This might be my favorite cheesecake ever! So creamy and full of strawberry flavor with a bit of lemony zing, and I love the simple decoration scheme with that vivid natural pink color from the fresh strawberry reduction. For another delicious no bake dessert recipe, try my Classic No Bake Cookies.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Strawberries: I used fresh strawberries for my reduction but you can thaw frozen ones and use those instead!
Pecans: If you’d rather skip the nuts, then just sub in an extra cup of crushed Graham crackers.
How to Make a No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
1. Add Graham crackers, toasted pecans, brown sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter while pulsing then remove the blade and mix once more with a spatula. This can be done without a food processor by mincing the nuts, crushing the crackers in a bag and mixing everything together in a bowl
2. Dump the mixture into your springform pan and spread out. Use a flat-bottomed glass to press the crust together; press hard, it helps the crust really hold together. I like to bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350F, as it brings out the flavor, but you can pop it right into the freezer if you don’t want to turn the oven on.
3. Add the hulled strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch to a blender and pulse until liquified.
4. Transfer the mixture into a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened and reduced by about half.
5. Beat the room temperature cream cheese for a minute to loosen it up then add the sugar and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl down and pour in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and lemon juice while running your mixer on low. Add about half a cup of the chilled reduction and mix in on low. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more until smooth. You can add a bit more reduction to taste if desired.
6. Pour the filling into your prepared crust and smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. After your cheesecake has set up it’s time to spread the remaining reduction onto the top. Use an offset spatula or knife to smooth it out.
8. You can serve as is, garnish the cheesecake with lots of strawberry slices, or pipe dollops of whipped cream using a star tip and top with thin slices of strawberries. The strawberry slices will dry out quickly so place them on just before serving.
Pro Tips for this Recipe
- Use room temperature ingredients, especially the cream cheese and sour cream. You can warm cream cheese in the microwave if you forgot to let it sit out for a bit. Try one or two bursts of 20 seconds at 50 percent power.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar well until the mixture is totally smooth then scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
- Pack that crust really well so you get nice clean pieces that hold together.
- Baking the crust is optional but I really think it brings out the flavor of the pecans and Graham crackers.
- This no bake strawberry cheesecake really needs time to set so let it hang out in the fridge overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will this last?
Your cheesecake will last up to two days in the fridge or three months if frozen. To freeze the cake, wrap in plastic and wrap in foil. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving
How do you make it from scratch?
Make a strawberry reduction by liquifying strawberries, lemon juice, corn starch, and sugar. Reduce over heat to thicken then mix into your cheesecake filling.
Can I use different pans to make this?
I used an 8 inch springform pan but you can easily use a larger 9 inch pan, the filling will just be a little shallower. You can also make this using a square or rectangular baking dish although removing the pieces neatly will be a bit challenging.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
Equipment
- 8 or 9 inch springform pan
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 27 Graham Crackers that's three sleeves
- 1 cup pecans 70g, toasted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113g, melted
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar 100g
- 3/4 tsp salt 3g
For the Reduction
- 1 pound strawberries hulled
- 1/4 cup sugar 50g
- 1/4 cup lemon juice 60mL
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
For the Cheesecake
- 4 packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese 8oz each, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk 60mL
- 1 tbsp lemon juice 15mL, fresh
- 1/3 cups sugar 66g
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract 15mL
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar 25g
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Add Graham crackers, salt, and toasted pecans to your food processor and pulse until broken into small pieces. Add the sugar then pulse until mixed in completely. Pour in melted butter while pulsing processor. Remove blades and use a spatula to mix butter in completely. See post above for instructions on making this without a processor or stand mixer.
- Transfer mixture to your springform pan and spread our with a spatula so the crumbs are evenly distributed on the bottom and toward the side as well. Press into a flat layer using a tall glass and really try to compact the side to it keeps it's shape after cutting. Place in the freezer to chill while the filling is made. You CAN Bake the crust for about 10 minutes at 350F then freeze it, This brings out the flavor of the nuts and gives you a stronger crust.
For the Strawberry Reduction:
- Add the hulled strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and corn starch into a blender and pulse until liquified.
- Pour mixture into a pot and place on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer until reduced by about half.
- Strain into to a bowl, cover and chill.
For the Filling:
- Add ROOM TEMPERATURE cream cheese to stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix at medium speed to cream.
- Add the sugar and mix on medium until creamy. Scrape bowl down and mix until completely homogenous.
- Pour in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix well. Scrape the bowl down and mix until completely smooth.
- Add about half a cup of the reduction into the batter and mix to combine. You can add a bit more to taste If desired. Refrigerate the remaining reduction, which will be used after the cake has chilled.
- Pour the batter into the 8 or inch springform pan. If you're using an 8" pan then you will have some extra batter for individual/mini cheesecakes, which you can chill ramekins.
- Chill the cheesecake overnight for best results. It's on the lighter side and so will take a bit longer to set up. I like to cover my cheesecake with a paper towel when it's in the refrigerator, you could also use plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
- Once the cake has chilled you can spread the remaining strawberry reduction on top.
- Garnish the cake with dollops of whipped cream, and slices of strawberry.
Notes
- Start off with really room temperature cream cheese. Leave it out on the counter for a few hours or zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds at 50% power. If the cream cheese is too firm the batter will not be smooth.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugars until completely smooth. and you'll do well to scrape the bowl down a few times!
- Pack that crust really well so you get nice clean pieces that hold together.
- This cheesecake is best when chilled overnight so try and wait before you cut it.
