No bake Strawberry cheesecake

This No bake strawberry cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts all around the world and no wonder why! It is phenomenal as the silky ultra cream cheese filling meets the fruity strawberry compote in crunchy, sweet crust. This is an absolutely no fuss recipe, no baking involved, no issue around the water bath, you do not even have to turn the oven on. This no bake cheesecake is equally delicious like its baked counterpart without all the hassle!

Creamy, extra silky, light mousse like consistency...moderate in sugar, focusing on the natural flavors of the cream cheese and strawberry this cheesecake is very well balanced in sweetness . If you are looking for popular cheesecake experience without all the hard work, try this easy No bake Strawberry cheesecake recipe!

My Top 3 Baking Tips for home bakers

1. Read the recipe carefully including my tips and recommendations on how to avoid and fix typical issues during baking. Not much issue expected while making this No bake Strawberry cheesecake recipe but you will have to pay attention at making the crust and also creaming the cheesecake filling
2. Avoid using substitutes and changing the recipe unless you are aware of how to fully reformulate the recipe in order to keep the balance in texture as well as flavour. In general, reducing sugar, using poor quality cream cheese etc. will all have an impact making this No bake Strawberry cheesecake
3. For consistent, happy baking experience always measure your ingredients with the help of a Digital scale. Cup measurement is provided as an indicative figure only and might be used for less complex and large batch recipes however it is not an appropriate method if you want consistent results

Some important notes regarding the INGREDIENTS of the No bake Strawberry cheesecake

For the crust

1. Butter: Use always unsalted as you want to be in control of the quantity of the salt. I am using 82% fat content butter in all my recipes. While in most of the recipes butter needs to be on room temperature and I always recommend to avoid last minute microwaving this is an exception. The butter needs to be melted. See my notes about the “technique” below
2. Biscuit: I am using Digestive biscuits to make this No bake Strawberry cheesecake, Graham cracker works too. All you need is biscuit crumbs you can even bake your own biscuit if fancy making it totally from scratch
3. Sugar: No need extra sugar for the crust given the biscuit already contains enough sugar plus it will be crunchy anyway
4. Salt: An essential ingredient in most of the dessert recipes. Balances flavour and enhances other ingredients. This is a lovely sweet crust and I just love that extra very mild salty kick at the end

Please make sure you read my top 10 tip about the perfect cheesecake crust in this tutorial!

For the cream cheese filling

1. Gelatin: It´s an odorless, tasteless and colorless thickening agent, very often used in pastries particularly in mousse cakes. Powder or sheet versions are available, in my recipes I always use sheet (1,7 g / sheet), which I found easier to handle. Simple soak the gelatin sheet into cold water for a few minutes before you need them and use it according to the recipe. Powder gelatin can be used 1:1 so when I state 1 gelatin sheet that means 1,7 g gelatin powder. Please note that gelatin is derived from collagen taken from animal body parts therefore not suitable for vegetarians. Agar agar can be a good substitution for vegetarians however replacing gelatin with agar agar is not 1:1. If using agar agar check the conversion rate to gelatin and adjust the quantity accordingly.
2. Heavy cream: Also known as whipping cream, has a fat content between 36% and 40% , I usually use double cream that contains 36% fat. Use it very cold and do not substitute with vegetable based “whipping cream”. Heavy cream will make the Strawberry cheesecake filling extra smooth and creamy, effectively a mousse like consistency
3. Granulated sugar: I use simple, white granulated sugar, nothing fancy . I do not use a lot of sugar in this cheesecake so feel free to adjust the quantity if desired. While heating it up with cream make sure the sugar granulates fully dissolve. If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my article in here.
4. Cream cheese: I always use full fat Philadelphia tub (the one that is available in Europe, not the American version) when I state cream cheese in my recipes. I find it easy to cream (need to bring it to room temperature first) and very pleasant in taste, perfect for this Strawberry cheesecake. I usually beat it with a hand mixer for less than a minute, just until it becomes fluffy and increases a bit in volume to avoid over whipping
5. Vanilla: Please please avoid using artificial vanilla. There are several great brands for fine, pure vanilla, I use Nielsen massey which I love and really recommend. I use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract which has lovely vanilla bits in there too

