High in protein, low in fat, low in sugar, and roughly 150 calories per slice — this No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake makes a perfect cool and creamy summer treat!
At what point do you take a step back and admit that you might have a problem? A delicious problem, but a problem nonetheless… I was glancing through the most recent handful of recipes that I’ve posted here on Spoons, when I realized that every.single.one of them included almond butter, honey, and/or oats in some form. You’d think I liked those things or something…
Personally, I don’t see a problem with this (says the addict), but I realize that not everyone shares my enthusiasm when it comes to what I see as a perfect trifecta of foods, which is why I promised myself that I’d start seeing other ingredients. So I did…
Strawberries — delicious, in season, and most importantly, in this no bake strawberry cheesecake…
Look, Ma! No hands almond butter, honey, or oats! Aren’t you proud? Because I’m freaking proud! You have no idea how far out of my comfort zone I stepped with this one — so far that I can’t even call it a step; it was more like a leap. Not only was I working with a whole new set of ingredients (uhm… gelatin?… what?!?), but I also thought it’d be a great idea (please note the heavy use of sarcasm) to take it upon myself to make an entire cake as opposed to my regular cookies, muffins, breads, bars, and bites.
Oh, and I’d also like to take this opportunity to say I’m sorry and thank you to everyone who I texted in a frenzied state yesterday afternoon when I realized that I didn’t know how the heck I was supposed to dress up my naked cake and make it look all classy and presentable. I’m still not quite sure if I managed classy, but I think I did presentable alright…
So let’s talk about my questionably classy yet somewhat presentable cake. It’s a cheesecake… sort of… And by sort of I mean that it sort of has cheese in it, but it’s cottage cheese [and Greek yogurt] instead of the cream cheese [and eggs] that makes up most traditional cheesecakes. Err… that is how it works, right? Cheesecakes are made of cream cheese and eggs? Laugh all you like, but I’m honestly not sure — traditional cheesecakes are a bit too rich and cloying for my tastes, so I tend to avoid them and make a beeline for the chocolate cakes instead.
This no bake strawberry cheesecake, on the other hand? Totally different story…
First of all, it’s not in the least bit heavy thanks to the lack of cream cheese and eggs. It is just as creamy, though. Actually, I’m going to need a little bit of a refresher so that I can properly describe the texture to you guys; excuse me while I take another bite eat half the slice, apparently…
Okay, yeah… crazy creamy. That middle cheese layer? Whipped heaven. I actually ran a serious risk of not being left with enough of it simply because I couldn’t stop “taste-testing.” It’s easily good enough to eat on it’s own, but when sandwiched between a crumbly graham crust and a slightly tangy strawberry mousse? There are no words… only empty plates…
To make things even better, this cheesecake is actually pretty healthy! It’s high in protein, low in fat, low in sugar, and at roughly 150 calories per slice, basically guilt-free. It’s like a fruit-and-yogurt bowl in cake form! It also hangs out in the fridge and doesn’t require the use of an oven, making it perfect for those hot summer days… which just so happen to be right around the corner! So what are you waiting for?! Shimmy on into the kitchen and whip one up for yourself!
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No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 7–8 full sheets of graham crackers (about 1 1/2 cups crumbs)
- 2 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature*
For the cheesecake:
- 2.5 tsp. powdered gelatin
- 3 Tbsp. cool water
- 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
For the strawberry mousse:
- 4 tsp. powdered gelatin
- 4 Tbsp. cool water
- 1 lb. strawberries
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 5 Tbsp. powder sugar
Instructions
For the crust:
- Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add butter and continue processing until the mixture reaches the consistency of wet sand. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, pressing in firmly.** Cover with plastic wrap refrigerate while you prepare the next layer.
For the cheesecake:
- Prepare gelatin. In a small saucepan, pour cool water over gelatin, mixing until the water is fully absorbed. Place saucepan on the stove and stir constantly until the gelatin is completely dissolved; 1 or 2 minutes. Do not let it reach a boil. Remove from stove and set aside to cool.
- Add cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to the bowl of a food processor and process until they form a smooth paste. Add powder sugar and continue processing. Finally, add prepared gelatine, processing until fully incorporated.
- Pour cheese mixture over the graham crust, using a spatula to ensure that it is evenly distributed. Return to the fridge while you prepare the final layer.
For the strawberry mousse:
- Prepare gelatin. In a small saucepan, pour cool water over gelatin, mixing until the water is fully absorbed. Place saucepan on the stove and stir constantly until the gelatin is completely dissolved; 1 or 2 minutes. Do not let it reach a boil. Remove from stove and set aside to cool.
- Add strawberries to the bowl of a food processor and process until they become a smooth puree. Add Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and powder sugar and continue processing. Finally, add prepared gelatine, processing until fully incorporated.
- Pour strawberry mixture over the cheese layer, using a spatula to ensure that it is evenly distributed. Return to the fridge for several hours until it is fully set, preferably overnight.
Notes
* you can also sub with melted coconut oil.
** you can press down with a flat bottomed cup to make sure it’s packed in tightly.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
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