I couldn’t stop imagining my favorite no-bake cheesecake recipe marbled with beautiful pink ribbons of strawberry. Many pounds of strawberries and packages of cream cheese later, this no-bake marbled strawberry cheesecake is exactly what I pictured! The filling is velvety smooth with the ideal cheesecake tang, marbled with strawberry reduction for added flavor and color, and set on a buttery graham cracker crust. It sets wonderfully in the refrigerator overnight, making this cheesecake the ideal make-ahead dessert!
Why You’ll Love This No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake
- It’s 100% no-bake. From the graham cracker crust to the cheesecake filling, there is no oven involved.
- Flavored with real strawberries. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries to make a reduction for flavoring the strawberry portions of this marbled cheesecake. If you’ve never made a reduction before, I promise it’s easier than it sounds. You’ll basically puree strawberries, then cook them in a saucepan until most of the liquid evaporates and you’re left with a jammy consistency. It takes about 20 minutes of cooking time. You can alternatively create the strawberry flavored filling with freeze-dried strawberries if you’d rather!
- Sets into the perfect consistency. After about 8 hours in the refrigerator, this no-bake cheesecake sets into a rich, velvety smooth texture that’s similar to cheesecake but a little creamier.
- Visually stunning. The strawberry marble makes this cheesecake a showstopper with minimal effort!
- Perfect dessert to make ahead. You can make the graham cracker crust 2 days ahead of adding the filling, or make the entire no-bake cheesecake and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving! It’s really easy to transport in the springform pan too.
What Does this No-Bake Cheesecake Taste Like?
This marbled strawberry no-bake cheesecake has refreshing notes of strawberry mixed with classic tangy cheesecake flavor. The filling sets into a creamy, mousse-like texture that just melts in your mouth. The graham cracker crust adds a buttery, crunchy element and balances the flavors beautifully. It’s light and refreshing, rich and velvety, with bursts of amazing strawberry cheesecake flavor!
No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake Ingredients
In order for this no-bake cheesecake to set up properly, there are some key ingredients to make the magic happen:
- Fresh or Frozen Strawberries. For the strawberry reduction (which flavors the strawberry swirls in the cheesecake), you’ll puree fresh or frozen strawberries with a food processor before simmering the puree in a saucepan until most of the liquid evaporates. This intensifies the strawberry flavor and turns it into a jammy consistency which is ideal for folding together with the cheesecake filling. If you’d rather substitute freeze-dried strawberries here (ground into powder), that works too!
- Full-Fat Brick-Style Cream Cheese. This is where most of the cheesecake flavor comes from, along with the base structure for the filling. It’s really important to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese here. The spreadable kind in tubs and the low-fat versions contain too much liquid content and preservatives to set up properly. In other words, you’ll end up with cheesecake soup unless you use the full-fat brick-style kind.
- Granulated Sugar. For sweetening the filling.
- Powdered Sugar. A little bit of powdered sugar helps thicken the filling just the right amount while keeping the sweetness level just right.
- Sour Cream. Just like in a New York style cheesecake, sour cream adds velvety texture and creaminess to the cheesecake filling. It is also partially responsible for the signature cheesecake tanginess.
- Lemon Juice. A hint of lemon juice rounds out the tanginess for the flavor of this cheesecake. The final filling won’t taste like lemon, but the fresh lemon juice certainly adds something special.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. For adding dimension to the overall flavor of this cheesecake.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. For adding the majority of the structure to this cheesecake filling, heavy whipping cream is whipped to stiff peaks and then folded into the cheesecake mixture.
- Graham Cracker Crust. The cheesecake filling is set on a buttery graham cracker crust that comes together in just about 5 minutes. Super simple, and so delicious!
How to Make No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake
Step 1: Prepare the strawberry reduction. Puree the strawberries using a food processor, then add the puree into a saucepan set over medium heat. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by half (about 20 minutes). Then, remove from the heat and cool until it’s room temperature or colder.
Step 2: Make the graham cracker crust. Mix together the graham cracker crust ingredients together and then press it into a 9-inch springform pan or a 10-inch springform pan. You’ll want to really pack it down and up the sides of the pan so that it sticks together really well when you slice the cheesecake. Then, place the graham cracker crust lined pan into the freezer while you make the cheesecake filling.
Step 3: Make the no-bake cheesecake filling. For the filling, you’ll mix together some simple ingredients that will make this cheesecake taste like a cheesecake: cream cheese, sour cream, sugars, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Together, these create the ideal cheesecake flavor.
Step 4: Make and add the whipped cream. Whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks, then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
Step 5: Create the strawberry filling. Reserve about 1 Cup of the cheesecake filling and place it into a separate bowl. Fold in the cooled strawberry reduction.
