Creamy, no-bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars, with a light and airy cream cheese filling, are the ideal, all-occasion dessert you’ve been dreaming about. The vanilla wafer crust is the perfect complement to this tasty dish.
A No-Bake Version of Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
This might sound polarizing, but I’m going to say it anyway – no-bake cheesecake often tastes better than cheesecake made in the oven.
Not only are no-bake versions easier to perfect, but they are more flavorful and is why I love these strawberry cheesecake bars.
These bars are impossibly smooth with not even the slightest bit of graininess and a strawberry filling that is perfectly creamy, sweet and tangy with an incredibly tasty tender crumb crust.
You’re going to love every bite.
Ingredients and Substitutions for the Best Cheesecake Bars
This is such a great recipe when it comes to flexibility with ingredients. You can easily sub some things in and out. Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Vanilla Wafers – you can substitute graham crackers for a slightly different flavor, but similar result
- Dark Brown Sugar – you can substitute light brown sugar or granulated white sugar for a slightly sweeter crust
- Butter – you can also use unsalted butter, but I recommend adding a pinch of salt to help balance out flavors
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread – You can use plain cream cheese spread if you prefer, but the strawberry flavor will be much lighter
- Granulated White Sugar – adds sweetness
- Sour Cream – You can substitute plain Greek yogurt, but the resulting cheesecake will be softer and not hold its shape as well
- Strawberry Ice Cream Syrup – boosts the strawberry flavor
- Whipped Topping – adds that light and airy structure
- Strawberries – for garnish
GET THE FULL (PRINTABLE) STRAWBERRY CHEESCAKE BARS (NO BAKE) RECIPE BELOW. ENJOY!
Making Changes When It Comes to the Crust, Flavor and Toppings
Crust
Strawberries and chocolate are an amazing flavor combination and making a chocolate crust (instead of vanilla) is as simple as substituting chocolate wafers or chocolate graham crackers for the vanilla wafers.
if you’re looking for more more sweetness, Oreo cookies can also be used.
Cheesecake Flavor
The majority of the strawberry flavor in these bars comes from the strawberry cream cheese spread. However, there are a lot of cream cheese flavors available.
You could even combine spread flavors such as strawberry with honey pecan or use all blueberry. You can even use plain and substitute the strawberry syrup, with another flavoring or extract. The possibilities are endless and dependent on your tastes.
Topping
For simplicity I topped these bars with fresh strawberry slices, but there’s really no end on what to put on top.
You could easily use a canned strawberry filling, or make a fresh one from scratch. Frozen strawberries could be warmed up with some sugar to create a sauce.
Alternatively you could switch out the strawberries for blueberries, raspberries or blackberries or nuts such as pecans or walnuts with some honey.
How to Store Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
This no bake version of cheesecake bars should be kept well covered in the refrigerator and will last 2-3 days before they begin to change texture wise.
While they will still taste good and are perfectly fine to eat, the texture will be different. They can also be stored in the freezer for 3 months, but will need to be thawed in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours before serving.
More Strawberry Recipes To Satisfy Every Craving
There are so many ways to enjoy fresh strawberries so you might as well try them all.
- strawberry pizza, a show-stopping dessert that is simple to put together and tastes amazing
- a simple enough version of strawberry shortcake that can be put together on a weeknight
- a berry driven strawberry spinach salad with the tastiest strawberry vinaigrette
- strawberry shortcake cookies that taste just like the biscuit version
- a cream cheese version of strawberry lemon pound cake you need to try
- serve this strawberry banana crumble with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream
- strawberry frozen yogurt for a healthier treat
- this strawberry-chocolate chip ice cream cake is perfect for any celebration
- fluffy strawberry mousse you won’t be able to stop eating
- strawberry popsicles you just can’t say no to
- it’s just not summer without a strawberry lemonade pie playing a starring role at the barbecue
IF YOU DO MAKE SOMETHING FROM NOBLEPIG, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE HOW YOURS TURNED OUT! Take a snapshot and tag @NOBLEPIG and #noblepig on INSTAGRAM so I can see how it turned out.
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Strawberry Cheesecake Bars (no bake)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 4 cups (heaping) vanilla wafers
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 10 tbsp butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 (8 oz) containers strawberry cream cheese spread
- 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp strawberry ice cream syrup
- 1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed
Topping:
- 18 strawberries, cored and sliced
- fresh blueberries, optional
Instructions
Crust:
- Pulse vanilla wafers and dark brown sugar together in a food processor or blender for 1-2 minutes or until completely crumbled and combined.
- Pour in melted butter and pulse briefly to combine the ingredients.
- Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper and press crust ingredients into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Place the crust in the freezer to chill while you prepare the cheesecake layer.
Strawberry Cheesecake Filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat together strawberry cream cheese spread and sugar until fully combined.
- Beat in sour cream and strawberry syrup until smooth.
- Gently fold in whipped topping until cheesecake mixture is light, fluffy and completely combined.
- Spread cheesecake layer onto chilled crust and even it out gently with a spreading spatula.
- Cover pan well with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 4 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. (If you decide on the freezer method, you will want to allow it to thaw an hour in the refrigerator before serving.)
- When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and top with sliced strawberries. Slice with a very sharp knife and serve chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
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