For the strawberry topping

1. Strawberry: Fresh or frozen both work well here. I just love how the natural strawberry flavour without using tons of sugar meets the silky cream cheese in this No bake Strawberry cheesecake. It is so simple yet so delicious!
2. Sugar: Simple granulated sugar is fine to make the topping
3. Lemon juice: Use a small amount freshly squeezed. Lemon juice is needed to balance the sweetness, it won´t taste lemony
4. Gelatin: See notes above

4 Tips regarding the TECHNIQUE of making this No bake Strawberry cheesecake recipe

Making this No bake Strawberry cheesecake is really so easy! Absolutely hassle-free, no need to worry about issues like water bath, cracking, collapsing etc. issues you normally have to handle during making baked cheesecakes. Yet, I have some important tips for you below so your cheesecake will turn out exactly like mine!

1. How to prepare the perfect No bake cheesecake crust

Please make sure you read my top 10 tip about the perfect cheesecake crust in this tutorial!

You can use this crust for making any other kind of cheesecake or can even replace some part of the biscuit with another ingredient eg. nut. This cheesecake crust is super easy however I still have some important tips for you to make sure your crust will turn out neat and stable to hold the filling:

• You can use a food processor to make the biscuit crumb or do the the old fashion way and crush it in a zipped bag with a rolling pin, this latest one is perfect if doing stress baking
• Mix butter and biscuit crumb while butter is runny (melted). Butter will act like a binding agent in the recipe. Once it is cooled down in the fridge, it will set creating crunchy, but firm crust to hold the filling. You might have bad experience from the past with cheesecake crust being too crumby and not holding its shape, it’s probably due to not enough butter in the recipe
• When butter is melted the mixture might be runny depending on the temperature of the butter but do not add more biscuit crumb. If too runny, pop it into the fridge for 5 minutes, it will set very quickly into a consistency you can use making the crust
• The one and only secret of making firm, neat crust is to press crumbs firmly and evenly into side and the bottom of your cake ring. Start with the side and work your way up then when it looks neat and even, continue with the bottom. Find some equipment in your kitchen like bend a spoon and use it to really press the crust. I spent probably a good 10-15 minutes just focusing on the crust making sure that it is even on the side and really neat. Place your crust in the freezer and let it set while you prepare the filling

2. How to prepare cream cheese filling

Preparing the filling of this No bake Strawberry cheesecake could not be simpler, one thing that can go wrong is over mixing instead of gently folding which would result in runny consistency. Do not attempt to cut corners and reduce the number of steps, there is a reason why we whip the ingredients separately then fold them together in a particular order.

• Step 1: Prepare the gelatin mixture, boil together cream and sugar then mix gelatin sheets in. Once everything mixed, key here is to bring the mixture down to lukewarm temperature before step 2. Too warm? It will melt cream cheese in Step 2. Too cold? Gelatin will set and will be impossible to mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Do not place the mixture into the fridge to speed up the chilling process as gelatin can start to form lumps
• Step 2: Whip room temperature cream cheese until fluffy, for about a minute. Cream cheese is an interesting ingredient, it won´t get more fluffy or harder if you beat longer, in fact, it will break and become runny. I suggest to use an Electric hand mixer  to avoid over beating. Fold whipped cream cheese mixture into the gelatin mixture
• Step 3: Whip heavy cream until soft peaks. Make sure heavy cream is very cold or it might be difficult to whip up. While whipping heavy cream, remember that it will go through the following stages: runny, soft peak, stiff peak then it will break and few minutes later buttermilk separates and you can make butter . For this recipe make sure you stop at stiff peak so it will be easy to fold the mixture together and keep the mixture fluffy without breaking it. Fold whipped cream into rest of the ingredients
• Use cream cheese filling immediately. The filling must be fluffy, airy although it won´t be stiff at this point. Don´t worry, it will set in a few hours due to the gelatin added at step 1

That´s it! Remember, making this cream cheese filling in fact very easy but a step by step process. Feel free to flavour it with vanilla, a small amount of lemon juice etc.

Is it possible to make this cream cheese filling without gelatin?

Yes, but you have to use some sort of thickening ingredient otherwise mixture won't set. Gelatin is very often used by pastry chefs whenever they make a mousse like airy dessert.

