No Bake Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake
A layered cheesecake with a cookie crust, a plain cream cheese layer, a strawberry gelatin layer, and a crunchy cookie topping, made without an oven.
Equipment
- Food processor
- 10 inch springform pan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowls
- Pastry bag with star tip
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb vanilla cream sandwich cookies about 34 cookies; 26 for the crust, 8 for the topping
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3.3 oz strawberry gelatin 1 small box
- 1 cup boiling water
- 16 oz cream cheese 2 bricks, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 4 oz strawberry wafer cookies about 10 cookies
- 4 oz whipped topping about 1/2 tub, thawed
Instructions
Cooking
- Crush and press. Grind 26 cookies to fine crumbs, mix with 6 tbsp melted butter until it looks like wet sand, and press firmly into a 10 inch springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes until firm.
- Prepare the gelatin. Whisk the gelatin into 1 cup boiling water for 2 minutes until fully dissolved. Leave it on the counter until room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
- Beat the base. Beat 16 oz softened cream cheese with 3/4 cup granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth with no lumps.
- Whip the cream. Whip 2 cups cold heavy cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar to stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Split it into two equal bowls.
- Fold the fillings. Fold one bowl of whipped cream into the cream cheese. Fold the other into the cooled gelatin until the color is even.
- Build the layers. Spread half of the pink filling on the crust and freeze for 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese layer, then the remaining pink filling, and smooth the top.
- Top and chill. Crush the 8 reserved cookies with the wafers, scatter on top, and refrigerate at least 4 hours until set. Pipe whipped topping before slicing.
Notes
Substitutions: Use raspberry or cherry gelatin for a different flavor, or chocolate sandwich cookies for a darker crust.
Tips: Cool the gelatin completely and whip the cream to stiff peaks for clean layers.
Storage: Refrigerate covered for 3 to 4 days. Do not freeze.