No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake is one of our favorite summer desserts. It’s got a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy filling, and is topped with fresh, sweet juicy glazed fresh strawberries. This made from scratch, no bake dessert is delicious and refreshing.

As much as I love cooking and baking during the summer I prefer no bake desserts like White Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries during the heat of summer. Making this no bake cheesecake is really easy. It breaks down into three components: crust, filling, and topping.

Yes, you don’t need to turn on your oven to make this fabulous dessert. You will have to plan waiting for a few hours until the cake has properly chilled before serving. But active time for this recipe is less than 30 minutes. So you’ll be in and out of in kitchen without breaking a sweat!

And make no mistake although we make this recipe most often during the summer month when strawberry season is at its peak, this dessert will be a hit all year long.

Ready to make it extra special? Try adding some homemade mint whipped cream.

What You’ll Need

📌 Pin This No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake HERE to Save For Later!

How To Make It

You might be surprised how little time it takes to make this no bake strawberry cheesecake recipe.

Prep

• Lightly grease the springform with non-stick baking spray or a bit of shortening.
• Wash, dry, and slice the fresh strawberries. Set aside 1/2 cup of strawberries for the glaze.

The Crust

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
2. Use a ziplock bag and a rolling pin to crush the Graham Crackers. Alternatively use a food processor.
3. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Pour the mixture into a pre-greased springform. Press the mixture tightly into the bottom of the springform. Chill in the fridge.

The Cheesecake Filling

1. In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, the zest of one lemon, and juice of half a lemon. Use an electric hand mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

2. In a separate bowl whisk heavy whipping cream. Just before the cream begins to stiffen add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar.

3. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the springform. Use a knife or cake spreader to smooth out the top.
5. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours.

To Make The Glaze

1. Add 1/2 cup of strawberries and 2 tablespoons of sugar to a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook on low heat until the strawberries begin to expel their juices, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Use a blender and process until smooth.
3. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with one tablespoon of water. Slowly pour the liquified cornstarch into the saucepan. Continue to cook for additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture turns syrupy.
4. Strain the strawberry glaze through a sieve. This will separate the seeds from the glaze.

📌 Love this recipe? Pin HERE to save for later.

Finishing the Cheesecake

1. Take the chilled cheesecake out of fridge. Add one layer of sliced strawberries.
2. Use a silicon pastry brush to brush the glaze onto the strawberries. NOTE: If you don’t have a brush, spoon the liquid evenly on top of the strawberries.
3. Cover the cake and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours. NOTE: Even better if you make the cake a day in advance and chill overnight.

Tips For Success

Storage

You can store this no bake Strawberry Cheesecake for 3-4 days covered in the fridge. (Confession: It never lasts this long in our house!).

Technically you can freeze this no bake cheesecake though I wouldn’t recommend it. But if you do, freeze it without the strawberries. You could always defrost it and add the strawberry topping afterwards. This is such a quick and easy recipe, I do recommend making fresh.

More Tips

• Use full fat cream cheese.
• Allow the cream cheese to rise to room temperature. But make sure that the heavy whipping cream is cold.
• When you fold in the whipped cream; avoid overworking the mixture.
• Refrigerating the cheesecake overnight is best.

EQUIPMENT

Springform. A standard 9″ springform works best. I’ve never tried, but in a pinch you could try to use an 8×8″ pyrex dish.

Hand Mixer. Although I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer I prefer using a hand mixer for this recipe. I

Immersion blender. This is one of my most used kitchen tools in the winter. It’s perfect for pureeing soups or sauces. In this recipe it’s a great tool to puree the strawberries. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can always transfer the strawberries into a food processor or blender.

More Summer Desserts

• Glazed Lemon Sheet Cake
• Key Lime Cookies
• German Cheesecake
• Apricot Tarts
• German ‘Erdbeerkuchen’ (Strawberry Torte)

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

This creamy, fruity, and refreshing no bake Strawberry Cheesecake is the perfect summer dessert.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: no bake desserts, strawberries

AUTHOR: Maike

SERVINGS: 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Chill Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 40 minutes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

Equipment

• Springform
• Immersion Blender (optional)
• Food Processor (optional)
• Silicon Pastry Brush (optional)

Ingredients

• 4 cups strawberries sliced

For The Crust

• 12 sheets graham crackers crushed
• 6 tablespoons butter melted

For The Filling

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• ½ lemon lemon zest + juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar divided
• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream

For The Glaze

• ½ cup strawberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

PREP

• Grease the bottom and sides of a springform with baking spray (or shortening). Set aside.
• Wash, dry, and slice the fresh strawberries. Set ½ a cup of strawberries aside for the glaze.

Making the Crust

• Put the graham crackers into a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer. Alternatively use a food processor.
• In a medium mixing bowl combine crushed graham crackers and melted butter.
• Spoon the mixture into the springform and press into the bottom. Chill in the fridge.

Making The Filling

• In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Use an electric hand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy.
• Use a separate mixing bowl beat cold heavy whipping cream on medium speed. Just before the cream stiffens, add one tablespoon of the powdered sugar. Beat for a few more seconds on low speed.
• Fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into the springform. Smooth the top with a knife or cake spreader. Chill in the refrigerator.

Making The Strawberry Glaze

• Use a small saucepan and cook the strawberries and sugar on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Use an immersion blender (optional) and blend strawberries.
• In a small bowl mix the cornstarch and water until there are no lumps. Slowly pour liquid cornstarch into the strawberry sauce. Simmer for a few minutes until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy.
• Strain the strawberry sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds.

Finishing The Cake

• Arrange a layer of thinly sliced strawberries on top of the pre-chilled cheesecake. Start with a ring on the outer layer and work your way inwards.
• Use a pastry brush or spoon to add the strawberry glaze.
• Return the strawberry cheesecake to the fridge and chill for at least 6 hours.

Notes

If you don’t have an immersion blender, proceed to add the cornstarch without liquifying the strawberries first. Simmer until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Pour the mixture through a sieve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1120IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg