This lazy cheesecake salad is the perfect last-minute dessert idea! Made with just 6 simple ingredients, this easy recipe can be served in bowls or served with graham crackers as a decadent dessert dip.
This easy recipe for Lazy Cheesecake Salad is a real winner in my home, with adults and kids alike enjoying the creamy and fruity layers. And me? Well I love it because it’s so crazy simple to make!
Most desserts – even no bake ones – take a little bit longer to pull together. I’m totally okay with that because the results are always worth it, right!? Well this easy cheesecake salad recipe comes together in no time flat and doesn’t even need to chill. You can make it and you’re ready to serve right away if needed!
So the next time you’ve been invited to a party or need something to bring to the church potluck, you can count on this super easy recipe. Serve it in bowls with a spoon, or with your choice of graham crackers or vanilla wafers as a delicious dip.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- SO easy to make – It’s ready in just 15 minutes and requires no oven time whatsoever!
- Great for last-minute potlucks or desserts.
- Requires just 6 simple ingredients, making it easy to prep and budget friendly too!
- Easy to customize to your taste or make gluten-free with just two simple swaps.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese: You will need to use brick-style cream cheese for the no-bake cheesecake base. It should be softened, so allow it to rest at room temperature for a few hours first (or place it in a plastic freezer bag and dip it in a bowl of hot tap water for 5 minutes).
- Whipped topping: This can be found in the freezer section and the brand name is commonly known as “Cool Whip.” This will need to be thawed before use.
- Greek yogurt OR sour cream: I highly recommend using a good quality vanilla greek yogurt, as this adds sweetness and a bit of vanilla flavor. You can use sour cream in its place if you don’t have any on hand.
- Pudding mix: You’ll need a standard 3.4 oz box of vanilla pudding mix. I used regular vanilla but you could use french vanilla if you prefer.
- Milk: A used regular whole milk, but you can use whatever style you keep on hand. You could probably even use heavy cream for decadence!
- Pie filling: You can use either homemade or canned, but using canned makes this recipe ultra easy. I chose cherry pie filling because that’s my husband’s favorite but you could use apple, raspberry, blueberry, etc.
Note about recipe size: If you’re making just a small batch enough for about 4-6 people, make the recipe in the quantities as stated and transfer to an 8-9″ round or square baking dish. If you would like to use a large trifle dish or 9×13 baking dish, double all of the quantities listed in the recipe.
How to Make Lazy Cheesecake Salad
To get started, add your softened brick of cream cheese to a large bowl and whip it using an electric hand mixer (or you could use a stand mixer if you prefer).
Add the greek yogurt (or sour cream) and milk to the bowl, then beat everything together on low-medium speed until well combined.
Pour in the vanilla pudding mixture and beat until smooth and thickened, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Once the base mixture is blended well, add in the thawed whipped topping (Cool Whip) and fold it in gently until it has been thoroughly incorporated.
Spread this mixture into your serving dish (8-9″ round or square dish, or a trifle dish if you doubled the recipe).
Smooth the cheesecake salad base out in an even layer, cleaning up the edges if needed.
Add a full can of the pie filling of your choice (I used cherry) and spread it out over the entire surface of the cheesecake layer.
You can either serve this easy no-bake dessert right away OR you can allow it to chill for a little bit first. I like to allow it to chill a bit as it gives it a chance to firm up, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
What Should I Serve with Cheesecake Salad?
You can serve your cheesecake salad in small bowls with a spoon (yummy!), buy you can also offer a variety of items on the side for dipping or spreading. Here are a few I recommend:
- Graham crackers
- Vanilla wafer cookies
- Animal crackers
- Teddy Grahams
- Cinnamon pita chips
- Toasted baguette chips
What Type of Pie Filling Works Best?
You really can use whatever pie filling you like best. I find that cherry and strawberry are the “classic” cheesecake salad selections, but you need not be limited by them. Here are a few of the many options:
- Cherry
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
- Apple
- Blueberry
- Peach
- Strawberry Rhubarb
Variations and Substitutions
Large Batch: The amount in the recipe makes for enough for an 8-9″ round or square deep dish pan. If you would like to fill a trifle bowl or a larger dish, double the recipe. This is perfect for bringing to parties.
Gluten-Free: Many of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free (cool whip, cream cheese, milk, and yogurt). Just select gluten-free versions of pudding and pie filling (not hard to find!) and serve it with gluten-free graham crackers or just in bowls with a spoon!
Apple Cheesecake Salad: Substitute the cherry pie filling for a can of apple pie filling. You could also add a layer of caramel between the cheesecake and apple layer to make for an “Apple Caramel Cheesecake Salad”
Strawberry Cheesecake Salad: Substitute the cherry pie filling for a can of strawberry pie filling, or chopped fresh strawberries.
Storage
Store your lazy cheesecake salad in an airtight or tightly wrapped container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Making Ahead
If you are preparing it for an event, I recommend making the base a day in advance and adding the pie filling the morning before the event. This prevents the layers from bleeding into each other while still giving the base ample opportunity to firm up and the pie filling to chill.
More Easy No Bake Desserts
- Berry Cheesecake Salad
- No Bake Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
- No Bake Nutella Pie
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Butterscotch Haystacks
- No Bake Black Forest Cheesecake – Spaceships and Laser Beams
Lazy Cheesecake Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz brick cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup vanilla greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3.4 ounce package vanilla pudding mix
- 8 ounce container of frozen whipped topping thawed
- 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
- Graham crackers for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add the softened brick of cream cheese to a large bowl with a hand mixer, OR the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy, then turn off the mixer.
- Add in the greek yogurt (or sour cream) and milk. Beat the mixture until smooth and uniform, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Once everything is well combined, add in the full pouch of vanilla pudding mix. Mix well to combine.
- Turn off the mixer and remove the beaters. Add the full container of thawed whipped topping, and gently fold it in using a silicone spatula.
- Once the topping is folded in, spread it into a deep 9” square or round dish, OR a medium-sized trifle dish.
- Spread the mixture into an even, smooth layer.
- Add the can of pie filling and spread it out evenly, all the way to the edges.
- Serve immediately OR allow to chill for 30 minutes – 2 hours to firm up slightly.
- Serve with fruit, graham crackers, or in small bowls.
Notes
Nutrition
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This recipe was really easy to make and I surprised how quickly it came together.