This no-bake cheesecake recipe is so easy to make! It’s a silky-smooth dessert with fluffy, almost mousse-like filling and a thick, buttery graham cracker crust. Best of all, there’s no water bath required. Make this creamy cheesecake ahead and let it set in the fridge overnight. Serve with fresh fruit, caramel sauce, or whipped cream!
I love this no-bake version so much, I even made it into a cheesecake dip! I also love this chocolate cheesecake and this amazing Instant Pot cheesecake for you to try.
Today I’m showing you how to make a cheesecake WITHOUT baking it! You know I love baked cheesecake recipes like cherry cheesecake and sour cream cheesecake. And so many of you have made my classic cheesecake recipe and loved it. But today, this no-bake cheesecake is stealing the show. It’s completely oven-free with AMAZING results.
The secret to this completely no-bake cheesecake recipe is in the crust. I’ve adapted my homemade graham cracker crust so you don’t have to blind bake it. While I’ve found that some no-bake crusts can be crumbly, not as sturdy, and generally not as easy to slice as a baked crust, this one is perfect! Plus, not having to turn on your oven and wait for the crust to cool is a huge bonus.
What Makes This the Best No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe?
- Light, fluffy texture. This recipe makes a thick, sliceable cheesecake with the lightest, melt-in-your-mouth texture. No need for melting chocolate.
- Only 4 ingredients. The no-bake cheesecake filling consists of just cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and a hint of vanilla. Mix everything, dump it into a graham cracker crust, and chill the cheesecake in the fridge. That’s it!
- Leave your oven free. You don’t even need to bake the crust! No-bake cheesecake is an easy way to save on oven space during the holidays.
- No-bake cheesecake doesn’t heat up the house. No-bake desserts are perfect for summer occasions, too. This is a great dessert to make ahead, and it’s ready to serve when guests arrive.
Baked vs. No-Bake Cheesecake
Let’s discuss the elephant in the room here: Does a no-bake cheesecake taste like a baked cheesecake? I’m going to go with a solid yes-ish.
- Taste: Baked cheesecake recipes have a distinct tang from the cream cheese. The flavor of a no-bake cheesecake is very similar to classic cheesecake, albeit a little milder due to less cream cheese
- Texture: It’s the texture that’s most different. Baked cheesecake is smooth and creamy, while no-bake cheesecake is much lighter in texture due to the whipped cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you will need for your no-bake cheesecake recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Graham Cracker Crust – I use my homemade graham cracker crust. You can buy whole graham crackers and crush them in a blender or food processor, or you can buy graham cracker crumbs. You’ll mix the crumbs with melted butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt to make the crust.
- Cream Cheese – It is cheesecake, of course! Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature so it folds in smoothly with the whipped cream, leaving your cheesecake free of lumps.
- Heavy Cream – The fluffy texture of this cheesecake comes from full-fat heavy whipping cream. Make sure it’s not pouring cream. The heavy cream should be very cold, so it whips easily into stiff peaks.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar, it has the best fine texture for a silky cheesecake filling. If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can make it by processing granulated sugar in a high-powered blender until you have a fine powder.
- Vanilla Extract – This is what gives your cheesecake flavor, but feel free to use any extract flavor you like! Lemon would be a delicious, zesty twist.
How to Make No-Bake Cheesecake
No-bake cheesecake, like classic cheesecake, is a fantastic make-ahead dessert. It’s perfect for parties or special occasions where you want to impress guests without being stuck in the kitchen the day of the event. Both the crust and the filling are completely no-bake and only need a few minutes of prep.
- Prepare the crust. First, combine your graham cracker crust ingredients. Press the crust firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a lightly greased springform pan. Chill the crust in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- Make the whipped cream. Using your stand mixer, whip cold heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks. When you lift the whisk attachment upright, the whipped cream should hold its shape.
- Make the cheesecake filling. Next, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold your prepared whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Fill and refrigerate. Spread the cheesecake filling inside the crust. Lastly, cover the cheesecake and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Why Is My No-Bake Cheesecake Runny?
This is the most common issue folks have with a no-bake cheesecake: It never firms up. There are a few reasons this could be happening, and how to avoid it:
- You didn’t whip your heavy cream until stiff peaks formed. You want your whipped cream to be THICK. Don’t whip it so much that it turns into butter, but get it as stiff as you can. This will make a huge difference in the overall texture of the cheesecake.
- It needs to be refrigerated for longer. Another reason your cheesecake isn’t firm is that you haven’t let it chill for long enough. Be patient, friends!
- You over-mixed the whipped cream and cream cheese. Fold your no-bake cheesecake batter together GENTLY. You want it to be mixed thoroughly, but not aggressively, or it deflates. Use a light hand and a rubber spatula to fold the whipped cream into the sweetened cream cheese.
