This 3-Ingredient Dessert Is Delightfully Easy (Thanks To My Grandma)

It’s ready in just ten minutes and will be the star of any dessert table.

Frank Tiu / Simply Recipes

If there’s one dessert my grandmother is known for in my family, it’s her cheesecake. Now, don’t go thinking she’s produced a beautiful homemade crust with a custardy filling. Her recipe could not be simpler: A no-bake batter poured into a store-bought graham cracker crust and set in the fridge. Her version was always topped with canned cherry pie filling, too.

Growing up, this is what cheesecake was to me. Every Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter and for any large gathering, my grandmother busted out two to four of these cheesecakes, a feat only achievable given the ease of the recipe. When I ventured out into the world and started trying other types of cheesecakes, you can imagine my confusion.

Even though I’ve come around to baked cheesecakes since then, there’s one ingredient they almost never have that my grandma’s did: sweetened condensed milk. This liquid gold provides a beautiful milk-forward flavor with intense dairy notes that you just don’t get from cream cheese and sour cream.

No matter how far I get from home, my nostalgia anchors me back to the sweet flavors like this one that I grew up with. 

Frank Tiu / Simply Recipes

Making an Easy Recipe Even Easier

Years ago, I realized I could take my grandma’s laughably simple cheesecake and make it even simpler: Make it a dip! No more serving my friends “a tiny sliver”—they can just help themselves to as much or as little as they like of this cheesecake in dip form at the snack table.

A dip variation also provides exciting versatility when it comes to vessels for dipping. Graham crackers are a classic choice, but maybe you’re excited by Nilla Wafers, ginger snaps, animal crackers, or even shortbread cookies. And even the crust-averse can delight in this cheesecake dip by using strawberries or apple slices.

This dip is a beautiful centerpiece for an assorted cookie and fruit board. Imagine a charcuterie board but filled with crisp cookies and dippable fruit. Perfect for a party, game night, or picnic.

Frank Tiu / Simply Recipes

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Cheesecake Dip

To make 12 servings (about 3 cups of dip), you’ll need:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 medium lemons, juiced
• Assorted cookies, sweet crackers, and/or fruit, for serving

In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, softened cream cheese, and lemon juice. Beat with an electric hand mixer on low speed until well incorporated, about 30 seconds. Bump the speed up to high and beat until the mixture is well aerated, another 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters and mix on high one more time until smooth, about 15 seconds.

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Serve with your favorite dippers or cover and place in the fridge for up to 1 week before serving.

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