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, 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!
Let’s bake together! I’ll 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
- ⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream
- 1 ½ 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.⅓ 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 ½ 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
cypress
tasted too much like sour cream, did not hold well.
veronika
hi sam, i’m considering making this for thanksgiving… is it possible for me to incorporate any fruits into this recipe at all? like a berry of some kind?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Veronika! This cheesecake is great topped with fruit–go for it! 😊
Tara
Absolutely delicious, light and fluffy. Was a huge hit at Thanksgiving dinner this weekend. I used an oreo crust and put oreo crumb and oreos chunks on top with rosebud whip cream in between. I also made a pumpkin caramel sauce to go with it and it was unreal! It was super easy but looked and tasted like it was hard work! Everyone loved it and was impressed. Will make again. Thank you! 🙂
Susan
Wonderful cheese cake!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your review, Susan! Enjoy ❤️
Madelene Delgado
I enjoy all of your recipes! thank you for gracing us with them
Hope
I have literally searched years for a good no bake cheesecake recipe , I am so happy to say, I have made this 3 times now, and the feed back just keeps getting better !! My granddaughter says it is “Amazing” . I follow the recipe to the T and it comes out perfect every time 🙂 Creamy, yet very stable and the flavor of a full on baked recipe ! Love love love ! Thank you for sharing !
Sam
I am so glad you’ve enjoyed it so much, Hope! 🙂
Karoliina
I made this recipe yesterday and ate some today and it is soooo delicious, It’s a perfect recipe to make on a super hot day when you don’t want to turn on the over. This no bake cheesecake set perfectly. I made it in a 9×13 pan as I didn’t have a round pan and it still turned out perfect.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds like the perfect day for a no-bake cheesecake! We’re so happy you loved it, Karoliina 🥰
Donna C.
I’ve made this a few times and love it. I was wondering how I can incorporate pumpkin into it without baking it. Possible?
Sam
Hi Donna! I’m not sure how you would incorporate the pumpkin without baking. I do have a pumpkin cheesecake recipe though. 🙂
Cathy
Can you freeze this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Cathy! We cover this in the post 😊
Chrissy n Mac
I just made this recipe and actually substituted almond extract, as I had run out of vanilla. Yummm, absolutely delicious 😋. My first time making a no bake with sour cream, wow what a difference, thank u so much.
Lisa R
Do I need to bake the Graham cracker crust before filling it with cheesecake mix?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Nope, the entire cheesecake is no-bake! Enjoy 😊
Eliana
This cheesecake was a hit both at home and at work. To lower the carbs I did not make a crust. I don’t know why so many had issues with making this but it was very easy and came together like a charm. Thank you for posting.
Julia
Would I be able to mix reese’s and peanut butter into this recipe? If so, at what point should I add this?
Sam
Hi Julia! I haven’t tried either. The reese’s could work I would just stir them in close to the end. I’m not sure how the peanut butter would go. There may need to be other alterations and I haven’t tried it myself to be able to say exactly what would need to be done.
Julia
I am trying to replicate the Cheesecake Factory’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Cake. Would I be able to mix in Reese’s with the batter and if so when should I do this? Is this recipe firm enough to stack? I plan to stack it using your chocolate cake recipe, dulce de leche, no bake cheesecake with Reese’s mixed in, peanut butter buttercream, chocolate cake dulce de leche, cheesecake covered with peanut butter buttercream, chocolate ganache, melted peanut butter drizzle and crushed peanuts. I made it once before and baked the cheesecake (it turned out AMAZING and my family said it was better than the Cheesecake Factory!!) but I am trying to cut out baking the cheesecake if I can. Do you think this will work? I also have a picture of the first one I made but I’m not sure if I can attach it here.
Sam
Hi Julia! You could stir in some reese’s close to the end. I’m not sure this would hold up to being stacked. It has a soft mousse like consistency and moving it may prove to be very difficult, but the cake sounds delicious. I think you’d probably be better off going with a baked cheesecake here. 🙁
Rami Pinette
Is it possible to use stevia instead of the powdered sugar for a low carb cheesecake?
Sam
Hi Rami! Unfortunately I don’t think it will work quite the same. 🙁
Toni Hansen
Hello
I made this no-bake cheese cake yesterday August 8th 2022 and I used steevia instead of powdered sugar. The original recipe called for 1 cup powdered sugar and I only used 3/4 cup of steevia. I also did not have fresh lemon so I used a high quality lemon extract and this cheesecake is beyond great. I had some blackberry preserve and I heated it and mixed to get a smooth consistancey this morning and and dribbled over the cheesecake. Wow..Love it
Mitali
Hey Sam,
Thanks very much for your reply.
I am very happy to see that you care for your subscribers , otherwise I left questions on other websites and I never got any reply.
About cheese , I used the regular Philadelphia cream cheese which you have showed in pictures of the recipe .And also same other ingredients . But could not get pieces and I ended up either putting in frozen or eat like mousse .
Anyways will wait for the no bake mini mango cheesecake recipe with the substitute of fresh mango.
Thanks very much again.
Judy Newell
Can I leave out the lemon?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes you can. We hope you enjoy the cheesecake, Judy! 😊
Bella
CAN I keep out the sour cream
Sam
Hi Bella! For best taste and texture I don’t recommend it.
Bella
here’s a problem if you can than how come when I forgot to add the lemon it did not work at all
Sam
Hi Bella, Unfortunately the issue wouldn’t be with leaving out the lemon, something must have gone wrong somewhere else 🙁
Mitali
I tried this recipe couple times but it always came out like moose. I could not make pieces. Please help for that.
Please put no bake mini mango cheese cake recipe . As I leave in area where fresh mangoes are not always available so how can I make it without fresh mango ?
Sam
Hi Mitali! I’m so sorry this happened. I’m wondering if your cream cheese wasn’t the right kind of cream cheese. It should be thicker than a mousse. I will put a mango cheesecake on the list of things to make. 🙂