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This Raspberry Cheesecake Lush is a layered dessert that is light, creamy, with a luscious texture. Layers of golden Oreo cookie crust, no bake cheesecake layer, fresh raspberry jello layer, and finished off with whipped cream.
For similar recipes be sure and try this Strawberry Cheesecake Lush, Pistachio Pudding Dessert, or this Lemon Blueberry Delight.
Raspberry Cheesecake Lush Recipe (Layered Raspberry Jello Dessert)
This lush dessert is similar to a layered pudding dessert, but instead uses a layer of fresh raspberries + raspberry jello, instead of a pudding layer.
All the layers work together perfectly with the sweet golden Oreo cookie crust, a tangy no bake cheesecake layer, raspberry jello layer, and a smooth & creamy whipped topping to finish it off.
It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert that requires only a bit of prep time + overnight chill time. No oven needed to make this dessert stunner!
Ingredients Needed
- Golden Oreos – You need 27 whole cookies for the crust.
- Melted Butter – Salted butter or unsalted butter both work well in the crust, it just depends on your preference.
- Cream Cheese – To avoid lumps in the batter make sure this is softened to room temperature. Don’t leave cream cheese out at room temperature (to soften) for more than 2 hours.
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens the cheesecake layer.
- Fresh Lemon Zest + Lemon Juice – Zest a lemon first and then squeeze it for the fresh lemon juice.
- Cool Whip – You need 16 ounces total or two 8-ounce containers. If you are using one 16 oz container, just eyeball and guesstimate half of it for each layer.
- Raspberry Jello – We’re using just the powder and ignoring the directions on the back of the box.
- Boiling Water – Needed to help mix the jello together. Helps the jello set when combined with the frozen fruit.
- Frozen Raspberries – Frozen raspberries are used in this recipe because the coldness of them help to thicken the jello mixture.
How To Make a Layered Raspberry Cheesecake Lush Dessert
- Place the golden Oreo cookies in a food processor and process at high speed until the cookies are chopped into fine crumbs. Lower the speed to low and slowly add the melted butter until the crumbs start to clump together and pull away from the sides of the processor. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and set it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Use an electric hand mixer, or use a stand mixer, to blend everything together until smooth and no cream cheese lumps remain. Stir in the Cool Whip until blended. Evenly spread the cheesecake mixture over the crust.
- In a separate bowl, stir the raspberry jello and boiling water together with a whisk until the gelatin has dissolved. Then mix in the frozen raspberries until it starts to thicken slightly. If needed, let it sit for a few minutes to thicken even more before pouring it over the cream cheese layer.
- Pour the raspberry jello mixture over the cream cheese layer and spread out the raspberries as needed.
- Spread the remaining container of Cool Whip over top. Cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight is even better.
- Garnish with fresh raspberries and/or cookie crumbles before serving.
Pack the cookie crust crumbs into the baking pan tightly and firmly. This will prevent the crust from falling apart when you slice & eat the dessert!
FAQ’s + Expert Tips
- Can I Use a Different Cookie or Cracker For The Crust? : Regular Oreo cookies, Nilla Wafers, shortbread cookies, lemon Oreo cookies, or Teddy Grahams can all be used for the crust. You need about 1.75 (1 cup + 3/4 cup) cups of crushed cookies or crackers for the crust.
- Use Frozen Raspberries : The recipe calls for frozen raspberries for a reason! In order to set properly, the jello needs the boiling water + something cold/frozen. The frozen raspberries will help thicken the Jello up. Do not try to substitute fresh raspberries. It won’t work the same.
- Serving Tip : Serve this straight from the fridge. I do not recommend leaving it out at room temperature for too long or else the dessert will start to soften slightly.
- How Long Will Leftovers Last? : The best thing about this dessert is that the leftovers can last up to 5 days! I think the leftover get better and better as they’ve had longer to sit in the fridge and thicken up and all the flavors to meld together. I like to use a 9×13 Pan with a Lid, that way I just cover the desert with the lid and place it in the fridge. You can also cover the pan with plastic wrap.
