Best No-Bake Cheesecake - Look no further than this EASY recipe for PERFECT no-bake cheesecake recipe with a tangy, cream cheese-forward flavor, and a homemade graham cracker crust! Impress your family and friends by serving them the BEST no-bake cheesecake after a special family dinner, as a holiday dessert, or anytime you're craving perfect cheesecake!
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Additional Time8 hourshrs
Total Time8 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cheesecake
Servings: 12
Calories: 465kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Crust:
7tablespoonsunsalted buttermelted
1 ½cupsgraham cracker crumbs
2tablespoonsgranulated sugar
Cheesecake Filling
24ouncesbrick-style cream cheesesoftened (Do NOT use lite, reduced fat, fat-free, or spreadable cream cheese)
½cupgranulated sugar
1cupconfectioner's sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
2teaspoonslemon juicefreshly squeezed
1 ¼cupsheavy whipping creamcold
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust - Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup, about 1 minute on high power.
To a medium bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, drizzle or pour in the melted butter, and toss with a fork to combine.
To a 9-inch springform pan* (See Notes), transfer the buttery graham cracker crumb mixture, packing it firmly on the bottom of the pan and pressing it about halfway up the sides with your fingertips. Place the springform pan in the freezer while you make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or handheld electric mixer, add the cream cheese and beat on high speed until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the granulated sugar and beat to combine, about 1 minute.
Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and beat to incorporate, making sure to start on a low speed so the sugar doesn't fly everywhere. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl; set aside.
To a separate medium bowl, add the heavy whipping cream (make sure it is very cold for best results), and whip using the whisk attachment of your mixer until the whipped cream has expanded in volume and stiff peaks form, 7 to 8 minutes or as necessary depending on your mixer.**(See Notes)
Add the whipped cream to the bowl with the cream cheese mixture and gently fold the whipped cream in, by hand, taking care not to over-stir, over-mix, or deflate the air you created in the whipped cream. If you don't know how to fold, watch a video on the internet so you don't over-do it.
Remove the graham cracker crust from the freezer and carefully turn out the filling mixture into it, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula or offset knife.
Cover the springform pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and place it in the refrigerator overnight to chill and set up, at least 8 hours but longer is fine. Tip - Do not try to cheat and speed it up by doing this in the freezer because the texture will change for the worse so plan ahead and make sure the setting up process is in the fridge.
When ready to serve, run a butter knife around the perimeter of the springform pan and then gently pull the outer ring off and away. This helps to allow the graham cracker crust to stay on the cheesecake and to not get pulled off and stick to the springform pan.
Slice the cheesecake as desired and top with whatever optional garnishes you desire, including whipped cream, whipped topping, fresh fruit, salted caramel sauce or chocolate sauce, etc.
Extra no-bake cheesecake will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. After it has already set up, leftover cheesecake can be kept frozen airtight for up to 3 months. Tip - If you plan to freeze it, I recommend storing it in individual sandwich-sized baggies or in individual freezer-safe plastic containers. Single servings are much easier to deal with both to find room in your freezer as well as for an easy snack so you aren’t unnecessarily waiting to thaw the whole cheesecake.
Notes
*I personally use this 9-inch Calphalon Springform Pan that I bought in 2015 and it has been going strong ever since! You need to use a springform pan for the cheesecake because springform pans are:
Taller than a normal 9-inch round cake pan and this adds more depth, or volume, so you can pack in the homemade graham cracker crust all the way to the top of the pan, or nearly.
Able to accommodate the total amount of cheesecake filling which would be too much for a regular 9-inch cake pan.
Great for releasing the no-bake cheesecake so there is no struggling or issue.
Bottom line, if you want to bake it in a cake pan or other type of pan, you will have to experiment with reducing the recipe so that everything “fits” since I don’t know the answer to this.**Make sure to whip the heavy cream to actual stiff peaks. That means that when you lift the mixer beaters out of the cream, the peaks will stand firmly up on their own and not deflate or fall, although the tips may be slightly soft. Also the whipped cream will have expanded in volume. This may take 7 to 8 minutes depending on the strength of your mixer.