This keto strawberry cheesecake is smooth and creamy, with a rich chocolate crust and a sugar-free chocolate ganache topping. It’s a decadent no-bake dessert, all topped off with chocolate covered strawberries for a beautiful presentation.
It’s hot out there and you don’t want to turn on your oven, but you still want to enjoy a fabulous keto strawberry cheesecake. What to do, what to do?
The solution is simple, my friends. All you need to do is whip up this creamy no bake cheesecake. It’s been one of my most popular keto desserts for a long time, and with good reason. It’s delicious and so beautiful, everyone will think you slaved over it. Shhhh, the secret is ours.
It’s a good thing strawberries are keto friendly, because they are so tempting and delicious, especially when they’re in season. Check out all of my keto strawberry recipes for ideas and inspiration.
The joy of fresh local strawberries
I am pretty certain that there is nothing as delicious as a fresh local strawberry. The year-round imported variety can’t even come close to that burst of sunshine on your tongue. I no longer allow myself to purchase strawberries out of season, because I am inevitably disappointed in their wooden taste and texture.
But as soon as our local farmer’s market opens in May, I start stalking the stalls for berries. I have been known to get there 10 minutes in advance, so I can be the first in line to grab a few pints. And if they’re looking particularly fresh, I purchase a half flat.
Then I let my family indulge themselves, while I dream up new low carb strawberry recipes. Like this no bake keto strawberry cheesecake. It’s so dreamy and rich, and the chocolate covered strawberries on top are proverbial icing on the cake!
Ingredients for keto chocolate strawberry cheesecake
This is the sort of recipe that only looks complicated to make. It’s actually quite easy. Gather your ingredients and let’s get started!
For the cheesecake:
- No bake chocolate crust – I’ve used this basic press in chocolate crust for any number of other recipe, such as Keto Peanut Butter Pie.
- Fresh strawberries – this cheesecake is best made with fresh strawberries. If absolutely necessary, you can use frozen berries for the cheesecake filling. But you really need fresh berries for the garnish.
- Grassfed gelatin – To help the no bake cheesecake set properly, we need a little gelatin. I recommend using a good grassfed gelatin like Great Lakes. You can use Knox gelatin but you will only need one envelope.
- Cream cheese – as always, make sure it’s properly softened so that you get a smooth strawberry filling.
- Heavy whipping cream – whipped to stiff peaks, this makes your cheesecake light and creamy.
- Powdered sweetener – don’t use the granular sweeteners as they will make your filling gritty.
- Vanilla extract
For the chocolate topping and garnish:
- Fresh strawberries – Thinly slice some of those beautiful fresh strawberries, to make a pretty ring around the outside of the cake. Keep 4 whole berries for the top.
- Heavy whipping cream – Bring this to a simmer for the chocolate ganache.
- Unsweetened chocolate – do not use sweetened sugar-free chocolate here, you want the 100% cacao chocolate with no sweetener whatsoever.
- Two sweeteners – I like to use powdered Swerve, along with 1 tablespoon of allulose or BochaSweet. This will keep the topping smooth and shiny as it sets.
- Vanilla extract
How to make No Bake Keto Strawberry Cheesecake
While this recipe has a number of parts, it’s not difficult to make at all. Let’s walk through it together.
- Whisk the crust ingredients until they begin to clump together. Then press them firmly into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. To smooth it out, you can use a flat bottomed glass or measuring up.
- Take some strawberry slices and set them standing up around the inside of the pan, on top of the crust. They should stick easily to the sides of the pan and create an eye-catching border around the finished cheesecake.
- Bring the berries to a boil with a little water and cook until soft. Then mash them up with a fork or a potato masher.
- Bloom the gelatin in some water and once it’s thickened, stir it into the warm berry puree until the gelatin dissolves.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks with the vanilla.
- Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sweetener, then beat in the berry puree. Finally, fold in the whipped cream and pour the batter over the crust.
- Patience, friends! You need to let the cheesecake set a full 3 hours in the fridge.
- Bring the cream to a simmer for the keto chocolate ganache. Once everything is melted and smooth, dip 4 whole strawberries into the chocolate. Set them on a waxed paper lined plate and refrigerate until set.
