Strawberry Lasagna is a fun line-up of creamy cheesecake, juicy strawberries and fluffy cool whip; she is a queen of all no bake desserts! So if you are in the mood for sweet stackable layers of fresh fruit and creamy layers all neatly packed in square slices, please welcome this sweet girlfriend of a traditional Italian dish!
Love Strawberry recipes? Try Strawberry Glazed Donuts and Strawberry Mini Cheesecakes next.
Strawberry lasagna is not just a no-bake dessert. It's four distinct layers of irresistible goodness: a mix of whipped cream, strawberries, and a rich cream cheese filling - all stacked on a graham cracker crust. This is a total crowd-pleaser and is one of my favorites along with the Strawberry Crumb Bars!
Why you'll love this strawberry lasagna
- Perfect layers: Each layer is meticulously crafted using just the right proportion of ingredients! It's going to make you look like a professional dessert chef yet with very little hustle involved.
- Melt-in-your-mouth: Each piece of lasagna melts in your mouth creating a cascading taste eruption. It's like having an ice-cream dessert but with a smoother, more delicate taste.
- Simple: Very easy to whip-up with no oven time for such a refined dessert!
Strawberry Lasagna Ingredients
There are four layers to the strawberry lasagna: cookie crust, cheesecake layer, jello and cool whip layer with fresh strawberries, and finally the whipped cream layer with more cookie crumbs and juicy strawberries.
- Strawberries: Make sure your strawberries are dry after washing before adding them to the strawberry layer.
- Heavy cream: You will need a total of 3 ½ cups of heavy cream for this recipe
- Gelatin: Sugar free gelatin will work just as well as gelatin with sugar.
- Salted butter: If you use unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt to your cookie crust.
- Cream cheese: You can use full fat or low-fat cream cheese.
- Graham Cracker crumbs: Easy way to make the base of the strawberry lasagna.
How to make strawberry lasagna
1. Make Graham cracker crust: Add the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter to a mixing bowl and mix together.
2. Create Graham cracker layer: Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of your dish and set aside.
3. Whip cream cheese: Whip the cream cheese and sour cream together until very smooth with an electric hand mixer.
4. Create Cream cheese layer: Add 2 cups of the previously made whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Layer this mixture over top of the graham cracker crust layer.
5. Prepare Strawberry Gelatin by adding water (1 cup) and gelatin box powder; and then add 2 cups of the previously made whipped cream along with the chopped strawberries and mix together again until completely combined. This is your Strawberry Layer.
6. Add Strawberry layer: Add the strawberry gelatin mixture on top of the cheesecake layer. Be careful not to combine the 2 layers while spooning the mixture on top
7. Add Whipped Cream Layer: Just before serving, gently add the remaining whipped cream on top of the strawberry layer and smooth so the top is level.
8. Add Toppings: Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker crust mixture over the top along with sliced strawberries. Slice and serve with a spatula.
Strawberry lasagna
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Equipment
- 9x13 rectangular dish I used a white ceramic dish for my strawberry lasagna
- Bowls You will need 3 bowls to mix various layers: cream cheese, gelatin, strawberries, etc.
- Electric mixer To whip the whipped cream
- spatula To layer each layer for the lasagna.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 10 tablespoon salted butter melted
Whipped Cream
- 3 ¼ cups heavy cream cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
Strawberry Layer
- 3 oz strawberry gelatin box
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ¼ cup cold water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cup strawberries sliced
Topping
- ½ cup strawberries chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Crust
- Add the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter to a mixing bowl and mix together.Remove ¼ cup of the topping to a small bowl and set aside. Press the remaining topping into the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Set aside.
Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar together until stiff peaks. Cover and refrigerate between uses in the recipe.
Cheesecake Layer
- Whip the cream cheese and sour cream together until very smooth with an electric hand mixer. Add 2 cups of the previously made whipped cream and gently fold together with a rubber spatula.Layer this mixture over top of the graham cracker crust layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dish while you continue.
Strawberry Layer
- Add ¾ cup boiling water to a bowl with the gelatin packet. Stir for 2 minutes, until dissolved fully. Add ¼ cup ice cold water and stir an additional 2 minutes to help cool it down faster. Let it sit out until it cools to room temperature.Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the heavy cream and mix to combine. Add 2 cups of the previously made whipped cream along with the chopped strawberries and mix together again until completely combined. Remove the refrigerated dish from the fridge and add the strawberry layer on top of the cheesecake layer. Be careful not to combine the 2 layers while spooning the mixture on top. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
Whipped Cream Layer
- Just before serving, gently add the remaining whipped cream on top of the strawberry layer and smooth so the top is level.
