Rhubarb evokes so many childhood memories: grabbing a stalk from the garden, rinsing it with the hose and dipping it into sugar. Recreate that simple pleasure with this No Bake Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake. It’s a lighter, no-bake cheesecake with a dark chocolate crumb crust, a red rhubarb-and-strawberry marble and a creamy white chocolate filling. A touch of ground fennel adds a subtle licorice note. Best of all, it sets in the fridge — no oven required.
This no-bake rhubarb cheesecake is perfect during rhubarb season but works year-round using fresh or frozen rhubarb. It’s an especially festive red-and-white dessert for Canada Day. The recipe was inspired by my Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake and led to my No Bake Rhubarb Cream Cheese Bars.
I come from a family of gardeners — my Baba, Grandma and Aunt had beautiful plots, and my mother grew rhubarb back in the day. In the 1970s it seemed like every yard in Manitoba had a rhubarb patch. I wanted one for years and only recently planted my own. Now I harvest twice a season and still wish I had more!
If you love rhubarb, try more rhubarb recipes on the site, including Rhubarb Squares, Rhubarb Meringue Torte, Rhubarb Cookies, and Rhubarb Coffee Cake.
🥘Ingredient Notes
Ingredients you’ll need for the Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake:
- Chocolate baking crumbs. Use chocolate baking crumbs or crushed Oreo Thins. Crushed Oreo cookies also work but add more calories.
- Unsalted butter. Unsalted butter gives consistent salt control in baking.
- Light cream cheese. For best results in no-bake cheesecakes, choose a reliable brand like Philadelphia, which sets better than some budget brands.
- Ground fennel. If you have only fennel seed, grind it in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle so the flavor distributes evenly.
- Rhubarb and strawberries. Fresh or frozen both work — if using frozen, thaw and drain well.
- White chocolate. Use white chocolate baking bars rather than chips; bars melt more smoothly.
- Whipping cream (35%–36% liquid). Use the liquid cream, not whipped cream, for the filling.
- Red food coloring (optional). A gel paste (such as Americolor Super Red) gives vibrant color with less product and avoids a strong artificial taste. You can omit coloring if you don’t need an intense red.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Crust — substitute graham cracker crumbs, crushed ginger cookies, or other cookies you like. A chocolate graham cracker crust also works where available.
- Dairy options — use full-fat cream cheese, sour cream and Greek yogurt if you prefer a richer cheesecake.
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake (No Bake)
PREP: Spray the bottom of an 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
MAKE THE CRUST (STEP 1): Mix 2 cups chocolate baking crumbs with 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter until moistened and a crumbly paste forms. Press evenly into the bottom of the springform pan and press up slightly at the edges. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
MAKE THE STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB SWIRL (STEP 2): Cook 1½ cups rhubarb and 1 cup strawberries in the microwave for about 3½ minutes if frozen, then drain thoroughly. Puree until smooth, stir in ½ teaspoon ground fennel and ½–¾ teaspoon red gel paste if using.
MAKE THE FILLING (STEP 3 – PART 1): Bloom 1 package (7 g) gelatin in 1/4 cup warm water for 5 minutes until thick. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup water until hot (about 30 seconds in the microwave), add to the bloomed gelatin and stir until dissolved. Let cool slightly so it’s not hot to the touch.
MAKE THE FILLING (STEP 3 – PART 2): In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat two 8-oz packages light cream cheese with 1 cup granulated sugar on low to break it up, then medium for about a minute until smooth. Melt 3 ounces white chocolate gently (50% power in microwave, stirring frequently) or use a double boiler. Stir in 1 cup light sour cream, ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup liquid whipping cream, then add the melted white chocolate. Beat on medium, scrape sides and increase to medium-high for 1–2 minutes until fluffy. With the mixer on low, slowly add the cooled dissolved gelatin and mix briefly on medium until fully incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
ASSEMBLY (STEP 4): Pour the filling over the chilled crust and smooth. Drop spoonfuls of the rhubarb-strawberry puree over the top and swirl gently with a knife to create a marble effect — don’t over-swirl. Lightly tap the pan to release air bubbles, cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
STEP 5: Release the springform rim, smooth edges if needed and slice. Serve chilled.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Choose quality white chocolate baking bars. They melt smoothly; white chocolate chips can become grainy.
- Avoid moisture when melting chocolate. Keep utensils dry and melt at reduced microwave power to prevent seizing.
- Grind fennel seeds for best flavor. Ground fennel distributes evenly; whole seeds won’t.
