This Strawberry Cheesecake features a creamy cheesecake on a graham cracker crust topped with fresh strawberry sauce.
Strawberry cheesecake
It's no secret that I love a silky smooth cheesecake. I've made several of them over the last two years. My most popular one being a luscious Nutella cheesecake and followed by that is my favorite triple chocolate cheesecake.
But today we're celebrating my supremely creamy cheesecake and I've topped it off with a homemade fresh strawberry topping.
You guys, this is one swoon-worthy dessert. I sent one to my husband's new boss and got rave reviews.
There's really nothing fancy with today's recipe. It's simple, light, and fresh. You'll probably be able to enjoy more than one slice without feeling bogged down and heavy.
And with strawberries coming into season soon, I can think of no better way to highlight this bright red, juicy fruit.
If it's too hot to make a baked cheesecake, give this no bake strawberry cheesecake a try! It's just as delightful.
How do you make a cheesecake base?
The base for this strawberry cheesecake is made with graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Mix all this together until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a springform pan. Bake it in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes then let it cool completely.
Main ingredients for strawberry cheesecake
Cream cheese - choose a high quality, full-fat cream cheese for the best results.
Sugar - regular granulated sugar works best for baked cheesecakes.
Sour Cream - the secret ingredient to light and creamy cheesecakes.
Strawberries - pick ripe strawberries to use for the sauce. They'll taste much better if they are in season!
How to make strawberry cheesecake?
Step 1: Make the graham cracker crust
Combine cream cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Make the creamy cheesecake filling
Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sugar, sour cream, salt, and vanilla until well combined. Gently stir in lightly beaten eggs until well combined.
Pour the filling over the prepared crust and set inside a water bath. Bake in a 300°F oven for 1 hour then turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another hour with the door closed.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 3: Make the strawberry topping
Puree fresh strawberries with cornstarch. Add puree and sugar to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. This may take anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes.
Once thickened, stir in chopped strawberries and set aside to cool. Top the cheesecake with the strawberry sauce and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but overnight is best.
Tips for this strawberry cheesecake recipe
- Read my post on how to make the best cheesecake recipe for full details on how to achieve a creamy texture and zero cracks.
- Plan ahead. Cheesecakes take time to prepare and must refrigerate for several hours once finished.
More strawberry recipes
- Strawberry Donuts with Lemon Glaze
- Strawberry Cake Donuts
- Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadillas
- Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse
Strawberry Cheesecake
This Strawberry Cheesecake features a creamy cheesecake on a graham cracker crust topped with fresh strawberry sauce.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 cups (200 g) graham cracker crumbs, about 2 sleeves
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- 32 ounces (904 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups (266 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
For the sauce
- 16 ounces (400 g) whole strawberries, diced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (334 g) finely chopped strawberries
Instructions
Make the crust
- Move the oven rack to the lower third position and heat the oven to 350°F. Wrap the outer bottom of a 9-inch springform pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and about 2-inches up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
Make the filling
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the sugar and sour cream, beat until well combined. Add the vanilla and salt, beat on low speed until smooth.
- Using a silicone spatula, gently stir in the eggs just until combined. Pour the batter over the prepared crust.
- Fill a roasting pan with a few inches of boiling water and place the cheesecake in the center.
- Bake for 1 hour, OR until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly. Turn the oven off, leave the cheesecake in the water bath in the oven for another hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place it on a wire rack. Run a small knife around the outer edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan and leave it to cool completely.
Make the sauce
- Add the diced strawberries and cornstarch to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the sugar.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, and chopped strawberries. Set aside to cool for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Spread the topping evenly over the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Remove the sides of the pan just before serving.
Notes
Oven temps can vary which means your cheesecake may need more time to bake. You'll know it is done cooking when the outer edges of the cheesecake feel firm to the touch while the center looks wet and jiggles when shaken. If the cheesecake doesn't look this way after an hour of cooking, let it cook until it does. Then you can turn the oven off and let the cheesecake rest for another hour in the oven.
Make ahead tip
- The cheesecake will keep for up to 4 days covered and stored in the refrigerator.
- The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 20 servingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 366Saturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 267mgCarbohydrates: 36gSugar: 30gProtein: 4g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
Watch the strawberry cheesecake web story!
Ashley Ramsey says
I’ve never frozen a cheesecake before. Do you have any tips?
Jen Sobjack says
You can slice it or leave it whole. Place it on a cardboard round or freezer-safe plate. Wrap it tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap followed by a few layers of foil.
Christine C says
Could I put the topping on after slicing rather than spreading it to set on the whole cheesecake? Making this for a group of people that includes a couple non-strawberry eaters.
Jen Sobjack says
You can but don't make the topping until you are ready to use it. It becomes quite thick and congealed once completely cooled.
