Turn That Tub Of Cool Whip Into Instant 'Cheesecake' With One Boxed Ingredient

Anyone who grew up during the last few decades of the 20th century is intimately familiar with Cool Whip, Jell-O (the gelatin and the pudding) and each ingredient's endless versatility. Light, velvety Cool Whip easily transforms into frosting when mixed with cream of tartar, for instance, while Jell-O gelatin and evaporated milk come together to create a colorful, sophisticated vintage dessert called flummery. Even better, whisking these two convenient, nostalgic ingredients together creates a delightfully airy and rich pie filling reminiscent of cheesecake.

Creamy from the Cool Whip, tangy from the addition of lemon (or strawberry, or lime, or raspberry) gelatin mix, and slightly dense from a stint in the freezer, this quick and delicious treat is a great remedy for a sudden sweet tooth craving, as well as the perfect dessert to whip up on short notice. Though most recipes call for you to dissolve the Jell-O mix in water before adding the Cool Whip, nixing this step and adding the powder right to the whipped topping helps create the cheesecake-esque consistency, as the resulting mix will be thicker and heavier.

You're also not limited to Jell-O gelatin powders, as the instant pudding powders also mix beautifully with Cool Whip to create a similar cheesecake-style dessert. This is an especially good option if you're not in the mood for fruity gelatin flavors, as you can opt for chocolate, cookies 'n cream, or classic vanilla instead. Just dump either mixture into a graham cracker crust and pop it in the freezer to turn it into a craveable dessert.

The best thing about this no-bake, two-ingredient "cheesecake" is that it's pretty enough to serve to guests but simple enough that it comes together in minutes, so you could definitely eat it right from the tub as a sweet treat (we won't tell). You can also customize the flavor, crust, and garnishes to create dozens of different variations. Try cookies 'n cream in a chocolate graham cracker crust garnished with mini Oreo cookies, or pistachio instant pudding mix garnished with actual pistachios and pomegranate arils.

You could also line the bottom of the crust with sliced bananas, whisk together French vanilla pudding mix with Cool Whip, and top it with sweet drizzles of caramel, more banana pieces, and plain Cool Whip for a quick and irresistibly tasty take on banoffee pie. It's also okay to mix and match fruity flavors by using lemon gelatin mix and topping the resulting dessert with sliced strawberries or blueberry coulis. For a tropical combo, mimic the flavors of key lime pie with a lime gelatin cheesecake mixture garnished with coconut milk whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes.

If you're looking for a slightly more nourishing take on this hack, you can also replace some (or all) of the Cool Whip for Greek yogurt, mixing it with Jell-O to create a protein-rich dessert that's both good and good for you. Since Greek yogurt is tangier than Cool Whip, you may just want to avoid chocolate pudding flavors, as the yogurt could make them taste unpleasantly bitter.