What to Bake When It’s Too Hot for the Oven

Welcome to Sunday Reset, where we share how we’re unwinding and what we have planned for the week ahead. This time, our newest baking resident, Terrence (@terrencebakes), shares what he’s whipping up first in our Test Kitchen.

Summer is officially here and as a baker, I go back and forth about using my oven during some of the hotter days.

Luckily, during the summer, that means there’s an opportunity to do a ton of great no-bake desserts that can still impress my family and friends. So instead of doing a tiered cake, maybe an icebox cake. Instead of making a burnt basque cheesecake, I’m making a no-bake cheesecake with cookie crust.

This was my first week at Food52, and I was tasked with creating some no-bake desserts in the Test Kitchen. Being from Atlanta, Georgia, I am no stranger to hot summer days. No-bake desserts are great when I feel like I need a no-contact order with my oven for a period of time, too.

Here are some desserts to keep you cool during the summer heat and busy season of BBQs and outdoor parties:

1. No-Churn Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

The key ingredient to helping this no-churn ice cream stay creamy? Olive oil.

2. No-Bake Cheesecake With a Pretzel Crust

The pretzels give the base of the cheesecake a salty-sweet mix, and you can easily serve this with mixed berries or your favorite jam. I loved this recipe and swapped the base of the pretzels out with Biscoff cookies.

3. Crispy Pretzel-Peanut Butter Bars

I’m a fan of anything with peanut butter, and the refrigerator does most of the work for you.

4. No-Bake Lime Cheesecake

5. Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

6. No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars With Oreo Crust

7. Dori Sanders’ No-Churn Fresh Lemon Ice Cream

I took our classic tiramisu and made it perfect for the summer using a mixed berry compote, lemon-and-St. Germain-dipped lady fingers, and dusted with freeze-dried strawberries. Check out the recipe here and the video on our Instagram here.

What are you baking this summer?