucumber-and-avocado sandwich is filled with creamy avocado and crispy cucumbers. Ricotta cheese mixed with extra-sharp Cheddar adds flavor while sliced red peppers offer a splash of color.
By Carolyn Casner

Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Olives & Feta

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This quick and easy chopped salad is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean, including chickpeas, cucumber and feta. A garlicky oil and vinegar dressing brings everything together.
By Carolyn Casner

Lemony Spaghetti with Parmesan & Thyme

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This simple lemony spaghetti with Parmesan and thyme is delicious on its own or jazzed up with leftover cooked chicken or veggies.
By Carolyn Casner

One-Pan Chicken & Asparagus Bake

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In this chicken and asparagus recipe, we use one baking sheet to whip up dinner quickly, veggies included. Pounding the chicken thin helps it cook quickly alongside the carrots and potatoes, with asparagus rounding out the meal. This is one quick dinner recipe you'll be returning to again and again.

White Bean & Veggie Salad

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This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.
By Katie Webster

Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl

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Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these Mediterranean meals and pack in containers with lids to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab & go lunches all week long.
By Carolyn Casner

Marinated Cucumber & Tomato Salad

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This marinated salad is such a healthy way to enjoy those fresh summer veggies and can be easily customized. Try adding in some fresh herbs or feta cheese for a little added flavor. You can also swap in seasoned pepper, which is amped up with additional seasonings, in place of the plain ground pepper for an additional flavor boost. This recipe is part of our Juneteenth Family Cookout Menu.
By Andrea Mathis, M.A., RDN, LD
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Inspiration and Ideas

25 One-Pot Mediterranean Diet Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less
The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest eating patterns around, and it has never been easier with these one-pot dinners. Packed with staple ingredients of the Mediterranean diet like whole-wheat pasta, eggs, fish and greens, you'll love these dinner recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less with an easy cleanup later. Recipes like our Summer Skillet Vegetable Egg Scramble and Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry will have you digging in for seconds.
21 Easy Lunch Ideas in 10 Minutes
These easy lunch ideas come together in 10 minutes or less, so you can whip up a quick meal and still have time to spare during your break.
14 Easy High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Breakfast Recipes to Make for Busy Mornings
Air-Fryer Zucchini
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Simple Cabbage Salad
5
Avocado Chicken Salad
Whipped Frozen Lemonade
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Whipped frozen lemonade combines the creaminess of a milkshake with the thirst-quenching tanginess of freshly squeezed lemonade for an incredibly refreshing treat. And this simple frozen lemonade treat comes together with just four ingredients and a blender. You can use light coconut milk or refrigerated coconut milk in place of full-fat coconut milk, though the end result won't be as rich and creamy. Leftover simple syrup will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

All Healthy No-Bake Dessert Recipes

Grinder Salad Sandwich

1
Inspired by the viral TikTok trend, we put our own spin on the grinder salad sandwich. We stick to one deli meat, in this case turkey, to cut back on sodium. For the salad topping, additions like bell pepper, red onion and tomato add color and crunch while also amping up the veggies. Whether you call it a grinder, hoagie or sub, you'll want to make this sandwich again and again.
By Karen Rankin

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

5
Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.
By Abbie Gellman, M.S., RD, CDN

Copycat Olive Garden Italian Dressing

This copycat Olive Garden Italian dressing tastes just like the original. Italian seasoning is the backbone of this easy dressing, while mayonnaise gives it body and a little creaminess. Enjoy it on a salad or as a quick and simple marinade for chicken.
By Carolyn Casner

37 Mediterranean Diet Lunches That Can Help Reduce Inflammation

Chronic inflammation can end up causing you all kinds of pesky problems, from stiff joints to poor digestion. That's why eating more nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory foods, like cauliflower, avocado and fish, can be a healthy way to shake up your routine.
By Leah Goggins

No-Cook Black Bean Salad

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A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
By Hilary Meyer

Caprese Sandwich

This caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead.
By Liv Dansky

Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad

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This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Peanut Butter Energy Balls

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These healthy peanut butter and chocolate energy balls deliver a mixture of simple and complex carbohydrates to help fuel you up whenever you need a little boost. They're no-bake and easy to make with ingredients you probably have on hand, like oats and nut butter. Feel free to experiment with different mix-ins--for example, dried fruit or chopped nuts--in place of the chocolate chips and coconut.
By Lisa Valente

20 Healthy Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes

Think you don't have enough time to make a healthy dinner? Think again. These healthy dinner ideas are ready in just 20 minutes, so you can get a flavorful dish on the table on even the busiest of days. From Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara to One-Skillet Bourbon Chicken, these recipes are satisfying and quick to make.
By Penelope Wall

Coconut Margarita

Coconut water brings just enough sweetness to this frozen coconut margarita to add flavor to the drink without making it too sweet. The lime juice and Coco López give this drink a tropical flavor, while the tequila and triple sec make it taste like a solid margarita.
By Karen Rankin

Cinnamon-Roll Overnight Oats

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It takes just minutes to assemble this healthy no-cook breakfast, and you'll have meal-prepped grab-and-go breakfasts on hand for the rest of the week. Top these delicious vegan oats—inspired by classic cinnamon bun flavors—with fresh or frozen fruit and your favorite nuts and seeds.
By Carolyn Casner

Chunky Black Bean Salsa with Corn & Bell Pepper

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This TikTok-trending, veggie-packed salsa gets inspiration from Texas caviar (aka cowboy caviar), a dish created in 1940 to ring in the New Year by Helen Corbitt, who was a chef at Neiman Marcus. Scoop it up with tortilla chips or try it as a topping for grilled meat or fish, or as a filling for a quick quesadilla. 
By Karen Rankin

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

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Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!

Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.
By Carolyn Casner

Chopped Power Salad with Chicken

Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.
By Carolyn Casner

15-Minute Salmon & Creamy Orzo with Spinach & Mushrooms

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In this quick salmon dinner, salmon fillets are paired with creamy orzo, wilted spinach and earthy mushrooms. Cooking the salmon at a high temperature helps speed up the cooking in this healthy dinner recipe. Look for pre-sliced mushrooms to speed it up even more.
By Carolyn Casner

Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach

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Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are coated in a garlic cream sauce, while spinach adds a boost of color and nutrition in this easy, one-skillet recipe. Serve over pasta or whole grains to soak up the delicious sauce.
By Carolyn Casner

One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

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This one-pot pasta with tangy tomato-basil sauce is a simple, fast and easy weeknight dinner. All of your ingredients go into one pot, and with a bit of stirring and about 25 minutes of cook time, you'll have a healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.

Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

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Enjoy classic shrimp scampi lightened up with zucchini noodles in place of pasta. The tomatoes add some sweetness and color, while the cheese contributes nuttiness and richness.

Balsamic Roasted Cabbage

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These roasted cabbage wedges with honey and balsamic vinegar make an attractive and healthy side dish that's also very easy to prepare. You can use red or green cabbage--or make a double batch with one of each for a pretty presentation.
By Marianne Williams

Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls

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These shrimp, pesto and quinoa bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame.
By Carolyn Casner

Spaghetti & Spinach with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

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To achieve flavor quickly in this pasta recipe, we use the oil from sun-dried tomatoes to create the base of the cream sauce. Meanwhile, the residual heat of the pasta wilts the spinach in record time for a fast weeknight dinner.
By Carolyn Casner

3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad

We put a flavor twist on the classic chicken salad by using a lemon-herb mayonnaise. Try other mayo varieties, like roasted garlic or chipotle lime, in this fast, no-cook lunch recipe. Serve with whole-grain crackers.
By Carolyn Hodges, M.S., RDN

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

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This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.
By Katie Webster
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