Strawberry cheesecake was the highlight of my sister and brother-in-law’s spontaneous visit to Tennessee a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to showcase the fun things Knoxville has to offer, so I took them to The Fruit and Berry Patch on a beautiful day, where we picked our own organic strawberries.Later that evening, during our Bible study, I brought along an Easy No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake for dessert. It perfectly satisfied my sweet tooth without being too heavy or filling. It was delightful to feature the strawberries we had picked from a local farm just a few miles from home.
This is my sister and niece. It has been hard being separated (she lives in California), especially as she has been adding to her family and beginning her motherhood journey. But we are trying our best to make it work!
I tried to show her the best places around in hopes that maybe she too will want to move to Tennessee! Shhhhh, don’t tell her…wink, wink.
The kids were more than happy to come along strawberry picking! My little Nevie-girl nearly filled her bucket by the time we were through.
I think Caleb ate more strawberries than he picked.
After picking, the kids love to get the fresh fruit smoothies they sell onsite. I also enjoy the local honey and jam.
Altogether, we picked about 5 or 6 pounds of strawberries! When we got home, I set out to cleaning them up for snacks and smoothies but realized I had WAY more than I needed.
Since Bible study was the same night, I decided to make a quick, no-bake strawberry cheesecake to share with our friends.
Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Recipe
I started by whipping 8 oz of reduced-fat cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt.
Leaving the sugar until last, I slowly poured it in as I whipped the rest of the ingredients. I beat it until it was nice and smooth.
Next, I folded in a container of whipped topping. This has to be regular whipped topping and not the reduced fat version. The reduced-fat kind does not hold it’s shape as well and it can be a bit runny.
Then I poured the filling into a prepared graham cracker crust lined with strawberries. If you have the time to make your own crust (it takes about 15-20 minutes), I would highly recommend it.
I’ve included my homemade graham cracker crust recipe on my Kiwi Lime Pie post. Check it out here. Let the pie chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
Once it is completely cooled (you’ll need the full 4 hours for the whipped topping to set), begin your strawberry design. There is no right or wrong way to decorate your pie so be creative!
I cut my strawberries in half, picked out the ones that were similar in size, and then turned them so the inside was showing and all the tips were pointing in the same direction.
Put the strawberry cheesecake back in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. I took my pie to Bible study, about 30 minutes away, so I put it in the freezer for 30 minutes right before we left. By the time we got there it was ready to eat! And there wasn’t a piece left!
Wouldn’t this be fun to serve for Memorial Day or the 4th of July? You could alternate blueberries on top to make it look extra patriotic! I can just see the fireworks now!
If you need any other summery dessert ideas may I suggest a refreshing Key Lime Pie, Kiwi Lime Pie, or my delicious Pistachio Coconut Pudding Cake. All are easy to make and a light refreshment after dinner. Happy cooking y’all!
P.S. If you enjoyed this post please leave me a comment below. I would LOVE to hear your thought on how to spice it up or how you enjoyed it!
