This is truly the most perfect and easy no-bake cheesecake. By following this no-bake cheesecake recipe, you’ll be gifted with a smooth and creamy dessert that sets up beautifully in the refrigerator. Unlike regular cheesecake, no-bake cheesecake isn’t overly heavy. It’s lightly sweet and perfectly refreshing!
I never tasted no-bake cheesecake until last year because I had my doubts.
- What’s the point of cheesecake if you aren’t baking it?
- Doesn’t it just taste like cream cheese?
- How is it firm enough?
- And, most importantly, does it taste like goo?
These are very serious questions you might consider before making it, especially the goo one. But after making real no-bake cheesecake and tasting the final results, I’m here to declare that no-bake cheesecake should be everyone’s dessert obsession. My husband, who “doesn’t like cheesecake,” went back for seconds. This stuff is GOOD.
The Kitchn ranked this recipe first place in its no-bake cheesecake recipe showdown, with a score of 10/10! They said: “The thing that sets this recipe apart is its rich, full-on cheesecake flavor. It’s not too sweet and full of cream cheese goodness. … Slices of this cheesecake are tall, gorgeous, and very impressive, and the flavor lives up to the appearance. It’s a dessert you’d be proud to serve your friends and family.”
Let’s Rewind. What Is No-Bake Cheesecake?
No-bake cheesecake is exactly what the name suggests. The graham cracker crust and cheesecake filling never see the inside of the oven, so it’s a fantastic dessert when the weather’s warm or when your oven is crowded. Or when you don’t feel like baking. 😉
No-bake cheesecake is a lot easier than baked cheesecake. Without eggs and baking, there is virtually ZERO room for error. Traditional cheesecake runs the risk of over-beating the eggs, over-baking, under-baking, and cheesecake cracking. And if you’re using a cheesecake water bath, which I always recommend, your springform pan could leak. With no-bake cheesecake, we’re essentially cutting every single complicated step!
What it lacks in oven time, it makes up for in taste and texture:
- Thick, buttery, and crunchy graham cracker crust
- Smooth, creamy, and velvet-rich cheesecake filling
It’s totally worth mentioning that the filling tastes like cheesecake mousse!
4 Minute Video Tutorial:
Thick & Sturdy Graham Cracker Crust
This is a no-bake graham cracker crust. It’s thick, crunchy, and sets up beautifully… even without baking! There are only 3 ingredients required: graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. I usually use granulated sugar in graham cracker crust, but prefer brown sugar in this recipe. The moisture in brown sugar helps solidify the crust. Pack it into a 9-inch springform pan, then place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
How to Make Perfect No-Bake Cheesecake
Like I mention above, this no-bake cheesecake recipe is very easy. The process is similar to how we make strawberry cream cheese pie. Beat the filling ingredients together, then spread into your graham cracker crust and refrigerate until set. That’s it! The cheesecake filling is made in 2 bowls. In the 1st bowl, beat heavy cream into stiff peaks. In the 2nd bowl, beat the remaining ingredients. Fold everything together. Here are the cheesecake filling ingredients. Each has a job to perform!
- Heavy Cream: Beating heavy cream into stiff peaks most important step in this entire recipe and *the secret* to a thick no-bake cheesecake filling.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure you use bricks of real cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. I tested with varying amounts and 24 ounces (three 8 ounce bricks) produced a thick, yet creamy cheesecake filling. Make sure it’s room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar breaks down the cream cheese. It’s easy to go overboard on sugar, but keep it light. Less sugar helps the tangy cream cheese and vanilla flavors stand out.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: A smidge of confectioners’ sugar thickens the filling, while also keeping it light. I tested with flour and cornstarch and both left a chalky aftertaste. I recommend sticking with confectioners’ sugar.
- Sour Cream: Add a little sour cream for that trademark tangy cheesecake flavor.
- Vanilla Extract & Lemon Juice: A splash of both flavors add a little something special.
How to Thicken No-Bake Cheesecake
These 2 important steps guarantee a thick no-bake cheesecake filling. Without 1 or 2, you’ll be eating cheesecake soup. (It’s not pretty.)
