Indulge in this incredibly delicious no-bake strawberry cheesecake! It's creamy, luscious, and tastes just like a strawberry milkshake. We've found a solution to the challenge of incorporating more strawberry flavor into no-bake cheesecakes without using gelatin despite their high water content. You may already have the secret ingredient in your pantry!
★★★★★
Your cheesecakes never fail!
I made this for Mother's Day and served it with strawberry compote and cream. Everybody in the family loved it.
THANK YOU BEA!!
- Emily
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Why This Recipe Works
We've been making cheesecake recipes since 2017, and our mini cheesecake, no-bake mango cheesecake, and easy New York-style cheesecake are some of our readers' favorites. You'll get exactly what you see in the photos on our website. Here's why this easy strawberry cheesecake recipe is also a winner!
Improved recipe—We've discovered that many people want gelatin-free, no-bake cheesecakes. After testing, we've created the ultimate no-bake strawberry cheesecake recipe without gelatin. It's incredibly creamy and requires just a few ingredients.
More strawberry flavor—Our goal is to develop a strawberry milkshake flavor with a strong strawberry taste, just like in our strawberry ice cream recipe. We've achieved this by using strawberry jam, not fresh strawberries, which gives a more intense strawberry flavor without the added water content. By eliminating the water content, we can avoid using gelatin while still achieving a creamy and firm no-bake strawberry cheesecake.
No gelatin—Yes, it's without gelatin! This recipe is straightforward, and the cheesecake will hold itself beautifully, just like our no-bake Speculoos cheesecake and no-bake Oreo cheesecake.
Ingredients For This Recipe
Digestive biscuits—They give the base a sweet, buttery, and salty mix. Digestive biscuits are commonly used as a cheesecake base in Europe, as I've been using them in my creamy blueberry cheesecake bars and no-bake lime cheesecake bars. Graham crackers work amazingly, too.
Cream cheese—Use full-fat, plain cream cheese that comes in bricks or tubs, depending on where you are. Whipped or spreadable cream cheese is not recommended. Alternatively, you can use mascarpone, like in my creamy tiramisu cheesecake.
Strawberry jam—We've discovered that using store-bought jam or preserves, such as the Bonne Maman brand, works really well and is even easier. It gives an amazing concentrated flavor without the water content. The main problem when using fresh strawberries is you can't taste them in your cheesecake because you can't use a lot, or else your cheesecake won't firm up.
Powdered sugar—To help sweeten our no-bake strawberry cheesecake, apart from the strawberry jam.
Whipping cream—Or heavy cream, with a minimum of 35% fat—is what's going to make the creamy strawberry cheesecake hold itself without gelatin and give it a creamy texture, just like in our no-bake chocolate cheesecake and no-bake cookie butter cheesecake.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations For This Recipe
This recipe is so versatile—we know because we've tested it. Use this no-bake strawberry cheesecake recipe to create other amazing cheesecakes!
Get creative with the base—Use your favorite biscuits or crackers! I recommend finding flavors that complement strawberries yet do not overpower them—oatmeal, lemon, chocolate, or Marie biscuits, for example. Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the crumbs for a nuttier flavor!
Use mascarpone—Instead of using cream cheese, mascarpone provides a richer and slightly sweeter taste. You can use the whole amount or just half.
Use other fruit jam or preserves—This no-bake strawberry cheesecake recipe can be the master recipe for all your no-bake fruit-based cheesecakes! Use blueberry, blackberry, orange, pineapple, or even lemon. Although for lemon, we urge you to make our fantastic no-bake lemon cheesecake with condensed milk; it's to die for!
A baker's best friend!
Kitchen scale
It gives accurate measurements for your ingredients, better than measuring cups. It is highly recommended, as baking is a science!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the crumbs. Mix the biscuit crumbs and butter in a bowl. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan, press evenly with the back of a spoon, and freeze for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Make the cream cheese mixture. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl using a handheld whisk until creamy.
