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
- 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’ve made this recipe for multiple friend gatherings and everyone looooves it, so thank you Sally! I use speculoos cookies for the crust (so omit the brown sugar) and reduce the granulated sugar in the cream.
Thank you for the recipe. You saved my life for a math project.
Hi! I was hoping to make this today, but I only have just over one cup of crumbs in my pantry. Do you think I could replace the other half with ground pecans?
Hi Kathy, You could use the crust ratios from our key lime pie, replacing the macadamia nuts with pecans. Or here’s our pecan crust as well.
I want to make a no bake squash cheesecake. I’ve used this recipe quite a bit with a lot of success and have played around with adding spices, but I have not added anything this substantial and am not sure what substitutions to make to ensure I add the right amount of puree without ruining the cheesecake.
Hi Megan! Here’s our no-bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe 🙂
I loved the recipe so much! Do you guys have any recipes for chocolate cheesecake?
Hi Julie, We haven’t tested a chocolate version of our classic cheesecake, but what we would try is to slightly reduce the sour cream and add 3 or 4 ounces of melted (and slightly cooled) unsweetened chocolate.
Hello Sally,
What if we don’t have access to sour cream, any alternative please
Hi Theodora, plain yogurt or Greek yogurt would work in place of sour cream in a pinch — do not omit completely, or the cheesecake will not set. Enjoy!
Hi everyone at Sally’s baking, I absolutely love this recipe. It comes out perfect each time.
I did wonder if I could incorporate peanut butter to this recipe ? And how it would work ?
Hi Loucina! We haven’t tested this as peanut butter flavored, but our first guess would be to remove the sour cream and add around 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter. The cheesecake *should* still set up just fine. Let us know how it turns out!
Hi Sally,
I made this recipe and it was way better than the usual no bake cheese cake I used to make. But I had a little problem. I followed the instructions in the recipe (for the first time I didn´t add more or less of some ingrident), but I used digestive cookies for the crust. What happened is that my crust started leaking onto my fridge shelf. It was syrupy, I would say from the crust. I´m not sure what happened. All crust was crumbly but there were parts that was too tight. Even with that it was delicious. Maybe I didn´t press the crust hard enough to the cake form. Can you give me your opinion, what went wrong? Thanks in advance
Hi Milly, It seems strange that a no-bake cheesecake would leak, but the springform pan the root of the issue. You can try wrapping it with aluminum foil around the outside.
How can I make this a no-bake lemon cheesecake – lemon juice and lemon zest, and keep the vanilla extract? It’s a special request from my favorite uncle 🙂
Hi S, 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!
After making this it has become my favorite go-to cheesecake! I have taken it to summer gatherings and get requests to bring again!
Delicious! The baked one tastes too custardy now. <3
I subbed light cream for heavy.
I did whip the light cream for about 4-5 minutes on the highest setting in order to get the right texture. From there I added the cream cheese & granulated sugar and whipped on the highest setting until all combined. I scraped down the sides at least once.
I ended up omitting the lemon juice, confectioners sugar & sour cream and it still came out really good!!
proceed with the recipe as is.
Sad for other desserts wasting away as this one gets demolished. Great recipe! Any chance you’ll come up with a no-bake eggnog cheesecake for Christmas?
Sounds delicious, Greg! Thanks for the suggestion. So glad you loved this cheesecake.
Would it be possible to omit the confectioner’s sugar in this recipe, as it is not easily available where I live. If not, what could I substitute for it?
Hi Skye, the confectioners’ sugar thickens the filling, while also keeping it light. Unfortunately we haven’t had much success when testing with other thickeners — we recommend sticking with confectioners’ sugar for best results. Or you can look up how to make your own confectioners sugar if you have a high speed blender – we haven’t tested it but there are many recipes online for how to make your own.
Hi Sally and Lexi I have a high speed blender believe it or not my magic bullet or u can use a coffee grinder with the grinder it does take a weebit longer. I make my own confectioners sugar. It works perfectly. With the price of powdered sugar now adays it was a quick cheap fix seeing as u can get 20kg bags if sugar from costco for $15.
Beautiful and easy, smooth cheesecake. My son and I made this together to help him raise money for his fundraiser Terry Fox Run. Thank you for sharing! C.Perjul
I bake a lot of sweet things for a friend and this was his absolutely favorite. He couldn’t stop raving about it. I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he said this! I swapped out full fat yogurt for the sour cream and lime for the lemon and he loved the tanginess of it. Great recipe for summer – no oven needed!
This recipe looks pretty straightforward, but I’m looking to modify the flavor profile to make a dessert for an English tea themed party. Could I infuse the cream with earl grey and lavender then chill before whipping it? Also would it be possible to substitute all or part of the sugar with honey? I’d like the floral quality of the honey to go along with the floral notes of lavender and tea. I can’t find a recipe that gives me everything I need so I’m looking to adapt a recipe. Thanks in advance for any notes or feedback!
