No Bake Cheesecake

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Creamy, no bake cheesecake on a Graham Cracker crumb base is the easiest dessert that is perfect for any occasion. It’s the perfect dessert to make ahead and will be an instant hit.

Ingredients needed

Cream cheese. Use full fat cream cheese, I used Philadelphia cream cheese.
Sour cream.
Heavy cream.
Powdered sugar.
Fresh lemon juice.
Vanilla. I used vanilla paste but vanilla extract can be substituted.
Graham crackers. Any neutral cookie will work. Digestive biscuits are a great option too.
Granulated sugar.
Melted butter.

How to make no-bake cheesecake

Prepare the crust: Crush the Graham crackers/Digestive biscuits in a food processor then combine with melted butter and a few tablespoons of sugar. Mix until the mixture resembles damp sand. Press into a 7-in/20cm springform pan lined with parchment paper then place in the fridge to set while you make the filling.
Make the filling: Whip the room temperature cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth and thick – I like doing this in the bowl of my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can use an electric mixer and large bowl too. Beat until smooth and creamy then mix in the sour cream and lemon juice. In a separate bowl whip together the heavy whipping cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Allow to chill: Pour the cheesecake filling onto the graham cracker crust then cover with plastic wrap, taking care not to press the plastic onto the surface of the cheesecake. Place in the fridge and allow to set for at least 6 hours, ideally up to 12 hours. The longer the cheesecake sets, the firmer the sliced texture will be.
Serve: To easily release the cheesecake from the pan, I use a kitchen blowtorch to quickly warm the sides but you can do the same with a hot cloth. Run a palette knife around the edge then release the cake and place on a serving plate. Decorate with berries then slice and serve.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes, you have to make no-bake cheesecake in advance as it needs up to 12 hours to set in the fridge. Leftover cheesecake can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

What to serve with cheesecake

We love this cheesecake on its own with fresh berries (raspberries and blueberries are always a hit but strawberries, pitted cherries etc. will all work too) but it’s also delicious with our easy berry sauce or a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

FAQ

Is baked cheesecake better than no bake?

Baked cheesecake and no-bake cheesecake are two different things to me – I sometimes crave one, and sometimes the other. No-bake cheesecake is undoubtedly easier and less fussy to make than baked cheesecake while baked cheesecake is a classic and usually the dish people want when they’re craving “cheesecake”.

Can you eat a no-bake cheesecake straight away?

No, no-bake cheesecake typically needs a few hours to set in the fridge. You can however assemble the cheesecake and cookie base in glasses and serve as a much more casual version of no-bake cheesecake.

Why didn’t my no-bake cheesecake set overnight?

There could be a few reasons for a runny cheesecake. The first being that you didn’t use full fat cream cheese. It’s important for the stability of the filling to use brick cream cheese like Philadelphia. If your cream cheese was warm while mixing, it could also prevent the cheesecake from setting up properly. Remember that because we’re not using gelatine in this recipe, the cheesecake won’t have a super firm texture once set. It will be very creamy but that’s exactly what we want. It should be the texture you see in the images. Easily holding it’s shape when sliced but very smooth and creamy.

Creamy No-bake cheesecake on serving plate with fork.

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