Living in Japan can come with many adjustments and challenges. One of the challenges is making desserts when the ability to bake is almost non-existent. Check out our article on no oven baking recipes.

One of the things you do regularly at home is cook meals. You will have to spend time getting your ingredients together, choosing a recipe, and then properly creating your dish. Many people also enjoy baking which is a great way to cook healthy foods for yourself and your family as well as create well-deserved treats to enjoy at the end of a hard day.  This can be a challenge in a country like Japan because most of the apartments do not come equipped with an oven range. You can buy toaster ovens, but they won’t be able to handle large baking jobs or any kind of serious cooking. If you want to continue creating some of your favorite treats, but don’t have access to a large enough oven, try out these no-bake recipes.

The recipes below are easy to make and require no oven. You will be able to create delicious foods and sweets that will rival the baked versions.

Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

These peanut butter cookies use basic ingredients but the flavor is anything but basic. The recipe yields two dozen cookies and takes around 45 minutes to make. The biggest surprise about this recipe will be the need to boil the mixture. This is a necessary step to get the proper texture and airy feel to the cookies. The best part is, you don’t need to freeze it to finish it off. You can do everything at room temperature. The largest hurdle you will face is getting the peanut butter. Most of the peanut butter in Japan comes in small jars and can be costly. Peanut butter can be found at most stores, but be ready to pay. Give it a try if you’re in the mood to do some baking.

Ingredients

• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 c. smooth peanut butter
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats

Directions

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugars, butter, and milk. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute. 
2. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and salt until combined, then stir in oats. 
3. Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture onto a prepared baking sheet and let sit until cooled and hardened, approx. 30 minutes.

No-Bake Cheesecake

This is always a popular choice when it comes to no-bake cooking. One of the biggest challenges with this recipe is the crust. Graham crackers can be difficult to find in Japanese grocery stores, but some import shops will help you get what you need. There are some domestic cookie brands you can use to stand in as the crust as well. It does require it to be cooled in the fridge and takes about 45 minutes to finish mixing and cooling down. This recipe may be frozen if you prefer.

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed
• 5 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• Pinch kosher salt
• FILLING
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 2 (200g) blocks cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt. Press into the bottom of a springform pan and up the sides. 
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one), beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, this should take about 5 minutes. 
3. In another large bowl beat the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth then add powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture then pour mixture over the crust and smooth the top with s spatula. 
4. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Ice Box Cake

This is one of the easiest no-bake recipes you will ever make and you can find all of the ingredients easily. You can add some different ingredients to make the cake more to your liking. You can even replace the cookies as well. This Ice Box Cake is an easy way to satisfy your sweets craving with little effort. This one will take more time and clocks in at almost five hours. It isn’t a fast recipe, but it will be great when you need to make a cake for a special occasion.

Ingredients

• 3 c. heavy cream, cold
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 64 Oreo thins or chocolate wafers, plus more for serving

Directions

1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment), beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
2. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream onto the bottom of a springform pan, then top with an even layer of whole Oreos or cookies (You should need 16). Spread more whipped cream on top of the cookies and repeat the layering process until you have four layers of cookies.
3. Spread a final layer of whipped cream on top. Refrigerate cake until the cookies have softened. It should take at least 4 hours but can easily be left overnight.
4. When ready to serve, garnish it with crushed cookies and slice to serve!