No Bake Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
Creamy no bake white chocolate cheesecake layered with fresh strawberries. A heavenly strawberry and cream pairing that gets layers of flavor from white chocolate, cream cheese, and notes of lemon.
When I thought to make you a no bake strawberry cheesecake I considered using some freeze dried berries to add to the filling, make it pink, and double down on that strawberry flavor. But if you’ve tried this, you know that freeze dried berries and fresh don’t have quite the same flavor. The sugars are much more concentrated in the former and there’s just less of the natural sharpness and juice which leaks out and flavors the cream around it.
Instead I thought – let me pair it with something else that would layer the flavor of the cream and give more stability to the cheesecake. I am not a fan of strawberries and dark or milk chocolate, white on the other hand, lets strawberries stand out as a wonderful underdone.
What I want you to know about this recipe is that it can be altered to your wants and needs: if you don’t like berries that get soft within a cream (like an icebox cake does) then you can simply pile them on top and serve it that way – though your cheesecake will have more distinct layers and you’ll get less of the strawberry and cream flavor.
But also – this makes a really delicious and solid no bake white chocolate cheesecake; so say if you wanted to pile it on with raspberries or blueberries that would be great too!
Recipe Origins
This filling one is more or less my no bake chocolate cheesecake but with white chocolate subbed in for the dark. I do keep some sugar in the recipe but not a lot since white chocolate is sweeter; while you could omit it it does give the filling more structure. The crust is a ratio I’ve been following for years: 350g crumbs per stick of butter; however if I add nuts (I do a cup here) then I reduce the crumbs added so it won’t be too dry. The biggest change here is how the strawberries are incorporated: layered into the filling in steps so that you’re always getting strawberry flavor with the cream cheese/white chocolate filling.
Recipe Ingredients
Strawberries: use fresh, locally grown berries for the best flavor.
Heavy cream: or heavy whipping cream. Anything else will not have enough fat in it to whip thick.
Cookie crumbs: graham cracker crumbs or digestive cookies. Gingersnaps would be great here too, though they tend to be more buttery and you may want to reduce the butter added to the crust by a tablespoon or two.
Nuts: I use walnuts or pecans, depending on what I have. If you need to leave it nut-free, see the note below.
Powdered sugar: partially for the crust (to sweeten and help with structure) and for the filling (ditto).
Butter: unsalted or salted is fine. When I’m making a cheesecake crust I tend to use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt.
Cream cheese: full fat.
Labneh/sour cream: interchangeable but they should be full fat.
White chocolate: it must be a bar (not chocolate chips) and it must have cocoa butter listed in the ingredients.
Vanilla: pure paste or extract, for the best flavor.
Lemon: just a tablespoon of juice for the filling, I also like to zest the lemons over my strawberries before layering.
How to make No Bake Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
Start by making the crust
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Before you exclaim – but it’s a no bake !! – I do bake just the crust so that it sets better and isn’t overly crumbly when slicing. It’s ten minutes and it will save you a mess.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan and clip the side ring around it. I wouldn’t use an 8 inch pan (the filling/strawberries won’t fit) but you could use a 10 inch, the cheesecake will just be a bit shorter.
Grind the cookie crumbs and nuts until finely ground – if you are using walnuts be very careful to not overdo it or they will turn into walnut butter/paste. Stop as soon as you have smaller bits.
Combine the nuts, crumbs, melted butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Stir until the mix feels wet and when you squeeze some of the mix in your palm it more or less keeps shape.
Press half of the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and the other half up the sides, taking your time to make an even, smooth crust. A measuring cup helps pack the crumbs in – see video for how to.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes. When it comes out, if it has gone a bit wonky, use the measuring cup to press it back into place.
Let cool completely before filling.
Make the white chocolate cheesecake mixture
The cream cheese needs to be at room temperature so take it out a few hours before making the filling.
Set it in the bowl of a stand mixer and use an offset spatula to press down, this will help remove any lumps.
Affix the paddle attachment and turn the mixer on medium low, we’re further creaming the cream cheese to avoid any lumps.
Add the sour cream or labneh and the powdered sugar, along with the salt and vanilla. Mix on medium low until smooth – scrape down the bowl as needed so it’s evenly mixed.
Melt the white chocolate either in the microwave, in 30 second increments, or in a bain marie (a heatproof bowl set over simmering water).
