My easy, No-Bake Cheesecake is made no gelatin or condensed milk and tastes JUST like the classic version you’re used to! This recipe needs only a few hours to chill before slicing and serving. Includes a how-to video!
No-Bake Cheesecake (Without Gelatin)
As a self-proclaimed cheesecake snob, I know how disappointing it can be to make a no-bake cheesecake recipe and have it not even closely resemble real-deal, classic cheesecake. With most recipes, you encounter one of two problems: either the texture is lacking (soft, pudding-like) or the flavor is just completely off. So, when I set out to make my no-bake cheesecake, I knew exactly what I needed to avoid just as much as I knew what I was looking for!
My no-bake cheesecake recipe creates a classic, fresh-tasting, firm cheesecake without ever turning on the oven. While many no-bake cheesecakes use gelatin or condensed milk for stabilization, I use homemade whipped cream for the best flavor and texture (and don’t even think about substituting Cool Whip!).
This cheesecake sets up very nicely in the fridge after a few hours (preferably overnight) and has that same, firm cheesecake texture and taste that you’re familiar with–NO oven needed! You’re going to love it!
Why my recipe works:
- Whipped cream creates a sturdy base without the need for gelatin.
- Uses the same ingredients as classic cheesecake (minus the eggs) for that classic flavor.
- Much easier and less fussy than a baked cheesecake–great for beginners!
- Can handle toppings like fresh fruit, pie filling, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
What You Need
For an authentic-tasting cheesecake, we want to stay as true as possible to classic ingredients. That means using:
- Cream cheese. Make sure you use brick-style, full-fat cream cheese. This should be softened to room temperature.
- Sour cream. Sour cream is CRITICAL for a rich, classic,ย real cheesecake flavor. Maybe this is just my cheesecake snobbery showing here, but a cheesecake made without sour cream is not a cheesecake! Sour cream packs a ton of flavor and adds depth and authenticity to this no-bake cheesecake recipe. If you don’t have or can’t find sour cream, full-fat, plain greek yogurt will also work in a pinch.
- Lemon juice. Just a splash enhances the cheesecake flavor and adds a slight tang. Bottled or fresh lemon juice will work here. This can be left out if needed.
- Sugar. I love using brown sugar in my graham cracker crust for an extra note of flavor. Powdered sugar in the filling blends beautifully while also encouraging a firm, fully-set texture.
- Heavy cream. While not typical for traditional cheesecake (though critical for my basque cheesecake), heavy cream is essential for this no-bake cheesecake. We’ll be whipping this to stiff peaks and folding it into our cheesecake mixture. This creates stability without the need for gelatin or condensed milk!
SAM’S TIP: This recipe will make too much filling for a store-bought graham cracker crust. If you want to use one, you can just pour the extra filling that doesn’t fit in a bowl, chill, and enjoy crustless!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make No-Bake Cheesecake
For the Crust
- Start with your homemade graham cracker crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well-combined and mixture resembles damp sand.
- Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a springform pan, then place in the refrigerator to chill (no baking needed for the crust, either!).
For the Filling
- Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks (thickened, fluffy, voluminous, resembling Cool Whip only tastier).
- In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and sour cream until smooth.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until completely combined and batter is smooth.
- Evenly spread the cheesecake filling into your prepared graham cracker crust and chill for several hours before slicing and serving.
SAM’S TIP: Since we’re not baking this cheesecake, it won’t be smoothing itself out in the oven. You can smooth the top of your cheesecake with an offset spatula before chilling for a pretty appearance if you’d like!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can absolutely freeze no-bake cheesecake! I recommend chilling as instructed (in the recipe below) first and then covering the cheesecake well with plastic wrap before freezing. I don’t recommend adding any decorative 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.
Personally, we can never get this cheesecake to last longer than 48 hours in our house! If you have more self-control, your cheesecake will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to either store it in an airtight container or tightly wrap the springform pan in plastic wrap when storing.
If you used the wrong kind of cream cheese or didn’t whip your cream long enough, your cheesecake may not set. Make sure to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese and not the spreadable kind that comes in a tub. If you need a visual of what cream whipped to stiff peaks looks like, check out the video below.
No-bake cheesecake would also be delicious on my Oreo crust!
Enjoy!
Letโs bake together! Iโll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
The Best No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 9″ or 10″ graham cracker crust prepared in springform pan (please click link for graham cracker crust recipe)
- 16 oz (450 g) cream cheese softened to room temperature (use brick-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind sold in tubs)
- 1 cup (150 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- โ cup (75 g) sour cream
- 1 ยฝ cup (355 ml) heavy cream
- Additional whipped cream for topping, optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place cream cheese in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy.16 oz (450 g) cream cheese
- Add powdered sugar and stir until combined.1 cup (150 g) powdered sugar
- Stir in vanilla extract and lemon juice, pausing to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Add sour cream and stir well.โ cup (75 g) sour cream
- 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.1 ยฝ cup (355 ml) heavy cream
- Fold your whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until smooth and well-combined.
- Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over prepared graham cracker crust.1 9″ or 10″ graham cracker crust
- Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Top with additional whipped cream before cutting and serving, if desired.Additional whipped cream
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This recipe was originally posted 06/05/2017, recipe remains the same but post has been updated to be more helpful September 2022
Jessica
Absolutely amazing! We are cheesecake snobs and this was an amazing recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Sam
You’re very welcome, Jessica!! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and letting me know how it turned out for you, I appreciate it!
Jess
I donโt have vanilla extract what else I can use for that I want to try this recipe
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jess! You could substitute vanilla bean paste or a vanilla bean instead. If you don’t have those on hand it will be ok to leave it out. Enjoy! ๐
Danielle
Very delicious recipe, but your crust recipe barely covered my 9 inch spring pan and there was so much filling. I used a kitchen aid to whip the cream so maybe it was whipped too much. The consistency was more like whip cream overall, even after chilling overnight. I think I may prefer a gelatin based no bake cheesecake for texture reasons. My cake turned out more like a creme pie so I will be careful whipping next time and add more cream cheese. Very delicious though!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am sorry that there was “too much” filling, Danielle. This is the result of too my whipping. I appreciate the feedback and glad that you still enjoyed it. ๐
Elise
Excellent texture and flavor. Tastes even better next day
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Elise! Thanks for commenting. ๐
Mariana
This recipe was so YUM. I always thought of cheesecake being made by the incredibly talented, but doing it for the first time it was a lot easier than i thought. I did leave mine in the oven for 40 mins but it seems like i could have left it in a bit longer. I was also suggested by a friend to let the cheesecake cool down in the oven, as this will help prevent cracks, so I’ll try that next time!
Sugar Spun Run
I am really happy to hear how much you enjoyed the oreo cheesecake, Mariana! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. ๐
Judy
I made this cheesecake for my daughters birthday in February. IT was the hit of the party! So easy to make.
Sam
So happy to hear it was a success! Thank you for commenting, Judy!
Caitlin
Absolutely delicious! I was looking for a no bake whipped cheese cake recipe to try and make the “Caramel Fudge Cheesecake” from Rockaberry’s. I came across this one and decided to try it. I made a brownie base and put a layer of dulce de leche caramel on top. I left that on the side and followed your recipe for the cheesecake (minus the crust). After four hours, I took the spring foam pan out and put it on top of my brownie/caramel base. TO DIE FOR.
Thank you for much for this recipe! Great way to lift out spirits during this time. Stay safe everyone!
Sugar Spun Run
That sounds absolutely incredible, Caitlin! Nice Job! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe and it worked so well for your creation. Thanks for trying my recipe. Enjoy and stay safe. ๐
Aggie
Hello! Want to make but i dont have sour cream, can i substitute with greek yogurt?
Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Angie! Yes, that should be fine. Enjoy! ๐
Melissa
How Important is the lemon juice in this recipe? Thatโs the one thing I forgot to get at the store!
Sam
Hi Melissa! You’ll be alright leaving it out. Enjoy!
Brandy
Hi, I was thinking of trying this for my daughters birthday. However, I don’t have a springform pan. What else can I make it in? Would a glass pie pan work? Thanks.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Brandy! Yes, you can use a pie pan, however, this recipe yields a lot of batter so I would recommend cutting this recipe in half. Since the size pan, you will be using differs from what I have listed the bake time will also be different. Within the post, I list tips along with a video that you may find helpful so you know what to look for to tell when it is done. I hope that your daughter enjoys her birthday treat and has a nice celebration. ๐
Leslie
Dear Sam,
This is just simply the best cheesecake ever!
I have been making it for the last year since my son was diagnosed T1D. Every time I make it, people rave (and I am not a great cook)!
I wanted to leave a review because it has been comforting for me to bake and comforting for my family to have during these unprecedented times.
Thank you for this.
L
P.S. For my son, I make a very low carb crust using unsweetened coconut and ground almond – also yummy
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Leslie! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed it and it has been so requested. Thanks for commenting. ๐
Jess
Loved this recipe! I topped it with lemon zest and it was delicious
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Jess! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. ๐
Taylar
I use this recipe every time! The best no bake ever! This time around I opted for a sugar cookie crust, and added chocolate chips to the cheesecake while omitting the lemon to turn it into chocolate chip cookie cheesecake. I love your blog!! Thank you for sharing these recipes
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Taylar! I am so glad that you have enjoyed my blog and this recipe. Sugar cookie crust with chocolate chips sounds delightful. ๐
Patricia
Amazing recipe! Made this for my husband’s birthday and he loved it ๐ super easy to make and very yummy.
Sugar Spun Run
I hope that your husband had a nice birthday celebration, Patricia. I am so glad that he enjoyed his cheesecake. ๐
Sherry
This recipe is amazing. So I actually cut the recipe in half and made them cupcake size. I placed a cupcake tin/paper inside each muffin tin on the 12 count sheet. Then I scooped out 1 tablespoon of crust mix and used a glass that fit to pack it in the bottom. It made 12 — perfect! (Was a pain to get out but itfirms up so nicely I think the nextbatchI will just upend the muffin tin on plastic wrap then turn my “cupcakes” over..
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and they adapted so well to your adjustment, Sherry! Thanks for commenting. ๐