Everyone goes crazy for this strawberry cheesecake recipe! It’s extra creamy with a crunchy graham cracker crust and juicy strawberry topping!
In my opinion, this strawberry cheesecake is the perfect cheesecake recipe. It has a deliciously tangy flavor, luxurious texture, and sweet strawberry topping. I love the combo of the crunchy graham cracker crust and super smooth cheesecake, and I include tons of tips and tricks for the perfect cheesecake every time. I also love this Strawberry Shortcake recipe for either when I have a ton of strawberries or for someone who might not be too keen on cheesecake.
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
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When it comes to strawberry desserts, there are a few classic recipes that always come to mind for me: homemade strawberry cake, strawberry milkshakes, and strawberry cheesecake. So today – I’m sharing my favorite strawberry cheesecake recipe. I know making cheesecake at home can seem daunting, but I promise you can do it.
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake from scratch
- For a crunchier crust, bake the crust on its own for 10 minutes first.
- Use full-fat brick style cream cheese. Lite cream cheese or spreadable are too thin for making cheesecake with a rich, creamy texture.
- The cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs should be warmed up to room temperature before getting started. They shouldn’t feel cold to the touch. This ensures that everything mixes evenly and you don’t end up with a lumpy cheesecake.
- Adding sour cream to the batter makes it extra smooth and not too heavy.
- A little cornstarch helps to thicken the batter and minimizes the risk of your cheesecake cracking.
- Mix in the eggs last, and mix them in until just combined. When you mix in the eggs, air gets into the batter. The more air that gets in – the more likely your cheesecake can crack.
- Low and slow for baking your cheesecake. Bake for about 1 hour at 325F degrees. Oven times vary, however. When done the top should look set (no longer glossy) except for in the very center. If you gently nudge the pan the cake should still have a wobble in the center.
- Cool the cheesecake slowly to avoid cheesecake cracks. First turn off the oven, open the oven door, and cool for 20 minutes. Then take it out of the oven and cool to room temperature.
- Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving. The cheesecake flavor and texture improve as the cheesecake chills in the refrigerator.
- Use fresh, bright red strawberries for the juiciest strawberry topping
Strawberry Topping for Cheesecake
Keep it light and fresh with just a few ingredients:
- Berries
- Sugar
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Cornstarch
- Water
The mixture of these ingredients will make a nice sauce to go along with the fresh berries.
If you follow these tips, you’ll end up with the best strawberry cheesecake ever. It’s creamy, smooth, and perfectly tangy. If your cheesecake ends up looking a little imperfect on top, there’s no need to worry with this recipe because it’s covered with the strawberry topping! I love to serve each piece with a bit of whipped cream – but that’s optional.
Cheesecake is also a great make-ahead dessert because you can make the cheesecake the day before and then let it chill overnight in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, or even a few hours earlier, you can make the strawberry topping.
This strawberry cheesecake is perfect for all occasions, and everyone will be asking you for the recipe. Creamy, smooth, and oh so delicious.
For more strawberry desserts, try these other favorites:
- Strawberry Jello Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake
- Strawberry Cheesecake Fluff
- Strawberries and Cream Swiss Roll
- More Dessert recipes…
Tools used to make Strawberry Cheesecake
Springform Pan: These pans are great for no-bake desserts or showstopping dinners.
Mixing Bowls: These mixing bowls are perfect for mixing and serving. I love the varied sizes so I always have to right size bowl for all my mixing needs.
Hand Mixer: While I love my stand mixer, this handheld mixer is perfect for smaller recipes and when I need just a quick mix.
Medium Saucepan: don’t know what I’d do without this saucepan. It gets used in my kitchen every day.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ⅓ cups graham crumbs
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- ⅓ cup butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese* room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Strawberry Topping
- 1 lb fresh strawberries sliced
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 325F degrees and position a rack in the middle to lower third of the oven.
- Lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl stir together the graham crumbs, sugar & butter. Press into the bottom of the springform pan, creating a slight ridge around the edges.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
- In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, turning off the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
- Sift in the cornstarch. Then beat in the sour cream.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter over the crust and bake for 1 hour or until the top looks set (not glossy) except for in the very center. If you give the pan a gentle nudge the cake should still have a slight wobble in the middle.
- Turn off the oven, open the oven door, and cool for 20 minutes in the oven. Then take the cheesecake out of the oven and bring to room temperature.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
Strawberry Topping
- Add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a medium pan over low-medium heat.
- Gently stir to coat the strawberries.
- In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and water to dissolve the cornstarch.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture into the strawberries and gently stir the mixture until it thickens and the strawberries start to soften.
- When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the fridge and unclamp the springform pan.
- Pour the strawberry topping over the cheesecake, and optionally decorate with whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Sonya lockhart says
I just got finished making this recipe. It is now cooling in the oven and boy oh boy, I cannot wait to try and share this new recipe with mine and my boyfriends family tomorrw! Looks and smells amazing. Thank you!
Sarah says
I am making this as we speak for my husbands birthday. It smells absolutely delicious! My husband and kids will love it. Thanks so much and happy new year!