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No oven, no problem! These No Bake Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars are the ultimate, effortless strawberry summer dessert.
They feature a buttery graham cracker crust, a velvety smooth vanilla cream cheese filling, and a beautiful, bright red fresh strawberry marbling swirled throughout. They are smooth, refreshing, and look like an absolute showstopper!
If you love a good dessert bar, you might already know me! I’m the creator behind the hugely popular Strawberry Crumb Bars and Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars recipes, which can frequently be seen on Google and Pinterest.
When you are craving something silky and creamy instead of crumbly, these strawberry cheesecake bars are the ultimate upgrade.
Best of all, they are incredibly easy to make ahead of time. They are the perfect stress-free summer dessert recipe for picnics, parties, potlucks, barbecues, and summer parties.
Table of Contents
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: This creates our classic buttery crust. You can swap these for crushed Golden Oreos or Nilla Wafers for a fun flavor twist.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted butter binds the crust together. If you only have salted butter on hand, that works too!
- Granulated Sugar: Just a touch to sweeten the crust and help thicken the strawberry swirl.
- Fresh Strawberries: Chopped fresh berries give the best summer flavor. You can use thawed frozen strawberries instead, just make sure to drain them completely so your swirl isn’t watery.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a pop of bright, citrusy acidity to make the berry flavor sing. Fresh or bottled juice both work perfectly.
- Cornstarch: Mixed with a tablespoon of water to thicken our strawberry reduction so it swirls cleanly without running.
- Brick Cream Cheese: Always use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese softened to room temperature. Avoid low-fat or tub varieties, as they contain too much water and won’t set up.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the filling while keeping the texture silky smooth. Do not swap this for granulated sugar, or your filling will turn out gritty.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the cream cheese layer a rich, bakery-style flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Must be completely cold so it whips into stiff peaks. Do not substitute half-and-half or milk.
- Unflavored Gelatin: The secret ingredient that stabilizes our filling! It gives the bars enough structure to slice cleanly without making them rubbery.
How To Make Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Make The Graham Cracker Crust
- Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal. In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar until evenly combined.
- Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill while preparing filling.
Make The Strawberry Swirl
- In a small saucepan, combine strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until softened. Mash until smooth or cool slightly and blend.
- Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then stir into the strawberry mixture. Cook 1-2 minutes more until thickened. Set aside to cool completely.
Make The Cheesecake Filling
- Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl. Once bloomed, gently warm the gelatin until fully dissolved, then let it cool slightly so it is not hot.
- In a large bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Slowly pour in the cooled gelatin while beating, then continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Gently fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined.
- Spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the chilled crust.
Stir In The Strawberry Swirl
- Spoon dollops of the strawberry mixture on top of the room temperature cheesecake filling.
- Using a butter knife, swirl the strawberry mixture throughout the cheesecake filling.
Chill & Cut The Cheesecake Bars
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- When the cheesecake is firm and fully set, using a sharp knife, slice the cheesecake into 12 bars. Note: In between each cut, wipe your knife with a hot damp cloth in order to keep clean slices.
Garnish and Serve
- Garnish each cheesecake bar with sliced strawberries halves.
- Serve each strawberry cheesecake bar on a dessert plate with a sliced strawberry half.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese: Use brick-style, full-fat, cream cheese for the best structure and texture. Low Fat or tub variations have too much water and don’t set well.
- Watch The Gelatin Temp: Ensure the melted gelatin is smooth but cooled. If it is too hot, it will deflate your whipped cream.
- Drain Frozen Strawberries: Fresh strawberries work best. If using thawed frozen berries, drain them completely so your strawberry swirl is not watery.
- Taste Your Fruit: Taste the strawberry sauce as it simmers. Adjust the amount of sugar based on how sweet the strawberries are.
- Pack The Crust Tightly: Press the graham cracker crumbs down firmly with a measuring cup to prevent crumbling.
- Don’t Over-Swirl: Press your knife the the dollops of strawberry sauce only a few times. Over swirling ruins the marbled pattern.
- Chill Overnight: For the cleanest, prettiest slices, let the no bake cheesecake bars set in the fridge overnight.
- The Warm Knife Trick: Wipe your knife with a hot damp cloth between every single cut for flawless, bakery squares.
Easy Recipe Variations
- No-Bake Strawberry Oreo Cheesecake Bars: Swap the graham crackers for Golden Oreos or vanilla wafers for a sweet, buttery cookie crust.
- Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars: Use a 50/50 blend of fresh sweet strawberries and chopped tart rhubarb in the sauce to create that perfect flavor combination.
- Lemon Strawberry Cheesecake Bars: Mix 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest directly into the cream cheese layer for a bright, citrusy twist.
- No Bake Mixed Berry Cheesecake Bars: Craving a different berry flavor? Swap the strawberries for a combination of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries to create no bake cheesecake bars with a beautiful purple swirl.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, they are the perfect make ahead dessert. You can prepare them up to 24 hours in advance, and let them chill in the fridge until ready to slice.
This usually happens when the cream cheese is not full-fat, or if the gelatin mixture was too hot when folded into the heavy cream.
Absolutely. You can easily swap the strawberries for raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries using the exact same saucepan method.
Line your pan with parchment paper and leave a slight overhang on the sides. Once the bars are fully chilled, you can lift the entire block out cleanly by the parchment “handles” before slicing.
This happens if your melted gelatin cools down too much or hits cold heavy cream too fast. Keep your mixer running on low and pour the warm liquid gelatin in a slow steady stream directly into the cream to incorporate it smoothly.
Your strawberry reduction was likely too warm when you dolloped it on top, causing it to melt the cream cheese filling. Always let your thickened strawberry sauce cool completely to room temperature before swirling.
Storage and Freezing
- Refrigerator: Store the sliced bars in a single layer inside an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep them chilled right up until the moment you serve them.
- Freezing Warning: Do NOT freeze these bars. Because this recipe uses gelatin for structure, freezing and thawing will break down the filling and make the texture grainy and watery.
More Summer Dessert Recipes
- Strawberry Crumb Bars
- Blueberry Crumb Bars
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
- No Bake Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Lemon Crumb Bars
- Zesty Lime Bars
If you made these No Bake Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars, I would love to hear how they turned out for you. Please leave a comment and star rating below.
Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Bars (No Bake Swirl)
Equipment
- 9×9-inch baking dish
- Mixing bowls Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Small saucepan
- whisk from Amazon.com (affiliate link)
- Food processor or rolling pin
- Butter knife or skewer
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the Strawberry Swirl
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries chopped
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Cheesecake Layer
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
Make the Graham Cracker Crust
- Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
- In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar until evenly combined.
- Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill while preparing filling.
Make the Strawberry Swirl
- In a small saucepan, combine strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until softened. Mash until smooth or cool slightly and blend.
- Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then stir into the strawberry mixture. Cook 1-2 minutes more until thickened. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let bloom for 2-3 minutes.
- Once bloomed, gently warm the gelatin until fully dissolved, then let it cool slightly so it is not hot.
- In a large bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form.
- Slowly pour in the cooled gelatin while beating, then continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Make The Cheesecake Filling
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Gently fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined.
Assemble the Bars
- Spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the chilled crust.
- Spoon cooled strawberry mixture over the top in small dollops.
- Use a butter knife or skewer to swirl the strawberry mixture into the cheesecake layer to create a marbled effect.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until fully set.
- Lift from the pan using parchment overhang and slice into bars.
Hi, I’m Michele Feuerborn, a home cook with 25+ years experience, and former AllRecipes Allstar, creating bold & easy Southern, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Instant Pot recipes. Featured in publications like Parade and BuzzFeed. Read More…
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