FAQ
No, not for this cheesecake recipe. I’ve adapted my homemade crust so it doesn’t need blind-baking! However, if you’d prefer to bake it, omit 2 tablespoons of butter from the crust. Bake at 350ºF for 7-8 minutes.
Yes. You can use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream in the no-bake cheesecake filling. The texture will be creamier, not as firm and mousse-like, but it will still be delicious!
Add-ins and Variations
The texture of a no-bake cheesecake is a little delicate. It won’t hold up well to a ton of add-ins or heavy mix-ins. However, there are a few easy ways to make this cheesecake recipe your own. Here are some ideas:
- No-bake Oreo cheesecake: Add up to 1 cup of finely crushed Oreo Cookies to the filling. Swap crushed Oreo crumbs for graham crackers in the crust.
- Nutella: I have a delicious no-bake Nutella cheesecake for the chocolate-hazelnut lovers.
- Fun flavors: Try my no-bake cannoli cheesecake or cookie dough cheesecake with edible cookie dough for something different.
- Flavoring extracts: I use vanilla extract in this recipe, but you could use whatever flavor you prefer. Try coconut extract, almond extract, lemon extract, or even peppermint extract for the holidays. Get creative!
- Lemon: My mom used to add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to her no-bake cheesecake. This gives it a tiny amount of tartness, and it’s fantastic! You could also fold in fresh lemon zest.
Optional Cheesecake Toppings
Add any of these tasty topping ideas just before serving, not before chilling for best results.
- Fresh fruit
- Whipped cream
- Microwave caramel sauce
- Cherry pie filling
- Hot fudge sauce
- Chopped candy (peanut butter cups are a favorite!)
- Drizzle of Nutella or nut butter
How to Store
- Keep the cheesecake refrigerated. No-bake cheesecake needs to be kept in the fridge. Store it covered and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- Freeze. You can freeze this no-bake cheesecake for up to 2 months. Chill it thoroughly in the fridge first so that it sets. Then, wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. Thaw the cheesecake in the fridge before serving.
More Favorite No-Bake Desserts
No-Bake Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Cheesecake, Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This creamy no-bake cheesecake recipe is a smooth dessert with fluffy, mousse-like filling and a thick, buttery graham cracker crust. It’s easy to make without turning on the oven (not even for the crust!).
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Crust
- Lightly coat a 9- inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, evenly combine the butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.
- Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
For the Cheesecake
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Remove the whipped cream from the mixing bowl and set aside.
- In the same mixing bowl, replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream evenly, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl completely.
- Spread the cheesecake filling into the chilled crust and smooth with an offset spatula.
- Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
- Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze airtight for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 511
- Sugar: 18.9 g
- Sodium: 379.5 mg
- Fat: 42.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.5 g
- Protein: 5.7 g
- Cholesterol: 122.5 mg
Made this for a family dinner and everyone loved it! The whipping cream i used was quite sweet though. And i followed others’ tip below to fold in the whipped cream and it took soooo long but the cake held its shape when it was put on a plate
Heavy (whipping) cream shouldn’t be sweet on its own, do you mind sharing what you purchased? Glad you ended up enjoying it!
Best recipe ever! Thanks for sharing!
I’m struggling to get this & it’s my first time even
I made this recipe for a coworker’s birthday, it was a HIT. Not too sweet, and still has that creamy cream cheese you expect. Can dress this up or down easily, to match your preferences. And it was put together in no time at all! Perfect 10/10 for a no bake cheesecake!
Sorry, but I really did not care for No-Bake Cheesecake. I love cheesecake and make them frequently. However, I did not find this to be flavorful Seems to me the confectioners sugar does not sweeten as well as the regular sugar. Shelly, I enjoyed reading your blurbs but just not the cheesecake.
You may want to try sweetened condensed milk in place of the powdered sugar. Also can add other extracts or liquor.
First time here. I Definitely will leave out the heavy whipping cream next time and just go with the THICK RICH cream cheese portion of this recipe without adding the whipping cream, which makes it more runny and also takes away the tart and thickness I love. I Added a lot of lemon juice to the cream cheese for tartness and it tastes a lot like the lime cheesecake at cheesecake Factory! So good! Put it in little glasses dishes layered with crumbs strawberries and whip cream on top instead of just making one big pie for a more gourmet presentation for my party.
How would you incorporate lemon juice/zest into the recipe .
Just added the lemon juice to the cream cheese while mixing
I havent made this yet but probably will tomorrow .. Im going to add lemon ..
Literally the easiest cheesecake EVER! If you want to skip making your own crust this recipe yields enough to fill two pre-made graham cracker crusts from the store. I originally made this for Christmas and now I’m coming back to make for a birthday. Highly recommend. If you don’t know how to fold whipped cream into batter, google it! Lol it’s very easy 😉
Is this you Hannah?
I tried this recipe for my first time making cheesecake from homemade. It was fairly simple and so delicious. Definitely making this again.