Strawberry Cheesecake

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This Strawberry Cheesecake features a creamy cheesecake on a graham cracker crust topped with fresh strawberry sauce. 

A slice of Strawberry Cheesecake on a white plate.

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.


Side view of a whole Strawberry Cheesecake on a white plate.

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.

graham crackers in food processor

graham cracker crumbs

graham cracker crust

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.

Filling for Strawberry Cheesecake being poured over a graham cracker crust.

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.

Diced Strawberries

Fresh Strawberry Puree

Fresh strawberry topping for cheesecake in a saucepan.

Angled view of a slice of strawberry cheesecake on a white plate.

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.

Helpful tools

More strawberry recipes you’ll love

More strawberry recipes

Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe Image

Strawberry Cheesecake

This Strawberry Cheesecake features a creamy cheesecake on a graham cracker crust topped with fresh strawberry sauce. 
5 from 9 votes
Print Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Resting Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 366kcal
Author: Jen Sobjack

Ingredients

US Cups - Metric

For the crust

For the filling

  • 32 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten

For the sauce

  • 16 ounces whole strawberries diced
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups 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.

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 127mg | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 16.7% | Vitamin C: 10.4% | Calcium: 7.2% | Iron: 4.2%

Nutritional values here on my recipes should be used as a general guide only. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.

Tried this recipe? Share it on Instagram!Mention @introvertbaker or tag #bakedbyanintrovert!

Nutritional values here on my recipes should be used as a general guide only. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.

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35 Comments

  • Colin williams

    Cant I take the sides and bottom away and place it on a silver board, 5 hours before eating ?
    As I’ve been asked to do it for a birthday surprise. Or is it to gtagile

    • Jen Sobjack

      You can remove the sides and bottom anytime after the cheesecake has had time to set in the refrigerator. It’s recommended to let it refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

  • Florence

    Hello, I recently had made this for my cheesecake loving sister. I had gotten a lot of lovely compliments on it, now it could be because I am hard on my cooking skills but I believe I have made the crust wrong. I was expecting a crunchier crust and this was a softer one. I don’t know if that’s correct!! But a great easy first time recipe

  • Umm Haajar

    Hi Jen,
    I’d like to try this cheesecake out, but I was wondering if I could use full fat yogurt instead of sour cream; would that be okay? Thank you!

  • Ruby Sugar

    I made this for my first ever cheesecake with only organic ingredients. I replaced the sugar with local organic honey (to taste) and made the strawberry sauce with honey and lemon and it turned out fabulous! Thank you for all the tips. The water bath helped make it perfect! Will be my go to recipe for cheesecake.

  • Patricia

    In Canada (where I am) the Philadelphia Cream Cheese is 250g which is the equivalent of 8.8 oz. That would be aprox. 35 oz. instead of the 32 in your recipe. Would this be ok or should I try to shave some off? Thank you!

  • Vanessa

    Hi! This is actually my first time trying to bake a cheesecake, are there any tips that I should now to make this?

  • AJ

    This cheesecake is delicious! The strawberry sauce is a perfect addition (by the way I cut down to 1/2 cup of sugar and it was still very sweet). I also did not cook it in a water bath and i turned out great. 10/10 recommend.

  • Deborah

    Hi, this looks like a great recipe and I’m planning to make it tonight. I wonder will it get soggy if you leave the topping on overnight?

    • Jen Sobjack

      Hi Deborah! It won’t be soggy at all. It’s actually in the instructions to top the cheesecake and refrigerate it for 4 hours or overnight. Just make sure your sauce has thickened properly and cooled before you put it over the cheesecake.

      • Deborah Lee Proaño

        Thanks so much!! I just put the cheesecake in the oven about half an hour ago. Crossing fingers that it will turn out well for National Cheesecake Day tomorrow!

  • Carol

    Hi getting ready to try this recipe, my only problem is I only have a 8″ and 10″ spring pan would either one work without adjusting the ingredients? ….

    • Jen Sobjack

      Hi Carol! The recipe yields too much to fit in an 8-inch pan. You may be able to bake it the 10-inch pan but there may be just enough crust to cover the bottom and not enough to come up the sides some. It will probably need more time to bake as well. I’m totally sure since I’ve never baked a 10-inch cheesecake before.

      • Carol

        Thanks, going to baked it in the 10 inch pan not too worry about the crust part it doesn’t always have to be up the sides. Little scary about the water part never did a cheese cake with the water bath.

        • Carol

          one problem when putting the cake in water bath I’m guessing I didn’t cover it enough, so I took it out of the bath hopefully I didn’t ruin it.

          • Jen Sobjack

            Wrapping the bottom of the pan to prevent water from seeping in can be tricky. This is why most people avoid using a water bath. I like to sit my pan inside a giant oven bag and roll the sides down. This is added security from keeping the water out. You can also just set a roasting pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake. It doesn’t yield exactly the same results but the cheesecake will still be deliciously creamy.

  • Amanda

    This is so gorgeous. Cheese Cake Factory must be quivering right now. However, I just clicked on your Butterfinger Cheesecake and I was stopped dead in my tracks. OMG. That is spectacular.