- As mentioned, the most important step is to beat cold heavy cream into peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling gently so you don’t deflate the air. The air creates a delicious mousse-like consistency and solidifies the filling in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6-8 hours, but overnight is better. For a sturdy no-bake cheesecake with beautifully neat slices, refrigerate for at least 12 hours. This makes for a great make-ahead dessert! Do not freeze the cheesecake to set it. The filling won’t slice and you’ll lose the velvet texture!
Speaking of beautiful slices, make sure you smooth the filling into the crust. I like using a large or small offset spatula to make the job easier. After refrigerating, decorate with whipped cream, lemon curd, strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce, blueberry sauce, fresh berries, and/or salted caramel. But if you’re a cheesecake purist, all you need is a fork. 🙂
Can I Make Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes?
Yes! See my mini no bake cheesecakes, which are made in a standard muffin pan.
Let’s Talk About Freezing No-Bake Cheesecake
I don’t recommend freezing no-bake cheesecake to set it—you really need to use the refrigerator for that step. And trust me, it’s worth the wait.
However, you can freeze the cheesecake to enjoy at a later time. After it sets in the refrigerator, wrap the whole pan (you can remove the sides if desired) in 1 layer of plastic wrap, then 1 layer of aluminum foil. No-bake cheesecake freezes wonderfully for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 8 hours, then slice and serve.
With the make-ahead components of this recipe (whether waiting for it to set or freezing ahead of time), it’s great choice for your menu of Easter dessert recipes or any time you have company. Take care of all the hard work ahead of time, then sit back, relax, and enjoy a slice (or two) of cheesecake with your family and friends!
When it’s time to serve, I’m always shocked that the crust and filling don’t fall apart. Follow this recipe for success. Would LOVE to know if you try it!
More Cheesecake Desserts
- Classic Cheesecake
- Mini Cheesecakes
- Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake
- How to Prevent Cracks in Cheesecake
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
- Snickers Cheesecake
- Cheesecake Pie
- Lemon Cheesecake
I have an entire cheesecake recipes category, too!
Print
No-Bake Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours, 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Whipping
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is truly the most perfect and easy no-bake cheesecake. By following this no-bake cheesecake recipe, you’ll be gifted with a smooth, light, and creamy dessert that sets up beautifully in the refrigerator. The most important steps are whipping the heavy cream into stiff peaks before folding into the filling, and refrigerating the cheesecake overnight.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 24 ounces (678g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the crust: Stir the graham cracker crust ingredients together. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan or 10-inch springform pan and pack in very tightly. The tighter it’s packed, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake. I recommend using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it into the bottom and up the sides. You can watch me do this in the video above. Freeze for 10–20 minutes as you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2–3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
- Using your mixer on low speed or a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your silicone spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
- Remove crust from the freezer and spread filling into crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6–8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, 12 hours is best. I chill mine overnight. The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.
- Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.
- Serve cheesecake with desired toppings (see Note). Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This cheesecake can be made 1–2 days in advance. It can be refrigerated in step 6 for up to 2 days before serving. You can also make the crust 1–2 days ahead of time. Freeze for up to 1 hour in step 1, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 1–2 days before adding the filling. Another way to make this cheesecake ahead of time is to freeze it. Cheesecake can be frozen up to 3 months. See instructions in blog post above.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | 9-inch Springform Pan or 10-inch Springform Pan | Silicone Spatula | Offset Spatula
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice brightens up the flavor. This cheesecake does not taste like lemon. For lemon-flavored no-bake cheesecake, remove the sour cream from the recipe and add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon lemon zest.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring the cream cheese and sour cream to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients guarantee a smooth cheesecake filling. Beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake filling. (The heavy cream, however, MUST be cold in order to whip into stiff peaks.)
- Toppings: Before serving, decorate with whipped cream, lemon curd, strawberry sauce, fresh berries, salted caramel, or your favorite cheesecake toppings. I used Ateco 849 piping tip for the whipped cream in the pictured cheesecake.
- Can I Make Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes? Yes, see my mini no bake cheesecakes, which are made in a standard muffin pan.
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 270g ground digestive biscuits instead (about 18 biscuits), the same amount of butter, and add a bit more brown sugar (about 1/2 cup, or 100g). And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make cheesecake. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers.
Adapted from All Recipes.
Hi there! I want to make this for Thanksgiving this weekend, but would like to make it with pumpkin swirls into it. Do you think taking some of the filling and blending in some canned pumpkin and spices would be ok?
