{no bake} Lemon Blueberry & Cream Cheese Pie

Doing this food blog has taught me a few things about myself.  One of them is that I love berries and lemons.  I didn't realize how much I loved a good berry lemon combination until recently.  Muffins, pies, cupcakes, pancakes and now this delightful summer treat.  That little citrus burst of lemon joy mixed with the tangy sweet love of a berry is a beautiful ray of sunshine on my fork.  In the summer, it's a must.  Any other time of the year, it's a tasty reminder of endless summer days mixed with lazy warm summer nights.  Heaven on your plate!  This pie is right there at the top of my list when it comes to summer dessert favorites.  No bake means quick and easy and no hot oven.  I don't know where I originally got the recipe for the filling.  Possibly the label of a can of blueberry pie filling, but I don't remember for sure.  I've had it for years though and would feel that I wasn't doing my duty to society if I didn't pass it on.  If you want to lighten things up, use neufchatel cream cheese and fresh blueberries instead of blueberry pie filling.  You can't go wrong, either way.  As far as the graham cracker crust goes, you can grab a storebought one or follow this recipe for a yummy, no bake, homemade one.  I got the crust recipe at Crazy For Crust and it is fabulous!

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9 whole crackers)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

7 tablespoons butter, melted

Place graham crackers in a food processor or ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin.  Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork.  Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate. Press hard to compact. You can use a glass to press the bottom, but use your fingers to press the sides.  Chill pie crust for at least one hour before filling. Cover if chilling longer.

Pie Filling

1 8oz block cream cheese

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 3.4oz box instant lemon pudding mix

2 tsp lemon zest, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 21oz can blueberry pie filling

cool whip to garnish

Mix cream cheese until smooth.  Add sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, and lemon pudding mix, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Spoon half the blueberry pie filling into the bottom of the pie crust.  Pour cream cheese mixture over the blueberry filling and spread evenly.  Chill for one hour to set.  Top with remaining blueberry pie filling.  Garnish with cool whip and lemon zest.

Source for crust:  Crazy for Crust