An easy, no-bake cheesecake recipe made completely from scratch, and unlike many recipes there’s absolutely no gelatin required for this one! This recipe is also made without condensed milk and uses homemade whipped cream (no Cool Whip) and uses sour cream as a key ingredient for the best, most authentic cheesecake flavor. Skip the oven and make yourself an easy, authentic-tasting cheesecake from scratch.
Today’s recipe includes a step-by-step video showing you exactly how to make this no-bake cheesecake in your own kitchen!
I am a huge cheesecake snob (regarding baked and no-bake cheesecakes alike). Store-bought cheesecakes never fail to disappoint me. When I go out to eat I never get the cheesecake for dessert (unless we’re at the Cheesecake Factory, of course) because it’s always a letdown.
They’re always bland, and while the texture is usually fine, the taste is just not cheesecake that I know and love.
So, when I wanted to make a no-bake cheesecake I had high standards and approached the recipe development process meticulously.
I knew that the filling needed to be perfect, and this one absolutely is. Let’s dig in.
How do you make a cheesecake filling?
For an authentic-tasting no-bake cheesecake recipe, we want to stay as true as possible to classic cheesecake ingredients. That means using:
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Cream
These are essentially the same ingredients as your standard cheesecake recipe, minus the eggs, of course.
Notice that the sour cream is bolded? That’s because it’s very important for a rich, real cheesecake flavor. Maybe this is just my cheesecake snobbery showing here, but a cheesecake made without sour cream is not a cheesecake, and is leaving a lot on the table in terms of flavor. Sour cream packs a ton of flavor and adds depth and authenticity to this no-bake cheesecake recipe.
The whipping cream is important for the texture and for the cheesecake to set. Many no-bake cheesecake recipes use condensed milk or gelatin for a firm final product, but I definitely prefer the taste of homemade whipped cream for an authentic flavor.
Now for the crust, I recommend using my easy graham cracker crust recipe, which does not need to be baked, keeping the entire recipe no-bake. It calls for only a few ingredients and will set up nicely in the fridge or freezer during the 10-15 minutes that it takes you to make the cheesecake filling.
How Long Can You Keep a No Bake Cheesecake in the Fridge?
No-Bake Cheesecake will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to either store it in an airtight container or to tightly wrap the springform pan in plastic wrap when storing.
Also, I think that I should note that we can never get this cheesecake to last longer than 48 hours in our house!
Can You Freeze a No Bake Cheesecake?
Yes! I recommend chilling the cheesecake as instructed first and then covering the cheesecake well with plastic wrap before freezing. I don’t recommend adding the whipped cream topping (or any topping) until you are ready to serve, as it will make storing more difficult (and messier!).
You can eat the frozen cheesecake straight from frozen or return it to the refrigerator to allow it to thaw before enjoying.
If you like this no-bake cheesecake recipe, you may also like my pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, or Oreo cheesecake recipe!
This cheesecake sets up very nicely in the fridge after a few hours (preferably overnight) and has that same, firm (homemade) cheesecake texture and taste that you’re familiar with. Check out my video to see exactly how it’s done.
Oh, and if my voice sounds funny in the video, that’s because I had a cold over two weeks ago and even though all my other symptoms are gone, my voice is still not back to normal (which is actually pretty typical for me).
How to Make No Bake Cheesecake
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No-Bake Cheesecake
A simple 5 ingredient no-bake cheesecake that can be made completely from scratch!!
Ingredients
- 1 9" or 10" graham cracker crust prepared in springform pan (please click link for graham cracker crust recipe)
- 16 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature (450g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (150g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sour cream (75g)
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream (355ml)
- Additional whipped cream for topping, optional
Instructions
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Place cream cheese in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy.
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Add powdered sugar and stir until combined.
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Stir in vanilla extract and lemon juice, pausing to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
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Add sour cream and stir well.
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Pour heavy cream into a separate, medium-sized bowl (preferably a chilled metal bowl). Whisk on high speed (preferably using an electric mixer) until stiff peaks are achieved.
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Fold your whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until smooth and well-combined.
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Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over prepared graham cracker crust.
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Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Top with additional whipped cream before cutting and serving, if desired.
