Keep it simple this long weekend with these no-bake treats that can be shared with the family – no oven required.

Semolina fudge pudding

Ingredients – serves 8-10

For the pudding

½ bowl ghee
1 bowl course semolina
¼tsp saffron
1 bowl whole milk
2 bowls water
¾ bowl sugar
1tsp green cardamom powder
4tbsp golden sultanas

For garnish (optional)
Chopped almonds 2 tbsp
2tbsp chopped pistachios
1 bowl black chickpeas (boiled)
½tsp cumin seeds
¼tsp salt
Garam masala ¼ tsp

Method

In a heavy-bottom pan, heat ghee and roast semolina at a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until you start getting nutty aroma and the colour changes to light brown.

Add the saffron, sugar, milk and water and keep stirring until all the liquid is absorbed and you are left with a fluffy and soft texture.

Mix in cardamom powder and sultanas and turn off the heat. Let it rest for 10 minutes then fluff up with a fork.

To make the garnish, pan fry black chickpeas in some oil with the dry spices for a minute or so.

Serve warm pudding and garnish with fried black chickpeas, almonds and pistachios.

If you do not have all of the ingredients, the following swaps can be made: semolina – plain flour, wheat flour or gram flour; ghee – oil; black chickpeas – black beans.

Recipe by Anurag Aggarwal, a finalist in BBC’s MasterChef 2023, and Jiwan Lal, executive chef at Babur, an award-winning Indian restaurant in South London.

Chocolate bark

Ingredients

300g chocolate (your preference of milk/dark/white)
100g chocolate (your preference, but different to the base chocolate)
Handful of dried fruits and nuts, we recommend almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, candied oranges and dried red berries
Any other toppings of your choice

Method

Melt 300g of chocolate in a bain-marie (a water bath). Once the chocolate is shiny and liquid, spread it on a baking tray lined with baking paper and form a layer about 3mm thick.

To create a marbled effect, you can also melt a little white or coloured chocolate and drop it with a spoon in an irregular manner on top of the darker chocolate.

While the chocolate is still soft, distribute the nuts and dried fruits or other toppings over the surface.

Let the chocolate bark solidify for a couple of hours at room temperature then break it into pieces to serve.

Recipe by Eataly London

Blueberry and white chocolate blondies

Ingredients – serves eight

50g unsalted butter, plus extra for the dish
75g soft brown sugar
1 medium egg
100g plain flour
½tsp baking powder
75g blueberries
50g white chocolate chunks, plus 1 tbsp to decorate
Eight scoops vanilla ice cream to serve (optional)

Method

Grease a 22cm x 15cm microwave-safe dish with butter and line with baking paper. Melt the 50g butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 seconds or until runny. Remove and leave to cool.

Stir the sugar into the melted butter until combined. Crack in the egg and keep stirring until smooth. Add the flour and baking powder; mix until completely combined.

Fold in the blueberries, then the chocolate; scrape into the dish.

Microwave for two-and-a-half minutes – the surface of the blondie should look cooked. If not, give it another 30 seconds and remove. The base will still be gooey, but it will continue to cook as it cools.

Dot over the reserved chocolate chunks. Stand the dish on a wire rack and leave to cool. Cut into eight squares. Enjoy the blondies as they are or microwave them for 10-20 seconds and serve with ice cream They’ll keep wrapped in baking paper in an airtight container for two days.

Recipe courtesy of Ocado

Bananas & cream rice cakes

Ingredients – serves three

3 honey rice cakes
1 chopped banana
1 small pot of double cream
a handful of pecan nuts
Drizzle of honey
brown sugar
icing sugar

Method

Chop up the banana and caramelise in a pan using half a tablespoon of brown sugar.

Add a generous dollop of whipped double cream to each rice cake, then top with the banana and a drizzle of honey, some roughly chopped pecans and a dusting of icing sugar.

