In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well blended.

Toss in 1 cup of fresh raspberries and beat again until the berries are broken down and fully incorporated into the cheesecake mixture. The filling should turn a soft pink with little specks of raspberry throughout.

Gently fold in 1 cup of whipped topping using a spatula. Don’t rush this step - take your time folding until the color is even and the texture is light and fluffy.

If you haven’t already, crush your graham crackers into fine crumbs. You can use a food processor or place them in a Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of each dessert cup or glass. Add a layer of the cheesecake filling until the cup is about halfway full. Repeat the layers - another tablespoon of crumbs followed by more cheesecake mixture.

Place the parfaits in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour. This helps the flavors meld and gives the dessert time to firm up a bit.

Just before serving, top each parfait with a small dollop of whipped topping and a fresh raspberry.

Serve and enjoy for an easy, make-ahead dessert that looks and tastes like you spent way more time on it than you actually did.