No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

I had fresh strawberries one day so I decided to play around and here's what I came up with! The fresh strawberry sauce that is used in the cream cheese layer and as a topping really makes this fruity and delicious.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 15  graham crackers, sheets
• 5  tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  lb fresh strawberries, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch
• 1  tablespoon water
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup strawberry sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip

Directions

1. Crust.
2. 1. Grind graham crackers in food processor until fine.
3. 2. Mix in bowl with melted butter, sugar and salt.
4. 3. Press in the bottom of a spring form pan lined on the bottom with parchment paper.
5. 4. Refrigerate while making strawberry sauce and cheesecake.
6. Strawberry Sauce.
7. 1. Add chopped berries and sugar to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until berries are soft, about 10 minutes.
8. 2. Mash berries with a masher and stir in vanilla.
9. 3. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl then stir into strawberry sauce.
10. 4. Continue to cook, stirring regularly, until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
11. 5. Remove from heat and cool.
12. Cheesecake.
13. 1. Mix together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.
14. 2. Stir in ½ cup of cooled strawberry sauce.
15. 3. Fold in cool whip.
16. 4. Add cheesecake mixture to spring form pan and refrigerate 2-3 hours.
17. 5. Remove from fridge and use knife heated with hot water to loosen up the sides. Open spring form pan.
18. 6. Decorate with remaining strawberry sauce (and extra whip cream, fresh strawberries, and graham cracker crumbs, if desired) either on full cake or individual slices.