Step 3: Add strawberry jam. Whisk in the strawberry jam, and optionally add a few drops of red food coloring.
Step 4: Fold in whipped cream. In another bowl, whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold it into the strawberry mixture using a spatula.
Step 5: Chill. Pour the filling into the pan and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Step 6: Decorate. Optional, but highly recommended! Spread some strawberry jam, pipe some sweetened whipped cream and pop some strawberries on top. Enjoy!
Recipe Expert Tips
If you're going to make this no-bake strawberry recipe, make sure to follow these top tips!
- Use ingredients at the specified temperature. Cream cheese needs to be at room temperature so it mixes easily with the other ingredients. Heavy cream needs to be cold so that it can be whipped.
- Discard the cream cheese liquid. You usually see the liquid as the cream cheese comes to room temperature. Discard any excess liquid to ensure our no-bake strawberry cheesecake sets perfectly.
- Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. This is important because that's what's going to help our cheesecake hold beautifully.
- Chill the cheesecake in the coldest part of the fridge. This is so our no-bake strawberry cheesecake sets perfectly.
- Place the cheesecake in the freezer. This will make transferring it to a serving plate easier, as it'll be sturdier to handle. It will also make it last longer at room temperature for displaying purposes, before serving. One hour should do it.
How To Remove Cheesecakes From A Springform Pan
Transferring cheesecakes from a springform pan to a serving plate can be quite a challenge, but over the years, we've learned two easy ways to do it.
Use two wide, flat spatulas—This method is perfect for small 7-inch cheesecakes like our no-bake stracciatella cheesecake and cinnamon roll cheesecake. To remove the cheesecake from the pan, run an offset spatula around the edges, release the springform, gently separate the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan with a knife, then use two wide, flat spatulas to lift and transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate.
Use parchment paper—For 8-inch or bigger cheesecakes like our no-bake lemon cheesecake, it's better to line the bottom of the springform pan before assembling. Press the parchment paper tightly into the pan, leaving some extra hanging out so it's easier to grab. To serve, run an offset spatula around the edges, release the springform, peel the parchment paper from one end, and place that end of the cheesecake on a serving plate. Then, swiftly peel off the rest of the paper as you lower the cheesecake onto the plate. Refer to the video below.
Freeze—When we take photos and videos of our recipes, the food often sits at room temperature for a while. We've found that freezing the cheesecakes for one to two hours before transferring them to serving plates makes the process easier. Plus, it helps the cheesecakes last longer at room temperature while we work.
How To Serve, Store, And Freeze
Serve—Keep in the fridge at all times, until it's time to serve. Cheesecakes, especially this no-bake strawberry cheesecake without gelatin, need the cold to hold their structure.
Store—Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. We highly recommend freezing it if you're planning to keep it longer, as the crust gets softer overtime.
Freeze—After the cheesecake into smaller portions, fast-freeze them on a lined baking tray for one to two hours. Then, transfer the portions to an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Partially thaw a portion in the fridge as it tends to release moisture when fully thawed.
Recipe FAQs
For the no-bake strawberry cheesecake to set properly, we need thick jam or preserves, a bonus if it's with some strawberry pieces for an amazing texture. Bonne Maman is our favorite brand because of its bright red color.
Absolutely! Add ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, if you prefer a more pronounced sweetness for the base.
No-bake cheesecakes, especially those without gelatin, need to be kept cold to maintain their structure. If left at room temperature for over 30 minutes, it's best to freeze it for an hour before transferring it to a serving plate and decorating.
There are several reasons for that. 1) Using low-fat cream cheese. 2) Using low-fat or whipping cream with less than 35% fat content. 3) The whipped cream is not at stiff peaks. 4) Using strawberry coulis or jam that's runny. 5) Not chilling the cheesecake long enough. This cheesecake will firm up; that's a promise!
Did you try this No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake?
Please leave us ★★★★★ ratings and feedback below in the comment section. We'd love to know how it went, what you liked, or if there's anything we can improve. Share and tag us on Instagram; we'd like to see your creation.
