No-Bake Lemon Blueberry Delight

No matter the occasion, there is no better dessert to make this spring than lemon blueberry delight. It’s a twist on the popular no-bake dessert, following on the heels of my strawberry delight and chocolate delight.

This version packs in four stunning layers (five, if you count the fresh blueberry and lemon zest garnish). Lemony no-bake cheesecake meets the jammy center of blueberry pie, plus a thick layer of dreamy whipped cream and a buttery graham cracker crust. It’s light, creamy, and just sweet enough, with a subtle, sunny lemon flavor. Plus, you won’t need to turn the oven on, and it’s even better when you make it in advance.

Why You’ll Love It

• Just look at those layers! The stacked layers make this no-bake dessert look totally impressive. (And they’re incredibly easy to pull off.)

• This dessert isn’t just about looks, it also has the most amazing flavor — it tastes like springtime.  Lemon and blueberry is a classic warm weather combo, and this light, creamy fruit dessert makes these flavors really shine.

Key Ingredients in Lemon Blueberry Delight

• Graham crackers. Use regular graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs as the main ingredient for the base of the dessert.

• Unsalted butter. Melted butter is the glue that holds the graham cracker crumbs together to form a sturdy base.

• Cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese is the best option for this dessert. It’s the star ingredient in the bottom layer, which is reminiscent of no-bake cheesecake. Allow plenty of time for it to soften, which makes for much easier mixing.

• Heavy cream. Lightly sweetened whipped cream lightens up the cream cheese layer and makes for a dreamy top layer.

• Lemon zest. The sunny lemon flavor comes mostly from finely grated zest that’s both mixed into the cream cheese layer and scattered over top for serving.

• Blueberry pie filling. Using a can of prepared pie filling ensures the jammy center layer is super flavorful and makes assembly extra easy.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Delight

1. Make the base. After mixing the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, sugar, and salt, press the mixture into the baking dish. To ensure the base is super sturdy, use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs firmly and evenly into the baking dish.

2. Prepare the whipped cream. Be sure to start with cold cream here. Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar just until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl so you can reuse the stand mixer bowl for the cream cheese layer (no need to clean it).

3. Beat the cream cheese layer. Beat the softened cream cheese, lemon zest, powdered sugar, and lemon or vanilla extract until super light and fluffy. Fold in about half of the whipped cream.

4. Assemble the delight and chill. Assemble by topping the graham cracker base with the following layers: cream cheese, blueberry pie filling, whipped cream, and fresh blueberries. Cover and refrigerate the delight for at least 4 hours (or up to overnight) to allow the dessert ample time to firm up. Giving the dessert plenty of time to chill makes for easier, smoother slicing.

5. Garnish and serve. Garnish with finely grated lemon zest, then slice the delight, and serve. Stacked layers are part of the appeal of this layered dessert. Make sure every slice is picture perfect by wiping the knife clean between cuts.

Lemon Blueberry Delight Recipe

Packed with four dreamy layers of jammy blueberries, creamy cheese, fluffy whipped cream, and sturdy graham cracker base, this no-bake dessert will be the hit of spring.

Prep time 35 minutes

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 12 whole graham cracker sheets (about 6 1/2 ounces), or 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided

• 2 medium lemons, divided

• 1 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract

• 1 (about 21-ounce) can blueberry pie filling

• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. Place 8 ounces cream cheese on the counter and let sit at room temperature until softened, about 45 minutes. Line an 8x8-inch, 2-inch high baking pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, positioning them perpendicular to each other so that the parchment hangs about 2 inches over all 4 sides of the pan to form a sling.

2. Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in a small microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts until mostly melted, 40 to 60 seconds total (it will melt completely as it sits). (Alternatively, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.) Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Break 12 whole graham cracker sheets into rough pieces and place in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of the kosher salt. Process until the crackers are the texture of sand, about 15 seconds. Add the butter and pulse until combined, 6 to 8 (1-second) pulses. (If using graham cracker crumbs, just stir 1 1/2 cups crumbs, the sugar, salt, and melted butter together in a medium bowl.)

4. Transfer the mixture to the baking pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers to press the crumbs into an even layer, making sure to reach the edges and fill the corners. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

5. Place 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream and 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Beat with the whisk attachment on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.

6. Finely grate the zest of 1 of the medium lemons into the now-empty bowl (no need to wipe clean). Juice the zested lemon until you have 2 tablespoons and add to the bowl. Add the cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until light and very fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula halfway through, about 3 minutes total.

7. Transfer 1 cup of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold together with a flexible spatula until just combined. Dollop the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Spoon 1 can blueberry pie filling over the cream cheese mixture and spread into an even layer.

8. Dollop the remaining whipped cream over the blueberry layer and spread into an even layer. Top with 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and gently press into the whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

9. When ready to serve, finely grate the zest of the remaining lemon; save the zested lemon for another use. Grasping the excess parchment, transfer the blueberry delight slab to a cutting board. Cut into 12 pieces, wiping the knife between each cut for cleaner cuts. Sprinkle with the lemon zest.

Recipe Notes

Ingredient variation: 1 (8-ounce) container thawed whipped topping can be substituted for the sweetened whipped cream.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.