No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
Save RecipeYou’re a few minutes away from the perfect party dish – my no bake strawberry cheesecake recipe is bursting with fresh strawberries and elegant charm.
Hi Bold Bakers!
I want to take advantage of fresh strawberries whiles they are in their peak season so I made my Big and Bold, No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake.
How to Make a No Bake Cheesecake
You don’t even need to turn on the oven for this no bake cheesecake. It’s such a simple dessert recipe that I made the whole thing from start to finish in my Food Processor in just under 20 minutes. Plus, it doesn’t contain gelatin or eggs. This Strawberry Cheesecake becomes firm by whipping together the cream cheese and cream, then letting it firm up and set over night.
This easy dessert recipe is a perfect delight for summer and great for parties and picnics. Never one to leave a cake naked, fresh strawberries and vibrant flowers make for an impressive presentation.
In Ireland we eat a lot of cheesecakes like this one. My Mum made many for us growing up, however she used to melt a tablet of strawberry or lemon jelly and mix it in. It’s still to this day one of my favorite desserts, jelly an’ all.
I used strawberries but you can use any flavors such as raspberries or lemons if you prefer.
Prepare this strawberry cheesecake up to 3 days in advance. You’ll be ready to go for that summer picnic or party.
By simply decorating your dessert with some lavender and baby’s breath, it will take it to a whole other level.
I saw a gorgeous Cheesecake decorated with flowers by ‘Call me Cupcake’ on Pinterest. I got the inspiration for the decoration from her. I adore Linda’s recipes and think you should definitely check out her blog.
Get more Fresh Summer Desserts:
Recipe updated as of 7/10/2018. Gelatin added.
You're a few minutes away from the perfect party dish - my no bake strawberry cheesecake recipe is bursting with fresh strawberries and elegant charm.
- 3 cups (9oz/255g) plain biscuits (graham crackers or digestive biscuits)
- 3/4 cup (6oz/170g) butter, melted
- 3 cups (15oz/426g) strawberries, hulled
- ⅓ Cup (2 ½ oz/71g) sugar
- 1 ½ cup (12oz/340ml) whipping cream
- 3 cups (24oz/675g) cream cheese
- Extra strawberries , baby's breath and lavender for decoration
- gelatin to set your cheesecake (see notes)
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Blend the biscuits in a food processor until fine crumbs ground. Combine crumbs with melted butter. Cover the bottom of a 9 inch springform with the mixture and put in the fridge while preparing the filling.
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Puree the strawberries and sugar in the food processor or blender.
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Add in the cream cheese and blend until smooth.
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Pour in the cream and continue blending until your mix has thickened up well.
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Pour batter over the prepared crust, cover with plastic wrap and fridge overnight. (because the cheesecake does not contain gelatin it’s best left overnight to set and firm up)
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Store the cheesecake for up to 3 days in the fridge. It also freezes well. Decorate with more lovely things on top to create an impressive dessert.
Watch the Recipe Video!
notes: Take two sheets of gelatin, or two teaspoons of gelatin or agar agar. Sponge the gelatin according to the pack, in a little cold water. When it is softened drain off the water. Then, if you have a microwave pop the gelatin in for about 10 secs, or until the gelatin has turned to liquid. Then, take a few tablespoons of the cream, warm it and combine with the gelatin. Start whipping up the cheesecake mixture, and as it is forming add the gel/cream mix. Then straight into the pan.
WW SmartPoints: 19
WW PointsPlus: 13
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I’ve just made this cheesecake and ‘held my nerve’ that the mixture would thicken in my food processor! It did! I tipped the food processor a little to introduce a bit more air into the mixture which seemed to work a treat.
I totally agree that the digestives to butter ratio was far too high and my biscuit crumb was too greasy. I am going to make it again today (bit of a perfectionist) and will use less butter. Also I am going to hold back a little of the strawberry puree to fold through at the end, just to add a little more texture. Not too much though! I still want it to set. These points aside …. it was easy to make and I was really surprised that it set well too. It looks so fresh and is a perfect for a dessert during Wimbledon fortnight. as it is here in the UK.
