No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Delight is the ultimate no-bake dessert for the spring and summer months. A buttery graham cracker crust topped with a super thick and creamy layer of a cheesecake mixture and topped with strawberry pie filling. Strawberry Cheesecake Delight: A No-Bake Classic That Never Goes Out of Style If you grew up anywhere that values a good potluck, chances are you’ve had some version of this dessert. Strawberry Delight has been around for generations, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s easy to throw together, uses simple ingredients, and hits all the right notes—creamy, fruity, sweet, and just a little nostalgic.
A sliceable dessert that is perfect for your next potluck, summer cookout, or gathering. This strawberry cheesecake delight is one dessert that disappears first. It’s so good.
The Graham Cracker Crust
First up: that classic graham cracker crust. This is a tried-and-true base that’s buttery, a little sweet, and gives the whole dessert some structure and crunch. You only need three ingredients—graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. Run the crackers through a food processor, stir in the sugar and butter, and press it all down into the bottom of an 8×8 dish. No baking needed here. Just make sure you press it down firmly so it holds up when you slice into it later.
The Creamy Layer
Next is the heart of the dessert—a smooth, creamy cheesecake-like layer made with cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and whipped topping. It’s sweet but not overly so, and the texture is light and fluffy. You’ll want your cream cheese at room temperature to avoid lumps (no one wants a surprise chunk of cream cheese in their dessert). Once it’s blended with the sugar and vanilla, fold in the whipped topping until it’s all smooth and uniform.
Spread this layer over the crust—nice and even. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but the more level it is, the better it’ll hold up under the strawberry layer.
That Strawberry Topping
Here’s where things get fun. Instead of fresh strawberries or a homemade compote, we’re using canned strawberry pie filling. It might not be fancy, but it brings a sweet, glossy, and unmistakably strawberry flavor that works perfectly here. Plus, no prep required—just pop open the can and spread it gently over the cream layer. Try not to press too hard when spreading it out so you don’t mix it into the layer below.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Delight Recipe
- A no-bake dessert that uses minimal ingredients!
- The prep work is a breeze for this dessert. Just whip it up and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
- Versatile in the flavors you use for this dessert. You have endless possibilities!
- A dessert that is great to make and take to parties, summer cookouts, or a treat to enjoy at home.
Ingredients
Here is a list of what you will need for this strawberry dessert. The full list is featured below at the bottom of the post.
Graham Crackers – You will finely crush up your crackers to make them the base of your crust!
Butter – Real butter is needed for this dessert. Margarine is oily and you will find it makes the crust greasy.
Sugar – Granulated sugar is used to help sweeten up the crust. Then you will reach for powdered sugar for the filling portion of the batter.
Cream Cheese – Make sure to reach for softened cream cheese. If it is not soft it will not blend properly and create a lumpy texture.
Vanilla – A splash of vanilla extract is always the perfect pairing as it helps enhance all the flavors of the cheesecake filling.
Whipped Cream – Cool Whip is perfect for helping create that ultra-fluffy texture to the filling.
Pie Filling – For the topping, I used a strawberry pie filling. Now you can change out the flavor if you would like.
Chill and Serve
After it’s all layered, cover the dish and pop it in the fridge for at least two hours. This step is key. It helps everything firm up, and the flavors start to meld together a bit. You’ll get those clean layers when you slice into it, and the texture will be spot-on.
When it’s ready, just slice and serve. No need to get fancy—though a dollop of extra whipped cream or a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs on top doesn’t hurt if you’re feeling it.
Variations To Strawberry Delight Recipe
Pie Filling – You can use any flavor of pie filling you would like. Blueberry, cherry, lemon curd, peach, etc. Go the extra steps if you want and even make your pie filling.
Fresh Fruit – Or opt for a fresh fruit topping instead of a pie filling. Just slice up some fresh strawberries or other fruit and layer on top of the whipped cream topping.
Crust – Golden Oreos, Chocolate Oreos, flavored graham crackers, shortbread cookies, and more could be used in replace of the graham crackers.
Lemon – Add some lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixture for a sweet and tangy strawberry lemon delight.
Mix In’s – Feel free to dice up fresh fruit and mix in the cheesecake fluffy filling. Or you could even swirls of chocolate, nuts, mini chocolate chips, or other items to swirl in the batter.
