Anyone else getting excited about the arrival of spring? It definitely feels like it’s in the air, all the spring bulbs are coming into bloom and I’ve hoarded vases full of tulips for weeks now. One thing that I really love about this new upcoming season is the freshness as we moving away from cosy and comforting everything becomes brighter and rejuvenating. I think this no bake strawberry parfait is the perfect way to celebrate!
Out of all the berries, I think strawberries have to be a firm favourite. I have fond childhood memories picking them from my Nan’s allotment and watching my crafty younger brother crawl under the netting (used to keep the birds off them) to steal a few while my grandparents weren’t looking. There is a photo of him with strawberry juice down his white vest, and he swore blind at the time that he hadn’t been anywhere near Nan’s strawberries. It’s one of those fun memories that pops up in family conversations all the time.
There are also those summer afternoons picking our own strawberries down at the local pick your own farm. I’m really looking forward to doing this with Aiden this year! Strawberries are just associated with so happy memories for me that they’re certainly mood boosting.
A no bake cheesecake made with soft strawberries, a healthier rich cheesecake filling and an uncomplicated oaty base for texture and crunch.
- 250g strawberries (sliced)
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
- Juice from half a lemon
- Splash of water if needed
- 5 tbsp full fat Greek yoghurt
- 3 tbsp plain cream cheese
- 1-3 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 tbsp oats (can use gluten free oats)
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts
- 3 medjool dates (stone removed)
- 2 tbps raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
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In a saucepan, on a low heat cook the strawberries, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the strawberries are soft, but still hold their shape.
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Add a splash of water if you feel the topping has become too dry. Set aside until needed.
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Stir together all of the ingredients until well combined. Test for sweetness to make sure it suits your taste buds. Set aside until needed.
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In a food processor, blend together all of the ingredients until a breadcrumb mixture forms.
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Place some of the oaty base at the bottom of a glass jar or bowl and pat down with a back of a spoon to remove any air.
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Next, spoon on the creamy cheesecake filling. Approximately, 2 thirds of the parfait should be made up of the cheesecake filling.
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Top the cheesecake parfait with the saucy strawberry topping.
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Chill in the fridge for up to 30 minutes before eating.
Seasonal Berries challenged me to create a mood boosting recipe to help brighten up a dull winters day, and for me, this is definitely it. It reminds me of long summer days spent with my family who aways put a smile on my face, well nearly most of the time! The cold snap can make us a little miserable and while reaching for more sugary foods can make us feel better in the short term, what we eat and drink can affect our moods and overall wellbeing. Dr. Christy has compiled a list of her nourishing mood boosting foods that you can easily incorporate into recipes to give your mood and energy levels a boost.
If you’re not confident at creating desserts, this one is super easy because it requires no baking at all. The creamy cheesecake filling is made with Greek yoghurt and some cream cheese to give it that creamy decadence that is synonymous with cheesecakes. As its chilling in the fridge, the two combine and set to create a smooth and almost indulgent centre that the soft strawberries cut through nicely. The uncomplicated sweet oaty base adds a different texture and crunch, which tastes so good!
If you have one, what is your favourite berry? Which foods help to boost your mood?
*Recipe commissioned by Seasonal Berries, but all opinions are my own.
I bet I can recreate that with coconut cream to make it vegan! It looks so delish!
You can totally make this vegan. Do you like to use soya based products?
I LOVE cheesecake. This is such a wonderful twist on one of my favourites and makes me very excited for Spring! Thanks for posting.
I’m a massive cheesecake fan too! 🙂
I’m ready for summer now! Those look delicious, and so easy to make – fab!
Thanks Helen, it’s a lovely summery dessert.
Beautiful presentation, Jemma. Wish I had one of these babies in the fridge now to munch on for a mid-afternoon snack.
Thanks Michelle, that means a lot coming from you with your awesome photography.
This looks so good! We just planted strawberries in our garden and the kids are so excited. I’m sure they’ll eat them all before I get a chance to make this ?
Home grown strawberries are the best!
I am more than ready for spring to arrive. This parfait looks wonderful, I am a fan of both cheesecake and strawberries, so this is just perfect.
Yay! I’m ready for spring too.
Strawberry cheesecake is my absolute favourite!! Definitely pinning this and would love to try it myself. Thank you for sharing, it looks delicious!!!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it.
Baking scares me but lots say how easy cheesecake is to make and just love how light these desserts can be x
No baking required in this recipe, so easy to make.
I love strawberries and cheesecakes! Good combination on your recipe. Nice one. I’ll try this on my next off! This can be a gift too!
Cool! Let me know how you like it if you try it. 🙂
Ohh this looks so delicious!! I am not good at all at making desserts but I might try this one! Doesn’t seem very difficult!
Not difficult at all – my kind of cooking!
I’m not a fan of strawberries but my partner would adore this
You could easily swap the strawberries for a different berry. 🙂
I love cheesecake and this is a great, healthier twist. I’ll definitely be trying this out myself. It will be great if I have people round too.
It’s a nice little dinner party dessert.
I love no bake cheesecakes, they’re so easy to make x
Yes, so simple and easy!
this looks very nice especially when its spring just around the corner, tempted to make these
This looks gorgeous although I must confess I love most things with strawberries.
This sounds like a amazing treat! I can’t wait to try it out.
I can be really lazy at times so love that this no bake – it looks delicious! x
This is the cutest cheesecake i ever seen <3 I love the how you present it but also it does looks delicious. I will try tomorrow! <3
Oh this sounds and looks delicious I’m definitely going to have to make this xx
Anything would the word no bake gets my vote. This is how we make our cheesecake too and I have a mango version posting soon 🙂
This sounds amazing, I need to try out this recipe. Strawberry Cheesecake is my favourite! xo
I love no bake recipes as my oven at uni is so so old and I’m never quite sure what temperature it is actually on! These look gorgeous but I’d have to swap the strawberries for raspberries as I’m allergic to the former!
Strawberries are my favourite! These look perfect pot sizes for an afternoon treat. These look delicious Jemma, thanks.