This no-bake strawberry white chocolate cheesecake is the ultimate summer dessert, with decadent, creamy white chocolate filling smothered in a vibrant, juicy strawberry topping. I’ve taken this classic flavor pairing to the next level by adding crunchy, salted pretzels for that perfect sweet-and-salty finish. Think a sophisticated, elevated take on the classic strawberry pretzel salad with rich, creamy white chocolate. It’s the perfect showstopper for your next backyard BBQ or summer party!
Why you'll love this recipe
- The Ultimate Flavor Trio: Decadent white chocolate, vibrant strawberries, and that "can't-stop-eating-it" salty crunch from the pretzels.
- Zero Oven Time: This is a true no-bake recipe, you can keep your kitchen cool all summer while still serving up a show-stopping dessert.
- Elegant Results: With its vibrant strawberry layer and white chocolate garnish, this cheesecake looks like it came from a high-end bakery.
- Make-Ahead Magic: It’s a great party dessert - it sets up beautifully in the fridge, leaving you free to enjoy your guests once the prep is done.
Love a chocolate cheesecake? Why not try making my lemon and white chocolate cheesecake, no bake chocolate cheesecake or Aero Mint cheesecake. Or check out my full collection of no bake cheesecake recipes for more cheesecake inspiration. Delicious!
Ingredients
For the strawberry cheesecake topping
Strawberries: fresh strawberries to make the cheesecake topping.
Fresh lemon: A little fresh lemon juice brightens up this strawberry sauce and balances out the sweetness of the white chocolate.
Granulated white sugar: keep the flavors clean and separate.
Cornstarch (corn flour): A little cornstarch helps thicken your topping and keep it where you want it to be, on top of the cheesecake!
For the white chocolate cheesecake:
White chocolate melts: use a brand you like the taste of. Try to avoid candy melts and I find these don't taste as good. See my section on Tips For Success and Frequently Asked Questions for more info on this.
Cream cheese: full-fat cream cheese is best for this recipe. If you use light cream cheese it may not set properly.
Cream: I use thickened cream which has a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is similar.
Graham Crackers: are a type of sweet plain cookie with wholegrain which are the classic cheesecake base.
Crunchy pretzels: pump up the flavor but adding some crunchy, salted pretzels to your cheesecake base and decoration.
Unsalted Butter: because butter makes most things taste better. But it also helps set the cheesecake base.
How to make strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
To make the cheesecake base
Grease and line the cheesecake tin. Break up the Graham crackers into smaller pieces. Blitz in a processor until the pieces resemble breadcrumbs. Break up the pretzels and blitz until you have a mix of bread crumbs and slightly chunkier pieces.
Melt the butter in a small pot on the stove or the microwave. Add the melted butter to the cracker and pretzel crumbs and mix well.
Add the crumb mix to the lined tin and press down with the back of a spoon or a flat cup. You want to press firmly enough to hold the base together but not so firmly that your base is too hard and difficult to cut.
Chill the base in the fridge for a minimum of one hour and up to overnight before filling.
To make the white chocolate cheesecake filling
Add the white chocolate for the filling to a microwave-proof bowl and heat in thirty-second bursts until it's melted, smooth and very runny, stirring well between each blast.
Hot tip: I say this all the time, but you really, really need room temperature cream cheese. It will help avoid a lumpy cheesecake filling.
Add cream cheese to a mixer bowl and mix to soften it. Make sure your white choc is very runny and pourable. It's ok if it's still warm but not hot. Crank up the mixer to medium-high and drizzle in the melted white chocolate in batches, about ⅓ at a time. Try to work your way around the mixing bowl so the chocolate hits different areas as it goes in.
Stop the mixer, give it a Quick mix with a spatula to make sure you are getting the cream cheese on the bottom of the mixer mixing in, then repeat with the 2nd and last 3rd-ish of the white choc, until it's all mixed in.
Hot tip: It's really easy for the white choc to form lumps. To minimise e chance of this happening make sure your cream cheese is at room temp, your mixer is on medium high and mixing fast, and your melted white choco is smooth, runny and pourable. This will help it incorprate quickly into the cream cheese and avoid lumps.
In a separate bowl whip the cream until firm peaks form. Gently fold into the white chocolate and cream cheese mix.
Spoon onto the chilled base, taking care to press out all the air bubbles. Smooth the top with an offset spatula and chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To make the strawberry topping
Juice the lemon. Add the lemon juice and corn flour to a small bowl and mix to form a slurry.
Roughly chop the strawberries. Add the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice corn flour slurry to a small pot on the stove and mix well. Heat on medium until the mix starts to bubble and the strawberries start to release their juices, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for a further fifteen or so minutes until the strawberries cook and the topping thickens. Remember it will thicken more as it cools.
Allow the topping to cool completely before using or you will melt your cheesecake!
To assemble the cheesecake
Remove the cheesecake from the tin. Use a large sharp knife inserted between the base and the parchment paper to loosen the base. Transfer to a serving board or plate. Smooth down the sides with a spatula.
Chop the white chocolate for the decoration.
To make the optional white choc drip, put the white chocolate and cream for decoration into a bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts until the chocolate starts to melt. Stir well to ensure it's smooth.
Pour into a small piping bag. Twist the top and cut a small hole in the tip. To make the drip edge, tut the piping tip at the edge of the cheesecake and lightly squeeze until a drip forms. Move the piping tip a small way along the top of the cheesecake and gently squeeze again to form another drip.
