No-Bake Red White & Blue Jello Cheesecake
If you need a patriotic dessert for your next party, this Americana-inspired Red White and Blue Jello Cheesecake is sure to get attention at any Memorial Day and 4th of July celebrations. It's the perfect patriotic treat because it is no-bake, festive, and super easy to make.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 271kcal
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
- 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
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ½ cup ice cubes
Red jello layer
- 1 package strawberry jello powder
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ½ cup ice cubes
To decorate (optional):
- Mixed berries and sprinkles
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, so you can easily take the pan in and out.
- Make this cake with any color or flavor jello.
- If you don't have ice cubes, use cold water. Note that it might take longer for the jello 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 the jello to set, but it does need to be cold.
- Another alternative is to pour jello layers into two greased 9-inch cake pans and let it 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 665IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg