This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SingWithPost #CerealAnytime #CollectiveBias
This rich and creamy Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe is the perfect festive make-ahead dessert for the holidays. Bake the cheesecake ahead of time and refrigerate. Then ladle on the fresh strawberry sauce just before serving. Delish!
Growing up we always had Post cereal in the cupboard. We were one of those families that eagerly inhaled cereal for breakfast most days. In fact, there were those (I won’t mention names, ahem) who built cereal box towers around their place setting at the breakfast table, purportedly reading the boxes. It was more like “you toucha my fortress – you die” kind of thing. We were also known to pack little baggies of cereal in our lunch boxes and backpacks for snacking.
We didn’t just eat cereal for breakfast though. We made bran muffins with Post Raisin Bran and concocted that old New England fave dessert, Grapenuts Pudding with Grapenuts cereal. Growing up in a 1754 Rhode Island farmhouse, I clearly remember my brothers, sisters and I copiously saving Post Raisin Bran Cereal boxtops to send away for antique raisin drying racks. Advertisements from the 1800’s were printed on these authentic wooden raisin racks and we proudly hung them on our bedroom walls. After waiting the agonizing 6-8 weeks for shipping of course! (Those were the days when mail-orders cultivated true patience.)
The wooden raisin racks still hang on our childhood bedroom walls in RI. Mine pictured a sweet-faced, old-fashioned little girl with ringlets, dressed in pink, posing with a St. Bernard dog twice her size.
The retro advertisement overlay said: “Ayers Sasparilla – Makes the weak strong. Purifies the blood. Improves the complexion. How fair she grows from day to day. She uses Ayer’s Sasparilla.” So funny. And even funnier still that thirty plus years later I can remember all those lines! (Good advertising! Ha.)
Post cereals aren’t just for breakfast or snacking. They’re great incorporated in both sweet and savory recipes. This past week I was in Walmart and snagged a box of Honey Bunches of Oats Strawberry to make the delicious crust for this Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe. It was so easy. I just crushed up the cereal in a ziploc bag (with a rolling pin) and then mixed it with melted butter.
I pressed that Honey Bunches of Oats Strawberry and butter mixture into a 9″ springform pan and it made for one fabulous, crunchy cheesecake crust. So easy and delicious. I didn’t even bake the crust first. I could have easily used Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted or Honey Bunches of Oats Almond and that would have been yummy too.
I poured half the cheesecake batter into the pan, then added a surprise layer – strawberry jam (!) before adding the rest of the cheesecake batter.
This an easy and delicious cheesecake to bake and it’s a showstopper on the dessert table.
So not only is this a fantastic recipe, but…drumroll please… I have more excellent news today. Right now, select boxes of Post cereal have information on them about a National Sweepstakes where you can win $100,000 or free movie tickets to the new movie SING!
This is a great opportunity, and those of you who regularly follow my blog already know I recently entered my son’s special needs teacher into a similar on-line contest and she won $1,000. So you gotta enter to win!
Enter the SING National Sweepstakes contest by entering special codes that are printed inside the specially-marked boxes of Post cereal into the sweepstakes website here. And find out more about how to make your breakfast SING! with Post here.
Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Cheesecake
- 2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats Strawberry Cereal crushed into crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3-8 ounce packages cream cheese softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup strawberry jam
Fresh Strawberry Sauce
- 16 ounces fresh strawberries washed and hulled
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
Cheesecake
- In small mixing bowl, combine Honey Bunches of Oats Strawberry Cereal crumbs and melted butter until combined.
- Press mixture into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill.
- In medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
- Slowly beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Beat in eggs and vanilla until just combined.
- Pour half of cheesecake batter into springform pan on top of crust.
- Spoon Strawberry jam evenly on top of cheesecake batter in pan.
- Pour remaining cheesecake batter on top of jam.
- If your springform pan does not have a tight seal, tightly wrap bottom of pan in aluminum foil, up to the edge of the pan.
- Place cheesecake pan into another larger pan, like a 9 X 13" pyrex dish or a lasagna pan.
- Pour hot water into the larger pan, until it's about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
- Place in 300° oven and bake for 75 minutes or until cheesecake is just turning golden.
- Remove from oven and let cheesecake cool.
- Refrigerate a minimum of five hours.
- Ladle fresh strawberry sauce on just before serving.
Fresh Strawberry Sauce
- Mash half of the strawberries in a small sauce pan.
- Slice the remaining strawberries and set aside.
- To the mashed berries, add 1 cup sugar, cornstarch and 2/3 cup water.
- Heat on stovetop at medium heat until sauce just boils and begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in sliced strawberries.
- Add more water if you would like a thinner sauce.
- Ladle strawberry sauce over the whole cheesecake or pour strawberry sauce over individual slices when serving.
