Auntie Arleen’s Famous Jello Cheesecake

Hello friends!

While it’s hard to believe that I’ve been away for nearly ten months now, I promise I’ve been putting my sabbatical to good use with some much-needed updates to this little corner of the internet. That’s right, folks: Wallflour Girl is now proudly mobile-optimized with a brand new layout, header, photo recipe index, info pages, and more! 

Although there’s still a ton of stuff that I had originally wanted to do before posting an update here, I’ve really missed blogging lately and finally decided last week to start writing again. With all the craziness currently characterizing my life right now (and I’ll have plenty to share about that in the coming weeks!), I’ve definitely been looking for ways to slow down and spend more time doing the things that I really love again. And of course, baking & blogging top that list–so here I am, back and as happy as a kid who’s just eaten five servings of this amazing jello cheesecake!

I decided to break my blogging silence with this particular jello cheesecake recipe because it happens to be my favorite dessert in the world, period. Technically this recipe isn’t even mine to share: it belongs to my Aunt Arleen, who has been making this gelatin goodness for us since before I can remember. Every holiday or family special occasion without fail, a pan of this creamy, textured, mind-blowing layered dessert would appear in my grandparents’ fridge, which would be raided by fourteen pairs of grubby little hands the moment we’d licked our dinner plates clean.

It’s also the one thing that has stayed constant over the years, as beloved members of the family have passed away and others–significant others, spouses, great-grandchildren–have been welcomed into our family with their very first bite of this delectable tradition. For me, this fluffy, slightly tangy dessert represents comfort during a time of chaos and a tie that signals us back to the harbor when we’re lost. Of course, that’s a lot to pin on a simple jello cheesecake…but food isn’t considered a universal language for nothing!

Whether you’re searching for a perfect comfort dessert or ready to start your own family tradition, I definitely recommend making this jello cheesecake as soon as possible. Although I swear that there’s just something different about the way Aunt Arleen’s version always turns out (because nobody ever makes it as good as our auntie does), I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Auntie Arleen’s Famous Jello Cheesecake

Inactive Time: 7 hours 15 minutes

Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes

This jello cheesecake recipe features a buttery walnut crust, fluffy cheesecake center, and tangy strawberry jello topping for the perfect comfort dessert! Our Aunt Arleen makes it for every holiday using a simple recipe card from an old cookbook that she's kept over the years.

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Ingredients

• FOR CRUST:
• ½ cup salted butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted walnuts, chopped
• FOR CHEESECAKE FILLING:
• 1 package (3 oz.) lemon-flavored jello
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• FOR JELLO TOPPING:
• 1 package (6 oz.) strawberry-flavored jello
• 2 cups boiling water

Instructions

1. TO MAKE CRUST:
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large bowl, mix together all crust ingredients.
4. Press into a lightly-greased 9x13-inch baking pan, then bake for 15 minutes. Remove and cool completely.
5. TO MAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
6. Mix lemon-flavored jello with 1 cup boiling water. Set aside.
7. In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream with a mixer until stiff peaks form.
8. In a separate large bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in whipping cream. Stir in cooled lemon jello mixture.
9. Pour mixture over crust and refrigerate for at least two hours.
10. TO MAKE JELLO TOPPING:
11. Combine strawberry jello mix with 2 cups boiling water. Set aside and cool.
12. Gently pour jello over chilled cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before slicing and enjoying!