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. We use a similar approach in our fresh fruit tart.
- 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
- 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally! This recipe looks so good!! I don’t have an electric mixer so I was wondering if it would work if I manually whisk it?
Hi Akhia, While it is possible, it will take a lot of arm muscle to beat the heavy cream into stiff peaks. Reaching stiff peaks is the most important step in this entire recipe and *the secret* to a thick no-bake cheesecake filling!
This is an incredible recipe! I made it for a bake off at work and received so many compliments. This is my cheesecake recipe forever!
Thank you so much for sharing
This recipe looks great! I want to do a pecan crust with salted caramel pecan halves on top— is it better to refrigerate before I put the pecan halves on, or can I do it immediately and then refrigerate?
Hi Julie! It really doesn’t matter since the pecan halves aren’t really wet (and wouldn’t seep any liquid like berries would). However, I like to add any garnishes, pecan halves included, right before serving instead of before chilling.
Hi Sally. Tried the recipe . It’s amazing . Tastes great. This dessert is heaven. My only concern is why the cheesecake filling layer slides off the cracker crust layer while eating or cutting the slice ?
I made two of these cheesecakes for a special Valentine’s Day dinner for a group of older ladies. They all loved it. We had one cheesecake left over that my husband, daughter and I happily ate over the next couple days.
One of our guests (a lady to whom we are very close) called us two days after the dinner to ask if we had any leftover cheesecake. I’m not kidding! We had one generous piece left, so she drove back to our house for the last piece! True story!
Can I still make this n leave out the sour cream
Hi Thulile- You can leave out the sour cream, but the filling won’t have the same tangy flavor. You could replace with plain yogurt if that’s an option!
I made it yesterday and it turned out well! Yummy and light. Will be my go-to recipe for no-bake cheesecake. Thanks so much!
Hi! The cheesecake looks really good! Will there be no problem with setting if I add a raspberry swirl using store-bought confiture on top? Do I do it before placing inside the fridge?
I have not tested it but you can certainly try to add a raspberry swirl to the top before refrigerating. Let me know if you try it.
Previously I don’t beat the cream separately but that makes my cake look like a pudding. Thanks for the idea of beating it separately first which really worked as it keeps the cake in shape!
I’ve a quick question.. can we add blueberry essence in cheesecake if we are not doing heavy topping? Should we use only blueberry essence or we can use both blueberry and vanilla together?
Hi Esha, I’m so glad you found this helpful! You can add blueberry essence in addition to the vanilla extract. Flavored oils are much stronger than extracts so the very small amount you would add would not likely change the texture of the cheesecake.
This is The Best No Bake Cheesecake EVER! I’ve tried soo many! Don’t waste your time with all of those on the internet! My son sent me a text from school saying mom please make me that same cheesecake that you made this weekend please I’m begging! Done! It was so Awesome!! This is now my go to for creamy delicious No Bake Awesomeness!! Thank you
I’m wonder if you think there’s a way to make this chocolate?
I want to have a layer of chocolate cheesecake filling, and a layer of regular cheesecake filling in a cake I’m imagining.
Your recipes are always some of my favorites 🙂
Hi Stephanie! I’m sure you could make a chocolate version, but I haven’t tried it. It would require some testing because I’m torn if I would use melted and cooled chocolate or cocoa powder. Let me know if you test anything!
Hi Sally,
Could I use Oreo crumbs for the crust, and regular sugar instead of the graham cracker crumbs work? Also, how much crumbs would you put into the cheesecake to make it Oreo flavour?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica! You can use an Oreo cookie crust here. I recommend following the Oreo cookie crust recipe found with my Snickers Cheesecake. You can skip the pre-bake.
I replaced half of the graham cracker crumbs with finely chopped pecans in the crust. Served this to my group at church. They loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Sally! This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. I was wondering if it would be possible to put them into cupcake cups instead of a whole pan? Do you think that’ll work the same?
Yes, you can make individual servings in cupcake pans. Enjoy!
How would adding a layer of lemon curd on top be? I want to make a me on no bake cheesecake to take to a friends house tomorrow.
That is supposed to say a lemon no bake cheesecake*
Hi Hannah, Lemon curd is delicious on top of this cheesecake!
Hi Sally,
I’m trying to make this recipe, but I want to take off the sour cream and add lime juice and lime zest like mentioned in your notes. I want to also add tequila to it, will I have issues not setting if I add the alcohol?
Hi Lorena, I’m unsure how to successfully add alcohol to this no-bake cheesecake if you’re also adding the lemon/lime juice. I haven’t tested it. I would recommend leaving out the vanilla and adding 2-3 Tablespoons of reduced tequila (reduce it on the stove so it has a stronger flavor). Again, I haven’t tested this. Let me know how it turns out!
This recipe is a winner……
All natural and i appreciate that…..been a long time baker but have to say this recipe is a keeper. Thank you very much Sally.
How do I use this as a cake filling. Am trying to make a red velvet cheesecake cake.
YUM! This sounds great, Ginny. There are many ways you could go about this but I would probably start by placing one of the 9 inch round cake layers in the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan, layering the cheesecake topping on top and letting that set before adding the second cake layer. Let me know if you try it!
