Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Tastes like summer! The fresh, vibrant strawberry flavor pairs so beautifully with the buttery graham cracker crust.
Texture: Depends on how cold you serve it! The colder it is, the more like ice cream the texture becomes. The warmer it is, it’s more like a cross between cheesecake and strawberry mousse.
Ease: Super easy, but you need both a blender or food processor and an electric mixer.
Pros: Fun, bright, and crowd-pleasing summer treat. Can be made in advance.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
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These No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars are edible proof that there’s nothing better than a fresh, fruity, and chilled dessert on a hot summer day.
I adore making cheesecake bars. I have so many cheesecake bar recipes – like Classic Cheesecake Bars, my Nutella Cheesecake Bars, and even Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars!
Cheesecake bars are fun because they don’t need a water bath, they’re easy to make, and even easier to slice and serve! What’s not to love?
These cheesecake bars are extra special because you don’t even need to turn on your oven to make these No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars! Win-win for summer baking.
I love how bold the strawberry flavor is in these bars. I find with a lot of baked goods, the strawberries kind of dull in flavor from the heating process (unless you’re roasting strawberries, like in this ice cream recipe!).
In this recipe, we use strawberries in two forms for plenty of flavor and color: freeze-dried strawberries that are blended into a fine powder, and fresh strawberries blended into the filling mixture.
So while you do need both a blender or food processor and an electric mixer (or very strong arm) to make this recipe, there’s no oven involved. There’s also no Cool Whip. Totally homemade from scratch!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
What Kind of Cream Cheese Should I Use for No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars?
- Be sure to use blocks of full-fat, high-quality cream cheese.
- Do not use reduced fat or your cheesecake bars may be watery, rubbery, or otherwise lackluster.
- Don’t use whipped cream cheese or cream cheese for spreading on a bagel.
- Be sure your cream cheese is COMPLETELY softened to room temperature before making the cheesecake bars.
I Can’t Find Graham Crackers. What Else Can I Use?
Whatever your heart desires! Use the same amount by weight of digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, Biscoff cookies, or any crunchy cookie you’d like – just note that Biscoff cookies are a little richer than graham crackers (which are drier), so add just enough butter until it holds together when pressed.
You can even put this No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bar filling on top of a pan of baked, cooled brownies!
Why Use Freeze-Dried Strawberries?
- Freeze-dried strawberries offer a ton of strawberry flavor and vibrant color without adding too much extra liquid to the filling.
- Fresh strawberries contain a lot of water, which makes it difficult to make a sturdy enough no-bake cheesecake that holds its shape, or one that doesn’t get icy and hard if you freeze it.
- I also love to use freeze-dried strawberries in icing recipes like with my Baked Strawberry Lemon Doughnuts!
- Once pulverized, they also make a great garnish on top of chocolate cake or brownies, or mixed in to flavor buttercream frosting.
Where to Find Freeze-Dried Strawberries?
You can find freeze-dried strawberries near the other dried fruits like raisins at the grocery store. I’ve seen them consistently stocked at Target, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, and Walmart, or online here. Reader Francesca also mentioned you can often find freeze-dried fruit next to the baby food at the grocery store!
What if I Can’t Find Freeze-Dried Strawberries?
If you can’t find freeze-dried strawberries, simply omit them – but please note that the strawberry color and flavor will be less intense.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries in place of the fresh strawberries in the recipe. Be sure to thaw them then drain any excess liquid completely, as too much water will prevent this cheesecake from setting.
Please note that frozen strawberries cannot be substituted for the freeze-dried strawberries.
Chilling No Bake Cheesecake
This cheesecake needs to chill in the freezer for at least 4 hours to ensure it fully sets and holds its shape. I usually just make it the day before I plan to serve it, just to allow plenty of time for the bars to fully chill.
How to Serve No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
- Before serving, allow No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars to soften slightly in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- For clean slices, use a big sharp knife. Run it under hot water, and carefully wipe it off in between slices.
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 2 weeks. The texture will be softer and looser when stored in the fridge.
- Serve with fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped cream, or chocolate ganache!
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- No-Bake Strawberry Lemonade Mini Cheesecakes
- Strawberry Bundt Cake
- Strawberry Swirl Sugar Cookies
- Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies
- Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 sleeve (9 crackers, 140 grams) graham crackers
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (47 grams)
freeze-dried strawberries * - 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup (180 grams) heavy cream, chilled
Instructions
For the crust:
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.
- Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely ground. The more finely ground, the better the crust will stay together and not crumble. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened.
- Very firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan using your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. Refrigerate.
For the cheesecake:
- In the bowl of blender, combine the sugar, freeze-dried strawberries, and salt. Blend until the strawberries are powdery with no visible chunks remaining. Add the cream cheese, lemon juice, and fresh strawberries. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom as needed. A blender tamper can help bring the mixture together quickly.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment to whip the cream until medium peaks form. Add the strawberry mixture to the whipped cream and gently fold until combined. Spread over prepared crust, smoothing the top.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. Let sit in the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Run a large sharp knife under hot water, wiping it off in between slices. Cut into 9 bars.
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 2 weeks. If freezing, remove from freezer and refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
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This post was published in 2020 and has been updated with additional baking tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
I don’t make no-bake cheesecake very often, but now I wonder why!? This recipe was fun to make…the freeze dried strawberries is a revelation. I’m already thinking about doing this with other freeze dried fruits. The texture is smooth and creamy. Heavenly! The flavor is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. I’ll be making this again. Yum!!!
These cheesecake bars are absolutely scrumptious! They are both tart and sweet with a little bit a tang from the cream cheese. My bars are not squares because I cut the recipe in half and used a bread pan instead. I found out why a plunger for the blender was recommended because it took me a while to get mine mixed up without a plunger but the effort was well worth it. I will definitely be making news again.
Hello,
Wondering whether your cheese cake melts?
Thank you
This is absolutely delicious and it was so easy to make. It’s going to be a great way to cool down with the upcoming hot days.
I made these Strawberry Cheesecake Bars for a BBQ last night and it was a hit! Everyone loved it especially because of the strong strawberry taste and the fact that the texture wasn’t too heavy. Though I did have some difficulty cutting the bars as the texture wasn’t too firm. But I will definitely try this again!
Did it for my birtday and father’s day. Everyone is delighted 🙂 thanks again tessa
Swapped in freeze dried raspberries that we found at Trader Joe’s. A bit tart but very tasty. Couldn’t wait for it to fully set.
Made this today…love it! Smooth and creamy and wonderful strawberry flavor.
These bars are so good, and so easy to make. They are perfect for a hot summer day when you don’t want to heat up your oven
Delicious! I love this
Made these with fresh strawberries I picked from an orchard near our house!!! Topped with whipped cream and a fresh berry! Easy to make and taste great! Perfect summer treat!
Followed the recipe exact and what a reward – SO delicious! Perfect summer dessert. I found the freeze dried strawberries at Trader Joes and used fresh strawberries that are just now in season here in Vermont. (They are small and sweet and so flavorful!) I also used boxed graham cracker crumbs – easy to make the base for this and for other desserts, already ground up so I just had to weigh them.
p.s. I cut this into 16 pieces (8×8 pan makes that easy) so I could make it last longer!!