Strawberry no bake cheesecake
Craving something light, fluffy and sweet?
This easy no-bake strawberry cheesecake is a dreamy combination of creamy cheese, fresh berries, and buttery cookie crust that’ll have everyone thinking you spent hours in the kitchen – when really, your refrigerator did all the heavy lifting.
It’s perfect for both fancy dinner parties and casual family gatherings, and will make you look like a dessert wizard!
Ingredients to make this no bake strawberry cheesecake
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- 2 cups/ 10 oz crisp cookies of your choice – I like coconut cookies since they give an extra flavor boost and sweetness to the cake, but honey graham crackers will also work well! You can also use Oreos for a chocolaty twist or gluten free ones to make this recipe gluten free
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 packages Philadelphia cream cheese (8 oz each)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 oz strawberry gelatin
- 1 ½ cup of strawberries
Step by step guide
- Put the cookies in a plastic bag and crush the with a rolling pin until you get a fine crumb. You can also pulse them in a food processor – this will give you even finer crumb and will help hold the crust together better.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and mix in the crushed biscuits. Make sure the crumbs are well coated so the crust holds together well.
3. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan to form the crust. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to press the crust – it will help it hold together when sliced.
Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the cheesecake (or at least for about 20 minutes).
4. In a mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, whipping cream, and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
If you’re preparing this cheesecake in one sitting, leave the mixture on the counter while you’re preparing the gelatin in the next step. This way, when you’re ready to mix them, they should both be close to room temperature. This will help it blend smoothly without lumps.
5. Prepare the Strawberry Gelatin according to package instructions and let it cool until room temperature. Pour into the batter (again, it’s best if it’s room temperature as well). Mix until all ingredients are fully blended. Use a gentle folding motion rather than vigorous stirring to keep the mixture airy.
6. Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the biscuit crust. Place whole or diced strawberries on top. I recommend ripe strawberries for extra sweetness and flavor. You can also macerate them with a little sugar for 15 minutes before topping your cheesecake for that extra syrup-y texture and sweetness.
7. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours, or until set. If you’re short on time, you can put it into freezer for an hour – but be very careful not to freeze it solid (I have an aunt that did that and then proudly said she rescued the cake by massaging it with her bare hands while the whole family was eating it – we never let her live it down).
And there you have it! This no bake strawberry cheesecake is super versatile – it’s the perfect summer dessert, but thanks to its color it’s also great to for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, baby showers, date nights and many more occasions.
You can serve it with fresh fruit and whipped cream. You can also make a simple strawberry sauce by blending some strawberries with sugar and lemon juice, then drizzle it over the cheesecake before serving.
Enjoy!
Strawberry no bake cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2 cups crisp cookies of your choice graham crackers or coconut cookies will work great
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 packages Philadelphia cream cheese (8 oz each)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 oz strawberry gelatin
- 1 and 1/2 cups strawberries to garnish
Instructions
- Put the cookies in a plastic bag and crush the with a rolling pin until you get a fine crumb. You can also pulse them in a food processor – this will give you even finer crumb and will help hold the crust together better.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and mix in the crushed biscuits. Make sure the crumbs are well coated so the crust holds together well.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan to form the crust. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to press the crust – it will help it hold together when sliced.Refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the cheesecake (or at least for about 20 minutes).
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, whipping cream, and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.If you're preparing this cheesecake in one sitting, leave the mixture on the counter while you're preparing the gelatin in the next step. This way, when you're ready to mix them, they should both be close to room temperature. This will help it blend smoothly without lumps.
- Prepare the Strawberry Gelatin according to package instructions and let it cool until room temperature. Pour into the batter (again, it's best if it's room temperature as well). Mix until all ingredients are fully blended. Use a gentle folding motion rather than vigorous stirring to keep the mixture airy.
- Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the biscuit crust. Place whole or diced strawberries on top. I recommend ripe strawberries for extra sweetness and flavor. You can also macerate them with a little sugar for 15 minutes before topping your cheesecake for that extra syrup-y texture and sweetness.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours, or until set. If you're short on time, you can put it into freezer for an hour – but be very careful not to freeze it solid (I have an aunt that did that and then proudly said she rescued the cake by massaging it with her bare hands while the whole family was eating it – we never let her live it down).
