No Bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

It's blazing hot here in the Pacific Northwest and I really wanted dessert, but turning on the oven seemed like a very bad idea. My mother has been making a variation of this recipe since I was a kid using cool-whip and canned cherries. I thought I would change it up a bit with strawberries and chocolate and the results were amazing! It doesn't take long to make and you'll finally understand the expression, "It's easy as pie!"

No Bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

1 Graham Cracker Crust (recipe to follow or buy a ready made crust)

1 8oz.   Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup    Whipping Cream
1/2 cup White Sugar
1 tsp.    Vanilla Extract
3 oz.     Unsweetened Chocolate, finely grated

1 quart of Fresh Strawberries (Raspberries would also work)
3 oz. Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Combine the sugar, vanilla and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth and well blended. Add the grated chocolate and blend.

In a separate bowl whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until it's blended. Put the whipped cream mixture into the pie shell and smooth it out.

Wash the strawberries and pat them dry. Cut the stems off the strawberries and place them on a paper towel.

Arrange the strawberries cut side down on the top of the pie.

In a zip top bag, place the semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute. Kneed the bag until they are melted, snip a corner of the bag and drizzle over the chocolate.

Refrigerate the pie for at least two hours before serving. Will keep for several days in the refrigerator.


Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

3/4 cup of crushed graham crackers (about half of a pack)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter

Crush the graham crackers in a large zip top bag using a rolling pin until they are finely crushed. Add the sugar into the bag and shake until combined. Melt the butter in the microwave in a 9" glass pie plate until melted (about 20 seconds).

Pour the crushed graham crackers into the pie plate and mix with the melted butter. Using the back of a measuring cup or glass, press the crumbs into the pie plate until they are uniform and smooth. Put this in the refrigerator or freezer while you are making the pie. Can also be baked for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.