Valentine’s Day is coming and and whether you’re going to be celebrating with your honey, your bestie, or your selfie, this super easy No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake is sure to make the day a little sweeter. ;) Traditional cheesecake can be kind of a pain to bake and I definitely don’t want to feel pressured to eat the whole thing, so I find this smaller batch no-bake version to be a reasonable compromise between flavor, effort, and my craving fix.

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake for Valentine’s Day, Galentines Day, or Any Day!

Can I Use a Different Fruit?

Strawberries aren’t exactly in season in February, so if you want to use a different fruit, you certainly can. You can either add plain fresh fruit, or simmer some frozen fruit (like raspberries or blueberries) with a little sugar and cornstarch to make a thick compote. OR, take the easy route and top your cheesecake with some jam. ;)

How Long Will These Last in the Refrigerator?

The quality of this no bake cheesecake is definitely the best when eaten the same day it’s made. Although I ate one after it had been refrigerating for 24 hours and it was still quite delicious. The difference being that the fruit gets a little juicier and the graham cracker crust gets less crunchy as it absorbs moisture. If you want to make this ahead, I suggest making all three components and keeping them separate for storage, then assembling them within a couple hours of eating.

Can I substitute the Heavy Cream or Cream Cheese?

There are many different ways to make no bake cheesecake, some using heavy cream and cream cheese, some not. I have only tested this combination of ingredients and unfortunately can not vouch for or recommend any other method or ingredient substitutions without testing them myself.

What Size Jar Did You Use?

The jars in the photos are 12oz. jars. This recipe makes two larger servings that fit in the 12oz. jars, or you could do four smaller servings in 8oz. jars.

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

 

How to Make No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake for Two – Step by Step Photos

Wash and remove the stems from ½ lb. of fresh strawberries. Slice the strawberries then place them in a bowl with 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Stir the strawberries until they’re coated with sugar. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the dessert so the sugar has time to draw out the juices. Stir them occasionally as they sit. (photo is after they have been sitting and juices drawn out)

Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream to a bowl. Use mixer to whip the cream about half way, or until it is thick and fluffy, but not yet forming peaks. Add ½ tsp vanilla extract and ½ cup powdered sugar. Begin whipping again, first on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then switching to high to finish whipping.

Continue whipping until the cream forms stiff peaks. The whipped cream will be slightly thicker and more stiff than traditional whipped cream because the higher amount of powdered sugar.

In a separate bowl, whip together 4oz. room temperature cream cheese and 1 Tbsp lemon juice until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Once those are smooth and creamy, add the whipped cream and whip again until they’re combined. This is your “cheesecake” filling.

Now it’s time to make the crust. Place two full graham crackers in a zip top bag and use something heavy to crush them into fine crumbs.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a small bowl, then add the graham cracker crumbs and ½ Tbsp brown sugar. Stir to combine.

Now that all of the layers are prepared, it’s time to assemble. Divide the graham cracker crust crumbs between two 12oz. jars, or some other similar sized dish.

Then divide the cheesecake filling between the two jars.

Finally, add the juiced strawberries on top, making sure to add a spoonful or two of juice to each jar, too.

Enjoy your no-bake strawberry cheesecake now or refrigerate for later!

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