Cheesecake is, objectively, the best dessert in existence. It’s also, objectively, one of the most annoying to make. But thanks to the latest in cheesecake technology, it doesn’t have to be. Case in point: Scoopable Cheesecake from Jenna Barnard, author of the upcoming cookbook Simple Sugar. Perfect for days when you wouldn’t dare turn on an oven, this fridge-baked recipe requires zero water baths, zero fussy crust, and zero actual baking. Instead, layers of dense, creamy cheesecake, fresh strawberry sauce, and buttery graham cracker crumbs coalesce into one cool, crowd-pleasing, dangerously easy masterpiece that, as the name implies, is best served by the (ice cream) scoop. No wonder one fan said, “I made it last week and I’m making it again tonight.”
The Time Commitment: About 40 minutes to prepare, plus eight hours (or more) to chill in the fridge.
Key Tips: To shave off roughly 20 minutes of prep, Barnard says you can use canned strawberry pie filling instead. And for the smoothest, silkiest cheesecake base, make sure your cream cheese comes to room temperature before mixing.
Other Takes: For other no-bake treats that won’t leave you planted in front of the AC, try…
Key Lime Freeze Bars. Essentially, the classic pie’s less needy but equally irresistible cousin, these tangy squares taste “like sunshine in a bar.”
Banana Pudding Fluff. Never had the all-American delicacy known as dessert fluff? Imagine the love child of pudding and whipped mousse — loaded with Nilla Wafers and sliced bananas — that requires just five minutes ofl work.
No-Bake S’mores Icebox Cake. This seven-ingredient showstopper “looks way fancier than it actually is, and it tastes like childhood,” according to one commenter. Sold.
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