Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake (No Bake)

I love strawberry desserts for Spring and Summer, it is one of my favorite things! You get so much strawberry flavor in this strawberry crunch cheesecake thanks to fresh strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries!

If you want even more strawberry recipes, you have to check out my strawberry filled cupcakes, made with homemade strawberry preserves, or my strawberry layered cake.

Recipe Testing

Just like my Biscoff cheesecake and strawberry white chocolate cheesecake, this strawberry crunch cheesecake has a cheesecake base that uses whipped cream. The whipped cream helps stabilize the filling so when you cut into it, you get nice clean slices and it also makes the cheesecake so light and airy.

You then get all of the strawberry flavor from reducing fresh strawberries into a puree, and also adding freeze-dried strawberries for an extra oomph of strawberry flavor! The cheesecake crust was originally baked, but I changed that to make it a true no-bake recipe!

Ingredients Needed

• Strawberries: try to use in season strawberries for this recipe. If not, the reduced strawberries won't be as bright and vibrant, and the final look of the cheesecake won't be as pink.
• Cream Cheese: I used Philadelphia cream cheese for this recipe, and it needs to be full fat! If you're based in Europe and your cream cheese comes in tubs instead of packets, you'll need to pat it down with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture.
• Golden Oreos: If you can't get your hands on golden oreos, then you can substitute them for graham crackers!
• Lemon Juice: lemon juice really brings out the brightness of strawberries, while it is optional I think it makes a huge difference!
• Freeze-Dried Strawberries: you can find this at Trader Joe's, Target, Amazon or Whole Foods.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake

Step 1: Puree your strawberries in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Step 2: Pour the pureed strawberries into a small saucepan along with the lemon juice. Over medium-low heat, stir the strawberries until it has reduced to ½ a cup. This can take 25-30 minutes.

Step 3: Pour the reduced strawberries into a shawl bowl or tray, this will help them cool down faster.

Step 4: In a large bowl, mix the crushed golden Oreos with the melted butter until it resembles wet sand.

Step 5: In a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper, press the golden Oreo cheesecake crust in with the bottom of a measuring cup. You want to make sure it's packed evenly. Place in the freezer while you work on the cheesecake filling.

Step 6: In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream until you have stiff peaks. Set aside.

Step 7: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth.

Step 8: add the cooled strawberries, lemon juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until smooth.

Step 9: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Step 10: Take the springform pan out of the freezer. Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan and use a small offset spatula to make the top even. Cover the pan tightly in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge overnight.

Step 11: Whisk the freeze-dried strawberry powder with the crushed golden Oreos in a small bowl.

Step 12: Once ready to serve, take the pan out of the fridge. Run a butter knife along the edge of the cheesecake, then carefully remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle over the strawberry shortcake topping, and decorate with whipped cream if you wish!

Expert Tips & Tricks

• I highly recommend buying a scale and using the metric measurements for the ingredients, it will make a huge difference to all of your baking!
• Make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature before starting. I take out the cream cheese about 2-3 hours beforehand. If you don't do this, your cream cheese will stay lumpy when you make the filling.
• Be patient while reducing the strawberries. Depending on the ones you use, they might be juicier and have more water in them, which means it'll take longer to reduce. If you don't wait long enough, the puree will be too thin and your filling won't set properly.
• For best results, chill your cheesecake for 12 hours. I tried slicing it at 6 hours and while it was fine, it was definitely much cleaner after 12. So try to leave it in the fridge until the next day if you can.
• If you prefer, make a graham cracker crust instead of a golden oreo crust.

Frequently Asked Questions