Strawberry No Bake Cheesecake (No Gelatin)
Why My No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe is SO Good
Summer in Florida means the oven stays off more days than not, and this strawberry no bake cheesecake is one of the desserts I reach for most when the heat won’t quit.
- Real strawberry flavor throughout – the filling is made from scratch with fresh strawberries, not jam or gelatin packets, so it’s folded straight into the cheesecake filling itself instead of just sitting on top.
- No oven required – the only cooking is a quick simmer for the strawberry filling, which makes this one of my go-to desserts once the weather turns warm.
- Light, silky texture – folding whipped cream into the filling instead of relying on gelatin gives it a soft, almost mousse-like texture that’s different from a dense baked cheesecake.
- Make-ahead friendly – the strawberry filling can be made a day or two in advance, and the whole cheesecake needs to chill overnight anyway, so it’s an easy dessert to have ready before company arrives.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries give the best flavor and texture here. Frozen strawberries work in a pinch, but drain off the extra liquid after thawing or the filling will take longer to thicken.
- Lemon juice: Fresh is best. It brightens the strawberry flavor and keeps the filling from tasting flat.
- Cornstarch: This is what thickens the strawberry filling into a spreadable consistency instead of a runny sauce. Mix it with cold water first so it doesn’t clump when it hits the hot fruit.
- Graham cracker crumbs: You can crush whole graham crackers in a food processor, or buy pre-made crumbs to save a step.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat, block-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind in a tub. It needs to be fully softened at room temperature before mixing, or the filling will end up lumpy.
- Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream adds tang and helps balance the sweetness of the filling.
- Heavy whipping cream: Make sure it’s cold straight out of the fridge. Cold cream whips up faster and holds stiffer peaks, which is what keeps this cheesecake light instead of dense.
How To Make Strawberry No Bake Cheesecake
Make the strawberry filling
- Start with the filling since it needs time to cool before it goes anywhere near the cream cheese. Dice the strawberries into small pieces, about 1/4 inch, so they break down evenly. Combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a medium pot and stir to coat everything.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low, cover, and cook until the strawberries are completely softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a small dish, stir the corn starch into the water until smooth, then stir it into the strawberry mixture. Cook for another minute or two, stirring, until the filling thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Take the filling off the heat and let it cool completely. This step matters: warm filling will melt the crust and turn the cream cheese mixture soupy. If you’re short on time, spread the filling on a plate to cool faster, or make it a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to build the cheesecake.
Cheesecake crust
- While the filling cools, mix the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter in a bowl until every crumb is coated and the mixture looks like wet sand. Press it firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and about halfway up the sides, using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it tight.
- Spread a thin layer of the cooled strawberry filling over the crust, about 3/4 cup. Set the pan in the fridge while you make the cheesecake filling.
Make the cheesecake filling
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened before you start. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps no amount of mixing can fix. Beat it on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, then scrape down the bowl and beat again for a few seconds to catch anything stuck to the sides.
- Add the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the cooled strawberry filling and mix just until it’s incorporated throughout. Transfer this mixture to a separate large bowl.
- Clean the mixer bowl and switch to a whisk attachment. Pour in the cold heavy whipping cream and whisk on low, gradually raising the speed to medium-high as you slowly stream in the sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form; the cream should hold its shape when you lift the whisk.
- Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry cream cheese mixture gently, until no white streaks remain. Folding instead of stirring keeps the air in the cream, which is what gives this cheesecake its silky, light texture.
Assemble and chill
- Spoon the filling over the crust and use an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Cover the springform pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 6 hours, until fully set.
- Once the cheesecake has set, spread the remaining strawberry filling over the top. Before releasing the springform sides, run a butter knife greased with a little butter or oil around the edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake cleanly from the sides.
Storing No Bake Cheesecake
Because the texture of this cheesecake is so soft and delicate, it should be kept refrigerated and served on demand.
- You can store it in the same springform where it was prepared. Since the sides come off easily, cheesecake can be cut and served as needed.
- Cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Make sure to cover the top of the springform with plastic wrap to keep it air tight. You may need to use a new sheet of plastic wrap after each use.
