Strawberry Cheesecake
Published May 25, 2026
This strawberry cheesecake is baked in a water bath and topped with a homemade strawberry sauce made from fresh, blended berries with strawberry chunks.
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strawberry cheesecake with fresh strawberries!
My bff has been requesting this strawberry cheesecake for her birthday for the past two years. The first time I made it, I was a little nervous because baked cheesecake feels like something that could go wrong. It didn’t, and now I make it every time she asks. What makes this one worth making from scratch is the homemade strawberry topping. Half the strawberries get blended into a sauce, and the other half go in fresh, so it has real fruit texture instead of just a thick gel.
This cheesecake with fresh strawberries needs to chill overnight, which sounds inconvenient but is actually the part I prefer. Everything gets done the day before, and I’m not stressed the day I serve it. The water bath sounds more complicated than it is. All it does is keep the oven humid, so the filling bakes evenly and stays creamy all the way through. After the first time, it genuinely is not a big deal.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Strawberry Cheesecake Ingredients
- Cheesecake Filling: Cream cheese, granulated sugar, full-fat sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice, salt, and eggs. Everything needs to be at room temperature before you start, not just taken out a few minutes before. The cream cheese is the most important one; cold cream cheese leaves lumps that do not beat out no matter how long you run the mixer. Pull it from the fridge at least a couple of hours ahead. Use full-fat everything, low-fat will not work. Add the eggs one at a time, stopping mixing as soon as the last one blends in. Overbeating the eggs is one of the main things that causes cracks. Use fresh lemon juice if you can; bottled tends to taste a little off in a filling this clean.
- Graham cracker crust: Combine the graham crackers, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor. Then, add the melted butter and pulse (just pulse!) until the mixture resembles wet sand. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender. Just don’t let the blender run continuously for too long, or the crumbs can get too fine and pasty.
- Strawberries: Use bright, firm berries without any bruising or mushy spots. Use ripe berries. Pale, underripe strawberries make the cooked sauce taste flat, so use ones that actually taste good raw. Strawberries are classic, but you can also try a different fruit for the cheesecake topping! Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, or peaches would all work well with the same basic method and measurements.
- Strawberry cheesecake topping: Puree some of the strawberries in a blender, then cook the purée with cornstarch, more granulated sugar, and more lemon juice. The strawberry topping will thicken more as it cools.
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Crust
These step-by-step photos walk through the whole process from crust to topping. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, jump to the → Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
1. Make the Graham Cracker Crust
Add the graham crackers, sugar, and salt to a food processor and run it until you have fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press it firmly into the bottom and about an inch up the sides of the prepared springform pan. The flat bottom of a measuring cup helps get an even layer.
2. Bake and Cool the Crust
The crust goes in until lightly golden. Let it cool completely before adding the filling. If the crust is still warm when the batter goes in, it can start softening the cream cheese at the bottom.
3. Start the Cheesecake Filling
Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt to the combined cream cheese and sugar mixture. Mix on low until everything is fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and even. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so nothing gets left behind before the eggs go in.
4. Add the Eggs
Crack one egg at a time, beating just until each one disappears into the batter before adding the next. Low speed is fine here. Once the last egg is in, stop the mixer. The batter is ready when it looks smooth and uniform; continuing past that point adds extra air, which can cause the top to crack during baking.
5. Set Up the Water Bath
Pour the batter into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Give the pan a few taps on the counter to bring up any air bubbles. Set the springform inside a large roasting pan and pour boiling water carefully into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the springform.
6. Bake and Cool the Cheesecake
The cheesecake is done when the edges look set and the center still has a gentle jiggle when you shake the pan. Turn the oven off and prop the door open partway so the heat dissipates slowly. Move to a wire rack once it is no longer hot, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. Make the Strawberry Sauce Base
Blend half the strawberries until completely smooth. Pour the purée into a small saucepan and stir in the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice before turning on the heat.
8. Cook the Strawberry Topping
Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often so it does not scorch. It’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon and holds its shape when you run a finger through it. Pull it off the heat and let it cool completely. It will continue to thicken as it sits.
9. Add Fresh Strawberries
Quarter the remaining strawberries and fold them into the cooled sauce. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
10. Top the Cheesecake
Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan before releasing the springform ring, then transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Spoon the strawberry topping over just before serving.
Full Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 12 full-sheet graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounces full-fat sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs room temperature
Strawberry Topping
- 1 ½ pounds strawberries hulled divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan by placing it in a silicone pan protector or wrapping the outside with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Place the graham crackers, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the crust mixture to the springform pan and use a cup or flat-bottomed glass to press the crust into an even layer and about 1 inch up the sides.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Cheesecake Filling
- To a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add cream cheese and sugar, beating on medium-low speed until smooth. Add sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt, and continue to mix on low speed until fully incorporated.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared baked crust and smooth the top. Tap the pan on a flat surface to remove any air bubbles. Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan and carefully pour the boiling water ½ the way up the springform pan.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the edges are set, and the center is slightly jiggly.
- Turn the oven off and prop the door open slightly, allowing it to slowly cool down for about 1 hour. Then, remove the pan from the water and oven, remove the foil, and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Gently run a knife around the edges of the pan and carefully release the ring of your springform pan. Run the knife between the crust and bottom pan and use a spatula to carefully lift the cheesecake to a serving plate. Cut into 12 equal slices and serve cold.
Strawberry Topping
- Purée half of the strawberries in a blender until smooth. Then pour the purée into a saucepan and stir in the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, then boil for 1 minute, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool completely. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Quarter the remaining strawberries, stir into the strawberry sauce, then chill until ready to use.
- Spoon over cheesecake just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Almond graham cracker crust: Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to the crust mixture.
- Chocolate strawberry cheesecake: Add a thin layer of chocolate ganache over the chilled cheesecake before you add the strawberry topping. Try cutting my chocolate ganache recipe in half!
- Any-cookie crust: Use vanilla wafers, shortbread cookies, or chocolate cookies instead of graham crackers for a different base.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the water bath. The boiling water helps the cheesecake bake gently and evenly. It adds moisture to the oven and keeps the temperature around the cheesecake more consistent, which helps prevent the filling from overbaking, cracking, or drying out.
- Don’t skip wrapping the pan with aluminum foil, either. It helps protect the cheesecake from the water bath, so it doesn’t seep into the crust! You can also use a silicone pan protector.
- Let it cool slowly. Going from a hot oven directly to a cold counter causes the top to crack. Leaving the oven door propped open after baking gives it time to cool down gradually before you move it.
- Add the topping right before serving. If the strawberry sauce sits on the cheesecake for several hours in the fridge, it starts soaking into the top layer. Spoon it on just before you cut and serve.
FAQs
Cracks usually happen from overmixing, overbaking, or cooling too quickly. Mix the eggs in just until combined, bake until the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle, and let it cool slowly in the turned-off oven.
Water probably leaked into the springform pan during the water bath. Make sure you wrap the outside well with heavy-duty foil or use a silicone pan protector.
This usually happens when the crust was not pressed firmly enough before baking, or when the butter-to-crumb ratio was slightly off. The crumb mixture should look like wet sand before it goes into the pan, and pressing it down firmly with the flat bottom of a measuring cup helps it hold its shape after baking.
