Strawberry Cheesecake
I love no-bake cheesecakes when it’s hot outside or for special occasions/Valentine’s day! You don’t have to turn on the oven and heat up your whole kitchen. My first apartment had terrible AC and baking anything in summer was miserable, so I remember this recipe specifically used to be my go to for a fancy easy dessert.
This strawberry cheesecake is easy, has fresh strawberries mixed into the filling plus a swirly strawberry layer on top – who doesn’t love a swirly top?! The swirl part is what makes the dessert look more fancy than it really is but you’re literally just dragging a toothpick through it. People will totally think you spent way more time on it than you actually did.
Obviously you need at least four hours to chill it in the fridge, so plan accordingly, but I usually make it the night before so I don’t have to think about it. Then it’s ready whenever you need it and you’re not checking the fridge every twenty minutes like I used to do.
Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10 people
For the Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker or digestive biscuit crumbs (250 g). You can buy pre-made crumbs or just crush whole crackers yourself. I put them in a zip-top bag and smash them with a rolling pin. Takes out some aggression too.
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted (150 g). Has to be melted so it holds the crumbs together. Let it cool for a minute before mixing or it’ll be too hot.
For the Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened (450 g). This is really important – if your cream cheese is cold and hard, you’ll get lumps. I leave mine on the counter for at least an hour before I start. Some people microwave it for a few seconds but I always end up melting it by accident.
- ⅔ cup heavy cream, cold (150 ml). Keep this in the fridge until you need it. Cold cream whips better.
- ½ cup granulated sugar, or to taste (90–100 g). Start with half a cup and taste it. You might want more if your strawberries are tart.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml). Real vanilla is best but honestly the imitation stuff works fine in this recipe.
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (10 g). This is what makes it set without baking. Don’t skip it or you’ll have strawberry soup.
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries (150 g). Cut them small, like half-inch pieces. Big chunks are harder to slice through later.
For the Strawberry Swirl Topping
- 1½ cups fresh strawberries (250–300 g). These get blended so the size doesn’t matter. Just wash them and pull off the green tops.
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (to taste). Depends how sweet your berries are. Taste the puree before you add it to the cheesecake.
- 1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin (5 g). Less gelatin than the filling because you want this layer softer and more spreadable.
How to do it
Prepare the crust
Crush your graham crackers into fine crumbs. A food processor works great but I usually just use a bag and a rolling pin. Mix the crumbs with the melted butter until it looks like wet sand.
Dump it all into an 8-inch springform pan. Press it down really hard with the bottom of a measuring cup or your hands. You want it packed tight so it doesn’t fall apart when you cut slices later. Stick it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up.
Make the filling
Beat the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla in a big bowl. Your mixer should be on medium speed. Keep going until it’s completely smooth with no lumps. This takes a few minutes. In a different bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. You’ll know it’s ready when you lift the beaters and the cream stands straight up.
Now fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture really gently. Use a spatula and kind of cut down through the middle and fold it over. Don’t stir it hard or you’ll knock all the air out.
Incorporate gelatin
Put one tablespoon of gelatin in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for five minutes – this is called blooming and it makes the gelatin dissolve better. Then microwave it for about 15 seconds until it’s completely melted. Let it cool down for a minute because if you add hot gelatin to cold cream cheese, you’ll get weird clumps. Stir the gelatin into your filling and mix it well so it’s distributed evenly.
Add strawberries
Dice up your cup of strawberries into small pieces. Fold them gently into the filling. Try to spread them out evenly so every slice has some berries in it.
Make the strawberry topping
Blend the remaining strawberries with one tablespoon of sugar until it’s completely smooth. I use a regular blender but an immersion blender works too. Bloom the gelatin the same way as before – 1½ teaspoons of gelatin with 2 tablespoons of water, let it sit, then melt it. Let it cool slightly. Stir the melted gelatin into your strawberry puree and mix it really well.
Assemble the cheesecake
Take your crust out of the fridge. Pour all the filling on top and use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Right away, before anything starts to set, pour the strawberry topping over the whole surface. Work fast here because both layers have gelatin and they start setting pretty quickly.
Create the swirl effect
Grab a toothpick or a wooden skewer. Drag it through the strawberry layer and into the filling to make swirl patterns. You can do whatever design you want – I usually just make random squiggly lines back and forth. Don’t overmix it or you’ll just blend everything together and lose the swirl effect.
Chill
Put the whole pan in the refrigerator. It needs at least 4 to 6 hours to set completely. I almost always make this the night before and let it chill overnight. That way I know for sure it’s ready. Don’t try to rush this part or you’ll cut into it and everything will be runny.
Serve
Run a knife around the edge of the pan before you open the springform. This helps it release cleanly. Pop open the springform ring and carefully lift it off. You can add some fresh mint leaves on top if you want it to look fancy. Cut it with a sharp knife and wipe the blade between slices so they look clean.
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker or digestive biscuit crumbs 250 g
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter melted (150 g)
- For the Filling:
- 16 oz cream cheese softened (450 g)
- ⅔ cup heavy cream cold (150 ml)
- ½ cup granulated sugar or to taste (90–100 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin 10 g
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries 150 g
For the Strawberry Swirl Topping:
- 1½ cups fresh strawberries 250–300 g
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar to taste
- 1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin 5 g
Instructions
- Crush the graham crackers or biscuits into fine crumbs and mix with melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan. Chill in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Bloom the gelatin in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of water. Melt it gently and let it cool slightly before mixing it into the filling.
- Gently fold the diced strawberries into the cheesecake filling until evenly distributed.
- Blend the remaining strawberries and sugar into a smooth purée. Bloom the gelatin in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water, melt it, let it cool slightly, and stir into the purée.
- Pour the filling over the chilled crust and smooth the top. Immediately pour the strawberry topping over the surface.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the strawberry topping into the filling, creating a marble effect.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4–6 hours, or preferably overnight, until fully set.
- Garnish with fresh mint leaves, slice, and enjoy!
