Triple Berry Icebox Cake
Triple Berry Icebox Cake is a delicious summer treat with mixed berries and a luscious cream filling.
Servings: 15 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (8-oz) block cream cheese softened
- 1 (3.4-oz) box instant cheesecake OR vanilla pudding mix
- 1.5-2 cups milk whole or 2% works best
- 1 (8-oz) container thawed Cool Whip OR 3 cups freshly whipped cream
- 4 cups mixed berries I use blackberries, blueberries and raspberries; rinsed and gently patted dry
- 2 sleeves graham crackers 18 crackers; I usually make sure I have 3 sleeves on hand in case of breakage or small graham cracker thieves in my kitchen ;- )
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in 1.5 cups milk until combined, then beat in instant pudding mix as directed on the package.
- Fold in the Cool Whip (or whipped cream) using a rubber spatula, until fully combined. Fold in up to ½ extra cup milk to yield a creamy, smooth, fluffy mixture (I’ve found the exact amount of milk to depend on the exact pudding mix and if you’re using cool whip or whipped cream - just make sure it’s about the texture of thick whipped cream, it shouldn’t be runny but also not like glue).
- Spread a thin layer of cream mixture in a 7x11 inch (OR a 9x9 inch) baking dish. Top with a layer of graham crackers, breaking up crackers as needed to cover the dish with a single layer, without any gaps.
- Cover the crackers with ⅓ of the cream mixture, gently spreading it out (I find this part a little annoying because the crackers can stick to the cream mixture and it’s a little annoying to get the cream spread; but in a dessert this easy I can’t really complain about a little inconvenience, haha!). Top with ⅓ of the prepared berries, pushing them slightly into the cream.
- Repeat the layers two more times (you’ll want to carefully push down on the graham cracker layer to get the layers even, if your blackberries/blueberries are very large it helps to cut them in half but I hardly ever bother). Arrange the top layer of berries in a way you find aesthetically pleasing (in my case, the aesthetic is usually “rustic, aka this is a mess but it’s fine”).
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4-6 hours, up to overnight.
- When ready to serve, I usually sprinkle the top with some crushed up crackers (or you could do sprinkles if you bring it to a party) and then slice it and watch it disappear!
Notes
- Pudding mix: Cheesecake flavor gives a whiter cream; vanilla works too but looks slightly yellow.
- Milk: Use 1½–2 cups depending on pudding mix and whether you use Cool Whip or whipped cream.
- Cool Whip vs whipped cream: Both work! Use what you have.
- Berries: Any mix is fine—blackberries, blueberries, raspberries. Cut large berries in half if needed.
- Graham crackers: You’ll need ~2 sleeves (18 crackers), but have 3 on hand in case of breakage.
- Layering tip: Gently press each graham layer down so the cake holds together well.
- Chilling: Minimum 4 hours, overnight is best.