No Bake Black Bottom Strawberry Cheesecake Squares
User Reviews
3.6
No Bake Black Bottom Strawberry Cheesecake Squares
Description
This dessert starts with a firm crust made from finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies mixed with melted butter, pressed into a pan and chilled to set. The filling combines pureed fresh strawberries blended with room temperature cream cheese and sugar for smoothness, folded together with whipped heavy cream for lightness and softness. This filling is spread over the crust and chilled, allowing it to firm up without baking.
The whipped mascarpone topping, mixed with confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, adds silky richness and balances the tang of cream cheese and sweetness of strawberries. The dessert is set in a square pan lined with parchment for easy slicing into neat squares. The no-bake method keeps the filling fresh and creamy, preserving the bright strawberry flavor.
This dessert serves well as a refreshing treat for warm weather or when oven use is impractical. It pairs nicely with fresh berries or a dusting of cocoa powder.
For best results, chill the cheesecake squares for at least six hours or overnight to allow the filling to fully set and flavors to meld.
Ingredients
black bottom crust
- 6 ounces Nabisco Famous Wafers 2/3 of the box
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
filling
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries chopped
- 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks
whipped mascarpone
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp confectioners sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Lightly spray and line a 9x9 square baking pan with parchment paper with long ends. This is so you can lift the cheesecake out of the pan later for easier slicing.
- Process or crush the chocolate wafers until they are finely ground. Blend in the melted butter and mix well, until all the crumbs have been moistened. NO PROCESSOR? Put the cookies in a baggie and whack the heck out of them with a rolling pin.
- Pat the crust into the bottom of your prepared pan, pressing down firmly. Refrigerate.
- To make the filling, make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature. If it's cold there will be lumps in your cheesecake, fair warning. I like to use my Vitamix, but you can also use a food processor for this recipe. Add the strawberries to the blender first, processing until they're pureed. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend until smooth and silky, with no lumps. Scrape down the sides of the machine as necessary. Fold in the whipped cream until completely incorporated and there are no white streaks.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the chilled crust, and smooth out evenly. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. You can also put the dessert in the freezer to chill it faster.
- To make the whipped mascarpone put the ingredients in a food processor and process briefly until everything is smooth and creamy. You can also do this with a hand mixer. Spoon or pipe onto individual cheesecake squares before serving.
- Note: If you are storing this in the freezer you'll need to let it sit out at room temperature for a bit so it can be sliced easier.
Notes
- You can substitute blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries for the strawberries in the filling.
- Use graham crackers instead of chocolate wafers for a different crust flavor.
- Chill the cheesecake thoroughly for 6 hours or overnight before slicing to allow proper firming.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
3.6
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