Easy No Bake Cheesecake with Raspberry Topping

Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. National Cheesecake Day is a day we celebrate in our home every year (July 30!). While I love making real cheesecakes, sometimes I just need something easier. I grew up eating this no bake cheesecake. We called it Lucy Pie. It's a recipe that my mom got from one of her college roommates. I've tweaked a few things here and there and made up my own topping. It's much faster and easier to make than regular cheesecake and is light and fun and is great for entertaining. This looks similar to jello pretzel salad, but there isn't any jello in it, and there aren't any pretzels. We love eating this year round, but especially in the summertime. We love it with a good sandwich like Mexican Suiza Sandwiches or red pepper cauliflower chicken salad sandwiches.

Quick & Easy

This no bake cheesecake is quick and easy! It doesn't take a lot of skill the way regular cheesecake does. It does need a few hours to set up in the refrigerator, so you will need to make it ahead though!

How to Make No Bake Cheesecake

Start with the graham cracker crust. Graham crackers have fewer crackers in them than they used to, which is why it calls for 1 package plus 2 sheets of graham crackers. Crush the graham crackers. I use a food processor and stop when it still has a few larger crumbs. Pour the graham crackers into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Melt the butter and pour it on top of the crumbs and mix with a fork. Once they're well combined, press the graham mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Next make the filling. Dream whip isn't used a lot, but trust me it will keep the filling light and fluffy and... dreamy ;). It's great because it also doesn't break down and melt as easily as whipped cream. Make one package of Dream Whip according to the directions on the box. Then add 1/3 cup of sugar and mix until it isn't grainy (about 30 seconds). In a separate bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, milk and sugar and mix until smooth. Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the Dream Whip mixture. Gently spread the mixture on top of the graham cracker crust and place in the refrigerator.

Then make the topping. Put the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Measure the water, lemon juice and corn starch into a bowl and mix with a fork or small whisk. Pour the corn starch mixture over the raspberry mixture in the saucepan and stir. The mixture will be a little milky looking due to the corn starch. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. As soon as it starts to bubble, stir constantly. As it boils and you stir, the milky look will go away and it will be darker, more translucent and clear. After all of the pinky milky looking parts are gone, it's done! Set it to the side to cool for no more than 5 minutes. Spread on top of the cream cheese mixture and allow to set 2-4 hours.

Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

This same recipe can be made with any berry! My absolute favorite flavor is raspberry huckleberry. If you have access to huckleberries, try this amazing treat with them! Blueberry, triple berry and strawberry are all great too!

Unfortunately, this no bake cheesecake doesn't store well. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It doesn't "go bad" per se, but it will start to separate a bit.

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