Made this for NYE and it was a huge hit! My only issue is that I had some trouble with a few spots of the crust sticking to the springform. I froze the crust for at least 30mins before filling it and the whole thing was then refrigerated for about 24hrs before taking it out of the mold. Otherwise the recipe was followed exactly. Any thoughts?? You didn’t mention anything about greasing the springform but should I have? And finally, not a question but a request for more no-bake cheesecakes in the New Year. Maybe something with chocolate???!!
Hi Jenny, I’m so happy the cake was a hit! There is enough butter in the crust that greasing the pan usually is not necessary. If you want to be sure next time that no spots stick you can line the bottom of the pan with a round piece of parchment paper. And I would love to experiment with a chocolate cheesecake in the future – yum!
Made this into mini cheesecakes in cupcake liners. Tried some leftover filling before I washed the bowl… Was a little “weird” but not bad. Put in fridge for the night. Served for Christmas dinner the next afternoon – oh my goodness, was SO good! I think the brown sugar definitely is a good call for the crust. I had concerns about the crust crumbling because it was difficult getting it to stick to the sides of the liners, but the fridge made it all perfect. Try this recipe – it’s delicious!
This no bake cheesecake is VERY good! Adding the brown sugar to the graham cracker crumbs makes the crust even more tasty. I had seen another no bake recipe on another site before I found this one and since my husband had already been dispatched to the grocer to get Heath Bar baking chips and 2 Heath bars, we folded 1/4c of the chips into the cheesecake/whipped cream mixture (next time, 1/2c) and then right before serving, we zig-zagged caramel ice cream topping across the top and in the middle, placed cut larger chunks of the Heath bars….which ultimately wandered about….next time, smaller chunks to hopefully help them stay put. You could use any type of topping you choose. A versatile and delicious dessert! Thank you, Sally and Happy New Year!
Hi! I totally made this as a half batch (the lemon variation) and put it in one of the premade pie tins from the store and it turned out perfect! 🙂
Hi Sally,
This no bake I tried for the first time. I’ve made no bake cheesecake recipes before but your recipe is by the best one I’ve ever made. It was a hot at my Christmas dinner. It was easy to follow your instructions step by step. Your video also helped me visually get the steps right that was a to help my confidence for this to be a success. Having no leftovers today was a sign of thii I s being a family favourite. In fact my sister only wants me to make your recipe going forward. You are correct, what a difference brown sugar makes in the graham crust and it did not taste grainy either like the granulated sugar does. Folding in the cream to the cheese did make it light and airy. Thank you for sharing your recipes and can not wait to try another on your recipe list.
Hi Sally! Great recipe, I love it. I was wondering if you had any tips for when too much liquid is added and texture is lost ☹️ I attempted to prep this recipe x 4 and added too much liquid and now the consistency is not the velvet I’m looking for. Have any tips so I don’t have to throw out 96 oz of cream cheese
Hi Makayla, a little extra confectioners’ sugar and/or cornstarch will help thicken the batter back up.
Can you add the additional lemon and still add the sour cream? I like my crust baked and caramelized. Will it still hold filling ok?
You can pre-bake the crust. Let it cool before adding the filling. If you want extra lemon flavor, I recommend slightly reducing the sour cream to make up for the added liquid.
Hi Sally,
This truely sounds like a fantastic cheesecake. Just wondering if it would spoil the setting of the cheesecake filling if I added drained boysenberries to achieve a burgandy colour to the filling? I also thought when the cheesecake was completely cooled if it would work to add a thin top layer of gelatine?
Hi Angela, I don’t recommend adding extra liquid to the filling as it would really throw off the texture and won’t set up properly. You can certainly add boysenberries to the top!
Hi there. My husband and I made this perfect no bake cheese cake.. and guess what, it tasted perfect! The filling turned out to be extra soft. Could you share any tips that would make the filling a little firm so it doesn’t fall off easily. Thank you for any idea you might have!
Good day sally!
From,
PriyaVignesh
Malaysia
I made mini cheesecakes with this mixture and also added gelatin as I wanted to make sure they didn’t fall apart. I also used gluten free scotch finger biscuits as my daughter is coeliac. I can tell you that this is THE BEST cheesecake recipe that I have ever used. So light and airy and melt in the mouth, a beautiful texture similar to a mousse. The base with the filling was a nice balance and served on a swish of strawberry puree made it all come together perfectly. Thank you!
Hi Sally,
Is it possible to refrigerate this overnight, then pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours before a 45-minute car ride? Also, I’m not sure there will be room in the refrigerator to store the cheesecake when I get to my Thanksgiving potluck, so I was hoping that freezing it for a couple of hours before hitting the road would give it an advantage against being 4-5 hours out of the fridge, before it gets eaten.
Freezing it is a great idea to give it an extra chill before a car ride/serving. It IS best served cold, so if you could slip it into the freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes before serving, that would be ideal.
Hi Sally,
Do you see any problem with creating the filling, letting it set as you directed in the mixing bowl, and then using it as a filling in between cake rounds once it is set? I’m wondering if I could make a red velvet cheesecake using your filling. Thanks!
Hi Penny! That *should* be fine, but I haven’t personally tried it to give you a straight yes or no. It’s definitely worth trying because it does set nicely in a pan.