Strawberry & Chocolate Cheesecake Bars Recipe

It's summer strawberry season and these strawberry and chocolate no bake cheesecake bars taste even better than chocolate dipped strawberries!

Chocolate dipped strawberries are one of my favourite treats and this easy, no bake cheesecake recipe creates the most delicious strawberry and chocolate cheesecake bars! It has a simple biscuit base, topped with homemade easy strawberry puree swirled into a rich and creamy chocolate cheesecake. This recipe involves no baking and you could even skip making the puree and use shop brought jam instead, so it's the perfect dessert for warm summer days.

This recipe makes one 7" x 11" tin which slices into 10-12 cheesecake bars. It is best stored in the fridge and eaten within around four days or you can freeze the individual bars for longer.

There is no need for any baking. Simply layer up the cheesecake components into the tin and let it set in the fridge or freezer before slicing into cheesecake bars.

This cheesecake is dairy free, egg free, easily gluten and nut free and of course completely plant based!

Makes one 7" x 11" tin or 10-12 cheesecake bars

Strawberry puree ingredients;

400g chopped fresh strawberries

100g caster or granulated sugar

1 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs cornflour

2 tbs cold water

Cheesecake base ingredients;

300g biscuits

85g melted vegan butter

Cheesecake filling ingredients;

300g vegan cream cheese

200g vegan double cream

90g icing sugar

200g cooled but melted dark chocolate

You will also need; a 7" x 11" baking tin, a mixing bowl, a spoon, electric hand mixer, food processor or sandwich bag and rolling pin, knife, baking paper, saucepan

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Method

1. Begin by making your strawberry puree.  In a small bowl mix the cornflour and water together to make a smooth, thick, runny paste and set aside

2. Roughly chop the washed, fresh strawberries and add them to a saucepan along with the other puree ingredients, sugar, lemon juice and cornflour mixture

3. Simmer on a medium heat while stirring until the strawberries have broken down and you have a glossy, thickened, jammy mixture

4. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool

5. Line your baking tin with baking paper. This will make it easier to remove the cheesecake once it has set

6. Move on to making your cheesecake base

7. In your food processor, add the biscuits and blend until a fine crumble

8. Add the melted vegan butter and blend again until all mixed

9. Tip the biscuit mixture into your lined tin and press down firmly using the back of a spoon until you have a firm and even base. Put this in the fridge or freezer to set

10. Once your strawberry puree is cool to touch, make your cheesecake filling

11. In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and icing sugar and whip until smooth using the hand mixer

12. Add the cream and mix again until you can feel the cream begin to whip and the mixture start to thicken

13. Check that your melted chocolate is not too hot.  The bowl should not feel warm and the chocolate should be as cool as possible but still runny

14. Add the melted chocolate to the filling mixture and continue whipping until all the chocolate is incorporated and the mixture is thick and fluffy

15. Begin to layer up your cheesecake. On top of the cold biscuit base, spoon in around 1/3 your strawberry puree and spread evenly across the biscuit base

16. Add the chocolate cheesecake filling and evenly spread it out

17. Add around a 1/3 of your strawberry puree in small spoonfuls on top of the chocolate cheesecake mixture and swirl together using a knife or the handle of a spoon

18. Add the remaining 1/3 of the strawberry puree on top and give the mixture one final swirl together

19. Put the cheesecake back into the freezer for at least 2 hours to set

20. Once fully set, remove the cheesecake from the tin, slice and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks!

• I always use Moo Free vegan chocolate. You can buy bulk 2kg boxes from Coco's Pantry, who have lots of vegan baking ingredients

• I used oaty biscuits for my cheesecake base, but any biscuits would work. Digestives, ginger biscuits, Oreos and Lotus biscuits are all yummy!

• Swap the biscuits for gluten free to make a gluten free cheesecake

• I used Nush almond vegan cream cheesecake, but you could swap to another brand to make a nut free cheesecake

• I used Elmlea plant double cream

• This recipe would also be delicious swapping the strawberries for raspberries, blueberries or another sweet fruit

• Instead of making cheesecake bars, you could also use this recipe to make one 8" round cheesecake