This is the best recipe for No Bake Cheesecake ever! It’s smooth and creamy with a thick and buttery graham cracker crust, plus it’s easy to make and super impressive topped with fresh berries.
No Bake Cheesecake is a well-loved dessert, made popular by Jell-O years ago. Don’t worry, there’s no jello in this recipe. No bake cheesecake is super easy to make without any help from a boxed mix.
This no-bake cheesecake recipe is made completely from scratch with a handful of common ingredients, and it only takes a few minutes to make.
The hardest part is waiting for it to set up in the fridge, but I promise that the wait is well worth it! You’ll fall in love with this creamy, sweet cheesecake right away.
If you’re a cheesecake lover, make sure you try my No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake Bars and my Oreo Cheesecake. My classic NY Style Cheesecake is a winner too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Graham Cracker Crust– It’s extra buttery and perfectly sweet, just like it should be. Keep this recipe in your back pocket, because this no-bake crust can be used for many other types of pies too! I’ll share options in the recipe card in case you can’t get ahold of graham crackers. It’s easily made with other types of cookies or crackers too.
- Classic Flavor – A bit of lemon juice and vanilla extract gives this cheesecake the flavors you’d expect. It’s mild and slightly tangy with a creamy, rich texture.
- Great Make Ahead Dessert– You need to let the no-bake cheesecake set up in the fridge for at least 8 hours, making it a perfect make-ahead recipe. Do the work today and then you can relax and enjoy a slice of cheesecake after dinner tomorrow.
Ingredients In No Bake Cheesecake
Here’s what you need to make this delicious cheesecake – it’s super simple!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
For the Crust
- Graham Crackers: Use 10 sheets of graham crackers (or 14 digestive biscuits if you’re in the UK). Any kind of plain cookie will work here. Crush the graham crackers yourself in a food processor, or put them in a ziplock bag and smash them with your rolling pin.
- Granulated Sugar and Butter: Mix these two ingredients with the graham crackers to make the most amazing no-bake cheesecake crust.
For the Filling
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese, and let it soften really well at room temperature.
- Sugar: This cheesecake isn’t super sweet, but it’s just sweet enough with the addition of granulated sugar.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice only please! This is added to cheesecake to lighten the flavor of the cream cheese.
- Vanilla Extract: Use a good quality, pure vanilla for this recipe.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: We will whip heavy cream into the filling to keep it airy and soft.
If you want the full experience, you’ll need 8 ounces of fresh strawberries, sliced thinly. You can also omit the fruit topping, or use your favorite fresh fruit instead of strawberries.
Just look at how gorgeous this cheesecake is! Sliced strawberries placed in concentric circles look like a beautiful red lotus flower.
How To Make No Bake Cheesecake
- Make Crumbs: My favorite way to make graham cracker crumbs is in my food processor! Pulse until they are crushed finely.
- Make the Crust: Add the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar to a small bowl. Stir to let the butter moisten the crumbs. Then press the mixture into the bottom of your springform pan, using a glass to help press it down evenly. Freeze the crust while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the Filling: Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined and creamy. Add the heavy cream, and beat again for 1 minute.
- Assemble: Remove the crust from the freezer, and pour the filling into the pan. Smooth the top as best as you can using an offset spatula. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
- Serve: Use a knife to loosen the sides of the cheesecake, then remove the outer ring of the pan. Decorate with fresh strawberries.
Tip!
Make your strawberries glisten by brushing on homemade strawberry sauce just before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Use a Springform Pan. In order to create a no bake cheesecake that you can easily remove from the pan, a springform pan is your best tool!
- Get Clean Slices. Use a large knife to cut slices of no bake cheesecake, and wipe it down with paper towels after each cut. Being patient will give you the best results.
- Chill. Let the cheesecake chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. The longer the better. If you find that your no bake cheesecake is not quite set after 8 hours, let it chill a bit more, or pop it in the freezer for a half hour to finish the job.
Storing Tips
Store no-bake cheesecake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. If you’re serving it topped with fresh berries, save that part until right before you’re ready to eat.
What To Serve With No Bake Cheesecake
This cheesecake is the perfect dessert and will go well with any meal. It’s a great option for a potluck or a casual get-together, but it works just as well for a holiday meal or a fancy dinner party.
If you’re looking for a dinner idea for the weekend, try my Creamy Garlic Chicken or these easy Baked Pork Chops.
More No Bake Desserts to Make
If the weather is getting warmer, you’re going to want to have this list of easy no-bake desserts ready to go!
- No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- No Bake Strawberry Pie
- Chocolate Lasagna
- No Bake Mint Chocolate Cheesecake
- Banana Pudding
- Million Dollar Pie
- No Bake Oreo Pie
- Heaven on Earth Cake
More Easy Dessert Recipes
All Desserts →
FAQs
If you don’t like graham crackers, or want to give this cheesecake some extra flair, you can substitute with just about any cookie crumbs. Try gingersnaps, shortbread cookies, Biscoff cookies, or even Golden Oreos.
Of course! Try any other fresh fruit or prepared pie filling or dessert topping. A drizzle of hot fudge sauce is always welcome, and a bit of whipped cream would be delicious too.
I think that they are both delicious in their own ways! No bake cheesecake is creamier than a traditional cheesecake, and a bit easier to make successfully.
No-bake cheesecake doesn’t freeze very well, as the texture of cream cheese tends to change when frozen. You can use the freezer to finish setting the filling, but I don’t recommend leaving it in there for more than 30 minutes.
Pin this recipe for later! Everyone will love it when you make this recipe for no-bake cheesecake, no matter what the occasion.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
No Bake Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 10 sheets graham crackers 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs total, see note 1
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) melted butter
For the Cheesecake
- 24 ounces (680 g) full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy whipping cream at room temperature
- 8 ounces (225 g) fresh strawberries sliced thinly
- Homemade strawberry sauce optional
Instructions
- Grease a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with butter then make the graham cracker crust. Crush the graham crackers in a food processor, then in a bowl combine with melted butter and sugar. Stir and let the butter moisten the crumbs.
- Press the mixture onto the bottom of the pan, and make it flat. I like to use a measuring cup or a glass to help flatten and press the crust.
- Place the crust in the freezer to set up while you prepare the filling.
- To make the filling, using a stand or a hand mixer beat together the cream cheese with sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined and creamy.
- Add the heavy cream, and beat again for 1 minute.
- Remove the crust from the freezer, and pour the filling into the crust. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours and preferably overnight. The longer the better.
- Loosen the sides of the cheesecake with a knife, then remove from the pan. Decorate with fresh strawberries, and brush with strawberry sauce if desired.
Notes:
- For the crust, you can use 1 ½ cups (200g) of crumbs from graham crackers, Arnott’s Marie crackers (in Australia), or any plain cookie or biscuit. In the UK, I suggest using 14 crushed digestive biscuits but omit the sugar from the crust since they are already so sweet.
- To make the flower pattern that you see in the photos, cut the strawberries into thin slices and arrange them in a circular pattern, starting from the outside of the cheesecake.
- If your cheesecake hasn’t fully set after 8 hours in the fridge, allow it to chill for more time. You can also place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to help it along, but don’t freeze it longer than that.
- To store: Keep cheesecake in the refrigerator, covered for up to 4 days. Do not freeze.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
rubi rogers says
Hi, I want to make this but do not have a spring form pan. Can I make it in a glass pie plate?
Thanks much!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Rubi, Yes you can. It will be delicious, but you may find that it’s difficult to cut clean slices. Enjoy!