This Raspberry Cloud Pie is my easy, no-bake twist on the classic Polish dessert Malinowa Chmurka. It has a buttery graham cracker crust, a sweet and tart raspberry Jell-O layer, fluffy mascarpone cream, and crunchy meringue cookies on top. It's light, creamy, and absolutely delicious, with just a handful of ingredients and no oven required!
If you've never heard of Malinowa Chmurka, you're in for a treat! This popular Polish dessert translates to "raspberry cloud," and my version is a little different (and a whole lot easier!). With a few clever shortcuts, you get all those delicious layers of raspberries, fluffy mascarpone cream, and crunchy meringue without spending hours in the kitchen.
If you love Polish desserts, be sure to check out my Polish Apple Cake and other Polish recipes.
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Recipe at a Glance
🇵🇱 Cuisine: Polish
👌 Difficulty: Easy
🍰 Method: No-bake dessert (uses ready-made graham cracker crust and store-bought meringue cookies).
⏱️ Quick prep: About 15 minutes of hands-on time, plus chilling.
🍓 Taste and texture: Sweet and tart raspberries, fluffy mascarpone cream, and crunchy meringue.
🎉 Perfect for: Holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, parties, and special occasions.
What Is Malinowa Chmurka?
Malinowa Chmurka is a popular Polish layered dessert traditionally made with a buttery shortcrust pastry base, raspberries set in gelatin, a fluffy mascarpone cream layer, and baked meringue on top.
My Raspberry Cloud Pie is a simplified, no-bake twist on the original. Instead of making pastry from scratch and baking meringue, I use a graham cracker crust and store-bought meringue cookies. Same delicious combination of flavors, with a fraction of the work!
Ingredient notes
- Graham cracker pie crust: A 9-inch store-bought crust keeps things simple, but you can absolutely make your own.
- Raspberry Jell-O: You'll need one small 3-ounce box. Sugar-free Jell-O will also work.
- Frozen raspberries: No need to thaw! They cool down the hot gelatin mixture and add a nice tartness to the filling.
- Heavy whipping cream: Make sure it's cold before whipping.
- Mascarpone cheese: Adds richness and a smooth, creamy texture. Use cold mascarpone for best results.
- Confectioners' sugar: I use 3 tablespoons but you can add a little more or less, if you prefer.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a little extra flavor to the mascarpone cream.
- Vanilla meringue cookies: The easiest shortcut! Break them into pieces and add them right before serving so they stay crunchy.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- STEP 1: Dissolve the raspberry Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved.
- STEP 2: Add 2 cups of frozen raspberries to the hot Jell-O and stir to combine.
- STEP 3: In a mixing bowl, combine the cold heavy whipping cream, mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract.
- STEP 4: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip until thick and fluffy, with stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip.
- STEP 5: Pour the raspberry mixture into a prepared 9-inch graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate for at least 90 minutes, or until completely set.
- STEP 6: Spoon the mascarpone cream over the set raspberry layer.
- STEP 7: Spread the cream evenly over the pie using a spoon or spatula. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- STEP 8: Just before serving, break the meringue cookies into pieces and scatter them over the top. Slice and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Raspberry Cloud Pie
- Make sure the Jell-O is fully dissolved. Stir it thoroughly into the boiling water before adding the frozen raspberries.
- Let the raspberry layer set completely. The filling needs to be firm before adding the mascarpone cream, otherwise the layers may mix together.
- Keep the cream ingredients cold. Cold mascarpone and heavy cream whip up beautifully into a thick, fluffy topping.
- Don't overwhip the cream. Stop as soon as the mixture holds its shape. Overwhipping can make the mascarpone mixture grainy.
- Add the meringue at the last minute. Meringue cookies absorb moisture quickly, so wait until just before serving to keep them crisp.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make ahead: This is a great dessert to prepare ahead of time. You can assemble the pie with the raspberry and mascarpone layers a day in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Add the meringue cookies just before serving.
- Storage: Store leftover pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. The meringue will soften over time, so it's best to add it only to the slices you're serving.
- Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this pie.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can substitute sugar-free raspberry Jell-O for regular Jell-O. Just make sure to use the equivalent package size and the 1 cup of boiling water specified in this recipe, rather than the package directions.
Yes, but frozen raspberries work especially well because they help cool the hot gelatin mixture. If using fresh raspberries, let the dissolved Jell-O cool before adding them, then refrigerate until fully set. The chilling time may be longer.
Absolutely! In fact, making it the day before gives the raspberry layer plenty of time to set. Just keep the pie refrigerated and add the meringue cookies right before serving.
Yes! Any pie crust will work for this recipe: graham cracker, regular pre-baked pie dough, chocolate crumb pie crust, shortbread, whatever you have!
More Polish desserts to try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Raspberry Cloud Pie
Equipment
- 1 standup mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust or make your own
- 3 oz raspberry Jell-o dry, small box
- 2 cups frozen raspberries
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz mascarpone
- 3 tablespoon confectionery sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 vanilla meringue cookies or more, if you like
Instructions
- Make the jello by mixing 1 cup of boiling water with 3oz raspberry Jell-o.
- Add 2 cups of frozen raspberries and stir the mixture together.
- Pour the raspberry Jell-o mixture into a prepared 9-inch graham cracker pie crust. Cover and place in the fridge to set for at least 90 minutes, or until the Jello layer is set.
- Make the cream. Using a standup mixer or a hand mixer, whip together heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, 3 tablespoons of confectionery sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. It should be whipped until thick and stiff (but don't overwhip).
- Place the whipped mascarpone cream on top of the Jello layer and smooth out with a spoon (or, create soft peaks).
- Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Break meringue cookies into pieces and decorate the top of the pie with them right before serving.
- Cut into pieces and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
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