Ingredients
Method
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar until well combined.
- Drizzle in the melted butter and mix thoroughly.
- Press the graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate.
- Bake for about 7 minutes or until the crust is light brown. Allow to cool completely.
Filling
- Whip the heavy whipping cream until light and fluffy.
- In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.
- In a blender, puree the diced strawberries until smooth.
- Add the pureed strawberries and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture and mix until well combined.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream into the strawberry cream cheese mixture.
- Pour the strawberry cheesecake mixture into the cooled graham cracker crust, smoothing the top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.
Serving
- Slice the cheesecake with a knife run under hot water and dried.
- Top with sweetened whipped cream and additional strawberries if desired.
Notes
For extra flavor, add a swirl of strawberry puree on top before freezing. Use fresh strawberries for best flavor, but frozen can work if thawed and drained. Consider low-fat cream cheese or Greek yogurt as a lighter option.
