Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Introducing the perfect summer treat! These No Bake Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake Bars start with a Nutella graham cracker crust and are topped with a creamy layer of sweetened cream cheese tossed with fresh strawberries. This recipe is easy to make and so delicious!

Warm summer days deserve the perfect summer dessert. And that’s where this recipe for Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake Bars comes in! Fresh strawberries are combined with a no-bake cheesecake recipe and placed on top of a Nutella Graham Cracker Crust. Oh no I didn’t. Yup, I did!!!

They’re super simple to make and a great cool treat to beat the heat! No need to turn on the oven and heat up the house. These bars are a delicious no-bake treat, so they go straight from the mixing bowl and into the freezer.

Toss this recipe together for a scrumptious, sweet snack that’s made with only 15 minutes of prep time!

Ingredients

For the ingredient amounts, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Graham cracker crumbs – the crumbs can be purchased in a box on the baking aisle of most major grocery stores. You can also make the crumbs yourself, by placing graham crackers in a large zipper bag and crushing them with a rolling pin, or placing them in a food processor and pulsing until they’ve formed a fine crumb mixture.
• Granulated sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Nutella – this is an optional ingredient added to the crust of the cheesecake bars. If you’d like a traditional graham cracker crust you can leave out the Nutella. But I will say, the addition of creamy hazelnut spread in the crust is absolutely delicious!
• Cream cheese – be sure to soften the cream cheese before starting the recipe. Either set it out on the counter for 30-60 minutes, or soften it quickly by placing the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and turning on the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
• Powdered sugar
• Milk – I recommend using 2% or whole milk for a rich, creamy flavor.
• Vanilla extract
• Strawberries – if strawberries are not in season, you can also use frozen strawberries and thaw them before preparing this recipe.

Instructions

Prepare the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a large bowl. Add the Nutella and melted butter. Mix into a coarse crumble.

Press the crust into the bottom of an 8″ x 8″ baking dish.

Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the creamy cheesecake filling by using an electric hand mixer to combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

Blend until creamy, then hand mix in ¾ cup sliced strawberries.

Remove the crust from the freezer. Use a rubber spatula to gently spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the crust. Press the remaining ¼ cup of strawberries on the top of the cheesecake bars.

Place back into the freezer for at least 4 hours.  Remove 15-20 minutes before serving to thaw enough to slice through.  Cut into bars and serve.

Pro tips

• Be sure to soften the cream cheese before starting the recipe. Otherwise, it will not blend into a smooth and creamy mixture. For a quick way to soften the cream cheese, toss it in a microwave safe bowl and into the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
• Remove the cheesecake bars from the freezer at least 15 minutes before serving. Otherwise they will be too hard to cut and eat.
• You can always thaw the bars ahead of time, at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, then slice them and store them in a freezer-safe zipper bag or container. This way, the bars are sliced and ready to grab anytime you want a sweet frozen treat!
• To make it even easier to remove the bars from the baking pan after they’re frozen, line the pan with parchment paper before starting the recipe. Make sure there is an extra 2-3 inches of parchment paper overlapping each side of the dish, so you can grab the parchment paper and remove all of the bars at one time from the pan.
• The bars don’t have to be frozen. If you’re looking for a simple recipe for strawberry cheesecake bars, this recipe is perfect. Instead of placing the bars in the freezer, simply place them in the refrigerator. They won’t be as firm as the frozen version, but they’ll taste just as delicious!
• These bars will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. If stored in the refrigerator, they should be eaten within 5-7 days.
• To make this recipe gluten free, use a food processor to turn gluten-free graham crackers into a fine crumb mixture. All other ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten free.

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