No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Name: No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
Prep time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cup biscuit crumbs; 7 tbsp butter (, melted); 24 oz full-fat plain cream cheese (, room temperature); 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup strawberry jam; a few drops of red food coloring (, optional); 1 ½ cup whipping cream, min 35% fat (, chilled); 1/3 cup strawberry jam; 1 cup whippingy cream (, chilled); 1/4 cup powdered sugar; some strawberries

Published: Jun 14, 2024 · Updated: Jun 14, 2024 by Bea & Marco · This post may contain affiliate links · 45 Comments

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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

A slice of no-bake strawberry cheesecake.

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients For This Recipe
Variations For This Recipe
Kitchen scale
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Expert Tips
How To Remove Cheesecakes From A Springform Pan
How To Serve, Store, And Freeze
Recipe FAQs
More Cheesecake Recipes
Watch How To Make It
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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 vanilla cheesecake and no-bake Oreo cheesecake.

Ingredients For This Recipe

Ingredients to make no-bake strawberry cheesecake.

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

Creamy strawberry cheesecake on a cake stand view from up.

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!

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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

What's the best strawberry jam to use?

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.

Can I use graham crackers for the base?

Absolutely! Add ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, if you prefer a more pronounced sweetness for the base.

How long can I have the cheesecake out at room temperature?

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.

Why is my no-bake cheesecake not firming up?

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!

Creamy strawberry cheesecake on a cake stand.

More Cheesecake Recipes

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