Hi Suzanne, we haven’t tested that with this recipe, so we’re unsure how well it would set with that method. We’d recommend making our no-bake pumpkin cheesecake instead!
tasted delicious! However I froze the crust overnight as I forgot to buy an ingredient for the filling. When I finished the cake and tried cutting into it the next day, I wasn’t able to cut through the base of the crust. Is it because I froze the crust overnight?
Hi Janet, that could be the culprit. Did it get easier to cut over time? It could be possible that it just need some more time out of the freezer to soften the crust a bit. We’re glad you still enjoyed it!
Made it it’s in the fridge, was able to get two pies had to make a Oreo crust.
I’ve put off making cheesecake for years, thinking I’d probably waste the ingredients, boy was I wrong! This recipe went straight into my favourites folder! Thank you Sally and team, you never disappoint!!
Can I use my homemade cream cheese with this recipe? It is made from milk and heavy cream.
Hi Greg, we haven’t tested this recipe with a homemade cream cheese, so are unsure. Let us know if you try it!
Hello! I am trying this tomorrow, however, oddly enough I do not have a mixer of any kind even a hand mixer. Can I mix by hand?
Hi Sarah, it’s possible, it will just take a bit of arm muscle! Be careful not to over mix, too.
Would this work well as a filling for a vanilla layer cake?
Hi Claire, that will work, but be sure to pipe a dam of frosting around the edge of the cake layers to ensure the filling does not come out the sides. Enjoy!
I was in a rush and needed to make my apple pie cheesecake tacos, i ran to see what sally had and PERFECTION! As always you are appreciated!
Hey I wanted to make this recipe, but is there anyway to add chocolate to the cheesecake ?
Hi Rachel, We’re sure you could make a chocolate version, but we haven’t tried it. It would require some testing because we’re torn if we would use melted and cooled chocolate or cocoa powder. You could always top it with chocolate ganache and use an Oreo crust. You could also add up to 1 and 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips. Let us know what you try!
I think I’m gonna try adding Cocoa powder to the recipe?
Hey Sally!
I am loving this recipe but I want to try make a lemon version. I see you have a baked lemon cheese cake version but I would like to keep it a no bake one. What could I do to make this a nice lemon cheese cake? I’m scared I don’t have the correct measurements..
Hi Sabrina, See recipe Notes for details on making a lemon no-bake cheesecake: For lemon-flavored no-bake cheesecake, remove the sour cream from the recipe and add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon lemon zest. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I am currently in the UK and wanted to try this recipe but cannot get any block cream cheese. Tried using the spreadable ones, and the outcome was just runny. Is there any other cheese that can substitute block cream cheese?
Hi Khairani, this can certainly be tricky! If you can, look for a soft white cheese with around 33% fat content. Not sure how easy it is to get, but you could try this one, or look for something similar: https://longleyfarm.com/collections/cream-cheese; or this one in Ireland: https://compsey.ie/full-fat-cream-cheese/. We haven’t tested these personally, so aren’t sure of the result. Also, some people have reported that they strain off excess liquid from the tub type of cream cheese (such as Philadelphia brand) before using. If you try any of these, please let us know how it turns out!
Hi Sally!
I love your recipes so much! Yours is my go-to baking recipe website.
I am thinking of making these for a wedding to feed 200 to 250 people. Do you have any tips on making it in a bigger pan size? And could I make a chocolate version too?
Thanks!
Hi Lydia, we haven’t scaled this recipe for a larger pan, but you can make these in an 9×13-inch pan and cut smaller pieces. The cheesecake, as written, will be enough and should still set up nicely. The bars will be very thick in a 9×13-pan, so make sure they are sufficiently chilled, even up to 24 hours. Or you make these mini no-bake cheesecakes instead. We’re sure you could make a chocolate version, but we haven’t tried it. It would require some testing because we’re torn if we would use melted and cooled chocolate or cocoa powder. You could always top it with chocolate ganache and use an Oreo crust. You could also add up to 1 and 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips. Let us know what you try!
Doubled the graham cracker crust. Filling was tasty… but very, very goopy. I expected it to firm up in the fridge, but no such luck!
