Best Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe (Natural & No Bake!)

A fluffy, sliceable no-bake cheesecake made with real ingredients (no gelatin, no Cool Whip) and crowned with fresh strawberries or strawberry pie filling.

Prep Time30

Cook Time0

Chill Time8

Total Time8 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy Strawberry Cheesecake, No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

Servings:

Ingredients

For Crust:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup salted butter (or unsalted butter + a pinch of salt)
2 tbsp sugar

For Filling:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 8-oz packages regular cream cheese softened (not low-fat or spreadable)
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract

For Fresh Strawberry Topping

2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the Crust:

Line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray.
Stir ingredients together in a large bowl until evenly moistened and press firmly (using a flat-bottomed measuring cup) into the bottom and 1” up sides of the prepared pan. Freeze 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Make the Filling:

In a stand mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream to stiff peaks with the whisk attachment. Scrape it into a separate bowl to reserve. Don't bother washing the stand mixer bowl.
To the stand mixer bowl, add the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat (still with whisk attachment ) on medium-high speed until it's fluffy and shiny like buttercream frosting. This takes a full 5 minutes.
If cream cheese is too cold to whip up to this airy consistency, warm the bowl slightly by pressing a hot, damp towel on the bottom.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a large rubber spatula.
Scrape the batter into prepared crust and smooth the top. Chill in the fridge for 8 hours to set, or freeze for 1-2 hours.
Top cheesecake as desired just before serving. Wrap any leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Top Before Serving

Toss the sliced strawberries with sugar and let sit 10 minutes to draw out the juices, then spoon over the cheesecake.
Wrap any leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Video

Notes

Canned Strawberry Pie Filling: Use 1 can (21 oz) strawberry pie filling instead of fresh strawberry topping, if you prefer.

Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese in bricks. Do not use spreadable or light cream cheese, or the filling won’t firm up.

Yogurt: I use Greek yogurt to add a tangy flavor and help the cheesecake set without gelatin.

Crust Options: You can swap graham crackers for digestive biscuits, Oreos, or gluten-free cookies.

Serving Tips: Use a sharp knife to slice while cold. Rinse the blade in hot water and wipe clean between cuts for neat slices.

Make Ahead: This is a great make-ahead dessert. Chill in the springform pan up to 24 hours, covered, before topping.

Storage: Keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days. Crust may soften slightly over time.

Nutrition