- Drain fruit thoroughly. Excess liquid from thawed fruit can make the swirl runny and prevent setting.
- Don’t over-swirl. A few gentle swirls give a pretty marble pattern; too much mixing blurs the contrast.
- Cool gelatin slightly before adding. If too hot, it can affect the texture or cause curdling.
- Pack the crust firmly. Press it evenly so slices hold together when serving.
- Chill overnight for the cleanest slices. Three hours will set the cheesecake, but overnight yields the best texture.
- Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Softer cream cheese whips smoothly and reduces lumps.
- Tap the pan to remove air bubbles. This helps prevent holes and uneven texture.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe yields 16 slices. You can halve or multiply the recipe to suit your needs, but adjust pan sizes accordingly.
🔢WW Points
Using light butter and fat-free dairy options, this cheesecake is approximately 12 WW points per slice. To lower points further, substitute a sugar alternative like monk fruit for some or all of the sugar.
🍽Equipment
Recommended equipment: a stand mixer or hand mixer, a food processor or immersion blender for the fruit puree, and an 8–9 inch springform pan. If you don’t have a springform pan, use a deep pie dish or a parchment-lined square pan for easier removal.
🌡️Storage
Store the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Freezing and thawing is not recommended, as thawed cheesecake can become watery. However, it freezes well if you enjoy it frozen as a frozen dessert.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes. The coloring is optional and only used for a vivid red appearance; it doesn’t affect flavor or texture.
It should feel firm and slice cleanly. If it’s still wobbly after 3 hours, chill longer or overnight.
No. Fennel adds a subtle licorice note but can be omitted for a more classic strawberry-rhubarb flavor.
Common causes include gelatin not blooming or dissolving properly, excess moisture from fruit, overheating or seizing of white chocolate, insufficient chilling time, or substituting lower-fat ingredients that change texture. Follow the steps carefully, allow gelatin to fully dissolve and cool slightly before adding, drain fruit well, and chill overnight for best results. If it still won’t set, it’s delicious frozen as a frozen cheesecake.
This cheesecake is a lovely way to use rhubarb and a crowd-pleasing Canada Day dessert. If you want more red-and-white dessert ideas, browse the site for other no-bake cheesecakes and summer treats.
📋More Rhubarb Recipes!
- Rhubarb Squares
- Healthy Rhubarb Bread
- Healthy Rhubarb Smoothie
- Healthy Rhubarb Muffins (Weight Watchers Friendly)
Did your family ❤️ this recipe? Commenting and rating recipes helps support creators. If you loved this cheesecake, please leave a comment, rate it, or share a photo with the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tag @foodmeanderings.
🍓Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Recipe (No Bake)
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Equipment
-
springform pan
-
immersion blender or food processor
-
stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Base:
- 2 cups chocolate baking crumbs
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling & Swirl:
- 1 — 7 g package gelatin crystals
- ½ cup water, divided
- 2 — 8 oz packages light cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ tsp ground fennel
- 1½ cups frozen or fresh rhubarb
- 1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 3 oz melted white chocolate
- ¼ cup whipping cream (liquid)
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½–¾ tsp super red gel paste food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine chocolate crumbs and melted butter, press into the bottom of the pan and chill 15 minutes.
- Cook rhubarb and strawberries until soft, drain well, then puree. Stir in ground fennel and red gel paste if using.
- Bloom gelatin in ¼ cup warm water for 5 minutes, then dissolve with the remaining ¼ cup hot water. Cool slightly.
- Beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Melt white chocolate and stir into the cream cheese with sour cream, Greek yogurt and whipping cream. Beat until fluffy.
- With the mixer on low, add the cooled gelatin and mix until incorporated.
- Pour filling over crust, drop dollops of fruit puree on top and gently swirl. Tap pan to remove air bubbles.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Release the springform rim before serving and slice chilled.
Notes
- Use high-quality white chocolate baking bars.
- Avoid moisture and overheating when melting chocolate.
- Grind your own fennel for best flavor.
- Drain excess liquid from the fruit thoroughly.
- Don’t over-swirl the fruit mixture.
- Let the gelatin cool slightly before adding.
- Use gel paste food coloring for vibrant color.
- Press the crust firmly and evenly.
- Chill overnight for clean slices.
- Bring cream cheese to room temperature.
- Tap the pan to release air bubbles.
🌡️Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Freezing and thawing is not recommended, but it’s excellent eaten frozen.