Continue around the rest of the edge until you return to the start.
To help the strawberry topping stay in place you can add an extra line of white chocolate ganache around the end of the cake along the top of the drip line.
Spoon on the cooled strawberry topping, sprinkle with chopped white chocolate and you're done! This would also be great with some extra crushed-up pretzels for the sweet, salty, crunchy contrast.
How to serve
To serve this creamy strawberry and white choc cheesecake slice and pop it onto a plate! For clean slices try gently warming your knife first and dry quickly before slicing.
Hot serving tip: I highly recommend adding the strawberry topping just before serving, as it can make the cheesecake soften quickly. If you are not eating the whole cake in one sitting I suggest adding the topping to individual slices as serving, then storing the cheesecake and topping separately.
How to store
The decorated cheesecake:
In the fridge: covered, for up to five days, but see my hot tip above about storing the decorated cheesecake.
The undecorated cheesecake:
In the fridge: in a covered container for up to five days.
In the freezer: undecorated and wrapped, with whole in individual slices, for up to a month for best taste and texture.
The strawberry topping:
In the fridge: for up to five days in a covered container.
In the freezer: in an airtight container for up to three months. Freeze in ice cubes then transfer into an airtight container or ziplock bag for easy individual servings.
Tips for success and frequently asked questions
Is there a difference between white chocolate and white choc melts?
Yes! Technically, "real" white chocolate must contain cocoa butter for that creamy mouthfeel. White choc melts (or melting wafers) often use vegetable fats, which makes them easier to melt and helps the cheesecake set firmly. In my tests, recipe testers actually preferred the taste and texture of the white choc melts in this recipe. You can use regular white chocolate bars, but your cheesecake may be softer.
Why aren't there strawberry pieces inside the cheesecake?
Fresh strawberries are full of water. If you fold them into the filling, they can release that moisture and leave you with a soggy, unset cheesecake. I prefer a "clean" contrast between the rich white chocolate and the vibrant topping—it tastes better and looks much more elegant!
Can I make this without pretzels?
Absolutely. If you aren't a fan of the sweet-and-salty vibe, just swap the pretzels for an equal amount of Graham cracker crumbs.
My cheesecake filling has lumpy bits of white chocolate in it, help!
This is a common problem when working white chocolate (and interestingly enough, it doesn't happen as much with milk chocolate). It usually happens when there’s to much of a temperature difference between your ingredients. To stop it from happening try to ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature and your melted chocolate has cooled slightly before mixing. If lumps have already formed, a quick pulse with an immersion blender can usually save the day before you fold in the whipped cream.
My strawberry topping is too runny, help!
A couple of things. Did you add the cornstarch? Your topping might be quite runny without it.
Remember to gently simmer the topping for long enough, stirring frequently and to allow the cornstarch to activate. The topping will thicken up as it cools, so don't worry if it appears a little thin while it's still hot.
More yummy cheesecake recipes to try!
Why not try making
- No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
- Caramalized White Chocolate Caramilk Cheesecake
- Toblerone Cheesecake
- Black Forrest Cheesecake
- Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake
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📋 Recipe
Strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake
Equipment
- Spring form cake tin, 7" x 2.5" (18cm x 6.5cm)
- Electric hand beaters or stand mixer
- food processor
Ingredients
For the cheesecake base
- 1 & ⅓ cups (150gms) Graham crackers
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (100gms) small crunchy salted pretzels
- 1 stick (½ cup/ 115gms) unsalted butter
For the cheesecake filling
- 2 cups (10.5 oz/300gms) white chocolate melts
- 2 x 8 ounce tubs (450gms total) full fat cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup (250mls) thickened cream
For the strawberry topping
- 3 cups (1 lbs/450gms) strawberries
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the decoration
- ½ cup (75 gms) white chocolate melts
- ½ cup small crunchy salted pretzels (optional)
Instructions
To make the cheesecake base
- Line the tin with parchment paper.
- Break the Graham Crackers into smaller pieces and blitz in a food processor into crumbs.
- Break the pretzels into smaller pieces and blitz into rough bread crumbs.
- Melt the butter by adding to a microwave-proof bowl and microwaving for a minute or two, or in a pot on the stove.
- Pour the butter into the cookie crumbs and mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Pour into lined tin and press down to form the base.
- Chill in fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight.
To make the cheesecake filling
- NB Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Melt the white chocolate for the filling in the microwave in thirty-second bursts until melted. Allow to cool slightly.
- Beat the room temperature cream cheese briefly to soften it.
- Turn your mixer up to medium high. Pour in the runny melted white chocolate in a steady stream.
- Whip the cream in a separate bowl until firm peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until well combined.
- Tip the cheesecake filling onto the prepared base and smooth down with a spatula.
- Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To make the strawberry cheesecake topping
- Slice and juice the lemon.
- Remove the tops from the strawberries and roughly chop.
- Add the lemon juice to the cornstarch. Mix to form a slurry.
- Add the sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch to a small pot on the stove. Mix well.
- Bring to bubbling. Reduce heat.
- Simmer for approx. ten to fifteen or until topping thickens.
- Remove from heat. Cool completely before assembling the cheesecake.
To assemble the cheesecake
- *The strawberry topping and decoration are best added just before serving*
- Chop the white chocolate for decoration.
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and carefully peel the parchment paper. Smooth the sides of the cheesecake with a spatula.
- Spoon on the strawberry coulis. Top with chopped white chocolate and maybe some extra pretzels and you're done! Delicious!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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