July 30th is National Cheesecake Day. Last month we published a roundup of 43 cheesecake recipes, including classic, creative, full-size, individual, frozen and savory cheesecakes.

Today, we have a no-bake cheesecake. Why turn on the oven on a hot day, when you can serve a stunning, easy-to-make dessert without it?

Another bonus: this cheesecake has a gluten-free crust, made with almonds, walnuts and Medjool dates (the different types of dates).

The crust not only delivers extra layers of flavor, but nutrition, too.

And you don’t need a spring-form pan, just a pie plate.

The cheesecake sets in the refrigerator. You can make the recipe in the morning and serve it at dinner.

Thanks to Hello Fresh for the recipe.

> The history of cheesecake.
 
 
RECIPE: NO BAKE CHEESECAKE WITH FRESH FRUIT TOPPING

This recipe can be made year-round, with bright berries and stone fruits in the summer, and different-colored citrus fruits in the winter.
 
Ingredients For The Crust

 
Ingredients For The Filling

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the crust. First pulse the almonds and dates together in a food processor until well chopped. Add the walnuts, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and blend until well combined, with only small chunks visible.

2. ADD the mixture to a lightly oiled pie plate and press down gently until even. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes, preferably close to one hour. Meanwhile…

3. BEAT the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the heavy cream. Once all are added, increase the speed to medium and beat until peaks form, about 3 minutes.

4. STIR in the lemon juice before spreading evenly into the crust. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling sets completely, 4-6 hours. Top with fruit just before serving.
 
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*The Medjool is a large, sweet date (Phoenix dactylifera), originally from the Tafilalt region of Morocco. Medjools are a larger date, with more caramel-like flavors than other varieties. Today it is also grown in Iran, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the U.S. Israel currently produces more than 60% of the global Medjool crop, and is the world’s largest exporter of Medjool dates. In the market, look for Medjools from California’s Bard Valley, which are lush, rich and delicious.

[1] A no-bake cheesecake topped with fresh fruit (photo © Hello Fresh).

[2] A crust made from almonds is gluten free, and adds fiber, protein and vitamins not present in cookie crusts (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Medjool dates from California. Dates deliver a significant amount of fiber and variety of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, copper, iron, magnesium and potassium. The Medjool variety also has a significant amount of calcium (photo © Bard Valley Natural Delights).