Redefine holiday traditions with this incredible No-Bake Fruitcake: Easy Icebox Recipe! Made from a blend of graham crackers, butter, and marshmallows, this is no ordinary fruitcake. Prepare to surprise your taste buds and impress guests with a dessert that’s both simple to make and surprisingly delicious. Christmas baking just got a delightful twist!
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This easy no bake icebox fruitcake is one of the recipes that my mom makes every year for Christmas.
All of our family gets together after Christmas at my mother’s house.
She always has one of these delightful Christmas goodies waiting in the refrigerator for us.
It’s truly the only kind of fruitcake that I like, just like grandma used to make.
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🔑 Key to Success #1 – Use a Food Processor to Crush Graham Crackers
One of the biggest keys to success with this No Bake Fruitcake is finely crushing the graham crackers.
The easy way to do this is by using a food processor.
I have an older model Kitchen Ninja Blender/Food Processor combo and it works really well if you’re looking for a recommendation.
It has several different bowls you can use for different things.
If you use a food processor, it’ll take just a minute to crush up all the graham crackers needed for this recipe.
Depending on the size of your food processor, you might need to do half of the graham crackers at a time.
You don’t want to shove them all in the food processor at once and just hope they all crush up smoothly.
There’s no shame in doing half at a time.
Place the graham crackers into the bowl of the food processor.
Use the pulse feature to grind the crackers into crumbs.
It should only take a few pulses to get fine graham cracker crumbs that are perfect for this easy recipe.
And if you don’t have a food processor, simply crush up the crackers using a rolling pin or another heavy object.
Place the graham cracker crumbs into a large bowl and combine them with the rest of the ingredients for the perfect treat to serve alongside your Christmas candy.
🔑 Key to Success #2 – Drain the Cherries and Toast the Pecans
You’ll notice that this recipe calls for chopped cherries and chopped toasted pecans.
Chop your ingredients before you start to assemble your no bake fruit cake!
For the cherries, drain them well then chop them into fine pieces.
After I chop the cherries, I take a paper towel and lightly dab the cherries to make sure they are as dry as possible.
To toast the pecans, you have a couple of options.
Try putting them in a big skillet over medium heat and heating them until they are fragrant.
Be sure to stir them around frequently so that none of the pecans start to burn on the bottom.
I think the easier way is to spread them on a foil-covered rimmed baking sheet and bake them.
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
Next, bake the pecans for 7-10 minutes until they are browned.
Again, you should stir them at least once or twice while they are toasting.
Make sure you cool the pecans completely before chopping them.
Toast pecans in a 350 degree F oven for 7-10 minutes then cool completely.
These USA Pan Half Sheet Pans are my favorite for toasting pecans.
They work great, and cleanup is a breeze.
Try substituting toasted walnuts or other nuts in place of the toasted pecans for a different flavor.
🔑 Key to Success #3 – Let the Icebox Fruitcake Chill
After you have stirred all your fruitcake ingredients together, it’s time to press it into a baking dish and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least a day or two.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap then place it in the fridge until ready to serve.
This chilling time will allow the No-Bake Fruitcake ingredients to moisten and will really enhance the flavor.
I would suggest looking for an 8X8-inch dish or a 9X9-inch dish. It doesn’t matter if it’s round or square.
If you have a special Christmas dish that you reserve for special occasion, this holiday fruit cake is the perfect opportunity to use it since it doesn’t have to be baked in the oven.
You can also make two loaves of fruitcake by placing the mixture into two loaf pans.
When cutting your fruitcake, cut it into small slices, not large squares like you would a brownie.
Be sure to store your fruitcake in the refrigerator.
I mean, refrigerate the fruitcake if you have any leftovers!
It’s so good and not what people expect when they think of a typical fruitcake.
📌 Get the Printable Recipe for No Bake Fruitcake
Save this No Bake Fruitcake to your favorite Christmas Recipes board or your Fruitcake Ideas board.
No Bake Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter
- 16 oz marshmallows
- 16 oz graham crackers
- 12 oz raisins
- 16 oz maraschino cherries finely chopped
- 2 cups toasted pecans chopped
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- In an extra large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and marshmallows. Stir until smooth and fully combined.
- Process graham crackers in a food processor until finely crushed. Add to butter and marshmallow mixture. Stir well.
- Add raisins, chopped maraschino cherries, chopped toasted pecans and nutmeg. Stir until fully mixed. Press into greased dish. Cool completely.
- Refrigerate 2-3 days before cutting into pieces for serving.
Judy Britt
Tuesday 3rd of October 2023
Can you freeze this after chilling z I would like to make for Christmas but I try to make cookies ahead of time
Jennifer
Tuesday 3rd of October 2023
Hi! Yes, You can freeze this Fruitcake ahead of time. It’s so good and easy to make.