No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake is one of our favorite summer desserts.
It's got a buttery graham cracker crust and creamy filling that's topped with sweet and juicy glazed 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.
You don't need to turn on your oven to make this fabulous dessert.
You will have to plan to wait for a few hours until the cake has properly chilled before serving. But the 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.
Ready to make it extra special? Try adding some homemade mint whipped cream.
Ingredients
STRAWBERRIES - For this dessert, I recommend using fresh strawberries.
LEMON - Use the zest of the entire lemon and juice of half a lemon.
VANILLA EXTRACT - Adds a subtle bit of divine flavor.
CREAM CHEESE - Make sure the cream cheese is a room temperature. You might need to place it in the microwave for a few minutes. Microwaves typically have a "soften cream cheese" setting. Using this shortcut will help you when you beat the cream cheese.
HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM - Adds light
SUGAR - We'll use both granulated sugar and powdered sugar for this recipe. The granulated sugar is for the graham cracker crust, and the powdered sugar is for whisking the heavy whipping cream.
GRAHAM CRACKERS - Use about a dozen sheets of crackers to make this crust.
How To Make A No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
The Crust
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Crush the graham crackers, add melted butter, and combine. 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
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, one lemon's zest, and half a lemon's juice.
- In a separate bowl, whisk heavy whipping cream. Add powdered sugar.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture into the springform. Use a knife or cake spreader to smooth out the top.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours.
To Make The Glaze
- Add ½ cup of strawberries and 2 tablespoons of sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook on low heat until the strawberries begin to expel their juices, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add strawberries to a blender and process until smooth.
- 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.
- Strain the strawberry glaze through a sieve. This will separate the seeds from the glaze.
Finishing the Cheesecake
- Take the chilled cheesecake out of the fridge. Add one layer of sliced strawberries.
- 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.
- 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 it overnight.
Recipe 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 afterward.
This is such a quick and easy recipe. I recommend making it fresh.
📌 Pin This No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake HERE to Save For Later!
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 it, but in a pinch, you could try to use an 8x8" pyrex dish.
Hand Mixer. Although I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, I prefer using a hand mixer for this recipe.
Immersion blender. This is one of my most used kitchen tools in the winter. It's perfect for pureeing soups or sauces. And for 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 regular blender.
More Dessert Recipes
Blueberry Crisp - this dessert takes just about 5 minutes to prep.
Key Lime Cookies - refreshing key lime flavors in a delicious cookie
German Cheesecake - one of Germany's most popular cakes
Blueberry Coffee Cake - moist and tender blueberry breakfast cake
German 'Erdbeerkuchen' (Strawberry Torte) - super fruity dessert
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 4½ cups strawberries 4 cups sliced for the topping, ½ cup to make the glaze
For The Crust
- 12 sheets graham crackers crushed
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
For The Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ lemon lemon zest + juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
For The Glaze
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ 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 bowl combine cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer and beat until smooth and creamy.
- In a separate mixing bowl beat heavy whipping cream on medium speed. Just before the cream stiffens, add one tablespoon of sifted powdered sugar. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
- 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
- In a small saucepan 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.
Janet
Can this be made in a 13x9 pan? I would like to make this but don't have a spring form pan.
Maike
Great question. Now, I've always used a springform.
But I don't see why you couldn't use a baking pan. However, a 13x9 will probably be too large, and you'd end up with a very shallow cheesecake.
But if you have a 9x9 or an 8x8 pan, I don't see why it shouldn't work. You might find that cutting the first piece is a bit awkward, but overall if it were me, I'd try it. 🙂 Hope that helps.