When you're desperate for something sweet but your oven's broken or it's sweltering outside, no-bake puddings save the day. People have been making these for years, and honestly, sometimes they often turn out better than their baked counterparts. You probably have most ingredients already sitting in your kitchen cupboards. 

These recipes work brilliantly when unexpected visitors drop by. They won't believe you whipped these up in twenty minutes flat.  

Classic Chocolate Refrigerator Cake

This one's been around since your gran's day, and there's a reason it's survived. You need 400g digestive biscuits, 200g dark chocolate, 100g butter, and whatever extras take your fancy - raisins, chopped almonds, or mini marshmallows work well.  

Bash the biscuits in a tea towel with a rolling pin. Don't go mad - chunky pieces are what you're after. Melt the chocolate and butter together. Use the microwave in short bursts if you’re impatient, but a bowl over simmering water works fine if you're being proper about it.

Mix everything together, press into a lined tin, and stick it in the fridge. Four hours minimum, though overnight is better. The mixture firms up into something that slices cleanly and tastes absolutely gorgeous. Your kids will fight over the last piece every single time.

Creamy Lemon Posset

Don't let the posh name put you off - this is dead simple. Three ingredients: 600ml double cream, 150g caster sugar, and juice from two decent-sized lemons. That's it.

Heat the cream and sugar until it bubbles like mad for three minutes. Take it off the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Watch it thicken before your eyes - it's quite satisfying actually. Pour into glasses and chill for several hours.

Banoffee Pie Cups

Individual portions mean nobody argues about who got the bigger slice. You'll want digestives, butter, tinned caramel (Carnation works perfectly), bananas, and cream for whipping.

Crush 150g digestives with 75g melted butter. Press this into glasses or small mason jars if you're feeling fancy. Slice bananas on top, add a proper dollop of caramel, then pile on whipped cream. Grate some chocolate over if you've got it.

These look impressive but take about ten minutes to assemble. Perfect for when you've promised dessert but completely forgotten until the last minute.

Oreo Truffles

These disappear faster than you can make them. Crush a whole packet of Oreos to fine crumbs – a food processor makes this easy, though a rolling pin works too. Mix with 200g softened cream cheese until you can roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls.

Roll each ball in melted chocolate or just dust with cocoa powder if you can't be bothered with the chocolate faff. Pop them in the fridge until firm.

You can even make these for those ‘last minute’ school bake sales. They will sell out within minutes for sure.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

These are dangerously good. Start with 200g crushed digestives mixed with 100g melted butter, pressed into a lined tin. Mix 300g smooth peanut butter with 200g icing sugar until it's properly combined – a bit of elbow grease is required here.

Spread the peanut butter mixture over your biscuit base. Melt 200g chocolate and pour over the top. Score into squares whilst the chocolate's still soft, then chill until set solid.

Cut them small - they're richer than they look and will knock you sideways if you have a massive piece. You'll learn this the hard way if you scoff a huge chunk; you'll be feeling queasy for hours.

Things to Do While You Wait for Your Goodies to Set

Waiting around for desserts to set properly can drive you barmy, especially when they smell so tempting. Rather than opening the fridge door every five minutes (which definitely doesn't help), find something else to occupy your time.

You could finally tackle that jigsaw puzzle that's been sitting on your dining table for weeks. Or phone your mum. She'll appreciate the call. If you're feeling energetic, now's a good time to sort through that drawer full of random bits and bobs we all seem to accumulate.

For something more entertaining, you might fancy trying some online games. NetBet offer a range of casino games that can easily fill a few hours whilst your puddings reach the right consistency. Just don't get so engrossed that you forget about your desserts entirely.

Alternatively, use this time to prep tomorrow's dinner or give the kitchen a proper clean after your dessert-making session. It’s amazing how much mess you can create with just a few ingredients.

No-bake desserts prove you don't need complicated equipment or hours of prep to create something special. Keep these techniques up your sleeve, and you'll always have something sweet to offer guests or satisfy your own cravings without breaking into a sweat.