Pour in the white chocolate and mix on low.
Now pour in the heavy cream and lemon juice and switch to the whisk attachment, whisk until thickened and you can see whisk marks holding shape in the batter.
Assemble the Cheesecake
Slice the ⅔ of the strawberries thinly.
Pour about a third of the cheesecake filling into the cooled crust.
Arrange a layer of strawberries over the filling.
Pour the second third of batter over the berries, smooth into an even layer.
Add another layer of strawberries.
Pour the third layer of batter, smooth. Option to slice the last berries and put them on top now, or wait until serving.
Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours until set.
Slice the last berries and arrange on top, feel free to pile them on, and serve.
Questions & Notes
How long does it take a no bake cheesecake to set?
At least six hours if you want clean, smooth slices. Any less and it will be quite creamy.
Why do I save some strawberries for the end?
When sliced or cut, the strawberries tend to turn a bit matte as their juices seep out. It makes for a slightly unattractive cheesecake but I’ll leave the option to you.
Can I halve this recipe? Or make it in a different pan.
To halve, use a 6 inch springform pan. If you don’t have a springform you can use an 8 inch cake pan – grease the pan then press a sheet of parchment into the bottom, letting it crease on the sides. It won’t have as straight/clean sides but it will work well and you can use the parchment to lift the cheesecake out of the pan.
No Bake Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
No Bake Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 300g graham cookie or digestive biscuit crumbs
- 100g walnuts or pecans ground into bits (if you need to leave the nuts out, increase the crumbs to 350g and reduce the powdered sugar to 2 tablespoons)
- 40g or or ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 113g or 8 tablespoons butter melted
Filling
- 453g or 2 bricks full fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 120g or ½ cup labneh or sour cream
- 40g about ⅓ cup powdered sugar preferably made with tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 200g white chocolate melted (the chocolate should have the ingredient cocoa butter listed)
- 300g or a little over 1 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- About a quart of strawberries sliced thin
Method
- Please note: this is a no bake cheesecake because the filling does not have eggs and is not baked. We will however be baking the crust so that it sets and is easily sliced - it also improves flavor. You have the option to skip this if you don’t mind a more crumbly crust.
Make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lay a sheet of parchment over the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan and clip the ring over it. Trim the parchment if you like so there’s not a lot of overhang.
- Place the cookies in the food processor and run it on high until the cookie crumbs are finely ground. For the nuts, especially if using walnuts, grind and stop as soon as they are in bits - if you continue to grind they will turn into a paste.
- Melt the butter and add it, the cookie crumbs, ground nuts, and powdered sugar to a large bowl. Stir with a spoon or mix by hand until the butter is incorporated and there’s no large bits of butter or too dry bits of crumbs - check by squeezing the mix with your hand, it should kind of hold shape.
- Press half of the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and the other half up the sides. Use a measuring cup to help you flatten and pack the crumbs into an even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until fragrant. If it’s gone a bit misshapen out of the oven, use the measuring cup to press it back. Let cool completely.
Make the filling
- Place the cream cheese into a stand mixer bowl. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to press it against the bowl. Affix the paddle attachment and turn the mixer on medium low, beat until smooth.
- Add the sour cream or labneh, salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar and beat until smooth (medium to medium low speed).
- Chop the white chocolate into chunks and melt in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Alternatively melt over a bain marie. Pour the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth, just a minute or two.
- Pour the heavy cream and lemon juice into the bowl and switch the mixer to the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium to medium high until thickened, the whisk should leave ripples that hold shape in the bowl.
Assemble
- Slice about two thirds of the strawberries thinly (the rest we’ll use for the topping).
- Pour a third of the filling into the cooled crust, smooth into an even layer. Arrange a layer of sliced strawberries over the filling. Repeat with another third of the filling and another third of the sliced berries. Pour the remaining cheesecake batter filling over the top and smooth into an even layer, set in the fridge to chill for 6 hours. You can add the rest of the strawberries now but they tend to look a bit unattractive and soft after 6 hours in the fridge so I prefer to add the last berries before serving. Once set, the cheesecake will slice easily with some berries shifting in and out as the knife goes through. Cheesecake is best the day of, once the berries have been on top. Though if you don’t mind the softer berries, the next day it’s great too!
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