- What If I Don’t Have a Food Processor? : Place the cookies into a Ziploc bag and use a meat pounder, rolling pin, or something else heavy to crush the cookies until they’re fine crumbs. Add them to a mixing bowl along with the melted butter and stir together until combined well.
- Boiling Water : This needs to be actual boiling water in order for the jello to set properly. Use the stove top or try using an Electric Tea Kettle to boil water. I own this one and love it! The hottest water from the kitchen tap won’t do, it needs to be boiling water.
A lump-free cheesecake layer is a must for this lush dessert. Make sure that the cream cheese is nice and smooth, with no lumps in the batter, before adding the Cool Whip in. Also, use softened cream cheese which will help it blend in more smoothly without any lumps.
Raspberry Cheesecake Lush
This Raspberry Cheesecake Lush is a layered dessert that is light, creamy, with a luscious texture. Layers of golden Oreo cookie crust, no bake cheesecake layer, fresh raspberry jello layer, and finished off with whipped cream.
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 27 whole Golden Oreos
- 7 tablespoons salted butter melted
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip thawed
Raspberry Jello Layer
- 1 box (3 oz) raspberry gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 cups frozen raspberries
- 1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip thawed
Instructions
Make The Crust
- Place the Golden Oreos into a food processor and process at high speed until the cookies are in fine crumbs. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the melted butter in and process until the cookie crumb start to clump together and pull away from the sides of the processor bowl.27 whole Golden Oreos, 7 tablespoons salted butter
- Press the crumbs firmly into a 9×13 baking pan and freeze for 20 minutes.
Make The Cheesecake Layer
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Use an electric hand mixer to beat everything together until the cream cheese is smooth and no lumps remain in the batter.8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Add the Cool Whip in and beat on low speed until combined and mixed in.1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip
- Spread the cheesecake mixture over the crust in an even layer. Make sure to spread it all then way tight against the sides, this will help the Jello layer not leak through.
Make The Raspberry Jello Layer
- Add the raspberry gelatin powder into a mixing bowl along with the boiling water. Stir with a whisk until the gelatin has dissolved completely.1 box (3 oz) raspberry gelatin, 1 cup boiling water
- Mix in the frozen raspberries and stir until the gelatin starts to thicken.* This will thicken pretty quickly once you add in the frozen raspberries. Be prepared to work quickly to spread it on top of the cheesecake layer.2 cups frozen raspberries
- Gently pour this over the cheesecake layer and spread out the raspberries as best you can.
- Spread the Cool Whip over top the raspberry layer. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight is even better.1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip
- When ready to serve, cut into slices and garnish each slice with extra cookie crumbs and/or fresh raspberries. Serve the dessert chilled from the fridge.
Notes
Don’t Want Lemon? : The lemon pairs really nicely with the raspberries in this dessert, but if you don’t want that little lemon taste then omit the lemon juice and lemon zest, and instead use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Crust Tip : Pack the cookie crust very tightly into the baking pan. This will help prevent the crust from falling apart when cutting and eating the dessert.
Cream Cheese : For the best taste and thick texture, which will help the layers set and thicken, use full fat cream cheese in this dessert. Make sure the cream cheese is softened (but not warm at all) to avoid any lumps in the cheesecake batter. If the cream cheese is too cold and firm, the cheesecake mixture will have lumps that are very hard to beat out.
Frozen Raspberries : These must be frozen! Do not use fresh raspberries. In order for the gelatin to set properly, we need the boiling water + something cold/frozen, which are the frozen raspberries. I use a small bag of frozen raspberries and it’s usually slightly more than 2 cups so I normally just throw in the extra.
Boiling Water : The hottest water from the kitchen sink tap is not hot enough/nor is it boiling for this recipe. Heat up water on the stove top, in a tea kettle, or an electric tea kettle for the boiling water needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 354IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
Can this dessert be made the night before, or with the layers with the jello melt or dissolve the next day?
Yes it can! It does great making it the day before, the layers will set and thicken, and it will be just fine. Chill the dessert until you’re ready to serve it. I hope that helps.
Thank you so much, I made it for Thanksgiving and the whole family raved about it!