Step 6: Add and marble the filling. Add the fillings on top of the graham cracker crust by large spoonfuls. Use a butter knife or skewer to marble the fillings together. This part is best done imperfectly – the fillings are pretty thick. For the top, use a small angled spatula to gently smooth the filling down, carefully ensuring that the pink and white colors don’t get too mixed together.
Step 6: Chill and decorate. Refrigerate the no-bake cheesecake for 8 hours (or overnight), then decorate however you want! To create the look pictured, add quartered strawberries halfway around the top edge.
This no-bake cheesecake is so beautiful from the top view, and the slices are impressive too! I love that no two slices are the same.
No-Bake Cheesecake FAQs
- How long does no-bake cheesecake take to set? For best results, refrigerate the cheesecake overnight or for 8 hours at minimum. That’s the perfect amount of time for the cheesecake filling to set into a delightfully sliceable consistency.
- Why do I need full-fat brick-style cream cheese? Other kinds of cream cheese (reduced fat, spreadable kind) contain too much water, which will result in a soupy cheesecake filling. I’ve heard that mascarpone cheese makes a decent substitute but I have yet to try it. For best results, always go with full-fat brick-style cream cheese.
- What if I want the whole cheesecake to be strawberry flavored? Double the strawberry reduction portion of the recipe so that you end up with 1 Cup of strawberry puree, then reduce it to ½ Cup. It will take a little longer, about 30 minutes. Then cool it to room temperature (or colder) and add it in with the ingredients in Step 2.
- What are some graham cracker crust alternatives? I think this no-bake cheesecake would taste amazing with an Oreo cookie crust or a Biscoff cookie crust.
More No-Bake Recipes to Try:
If you love easy no-bake recipes, here are some personal favorites from my blog:
- Classic No-Bake Cheesecake
- No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake
- Easy S’mores Icebox Cake
- No-Bake Biscoff Cheesecake
- Oreo Icebox Cake
I hope you love this no-bake marbled strawberry cheesecake as much as I do! If you make it, let me know in the comments below (don’t forget to rate the recipe!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you make with my recipes!
No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry Reduction
- 1/2 Lb (227g) fresh strawberries*, hulled and quartered see notes for frozen or freeze-dried strawberries
- 1/4 Cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 Cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs about 15 full sheets
- 1/3 Cup (67g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 1/2 Cups (360ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 24 Oz (678g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temperature NOT the spread
- 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 Cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 Cup (80g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Garnish (optional)
- 1 Cup fresh strawberries, quartered
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Reduction
- After hulling the strawberries, puree them using a food processor. Afterwards, you should be left with 2/3 cup of puree. Place the strawberry puree into a saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. When you’re done with the reduction, you should have 1/3 cup of thick, jammy strawberry reduction (if you have more, keep cooking!). Place the reduced puree into an airtight container and refrigerate it until cold, about 1 hour.
Make the Graham Cracker Crust
- In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan or 10-inch springform pan. Pack it down tightly to the bottom and up the sides of the pan using a glass jar or measuring cup. You’ll want to pack it as tightly as possible to prevent it from crumbling apart when you cut the cheesecake. Freeze the graham cracker crust in the pan for 10-20 minutes while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
Make the Cheesecake Filling
- Using a hand mixer with a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
- In another large bowl (either with a hand mixer or stand mixer), beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium until creamy. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the powdered sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined (no lumps), about 2–3 minutes.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined.
- Make the Strawberry Filling: Place 1 Cup of the cheesecake filling into a separate medium bowl and add the chilled strawberry reduction. Fold together until uniform.
- Remove the graham cracker crust from the freezer and add spoonfuls of the cheesecake filling and strawberry filling into it. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently marble the filling without mixing it together too much. Give the pan a light tap to settle the filling if needed. When you reach the top of the cheesecake, use an angled spatula to smooth the top little by little, gently blending the colors together until you are satisfied with the marble effect. Cover the cheesecake tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, chill the cheesecake overnight. This will yield the most set filling.
Assembly
- When you’re ready to decorate the marbled strawberry no-bake cheesecake, remove the rim from the springform pan. To create the look pictured, top with the fresh quartered strawberries halfway around the edges of the cheesecake.
Notes
- The strawberry reduction can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- After making and freezing the graham cracker crust, it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator until you add the filling (1-2 days ahead is best for the freshest flavor).
- You can make and assemble the no-bake cheesecake up to 2 days in advance, stored in the refrigerator and covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can alternatively freeze the cheesecake for up to 3 months after it’s set in the refrigerator. Be sure to cover well if freezing. I recommend one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil.
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