Easy No-Bake American Flag Cheesecake Bars

The 4th of July is a pretty big deal around here. I swear it’s a week long celebration and I don’t mind it one bit. Of course my favorite part of any celebration is getting the chance to share a fun dessert with our dearest friends and family.

This cheesecake might just take the, well… cake. It’s got a rich buttery graham cracker crust, fresh fruit, sweet whipped cream, and a rich and creamy cheesecake base. On top of all that, this was easy to make and turned out so pretty. Oh, and there’s also no need for an oven because this cheesecake sets up perfectly in the refrigerator.

I do have a little confession. I skipped making the whipped cream from scratch. I know it’s easy, but I used the tried and true cool whip for this dessert and heard no complaints. I was impressed with how delicious this cheesecake tasted, because it was so quick to make and there was no need to break out the stand mixer. All I used was a whisk and it worked beautifully. It also made me feel like I was doing something, because when I say this dessert is so easy, I mean it.

Here’s everything you need to make these no-bake American flag cheesecake bars:

• knox gelatine
• sugar
• boiling hot water
• cream cheese
• whipped cream
• strawberries
• blueberries
• graham crackers
• melted butter
• 9 x 13 dish (or any size you like)

How To Make No-Bake Cheesecake Bars

Start by making the cheesecake base. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave and mix in the vanilla bean paste. Mix the gelatin and sugar in a bowl. Add boiling water then, whip for around five minutes until frothy. Slowly mix the gelatin mixture into the cream cheese. A rubber spatula worked better than a whisk for this. Refrigerate the cheesecake for forty-five minutes.

Crush up the graham crackers and mix with the melted butter, then press evenly into the dish you’ll be serving it in. Once the cheesecake is set, lightly whip it to get out any clumps and pour over the graham cracker crust.

How To Decorate The Cheesecake Bars

Set it aside and prepare the fruit by washing and patting them dry. Slice the strawberries lengthwise twice to get a straight edge. You can skip this and just lay the slices as is, but the straight edge makes a perfect line for the stripes.

Once the fruit was prepared, I started by framing the border for the stars and then filled it in with the rest of the blueberries. I added a few more blueberries to fill in any gaps, so just enough of the white peeked through. From there, I layered the strawberries in a line across the top. Layering the bottom row next made it easier to eyeball the spacing for the stripes.

I then started the second row from the top making sure to leave an equal gap for the white stripes. Once the red stripes were complete, I filled in the white stripes by adding whipped cream into a plastic bag and snipping the corner.

How To Serve The Cheesecake Bars

Cut into squares and use a flat spatula to lift the slices out. There’s no need to grease the dish because the crust has plenty of butter.

Do I have to use vanilla bean paste?

No, you don’t. You can use extract, but I love the flavor burst the paste provides and the tiny beans are just so pretty.

Do I need a 9×13 dish?

No. This dessert is pretty flexible. If you plan on using a smaller size dish or pie plate, there’s no need to adjust the time to chill the cheesecake. The only difference will be a thicker cheesecake which is fine in my book. I wouldn’t use anything larger without doubling the recipe, though.

Can I substitute the fruit?

Absolutely. If someone is allergic to berries or simply doesn’t like them, you could swap the fruit for whipped cream colored with food dye. Candy, like red licorice and blue sprinkles, might also be a fun way to decorate these cheesecake bars.

Samantha

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Equipment

• 1 9×13 baking dish
• 1 whisk
• 2 bowls
• 1 piping bag

Ingredients

  

For The Crust

• 2 sleeves graham crackers, crushed
• 8 oz melted butter

For The Cheesecake Base

• 1 envelope knox gelatine
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup boiling hot water
• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)

For The Topping

• ½ cup blueberries
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• ½ cup whipped cream

Instructions

 

To Make The Crust

• Combined the crushed graham crackers and melted butter, then press evenly into the baking dish. Set aside.

To Make The Cheesecake

• Soften the cream cheese in the microwave and mix in the vanilla bean paste.
• In a separate bowl, mix the gelatin and sugar in a bowl. Add boiling water then, whip for around five minutes until frothy.
• Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
• Once set, lightly whip the cream cheese mixture to get out any clumps and pour over the graham cracker crust. Set the dish aside.

To Make The Topping

• Prepare the fruit by washing and patting them dry.
• Slice the strawberries lengthwise twice to get a straight edge.
• Frame in the area for the stars and fill in with blueberries.
• Layer the strawberry slices across the top and bottom of the dish to start the red stripes. (I used two half slices for the height of each row.)
• Continue layering the strawberry slices, skipping an equal space for each white stripe until filled in.
• Fill a bag with whipped cream and pipe into the blank space between the strawberries to fill in the white stripes.
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Cut into squares when ready to serve.

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