This recipe was originally posted 06/05/2017, photos were updated, additional tips were added, and a video was added 07/11/2018, some original photos can be found below.
Debra says
Is it possible to use stevia instead of sugar ? Or use plain yogurt instead of sour cream? In the past, I used to sub yogurt in recipes calling for sour cream because it has a similar tang to it. Sounds really yummy and I like the lemon curd addition that someone else suggested.
Sam says
I think the yogurt could work instead of the sour cream but have not tried it. I’m also not sure about the stevia as I don’t use it in my own baking but I am hoping someone else can chime in on whether it has worked for them. I’m worried it won’t because you would be substituting the stevia for powdered sugar, not granulated, and the cornstarch in the sugar helps give the cheesecake the proper texture.
Alecia Necole says
Debra, I used 1.5 cups of poswdered stevia instead of powdered sugar. However, it came out too tangy for my taste, my husband liked it. I think because stevia can be a bit bitter that I will try using less sour cream or none at all. I also found that adding salt helped to decrease the tanginess. I have heard that vanilla falvored stevia works better than plain stevia.
Blue Eyes says
Hi Sam,
I judged wanted to tell you that this is the yummiest no bake cheesecake I’ve ever had! The luscious texture and flavor is fantastic.
I did make it Keto friendly tho and thought I’d share how:
Subs:
Lakanto monk fruit powdered sweetener instead of sugar
Vanilla bean paste instead of extract ( this is really just a personal fav)
Full fat sour cream and cream cheese
This stuff is tremendously good!
I also omitted the crust and put it in a bowl. Then just scoop it into a bowl, add berries and you’re good to pig out!
Thanks for your inspiration. 😊
Sam says
I am so thrilled to hear it was a success for you, thank you for sharing your substitutes, I am sure that this will be helpful to others! 🙂
Kelli Ann says
Blue Eyes,
Oooh, wow! I’m definitely incorporating your ideas into my next cheesecake! I love the crust-less, in-a-bowl-with-berries idea!!!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩
Patricia Brunner says
I was looking for a recipe for a no bake cheesecake and this filling was perfect. I wanted to make a large celebration cake that would be lighter and less sweet than the standard bakery cake with heavy butter cream icing. I replaced the graham cracker crust in the recipe with a one layer 1/2 sheet size sponge cake and 2 batches of this no bake filling. I covered the sponge cake with a layer of cut up fresh strawberries before spreading the cheesecake mix on the cake. I used another batch of the mix to cover the sides of the cake and decorate the top with swirls of the mix and whole strawberries. I replaced the sour cream with plain yogurt and as a precaution I added 2 packages of plain gelatin dissolved in 2 T water to each batch of the filling because the cake was to be served in an outdoor setting and I was worried about it melting. It held up perfectly including the layer of strawberries in the middle. I think the substitution of the yogurt for the sour cream worked really well. The cake got raves from everyone with many people saying they loved that it wasn’t sticky sweet like regular butter cream.
Sam says
Wow, I love the sound of that! I’m sure it was delicious! Thank you for commenting, Patricia, and I’m very happy to hear that the cheesecake worked so well for you! 🙂
Mark says
Wow. Finally I found something will really help. Perfect filling is a must. Thank you for this information. 🙂
Sam says
Enjoy! 🙂
Kathryn VanBlaricum says
This filling easily made to piecrusts full for me. I wish it would’ve out right said that, then I would’ve halved the recipe for one piecrust.
Sam says
Hi Kathryn, did you use pre-made pie crusts? The kind you buy from the supermarket are too small for this recipe, if you use the graham cracker crust recipe I link to in a springform pan it fills that correctly.
Allie says
Hi Kathryn,
I having company next weekend and am going to make this wonderful cheesecake recipe. How far in advance can I make it?
Thank you!
Allie
Sam says
Hi Allie, I would make it up to 3 days in advance. Enjoy!
-Sam
Danielle N Cooke says
100% appreciative of you being a cheesecake snob. I love this recipe and so did my family. Super easy recipe and the video was great. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Sam says
Haha, thank you, Danielle! So glad it was a hit and that you enjoyed the recipe/video! 🙂