Each summer when our grandkids are visiting, we make a festive dessert. Oh, there’s always lots of chopping, cooking, and baking going on during that week, but we like to create one special sweet treat. This year we made a no-bake raspberry cheesecake for the 4th of July. Well . . . we baked the crust, but that’s all. We intended to add some blueberries to make it red, white, and blue, but we forgot. (It gets a little crazy around here with so many people in the kitchen.)
There are three steps to this dessert: topping, crust, and filling. It really won’t take that long, and if my grandkids can make this without whining, you can too!
Of course, I winged it and didn’t write down exact measurements. We were in a hurry (great-grandma was coming to visit) and slam-dunked it. You probably wouldn’t appreciate it if I just guessed my way through the recipe, so now that the kids have gone back to California (sob) it was carefully re-created and documented . . . and it turned out beautifully. I added lemon zest to the cheesecake the second time around and loved the subtle flavor.
And I even cleaned up as I went! Mark that down on your calendar, because it will probably never happen again. Who knows what possessed me – but it’s awfully nice to sit here working on this blog without seeing a mess out of the corner of my eye. I understand that some people actually do this regularly. Huh. Go figure.
Do you know what I really, really miss? Raspberry ripple ice cream. Just can’t find it anywhere. This immediately reminded me of that childhood treat . . . sweet nostalgia!
If you don’t have a springform pan, you can always make a couple of deep dish pies instead, using the same steps.
No Bake Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake | Print |
- BERRY TOPPING:
- 18 ounces fresh raspberries (about 3 cups, plus a few for decorating)
- ¾ cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- CRUST:
- 2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 1½ sleeves)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- FILLING:
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 ounces white chocolate (chips or candy melts are fine)
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- zest from 2 lemons
- 1 8-ounce tub of whipped topping, thawed
- Heat oven to 325 F. Lightly butter the sides of a 9-inch springform pan and place a round of parchment on the bottom.
- In a small dish, combine the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir well and set aside.
- If desired, remove and refrigerate 9 of the nicest berries to use later for decorating. In a medium pan on medium heat, bring the remaining berries, sugar, and salt to a boil. Cook at a low boil for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the pan. Cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the prepared pan evenly, going halfway up the sides of the pan. (A straight-sided measuring cup works well for pressing crust up the sides.)
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.
- In a small pan on very low heat (or in a microwave at 15-second intervals) combine the cream and white chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat well.
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon zest, and white chocolate mixture. Beat well.
- By hand, stir in the whipped topping, just until incorporated.
- Put half of the filling in the pie crust, spreading it to the sides. Don't smooth it; hills and valleys will make the raspberry swirl look prettier.
- Check the raspberry mixture. Warm is fine, but if it's still hot, place the pan in a larger pan of cold water and stir. Drizzle ⅓ cup of the raspberry mixture over the filling in the pan. Cover with remaining filling and swirl gently, avoiding the crust.
- Smooth the top, making it as level as possible. Pour the remaining raspberry topping over the cheesecake, cover with foil, and chill overnight.
- If desired, decorate with whipped cream rosettes and the reserved raspberries.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/A-add-sugar-to-rinsed-berries-and-bring-to-a-boil.jpg?resize=300%2C203)
Add sugar and a pinch of salt to rinsed raspberries and boil gently for 3 minutes
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/B-combine-cornstarch-lemon-juice-and-water.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Combine cornstarch, lemon juice, and water
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/C-Add-cornstarch-mixture-to-boiling-berries..jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling berries. Stir until thickened.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/A-combine-graham-cracker-crumbs-sugar-and-melted-butter.jpg?resize=300%2C209)
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/B-press-mixture-into-prepared-pan.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Press into prepared pan and bake
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/E-Melt-together-cream-and-white-chocolate.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Melt together the cream and white chocolate. Let it cool a little.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/D-add-powdered-sugar-to-whipped-cream-cheese.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Add powdered sugar to whipped cream cheese
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/F-Add-melted-chocolate-and-lemon-to-cream-cheese-mixture.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Add lemon and melted chocolate to the mixture
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/G-stir-in-whipped-topping-by-hand.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Stir in the whipped topping
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/I-Add-half-of-the-filling-and-drizzle-with-a-little-of-the-berry-mixture.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Add half of the filling (don’t level it . . . leave it “gloppy”) and drizzle with 1/3 cup berry mixture
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/J-Cover-with-remaining-filling.jpg?resize=300%2C200)
Cover with remaining filling
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/K-Gently-swirl.jpg?resize=300%2C205)
Swirl gently. (You don’t want to disturb that crust!)
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/M-Pour-remaining-berry-mixture-over-the-top-and-chill-for-at-least-4-hours..jpg?resize=300%2C210)
Level the top (a small offset spatula works well) all the way to the edge. Add remaining berry mixture and smooth with a clean spatula.
Decorate with whipped cream and raspberries, or let it go au naturel.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.therowdybaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Raspberry-Swirl-Cheesecake-undecorated.jpg?resize=584%2C421)
It doesn’t really NEED adornment. I like mine straight.
In case you’re wondering, this is delicious when frozen, too! Trust me, I know. And it’s easier to cut and serve. Just take it from the freezer and let it sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting.
Lorinda