No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake

My parents have been in town this past weekend, hence the lack of posts. We have been busy. :)

They came in to go to the National Cowboy Symposium, which I will post about later, for my Dad's birthday. My Mom's birthday is this Tuesday, September 13th, so my Dad and I planned a birthday dinner for her. 

This delicious light dessert was her "birthday cake". It was absolutely wonderful!! It wasn't thick like cheesecake normally is, you add whipped topping  to the cream cheese and it makes it light and fluffy.

You freeze it instead of baking it. It is a nice, quick dessert. One that you could make and put in the freezer to keep for a later time. Just plan on letting it freeze for a few hours before you serve it. You could also make 6 individual servings instead of a pie.

No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake

For the crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

2/3 cup sugar

zest on 2 lemons

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 (8 ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 cup fresh raspberries, slightly mashed with a fork

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon of sugar and melted butter. Evenly divide the crumbs between your individual serving dishes and press into the bottoms of the dishes to form a crust layer.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar becomes moist and fragrant. Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add lemon juice and vanilla mixing to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well blended, then fold in the raspberries.

3. Evenly pipe or spoon the filling into individual serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprig of fresh mint.

RECIPE NOTES FROM MY BAKING ADDICTION:

-If you make this into one pie, simply pour the cream cheese mixture into a 9-inch graham cracker crust and chill for 3 hours before serving.

-This recipe tastes really delicious with blueberries and strawberries as well. Play around with different fruit combinations to create a wide range of flavors.

-I have not tried this recipe using fresh whipped cream, so I cannot attest to the results.

Recipe From: My Baking Addiction