Storing
Refrigerate the strawberry cheesecake delight dessert in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You might get a day or two more out of it, but it will break down over time.
You can freeze this dessert as well. Just place it in a freezer-friendly container and then freeze it for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before you plan to serve and enjoy.
Tips for Success
Graham Cracker Crust
Make sure to use a rolling pin to fully crush the crackers or a food processor. Or skip some of the prep and buy pre-crumbled crust in a box.
Room Temperature Cream Cheese
Softened cream cheese is a must, or it will have a lumpy texture like cottage cheese. You can take your cream cheese place it in a bowl of warm water (not hot) and leave it in the foil. Then let it sit for 5 minutes, check the softness, and repeat if needed. This is a quick way to soften it.
Whipped Cream
Homemade whipped cream can be used for the batter, but I find Cool Whip is more stable and will allow for that light and fluffy texture for a lot longer.
Why We Love It
Strawberry Delight is simple, unfussy, and totally satisfying. It’s the kind of dessert that feels like something your grandma used to make, in the best way possible. You don’t need a mixer full of attachments or a long list of ingredients—just a few pantry staples and about 10 minutes of prep.
Make-Ahead Friendly (and Crowd-Approved)
Strawberry Delight is also super make-ahead friendly. In fact, it gets better as it sits. Letting it chill for a few hours gives it time to firm up, and the flavors settle into each other nicely. If you’re hosting a get-together or need something you can prep the night before, this is the dessert to go with. No last-minute stress, no worrying about it collapsing or drying out. Just pull it out of the fridge when it’s time to serve and you’re good to go.
And it feeds a crowd, too. An 8×8 pan gives you 9–12 good-sized servings, and if you’re doubling it for a larger gathering, just use a 9×13 and double the ingredients. It scales up easily without losing any of its charm.
A Base for Variations
The beauty of a dessert like this is how flexible it is. You can absolutely swap the strawberry pie filling for blueberry, cherry, or even peach—whatever fruit filling you’ve got on hand or whatever your people prefer. Want a chocolate version? Try using crushed chocolate graham crackers for the crust and topping with chocolate pudding and whipped cream instead of pie filling. Once you’ve got the basic formula down, the options are endless.
Don’t Overmix
Once you get your ingredients mixed for the batter. Make sure you do not overmix. If you do, it will deflate the mixture a bit and lose that ultra-fluffy and velvety texture.
Chill Time
You must allow time for your cheesecake to chill and set up. Otherwise, when you go to slice you will find it kind of falls apart easier. So make this ahead of when you place to serve it up.
Slicing Tip
Slice your dessert with a warm knife. Take your knife and run under warm water. Then wipe the blade off so it is dry, and slice. This will allow for really nice clean lines. For each new slice, you will repeat warm water on the knife, clean the blade, and then slice.
FAQs
Can I make Strawberry Delight without dairy?
You can make this a dairy-free dessert if you want. Use a dairy-free alternative to the cream cheese, or whipped cream, and swap out the butter as well. Use any alternatives that you prefer in terms of flavor.
Can I make a Strawberry Delight dessert in advance?
Yes, go right ahead and make it a day ahead of when you want to serve it up. Just simply store it in a sealed container in the fridge until you are ready to slice and serve.
Whether you’re making this for a family gathering, a potluck, or just because you want something sweet in the fridge for the week, this is the kind of dessert that disappears fast. It’s cool, creamy, and always hits the spot.
Bottom line? Keep this one in your back pocket. It’s a no-fail, no-bake classic for a reason.
More Strawberry Recipes
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Delight
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 8 ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1 21 ounce can strawberry pie filling
Instructions
- Prepare a 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- To make the crust: With a food processor, pulse the graham crackers with the sugar until fine crumbs form. Add the butter and pulse the food processor until all of the crumbs are coated in the butter. The mixture will resemble fine sand.
- Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the 8×8 baking dish into an even, tight layer.
- To make the filling: Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Then, fold in the whipped topping until well blended. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the graham cracker layer.
- Carefully drop and spread the strawberry pie filling over the top of the cream cheese layer.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours prior to serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Make sure to follow on Pinterest for more recipes!
Comments & Reviews
Jennie Spain says
I love simple recipes