- Pour the remaining ganache all over the top of the cake.
See, it’s really not that hard. You dirty a number of bowls, but the end result is worth it, believe me! It’s the best keto strawberry cheesecake you will ever make.
Want to try this delicious cheesecake but don’t want all the leftovers? You’re in luck! Check out my Mini Strawberry Cheesecake for Two.
More delicious keto no bake cheesecake recipes
- Mini Keto “Snickers” Cheesecakes
- Keto Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
- No Bake Keto Chocolate Cheesecake
- Mini “Nutella” Cheesecakes
- No Bake Turtle Cheesecake
- No Bake Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
Keto Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
No Bake Crust
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener
- Pinch salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 7 or 8 smallish strawberries thinly sliced
Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
- 2 ½ cups chopped strawberries
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon water divided
- 1 tablespoon grassfed gelatin
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
Chocolate Ganache
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tablespoon allulose or BochaSweet
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to clump together.
- Press the m ixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Stand the berry slices upright around edge of the crust to create a border. Set aside.
Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the chopped strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the berries can be mashed with a fork, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mash into a puree.
- Place the remaining ¼ cup water in a small bowl and sprinkle the surface with the gelatin. Let sit a few minutes to thicken. Add the gelled mixture to the strawberry puree and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream with the vanilla until it holds soft peaks. Set aside.
- In another large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the sweetener until combined and then beat in the strawberry puree.
- Carefully fold in the whipped cream until no streaks remain. Spread the filling over the crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until set.
- Once set, carefully run a sharp knife around the sides of the pan to loosen (try not to disturb the berry border). Remove the sides.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to just a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit a few minutes to melt.
- Add the sweeteners and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Dip a few whole strawberries into the ganache and place on a waxed paper lined dish. Refrigerate until set.
- Pour the remaining ganache over the top of the cake, spreading to the edges and letting some drip down the sides. Place the chocolate covered strawberries on the top of the cake.
- Refrigerate 20 minutes or so to set the chocolate.
Mary T says
Oops! I made mine with 32 oz of cream cheese according to the original recipe. It still came out good, more like mousse cake rather than the cheesecake, well, will need to make it right with only 16 oz of cream cheese.
Carolyn says
I am so sorry about that! I caught the mistake (or rather a reader did) within about 2 hours of posting the recipe but you must have jumped on it early! I wrote 2 16-oz packages when I really meant 2 8-oz packages or 16 oz total.
Vinita says
Mouth watering indeed!! I love chocolate and strawberries 🙂
Alisa says
Eating some right now…mmm. This is so good. I’m delighted my son took a nice long nap today so I could make the first two layers. Added the ganache tonight and it was well worth the wait. Excited I found another great use of my Great Lakes gelatin!
To the poster who asked if the green can would work – it won’t. It doesn’t thicken like the red can. I keep both on hand and use green in drinks and red to make jello…and now cheesecake!
My thanks for the wonderful recipe that kept my FL kitchen a little cooler today!
Julie says
OOPS!!! Was re-reading the recipe and just saw “sugar free”
Sorry! 🙂
Carolyn says
There are some natural sugars in it from the strawberries. According to my software, it comes to 3 g per serving. But no added sugars at all.
Julie says
I didn’t notice any sugar counts on the nutritional info…do you know how much sugar is in this recipe?
Susan says
Would the green can (which is easy to mix in cold liquids) of gelatin work as well?
Carolyn says
I don’t know, I’ve never tried it. I am not sure how much you would need.
Susan says
Thanks, I’ll stick to the Now Brand Beef Gelatin I have, it’s similar to what you call for. And btw, LOVE< LOVE<LOVE your site! Has been a huge help to me over the last 16 months of my journey to better health through following Trim Healthy Mama. A Huge Thanks!
amanda says
The green can doesn’t gel, its cold water soluble for if you want to drink it
dina says
great recipe! i have to try it.
P.J. Stietz says
Instruction #4 says “Let mixture cool while continuing”…continuing to stir?
