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This gluten free Strawberry Cheesecake recipe is the best gluten free dessert for summer. An easy, no-bake strawberry cheesecake recipe which is super simple to make and absolutely delicious, bursting with fresh strawberries!
I’m a huge fan of a no-bake cheesecake as an easy dessert recipe – and this strawberry cheesecake is just delicious.
A simple no bake cheesecake with a buttery biscuit base, topped with whipped cream cheese loaded with freshly cut strawberries.
This recipe is perfect for beginners or kids as it’s super easy to make. I love this easy gluten free dessert for a summer dinner or after a gluten free BBQ.
If you already like my gluten free lemon cheesecake, gluten free Twix cheesecake or my gluten free Biscoff cheesecake, you’ll love this recipe.
Why make this recipe?
I mean, I could list a thousand reasons why you should try this strawberry cheesecake recipe, but to cut a long story short:
- Gluten Free – Nobody would even know this recipe is gluten free! Which means the whole family can enjoy the same dessert – no missing out.
- Easy Recipe – Making this strawberry cheesecake recipe is SO quick and easy, and then you just need to leave it to chill. It’s a great one to make with kids.
- No Bake – Who wants to turn their oven on during a hot summer’s day? Not me, that’s for sure. This simple no bake cheesecake will keep you kitchen cool.
- Creamy Topping – The light and creamy vanilla cream cheese topping is packed with fresh strawberries on top of a buttery, shortbread base. It’s simply divine!
Ingredients and Substitutions
This easy strawberry cheesecake recipe only needs a few simple ingredients. There’s a printable recipe card below but for the shopping list you will need:
For the base
- Gluten Free Shortbread Biscuits – You can usually find these in the free from aisle or make your own gluten free shortbread. You can swap these for gluten free digestive biscuits, Graham crackers or any biscuit you like really! If you’re not gluten free you can just use normal shortbread biscuits instead.
- Butter – This helps to bind the base together. I always use unsalted butter.
For the cheesecake topping
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese – It’s essential you use full fat cream cheese in this recipe. Using a low fat version just won’t work! Any brand works but I recommend Philadelphia for the best quality. Mascarpone is a good alternative.
- Vanilla Extract – Most vanilla extract is gluten free but always double check when buying. This adds a lovely, subtle vanilla flavour to the strawberry cheesecake.
- Icing Sugar – Adding icing sugar (powdered sugar in the US) is essential for adding a sweetness to the topping. Other types of sugar won’t work, they’ll just create a gritty texture which nobody wants!
- Double Cream – Delicious double cream is whipped up in the cheesecake topping, helping it to firm up. In the US use whipping cream or heavy cream.
- Strawberries – This easy cheesecake recipe has both strawberries in the topping, as well as extra for decorating. i recommend making this when British strawberries are in season as they taste the best then!
How to make strawberry cheesecake
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here I’ve got some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this strawberry cheesecake really is!
1. First, line the bottom of a deep, 20cm springform tin with baking paper. Melt the butter either in a pan over a low heat or in 10-second bursts in the microwave.
2. Blitz the gluten free shortbread biscuits in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and blitz again to combine. Pour out the biscuit mix into the lined tin and press firmly into the base until it is level. You can pop this in the fridge while you make the topping.
3. Add the cream cheese, vanilla extract and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Pour in the double cream and whisk again, starting on a slower speed and bringing the mixer up a speed every 20-30 seconds. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes very thick.
5. Roughly chop the strawberries small chunks and then add to the mixture. Fold in using a spatula until they are evenly distributed – try not to knock too much air out of the mixture.
5. Spoon the mixture onto the biscuit base and spread it evenly using a spatula, ensuring there are no air bubbles.
6. Set in the fridge for at least 8-10 hours – preferable overnight. Serve chilled from the fridge, decorated with extra strawberries.
Gluten free cheesecake variations
This recipe makes a simple strawberry cheesecake but there are lots of ways you can mix things up a bit! A couple of ideas for variations are:
- White Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake: To make this into a delicious chocolate variation, try adding 150g melted (and cooled) white chocolate to the cheesecake mixture alongside the double cream. Then simple top with extra white chocolate chips and strawberry halves.
- Lemon and Strawberry Cheesecake: Switch the vanilla extract for the zest of 2 lemons to create a zesty variation of this strawberry cheesecake.
