Strawberry Cheesecake Tart
Featuring a creamy cheesecake filling over a shortbread cookie crust, this Strawberry Cheesecake Tart is a great way to highlight the flavor of fresh, juicy strawberries!
Strawberry season is on the horizon, and I couldn’t be more excited! Strawberry season is the first of a long run of fresh fruits – including blueberries, peaches, blackberries and eventually apples. I love summer fruits! Even Robbie, our 6-year-old son who could make an entire meal out of fruit, commented that fruit just tastes better in the summer. He’s 100% correct!
While I do love to eat strawberries straight from the container, I also enjoy using those sweet berries in all sorts of dessert recipes. I recently hit the kitchen with our first batch of summer strawberries, and the result was this Strawberry Cheesecake Tart. Delicious!
Strawberry Cheesecake Tart
This Strawberry Cheesecake Tart features freshly sliced berries over a no-bake cheesecake filling. Oh, and the crust for this tart is a simple shortbread cookie crust. The shortbread crust is a pretty essential part of this recipe if you ask me. It’s sturdy enough to support the cheesecake filling and strawberries, and it adds a great texture and flavor to the tart.
I kept the amount of sugar in the shortbread crust fairly low. This isn’t meant to be a sugar cookie crust. Instead, I wanted to make sure the fresh strawberries were the star of this recipe. I did add a tiny bit of almond extract into the crust, though. I highly recommend the almond extract as it brings a hint of unique flavor to the finished recipe. It works!
Aside from the flavor, I like using the shortbread crust here as you can press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. I’ve always found a roll-out crust to be rather difficult with tart pans. With this recipe, just press the cookie dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (I like to use a flat-bottomed glass to keep the dough level in the pan.)
The cheesecake filling itself is essentially cream cheese folded with whipped cream. It’s a nice, light texture with plenty of creaminess. And there’s an underlying flavor of lemon in there. The tartness from the lemon combined with the sweet berries is an irresistible combination! In fact, I could see using this no-bake cheesecake filling as a dessert dip of sorts. However, I highly recommend spreading that filling on top of the shortbread crust and then piling sliced strawberries on top!
If you’re looking for a spring and/or summer dessert that’s sure to impress, then put this Strawberry Cheesecake Tart on the list! It’s an easy recipe that really allows the flavor of the strawberries to shine through. Oh, and I do think this recipe would work well with other fruits, too. Blackberries, blueberries, even sliced peaches? Yes, yes and definitely! I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as we did!
Did you make this Strawberry Cheesecake Tart at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Strawberry Cheesecake Tart
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Tart
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz. fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
- 1 whole strawberry
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Grease and flour a 10” tart pan; set pan aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (~2-3 minutes on medium speed).
- Add flour, cream, almond extract and salt; beat on low speed until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl.
- Press dough into bottom and up sides of prepared tart pan. Prick dough at 1” intervals with a fork.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until light golden brown in color.
- Remove crust from oven and let cool completely.
For the Tart
- Using a medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form; set whipped cream aside.
- Using a separate bowl, add cream cheese and granulated sugar; beat on medium speed until well combined.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract; beat until well combined.
- Fold in whipped cream (from above) and transfer mixture into the cooled crust. (Tip: Use an offset spatula to smooth top of tart.)
- Top with sliced strawberries. (Tip: Start with larger slices of strawberries on outer edge of tart. Continue working towards middle of the tart using smaller slices as you go.)
- Place whole strawberry in center of tart.
- Cover lightly and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.
Looking for more recipes with fresh strawberries? Check out these other favorites, too:
cant wait to make this soon for me for the crust can i use vegan butter and coconut cream and for the tart can i use coconut cream and vegan cream cheese i never had strawberry cheesecake tart before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Hey Ramya! I can’t speak to using vegan ingredients here, but give it a try. The dough for the crust should be like cookie dough – you should be able to press it into the pan. Let me know how it turns out!!
This strawberry cheesecake tart looks yummy. I always look to strawberry season and desserts. The dessert is elegant, but sounds really easy to make.
