No-Bake Red White and Blue Jello Cheesecake

Overhead shot of red white and blue jello cheesecake showing the red top layer with blueberries and white stripes.

This easy, light and fluffy no-bake patriotic cheesecake with a delightful blue layer in the middle and red on top is perfect for sharing with family and friends at holiday potlucks, BBQs, and cookouts.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cooling/Setting Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours

Servings servings

Calories 271kcal

Author Jas

Equipment

Electric Mixer
Mixing bowls
springform pan
Food processor

Ingredients

Crust

6 oz. Maria cookies crushed
½ stick butter (4 tbsp) melted

Cheesecake filling

1 package lemon jello powder (3 oz.)
¾ cup boiling water
8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Blue jello layer

1 package berry jello powder (3 oz.)
¾ cup boiling water
½ cup ice cubes

Red jello layer

1 package strawberry jello powder (3 oz.)
¾ cup boiling water
½ cup ice cubes

To decorate (optional):

Mixed berries and sprinkles

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the crust:

In a food processor, crush 6 oz. Maria cookies and mix the crumbs with ½ stick melted butter. Press firmly down on the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 min.

Prepare the cheesecake filling:

Meanwhile, dissolve a package of lemon jello powder in ¾ cup boiling water. Cool at room temperature until cold, but still liquid.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the package of cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour in the cooled lemon jello and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whip 1 cup cold heavy cream until stiff peak forms. Add the whipped cream to the cheese mixture and mix until smooth. Keep this at room temperature while preparing the cake and occasionally stir so that the cheese filling does not solidify.
Pour ½ of the cheese filling over the biscuit bottom in the prepared pan. Put in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Prepare the blue jello layer:

Meanwhile, completely dissolve 1 package of berry blue jello powder in ¾ cups of boiling water. Mix in ½ cup of ice cubes and let it cool until the jello is set but not firm.
Gently pour over the cheese filling and freeze for 30 minutes or until jello is firm.
Remove the pan from the freezer and spread the remaining cheesecake filling over the blue layer. Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes.

Prepare the red jello layer:

Completely dissolve 1 package of strawberry jello powder in ¾ cups of boiling water. Mix in ½ cup of ice cubes and let it cool until the jello is set but not firm.
Gently pour over the cheesecake filling and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) or freeze for 30 minutes until jello is firm. Run a knife alongside the rim first, and then gently remove the side of the springform. If frozen, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Decorate the cheesecake with fresh berries or as desired.

Notes

Clear the space in the freezer ahead of time to take the pan in and out easily.
Be sure to allow each layer to cool completely before adding the next layer.
Make this cake with any color or flavor of jello.
If you don't have ice cubes, use cold water. Note that it might take longer for the gelatin to set.
Set but not firm jello - it sticks to your finger when touched and moves to the side when tilted. It takes about 30 minutes to get to this stage.
If you use leakproof springform, you won't need to wait for it to set, but it must be cold.
Another alternative is to pour jello layers into two greased 9-inch cake pans and let them set (perfect for make-ahead). Then transfer the firm jello onto the cold cheesecake layers.
Don't forget to run a thin knife alongside the rim first before releasing it, or the cake will stick to it and might tear. You could also use clear cake strips to keep it neat.
I used strips of wax paper on top of the cake and dusted the cake with powdered sugar to create flag-like stripes (then removed the paper); however, the sugar dissolved within 15 minutes. If you still want to do that, do it right before serving!
For the best results, read additional tips in the post above.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Storage:

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days.

Nutrition