Hi Denise,
that is so good to hear! can you tell me, for the sake of UK Bold Bakers, which cream cheese you used? That is often the issue as the tub variety is soft, designed for spreading as it is. My mum in Ireland uses a Tesco full-Fat Soft cheese, which is cream cheese and it works really nicely for her too.
Gelatin can also give you comfort here. Take two sheets of gelatin or two teaspoons of gelatin. Sponge the gelatin according to the pack, in a little cold water. When it is softened drain off the water. Then, if you have a microwave pop the gelatin in for about 10 secs, or until the gelatin has turned to liquid. You can do this over a pan of hot water too. Then, take a little of the cream, warm it and combine with the gelatin. Start whipping up the cheesecake mixture, and as it is forming add the gel/cream mix. Then straight into the pan.
The swirl of puree sounds lovely, and it will look great too, sieve out the seeds for this!
Wimbledon in full swing, pardon the pun, I wish I could be there.
Thank you for being in touch,
Gemma 🙂
Looking through the comments a lot of people had the same issue I did. The butter ratio is way off.
My base was a butter soup with some crumbs scattered through it. The rest of the cake is great though.
It would be good to get an idea of what the correct butter measurement should be.
Hi John,
I’m really sorry to hear that. I just revised the recipe to ad 4 tablespoons less butter.
Could you tell me what type of cookie you used? this might be able to help others.
Best,
Gemma.
Strawberries are in season here for only a small time period of winter here so I thought this will be a dessert to make before they leave (-:
I reduced the amount of cream and cream cheese because I didn’t have enough, but didn’t reduce the strawberries, because the strawberrier the better!!
I used homemade cream cheese with your recipe of it and subbed some of it with yogurt that I turned “greek” or “hung”
I used 1 tablespoon gelatin (a little more than 2 teaspoons)
the result was great! I think the amount of gelatin required depends on every individual’s types of ingredients
Thrilled to hear that, Javeria!!!
Thanks for trying out this recipe.
Gemma.
Hi Gemma!
So I’ve got a question that is bugging me for quite a bit already and it’s about cream! I’ve noticed that in many recipes (US/UK) double cream is used. I’m from a country where this doesn’t really exist. All we’ve got here is regular whipping cream (30% fat). Do you think it is possible to replace the double cream with it? Or is not enough fat in it? We’ve also got a different product here called “crème double”. At first I thought that was the double cream that is often used in English speaking countries but it was very thick and it had the same consistency as mascarpone or cream cheese. Now I’m unsure if this is the right thing. There’s more fat (around 45-50%) in it though. Do you have any advice?
Thanks so much, your site is beautiful <3
Hi Jona,
I think you live in Germany? here is what I found when I did a little googling:
Schlagsahne extra oder Konditorsahne hat einen höheren Fettgehalt von bis zu 40 %Schlagobers, pasteurisiert (Österreich) hat einen Mindestfettgehalt von 36 %
Crème double enthält mindestens 40 % Fett (in der Schweiz mindestens 45 %)
Does this make sense to you?
At 30% fat content a cream will struggle to whip up thick. At 40% it will be fabulous. If you have an ALDI store you will find their double cream to be about 49% fat, super thing, we get that one in Ireland.
I hope this is of help to you,
Gemma 🙂
Thanks so much for your help Gemma, you’re awesome!
I’m just a bit unsure because these 40-50% fat creams are so thick. They’re so thick here that they’re not even measured in ml but in grams on the packaging. I don’t know if that’s the same for you in your country. That’s what makes it quite difficult to work with them because I’m unsure how to transform grams into mls . But I think I will just try it with all kinds of creams I can find and see how the cake will look like. I’m really trying everything I can to make these delicious recipes you’re having on this site. Hope my family is prepared to taste lots of different cheesecakes (soft and thick) in the next weeks haha 😀 Thanks again for your help <3
It’s my pleasure, please do keep me posted on how it all goes! Enjoy!
Used double cream (couldn’t find whipping cream) but the rest 9f the recipe I followed exact. Pressin leaving out gelatin.
