Strawberry dessert with graham crackers and cool whip and cream cheese

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Strawberry Delight is a layered dessert with a graham cracker base, fresh strawberries, layers of no-bake cheesecake and homemade whipped cream. This no-bake dessert is the perfect summertime treat for any occasion.

Do you love strawberry desserts? Try some homemade Strawberry Ice Cream.

No-Bake Strawberry Delight

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I have a weakness for no-bake desserts, offering up some truly unique offerings. My collection of no-bake desserts was lacking in the strawberry department.

You’ll especially love this one if you like no-bake cheesecakes. So, it’s time to grab some fresh strawberries, and let’s get to work.

What is Strawberry Delight?

Every bite of this no-bake dessert is truly delightful, but you might have also seen this called a dessert lush, lasagna or dessert salad.

It’s a layered dessert with a graham cracker base, topped with fresh strawberries. The next layer is a no-bake cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake and it’s topped off with homemade whipped cream.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Graham cracker crumbs– you can use premade or make your own
  • Unsalted butter
  • Fresh strawberries– you’ll need 2 lbs, but likely won’t use them all. Save the leftover to garnish with.
  • Heavy whipping cream– for the filling and topping
  • Powdered sugar– for the whipped cream
  • Full-Fat Cream cheese- this should be at room temperature and use a block of cream cheese.
  • Granulated sugar– for the cheesecake filling
  • Lemon juice– helps cut the sweetness of the filling
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Strawberry jello

How to Make Strawberry Delight

Step 1: Prep the Strawberries. Thoroughly wash and dry all the strawberries, and remove the stems. Slice 1 cup of strawberries into small pieces, about the size of a dime. Then chop the rest lengthwise. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Step 2: Make the crust. Grind the graham crackers into a fine crumb using a food process or blender. Combine with melted butter and stir until the crumbs are coated. Press into a 9×9 pan. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Step 3 Make the whipped cream. Chill the mixing bowl and beaters for 5-10 minutes then beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Step 4: Make the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract and mix until it’s smooth and creamy. Then mix in the prepared whipped cream, stir with a spatula until it’s well mixed. Divide the mixture in half. To one half, add the strawberry jello and finely chopped berries, mixing to combine.

Step 5: Assemble. Layer the sliced strawberries over the graham cracker crust, overlapping and filling the gaps. Spread the cheesecake filling overtop of the strawberries, followed by the strawberry cheesecake filling. Prepare a second batch of whipped cream and decorate or store in the refrigerator and add the topping at a later time.

Step 6: Chill. This needs 4-6 hours to set before serving and it’s a great dessert to prepare ahead if you need to make it the night before.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Thoroughly dry the strawberries. Since these are getting layered in the desert, you’ll want these as dry as possible. After you slice them, use a paper towel to pat the slices and remove extra juices.

Change the topping. If you want even more strawberry flavor, try topping this with strawberry whipped cream.

Save time with Cool Whip. You can use Cool Whip for either the filling or the topping, or both, which can save you a little bit of time when preparing this.

Can’t find Strawberry Jello? Try using freeze-dried strawberries instead. Grind them into a fine crumb and mix 3 tablespoons in place of the jello.

Need to prepare a day in advance? I recommend waiting to add the topping until the day you want to serve it.

How to Store this Dessert

Once prepared, this should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This is best within the first 3 days but should last up to 5 days.

Print

No-Bake Strawberry Delight

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Chill Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 9-12 slices

Description

Strawberry Delight is a layered dessert with a graham cracker base, fresh strawberries, no-bake cheesecake and homemade whipped cream.

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter

For the Filling

  • 2 lbs (32oz) fresh strawberries, washed and dried
  • 16 ounces (452g) full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
  • ¼ cup (48g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (236ml) heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup (65g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon strawberry Jello mix

For the Topping

  • 1 cup (236ml) heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup (65g) powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Crust

  1. Grind the graham crackers into a fine crumb using a food process or blender. Combine with melted butter and stir until the crackers are coated. Press into a 9×9 pan. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

For the Filling

  1. Thoroughly wash and dry all the strawberries, and remove the stems. Slice 1 cup of strawberries into small pieces, about the size of a dime. Then chop the rest lengthwise. Pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. Prepare a batch of whipped cream. Chill the bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Beat the heavy whipping cream in the chilled bowl at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Set it aside.
  3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract and beat until it’s smooth and free of lumps. Then mix in the prepared whipped cream, and stir with a spatula until it’s well mixed.
  4. Divide the mixture in half. To one half, add the strawberry jello and 1 cup of finely chopped berries, and stir until combined.

To Assemble:

  1. Layer the sliced strawberries over the graham cracker crust, overlapping and filling the gaps.
  2. Spread the cheesecake filling overtop of the strawberries, followed by the strawberry cheesecake filling.
  3. Prepare the second batch of whipped cream as instructed above. Decorate using 1M piping tip fitted in a large piping bag, or spread evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4-6 hours until serving.

Notes

  • This is decorated with some freeze-dried strawberry dust, but you can also garnish with leftover strawberries
  • You can use Cool Whip for either the filling or the topping, or both, which can save you a little bit of time when preparing this
  • Can’t find Strawberry Jello? Try using freeze-dried strawberries instead. Grind them into a fine crumb and mix 3 tablespoons in place of the jello.
  • Once prepared, this should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This is best within the first 3 days but should last up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1 slice

Calories: 666

Sugar: 35.1 g

Sodium: 354 mg

Fat: 48.5 g

Carbohydrates: 53.8 g

Fiber: 3.5 g

Protein: 7.1 g

Cholesterol: 137.8 mg

  • Category: No-Bake
  • Method: Refrigerator
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Dessert Lasagna, no-bake dessert, strawberry cheesecake lush

What can I make out of Cool Whip?

Between no-bake cakes, icebox cakes, no-bake pies, fluff dessert salads, cupcakes, milkshakes, trifles and mousse, there are so many fantastic recipes that use this cool ingredient. Cool Whip is not just for garnish anymore! It can be used to lighten a dish up, or as the bind that holds it all together.

What can I do with a large batch of strawberries?

5 Delicious Ways to Use Up Overripe Strawberries.
Strawberry Butter. I first had strawberry butter served with warm-from-the-oven popovers, and I've never forgotten that experience. ... .
Blender Drinks. Any blender drink recipes are perfect uses for overripe strawberries. ... .
Jam. ... .
Cocktails and Sangria. ... .
Frozen Desserts..

What can I do with a cup of strawberries?

What can you do with a bunch of fresh strawberries? The options are endless! You can toss them into a fruit salad, serve them as a topping for pancakes, or simply eat them straight-up. Heck, you can even freeze strawberries for a refreshing smoothie.

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