As summer approaches, I find myself thinking about the first fresh strawberries of the season. Strawberry cheesecake has always been a favorite dessert of mine. These no-bake strawberry cheesecake bars are fairly easy to make, and require no time baking in the oven.
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
As summer approaches, I find myself thinking about the first fresh strawberries of the season. Strawberry cheesecake has always been a favorite dessert of mine. These no-bake strawberry cheesecake bars are fairly easy to make, and require no time baking in the oven.
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Base:
- 1.5 cups of crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 12 graham crackers)
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 5 Tbsp salted butter, melted on the stove
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz (1 package) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup white confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
For the Strawberry Topping:
- 16 oz fresh strawberries, cleaned and quartered
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 2 Tbsp cold water
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Base:
- Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are broken down into roughly 1.5 cups of crushed crumbs.
- *Don’t worry if you don’t have a food processor--You can crush the graham crackers however you want.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, white granulated sugar, and melted salted butter in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir until the crumbs are evenly coated with butter and sugar.
- Press the crumb and butter mixture into the bottom of a 9” baking pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom to form an even layer of graham cracker crust.
- Place the baking pan with the crust in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the no-bake cheesecake filling.
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- For the cheesecake filling, use an electric mixer or stand mixer to mix the softened cream cheese until smooth and light.
- Add the confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, vanilla extract, Kosher salt, and beat until well combined.
- In another mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and creamy.
- Remove the crust from the refrigerator and spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the crust.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge to continue chilling.
For the Strawberry Topping:
- Combine the sliced strawberries, white granulated sugar, cornstarch, water, and Kosher salt in a small saucepan on the stove.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat until it thickens, and the strawberries release their juices.
- Remove the strawberry topping from heat, and let it cool in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes.
- Once the topping has cooled, pour the strawberry topping over the cheesecake filling in the pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Return the pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours, or until the cheesecake bars are set.
- Once chilled, slice the no-bake cheesecake into bars or slices, and serve.
Notes
This dessert is best made well in advance of serving, as it requires at least 4 hours of resting time in the fridge for the filling to solidify.
This dessert goes great with some freshly whipped cream.