Description
Christmas Crunch Cake is a delightful no-bake dessert featuring a crunchy graham cracker and corn flake crust layered with a creamy blend of cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and Cool Whip. Festively decorated with red, white, and green nonpareils, this cake is perfect for holiday celebrations and can be prepared ahead of time and enjoyed chilled.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust Ingredients
- 1 sleeve of graham crackers – crushed
- 1 cup of Corn Flake crumbs
- 1 stick of butter – melted
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- About 2/3 cup of red, white and green nonpareils (divided)
Filling Ingredients
- 2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (8 ounce) tub of Cool Whip
- About 1/3 cup of red, white and green nonpareils (from the divided amount above)
Instructions
- Make the crumb mixture: Add the crushed graham crackers, corn flakes, and sugar into a food processor and pulse until you achieve fine crumbs. This creates the base texture for your crust.
- Combine with butter: Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and mix thoroughly with the melted butter until fully combined, ensuring the mixture will hold together when pressed.
- Press crust into dish: Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Place half of the crumb mixture into the dish and press it down evenly with a spoon or your fingers to form a solid base layer.
- Freeze the crust: Place the dish with the crust base into the freezer to firm up while preparing the filling.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and Cool Whip. Stir well until the mixture is smooth and fully blended.
- Add sprinkles to filling: Stir about one-third cup of the red, white, and green nonpareils into the cream cheese mixture for festive color and texture.
- Assemble filling layer: Remove the crust base from the freezer and spread the filling evenly over it, smoothing the top carefully.
- Add top crust layer: Evenly distribute the remaining half of the crumb mixture on top of the filling and press gently to form a crust layer.
- Decorate and freeze: Sprinkle another one-third cup of nonpareils evenly over the top crust layer. Return the dish to the freezer and chill overnight for best results.
- Serve: About 15 minutes before serving, remove the cake from the freezer to let it soften slightly for easier slicing. Cut into 2 x 3-inch squares and enjoy your festive Christmas Crunch Cake!
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature for easier blending and a smoother filling.
- Use parchment paper to easily lift the cake out of the dish for cutting and serving.
- Chill overnight for the best texture and flavor; this helps the layers set and meld together.
- You can substitute the Cool Whip with whipped cream for a fresher taste, but it may affect the firmness.
- Store leftovers in the freezer with plastic wrap over the top to maintain freshness.
