Begin by blending fresh strawberries with a bit of sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a saucepan and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until it thickens. Once thickened, remove from heat and allow the strawberry sauce to cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until it's smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, which should take around 3-4 minutes. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined.

Take each waffle cone and spoon in a layer of the cheesecake filling, filling it about one-third of the way. Next, drizzle in some of the cooled strawberry sauce on top. Repeat the process with another layer of cheesecake filling and more strawberry sauce until filled to the top.

To create the crunchy topping, crush vanilla wafers into fine crumbs. Mix the crushed wafers with freeze-dried strawberries until evenly combined. Sprinkle generously over the filled cones.

Place the assembled cones in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld and the filling to set.