Jello Cream Cheese Squares
PREP TIME
1h
COOK TIME
15m
TOTAL TIME
6h 15m
YIELD
12
INGREDIENTS
1 package (3 ounces) lemon gelatin
3.5 C boiling water
1 package (6 oz.) strawberry gelatin
1-2 packets Knox gelatin (optional)
½ C butter or margarine
¼ C golden brown sugar
1 C flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 C heavy cream, whipped
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 cup of the boiling water; cool.
Dissolve strawberry gelatin in the remaining 2.5 cups boiling water; cool.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter with brown sugar. Gradually stir in flour; add nuts.
Spread mixture evenly in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes; cool. Chill for 15 minutes.
In a bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar. Mix in whipped cream. Gently stir in cooled lemon gelatin. Pour onto chilled crust; chill until firm. Pour cooled strawberry gelatin over firm lemon gelatin mixture; chill until firm. Cut into squares and serve.
NOTES
Add Knox Gelatin packet to strawberry for a firmer jello top.
I prefer my cream cheese squares to not be so loose, so I add Knox gelatin to the heavy cream to make stabilized whip cream.
I used orange gelatin because they were out and it tastes good, too.
For the crust, I used my favorite cheesecake graham cracker crust with crushed walnuts and coconut flakes but the crust in this recipe is good, too.
About Jello Cream Cheese Squares
Growing up, whenever my mom surprised me with sweets from the bakery, it was either a long john (long custard filled donut) from Deelite bakery, Liliha Bakery coco puffs or this gelatinous baby from Zippy’s. This dessert is so simple and the texture of the cream cheese with the jello is surprisingly not weird at all. I thought this was some classic American dessert, but when I moved to the mainland, I never saw this at any bakery. Is this a Hawaii thing? Maybe. I just have no idea what its origins are.
