Layered Strawberry Dessert is something I didn't think we'd like as much as we did. I first made it to use up some strawberries and a box of gelatin. It wasn't supposed to be a patriotic dessert, but when I threw some blueberries on the side we practically had an American flag. It's now my go-to July 4 dessert.
Jump to Recipe
The recipe is made up of a crust, a no-bake cream cheese layer and a topping of strawberries in a congealed strawberry glaze. I probably (definitely) wouldn't serve it at a formal dinner party, but it's a fun weeknight dessert and good for July 4 or a potluck.
Layered Strawberry Dessert Notes 2024
Update: This one has become a favorite at our house and I've been having fun changing it up a bit. Here are a few notes.
- Crust - The pecan shortbread crust is good, and I've increased it by ¼ so it's a little thicker. You can make this with other crusts too. I recently tried a Saltine crust which was okay, and a pretzel crust which was very good. There are all kinds of crumb crusts you could use here which is what makes if fun. For a 9x13 inch pan, you'll need a recipe with about 2 cups of crumbs.
- Filling -- The amount in the card gives you a modest layer of cream cheese filling. You can increase it by ⅓ or ½ if you like. Also, you shouldn't need an electric mixer. If your cream cheese is good and soft, you can just beat in the sugar with a spoon or scraper and fold in the whipped topping.
- Fruit Topping -- If you are short on strawberries or another fruit is on sale, you can put the strawberries in the middle and arrange the other fruit (blueberries or blackberries) around the edge as in the picture below. It looks so pretty this way and makes a nice cross-section.
- Strawberry Gelatin Mixture -- The recipe makes plenty of strawberry gelatin mixture. You pour it on so that it congeals and holds the fruit together. Pour on only as much as you need to hold everything together. My mistake when I first made this was just pouring it all on and the strawberry gel was overwhelming.
- Soda or Sparkling Water -- Instead of soda, you can use a flavored sparkling water. I've been using lemon flavored La Croix.
Pan Size
The recipe in the card is for an 8x12 or 9x13 inch dish. That is a ballpark. You can use a slightly smaller dish, but I wouldn't go any larger. If using a smaller dish, the crust might take a little bit longer to bake because it will be thicker. You can also make a half batch and bake in an 8-inch square pan. Just use your scale and weigh half the ingredients. I've been making a lot of half batch versions lately to test different crusts so I know this works.
Basic Steps for Making
This is a quick rundown of the steps. Normally I'd use a prettier dish, but I thought I'd try a disposable since this is so perfect for potlucks.
- Prepare crust. An experiment with half pecan and half pretzel.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the baked and cooled crust.
- Spread fresh fruit over the cream cheese layer.
- Pour gelatin mixture over the fruit and chill for 4 hours or until set.
Recipe
Layered Strawberry Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (170 grams)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (40 grams)
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled (140 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup finely chopped pecans, preferably toasted
Layer 2
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine too) (228 grams)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (90 grams)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 2 cups of whipped topping (like Cool Whip)**
Layer 3
- 1 cup granulated sugar (190 grams)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups lemon-lime soda OR lemon flavor sparkling water (I like the sparkling water best)
- 1 pack strawberry gelatin (3 oz size)
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice (optional)
- 4 cups or as needed sliced strawberries plus other fruit if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- Mix the flour and powdered sugar then stir in butter and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Press this mixture across the bottom of the pan and bake for about 18 minutes or until edges are brown. Let cool completely.
- Make the second layer. Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over the cooled crust and chill.
- Make the topping. Put the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Add flavored sparkling water. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture goes from cloudy to clear. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin powder. When gelatin is dissolved, stir in the cold water (this helps it cool quicker). You can also add a tablespoon of lime or lemon juice if you like, but that is optional.
- Let mixture cool off heat in the saucepan or pour it into another container if you want it to cool quicker. Let it cool to the point it's not too hot to pour over the fruit and cheese.
- Spread the berries over the cream cheese layer, then pour on as much of the strawberry mixture as you'd like -- just enough to coat and congeal. Chill for about four hours or until set. Cut into squares and serve with extra whipped topping (or whipped cream) and fruit if desired.
Notes
- The two cups of whipped topping is about ⅔ of an 8 oz tub of Cool Whip. If you want to use whipped heavy cream, you'll only need about ⅔ cup (a little under 6 oz). Whip it and fold it in with the cream cheese. Increase the powdered sugar by a teaspoon or two as desired.
- For a pretzel crust, mix 2 cups of salted pretzel sticks with ¼ cup of dark brown sugar and ¾ cup of butter, salted or unsalted. Press into pan and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.
Sue says
I understand your hesitation about this dessert but at the same time I know many people who love this kind of dessert. I'm really glad Todd liked it. It's also fortunate that you can make it work for July 4th fare if needed!