Hi Rebecca! Infusing the cream with earl gray and lavender should work great. The added moisture from honey would likely prevent this from setting up properly, but let us know if you try it.
I made this for a company BBQ for about 7 people. It was a fabulous success.The cake is delicious and there was not evgen a piece left for me to take home for the weekend. I would suggesst one small change perhaps. The graham cracker crust was a little crumbly, and I would add 2 TB butter to it and perhaps bake it for 15 minutes to set it better. Otherwise the recipe was perfect. The cake came right to the top of a 9″ spring form pan. I topped it with broken pieces of Biscoff’s vanilla cookies and drizzled some caramel sauce on it.
Whole point of no bake is nothing is baked. With enough butter in the crust it should hold firm when chilled
Even better would be to use the biscoff cookies as the crust. I use them for everything from my cheesecakes to key lime pie and it always adds that just right bit of over the topness!
Most no bake cheesecake recipes I read are made with gelatin, I plan to make this one for the upcoming party at my friend’s house which is 30 minutes drive away. I am a little concern whether the cheesecake will hold up during the 30 minute drive out of the fridge. Please advise, thanks!
Hi Dorothy, as long as the cheesecake has been sufficiently chilled and set before the drive, that shouldn’t be a problem. Do you have a cooler that you could transport it in?
Hi Dorothy, I made this cake yesterday and I can assure you if you follow the recipe, the cream cheese and whipped cream holds up perfectly. I made mine Thursday afternoon, and it remained in the fridge from then to Friday about 11:00AM. It was out on the table at least 30 minutes before serving and it was solid. You will love it. Enjoy.
My grandson made this cheesecake yesterday, refrigerated it overnight and transported it 1 1/2 hours to a family party. It was perfect, he only used an insulated bag.
Hello Sally!
Can I opt out the sour cream? Sour cream is not available where I live.
Thank you!
Hi Evani, plain yogurt or Greek yogurt would work in place of sour cream in a pinch — do not omit completely, or the cheesecake will not set. Enjoy!
To make this in an 8×8 glass baking dish, would you need to cut the recipe in half? And would you need to use foil/parchment to help the crust not stick?
Hi Norma, halving the filling recipe will likely still be a bit too much, but you could use any leftover batter for a few mini no-bake cheesecakes on the side. You can still make the graham cracker crust as written. Make sure the bars are sufficiently chilled before slicing. No need to use foil or parchment under the crust, although you could if you wish. Let us know how it goes!
Best recipe. Love this .
This was SO easy & SO delicious! I’m a traditional scratch cook and was dubious about a no bake cheesecake, like it was cheating. But it set up perfectly, cut nicely and everyone asked for your recipe.
Hi sally! Loved this cheesecake recipe so much! I wanted to know what you’d recommend to make this version but peanut butter flavored?
Hi Heather, we haven’t tested this as peanut butter flavored, but our first guess would be to remove the sour cream and add around 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter. The cheesecake *should* still set up just fine. Let us know how it turns out!
This is absolutely THE best no bake cheesecake I have ever had, AND I think I like it better than baked cheesecake. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe, and all your recipes. Anytime I’m looking for something and one of your recipes pops up, I know it will be fantastic!!
Hi Sally! I want to make this cheesecake for a small family dinner. Can I cut the recipe in half and if so, what size springform should I use? Thankf
Hi Jody, You could halve the recipe for a 6 inch pan for a smaller batch. You may also like this recipe for mini no bake cheesecakes
I made the cheesecake its been 24 hrs and it has not set its super soft I even set my fridge to colder but it didnt work I’ll add gelatin next time
The taste is amazing I made mine with granulated stevia! And confectioners erythritol
Was surprised with 24 ounces of cream cheese, that it mainly tasted like heavy cream. Not my favorite.
I was going to make a mini chocolate chip no bake cheesecake. But I found your recipe and want to use it because I trust you. Can I add one cup of mini semi-sweet chips to this cheesecake without ruining it? Love your recipes.
Yes, absolutely, Linda!
Sally’s No-Bake Cheesecake is the tastiest, easiest cheesecake I have ever made! My husband & I devoured it! It had tang and was smooth, plus it held together perfectly for each slice! Love it❤️
This cheesecake is delicious The no bake graham cracker crust is very crumbly though, but tasty. It turned out very good and received rave reviews.
I have two kids with egg allergies and a husband that loves cheesecake we have done a few no bake pies over the years but this one was much nicer I think the addition of sour cream made it closer to a custard style traditional cheesecake with the taste. The only change I made was I baked the crust for 11 minutes at 350 because I like that crunch. Beautiful cheesecake, that will be revisited.
I love this no bake cheesecake! I made it for company two times in the last 2 weeks and this third time I have perfected it to our most favorite of all time! I only used 2 1/2 cream cheese bricks (20 oz.) to cut down on that flavor overwhelming the others. I also use about 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice for the same reason. It is light, airy and creamy! ! Yummmmeeeee.