Carolyn says
Continuing with the rest of the steps. 🙂
Kate @Framed Cooks says
Our strawberries are JUST starting to arrive here in New Jersey, and I’m definitely going to divert some from all my jam-making to this gorgeous cake! What is it about strawberries and chocolate that is so mesmerizing?
Arlene says
Amazing! Eating some right now – haven’t put the ganache on yet, but it is so delicious and beautiful! A Winner… do have a question though:
Would you have a guess as to how much puree you have after the berries are done and have added the gelatin? Reason being, I have some berries in freezer that I prepped and pureed last season and they would work out perfectly – just need to only add the correct amount.
Thanks so much for the work you do in allowing us to recreate your recipes. They are gorgeous, healthy, and delicious. Triple Win!!
Carolyn says
Good question, I didn’t measure it after I pureed it. I’d imagine it would be 1 1/2 to 2 cups worth?
crazywoman/Billie says
Oh my, that looks so good!!!
Sarah G says
Yeah, 12 year old son saw this and said, “I might want that for my birthday.” Now, I’m pretty sure I gotta make it. I may have to practice it once for myself first though, heh, heh, heh.
Carolyn says
Ha, kid-approved then!
P.J. Stietz says
Oh. My. I was going to make your chocolate peanut butter cake for my birthday, but I may have just changed my mind after seeing this gorgeous baby.
Becky says
This looks great! Since it’s easily available here, would using a gelatin like Knox work? Would it be the same measurement?
Carolyn says
Knox would be fine but it wouldn’t be the same. I think two envelopes would suffice.
Jamie says
Would it just be softer with Knox? Or a different texture? I do keep meaning to try grassfed gelatin, but it’s so spendy. Between that and Swerve…oh well. Off this topic, do you have any experience with food grade vegetable glycerine?
Carolyn says
It may be spendy, but that container lasts a good long time! I am really enjoying my foray into grassfed gelatin. I think the knox stuff has more jelling power for less amount. The consistency doesn’t seem different to me.
Funny you should ask about glycerin. I have used it a number of times in my ice cream and it really helps things stay soft and scoopable. My issue is that I can’t get a good read on how many effective carbs it has so I tend to leave it out of my recipes when I write them up because I can’t tell my readers how many carbs it has.
Common Sense says
I found the nutrition facts here:
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/heritage-products-vegetable-glycerin-4-fl-oz-liquid
1 tsp is 5g of carbs and it’s considered a sugar alcohol with limited affect on blood sugar.
http://www.netrition.com/now_glycerine_page.html
“Although glycerine is a carbohydrate, it has a different metabolic effect on the body. Unlike typical carbohydrates, glycerine reportedly has minimal impact on blood sugar levels. You should still count the calories (4.3 calories per gram) you are consuming from this product, since even a low carbohydrate diet needs some calorie control, but you do not need to worry about disrupting ketosis because there is no evidence that glycerine effects blood sugar, which is the way that normal carbohydrates disrupt ketosis.”
Melody says
Did you use 2 envelopes of Knox and did it turn out okay? How much water did you use and did you let it sit 1 minute just like the instructions for the grass-fed gelatin say to do?
Carolyn says
Definitely don’t use 2 packets Knox…it’s stronger than the grassfed and will firm your cake up too much. 1 to 1 1/2 packets is probably better. And yes, still sprinkle over the water and let sit.
Sandy says
This looks good enough to eat! I am curious though…..Is it made with 32 oz of cream cheese? or did you mean 2-8 oz packages of cream cheese. Just double checking. Thanks!
Sandy says
Never mind…. Someone else posted the same time I did. Thanks for fixing it!
Carolyn says
Glad you guys caught that. Could have been a big oops!
Lynne says
Should that be 2 8oz packages of cream cheese? I haven’t seen 16 oz packages of cream cheese.
Carolyn says
Oh my gosh, you are right!!! I meant to write one or the other and wrote both…fixing it now…
Briana Thomas says
Mmm…I love your recipes and this looks *amazing*. Unfortunately, our strawberry season in SC is just about over.
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Such a gorgeous cheesecake! Love the strawberries around the edge!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This is so fantastic! I would love this every weekend this summer and on Valentine’s Day! So beautiful!
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says
What a showstopper Carolyn – absolutely gorgeous!