Description
Enjoy a taste of summer nostalgia with this no-bake Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake—it’s like catching the ice cream truck, but in dessert form. A crisp cookie crust supports layers of whipped strawberry filling and rich cream cheese, all topped off with a playful cookie crumble.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- 1 pound vanilla cream cookies (about 34 cookies), divided
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 3.3-ounce package strawberry-flavored gelatin
- 1 cup freshly boiled water
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (two 8-ounce blocks)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 10 strawberry wafer cookies (about 4 ounces)
For the Decorative Topping
- Approximately half a tub of thawed whipped topping, fitted into a pastry bag with a Wilton 1M star tip
Instructions
- Prepare the Crust
- Place 26 of the vanilla cream cookies into a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs.
- Pour in the melted butter and process until the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of a greased 10-inch springform pan.
- Slide the pan into the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
- Make the Strawberry Layer
- In a bowl, whisk together the hot water and strawberry gelatin for about 2 minutes, until fully dissolved. Let this mixture cool at room temperature—do not refrigerate.
- In another bowl, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Whip the Cream
- In a clean mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, scraping down the sides once.
- Divide the whipped cream evenly: fold half into the cream cheese mixture, and the other half into the cooled gelatin.
- Layer and Chill
- Pour half of the pink strawberry-cream mixture over the chilled crust and return the pan to the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Once slightly firm, spoon the cream cheese–whipped cream layer on top, smoothing it out gently.
- Finish with the remaining strawberry-cream blend as the top layer.
- Add the Crunchy Finish
- Coarsely break up the reserved vanilla cookies and the strawberry wafers—either pulse in the food processor briefly or crush in a sealed bag with a rolling pin.
- (Optional) Tint the crumbs with a few drops of pink food coloring for an extra pop.
- Scatter the colorful cookie pieces evenly over the cheesecake.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until fully set.
- Garnish and Serve
- When you’re ready to impress, pipe swirls of whipped topping around the edges or across the surface.
- Carefully release the springform pan sides, slice into wedges, and enjoy your homemade summer treat!
Notes
Chef’s Note:
- For a golden twist, swap in Golden Oreos for the crust.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
- Category: Desserts