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
Leigh
So have everything I need to make this cheesecake…except lemon juice ๐คฆ๐ผโโ๏ธ Can I use lime juice instead? I’m thinking yes since they are both a type of acid?…
Sam
Yes you can! Enjoy!
Belinda Gonzalez
Hi Sam! I too am a cheesecake snob! This recipe is a hit! Now Im making this to go in phyllo cups for Thanksgiving. Do you know approximately how many cups this recipe will yield? Hope to hear back from you soon. If not I’ll have to wing it lol Hope u and your family enjoy your holiday!
Sam
Hi Belinda! I am so glad you enjoy it! This recipe should make about 10 cups of batter. โบ๏ธ
Holly Goff
AWESOME!!!!!!!
Super easy even with the Kitchenaid Modifications….
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Holly! โบ๏ธ
John
What happened to all the W’s & N’s?
Sam
Hi John, I am not sure what you mean, but they all appear ok from my end. ๐
Marnie
Would this hold it’s shape if I piped it into an individual serving, shaped like a ghost (for a Halloween party?)
Sam
The batter is a little bit too heavy to hold itself, so I don’t recommend doing that.
Lindsey
Oh wow I want to try this! I have everything on hand except for the heavy cream. Do you know if half and half will work instead? We live in a very remote area in the Wyoming prairie and grocery shopping is an entire day event, I cant just swing by the store! Thanks!
Sam
Unfortunately, I don’t think it will whip up the same way.. ๐
Sharon Adams
OK, lame questions since I always use heavy whipping cream, but can you use Cool Whip in place of the heavy cream in this recipe? My boss is asking because she wants to make 300 small cupcake size for her wedding? Any suggestions?
Sam
Hi Sharon! I have not made this cheesecake with CoolWhip but I *think* it would work. I would probably want to cut the amount of sugar in the recipe since Cool Whip is already sweetened, so I would guess you could cut the powdered sugar down to just half a cup. Then you can omit the heavy cream and use 3 cups of Cool Whip instead in its place. I hope that helps!
Danielle N Cooke
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 ๐
Sam
Haha, thank you, Danielle! So glad it was a hit and that you enjoyed the recipe/video! ๐
Allie
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
Hi Allie, I would make it up to 3 days in advance. Enjoy!
-Sam
Kathryn VanBlaricum
This filling easily made to piecrusts full for me. I wish it wouldโve out right said that, then I wouldโve halved the recipe for one piecrust.
Sam
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.
Mark
Wow. Finally I found something will really help. Perfect filling is a must. Thank you for this information. ๐
Sam
Enjoy! ๐
Patricia Brunner
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 wasnโt sticky sweet like regular butter cream.
Sam
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! ๐
Blue Eyes
Hi Sam,
I judged wanted to tell you that this is the yummiest no bake cheesecake Iโve ever had! The luscious texture and flavor is fantastic.
I did make it Keto friendly tho and thought Iโd 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 youโre good to pig out!
Thanks for your inspiration. ๐
Sam
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! ๐
Kelli Ann
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!!!!!! ๐คฉ๐คฉ๐คฉ๐คฉ
Debra
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
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
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.
Rubina
This recipe was perfect for my friendโs potluck on a blisteringly hot day. It was inhaled very quickly!
Sam
I’m glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks for commenting, Rubina!! ๐