First note : in my 9inch tin, I thought the biscuit was a bit too thin, next time I’ll add double the biscuit.
Second, it was not firm enough. I appreciate it wasn’t whipping cream, but I’ve seen other recipes that also don’t use it.
Why did mine command out too soft and messy?
Either it’s intended to be soft and a firm one is personal choice (unlikely)
Or i didn’t whisk enough?
Would really Appreciate a response.
Email:anthonyhollister@googlemail.com
Hi Anthony,
The type of cream cheese you get and the fat content of the cream are what allows this to set up without the use of gelatin.
Here in the US we get a block of cream cheese, which is dry, designed for baking. I know this type of cheese is available in other places, but not in Ireland or the UK now, though it used to be when I was a child.
Below 35% fat content the cream will not whip up sufficiently for this type of cheesecake.
Tubs of cream cheese are designed for spreading, not for baking, and do not work so well in this recipe.
If you live in the UK or Ireland, Tesco do a good tub of full fat ‘Soft Cheese’ a nice cream cheese which works well with their double cream in this recipe, I tried it in Ireland.
I am guessing here!
Adding gelatin to a cheesecake is also an option, and will work with light creams.
Take two sheets of gelatin, or two teaspoons of gelatin. Sponge the gelatin according to the pack, in a little cold water. When it is softened drain off the water. Then, if you have a microwave pop the gelatin in for about 10 secs, or until the gelatin has turned to liquid.You can do this over a pan of hot water too.Then, take a little of the cream, warm it and combine with the gelatin. Start whipping up the cheesecake mixture, and as it is forming add the gel/cream mix. Then straight into the pan.
*You can use agar, Carrigeen moss, china grass too, these are plant based gelling agents, but you need to follow the directions on the packs for these, they come in different forms.
*Do prepare the base before you start mixing.
*Do not overheat the cream.
This is easy when you try it!
I hope this is of help Anthony. There is a big difference in sq inches between an 8 inch pan and a 9 inch pan too, that explains the base. 8×8 = 64 sq ins. 9×9=81 sq ins, almost 1/3 bigger, who would have thunk it! 🙂
Gemma 😉
Didn’t use gelatin. Left it overnight. Covered. Even thought it tasted good, it didn’t firm very well. As soon as I took the case off it partially collapsed.
Bit disappointing as I don’t know where I went wrong. I followed the recipe exact, I used Philadelphia originalcream cheese, elmea double cream and stevia baking sugar,
I blended the strawberries, but there wasn’t enough room for the cream or cheese so I transferred to a mixing bowl and used a whisk, for about about 5 minutes.
Any ideas?
Hi there, using stevia instead of sugar can cause this to be runny. Im sorry to hear that!
That’s the prettiest cheesecake I have ever seen.
😀 thank you, I am delighted to hear that!
I made a huge mistake in this cheesecake. so the gelatin pack asked me to use 500 ml of water to mix it in, then I added that to the cheesecake batter, which was already not firming up and now its like a smoothie. I’m almost scared to see how it’ll turn out tomorrow.
but im really confused because it wasn’t firming up even before I added the water.
Hi there,
Take two sheets of gelatin, or two teaspoons of gelatin. Sponge the gelatin according to the pack, in a little cold water. When it is softened drain off the water. Then, if you have a microwave pop the gelatin in for about 10 secs, or until the gelatin has turned to liquid.You can do this over a pan of hot water too.Then, take a little of the cream, warm it and combine with the gelatin. Start whipping up the cheesecake mixture, and as it is forming add the gel/cream mix. Then straight into the pan.
*You can use agar, carrigeen moss, china grass too, these are plant based gelling agents, but you need to follow the directions on the packs for these, they come in different forms.
*Do prepare the base before you start mixing.
*Do not overheat the cream.
This is easy when you try it!
This is what I do, and it works, but you have exhausted the extent of the gelatin by adding that much water!
It is worth getting this right for you,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I modified it a little. I added Baileys to it and used Oreos for the crust.
It was perfect! 🙂
YUM that’s a great addition!
Hey Gemma can you share a recipe of Oreo Cheesecake too?