Thank you! -Bea and Marco
Watch How To Make It
📖 Recipe
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Base
- 2 cup (200 g) biscuit crumbs
- 7 tablespoon (100 g) butter , melted
Filling
- 24 oz (675 g) full-fat plain cream cheese , room temperature
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (300 g) strawberry jam
- a few drops of red food coloring , optional
- 1 ½ cup (345 g) whipping cream, min 35% fat , chilled
Topping
- ⅓ cup (100 g) strawberry jam
- 1 cup (230 g) whippingy cream , chilled
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- some strawberries
Instructions
Base
- Line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, leaving 2-3 inches (10-15cm) extra on the sides, so it's easier to transfer the cheesecake later. Refer to video above.
- Mix the biscuit crumbs and butter in a bowl. Pour into the pan, press evenly with the back of a spoon, and freeze for 30 minutes.
Filling
- In another bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl using a handheld whisk until creamy. Whisk in the strawberry jam, and optionally add a few drops of red food coloring. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold it into the strawberry mixture using a spatula.
Chill
- Pour the filling into the pan and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Shake the pan to help the filling sets in. Chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Topping
- Spread strawberry jam on top, leaving ½ inch of the edges uncovered. Whisk heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe all around the edges of the cheesecake, and finally, place strawberries on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use ingredients at the specified temperature. Cream cheese needs to be at room temperature so it mixes easily with the other ingredients. Heavy cream needs to be cold so that it can be whipped.
- Discard the cream cheese liquid. You usually see the liquid as the cream cheese comes to room temperature. Discard any excess liquid to ensure our cheesecake sets perfectly.
- Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. This is important because that's what's going to help our cheesecake hold beautifully.
- Chill the cheesecake in the coldest part of the fridge. This is so our no-bake strawberry cheesecake sets perfectly.
- Place the cheesecake in the freezer. This will make transferring it to a serving plate easier, as it'll be sturdier to handle. It will also make it last longer at room temperature for displaying purposes, before serving. One hour should do it.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on May 4, 2019. Updated with improved text, recipe, and pictures on Jun 14, 2024.
Werner says
Where is the old recipe?
I understand that some people want it without gelatin, but I like it the way it was.
I want the old recipe, please.
Bea & Marco says
Hi Werner, we are always trying to cater to our readers and give them the best recipes we can. We've received many requests and questions, here and on social media, asking how not to use gelatin in our cheesecakes. So we worked hard developing, testing, and sharing an improved recipe that uses no gelatin with a superior result in both texture and flavor. I kindly suggest next time you like the content you read, leave a comment, review, rate, etc. So that your voice is heard and you'll show appreciation for the creator.
Marwa says
Pls i wanna know if i want to add third layer to that recipe which is the same one ( The Strawberry Coulis) top the cream cheese is that possiple? And when i have to add it? After put cheesecake in the fridge?
Bea says
Hi! I'd suggest you to put it once the cheesecake has set. Hope it helps!
Chamila says
Can I don’t use cornstarch
Bea says
You can but you will need to adjust the gelatine amount to make it set.
Retta says
Hey can you do the mixture in a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer?
Bea says
Yes you can, Retta 🙂
Luca says
Thanks for the great information for us.
King regards,
Lunding Schneider
Jamie says
Hi, I havebeen trying this recipe with frozen strawberries. but they have a lot less flavor so i needed to use more. I use 30 frozen strawberries and add sugar. However the cakes never firm up. Should I add gelatin? It never thickens when i mimix the coulis and gelatin, and the cakes end up more like ice cream.
Bea says
Hi! Strawberry has lots of water content so using more than the amount mentioned in the recipe will definitely effect the result. The little amount of gelatine and cream used are just perfect to set the cheesecake. Since you're using more strawberry then yes, logically you'd be needing more gelatine (perhaps more cream also) to set it. I'd suggest you to follow the exact recipe for a guaranteed result. Hope it helps and you give it another try.