This is one of my favourite recipes for a fresh, light dessert after a heavy dinner of something like burgers or steak. It’s so easy and can be made WAAAAAAY ahead so you don’t have to do any dessert prep on the actual day of your gathering! It’s also a handy one to have on hand in case of unexpected guests, and if they don’t come you can eat it bit by bit and freeze the part you aren’t eating so there’s no pressure to eat a whole cake between the two of you before it gets stale – a pressure the two of us here take very seriously.
The recipe came to me from the wife of my old boss, after we enjoyed it at a barbecue at her house one day, and I was amazed (and happy) to find out how easy it was!
Since it doesn’t actually take fresh raspberries it can be made anytime of year. I would say it tastes more like a sherbet or gelato cake than a cheesecake, since the raspberry flavour is really dominant and the frozen texture is so creamy and fresh, and my non-cream-cheese-eating hubby loves this so the flavour can’t be too strong.
To make it gluten free, this is fantastic without any crust, and can be made in an ungreased 9″x13″ baking dish as well.
- CRUST:
- 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Oreo)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- FILLING:
- 1 (250g) pkg cream cheese, softened
- 1 can raspberry juice concentrate, thawed
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 L Cool Whip, thawed
- FOR CRUST: Combine cookie crumbs and butter and press into bottom of a 9" springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes, or whatever time it takes you to get the rest ready. (This can also be made in a 9x13" pan if you want squares, or can be made entirely crustless to be gluten free, and still delicious!)
- FOR CHEESECAKE: Beat cream cheese until very smooth.
- Gradually add raspberry juice and icing sugar, beating until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour onto crust. Cover and freeze at least 4 hours, or overnight.
You can also dress it up for a special occasion with some fresh berries and chocolate drizzle!
I make this dessert in tiny mason jars in a variety of flavours & its a hit all summer long!
Hi,
I have used your recipe before and it has been a hit. I can’t seem to find raspberry concentrate anymore. What could I replace it with?
Thanks so much!
Any frozen juice concentrate will work – orange juice makes a delicious orange creamsicle flavour, or a berry punch works too!
1 can of raspberry concentrate???! Firstly where do you even get that. Secondly 1 can? There’s many different sizes of cans! What’s the OZ or CUPS??
In Canada, frozen juice concentrate comes in a standard can size of about 300 mL. Any type/flavour can be used in this recipe!
How many people does it setve
It depends how thick you slice…it will serve at least 10-12.
Hello
I have 2 of these in the freezer right now! Thanks for the recipe. Do you serve this right from the freezer or thaw in the fridge before serving? If so, how long will it keep in the fridge? Thanks!
Serve it straight out of the freezer! At most it needs 5-10 minutes at room temperature to soften to make slicing easier, otherwise it will start to melt :) Store any leftovers back in the freezer…so it basically lasts forever :) Enjoy!
oh my! That looks amazing! Definitely going to try this!
or you could use GF chocolate cookies the same way you would normally use oreos. It’s amazing how many GF equivalents there are out there.
So this cake was a huge hit at our family BBq this past weekend. I loved how easy it was to make, and how light it was. Definitley something I will make again. : )
Going to make this for a BBQ this weekend. PS. I love your blog anna, you are such an inspiration!!!!!
Thanks so much Heidi, that’s so sweet of you to say!! Let me know how you like the recipe :)
looks good. something I am definatly going to have to try. Thanks for sharing!!
I have made this recipe without the crust too in a 9″x13″ pan. It cuts into really nice square or rectangular pieces and is gluten free. If you want the chocolate flavour with it, just drizzle it (or the plate) with a little PC dark chocolate sauce. Try it that way Chelsea…it is soooo goooood!
*eats it with her eyes*
mmm one of my favourites for sure!!