- If you plan to take the whole cheesecake out of the springform, make sure to line the bottom of the springform with parchment paper circle. Cut parchment paper about 1/2 inch bigger than the springform. So if you are using 9 inch springform pan, cut the circle that’s 9 1/2 inches in diameter.
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake FAQs
You can easily make this cheesecake gluten free. There is no gluten ingredients in the filling or the strawberry topping so the only thing you have to worry about is the crust. To make the crust gluten free, simply substitute graham cracker crumbs for some gluten free cookies. Choose hard gluten free cookies not the soft ones.
No. This cheesecake gets its structure from the whipped cream folded into the cream cheese mixture, not gelatin. As long as you whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks and chill the cheesecake for at least 6 hours (overnight is better), it holds its shape and slices cleanly.
You can, it’s a tad more dense than homemade whipped cream so it will work well.
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries for the filling. Thaw them first and let any excess liquid drain off before you dice and cook them down, so you don’t end up with a filling that’s too watery to thicken properly.
The most common reasons is excess liquids, for example cream cheese that’s too thin, whipped cream that wasn’t beaten to stiff peaks, or not chilling long enough. Give it the full 6 hours minimum, and overnight if you have the time.
Yes, and it’s actually a perfect (and a must) make-ahead dessert. You can prepare the strawberry filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge, then assemble the full cheesecake and let it chill overnight before serving.
Because the filling relies on whipped cream and uncooked cream cheese rather than gelatin for structure, freezing can change the texture once thawed. It’s best enjoyed freshly chilled from the fridge rather than frozen.
Yes. Golden Oreos or shortbread cookies both work well in place of graham cracker crumbs if you want a slightly different flavor for the base.
I recommend sticking with full-fat block cream cheese for this recipe. Block cream cheese has less water content than the spreadable kind sold in tubs, so it whips up firmer and helps the filling set properly. Low-fat or tub-style cream cheese can leave the filling too soft to hold its shape when sliced.
More No Bake Recipes To Try
- Nutella no bake cheesecake
- No bake banana split cheesecake dessert
- No bake chocolate espresso cheesecake dessert
- No bake cherry cheesecake parfait
- No bake cookie dough cheesecake
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Strawberry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry filling/topping:
- 20 oz strawberries
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup strawberry filling spread over crust
Cheesecake Filling:
- 24 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream full fat
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup strawberry filling cooled
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
Topping:
- remaining strawberry filling
Instructions
Strawberry filling:
- Chop strawberries into about 1/4 inch pieces.
- Combine strawberries, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and sugar in a medium pot.
- Stir everything together and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook strawberries over medium-low heat until completely softened.
- In a measuring cup, mix corn starch with a little cold water and stir it into the strawberry filling. Stir slowly and cook for a couple of minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Take it off heat and let it cool completely before using in the cheesecake.
- If not using the strawberry filling right away, transfer it into a food storage container with a lid and refrigerate for a day or two.
Cheesecake:
- Make sure to pull cream cheese out of the refrigerator about an hour before starting to make the cheesecake to let it soften.
- Grease a 9-inch springform with some cooking spray.
- Use a paddle attachment. Beat softened cream cheese for a couple of minutes, until soft and fluffed. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for a few more seconds.
- Add sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract and beat for about another minute.
- Add cooled strawberry filling and beat until the filling is just incorporated throughout.
- Take cream cheese mixture out of the mixer bowl and into a separate large mixing bowl.
- Clean out the electric mixer bowl before making whipped cream. Switch to a whisk attachment.
- Add cold heavy whipping cream into the mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and start whisking on low speed. Gradually raise the speed to medium-high as you slowly pour in sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Fold cream cheese mixture and whipped cream together until completely combined.
- Spoon cheesecake filling all over the crust and then use a spatula to spread it evenly.
- Cover the springform pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
- Once cheesecake is cooled and set, spread remaining strawberry topping on top.
- To serve: Run a greased butter knife along the edges of the cheesecake to separate it from the pan before opening the springform sides.
Nutrition
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Categories:
Cheesecake Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Easter Recipes, Mother's Day Recipe Ideas, Strawberry Recipes, Valentine's Day,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Can I use cool whip instead of whipped cream
Gorgeous
Thank you! 🙂
Making this now but in the directions to print you don’t have instructions for the crust. Had to make sure that just the crust was not baked as is in some recipes. Love your recipes.