Yes – I love strawberry season, too, Dawn! It arrives a little later than I’d like here in New York…but it always arrives. 🙂 And this dessert really is easy to make! (Plus, it looks really cool when you put it on the table after dinner!)
Love that you used a shortbread crust rather than graham crackers! Always down for strawberry cheesecake — I could use a slice right now!
Hey, a good graham cracker crust would totally work here! I did like the shortbread crust, though, as it was a bit thicker and provided a better base for the filling. This is a great dessert for warm days!!
All seasonal fruit taste the best according to their seasons, so I look forward to so many delicious things (I would add cherries and watermelons to your list.) Although most fruit and berries are available throughout the year nowadays, I don’t buy peaches and cherries in winter (They don’t taste that good. Probably that’s the aftertaste of their ridiculously high price lol.) And this tart? Yes please! So many possibilities, too. Indeed, you can make similar tart every week with different fruit and combos, and you will probably have enough recipes for the entire summer.
This is absolutely true, Ben! I do love this team of the year as we have a whole summer of fresh, seasonal fruit coming our way. I do think this tart would be repurposed in many ways – and I think I might need to use some peaches once peach season rolls around!!
Strawberry season and Memorial Day Celebrations just go hand in hand. What a perfect dessert to bring to any cookout this year. Looks so fresh and delicious for going into the Summer. Could it get any easier than this tart recipe? Definitely adding this to my Summer rotation. Also, your Fresh Strawberry Cake recipe looks ridiculously good. I love strawberry season!
I hear ya, Kristy! I’m so excited for the long weekend to get summer kicked off the right way! This tart recipe truly is easy, and it’s great for summer picnics. I really loved it with strawberries, but I do want to try this tart with other berries now…or perhaps a mix of berries! Cheers, my friend!
This looks fabulous! The strawberries from my garden are perfect right now, but they’re all different sizes! I think I could actually make this pie!
Oh, you could absolutely make this pie, Mimi – it’s an easy one! And it really does highlight the flavor of fresh strawberries. I’m jealous that you have a good crop in your garden…the chipmunks always eat ours when they’re still green. Ugh!
You are so right, summer berries really are so amazing! Fresh strawberries don’t need much, but they can sure transform a dessert into something amazing. This cheesecake tart looks so delicious and those strawberries are the perfect topping.
You’re exactly right, Kathy! I could take care of a whole flat of fresh strawberries without anything else…just the strawberries themselves. But then there are so many tasty recipes with fresh strawberries, too! I do highly recommend this tart. It’s quite tasty! Have a great weekend, my friend!
Ohhh i love this, those fresh strawberries looks very nice. Once summer hits our way, this is one of the first things I will do
Yes, definitely put this one on the list for when summer growing season returns to your area! Bundle up and stay warm down there!!
This just might be the ultimate spring dessert, David! Creamy, fresh and absolutely delicious!
Yes – this tart is SO tasty, Marissa. It’s perfect for this time of the year when fresh, local strawberries are in season. 🙂
This sounds especially summery, David. I can’t wait for local berries to pop up at the market. I love how easy this tart sounds, and how good I’m sure it must be!
Local berries are just starting to show up here, Jeff – I absolutely love this time of the year! I really enjoy going out picking u-pick berries, but it’s getting harder and harder to find places that do u-pick. Either way, put this tart on the list of summer ideas! I bet it would be fantastic with other berries – maybe ones from a secret berry patch in Michigan? 🙂
Great minds think alike David, because I just posted a strawberry cheesecake recipe myself! I too LOVE seasonal berry season.. isn’t it just the best?!
Ah – I can’t wait to hop over and check out your recipe, Nicole! I just love this time of the year. 🙂 Hope you are doing well, my friend!
This strawberry cheesecake tart is a winning recipe I must say David 🙂
Thanks so much, Priya – this recipe really is quite delicious…especially this time of the year when fresh strawberries are coming into season! 🙂
David, this is a beautiful summer dessert. Very light, refreshing. We still have plenty of strawberries available to enjoy your recipe. Thanks again.
Velva
Definitely plan on making this recipe, Velva – it’s pretty awesome! It’s a great way to enjoy fresh strawberry season. 🙂