Get ready to fall in love with our Strawberry Delight recipe! This delectable treat is a heavenly combination of cream cheese, strawberries, and a buttery shortbread crust. Perfect for a summer afternoon tea or as a special treat for a friend. You’ll never want to share this heavenly concoction!
Strawberry Delight is a new spin on an old classic.
It’s like the springtime version of 4-Layer Delight.
I made this dessert for our family Easter dinner last weekend, and the family said I knocked it out of the park!
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Layer 1 – The Crust
The crust is one of the things that really makes Strawberry Delight what it is today.
It’s a solid, nutty foundation for a super delicious dessert.
An exceptionally soft shortbread crust serves as the foundation for this simple pleasure dessert dish.
The shortbread crust is made with a combination of butter, flour, and nuts.
When I mention butter, I’m talking about genuine butter! It’s not margarine.
The softest shortbread crust is made with real butter.
You’ll want to make sure the pecans are finely chopped.
When you finely cut the pecans, your crust will hold up better.
I finely chop the nuts using a little electric chopper to save time and energy.
Tip! Divide the dough into fourths to make it easier to press into the pan.
Layer 2 – The Cream Cheese
The cream cheese layer is ultra-rich and creamy and adds a lot of flavor to the dessert.
The cream cheese will be easier to mix together if you let it soften to room temperature.
The cream cheese layer is one of my favorite elements of any of the layered “delight” desserts on our website.
It adds a lot of richness and creaminess to the meal. You’re going to love it!
For the cream cheese layer, you’ll need a block of cream cheese, a cup of powdered sugar, and half of a large tub of Cool Whip.
You might also use one small tub of Cool Whip. (This recipe would need the use of two small containers of whipped topping in total.)
Allow the cream cheese to soften before starting to make the cream cheese layer.
The simplest approach to softening cream cheese is to let it on the counter for 1-2 hours.
If you’re short on time, microwave the cream cheese to soften it.
Tip! You can use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese to save some fat and calories.
Layer 3 – The Whipped Topping
I like to use Cool Whip Whipped Topping and I often use the lite version.
Layer 4 – The Strawberries
The strawberries and the thick glaze are what makes this dessert a showstopper.
Now, I’ll admit that it’s not easy getting the glaze on top of the whipped topping, but it’s worth it.
I use the “spoon-and-smear” method where I spoon a little glaze on top of the whipped topping and then smear it around as best as I can.
It doesn’t have to be perfect.
The strawberries are going to cover it up anyway.
I personally like to leave a little bit of the white Cool Whip showing so that the white is peaking out around the strawberries for a pretty presentation.
But you can spread the glaze all the way to the edges of the pan if you prefer that look.
And when the bright red, juicy strawberries are all sliced and spread across the top, I can’t wait to dig in!
It’s like springtime in my mouth.
Slice the strawberries into quarters or bite-sized pieces.
If your strawberries are very large, you might need to slice the strawberries smaller.
This Strawberry Delight is different from all the other recipes you find online because it uses no jello, pudding, or strawberry pie filling.
Instead, it uses strawberry glaze which really sets it apart from all the other recipes. a
I have a feeling I’ll be making this recipe for many years to come.
I hope you’ll try it and leave your feedback in the comments below.
Save this Strawberry Delight recipe to your Strawberry Desserts board or your Layered Desserts board.
Also, try my classic chocolate 4-layer delight and Butterscotch Delight.
What’s your favorite strawberry dessert?
Strawberry Delight
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup pecans finely chopped
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large tub whipped topping divided
- 16 ounces strawberries fresh
- 13 oz strawberry glaze
Instructions
Layer 1
- 1 cup flour, 1 stick butter (melted), 1/2 cup nuts, chopped, Press into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
Layer 2
- 8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 large bowl whipped topping. Mix and pour into cooled crust.
Layer 3
- Top with remaining whipped topping.
Layer 4
- Spoon and spread strawberry glaze over whipped topping. Top with sliced strawberries.
Notes
- Use real butter, not margarine, for the flakiest crust.
- You can use more or less of the strawberry glaze. I only use about 2/3 of the container.
- Pile on as many fresh strawberries as you like!
- The cream cheese layer can be doubled for an extra decadent dessert.
- The strawberry glaze really makes this recipe unique. You can find this in the refrigerated produce section at the grocery store. I use the Marzetti brand.
- You can substitute fat free Cool Whip, low fat cream cheese, and sugar free glaze for a lower calorie option.
Equipment
Nutrition
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Linda
Wednesday 20th of April 2022
Crust was hard , seemed too thin, but since it didn’t say what size pan was,I wasn’t sure if I used one too big. I used a 9-12