This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pure Leaf® Tea at Walmart.
Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle
No Bake, simple, creamy, delicious Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle. With layers of graham cracker crumble, cheesecake mousse, and fresh berries, these individual sized trifles are the perfect dessert for your summer entertaining.
Serve this as a summer dessert after a meal of grilled Huli Huli Chicken, Corn Salad, Cucumber Salad, and Twice Baked Potatoes.
Layers of graham cracker crumble, sweet and tangy cheesecake mousse, and fresh berries, all topped with a little lime zest. This delicious individually sized raspberry cheesecake trifles are elegant, but simple, and the perfect dessert for summer brunches and BBQ’s. They are no bake, so you won’t heat your house. They come together quickly. Can be customized by size to feed a crowd. And are absolutely tasty!
Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle
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This particular recipe was a happy accident. I was trying to make a no-bake cheesecake with a light and airy feel to it, and had nailed the flavor, but was struggling to get the consistency right. While looking at a bowl of the cheesecake mixture, and lamenting another failed attempt, I realized how absolutely tasty it was, and while it may not set up as firm as I wanted for cheesecake, it made a great cheesecake mousse. It was still a pretty awesome dessert.
And so, instead of tossing this magical mixture, I layered it with crumbled graham crackers, and plenty of fresh berries, and the results were everything I hoped for and more. As my 5 year old ate it, she was professing her love for me, telling me over and over how it was the best thing she had ever eaten. But don’t take my word for it, it is really easy to make these for yourself.
Pair with Pure Leaf Raspberry Tea
This is a great dessert to serve guests at your summer brunches and pool parties. It is light, fun, a pretty dessert, and offers a flavor combo almost everyone loves. And, no dessert course is complete without the perfect beverage pairing, and what better way to enjoy a summer dessert than with a tall, ice-cold bottle of Pure Leaf Raspberry Tea?
Pure Leaf Raspberry Tea is made from freshly brewed tea leaves rather than powders or concentrate, and you can really taste the difference. This premium iced tea is so light and refreshing it is a great compliment to this rich, airy dessert. Pure Leaf Raspberry Tea offers a subtle raspberry flavor, and the flavors of the tea leaves and raspberry meld together nicely, making it a great beverage to pair with the trifle.
I love the individual 18.5 ounce bottles for summer entertaining. You can find them at Walmart. Learn more about what makes Pure Leaf different, and what flavors and varieties they offer here: https://bit.ly/2HVZ4Lc
Perfect For Summer Entertaining
Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle is ideal for summer entertaining, and here is why:
- No-Bake: Forget desserts that heat up your kitchen, this no bake dessert is a real crowd pleaser.
- Easy to make: Don’t let the use of gelatin fool you into thinking this recipe is complicated. It is super simple. You just need a hand mixer and a microwave. You beat cream cheese with sugar and lime juice and set it aside. Then you beat the cream until it forms stiff peaks. You combine the water and gelatin, then microwave it to liquify, then add it to your whipped cream. This helps the whipped cream stabilize, and gives your cheesecake filling a slightly firmer texture. Then you just mix it together with the cream cheese mixture.
From there you just have to layer. Graham cracker crumble, cheesecake filling, and raspberries. Yum! - Can be made ahead: While you probably do not want to fully assemble these more than 8 hours ahead, you can make the cheesecake filling ahead. Then just assemble before you are ready to serve. This is really nice when you are hosting a summer brunch or gathering, because it eliminates some of the work on the day of.
- Elegant: This is one of those desserts that looks so pretty and fun, and way more difficult than it actually is. Enjoy the simple elegance.
- Easy to customize:
Customize size – When I made this recipe I filled 8 glasses. But instead of 8 larger glasses I could have easily filled 16-24 smaller sized. Or used the filling and crumble and berries in a full size trifle dish. Once you have made each component, you simply assemble to the size you desire.
Customize flavors – I love the combination of lemons or limes and raspberries, so that is what I did for this. The citrus helps to cut through the heaviness of the cream cheese filling. But if you want to try a different flavor combination, you can. How about strawberries or blueberries instead? - Light, but also rich: This is a whipped filling, and thus it is very light. The lime juice also helps with this. But despite feeling light, it is decadent and rich in flavor. The ultimate in summer desserts.
Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle Tips:
- Pipe in the cheesecake filling. Trust me on this one, it is going to be tempting to spoon it into your glasses or trifle dishes, but you are bound to get the sides messy, and it won’t look nearly as pretty. Spoon it into a zip top bag, and cut off a tip, then squeeze it in. The tip can get down inside the cup, so you won’t make the sides messy, and the overall appearance will be prettier.
- Adjust size according to who you are serving. While the filling is light and flavorful, it is also rich. Too much of a good thing can be a little overwhelming, so even though the fresh berries and lime zest help lighten things up, it is important to remember not to make them too big. 8-12 ounce glasses are going to be plenty big for adults. And you could get away with making them even do smaller.
- Skip the gelatin if you are intimidated by it. It helps the filling hold up a little better, and not sink to the bottom of your glass, but it is not strictly necessary. So, if you are intimidated by working with unflavored gelatin, skip it! But trust me, it is way easier than you think.
- Serve with Pure Leaf Raspberry Iced Tea!
Other Great Treats
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Meringue
- Peach Pie
- Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Raspberry Buttercream
- Strawberry Pie
Raspberry No-Bake Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crumble:
- 1 1/2 cup crushed graham cracker
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 7 Tbs butter melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 Tbs powdered unflavored gelatin
- 1 lb cream cheese softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbs fresh lime juice
The Rest
- Raspberries fresh
- Lime zest fresh
Instructions
- Combine crushed graham crackers with sugar.
- Add melted butter and stir until combined.
- Set aside
Cheesecake Mixture:
- Whisk unflavored gelatin into hot water, then microwave for 20-30 seconds, and whisk again (should be fully dissolved), set aside.
- Beat heavy cream until medium peaks form. Set aside.
- Add cream cheese, sugar, salt, lemon juice to a bowl and beat together until smooth.
- Add gelatin to whipped cream mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula.
- Add the cream cheese mixture and mix it all together. Spoon mixture into a zip top bag, or piping bag.
- In an 8 ounce glass, layer graham cracker crumble, then pipe in cheesecake filling, then raspberries, then cheesecake filling, more graham cracker crumble, more cheesecake, and top with fresh raspberries and lime zest.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 12 hours before serving.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Crystal Faulkner says
Me and my family LOVE trifles!! Thanks for this.
Rachael says
You are so welcome Crystal, this trifle is so easy it makes it my go to for potlucks and summer parties.
Richa Gupta says
Love anything with Raspberry, one of those yummy dessert idea!
Liren | Kitchen Confidante says
Trifles are so simple and so elegant — how lovely these look!
Lewis Johnson says
Mouthwatering dessert. That looks super delicious!