Recipe courtesy of Kallo

Frozen yoghurt lollies

Ingredients – serves four to six

450-500ml yogurt or dairy-free alternative
2-3tbsp of jam (optional)
A handful of fresh fruit, such as summer berries

Method

You can just pour your favourite yogurt into an ice lolly mould and freeze it overnight to make simple ice lollies. If you’re using natural yoghurt, you’ll need to sweeten it with honey or a swirl of jam.

Alternatively, experiment with different flavour combinations such as Greek style natural yoghurt with honey and crushed raspberries or blackberries folded through; vanilla yoghurt with fresh blueberries dotted through; strawberry yoghurt with thin banana slices; natural yoghurt plus generous swirls of strawberry jam.

To make your lollies really striking, pour the yoghurt in the lolly mould first then add the fruit or swirl the jam into it, so you can see it along the sides of the lolly moulds. This is a bit messy but they look great afterwards.

Freeze for at least two hours, or until frozen solid. Briefly run under warm water to help you ease the lolly from the mould.

Recipe courtesy of Abel & Cole

Vegan no-bake millionaire’s shortbread

Ingredients – serves 10

Base:
150g raw cashew nuts or pieces
50g porridge (rolled) oats
4 medjool dates, pitted
50g coconut oil, melted

Filling:
350g Medjool dates, pitted
125ml unsweetened plant milk
150ml coconut oil
2tbsp syrup (eg maple, agave etc)
1tsp vanilla extract
½tsp salt

Topping:
300g vegan dark chocolate (use raw chocolate if you want to keep it completely refined sugar-free)
2tbsp coconut oil

Method

Grease and line a 20cm/8-inch square cake tin.

To make the base: blitz the nuts and oats to crumbs. Add the dates and melted coconut oil and blend again. Spoon into the tin and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten down the mixture evenly and cover the entire base. Chill in the freezer while you make the filling.

To make the filling: Add the pitted dates, plant milk, syrup and coconut oil to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for two to three minutes until the dates are very soft then add the salt and vanilla extract. Blend the mixture until smooth. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Spoon this mixture over the base, making sure that the entire tin is covered. Use a spatula or spoon to create as smooth a layer as possible. Place in the freezer while you prepare the topping.

To make the topping: Melt the coconut oil and chocolate together using a double broiler (a glass or ceramic bowl that fits on a saucepan of simmering water but doesn’t touch the bottom) and then pour over the filling.

Return it to the fridge or freezer to set. Using the freezer speeds up the setting time but only leave it in there for 20 minutes and then transfer to the fridge. If using fridge only, it will take two to three hours to set.

Cut into squares. It will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Recipe courtesy of Maryanne from Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club

Cherry Eton mess

Ingredients

1 x 400g can evaporated milk, chilled in freezer for one hour
1 x 425g can pitted cherries in light syrup
1 pinch cream tartare powder
1tsp vanilla essence
3tbsp icing sugar
2tbsp caster sugar
2tbsp cornflour
Sprig of mint to garnish (optional)
60g meringues (shop bought)

Method
Place the can of evaporated milk into your freezer for an hour. While that is chilling, prepare the cherries. Separate the cherries from the juice and reserve the fruit for later.

Add the juice to a small saucepan and whisk in the caster sugar and cornflour until fully incorporated then slowly heat, stirring as you do, until the mixture is thick and glossy (don’t let it boil) and remove from the heat to cool. Tip: pour the thick sauce into a chilled bowl to cool quicker, rather than leaving it in the saucepan.

Once the can of evaporated milk has been in the freezer for an hour, pour it into a mixing bowl, add the cream tartare and icing sugar and whisk with an electric whisker until you have a pillowy whipped cream texture. You can place this into the freezer for 20 minutes to maintain its temperature or in the fridge for longer.

Once everything is chilled, assemble your Eton Mess. Break some meringues into the bottom of a glass or small serving bowl, top with whipped evaporated milk, then a couple of cherries and a little of the sauce; continue layering until you reach the top and garnish with an extra drizzle of sauce, a dusting of icing sugar and a sprig of mint.

Recipe by Theo Michaels for Canned Food UK