I love to bake, but our house is 100 years old and holds heat like an oven, so baking in the summer just isn’t an option for our family. So what’s a creative mom with a dessert-loving family to do? Turn to the refrigerator, of course!
I have a great collection of delicious no-bake recipes, from my favourite hearty Mexican Pasta Salad for a cool main course to my boys’ favourite rich and creamy Confetti Squares.
But one of my favourite recipes has always been this light, creamy and absolutely delicious Berry Cheesecake! With no baking involved, it’s the perfect summer dessert. And it can be made with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries…or a mix of all three!
For the graham cracker crust, using softened butter instead of the traditional melted butter creates an amazing firm texture that doesn’t require baking the way some graham cracker crusts do.
Then I simply mixed the gelatin, boiling water and berries and let the mixture partially set in the fridge. In the meantime, I whipped the cream and blended it with the sugar and cream cheese. Finishing off the cheesecake was as simple as folding everything together and pouring it into the crust!
Both fresh and frozen berries work wonderfully for this recipe and I’ve made it often with both. But when time is short, frozen berries are the way to go because the ice-cold berries help the gelatin to set faster. For this cheesecake, I used a mix of fresh raspberries and frozen strawberries for the best of both worlds.
When the berry cheesecake was done, I garnished it with a few fresh strawberries and some additional whipped cream. The dessert satisfied the sweet tooth of everyone in my family and best of all, the kitchen stayed nice and cool the entire time I was making it!
This berry cheesecake has always been one of my favourite summer desserts because it’s so much lighter tasting than traditional cheesecake, but still has the rich and tangy flavour that makes cheesecake such a treat. Give it a try with your favourite berries and see what you think!
No-Bake Berry Cheesecake
A delicious no-bake cheesecake made with your choice of berries!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 cups fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries, rasperries, etc)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 box (4-serving size) strawberry-flavoured gelatin, or berry flavour of your choice
- 1 package (7g) unflavoured gelatin
- 1 pkg cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups whipping cream, or whipped topping
Instructions
- Mix graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar until combined. Blend in softened butter until mixture is crumbly. Press firmly into springform pan. Chill until needed.
- Place strawberry-flavoured gelatin and unflavoured gelatin in small bowl and mix together. Add boiling water and stir to dissolve. Mix in berries and chill until syrupy.
- Beat cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract together until blended and creamy.
- Whip cream until stiff. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Fold in thickened gelatin. Pour over crust and chill until firm.
- Decorate with fresh berries and additional whipped cream if desired.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 116mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g
Lena says
That looks really, really scrumptious. And, I have all the ingredients on hand! But, there was that matter of losing 5 pounds… thanks for posting.
Kathryn says
Thanks Lena! I totally had a piece for breakfast. It has berries and granola bars..so it’s good for you! 😉
samijoe says
I think I’ll be giving this a whirl!
Kathryn says
Oh you should, SamiJoe! Let me know how you like it! 🙂
Jennifer says
looks delish! I love how deep it is!
Kathryn says
It is SO good, Jen! And the whipped cream keeps it nice and light so it’s not too rich. 🙂
Heather, Mmm... is for Mommy says
Mmm! It’s sweltering in this house tonight and I don’t feel like eating anything, but a slice of that would go down some good 🙂
Kathryn says
It’s not even funny how satisfying it is on a hot day. Neither of our boys like cream cheese, so my hubby and I polished it off ourselves in about two days…yeah, not my most restrained moment! LOL
Eileen Charbonneau says
Looks and sounds delicious, will be taking that to a baby shower!!!! Am sure that everyone will rave over it and want the recipe so I am going to take the recipe with me so that I can share it!!! Love your blog!! Keep up the great job!!
Kathryn says
Thanks so much for the kind words, Eileen! Let me know how it turns out; it really is delicious and perfect for summer! 🙂
Kathryn says
Perfect, rich and still light; I can never get enough of this!
Debbie Beattie says
My mother makes a similar recipe and it is delicious