Find specially marked packages of Post Honey Bunches of Oats Strawberry, Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted and Honey Bunches of Oats Almond in the cereal aisle at Walmart. Check out more great recipes using Post cereals here.
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Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
What a great story! We used to read the boxes every morning…..again and again! This cheesecake also looks amazing! The crust is a brilliant idea and would add a ton of texture and flavor! Have a great week!
puja says
This sounds very special Allie, and I am a great fan of cheese cake. The addition of strawberry looks outrageously tempting.. 🙂
Liz says
What a spectacular cheesecake, Allie, with a delicious, inventive crust!!!
Tracy says
I love this POST!! Get it? Ha! I remember reading the cereal boxes too. I was most likely scanning them to see if there was a prize inside! I would have never thought to use cereal for a crust. This cheese cake is beautiful and looks scrumptious. Another brilliant idea Allie??
Allie says
Thank you for the kind words Tracy – we were looking for prizes too – like the Cracker Jack boxes. But with five kids in the house it was always like…so who’s going to get the prize? That was the tension going on there. Ha ha. Wishing you a wonderful, joyful Christmas season my friend. Keep looking up. XO
olivia @ livforcake says
Ok, I’m gonna need to see a picture of those wooden raisin racks! So fun that you still have them around :). This cheesecake sounds delicious, and I LOVE the idea of using cereal for the crust!!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Growing up we ate cereal too, but not daily or anything, it was more like a special treat on the occasional crazy mornings. But Post Honey Bunches of Oats will ALWAYS hold a dear place in my heart. Seriously, best cereal ever. 😉 Anyways, I’m a huuuuge cheesecake fan and this one looks amazing, Allie!! That strawberry sauce is seriously calling my name! This cake would be dangerous around me, because I could totally polish off the entire thing! Cheers, dear friend! Xoxo
Aunt Pinkie says
Looks ooooo good! MMMMMM!
Bresca says
I confess that I have never actually made a cheesecake, but I NEVER pass them by at potlucks and parties and have been known to sneak back for seconds (and maybe VERY small thirds…) This recipe came at a perfect time when I have some kitchen helpers exploring baking in my household. I hope we will make this during our Christmas break!
Allie says
Hi Bresca – I think this is a perfect starter cheese cake to bake. I love cheesecake too – and it’s got lots of protein. So why not call it dinner? Ha ha. The key in my opinion to getting a smooth cheesecake is to make sure the cream cheese is room temp. and beat it very well so there are no lumps before you add in the the sweetened condensed milk and eggs. That will give you a uniform color and texture throughout. FYI you and your kitchen helpers could make this with any fruit – doesn’t have to be strawberry. Blueberry and cherry work great too. Happy baking!
Kristen Chidsey says
Allie–that is simply brilliant to use the cereal as the crust! I just made a strawberry cheesecake myself with a chocolate chip shortbread crust–but yours sounds heavenly!
And the giveaway is FABULOUS!!
Adina says
A touch of spring in this cold weather! I love cheesecakes and even more so when they have strawberries on top !
laura@motherwouldknow says
What a great idea to use cereal for crust! I often use cookies, but sweet cereals would do just as well. And of course, the cheesecake – yum:)
Luci {Luci's Morsels} says
How funny! I remember sitting around the breakfast table, too, reading the cereal boxes, ha! This is such a great recipe, I can’t wait to try it! Your photos are excellent! xo
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Catherine says
Dear Allie, your cheesecake looks beautiful! I love that you made the crust from cereal..what a fun surprise and tasty idea. Honey Bunches is our favorite, I always have in on hand. I hope all has been well and I hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday dear. xoxo, Catherine
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Growing up I ate breakfast cereals, but not every day. I love cheesecake like anything and strawberry one is one of my favorites, Allie. Love how pretty and delicious this one looks. And that slice in the photos is speaking to me. I wouldn’t mind having this dessert for my lunch right now. Love how rich and creamy and festive this is. Also loving the idea of making it ahead of time. Yummyness overloaded. 🙂
Carina says
Dear Allie, that cheesecake looks SO delicious! I have never attempted making cheesecake myself, though it’s often my dessert of choice if I’m dining out. I like the advice you’ve shared here and in the comments. Maybe I will learn to make one cheesecake eventually – this one! Using cereal in the crust seems like the best idea. Sometimes, I’ve found cheesecake crusts disappointing, but this one sounds like it would be truly tasty! Wonderful recipe, thanks for sharing. XO
proofreading-services.org/professional.php says
OMG! This strawberry cheesecake is totally terrific! I would like to make something like this for my celebration too!
CakenGifts.in Ghaziabad says
Yes!!!! This article is too simple that everybody can learn and make cake after reading this article. Thanks!!!