No-Bake Summer Dessert—Only 5 Ingredients!

If you're a cherry fan, Time Travel Kitchen, a delightful cooking newsletter, recently featured a sour cherry crumble, made with fresh cherries from Michigan. www.timetravelkitchen.substack.com

Jolene's beautiful photos of the glossy, ruby red fruit brought back memories of our backyard fruit trees of my Michigan late girlhood. But even better, the pics reminded me of my Michigander grandma-in-law’s epic dinners. 

Grandma Rahl was a stupendous cook, and would put on a country-style spread each and every Sunday afternoon—her big dining room table groaned under the weight of the pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade biscuits, two vegetables, relishes, and salad.

But Grandma Rahl was most famous for her made-from-scratch desserts. Each Sunday, after I—and all the family—was stuffed to the gills, she would bring out the sweets: pies, cakes, Jello, cookies, you name it. There would be at least three. The pies especially stand out in my memory, but the one I loved best, and still make from time to time is a wonderfully quick recipe, perfect for summer: Cream Cheese Pie.

It’s one of those recipes passed down the generations: Grandma R.’s daughter, my beloved mother-in-law, made the pie regularly too, as did her older daughter. I made the pie frequently while my two daughters were growing up, and now it’s their go-to special occasion dessert.

Grandma R. and my MIL always topped hers with canned cherry pie filling—in fact, for many years the recipe was featured on pie filling label. But any kind of fresh, well-sweetened fruit sauce works nicely. The recipe is so simple you can make it from memory. And if you like the pie as is, unadorned (I do), it’s even easier!

Cream Cheese Pie

1 9-inch graham cracker crust

(I make mine from scratch, with 7 crushed organic graham crackers, two heaping tablespoons organic sugar, and ¼ cup melted butter. Combine well, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. This of course means the recipe is no longer “No-Bake,” but the scratch crust makes it extra special.)  

8 oz. cream cheese, softened (organic is nice)

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (organic is also nice)

1/3 cup lemon juice (RealLemon is easy; I use fresh lemons)

2 generous teaspoons vanilla extract

This dessert couldn’t be simpler:

My trusty old Sunbeam!

Cream the cream cheese until it’s soft and kind of fluffy, then mix in the condensed milk. If you’re doing it by hand, it can be pretty labor intensive to get out all the lumps.

I do most of my mixing by hand, but for cream cheese pie, I bring out the ancient Sunbeam hand mixer I’ve had since the 80s. My mom-in-law found it for me at a rummage sale, and it’s still going strong!

Anyway, once the cream cheese and condensed milk mixture is smooth, you add the lemon juice. Fold it in carefully—it’s used to set up the cheese and milk—and don’t overmix or the pie will be runny. While you’re finishing up your careful stirring, add the vanilla and combine.

Pour into the graham cracker crust—if you’re using a crust made from scratch, make sure it’s cool first. Then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

The homemade crust has a tendency to stick in the pie pan. So getting the first piece out can be tricky, but even if it falls apart on the way to your dessert plate, it’s still super yummy.

I think of my lovely Michigan in-laws every time I make it—Grandma R. and my dear mother-in-law taught me everything I know about cooking!