Summer begins with the smell of strawberries. Here’s the perfect cake for this time of year: a no-bake strawberry cheesecake. It has a light, creamy texture that melts pleasantly in your mouth and packs as much strawberry flavor as you could imagine. Best of all, you won’t even need to turn the oven on!
Main ingredients for no-bake strawberry cheesecake
Fresh strawberries. Strawberries are obviously the main star of this recipe. I developed this cake for strawberry season and used lots of fresh strawberries, both whole and pureed. You will love how full of natural strawberry flavor this cake is!
Cream cheese. While the strawberry and cream combination is a timeless classic, strawberries and cream cheese are a whole new level of deliciousness. Once I tried combining them, I knew there was no turning back because they go so well together! Cream cheese adds a bit of tanginess and improves the overall flavor. I use soft, spreadable cream cheese.
Whipped cream adds lightness and fluffiness to this cake, making it a bit mousse-like.
Vanilla extract. It makes almost everything better! Just a teaspoon adds depth to the flavor. However, it’s not the most important ingredient in this case, so if you don’t have high-quality extract, it’s better to skip it.
Gelatin powder. Although it doesn’t add any flavor, gelatin holds this cake together. This recipe uses just the right amount of gelatin to help the cake keep its shape while staying soft and creamy.
Chocolate cookies. My original idea for this cake was to combine strawberries with chocolate. Although an extra chocolate layer did not make it into the final recipe, I kept the chocolate cookie crust. Simple cookies would also work, but I like how well chocolate cookies go with strawberries.
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Intermediate
Perform time: 40 min
Chill time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 40 min
Ingredients
Choose a baking pan size:
- Yield: 12 servings
For the crust
- 100 g / 3.5 oz simple chocolate cookies
- 50 g / 1.8 oz unsalted butter (melted)
- ~400 g / ~14 oz fresh strawberries (whole)
For the filling
- 9 g / 0.3 oz powdered gelatin
- 45 g / 1.6 oz cold water
- 200 g / 7 oz pureed strawberries (weigh after you puree)
- 150 g / 5.3 oz spreadable cream cheese (~23% fat)
- 100 g / 3.5 oz powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g / 5.3 oz whipping cream (30-35% fat)
For the decor
- A few extra fresh strawberries
- Yield: 18 servings
For the crust
- 150 g / 5.3 oz simple chocolate cookies
- 75 g / 2.6 oz unsalted butter (melted)
- ~600 g / ~21 oz fresh strawberries (whole)
For the filling
- 14 g / 0.5 oz powdered gelatin
- 68 g / 2.4 oz cold water
- 300 g / 10.5 oz pureed strawberries (weigh after you puree)
- 225 g / 7.9 oz spreadable cream cheese (~23% fat)
- 150 g / 5.3 oz powdered sugar
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 225 g / 7.9 oz whipping cream (30-35% fat)
For the decor
- A few extra fresh strawberries
- Yield: 24 servings
For the crust
- 200 g / 7 oz simple chocolate cookies
- 100 g / 3.5 oz unsalted butter (melted)
- ~800 g / ~28 oz fresh strawberries (whole)
For the filling
- 18 g / 0.6 oz powdered gelatin
- 90 g / 3.2 oz cold water
- 400 g / 14 oz pureed strawberries (weigh after you puree)
- 300 g / 10.5 oz spreadable cream cheese (~23% fat)
- 200 g / 7 oz powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 g / 10.5 oz whipping cream (30-35% fat)
For the decor
- A few extra fresh strawberries
- Yield: 30 servings
For the crust
- 250 g / 8.8 oz simple chocolate cookies
- 125 g / 4.4 oz unsalted butter (melted)
- ~1000 g / ~35 oz fresh strawberries (whole)
For the filling
- 23 g / 0.8 oz powdered gelatin
- 113 g / 3.9 oz cold water
- 500 g / 17.5 oz pureed strawberries (weigh after you puree)
- 375 g / 13.1 oz spreadable cream cheese (~23% fat)
- 250 g / 8.8 oz powdered sugar
- 2.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 375 g / 13.1 oz whipping cream (30-35% fat)
For the decor
- A few extra fresh strawberries
Directions
Prepare the crust
1.
Use a springform or removable-bottom pan. Line the sides with acetate tape or parchment paper.
2.
Crush the cookies in a blender or food processor until you have fine crumbs.
3.
Transfer the cookie crumbs to a bowl, then add the melted butter. Mix well until there are no dry crumbs left.
4.
Press the cookie crumbs onto the bottom of the cake pan using your hands or a cup with a flat bottom. Apply pressure so that the crumbs stick together.
5.
Cut some of the fresh strawberries in half and arrange them around the edge of the pan so that the cut side touches the pan’s edge.
6.
Fill the middle with the remaining strawberries, which can be left whole or cut in half.
Prepare the filling
7.
In a small bowl, combine the gelatin powder and cold water. Mix well and set aside to bloom.
8.
Puree the strawberries using a blender or food processor. Set aside a few teaspoons for decoration (optional).
9.
Using a hand whisk or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until fully combined.
10.
Add the pureed strawberries and mix further until fully combined.
11.
Place the bowl containing the previously bloomed gelatin on top of a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat the gelatin just until it’s fully melted. Be careful not to overheat it, and do not bring it to a boil.
12.
Add a few spoonfuls of the strawberry cream cheese mixture to the melted gelatin. Mix well and pour it back into the strawberry cream cheese mixture. Mix everything well.
13.
In a separate bowl, beat the cold whipping cream until soft peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat.
14.
Add the whipped cream to the strawberry cream cheese mixture and carefully mix until everything is well combined.
15.
Pour the filling onto the cookie crust with strawberries. Level the top.
16.
Add drops of the remaining pureed strawberries to the top of the filling. Use a toothpick to swirl them into hearts.
17.
Refrigerate the cake for at least six hours, or preferably overnight, to allow it to set properly.
Decorate the cake
18.
Once fully set, remove the cake from the pan. Carefully peel off the acetate or parchment paper and decorate with fresh strawberries. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Extra tips for success
- Never place the bowl of gelatin over direct heat or bring it to a boil. Overheating it will cause it to lose its effectiveness, resulting in a cake that will not set.
- Mixing a few spoonfuls of the strawberry-cream cheese mixture into the gelatin helps lower its temperature slowly so that it is evenly incorporated into the filling. Pouring the gelatin in all at once may result in streaks of filling that start to set while mixing.
- This cake is the creamiest and most delicious when it’s at room temperature. Don’t rush to eat it straight from the fridge.
Storage directions
Store this cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
