Blueberry season gives us all the feels. We just love all the delicious things you can make with them! Some of our other favorite blueberry recipes are a Blueberry Custard Pie or Homemade Blueberry Pie (don’t ask me to choose a favorite because I can’t!), and Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping (these get rave reviews – you should check out the comments). If you have never had blueberry delight before, this light, fruity dessert recipe is so gosh-darn delightful, it literally has the word “delight” in its name. You might even recognize some of the components of this dessert bearing striking similarities to my Arkansas possum pie, which is in the same family of no-bake desserts.
So what is blueberry delight?
You may know this type of dessert by one of its other names: blueberry lush, blueberry yum yum, or blueberry bliss. I’m partial to the “blueberry lush” name since it sounds like it’s a shortened form of the word “luscious”, which accurately describes this summer dessert concoction that is essentially a no-bake cheesecake made for a crowd! Blueberry delight is an easy recipe for a no-bake layered dessert with a graham cracker crust, creamy no-bake cream cheese layer, flavorful fruit, chocolate or pudding layer (in this case blueberry pie filling), and whipped cream on top. It’s something of a hybrid of a cheesecake and a pie, except a bit fluffier and made in a rectangular baking dish. It’s quick and easy to whip up, although blueberry delight does require at least 2 hours in the fridge to set up. We think it’s even better the next day, which is why it’s a great option to make ahead and take with you to a summery social function like a backyard cookout. Letting it chill makes it more sliceable into squares, but even then this is a soft, creamy dessert so keep in mind that not every slice will be picture perfect. We find that’s part of the charm of this homey, unpretentious dessert!
How to make blueberry delight
I have nothing against taking a few shortcuts when it comes to this type of summery dessert. But each component of this recipe can be made from scratch, from the whipped cream to the pie filling. The choice is up to you!
Make the crust in a food processor or a blender
I love the addition of finely chopped pecans in the graham cracker crust here. They give it a wonderfully nutty, interesting flavor and texture. Add some melted butter and sugar, then press this into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. You can either freeze or bake the crust to help it set up before moving on to the next layers. For this dessert to be truly no-bake, freezing the crust saves you the trouble of heating up your oven. But you can bake the crust in the oven instead for 8-10 minutes at 350°F for a slightly crispier, toasted texture and flavor. It’s delicious either way!
Make the creamy cream cheese layer
The next layer is essentially a no-bake cheesecake made slightly fluffier by mixing softened cream cheese and confectioners sugar with half of a 16-ounce container of thawed whipped topping, like Cool Whip. You can absolutely use 3 cups of homemade whipped cream in place of the Cool Whip here. Just whip 1 ½ cups of heavy cream with 3-4 tablespoons of powder sugar until soft peaks form. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the set crust, making sure to nudge the filling all the way to the edges of the pan.
Top with blueberry pie filling
This is an easy summer dessert, so canned blueberry pie filling certainly makes things simpler. But you can always make the blueberry pie filling from scratch using fresh or frozen blueberries. I will often double or triple batches of pie filling and store them in the freezer to have on hand for quick and easy summer desserts like this. You want to be careful not to disturb the other layers by spooning the pie filling over the top and spreading it into an even layer.
Whipped cream on top
Finally, spread the remaining whipped topping (another 8 ounces) over the blueberry layer, sprinkle with a few chopped pecans for garnish, then pop the whole thing in the fridge for 2+ hours or overnight. If you are going the real whipped cream route, I recommend holding off on this final layer until right before serving. Real whipped cream isn’t stable like Cool Whip is and will melt in on itself overnight, so I would hold off adding that until shortly before serving.
Blueberry Delight Variations
The above approach is the classic way of making blueberry delight, but the recipe is easily adaptable to your tastes and what you have on hand. For the crust, you can leave out the nuts and use all graham crackers. Or use Biscoff cookies, Oreos, Nilla Wafers, Pecan Sandies, or other cookies for your crust for a different flavor experience! And when it comes to the filling, you don’t have to limit yourself to just blueberries. Use any kind of pie filling like cherry, peach, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or apple can all be purchased premade. Or go with chocolate or lemon pudding! With having all these options you will be making this dessert again and again!
More creamy, cool dessert recipes you’ll love
No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake Raspberry Pretzel Salad Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie Lemon Icebox Cake Creamy Grape Salad Fresh Strawberry Pie Cottage Cheese Jello Salad
This post first appeared on Noshing with the Nolands where I am a contributor. Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