Made this for hubby’s bday. Absolutely loved it. Topped it with homemade strawberry coulis. Delicious. Thanks for the recipe
Very easy recipe to adapt to gluten and sugar free. I used ginger gf cookies with Melted butter and used green leaf stevia instead of sugar. (The dried leaf not the chemically whitened stuff) totally sugar free. Added a touch more lemon and it was fabulous! Didn’t need that sugar at all!
I want to make your no bake cheesecake and freeze it in individual servings to use later.
Do you recommend this or will the texture of the cheesecake change a great deal
Valerie, you could absolutely freeze the individual slices instead of the cheesecake as a whole. Or you might try our mini no bake cheesecakes instead. Enjoy!
This recipe is fantastic! It’s the only cheesecake I make!
Can I remove the sour cream in this recipe?if yes what should I put instead?
Hi Reem, plain yogurt or Greek yogurt would work in place of sour cream in a pinch — do not omit completely, or the cheesecakes will not set. Enjoy!
Hi. I use and love your recipes!
I was wanting to know if I could pipe your no bake cheesecake in puff pastry horns?
Thanks
Hi Penny, we’d recommend using our no-bake cheesecake jar filling instead. Let us know how they turn out!
I’m getting ready to make this today. The ingredients list says “granulated” sugar but the instructions say to add the “condectioners” sugar. Which is correct? Also, I’ll be piping the batter b4 it sets into cute, plastic parfait cups with pre-baked and crushed grahams on the bottoms. Putting choco-dipped strawberry on top after they set up. Thank you for your response and for the recipe.
Hi Laura, there is both confectioners’ sugar and granulated sugar in the filling. Both are added in step 3. Hope this helps!
Made this on Friday and served it on Saturday for my mum’s birthday.
It was. a HUGE hit ! Everyone loved it esp. my mum.
Thanks for a great recipe .
I found a website that reviewed several no bake cheesecakes and yours came in #1 for filling tasting the most like baked cheesecake. Can I use this recipe for the mini mason jar cheesecakes in place of the mini cheesecake recipe you have ?
Hi Rosemary, we use this recipe for No-Bake Cheesecake Jars.
This is a fabulous cheesecake recipe. Friends and family really enjoy it. Great for the summer weather.
I do have one question. Can I use a few more ounces of heavy cream to make the cheesecake even lighter or would this be counterproductive in some way?
Thank you.
Hi Joefox, we do not recommend adding more heavy cream, as the cheesecake may not set properly with those proportions. We’re glad this is a favorite for you!
I was wondering how I could add a pineapple element to this recipe? Maybe crushed pineapple if I remove all the extra liquid?
Hi Stella, We haven’t tested adding crushed pineapple to this no-bake cheesecake, but fear the added moisture may keep the cheesecake from setting properly. Let us know if you give it a try! A pineapple topping may be a better bet.
This recipe is a winner! Tastes wonderful and was perfectly smooth. With the late summer heat, I didn’t want the big oven on and this came through!
I made two modifications to process though.
1) baked the crust for 10 minutes at 350 in the toaster oven. I have no luck with no bake crust and read the mini cheesecake recipe hint.
2) used a food processor because after crushing the graham crackers, figured why not. I followed the steps: heavy cream first and added the confectioners sugar for added stability, and then the cream cheese.
Served it with cinnamon peaches and caramel sauce!
Hi Sally,
l am going to make this tomorrow for my mum’s birthday (she loves anything lemon)
Just wondering if l can still add. some greek yogurt along with the extra lemon juice and zest or will that affect it setting
Thanks Pina
Hi Pina, unfortunately there would be too much “liquid” or wet ingredients if you kept the sour cream/yogurt. For best results, follow the lemon variation in the notes. Hope it’s a hit!
Can l omit the sour cream if making the lemon version ?
Just want to double check
Worried it may not set
Hi Pina, For lemon-flavored no-bake cheesecake, remove the sour cream from the recipe and add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon lemon zest.
I just made this cheesecake in Germany and the “Non-US reader” comment is pretty much spot on. Full fat, unflavoured cream cheese spread sold in Europe has always worked for me in baked cheesecake and it also works perfectly fine in this recipe. No need to beat the cream cheese, just mix it with a spoon and it is good to go.
I used the Digestive biscuits for the crust and my American colleague thought they were Graham crackers, so the taste must be pretty similar!