Johnnie Belle Boddie says
I have never used a water bath in making a cheese cake. so what is the different, mine always seem to be good and moist
Jen Sobjack says
Water baths promote even baking so the cheesecake doesn't get cracks and stays creamy. Every cheesecake recipe is different, but I always use a water bath with mine.
Michelle says
I had some of the sauce left over do you know how long it lasts or shall I just throw it?
Jen Sobjack says
It should keep for about 5 days stored in the refrigerator. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Lisa grant says
I just made and baked it little over an hour. It seems little wet still in center. Question is will it set more in fridge ? Didn’t know if maybe that’s how was supposed to be or I should bake some more
Jen Sobjack says
It is done cooking when the outer edges of the cheesecake feel firm to the touch while the center looks wet and jiggles when shaken. If the cheesecake doesn't look this way after an hour of cooking, let it cook until it does. Then you can turn the oven off and let the cheesecake rest for another hour in the oven. The cheesecake will continue to set as it cools and refrigerates.
Sarah Smith says
I've made many cheesecakes looking for the perfect one and this one is it!! We love it. I was wondering though, could I add mini chocolate chips? Would you sprinkle them on the crust and add the cheesecake batter or sprinkle them on top of the batter?
Jen Sobjack says
I've not added mini chocolate chips to the filling before but I imagine you could just stir them in before pouring the filling into the crust.
Melissa says
I wanna make these as cupcakes... is there a certain way they would have to be cooked differently?
Jen Sobjack says
You'd need to divide it among the cups of a muffin tin lined with paper liners. The baking temperature will remain the same but they'll need less time to bake. I recommend placing a pan of hot water on the lowest rack below the cheesecakes to ensure they turn out as creamy as the original recipe.
Melissa says
I have 7 positions in my oven. Which position would you use for the lower third? I wasn’t sure which position would be best. Thanks!
Jen Sobjack says
Find the center of the oven and go one notch below that.
Melissa says
Thank you! The cheesecake turned out perfect!
sejl says
Hi Jen,
I absolutely love your cheesecake recipes. They always turn out so creamy and light.
Have a quick question - when make the recipes in a cupcake pan, the cheesecake isn't as creamy. I have tried various timings but always feel a bit drier and just not as lovely. Do you think a water pan on the bottom shelf will help this?
Happy Holidays!
Jen Sobjack says
Yes, a pan of water on the lower shelf should help the cheesecakes retain their moisture.
Kristie says
I just made this cheesecake on a Friday afternoon, going to be eaten on Sunday. Do I put the strawberry sauce on top and cover with plastic with the springform pan still on? Or do I remove the pan after it’s chilled for four hours and cover?
Jen Sobjack says
Don't remove the pan until just before serving as instructed in the recipe.
katey says
what is a water bath?
Jen Sobjack says
It's where you bake the cheesecake inside another pan filled halfway with water. There are instructions inside the recipe for how to do this.
Beatrice says
Can these be baked without a crust ? Would like to make separate custered containers.
Jen Sobjack says
I've never baked a crustless cheesecake so I'm unsure if the filling will be too fragile/delicate to remove from the baking pan.
Katie says
If I want to line the sides of the crust/tin with halved strawberries will that affect the cooking?
Jen Sobjack says
I'm not too sure if it will affect the cooking but the strawberries may release too much moisture into the batter and make it juicy/liquidy.
Niya says
Can this batter be used to fill mini crusts pans?
Jen Sobjack says
Yes, you can make mini cheesecakes with this batter.
Emily Gomez says
If my cheesecake pan is around 7 inches, how long do I put it in the oven ?
Jen Sobjack says
I've never baked a 7-inch cheesecake so I can't say for sure. My suggestion is to just keep a close eye on it and start checking for doneness at around 45-50 minutes.
Katelyn Bickel says
Can you put it in an already made crust?
Jen Sobjack says
There's far too much filling for a premade pie crust. You'll most likely need 2.
Clayton says
Hey, just made this and it's my first cheesecake entirely from scratch! I'm finally getting into baking so some of this is still foreign to me. I timed it so my strawberry sauce would be cooled by the time I pull the cake out, now I'm wondering if I wanna let the cake cool completely before topping with the strawberry sauce. Thanks so for much for the foolproof recipe (even if I'm able to find something to be foolish about 😂)
Chris says
Jen
Can I make the strawberry sauce the day before? And if so, do I heat it back up or let it come to room temperature?
Jen Sobjack says
I've not tried making the sauce ahead of time like this so I'm not really sure how it will turn out.
Steph says
Following- do I let it cool off outside oven prior to putting strawberries sauce on? Of can I put it on immediately after hour off in oven?
Jen Sobjack says
Follow the recipe. It instructs you to cool the cheesecake and the topping before adding the topping to the cheesecake.