- Raspberry Cheesecake: If you prefer raspberries, simply switch the strawberries for raspberries – or any berries of your choosing. Or have a mixture!
I also have some other gluten free cheesecake recipes on the blog, including my ‘Biscoff’ cheesecake and my Raspberry Cheesecake Pots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we start making this simple, no-bake strawberry cheesecake, here are some of the questions I get asked a lot…
Usually cheesecake is made with a biscuit base, which means it is not gluten free. However this strawberry cheesecake recipe is completely gluten free. I use gluten free shortbread biscuits in the base and honestly, you wouldn’t know the difference. That way everyone can enjoy the same dessert!
Unfortunately this recipe relies heavily on dairy and while you can switch out a lot of my other recipes, this one needs more testing. I wouldn’t be confident saying you could simply switch the ingredients for dairy free. But I will ensure I get testing to try and create a gluten and dairy free cheesecake recipe for you!
Using fresh strawberries will get a much better result in this cheesecake recipe. Frozen strawberries tend to go mushy and would make the topping a lot wetter, so it might not set properly.
If you want to make a biscuit cheesecake base without a food processor don’t worry, you can do this easily! Simply pop the biscuits in a sandwich bag, seal it up and bash it with a rolling pin. Once the biscuits have turned to crumbs you can add them to the melted butter and mix. This is how we made cheesecake bases as kids, and it’s certainly a great stress relief!
I’m not fussy about the brand of cream cheese but there is one simple rule – it MUST be full-fat cream cheese. Using low fat cream cheese will make the topping too runny and it will not set properly. I always recommend Philadelphia full fat cream cheese as I find it has the best consistency. If using a cheaper full fat cream cheese, drain off any excess liquid on top before adding.
This strawberry cheesecake recipe must be kept in the fridge but you can do this for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can freeze a no bake cheesecake! If you’re making this ahead of time you can freeze the whole thing and then defrost in the fridge overnight. Or, freeze any leftovers in slices with a sheet of baking paper between them so they don’t stick together. Then you can defrost a slice at a time!
The easiest method I find to line a springform tin for a cheesecake is to cut a circle of baking paper a little bigger than the base. Place it over the top of the base then clamp the tin around it. That way when you remove the tin, the cheesecake will be sat on the paper and won’t get stuck!
Nobody wants to spend hours waiting for a cheesecake to chill for it to fall apart at the last minute! To remove a cheesecake from the tin, simple unclip the spring then carefully run a butter knife around the inside edge, gently separating the cheesecake from the tin. Lift the tin off of the base, then use a small spatula to perfect any knocks or scrapes!
More gluten free cheesecake recipes
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Gluten Free Strawberry Cheesecake
Equipment
- 20cm Round Springform Tin
Ingredients
For the base
- 350 g gluten free shortbread biscuits
- 100 g unsalted butter
For the cheesecake topping
- 600 g full-fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 130 g icing sugar
- 300 ml double cream
- 250 g strawberries, (plus extra to decorate)
Instructions
- Line the bottom of a deep, 20cm springform tin with baking paper. Melt the butter either in a pan over a low heat or in 10-second bursts in the microwave.
- Blitz the gluten free shortbread biscuits in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and blitz again to combine. Pour out the biscuit mix into the lined tin and press firmly into the base until it is level. You can pop this in the fridge while you make the topping.
For the cheesecake topping
- Add the cream cheese, vanilla extract and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth.
- Pour in the double cream and whisk again, starting on a slower speed and bringing the mixer up a speed every 20-30 seconds. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes very thick.
- Roughly chop the strawberries small chunks and then add to the mixture. Fold in using a spatula until they are evenly distributed – try not to knock too much air out of the mixture.
- Spoon the mixture onto the biscuit base and spread it evenly using a spatula, ensuring there are no air bubbles.
- Set in the fridge for at least 8-10 hours – preferable overnight. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin and serve chilled from the fridge, decorated with extra strawberries.
Notes
- This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- There are lots of tips on recipe storage, freezing and variations in the blog post above as well as step-by-step photos and frequently asked questions.
Nutrition
More gluten free summer dessert recipes
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I’m in the US, what is double cream?
You’ll need heavy cream or whipping cream