Cute 'No-Bake' Recipes Your Kids Can Make On Their Own

I don't know about your kids, but I usually got a huge kick out of making something to serve to the adults. It was fun getting to play 'Mom' for the day, and it made us feel 'grown up'. In case your kids like to 'play house' this way too, I found a couple of recipes they could make by themselves. They're dessert recipes by default, but that's the best meal of the day anyway. :)

I made an effort to find things your kids could make without having to turn on the stove. That way, they could work with little to no supervision. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a surprise for you.

Here's a cheesecake your kids can make the night before for a school function or in the afternoon to have for dessert.

No-Bake Cheesecake

8 oz. cream cheese

¾ cup Pecan Sandies cookies, crushed

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs, finely ground

½ cup heavy whipped cream

1/3 cup white sugar

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the graham crackers, crushed cookies, melted butter and 3 tbsp sugar. Press into a 7-inch pie pan and refrigerate. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice. As you stir, fold the whipped cream into the mixture. Once it's well-mixed, spread into the refrigerated pie pan. Now, cover with foil and freeze for about an hour. When it's time to eat, bring it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes and serve.

For an extra 'kick', you can add ½ cup fresh blueberries or strawberry slices before you put the cheesecake into the freezer. Experiment with fruit, chocolate or caramel toppings. All three sound good to me!

I wish I knew how to make this one when I was a kid. Oh, well. Better late than never.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

2 3.5-oz package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 16-oz package graham crackers

1 16-oz package frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 16-oz package prepared chocolate frosting

4 cups milk

Like the bottom of a 9”x 13” baking pan with graham crackers. In a separate bowl, prepare the milk and vanilla pudding using the directions on the box. Then, stir in the whipped topping. Spread a layer of this mixture over the graham crackers. Alternate pudding and cracker layers until you reach the top of the pan. Now, put the chocolate frosting in the microwave for 1 minute and pour over the top of the layers. Refrigerate for 12 hours before serving.

The original recipe calls for chocolate frosting, but you can experiment with the flavors. Personally, I love chocolate fudge frosting, or perhaps chocolate frosting with mint.

This would be the perfect recipe to make if company is coming over for the weekend.

Now your kids have a few ways to surprise you with a sweet treat. Enjoy!