My Strawberry and Banana Cheesecake Salad is a healthy, high protein dessert for summer. No bake, easy to prepare and perfect for serving guests!
I love a no bake, fruity dessert during the summer. My mini high protein cheesecakes were pretty popular, so I wanted to share this variation: my strawberry and banana cheesecake salad!
I know you might be thinking that a cheesecake salad sounds weird, but think of my cheesecake dip, which is already so good that I can eat it with a spoon. This cheesecake salad is meant to be eaten with a spoon! It's got lots of strawberries, bananas, and graham crackers crumbled in, so there's a bit of cheesecake in each bite.
Make it for a summer dinner party, to share with friends, or to keep in the fridge just for yourself. It's so easy to whip up and tastes so good.
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Higher protein. Traditional cheesecake it made with heavy whipping cream and cream cheese, but we're using Greek yogurt as a high protein base.
- No bake. I hate turning on the oven when it's over 30C outside, so this cheesecake salad recipe is my go-to during the summer.
- Eat more fruit. This strawberry and banana cheesecake salad is a fun way to get more fruit into your diet.
Ingredients
Vanilla Greek yogurt. This is our higher protein, lower fat base. My absolute favourite lower sugar vanilla yogurt is Two Good. Using a vanilla yogurt helps allow us to forego any additional sweetener.
Cream cheese. This helps thicken the Greek yogurt a bit while also adding some real cheese into the mix to get the cheesecake essence.
Vanilla extract. For additional flavou. I recommend using pure vailla extract if you have it available to you
Lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice is always best. I find adding a touch of lemon juice into all cheesecake-flavoured recipes is such a great way to add a bit of zing and help freshen the recipe up a bit.
Strawberries. This is a great way to take advantage of berry season! You will need fresh, vibrant red strawberries.
Bananas. Is there a better combination than strawberries and banana? The soft texture of bananas blends really well in this cheesecake salad.
Graham crackers. No strawberry and banana cheesecake salad is complete without graham crackers for a classic "crust". I recommend crumbling the graham crackers yourself as opposed to purchasing graham cracker crumbs, as you can decide how big/small you would like to leave the pieces.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, beat together Greek yogurt, cream cheese, vanilla extract and lemon juice until smooth (about 3 minutes).
Slice the strawberries and bananas into ⅛” slices.
Gently fold in the strawberries and bananas to the yogurt mixture.
Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers. Top with whipped cream to serve!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: use gluten-free graham crackers for the topping.
To make dairy-free: use a dairy-free vanilla Greek yogurt.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
Switching up ingredients? Try this:
- Frozen fruit: I do not recommend using frozen fruit as the berries will release too much liquid and may become mushy. If you are in a pinch and must use frozen fruit, defrost the fruit and run it under cold water until the water is clear before adding to the salad.
- Bananas and strawberries: you really can use any fruit of choice in this recipe. I recommend against using melon as they will release too much moisture, creating more of a soupy consistency.
Equipment
Storage
This strawberry and banana cheesecake salad will stay fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge if covered with saran wrap or stored in an airtight container.
If you are looking to store the salad for longer or are making it ahead for a party, I recommend making the yogurt base and slicing the fruit. Add the fruit to the base when you are ready to serve.
Top Tips for Success
For your fruit, look for the freshest berries and bananas you can find! Your bananas should be yellow with no green on them at all. The berries should be firm, free of blemishes and a bright red vibrant colour.
To wash your strawberries, I recommend adding the berries to a large bowl filled with water. Sprinkle 2 tablespoon baking soda and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Rinse and drain your berries and pat well to dry them. To make this salad even easier, you can use an egg slicer to create even slices of strawberries.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may use an equal amount of blended cottage cheese in place of the yogurt, however you will need to add additional sweetener into the base. I recommend adding 2 tablespoon of honey.
Yes you may, however just like the cottage cheese, you will need to add sweetness by adding 2 tablespoon of honey.
It's great on its own, topped with whipped cream, or even as a topping on pancakes (you can try my protein pancakes) or angel food cake!
Yes! Unfortunately this isn't a recipe that can be made more than 2-3 days int he fridge as there is nothing to keep the fruit from browning!
I do not recommend using frozen fruit as the berries will release too much liquid and may become mushy. If you are in a pinch and must use frozen fruit, defrost the fruit and run it under cold water until the water is clear before adding to the salad.
Blueberries, raspberries, and peaches would be delicious! Try to avoid fruits like melons that will release a lot of water.
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
Try these easy cheesecake-inspired desserts next:
- Cheesecake Cottage Cheese Milkshake
- Mini High Protein Cheesecakes
- Easy Protein Fruit Cheesecake Dip
- Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt Bark
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this strawberry and banana cheesecake salad , don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Strawberry and Banana Cheesecake Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup softened light cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 cups strawberries sliced (2 pints)
- 2 sliced large bananas
- 1 cup graham crackers crumbled
- Whipped cream optional for serving
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together Greek yogurt, cream cheese, vanilla extract and lemon juice until smooth (about 3 minutes).
- Slice the strawberries and bananas into ⅛” slices.
- Gently fold in the strawberries and bananas to the yogurt mixture.
- Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers. Top with whipped cream to serve!
Notes
- please note nutrition facts are calulated based on a standard 0 suga vanilla Greek yogurt (this one)
Kimberly Robinson says
This is one of our favorite recipes! I made it for the first time as a side to our July 4th meal. It is delicious! Even my husband, who doesn't like yogurt or cheesecake, could not stop eating it. It's a perfect snack, side, or dessert. It tastes great whether it's just been made or after being refrigerated a couple of days. I've made it several times since.
Britney says
So good. I’ve made it a few times with whatever fruit I have on hand. A hit with kids too!