Is it possible to make this cream cheese filling without Philadephia cream cheese?

Yes, but you need to use another cream cheese then that has a similar consistency and fat content. Philadelphia is brilliant when it comes to texture and flavour but feel free to use any other full fat cream cheese you have available.

How does this cream cheese filling taste?

It is creamy, airy, has the perfect consistency for a no bake cheesecake. Taste wise, it is not too sweet with mild vanilla flavour. Since the recipe is using a fair amount of cream, expect the taste very creamy as opposed to very cheesy, if that makes sense?

3. How to make the strawberry topping

You can make cheesecake with almost any topping, this one is made with a few ingredients super easy and quick strawberry compote. I like to have a thick layer of fruit on top of the creamy cream cheese filling but feel free to chose the quantity according to your preference.

Making the topping for this No bake Strawberry cheesecake is so easy!

1. Cook strawberries, sugar and lemon juice until mixture slightly thickens about 10-15 minutes. Monitor the consistency as cooking time can vary depending on the saucepan, stove and whether you are using frozen or fresh strawberries. The mixture should not fully thicken, we are not aiming to make jam, but the majority of the water should evaporate
2. Soak gelatin sheets into cold water
3. Squeeze excess water from gelatin and stir into the strawberry mixture
4. Then wait. You will have to find the perfect moment to pour strawberry mixture onto the cheesecake. If too hot, it will melt the cheese cream. If too cold, the gelatin will already set and you won´t be able to pour the mixture. Aim to pour the compote over when it is neither hot nor cold, somewhere in between

Please note that the quantity of the gelatin sheet will depend on how thick you cook the mixture so you might need slightly more or less.

4. How to assemble this No bake Strawberry cheesecake

Patient is key when making mousse type cakes, like this No bake Strawberry cheesecake. You just can’t rush certain steps or it will make a mess. It is a super simple recipe, but you have to respect time, concretely leaving enough time in between the steps until each phase sets.

• Freeze crust for 30 minutes while preparing the cream cheese mousse filling
• Make the cream cheese filling and pipe or pour it into the cold crust
• Move cheesecake into the fridge and let it set for minimum 1-2 hours. Do not attempt to proceed with the strawberry topping before cheesecake top properly set or they will melt together
• Make the strawberry topping and let it cool to about room temp. You want it to to be warm enough to be able to pour before it sets but not hot that would melt the cheesecake
• Once strawberry compote is on top of the cheesecake again put it back to the fridge for min 4 hours to set. Do not attempt to open the cake ring before that.
• Don´t forget to leave some cream and compote for later to decorate the cake, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate
• After 4 hours carefully remove cake ring, move the remaining cream and topping into a piping bag and decorate your strawberry cheesecake

5. What equipment is needed to make this Strawberry cheesecake

You will be pleased to hear that making this No bake Strawberry cheesecake does not require too much equipment!

For assembling the cheesecake I am using a Mousse cake ring (adjustable in size) set to 16cm / 6 inches. I really like the neat tall design of it however it does not have bottom so I make one using kitchen foil. Alternatively use a spring form.

Electric hand mixer will necessary to whip cream cheese and heavy cream and a Rubber spatula is absolutely crucial to fold the cream without breaking it.

Last but least for the decoration use a Piping bag I suggest a simple round nozzle tip but chose one according to your liking.

Some more No-bake Cheesecake recipe ideas for your to try

• Pistachio cheesecake recipe: I´ve made many cheesecakes in my life but this Pistachio cheesecake is special! If you are a cheesecake and pistachio lover and like to make delicious desserts without a lot of fuss, this will be a recipe you will love! A No-bake, no problem recipe! Recipe in here
• Oreo cheesecake recipe: Crunchy, decorative Oreo crust filled with extra smooth vanilla cream cheese mousse with hidden Oreo pieces! This No-bake Oreo cheesecake is super light and taste amazing with just the right amount of sweetness! A dream come true! Recipe in here
• Raspberry cheesecake recipe: Silky, ultra creamy lemony cheese filling meets raspberry compote in this crunchy, sweet crust that is enhanced with freezed dried raspberries for the ultimate luxurious taste. Imagine raspberry lemonade in a cheesecake format! Recipe in here

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