No-Bake Cheesecake

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Ultra creamy and smooth No-Bake Cheesecake is exactly what hot summer days call for. The luscious cheesecake filling rests on a graham cracker crust and it all comes together in a snap.

side view of no bake cheesecake on a white serving plate

No-Bake Cheesecake

I’m adding more cheesecakes to the archives! And they are a couple of no-bake recipes. Yay!!

I took my perfect cheesecake recipe and turned into a silky no-bake version. It’s going to become your go-to cheesecake for summer.

The graham cracker crust is held together with melted butter that hardens as it cools. The filling is a mixture of cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream that’s whipped together until it’s fluffy and light.

After getting this basic version perfect, I added snickers candy bars. You don’t want to miss the no-bake snickers cheesecake version!

My no bake strawberry cheesecake and mixed berry cheesecake are also a must-try. It’s all the rage during the hot summer months.

easy no bake cheesecake slice on a navy blue plate

What is a no-bake cheesecake?

A no-bake cheesecake doesn’t require an oven. Everything from the crust to the filling is mixed in a bowl, added to the pan, and refrigerated until it’s set.

No bake desserts are perfect during the peak of summer when it’s way too hot to have the oven on.


Main ingredients for no bake cheesecake

Graham cracker crumbs – grind 1 and ½ sleeves until you have a fine crumb.

Butter – melted butter will coat the ground crumbs acting as a glue to hold the base together.

Cream cheese – makes up the base of the filling. Use full fat, block cream cheese for the best results.

Confectioners’ sugar – sweetens and adds structure since it contains cornstarch. Plain powdered sugar will not work as well.

Heavy whipping cream – will whip up into a thick consistency which will give the cheesecake body as well as make it light and creamy.

whole easy no bake cheesecake on white serving plate

How to make no-bake cheesecake?

Step 1: Make the crust

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Make sure to get all the crumbs well coated then press them firmly into the bottom of a springform pan. Freeze the crust while you make the filling.

graham cracker crumbs pressed into a round pan

Step 2: Make the filling>

It’s important to beat the cream cheese until its’ smooth and free of lumps before adding the other ingredients. Mix the batter really well after adding each ingredient.

After adding the cream, beat the filling until it becomes thick and stiff.

no bake cheesecake filling in a glass bowl

Step 3: Refrigerate until set

Spread the filling over the prepared crust and refrigerate overnight.

no bake cheesecake filling in a round pan
slice of no bake cheesecake on a white plate with a fork taking a bite out

Tips for no bake cheesecake

  • Plan ahead. The cheesecake doesn’t require baking but it does need to refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
  • Get those graham cracker crumbs well coated with butter! The butter will harden once cooled, acting as the “glue” that holds the crust together.
  • Use full-fat cream cheese for best results.
  • Make sure the cream you are using is indeed “heavy whipping cream”. The higher fat content will allow the cream to whip up thicker which is needed to hold the filling together.

More no bake cheesecake recipes you’ll love

  1. No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake
  2. No Bake Berry Cheesecake

No-Bake Cheesecake

4.60 from 60 votes
side view of no bake cheesecake on a white serving plate
Ultra creamy and smooth No-Bake Cheesecake is exactly what hot summer days call for. The luscious cheesecake filling rests on a graham cracker crust and it all comes together in a snap.
Jen Sobjack
Prep Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes
Serving Size 10

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 1 ½ cups (148 g) graham cracker crumbs, from about 1 and ½ sleeves
  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

  • 24 ounces (680 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold

Instructions

Make the crust

  • Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with foil or parchment paper: set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Mix until crumbs are well coated with butter.
  • Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and an inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Set in the freezer while you make the filling.

Make the filling

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed until the sugar is moistened. Then turn the speed up to medium and continue mixing until well combined, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated, about 1 minute.
  • If using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, switch to the whisk attachment and add the heavy cream. Beat on low speed until the cream is well mixed in. Turn the speed up to high and beat until the batter becomes thick and stiff.
  • Pour the filling over the prepared crust and spread to the edges of the pan. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Notes

Make ahead tip
  1. The assembled cheesecake will keep for up to 5 days stored covered in the refrigerator.
  2. After the cheesecake has been refrigerated for 8 hours, you can transfer it to the freezer. Wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 1474IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

33 Comments

  1. this recipe is also a nice way to just be lazy and not have to spend as much money hooray*****

  2. 5 stars
    Super easy to make, cant wait to try once set. I have a question though… step 4 “beat until the batter becomes thick and stiff”… roughly how long does that take? I had it on high for almost 10 mins and it never got thick/stiff. Was smooth and creamy so i gave up.

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      It should only take about 5-7 minutes. It will thicken up quite a bit just like whipped cream does. There’s a video in the post to show the process and how it should look.

  3. 5 stars
    Super easy to make, cant wait to try once set. I have a question though… step 4 “beat until the batter becomes thick and stiff”… roughly how long does that take? I had it on high for almost 10 mins and it never got thick/stiff. Was smooth and creamy so i gave up.

  4. Can you used the pre made pie crusts from the store for this?

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      This should be fine although I’m not sure all the filling will fit into 1 pie shell.

    2. @Kelsey, Hi! I used the larger size pre-made made crust and I had some left over–about 1\2 cup.

  5. Sheila Smith says:

    I just have a hand mixer will that be okay for the cream cheese?

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      That’s perfectly fine.

      1. I did half of this recipe and it fit perfectly! It’s currently sitting in the fridge can’t wait to try it soon

  6. I make thumbprint brownie bites with salted caramel in the center for parties all the time, but I am totally trying this filling for a brownie-cheesecake version!!!

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      That sounds incredible! Please let me know how it turns out!

  7. 5 stars
    This looks delicious and I will be making it this weekend. Are the rosettes just whipped cream or are they the cheesecake mixture?

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      Hi Lisa! The piping is just whipped cream but using some of the cheesecake mixture would be a great idea as well!

  8. 5 stars
    This looks delicious and I will be making it this weekend. Are the rosettes just whipped cream or are they the cheesecake mixture?

  9. 5 stars
    This is one of my favorite cheesecakes!

  10. 5 stars
    This is one of my favorite cheesecakes!

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