Here you go https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/no-bake-oreo-cheesecake/
Thank you so much ♥️♥️
Also will it make any difference if I put it in the freezer instead of refrigerator overnight ?
Hi Manal,
It will freeze in the freezer, though I have had this semi frozen, and it was delicious, like a lovely ice cream cake.
I ohpe this works out well for you,
Gemma 🙂
I saw the video and purchased all the ingredients before reading the recipe. From watching the video I saw nowhere where you added gelatin. Consequently I didn’t have any. Also, in the video you made a tiny little springform size. This recipe makes a huge amount, which didn’t all fit in my cake pan. I do believe I did everything wrong. I used shortbread cookies. Definitely didn’t take to the butter like graham crackers.
I must not of waited long enough for my cream cheese to soften. It is lumpy. It’s very thick and delicious so even if it doesn’t set, it will still be a tasty mousse. It’s in the Refrigerator now. Unfortunately it’s for my husband’s birthday. Not my best work, but he will appreciate the thought I’m sure.
Hi Teresa,
Oh dear:(
I am so sorry to hear this.
For this recipe I use an 8 – 9 inch pan.
I do not use gelatin to set this type of cheesecake here in the US, it is not necessary with the type of cream cheese I use (a block, rather than a tub, full fat) and heavy whipping cream, 35% fat content). Tubs of cream cheese are designed for spreading and tend to be too soft for this type of thing, especially when you add a liquid ingredient, like the strawberries. The low fat versions are even thinner in texture.
When you mix it it should be beaten well to allow the cream and cream cheese to combine, and then you will see that it is thick enough to set up well, or not.
Take two sheets of gelatin, or two teaspoons of gelatin. Sponge the gelatin according to the pack, in a little cold water. When it is softened drain off the water. Then, if you have a microwave pop the gelatin in for about 10 secs, or until the gelatin has turned to liquid.You can do this over a pan of hot water too.Then, take a little of the cream, warm it and combine with the gelatin. Start whipping up the cheesecake mixture, and as it is forming add the gel/cream mix. Then straight into the pan.
*You can use agar, carrigeen moss, china grass too, these are plant based gelling agents, but you need to follow the directions on the packs for these, they come in different forms.
*Do prepare the base before you start mixing.
*Do not overheat the cream.
This is easy when you try it!
I am so sorry that this did not work so well for you. A few minutes in the freezer will help too, almost give a firm ice cream cake feel to it.
I hope your husband has a very happy birthday, one way or another.
Gemma 🙂
This didn’t work for me 🙁 After letting it chill overnight, it was very runny the next day even with two sheets of gelatin in it already. I tried remixing with 3 more sheets of gelatin the next day and it was still runny. Put it in the freezer which helped a bit but still too soft.
Hi Kathy,
I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll revisit this recipe and see if there is something I can do. Cream cheese is really firm in the US but I know in other countries it isn’t as hard so you get different results.
Best,
Gemma.
I want to add biscuits and butter mix on the sides as well for my cheesecake. How much more biscuits and butter do I need?
Hi, great idea, i would add about 1/2 cup more of each. Enjoy!
Hi Gemma!
I’ve lots of frozen berries. How can I use them? What can I make? Please help me.
Regards
Hi Parisha,
Yes you can. I strongly suggest you read my note about adding gelatin to this cheesecake to just double insure it sets.
Best,
Gemma.
You didn’t whip the heavy whipping cream is it an important step or not
I don’t usually but you totally can do that if you wish.
Just note, I added a line about adding gelatin into this cheesecake as the strawberry puree can make it soft.
Best,
Gemma.
hey it looks very delicate , is it possible to make it with blueberries as well? best reguards from denmark
I would like to use this recipe and make pumpkin instead, some tips from the professional would help.
Thank you
Hum, Raymond I think that if you were to do this with Pumpkin I would definitely recommend adding gelatin or some sort of setting agent.
You can add the pumpkin to taste and there is a note on the recipe of how you can add gelatin to the mix.
Hope this helps,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma. I know this is probably a stupid question but I want to make this cake, so here it goes.. have you used the blade attachment when mixing the strawberries and cream etc or a whipping attachment on your food processor?
