This creamy No Bake Cheesecake Recipe is so easy to make! A smooth dessert with fluffy, almost mousse-like filling and a thick, buttery graham cracker crust. Top with with fresh fruit, caramel sauce, or whipped cream!
This no-bake cheesecake recipe is easy and delicious! If you’re looking for a water bath cheesecake, you may want to try my Best Classic Cheesecake Recipe – it comes with step-by-step instructions and tons of photos. I also love this Chocolate Cheesecake & this amazing Instant Pot Cheesecake.
The Best No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
Today I’m showing you how to make a cheesecake WITHOUT baking it!! You know I LOVE cheesecake, and have the most perfect Cheesecake Recipe here on my site, that is guaranteed to turn out perfectly. I answer all the questions you may have and simplify the process. SO many have made it and loved it. But today, while we are still talking about cheesecake, we’re coming at it from a different angle! An entire cheesecake recipe from start to finish that you DO.NOT.BAKE. Yep, completely no bake with AMAZING results. You’re going to LOVE this recipe!
Is No-Bake Cheesecake the Same as Classic Cheesecake?
Let’s discuss the elephant in the room here, does No Bake Cheesecake taste like cheesecake? I’m going to go with a solid yes-ish. The flavor as a classic is very similar to classic cheesecake, albeit a little milder due to the there being less cream cheese involved, but it’s the texture that’s the most different. Cheesecake, is smooth and creamy, with the distinct tang from the cream cheese. No Bake Cheesecake has less cream cheese and is much lighter in texture due to the whipped cream! So yes, it does taste like cheesecake, but it’s just a little different. IN A GOOD WAY!
How To Make No Bake Cheesecake
No Bake Cheesecake, like classic cheesecake, is an amazing make-ahead dessert. It’s fantastic for parties or special occasions where you want to impress guests, but not be 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!
What Ingredients Do You Need For a No Bake Cheesecake?
Here are the ingredients you will need for your no bake cheesecake recipe:
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: You can buy whole graham crackers and crush them in a blender or food processor, or you can buy the boxes of graham cracker crumbs! If you do crush them yourself, just make sure they are all finely crushed and uniform in size, so the crust holds together!
- Kosher Salt: I like to add a small pinch of kosher salt to my graham cracker crust to give it a little salty/sweet vibe!
- Cream Cheese: It is cheesecake, of course! Just make sure your cream cheese is room temperature, so it will fold in with the whipped cream smoothly, leaving no lumps!
- Heavy Cream (aka Heavy Whipping Cream): The fluffy texture of this cheesecake comes from the whipped cream! Make sure your heavy cream is very cold so it will whip into stiff peaks!
- Butter: You will need a little butter for the graham cracker crust. The butter basically holds the crust together!
- Powdered Sugar AND Granulated Sugar: You will need both kinds of sugar for this recipe. You’ll use the granulated sugar in the crust and the powdered sugar in the cheesecake filling!
- Vanilla Extract: This is what gives your cheesecake flavor, but feel free to use any extract flavor you like!
Do You Bake The Crust of a No Bake Cheesecake?
I love a graham cracker crust on my cheesecakes and I’ve adapted a typical graham cracker crust recipe so you don’t have to bake it! If you prefer to bake the crust, you can absolutely do that, just omit 2 tablespoons of butter in this recipe. I have found that sometimes no bake crusts can be a little more crumbly, not be as sturdy, and generally not slice as pretty as a baked crust. But, they taste almost the same, and I enjoy the ease of a no bake crust! Not having to turn on your oven and wait for the crust to cool is a huge bonus!
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:
- 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.
- Another reason that your cheesecake isn’t firm is that you haven’t let it chill long enough! Be patient, friends!
- Possibly you could have over-mixed the whipped cream into the cream cheese. Fold this GENTLY. You want it to be mixed thoroughly, but not aggressively. Make sense? Use a rubber spatula to fold in the whipped cream into the sweetened cream cheese. Take your time!
Can I Use Cool Whip In My No Bake Cheesecake?
Of course I know I will get this question, and the answer is yes. You can use Cool Whip in this no bake cheesecake in place of the whipped cream, but the texture will be different. It won’t be as mousse-like in texture, and will be a little more creamy. It won’t be quite as stiff, but it will still be delicious!
What Can You Add To No Bake Cheesecake?
The texture of a no bake cheesecake is a little delicate, so it won’t hold up well to large pieces of mix-ins. BUT you could definitely add a few things to make it interesting! Here are some ideas:
- Crushed Oreo Cookies. I would say add no more than 1 cup of crushed Oreo Cookies. AND sub in crushed Oreos for the graham crackers to make a full blown Oreo Cheesecake!
- 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 (on a crust made from Thin Mints this would be fab!) Get creative!
- Lemon Juice. My mom used to make her No Bake Cheesecake with a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice added right in. This gives it a tiny amount of tartness, and it’s fantastic!
Let’s Talk Toppings: What are the Best Cheesecake Topping Ideas?
You may be wondering: Can I top this cheesecake with something extra? Yes of course! Just add the topping before serving, not before chilling for best results! Here are some fun ideas:
- Fresh Fruit
- Whipped Cream
- Caramel
- Cherry Pie Filling
- Hot Fudge
- Any Chopped Candy
- Drizzle of Nutella
Looking For More No Bake Desserts? Try These:
Print
No Bake Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 12 1x
- Category: Cheesecake
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
This creamy No Bake Cheesecake Recipe is so easy to make! A smooth dessert with fluffy, almost mousse-like filling and a thick, buttery graham cracker crust. Top with with fresh fruit, caramel sauce, or whipped cream!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cheesecake
- 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 together 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 off-set 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 a 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
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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.