Light and luscious no bake strawberry cheesecake, made with real strawberries, is piled up on a rich and chocolatey brownie crust for a decadent and delicious dessert!
We had a gorgeous sunny day this weekend, followed by a cold and rainy one. But we spent most of Saturday outside enjoying the weather, eating outdoors, playing with the puppy, playing games and more, so it felt kinda nice to be inside all lazy and cozy on Sunday.
Plus, there was the big game last night, so I was making chili and nachos and all the snacks. Such a fun weekend all around!
OK though, let's move along to the food.
I’m super excited to share with you today’s recipe for a strawberry cheesecake with brownie crust.
Basically, if you’ve wondered, can I make brownies and use that as the base for a cheesecake, the answer is yes.
Yes you can. And yes you should.
This is the ultimate in dessert mash-ups with that unbelievable chocolate + strawberry combo.
(It’s especially perfect right now for a Valentine’s Day dessert. ❤️)
We’ve got a light, fluffy and totally luscious strawberry cheesecake that’s made with real strawberries pureed into a cheesecake filling.
The cheesecake gets poured on top of a baked brownie crust that’s incredibly rich and chocolatey.
The complement and balance of the flavors is just divine.
Oh and if you love strawberries and chocolate like I do, check out these chocolate strawberry pretzel fudge cups. They are bite size and so rich and delicious!
We also make chocolate overnight oats, including with strawberries as a mix in, for a little chocolate-at-breakfast fun. Or you can make healthy chocolate pancakes and top them with fresh strawberries or strawberry sauce.
So much deliciousness.
Also, I’m thrilled to be partnering with Bob’s Red Mill again this year. I adore their flours and oats for all my baking and breakfast needs, and we love checking out their various granola mixes and snack bars.
Plus, they have tons of gluten-free and grain-free products that are so convenient and tasty.
And I love the fact that they are dedicated to bring high-quality, wholesome products to all of us. And the fact that they are an employee-owned company, well, that just makes me even happier to support them.
Today, we’re using their unbleached all-purpose white flour. A kitchen staple that I use all the time.
You can purchase their products online or look for a store near you that sells them.
OK, back to today’s recipe.
Let’s get baking.
Now, I’ve got those notes and tips coming up below on how to make strawberry cheesecake with a brownie crust. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
I've also got a little visual photo of the brownie making, strawberry puree and cheesecake making parts of this process right here so you can see it in action.
Notes on making strawberry cheesecake with brownie crust:
- Plan ahead: Please know that this recipe takes at least a full 12 hours. You can only make it day of if you are fixing it in the morning. The brownies have to bake and cool completely before you can add the cheesecake layer and that then has to chill for at least 8 hours. So plan ahead!
- Strawberries: You need 1 pound of strawberries. You can use fresh strawberries or a bag of frozen strawberries that’s been thawed.
- Cream cheese: You need 3 (8 ounce) packages of plain cream cheese and it should be the full-fat kind. Don’t use the fat-free or the reduced fat kind because the cheesecake won’t set up properly.
- Chilling: The cheesecake needs to be kept chilled so it stays set up. Remove it from the refrigerator to slice — and be sure to use a sharp knife to cut through that thick brownie layer — and then return it to the refrigerator. More on storing it below.
Also, you can certainly substitute your own favorite brownie recipe for the one I use below. Follow the directions for a 9x9 inch pan baking size and just check as it’s baking in the cake pan until it’s ready.
Similarly, while I love the strawberry and chocolate combo here - and how festive it is for Valentine’s Day - you could definitely try this with a different flavor of cheesecake on top if you prefer.
Gotta love a flexible recipe!
OK, let’s get ready to eat.
Now, this brownie cheesecake has plenty of flavor all on its own. Don’t need to add a thing.
But toppings are awfully fun, right? So if you want to make this extra special, here are a few ideas.
Topping ideas for strawberry cheesecake with brownie crust:
- Top the cheesecake with whole or sliced strawberries
- Add dollops of whipped cream around the edge or to individual slices
- Drizzle slices of the cheesecake with strawberry sauce
- Or chocolate sauce - or both!
- Add sprinkles or other fun decorations
Last thing… how to store this.
How to store cheesecake:
- Keep the cheesecake stored in the refrigerator so it stays set up and cold.
- You can store it in the springform pan or on a plate that’s covered with plastic wrap. (Use toothpicks to keep the plastic wrap off the top of the cheesecake if needed.)
- Cheesecake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
(And the good news about this version is the brownie crust doesn’t get soggy like a graham cracker one might.)
So there you go!
Whether for Valentine’s Day, a special celebration or just a fun family dessert, I hope you give this a try soon.
I think you are going to love it.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Strawberry Cheesecake with Brownie Crust
Ingredients
For the brownie crust:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the strawberry cheesecake filling:
- 1 lb. fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
- 1 ¾ cup white sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 (8 oz.) packages of plain cream cheese (full fat)
For garnish (optional):
- Fresh sliced strawberries, whipped cream, sprinkles, etc.
Instructions
- Make the brownies. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line with a circle-cut piece of parchment paper and spray with cooking spray (for easier release) and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips over low heat until combined. Whisk in the sugars until dissolved.
- Next whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and stir in until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth until even.
- Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (moist crumbs are OK).
- Let cool completely in the pan. (The pan can't be warm when you add the cheesecake filling or it will melt it and not set up properly.)
- Make the cheesecake. Place the chopped strawberries in a food processor or blender and process until pureed and smooth.
- In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the strawberry puree, ¾ cup of the sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Cook over medium heat until very thick, about 8-9 minutes, stirring regularly. (Tip: Reduce heat to medium low if it starts to bubble too much.) Turn off heat, stir in vanilla then set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Add the remaining cup of sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the strawberry sauce to the cream cheese mixture and beat on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Spread cheesecake mixture over brownie crust in the springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight until chilled and set up.
- Garnish with strawberries, whipped cream, sprinkles, etc. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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