Hi there,
There is no such thing as a stupid question, but I have to be sure I do not give you a stupid answer!
The cream I use for this recipe is fresh dairy cream. The instructions are here for you.
lend the biscuits in a food processor until fine crumbs ground. Combine crumbs with melted butter. Cover the bottom of a 9 inch springform with the mixture and put in the fridge while preparing the filling.
Puree the strawberries and sugar in the food processor or blender.
Add in the cream cheese and blend until smooth.
Pour in the cream and continue blending until your mix has thickened up well.
Pour batter over the prepared crust, cover with plastic wrap and fridge overnight. (because the cheesecake does not contain gelatin it’s best left overnight to set and firm up)
Store the cheesecake for up to 3 days in the fridge. It also freezes well. Decorate with more lovely things on top to create an impressive dessert.
Depending on where you live, the type of cream and the quality of the cream cheese you may need to add a gelling agent to this to help to set it up.
Take two sheets of gelatin, or two teaspoons of gelatin or agar agar. Sponge the gelatin according to the pack, in a little cold water. When it is softened drain off the water. Then, if you have a microwave pop the gelatin in for about 10 secs, or until the gelatin has turned to liquid.
You can do this over a pan of hot water too.
Then, take a little of the cream, warm it and combine with the gelatin. Start whipping up the cheesecake mixture, and as it is forming add the gel/cream mix. Then straight into the pan.
*Do prepare the base before you start mixing.
*Do not overheat the cream.
*Do follow the instructions on your gelling agent pack.
This is easy when you try it!
I hope this is of help to you,
Gemma 🙂
I tried the cheesecake tonight using the gelatin. It’s in the refrigerator setting up. I’ll let you know how it comes out. First time I made it it didn’t set up but it still tasted delicious. Can’t wait until tomorrow morning. Will have a piece for breakfast! Stay tuned!!
Haha! MaryEllen, cheesecake for breakfast!
Probably not as bad an idea as it sounds, and certainly delicious. I hope this all works well for you, it should be perfection,
Gemma 🙂
The recipe is pretty good 🙂 I have one question why did you add baby breath that are restricted from coming in contact with edible products?!
Hi there,
I understand your concern, and there are many plants which should not be ingested. Some of these are surprising, such as holly berries, which we also use to decorate food, and leaves of rhubarb which we would not choose to eat, but are attached to a stem which we do eat! Confusing.
I use them to decorate, there is no danger in using them in this way according to my research. Of course you should not use them if you are concerned.
You certainly should not eat them, but they are more likely to cause a contact rash than anything else.
I am never suggesting that you should eat these, but they are often used in decorating, in bridal and bridesmaid bouquets and on cakes too. I guess it is a choice. My research indicated that this plant is non toxic to humans. When you research this be careful about the source.
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Can I replace strawberry with lychee fruit ??and how I can make an extra top layer from lychee?? How can I add geleton to save time??Thanks
Hi Sabeen,
I have no experience of using lychee fruit, apart from just to eat it!
The flavor is very mild, and i do not know how it would work. I think you can chop into small pieces to blend in the cheesecake. I am not sure how you would puree it though. I would think it would be with a little sugar syrup, lemon juice, blend, strain out the pulp, and it could be used with a gelatin to make a topping.
To firm up a cheesecake with gelatin: Take two sheets of gelatin, or two teaspoons of gelatin or agar agar. Sponge the gelatin according to the pack, in a little cold water. When it is softened drain off the water. Then, if you have a microwave pop the gelatin in for about 10 secs, or until the gelatin has turned to liquid.
You can do this over a pan of hot water too.
Then, take a little of the cream, warm it and combine with the gelatin. Start whipping up the cheesecake mixture, and as it is forming add the gel/cream mix. Then straight into the pan.
*Do prepare the base before you start mixing.
*Do not overheat the cream.
*Do follow the instructions on your gelling agent pack.
This is easy when you try it!
I hope this helps, but I am not too sure about the flavor coming through, let us know!
Gemma 🙂