A creamy, dreamy cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust, a rich cheesecake filling, and a sweet, crunchy strawberry topping. Perfect for any celebration or a special treat!
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 32 ounces cream cheese, softened (4 packages)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
For the Strawberry Crunch Topping:
- 1 box (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 (16oz) container of frozen sliced strawberries, thawed and drained.
- 1 cup vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
- 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries, crushed.
- 2 tablespoons melted butter.
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, then let cool completely.
2. Make the Cheesecake Filling:
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each addition.
- Stir in sour cream until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the cooled crust.
3. Bake the Cheesecake:
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the center is just slightly jiggly.
- Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside the oven with the door slightly ajar for 1 hour. This helps prevent cracking.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
4. Prepare the Strawberry Crunch Topping:
- In a medium bowl, dissolve the strawberry gelatin in the boiling water. Stir until fully dissolved.
- Stir in the cold water.
- Carefully fold in the drained thawed strawberries.
- In a seperate bowl combine the crushed vanilla wafers, and freeze dried strawberries. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir until combined.
- Place the strawberry gelatin mixture in the refrigerator until it begins to slightly thicken, but is not fully set.
- Once the gelatin has thickened slightly, pour it over the top of the chilled cheesecake.
- Sprinkle the vanilla wafer and freeze dried strawberry crunch mixture over the top of the gelatin layer.
- Refrigerate for at least another hour to allow the topping to set.
5. Serve:
- Carefully remove the sides of the springform pan.
- Slice and serve your delicious Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake!
Tips and Variations:
- For a richer flavor, use full-fat cream cheese.
- To prevent cracking, ensure all ingredients are at room temperature before mixing.
- If you don’t have freeze dried strawberries, you can substitute additional crushed vanilla wafers.
- You can use fresh strawberries on top of the gelatin layer, before the crunch layer, for added fresh fruit flavor.
- For a deeper pink color you can add a few drops of red food coloring to the gelatin mixture.
Enjoy your sweet creation! Sources and related content