Strawberry Cheesecake Lush

This layered Strawberry Cheesecake Lush is a lusciously creamy and completely addicting dessert. Layers of graham cracker crust, no bake cheesecake layer, fluffy strawberry jello layer, and whipped cream. 

If you love strawberry desserts then be sure and try this Strawberry Jello Pie, Strawberry Jello Poke Cake, and Easy Strawberry Cake. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Lush Recipe

This strawberry lush is a show-stopper desert with it’s layers of buttery graham cracker crust, soft and creamy no bake cheesecake, sweet and bright tasting fluffy strawberry Jello layer, and soft whipped cream topping. It’s an impressive dessert that actually comes together really easily and it’s a no bake dessert!

Let’s learn how to make strawberry cheesecake lush plus all my tips for success so that you can create it for your own family. 

Ingredients You Need

• Graham Cracker Crumbs – You can either buy a box of graham cracker crumbs (the easy way!) or buy a box of whole graham crackers and use a food processor or chopper to pulse them into fine crumbs. The finer/smaller the crumbs, the better!
• Melted Butter – I use salted butter.
• Strawberry Jello
• Boiling Water – I use my electric tea kettle to boil water. 
• Ice Cold Water – Fill a bowl with ice and then water. Measure the ice cold water from the bowl. 
• Cool Whip – You can also make homemade sweetened whipped cream if that’s what you prefer. Directions for that are below. 
• Cream Cheese – For the best flavor I recommend using full-fat cream cheese. I also think the name brand, Philadelphia, tastes so much better than the store brands.
• Granulated Sugar – The sweetener for our no bake cheesecake layer. 
• Fresh Strawberries – These are an optional garnish but I highly recommend using them. You can halve them or chop the, whichever you prefer. 

How To Make a Strawberry Lush

Follow these easy, step-by-step instructions for how to make this luscious layered dessert!

– Step 1 : Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl until the crumbs are evenly coated. Press the crumbs into an even layer in a 9×13 baking pan. Place the crust in the freeze for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the rest. 

– Step 2 : Whisk together the Jello powder and boiling hot water in a mixing bowl until the Jello has dissolved completely. Slowly pour in the ice cold water while continuing to whisk. Let this mixture rest for a few minutes until it has reached room temperature. Slowly whisk in 8 ounces of Cool Whip until it’s mixed well. Place the bowl in the fridge, lightly covered with plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Make sure to stir it several times during the fridge time in order to make sure the Jello does not separate. 

– Step 3 : In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until it’s smooth, combined, and fluffy. 

– Step 4 : Time to layer the strawberry lush. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust. Pour the strawberry Jello mixture over top the cream cheese layer making sure it’s spread out evenly. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a lid and let it refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight is preferred. 

– Step 5 : Spread the remaining 8 ounces of Cool Whip over top for the final layer. Garnish with fresh strawberries (optional) and serve! You can either serve it right away after spreading the final layer on OR you can cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it refrigerate for about 4 hours before serving. I prefer refrigerating it for the 4 hours because it sets up firmer and cuts easier once the Cool Whip has had a chance to firm up and chill. 

Strawberry Lush FAQ’s

• How Should I Store Leftovers of Lush Dessert?

  • Fridge : Cover the pan with plastic wrap, or a lid, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. The graham cracker crust will start to get soft and slightly soggy after that.
  • Freezer : I personally don’t love freezing this dessert because once thawed, the texture of the layers can change during the thawing process. If freezing, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. I would not freeze the dessert with any strawberry toppings as garnish.

• Serving Suggestions

  • Serve this strawberry cheesecake dessert chilled from the fridge. As it sits out at room temperature, the layers will soften slightly, so I suggest serving it from the fridge and not letting it sit out for too long. 
  • Top off each serving with chopped or halved strawberry pieces. You could also drizzle some strawberry sundae syrup over top for a sweet garnish. 

• Texture, Color, & Flavor Notes of Strawberry Lush

  • Texture : Three soft and creamy layers with a crumbly graham cracker crust. 
  • Color : Golden brown crust, cream-colored pale cheesecake layer, a pink fluffy strawberry layer, and topped off with white whipped topping. 
  • Flavor : Similar to a strawberry cheesecake. Tangy cream cheese that is not too sweet, sweet strawberry jello flavor, and a salty buttery graham cracker crust. 

• Can I Make Any Changes To This Recipe?

  • Crust : You can use Nilla Wafers, Honey Teddy Grahams, or even some Golden Oreo cookies. Using golden Oreo cookies will result in a much sweeter crust. Just make sure that whatever you use, that the crumbs are very finely ground up. The smaller/finer the better. 
  • Butter : Salted butter or unsalted butter both work fine, it’s just whatever you prefer. I prefer using salted butter. 
  • Homemade Whipped Cream : Instead of using Cool Whip try making your own. Beat 3 cups of heavy whipping cream + 1/2 cup (or more) of powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. This will take several minutes. Start at low speed and increase speed as it thickens. 
  • Jello : Change up the lush dessert by using any flavor of Jello that you want! We love raspberry, peach, or orange (think an orange creamsicle dessert). 

What is Lush Dessert?

A lush dessert is essentially a layered dessert, usually made in a 9×13 pan, that is creamy, light, fluffy, and basically what you would describe as ‘luscious’ tasting. 

The layers usually consists of some sort of cracker or cookie crust, no bake cheesecake layer or sometimes a pudding layer, and then topped off with whipped cream usually. 

Lush desserts typically require at least 8 hours of refrigeration time so they are the perfect dessert to make the day before and they transport really easily too, and serve lots of people. Basically the best thing to take to a potluck, picnic, or family gathering event. 

Expert Tips

Here are a few of my tips so that you can successfully recreate this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Fridge Time : The #1 most important tip for this recipe! Don’t try to rush or shorten the fridge time as it allows the layers to firm up and set (which makes cutting the dessert easier) and the flavors have time to meld together. You need at least 8 hours of fridge chill time or overnight is preferred (close to 10-12 hours). I also like to spread the top whipped cream layer on and then put it back in the fridge until serving. So I make the dessert the night before (up until the strawberry Jello layer) and then I refrigerate it overnight as the recipe calls for. Then in the morning I spread that top whipped cream layer on and put it back into the fridge until it’s time to serve it. 
• Ice Cold Water + Boiling Water : I use my electric tea kettle to boil water for this recipe. You can also boil water on the stove top as well. The water does need to be boiling so I don’t suggest using the hottest water from the tap as it’s probably not hot enough. For the ice cold water there are two options – put ice and water into a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes before measuring out the water from it. You can also place a water bottle in the freezer for about 1 hour or so and then measure from that. Just make sure you don’t measure out any water with ice chunks in it. You only want water. 
• Layers Tip : Make sure to spread each layer all the way to the edges and tight against the edge of the pan. This makes it so the layers don’t mix together or some of the jello mixture won’t seep through to the cheesecake layer from the edges. 
• Prep Tip : Because the Jello mixture needs more fridge time (30 minutes + 10 minutes) you could start with the jello layer and then during the first chill time (the 10 minutes after you add the ice cold water) you can make the graham cracker crust and put it in the freezer. That way, the crust is freezing during the 30 minute chill time of the Jello mixture (the second chill time once you add the cool whip). They’ll both be ready to go at the same time. It’s also ok if the crust stays in the freezer for longer than the 30 minutes called for in the recipe. 

More 9×13 Pan Layered Desserts You’ll Love

• Layered Oreo Dessert
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Layered Pudding Dessert
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Layered Pudding Dessert
• Pistachio Pudding Dessert
• Chessmen Cookie Banana Pudding
• Chocolate Delight