One of my mamma’s all time favorite treats has been, and will always be a fifty-fifty bar, or as some of you might know it as an orange creamsicle. It’s basically a vanilla ice cream popsicle center with an orange ice cream covering it. Hence a 50/50 popsicle. My sisters and I had them a lot as kids because my mom loves them so much. She’d buy them all the time with the guise that they were for us kids, but now as an adult I’m convinced that she mainly bought them for herself. You can’t blame her for that, especially because we know that kids will literally eat anything ice cream/dessert related. No questions asked. Anyhow, I digress. You’re not here for my childhood musings. These No-Bake Orange Creamsicle Bars are just like those popsicles my mamma loves so much. They’re chilled and perfect for summer because guess what? You don’t have to turn on the oven and heat up the house. You can still have an ice cold treat without all of the work. These bars are part of my monthly collaboration with Go Bold With Butter. 100% real dairy butter and 100% percent tasty. Always. I don’t have to tell you this though. You already know how amazing butter is. This isn’t news to you. These bars, however, are definite Cheers to the Weekend vibes, and don’t you forget it.
Let’s get the crust working first because that is the single most important component to any and all tarts, pies or bars. Let’s not forget that. This is a pretty basic graham cracker crust. In a medium bowl, toss together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, pinch of salt and melted butter until well combined.
**Note: I buy already ground up graham cracker crumbs from the baking aisle, it’s a luxury I like to splurge on, but if you can’t find it at the store, you can process the crackers in a food processor or smash them with a rolling pin in a large plastic bag until finely ground.**
Pour the mixture into a greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish and press them down firmly into an even layer, either with your hands or a metal dry measuring up. Pop the dish in the freezer while you make the filling.
**Tip: Because this is a no-bake dessert, we need to somehow firm up the crust to make filling and spreading a lot easier. So to do this, we chill it for a while.**
In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract until soft peaks form. We’re basically making whipped cream so keep that consistency in mind.
**Tip: You can also skip this step and make the bars with frozen whipped topping that you’ve thawed. I’m not the biggest fan of that stuff so I prefer the real whipped cream, but I don’t judge.**
Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl, and set it aside. You don’t have to clean the bowl completely, but return it to the mixer and beat the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and sugar until thick and well combined. Stir in the fresh orange zest, juice, orange liqueur and vanilla extract.
Once well combined, carefully and oh so gently fold in the whipped cream from earlier until just combined. Pour half the mixture over the top of the crust and spread out evenly. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Then take the remaining half of the mixture and dye it orange with food coloring. Pour over the first layer and spread evenly.
**Note: This layering step is completely optional. If you don’t feel like using food coloring, you can completely skip that step and just pour it all over the crust and freeze as directed.**
Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap once more and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. It’s important to freeze that long to make it super easy to slice and serve.
Slice into bars and then top with sweetened whipped cream and a wedge of orange or orange zest if you want something simple.
It’s really important for me to state that these bars are meant to be eaten straight from the freezer. They’re like ice cream in a sense because you’ll find that it’ll start to melt and soften. So make sure you keep that in mind and keep it in the freezer until ready to cut and serve.
Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and kept in the freezer for about one week. If you prefer it have a softer texture and consistency, feel free to keep it in the fridge. Just keep in mind that it’ll be really soft.
These are great on a hot day to keep in the freezer because you don’t have to turn the oven on or worry about heating up the house to make them. There’s no baking or cooking involved, and they’re very refreshing so basically they’re the perfect summer treat. Add them to your must make summer bucket list.
**Thank you for your continued support of the occasional sponsored post on this site. They help keep the blog going, allowing me to continue to share my recipes with you on a weekly basis. I never want my sponsorships to feel forced, which is why I only partner with companies I feel very passionate about and actually use on a regular basis.**
**Click here to get the recipe for these No-Bake Orange Creamsicle Bars**
Love, love, love this recipe!! I’m look for easy desserts to share with the family when we get together. Hubby and I don’t normally eat desserts so we wait for family meals. I’m pinning and I’ll tag you on Instagram when I make it. That, okay? Have a great weekend.
You are a genius! I loved those little ice cream cups with half vanilla ice cream and half orange when I was a kid in Washington. Can’t get them here in Australia – not sure if they even still have them in the states but what a wonderful recipe – will be making this when what passes for a Queensland winter finishes – thank you!