No-Bake Cheesecake (Cheese'fake')
November 26, 2021
Who doesn't love cheesecake? And while it may not be distinctly "Christmas", there are so many ways to add a few festive touches to bring it into the holiday spirit. I had the pleasure of making this recipe alongside Ilyana Capellan on KGET's Studio 17 LIVE. In this version, we added ginger snap cookie crumbles on top to add a little extra seasonal flavor.
The original recipe comes from my Aunt Barb. (Okay, technically she's my mom's aunt, so she's my great aunt—but she's Aunt Barb to me). I have fond memories of this cheesecake just waiting to be devoured in my grandma's fridge when we would visit.
I hope you enjoy this light and airy take on a classic dessert—and whether you want to share it or not, well... I'll leave that up to you!
No-Bake Cheesecake (AKA Cheese'fake')
Serves 15 people (supposedly 😜)
Ingredients
3 oz. lemon gelatin (1 package)
1 cup boiling water
Juice of ½ lemon
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 oz. evaporated milk (one can), chilled
½ pound graham crackers (15 crackers), finely crushed
**For a holiday touch, you can also use store-bought gingersnap cookies in place of the graham crackers**
½ cup butter
Directions
Dissolve gelatin in one cup of boiling water. Add lemon juice and let mixture cool to room temperature.
In the meantime, melt butter and mix with crushed graham crackers. Pour into a 9”x13” pan and press against the bottom to create the crust. Reserve some of the graham cracker mixture to sprinkle on top as a garnish.
Beat the chilled evaporated milk until it’s whipped. Look for soft peaks.
Add gelatin mixture to the whipped evaporated milk; mix well, then add cream cheese mixture and mix until evenly blended.
Pour mixture over graham cracker crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle reserved graham cracker crumbs over the cheesecake.
Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
