This layered Strawberry Crisp Cheesecake recipe is guaranteed to blow your mind! The crust is buttery and crumbly, and the filling is thick, rich, and tangy. Then, we add a sticky sweet homemade strawberry jam and a crumbly streusel topping. The explosion of tastes and textures leaves you coming back for bite after bite.

The Strawberry Crisp Cheesecake Recipe of Your Dreams

Move over Cheesecake Factory! This homemade strawberry crisp cheesecake is here to steal the show! 

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that this is one of the best strawberry cheesecake you’ll ever taste, let alone make. Inspired by strawberry crisps, it features a crumbly buttery topping complemented by delicious jam that emulates the gooey filling of a classic crisp. 

Then, the classic tangy cheesecake filling and a homemade graham cracker crust bring it all home. It’s the perfect way to celebrate strawberry season, but who’s to say you can’t make this dessert all year long? 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Cream Cheese Filling

Cream Cheese: No cheesecake is complete without cream cheese! It forms the base of the filling, creating the thick texture and tangy flavor we need. For the best results, use full-fat brick-style cream cheese, not cream cheese from a tub. 

Eggs: These help create a custard and bind the filling together. 

Sugar: Granulated sugar offsets the tanginess for a well-rounded taste. 

Sour Cream: This is how you achieve restaurant-quality flavor! The sourness adds another layer to the tangy flavor while enhancing the creamy consistency and actually helps temper the cream cheese, softening its texture. 

Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract infuses the filling with a sweet vanilla flavor. 

Lemon Juice and Zest: The bright, tart citrus flavor adds a pop of fruitiness that pairs well with the strawberries. 

Strawberry Jam

Strawberries: Make sure to use ripe, fresh strawberries. Frozen varieties won’t have as much flavor and are too mushy to create the thick consistency we want with our homemade jam.

Sugar: Granulated sugar dissolves seamlessly into the jam enhancing the natural sweetness of the strawberries. Feel free to add more than the recipe calls for if you have a strong sweet tooth like me. 

Vanilla: This adds extra depth to the jam, infusing it with sweet vanilla flavor. 

Lemon Juice: The acidity helps balance some of the sweetness and activates pectin, which helps the jam thicken and firm up a bit so it doesn’t run all over the place. 

Streusel Topping

Oats: Use whole rolled oats for a crumbly consistency. Steel cut or quick oats won’t work! 

Flour: All-purpose flour adds texture to the topping, helping us achieve that crumbly sand-like consistency. 

Brown Sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar to sweeten the topping and contribute moisture, keeping it crumbly. 

Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds warm notes and a subtle sweetness that balances the sweetness of the strawberry cheesecake layers. 

Butter: Cut cold, cubed butter into the mixture to hold it together, add a rich flavor, and help it crisp up. 

Crust

Honey Graham Cracker Cookies: These form the base of the crust! You can also use pre-made graham cracker crumbs. 

Unsalted Butter: We melt this to create a cohesive crust that’s easy to shape and mold yet bakes to golden perfection. 

Sugar: Without this, the crust will be too savory! 

How to Make the Best Strawberry Crisp Cheesecake Recipe

This recipe requires several steps, but I’ve got you covered with a simple breakdown and tips and tricks below to guarantee success! 

Prepare the Strawberry Jam

Step 1: Place the strawberries in a medium saucepan, and heat to medium. Add the sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Then, use a potato masher to break down the strawberries. 

Step 2: Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the jam just coats the back of a spoon, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and set it aside to cool. 

Make the Streusel Topping

Step 3: Next, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter to a medium mixing bowl. Use your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients until a clumpy dough-like texture begins to form. Then, transfer the mixture to the fridge. 

Create the Crust

Step 4: Preheat your oven to 350° F. 

Step 5: Place your cookies in a food processor or blender, and grind them until fine crumbs form. You can also transfer the graham crackers to a gallon-size plastic bag, and crush them with a rolling pin. Then, transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl, and add the sugar and melted butter. Mix until well combined. 

Step 6: Next, pour the mixture into a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan, spreading it out evenly. Press the crumbs down along the bottom and sides of the pan. Be sure to pat them evenly! Or, use the back of a measuring cup or spoon to pat the crumbs and form the crust. Then, bake the crust for 10 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven, set the crust aside, and reduce the oven to 325.

Prepare a Quick Water Bath

Step 7: Next, bring about 8-10 cups of water to a boil. Then, place one oven rack at the bottom of the oven and another in the center. Next, place a large roasting pan on the bottom rack. Then, open the oven and gently pour the boiling water in the roasting pan.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

Step 8: In a large bowl, blend your cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, and beat until well incorporated. Then, add the vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sour cream. Blend until well combined. (This is the part where I like to sneak a taste.) Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all the filling is incorporated and well combined. 

Step 9: Add the eggs one at a time, beating each egg into the cream cheese mixture before adding another. Once well combined, transfer the filling to the cooled crust, spreading it out evenly. 

Step 10: Next, pour the cooled strawberry jam on top of the cheesecake filling. Carefully spread it out evenly. 

Step 11: Remove the streusel from the refrigerator, and crumble it on top of the jam. 

Bake the Strawberry Crisp Cheesecake

Step 12: Carefully place the cheesecake on the middle rack above the rack with the roasting pan of steamy water and close the oven door. Then, bake for 60-70 minutes. Give the cheesecake a gentle shake. It should still be a bit wobbly in the middle. Once done, turn the oven off, and crack the oven door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 1 hour. 

Step 13: After an hour, remove the cheesecake, and let it rest on the counter at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, transfer the cheesecake to the fridge, and chill, uncovered, for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight. 

Step 14: When you’re ready to serve, run a warm knife around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Then, cut a slice, add some whipped cream, and enjoy! Pro tip: For clean slices, run the knife under hot water, and wipe it clean after each slice. 

How to Avoid Cracks with a Water Bath

I don’t really worry about cracks with this recipe thanks to the jam and streusel topping, but to achieve the creamy texture I want, I like to add additional steam to the oven by doing a quick water bath (see step 7 above). While cracks aren’t a huge deal for this cheesecake recipe, here are a few steps you can take to avoid cracks in your cheesecake. 

• Avoid overmixing the filling. Blend just until the ingredients are smooth. Continuing to mix will introduce too much air into the mixture. Excess air can cause the cheesecake to rise as it bakes only to deflate and crack as it cools. To help the process, allow your ingredients time to come to room temperature before you begin. 
• Resist the urge to open the oven during baking. Unlike cookies or brownies, which can withstand a little temperature change, cheesecakes cannot. The rush of cold air is one of the most common reasons cheesecakes crack! 
• Take your time. Avoid rushing the cooling process for all the layers but especially the filling. Removing it from the oven too soon will have the same result as opening the oven door while it bakes, causing a drastic temperature change that makes the filling crack. 

I hope you love this Strawberry Crisp Cheesecake! It’s absolutely delicious and loaded with unique tastes and textures. If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @‌butterloveandsalt on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support Butter, Love & Salt and make it possible for me to continue to create delicious recipes.

Recipe by: Chavez Adams / Butter, Love & Salt | Photography by: Eat Love Eat