Strawberry puree gives this no-bake Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake its pink blush and ripe berry flavor. Fresh whole strawberries cover the top and a thick drizzle of chocolate makes this dessert worthy of its name.
I’ve gotten out of my morning smoothie habit, which has temporarily been replaced by the Baked Oatmeal I’m currently obsessed with. I can’t explain it, but those oats are helping me live my best life right now. So, the big bag of frozen strawberries I use for smoothies has been hanging out in my freezer with no purpose, other than getting in my way when I’m looking for something else.
Then I remembered that there’s a romantic holiday coming up, and a strawberry dessert would be timely right now for those planning ahead. I decided to thaw and puree those berries for a special Valentine’s Day dessert (although you don’t need to a special occasion to make it!).
A chocolaty foundation.
Chocolate cookie crumbs mixed with melted butter forms the foundation on which the cheesecake is built. Press the mixture into a springform pan and 1-inch up the side, but don’t worry about getting it perfect. An irregular crust edge gives this cake rustic appeal and will save some prep time. The crust is the only portion of this recipe that is baked, and that’s just for 10 minutes to set it.
The billowy filling consists of a holy trinity of creamy ingredients: cream cheese, sour cream, and whipped cream. Strawberry puree gives all of this cream bright berry flavor and a light pink hue.
The cheesecake refrigerated overnight while I considered an appropriate topping. Since chocolate-covered strawberries are practically the Valentine’s Day mascot (sorry Cupid!) I had my answer and added fresh strawberries to my grocery list.
The capped berries placed with their points skyward almost look like a strawberry mountain range from the right angle. Much like a French fruit tart, I brushed them with strawberry preserve which gave the berries some extra sweetness and shine.
Chocolate is generously drizzled on top of the berries. Of course this is heavenly on the fresh strawberries, but it also ties well with the crumbly cookie crust.
Chocolate-covered strawberry goodness, right here!
I could not resist a dusting of powdered sugar on top. It’s totally unnecessary, but I love the snowy appearance.
Light and fluffy, this cheesecake is the polar opposite of dense New York cheesecake. It’s almost mousse-like and when you plate a slice it has a slight wobble, almost like panna cotta.
It’s wonderfully soft and the sour cream gives it tangy flavor. It would be a special dessert for Valentine’s Day, but the flavors of chocolate and strawberry together are evergreen. This cake should be enjoyed year-round!
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake (No-Bake)
Equipment
- 10 inch spring form pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
- 1/4 cups unsalted butter melted
- 16 oz. frozen strawberries thawed
- 16 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 packages powdered unflavored gelatin .25 oz. each
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 cup heavy cream whipped to soft peaks
- 24 fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup strawberry preserves
- 4 oz. semisweet chocolate finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
- Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Mix well to coat the crumbs with the butter. Pour into the springform pan and press into the bottom and 1/2” to 1” up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes to set the crust. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Puree the thawed strawberries in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender until no lumps of fruit remain. Set aside.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and sugar. Beat well until creamy and consistent with no lumps. Pour in the strawberry puree and mix again. Let the mixer run on low speed while you prepare the gelatin mixture.
- In a small saucepan sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cold water. Let stand until well absorbed, about 2 minutes. Place over medium-low heat and cook just until the gelatin liquifies. With the mixer still running, pour the gelatin in a thin stream into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the whipped cream (this step may take some time, and if lumps remain, disperse them by lightly whipping the mixture with a whisk). Pour the batter into the crust and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours or overnight. To unmold, lightly run a knife’s point around the top edge of the cheesecake; loosen the springform collar and allow the cake to naturally pull away from the collar as you slowly loosen it from all sides of the cake.
- Wash, dry, and cap the fresh strawberries. Place the berries on top of the set cheese cake cut-side down. Place the preserves in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave at 100% power until melted, about 30 seconds. Let cool slightly. The preserve should be runny and liquid. Brush the berries with the preserves using a pastry brush and pour any remaining preserve liquid over the center of the cake.
- Place the chopped chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 100% power in 30 second intervals until the chocolate can be stirred smooth. Immediately add the vegetable oil (you can use any neutral-tasting oil) to the chocolate and mix until well combined. Transfer the melted mixture to a piping bag with the end snipped, or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped. Drizzle the chocolate in thick ribbons over the strawberries, allowing it to fall over the peaks and crevices of the fresh berry topping.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. To slice, use a very sharp chef’s knife to cut through the berries and chocolate on top. Store leftovers covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
This looks beautiful and delicious! I’ll plan on making this for Valentine’s Day. Thanks!
Yum! What did you use for the chocolate cookie crumbs? Oreos?
Hi Camellia!
I used Famous Wafers, but you could use the cookie portions of Oreo cookies.
This is amazing! Fresh strawberries are out of season and exorbitantly expensive where I live so I made a chocolate sauce and strawberry coulis to accompany the cheesecake. It made a very full 9” pan – next time I would probably use a 10” pan. And there definitely will be a next time! The chocolate base is so good on this but the strawberry filling is so light I think it could be served in bowls as a mouse. Thanks for another terrific recipe!
Your accompaniments sound lovely and appropriate! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. -h
I made this last night. I followed the recipe carefully and put in the fridge overnight. This morning I removed the collar and the sides looked unstable. When I put the strawberries on top, the sides started to collapse. I am an experienced cook. Any idea what I may have done wrong?
Hi Kathy,
I’m so sorry to hear this happened to your cheesecake. I know from experience how disappointing that can be. It seems to me that the liquid to gelatin ratio might have been off. Too much liquid. Next time I make this cheesecake I will measure the strawberry puree in cups and add it to the notes. I suspect your strawberries, when thawed, might have been extra-juicy. Thanks for your feedback, and sorry you had trouble!
Thank you for your reply. That might have been the problem. I used the proper bag size of strawberries, so I don’t know what could have happened. I had the thought about increasing the gelatin next time. The taste was fabulous, and we still ate it!
Love your recipes! Would it be possible to use this recipe to make them cupcake sized?
Hi! Thank you so much! You could probably make these in cupcake papers, but I believe you'd need to double the crust recipe. This makes a very full 9-inch spring form pan full of cheesecake, so I'd estimate you'd get 2 1/2 dozen cupcake-sized cheesecakes. Maybe more! Thanks for asking. I think it's a super cute idea.
Looks amazing! Would it work if I use agar agar instead of gelatin for a halal recipe ? 🙂