Bring these to one party, and you'll be on the hook to make them forever. These No Bake Cheesecake Strawberries are filled with a light, whipped cheesecake filling - five ingredients, ready in 25 minutes, and always the first thing gone.
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Notes from Anna:
You know that dessert you bring to a party once and then get asked about forever? This is ours, and we just made it even better.
If you've made these before, you may have noticed the filling can get a little firm if you refrigerate them even briefly before serving. We heard from enough of you about it that we went back into the kitchen to fix it. The fix is simple: fold freshly whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Lighter, fluffier, and stays creamy rather than turning dense and firm in the fridge, whether you serve these immediately or an hour later.
Small change, real difference.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Only 5 ingredients, and you probably already have most of them.
- No oven, no fuss. Mix, fill and you're done.
- The whipped filling stays creamy rather than turning dense and firm in the fridge (that's the whole reason we retested it!).
- Endless customizable for whatever toppings you have on hand.
- The ultimate easy party dessert.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Strawberries: Go for the biggest, firmest ones you can find. Larger berries are easier to core and hold more filling, and firm berries won't get watery. Skip anything that feels mushy, and never use frozen strawberries. They break down once thawed and won't hold the filling.
- Cream cheese: The base of any good stuffed strawberries with cream cheese filling is full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. It gives the best texture and flavor. Reduced-fat works if that's what you have. Avoid the spreadable kind in a tub. It's a different product and too soft to hold its shape in the filling. And skip fat-free entirely.
- Heavy whipping cream: Don't skip this. It's what transforms the filling from thick and firm to light and airy. Plus it keeps it creamy rather than dense in the fridge. No good substitute here.
- Powdered sugar: Adjust to taste. To reduce sugar, simply use less.
- Vanilla extract: Almond extract, lemon zest, or orange extract are all great swaps if you want to try a different flavor direction.
Topping Ideas
This is the fun part. Once you have the cheesecake filling for strawberries ready, the topping is where you can really make it your own. Anything goes!
- Crushed graham crackers - the classic, leans into the cheesecake theme
- Oreo or chocolate cookie crumbs - cookies and cream vibes
- Biscoff cookie crumbs - a little caramel-y and SO good
- Mini 'Nilla wafers
- Roasted salted almonds, finely chopped - Anna's personal favorite. Sweet and salty is always a winning combo.
- Mini chocolate chips
- Melted chocolate drizzle
- Red sprinkles - great for Valentine's Day or any occasion that calls for a little festivity
- A single blueberry - Add a red strawberry + white filling + blue blueberry = the easiest patriotic dessert you'll ever make. Perfect for Memorial Day, 4th of July, or any summer cookout.
- Plain whipped filling, standing upright on a pretty platter - keep them simple and elegant for Mother's Day brunch and let the presentation do the talking
How to make Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
- Prep the strawberries: Wash and dry thoroughly. Remove the tops and core each berry using a paring knife, melon baller or OXO Strawberry Huller. Optionally trim a thin sliver off the bottom so they stand upright.
- Whip the cream: Beat the heavy cream with half the powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese: In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining powdered sugar until completely smooth.
- Fold together: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until just combined with no streaks.
- Fill, top & serve: Spoon the filling into a zip-top bag, snip the corner, and pipe into each strawberry. Top and serve with your topping of choice.
Our Best Tips
- Dry the strawberries really well. We said it in the instructions and we'll say it again because it's that important. Wet berries = watery filling. It's the #1 thing that goes wrong with this recipe.
- Room temp cream cheese is non-negotiable. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps in your filling no matter how long you beat it. Pull it out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before you start.
- Be gentle when folding. Deflated whipped cream will give you dense, potentially runny filling. Slow and easy wins here. If your filling does turn out runny, the whipped cream likely wasn't beaten to stiff peaks before folding. It should be thick enough to hold its shape when you lift the beaters.
- Don't hollow too much. You want a good cavity, but the walls need to stay thick enough that the berry holds together when you pick it up. My go-to is a short, narrow paring knife because the smaller blade gives me a lot of control.
- No zip-top bag? Spoon the filling directly into each berry with a small spoon. Won't look quite as polished but tastes exactly the same.
- Add crunchy toppings at the last minute. Graham crackers, cookie crumbs, and Nilla wafers will go soft if added too early. Sprinkle right before serving.
Make Ahead & Storage
Getting a head start: Core the strawberries and make the filling separately up to a day ahead. Store them separately in the fridge with berries in a single layer on a paper towel-lined tray and the filling in a covered bowl.
Once assembled: Filled strawberries keep in the fridge for up to 1 day in a single layer. The updated whipped filling stays creamy rather than turning dense and firm after chilling, which is exactly the problem we retested this recipe to solve. For the prettiest presentation, though, we'd still aim to fill them within a couple of hours of serving.
Crunchy toppings: Always add right before serving.
Freezing: We don't recommend it. The texture of both the berry and the filling won't be the same after thawing.
Flavor Variations
Chocolate Cheesecake version: Stir 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the cream cheese mixture before folding in the whipped cream. Top with Oreo crumbs or mini chocolate chips.
Lemon Cheesecake version: Add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the cream cheese mixture and swap the vanilla for a little fresh lemon juice. Bright, fresh, and perfect for spring and summer. If you love lemon cheesecake, our Lemon Cheesecake Bars are a reader favorite you'll want to try next.
More Easy Desserts You'll Love
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Recipe
Easy Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds large fresh strawberries
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces full fat brick cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup topping of choice (crushed graham crackers, cookie crumbs, chopped roasted salted almonds, mini chocolate chips, mini 'Nilla wafers, etc.)
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Instructions
- Wash and dry strawberries very thoroughly. Core each berry using a paring knife, OXO huller + paring knife, or melon baller. Optionally trim a thin sliver off the bottom so they stand upright.1½ pounds large fresh strawberries
- Beat heavy cream with half the powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside.6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, ½ cup powdered sugar, divided, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese with remaining powdered sugar until completely smooth.8 ounces full fat brick cream cheese,
- Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until just combined.
- Spoon filling into a zip-top bag, snip the corner, and pipe into each strawberry. Add topping of choice.½ cup topping of choice (crushed graham crackers, cookie crumbs, chopped roasted salted almonds, mini chocolate chips, mini 'Nilla wafers, etc.)
- Serve immediately or refrigerate up to a few hours. Add crunch toppings right before serving.
Notes
- Dry strawberries thoroughly after washing. Wet berries will give you a watery filling
- Room temperature cream cheese is essential for a smooth, lump-free filling
- Fold the whipped cream in gently to keep the filling light and airy
- Prep components ahead; assemble close to serving time
- Don't hollow the berries too deep. The walls need to stay thick enough to hold together when filled
- Crunchy toppings (Nilla wafers, graham crackers, cookie crumbs) should be added right before serving
VIDEO
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats says
I don't think I would be able to stop munching on these!
Healing Tomato says
This is a great idea and I can't belive I didn't think about this. You have a very creative recipe. Love the colors and the combination. The pics look so scrumptious.
Why, thank you! Sometimes simple is soooo tasty!