No-bake Cheesecake bars with Strawberry Rhubarb Swirls
Super easy No-bake Cheesecake bars with Strawberry Rhubarb swirls; with a creamy filling of only three ingredients, a sweet and salty pretzel crust also with only three ingredients and Strawberry Rhubarb swirls to top.
Who wants to turn their oven on in the middle of a heat wave? I avoid it at all costs!
Even though I love a good old cheesecake recipe, it’s definitely time consuming and requires way more practice to get to the perfect cheesecake.
If you’re a cheesecake purist, you might find this Goat Cheese Cheesecake with French Grape Spread, or this Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake more fitting recipes for you.
Now, if you’re in the mood for a simple, quick and no-bake cheesecake, look no further! No more water baths, cracks or high list ingredients for your cheesecakes! This is the cheesecake for you.
To make things easier and to keep the list of ingredients on the lower end, I used St. Dalfour Strawberry & Rhubarb Fruit Spread instead of making it from scratch.
It’s full of strawberry and rhubarb chunks, which makes it have a “homemade” feeling to it.
It’s also made in small batch production, slowly cooked, with hand-picked and sourced fruit, as well as with vineyard-ripened grapes and fruit juices in traditional French kettles.
As “homemade” as you’ll ever get with a store bought fruit spread!
Thanks to St. Dalfour for sponsoring this post! all thoughts and opinions are my own
List of ingredients you’ll need for this No-Bake Cheesecake bars with Pretzel crust
- Cream Cheese: Look for full fat cream cheese
- Sweetened condensed milk: Not evaporated milk!
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed tastes always better
- Pretzels: Salted and crushed for the crust
- Butter: Use unsalted, pretzels have enough salt to them
- Brown sugar: To sweeten your crust and give that sweet and salty flavor
How to make No-Bake Cheesecake bars with Pretzel crust (with a how-to video)
The trick to make this No-Bake Cheesecake filling: always using room temperature cream cheese; this is the most important, most critical step to get a creamy, lump-free and delicious cheesecake, so do not skip this step!
When using straight from the fridge cream cheese, you’ll find out soon enough that the lumps won’t go away, no matter how much you beat.
- Start by preparing an 8×8 in pan with parchment paper, covering the bottom and sides.
- Mix crushed pretzels, melted butter and brown sugar until well combined. Press tightly on prepared pan, until crust is flat and even.
- You can use the base of a spoon, the tip of your fingers or anything flat, like the bottom of a metal measuring cup. Freeze for 10 minutes while preparing your filling
- Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; add the sweetened condensed milk and the lime juice and beat until combined.
- Place mixture in prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula. Add dollops of Strawberry & Rhubarb Fruit spread and make swirls with a butter knife.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours, and preferably 24 hours.
- Do not set your cheesecake by using the freezer! it could loose its creamy consistency; instead, let it set in the fridge and after set, you can freeze if desired
- Cut in 9 squares with a sharp knife and refrigerate until serving
How to store No-bake Cheesecake with Pretzel Crust Bars
Store in an air-tight container, covered and refrigerated at all times. It will last 3-4 days.
If you want to freeze, wrap bars individually or the whole cheesecake, in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving
Swapping ingredients for a Gluten Free version
I haven’t tried this crust with gluten free pretzels, but the results should be the same or almost the same!
So go ahead and swap for Gluten Free pretzels if you’re looking for a gluten free version.
No-Bake Cheesecake Bars with Pretzel Crust and Strawberry Rhubarb Swirls
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 Cups crushed Pretzels about 5 Cups whole pretzels
- 1 Cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 Cup brown sugar packed
- 2 packages 8 ounce cream cheese room temperature
- 14 ounces (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 Cup lime juice
- 3/4 cup St Dalfour Strawberry & Rhubarb Fruit Spread
Instructions
- Line a 8×8 in pan with parchment paper, bottom and sides
- Mix crushed pretzels, melted butter and brown sugar until well combined. Press tightly on prepared pan, until crust is flat and even. You can use the base of a spoon, the tip of your fingers or anything flat, like the bottom of a metal measuring cup. Freeze for 10 minutes1 3/4 Cups (140 g) crushed Pretzels, 1 Cup (227 g) unsalted butter, 1/3 Cup (73.3 g) brown sugar
- To prepare the filling, mix with an electric mixer on medium speed the cream cheese (it’s important that it’s at room temperature or you’ll end up with a lumpy filling) until smooth; add the sweetened condensed milk and the lime juice and beat until combined2 packages 8 ounce cream cheese, 14 ounces (396.9 g) (1 can) sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 Cup (59.1 ml) lime juice
- Place mixture in prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula. Add dollops of Strawberry & Rhubarb Fruit spread and make swirls with a butter knife. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours, and preferably for 24 hours3/4 cup (255 g) St Dalfour Strawberry & Rhubarb Fruit Spread
- Cut in squares with a sharp knife and refrigerate until serving
Notes
- The trick to make this No-Bake Cheesecake filling: always using room temperature cream cheese; this is the most important, most critical step to get a creamy, lump-free and delicious cheesecake, so do not skip this step!
- The cheesecake will set completely after refrigerating for 24 hours, you can shorten the time but it will be less firm
- Do not set your cheesecake by using the freezer! it could loose its creamy consistency; instead, let it set in the fridge and after set, you can freeze.
