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Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Recipe

Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Recipe
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★★★★★

4.8 from 26 reviews

This Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake is a luscious no-bake dessert featuring a buttery vanilla cream cookie crust, a creamy strawberry-infused filling, and a delightful crunchy topping of crushed cookies and wafers. Perfectly balanced between sweet and tangy, it’s finished with a decorative whipped topping, making it a refreshing and elegant treat for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 lb vanilla cream cookies (about 34 cookies), divided
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1 small box (3.3 oz) strawberry gelatin
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 bricks (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 10 strawberry wafer cookies (about 4 oz)

Topping:

  • About half a small tub of whipped topping, thawed and placed into a pastry bag with a star tip

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Crust: Place 26 vanilla cream cookies into a food processor and process until they become fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and process again until the mixture has a crumbly, wet sand-like texture. Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased 10-inch springform pan to form the crust. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes to set.
  2. Make the Strawberry Gelatin: In a bowl, combine 1 cup boiling water with the 3.3 oz strawberry gelatin powder. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool at room temperature. Do not refrigerate at this stage.
  3. Mix the Cream Cheese Base: In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  4. Whip the Cream: In another clean bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl once during whipping for even texture.
  5. Combine Mixtures: Divide the whipped cream evenly into two portions. Gently fold one half into the cream cheese and sugar mixture until smooth and well combined. Whisk the other half of the whipped cream with the cooled strawberry gelatin mixture until smooth.
  6. Assemble Layer One: Pour half of the strawberry gelatin and whipped cream mixture over the prepared cookie crust. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to partially set this layer.
  7. Add Cream Cheese Layer: Remove the pan from the freezer and spread the cream cheese and whipped cream mixture evenly over the strawberry layer.
  8. Assemble Layer Two: Top the cream cheese layer with the remaining strawberry gelatin and whipped cream mixture, smoothing the surface.
  9. Prepare and Add Crunchy Topping: Coarsely crush the remaining 8 vanilla cream cookies and the 10 strawberry wafer cookies. To do this, you can use a tart shaper or place the cookies in a sealed sandwich bag and crush them lightly with a rolling pin. Optionally, add a few drops of red food coloring to the crushed cookies and mix to give a pinkish hue. Sprinkle this crushed cookie mixture evenly over the top of the cheesecake layer.
  10. Chill the Cheesecake: Refrigerate the assembled cheesecake for at least 4 hours or until fully set and ready to serve.
  11. Garnish and Serve: Before serving, pipe the thawed whipped topping from the pastry bag with a star tip decoratively over the cheesecake’s surface if desired. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

  • Ensure the cream cheese is fully softened before mixing to achieve a smooth filling.
  • Do not refrigerate the gelatin mixture before combining; it needs to cool but remain liquid for proper blending.
  • The crust and first strawberry layer benefit from freezing to set properly before adding subsequent layers.
  • You can adjust the sweetness by modifying the powdered and granulated sugar quantities.
  • For a firmer cheesecake, chill overnight.
  • If food coloring is not available or preferred, omit it; the natural colors are beautiful.
  • Use a non-stick or springform pan for easy removal and presentation.

Nutrition

Keywords: Strawberry cheesecake, no-bake cheesecake, vanilla cream cookie crust, strawberry dessert, creamy cheesecake, crunchy topping

Find it online: https://bakedbylisa.com/strawberry-crunch-cheesecake-recipe/