Strawberry Delight is a layered dessert with a graham cracker pecan crust, no bake cheesecake filling, and fresh strawberries in jello. Serve it with sweetened whipped cream on top for a light and fruity dessert.
1lb(454g)strawberries, hulled and diced (about 3 1/2 to 4 cups)
½cup(100g)granulated sugar
2Tbspcornstarch
1cup(237ml)water
3oz(85g)small box strawberry gelatin, (Jell-o)
Whipped Cream*:
1cup(237ml)heavy cream
¼cup(30g)powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
FOR THE CRUST: Blend graham crackers, pecans, and sugar in a food processor or blender until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and stir to coat. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake at 350˚F for 8-10 minutes, until butter has absorbed and crust no longer looks wet. Cool completely.
FOR THE FILLING: Using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together in a large bowl. Fold in the whipped topping, until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY LAYER: Sprinkle fresh diced strawberries over the cream cheese filling. Refrigerate until jello is made.
In a saucepan, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add water and heat to a simmer, whisking constantly. Mixture will thicken slightly. Remove from heat and add gelatin powder, whisk to combine. Allow jello to cool until lukewarm to the touch. Stir occasionally so gelatin doesn't set up. Pour gelatin over the strawberries.
Cover and CHILL the strawberry delight for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
TO SERVE: Rinse a knife with hot water, wipe it dry and cut into the dessert. Repeat rinsing and drying the knife between each cut. Then use a serving spatula to scoop the slices and put onto plates.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks with an electric mixer. Pipe or scoop a dollop of whipped cream on top of each slice. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days.
Video
Notes
NO-BAKE: Chill un-baked crust in the fridge for 1 hour or freezer for 30 minutes before topping -- OR -- Chill the complete dessert for at least 4 hours before serving.
ALL GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST (NO NUTS): Use 2 cups of crushed graham crackers (about 15 crackers), 5 Tbsp of granulated sugar, and 6 Tbsp of melted butter.
*COOL WHIP SUBSTITUTION: Double the whipped cream and use half of it to substitute the whipped topping (Cool Whip) in the filling.
I used Neufchatel cream cheese and light Cool Whip, for less calories and fat.