No bake Strawberry Cheesecake

This deliciously creamy No Bake Cheesecake Recipe is so easy to make! There are certain days during the summer when the last place anyone wants to be is in a hot kitchen and this no bake cheesecake is the perfect summertime dessert. It’s got a mousse-like strawberry cream cheese filling with a simple no bake graham cracker crust. It’s great topped with fresh berries and the berry rim adds a great show stopping aesthetic to it with so very little effort.

No bake Strawberry Cheesecake

How To Make No Bake Cheesecake

No Bake Cheesecake, just like classic cheesecake, is an amazing make-ahead dessert. It’s always an impressive and fantastic dessert for parties or special occasions. Both the crust and the filling require no baking and take no time to prepare. The crust is a simple press-in graham cracker crust. The cream cheese is blended with a strawberry jam or purée until creamy smooth. What makes this no bake cheesecake work is that the filling gets finished off by folding in the whipped cream. It gives it that mousse like quality and helps it set nicely. It provides the volume and creaminess. And a little sour cream and lemon juice adds the necessary tanginess. It’s all around the perfect texture. That’s it - no water bath no baking or cooling before refrigerating - just wrap and refrigerate.

No bake Strawberry Cheesecake

No bake cheese cake like a regular cheesecake needs to be refrigerated. If you skip the chill time, slicing it will be difficult. I recommend serving the cheesecake cold straight from the refrigerator. It needs at least 6 hours of chill time, but the longer the better so I always make it the night before.

No bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Can I freeze a no bake cheesecake?

Yes you can make your cheesecake ahead of time and store it in the freezer for up to a week. Defrost your cheesecake in the refrigerator or you can serve it straight from the freezer.

No bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Can I make this without the strawberry purée?

Yes you can. You can either leave it out making it into a plain cheesecake or you can replace the strawberry purée/jam with whatever fruit purée you would like. If you make your own purée just make sure to reduce it and strain it if needed to reduce the amount of extra moisture added to the cheese cake filling. You will love it either either way. What’s not to love when it comes to a creamy luscious cheesecake. Enjoy!



Recipe

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

For Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ a pinch of salt

For the Cheesecake filling

  • ¾ cups heavy whipping cream (optionally you can use store-bought whipped topping the equivalent being 1¼ cup)
  • Three 8-oz blocks full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of strawberry jam or homemade purée strained if needed
  • 10-12 strawberries sliced in half and extra for garnish

Directions

  1. Combine the graham cracker crust ingredients together. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan and press into the bottom firmly. Freeze for 10-20 minutes as you prepare the filling.

  2. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4-5 minutes. It should make 1¼ cup of whip, approximately. Set aside. Skip this step if using store bought whipped topping instead.

  3. Beat the cream cheese and strawberry purée on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Making sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese.

  4. Using your mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream/whipped topping into the cheesecake filling until combined. Combining slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.

  5. Remove crust from the freezer and . Cut the strawberries in half and arrange them around the edges of the pan cut side against the pan. Try to use similar size strawberries. Pour the filling into the pan - Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.

  6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, 12 hours is best. I chill mine overnight. The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.

  7. Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.

  8. Serve cheesecake with extra berries. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.


No bake Strawberry Cheesecake