Topping
- Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker crust mixture over the top along with sliced strawberries. Slice and serve with a spatula.
Tips on making the best strawberry lasagna
- Do I make the strawberry jello according to the box directions? No. Follow the specific water amounts in the recipe card and ignore the back-of-box instructions. Over-diluting the jello is a common cause of a runny strawberry layer.
- Use the ice-cold water: I like to have a liquid measuring cup full of ice cubes and fill it with water. Let the water sit in the ice starting from the beginning of making the recipe. Then measure out ¼ cup of the water when adding it to the gelatin (after adding hot water).
- Can I use fresh whipped cream instead of Cool Whip? Yes, but the layers may be softer and less stable, so chill well and plan to serve the dessert the same day.
- For stiffer whipped cream, put the bowl you are going to use to whip the heavy cream in, in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before you whip. (without the cream in it)
- How do I keep the crust from getting soggy overnight? Press the crust firmly, chill it before adding fillings, and avoid adding extra liquid to the strawberry or cheesecake layers beyond what the recipe calls for.
- Create distinct layers: To make the strawberry lasagna, I created 4 distinct layers. Graham cracker layer, strawberry layer, cheesecake layer and whipped cream topping.
- Refrigerate each layer: When you make cream cheese layer, place your dish in the fridge while making the strawberry layer, etc.
- Can I freeze strawberry lasagna? Yes! Add fresh strawberries on top after thawing so they stay bright and firm.
Why Strawberry Layer Is Runny (And How To Fix It)
If the strawberry layer is still liquid after 30-40 minutes, confirm you used the exact liquid in the recipe (do not follow the box jello instructions).
Chill at least 2-3 hours, or until the jello/cream mixture wobbles but doesn't slosh when you tilt the pan.
Pro Tip: Use cold water/ice as directed to shock the hot jello so it sets faster.
My crust is crumbly and won't hold slices
Add 1-2 extra tablespoons melted butter, press crumbs firmly into an even layer, and chill or briefly freeze before adding filling.
- Pro Tip Use fine crumbs (graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or Golden Oreos) instead of chunky pieces.
Cheesecake layer is grainy or lumpy
Start with room-temperature, full-fat cream cheese and beat until completely smooth before adding sugar and whipped topping.
Pro Tip: Pull cream cheese out 45-60 minutes before baking so it softens properly.
Strawberries made everything watery
Pat berries dry with paper towels before folding in or adding on top so excess juice doesn't thin the layers.
- Prevent: Use firm, ripe strawberries and avoid frozen berries in the cheesecake layer unless your recipe is written for them.
Variations and Substitutions
- Crust substitutions: Vanilla wafers, Golden Oreos, shortbread, or graham crackers all work as a cookie crust base; keep the crumb volume and butter ratio similar.
- Cool Whip vs whipped cream: You can usually substitute homemade whipped cream if the recipe notes allow it, but the dessert may be softer and should be eaten sooner.
- Cream cheese substitutions: Full-fat block cream cheese gives the firmest structure; low-fat versions make a softer set. For a tangier or lighter option, swap part of the cream cheese for Greek yogurt or sour cream as some recipes suggest.
- Gelatin / jello substitutes: Strawberry jello provides both flavor and structure; some recipes use unflavored gelatin plus strawberry juice instead. If avoiding pork gelatin, look for gelatin-free or plant-based strawberry gelatin mixes.
Common Strawberry Lasagna Problems
- Strawberry layer is runny or won't set. This usually comes from using
- Crust falls apart or turns soggy. Crust issues come from not packing crumbs firmly, using too little butter, or adding the strawberry layer before the crust and cheesecake layer are fully chilled.
- Cheesecake layer is lumpy or too soft.
- Cold cream cheese, low-fat swaps, or under-whipping will keep the layer from turning smooth and stable.
- Layers blend together instead of staying distinct. Adding warm layers over cold ones or rushing chill times causes colors and textures to bleed together
Can I make this ahead
Strawberry Lasagna can be made up to 2 days before serving. Do not cut or serve until it's been refrigerated at least 3 hours or the gelatin will not have had enough time to set up properly and slices won't cut cleanly.
This dessert is not overly sweet. If you want it sweeter you can add more powdered sugar to the whipped cream.
Cat says
Can I use frozen strawberries?