Nonfat Cheesecake Fruit Pie

This nonfat cheesecake fruit pie is the kind of potluck staple that came up in church basements and library cookbooks across the Midwest in the 1990s, and it still earns its place. The corn flake crust, baked just 10 minutes to crisp it up, gives way to a marshmallow-fluffed filling that’s lighter than any traditional cheesecake you’d cut a wedge of.

The technique trick is melting the marshmallows in skim milk over low heat. They turn into a smooth, sweet syrup that gets folded into the sour cream and softened cream cheese, lifting the whole filling into something almost mousse-like.

Drained fruit cocktail brings the color and the chewy fruit pieces. Press hard on the can to extract every drop of syrup or the filling will weep on you.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain the fruit cocktail in a fine-mesh sieve for at least 10 minutes. Excess syrup ruins the set.
• Cool the marshmallow mixture for the full 10 minutes before adding to the dairy. Hot marshmallow melts the cream cheese and you lose the lift.
• Let the pie chill at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. The corn flake crust softens slightly and the filling firms into proper sliceable territory.
• Skim milk is fine, but whole milk gives a richer mouthfeel without much added fat.

Variations

• Swap fruit cocktail for fresh diced strawberries and blueberries for a summer version.
• Use crushed graham crackers instead of corn flakes for a more traditional cheesecake base.
• Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the filling for a citrus-cheesecake brightness.