It’s cheesecake season! We all know that Shavuot just isn’t complete without a cheesecake. But I have to ask—why can’t the signature Shavuot dish be something easier?! How about brownies, or cupcakes, or even a trifle? Why does THE dessert of Shavuot have to be a dessert that involves a water bath, a stand mixer, a food processor, and easily cracks if you don’t follow the recipe just right (or even sometimes if you do)?
I like to bake (and I bake a lot), but I typically stick to more fool-proof recipes like cakes and cookies. I vote that we change the iconic dessert of Shavuot to brownies. And we can even add in dairy chocolate chips and a cream cheese frosting to stick with the dairy theme. Now who’s with me?
In the meantime, I’ll be making a much simpler cheesecake—a no-bake funfetti cheesecake! No water bath or oven required. This recipe makes a totally delicious and mouth-watering cheesecake in half the time, half the number of bowls, and way less than half the stress. It comes together so easily! You make the crust, combine the cream cheese mixture, add Cool Whip and sprinkles, and you’re done! In 20 minutes, you can throw together a cheesecake that all your Shavuot guests will adore. And as an added bonus, it looks completely adorable! Everybody will fall in love with the festive, colorful sprinkles. This is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 graham cracker sheets)
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
Cheesecake:
24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp sprinkles, plus more for topping
12 oz Cool Whip, divided (If you don’t want to buy cool whip, make your own with a recipe like this.)
Directions
To make graham cracker crumbs, add graham cracker sheets to a large Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. Alternatively, crush with a food processor.
In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until combined. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch springform pan and press tightly into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides. Set in freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm.
In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Gently stir in 8 ounces of Cool Whip and sprinkles.
Pour filling into the chilled graham cracker crust, smoothing the top. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours or until firm.
Remove cheesecake from springform pan and top with sprinkles and remaining whipped cream (optional). Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Shavuot
Pronounced: shah-voo-OTE (oo as in boot), also shah-VOO-us, Origin: Hebrew, the holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, falls in the Hebrew month Sivan, which usually coincides with May or June.
