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
Pam
My daughter saw a picture online of a mini cheesecake with a chocolate covered strawberry inside the slice. Will this recipe work with mini cheesecakes? And would you still add the lemon juice or something else because of the strawberries?
Sam
Hi Pam! This will work as a mini cheesecake. I wouldn’t do anything to the recipe even if adding a strawberry in the center. I hope you love them! ๐
Trinette Terry
This is an update on my earlier review. This cheesecake is perfect! The flavors are perfectly balanced. When I tasted it again, after letting it refrigerate overnight, I tasted perfection. I didn’t need to bake crust. It doesn’t stay crisp anyway. The recipe is perfect as written. Thank you so much.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Trinette! ๐
Lisa
Hi! I have a 30% heavy cream in my fridge.. can I use that or is that not enough fat content to set the cake?
Sam
Hi Lisa! The 30% heavy cream tends to not hold its stability like the heavy whipping cream does. I would be afraid the same thing would happen in this cheesecake. ๐
Trinette Terry
This had too much whipped cream for me. It mellowed out the taste of the cream cheese too much for my taste. I ended up adding another layer of the cream cheese mixture minus the whipped cream. It was no problem because I used a larger baking pan instead of a pie pan. Other than that this is an excellent cheesecake. The lemon juice really added flavor, Next time I will only use 1/2c of whipped cream.
I also baked the graham cracker crust. I prefer the flavor of a baked crust. I appreciate the recipe. This is the first time I’ve made a no bake cheesecake.
Sam
I’m glad you were able to enjoy the cheesecake. ๐
Emily
Great recipe! I used to buy a very expensive pre-made cheesecake that was just to die for – super creamy but not too sweet. No recipe seemed to stand up. This seems like an exact match! My wife and I are thrilled! I had everything on hand except the lemon juice, so I used just 1 teaspoon of lime juice instead.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear that it was such a success!! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how it turned out for you, Emily!!
Amy
I’d love to make this tonight for a dinner party tomorrow. Do you think I could use vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract? On the bottle, the measurements are the same but just curious if you’ve ever tried it.
Sam
I think so, I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe but I have used vanilla bean paste in the past with other recipes and it’s worked out great!
Amy
I used 1 tsp vanilla paste instead and the cheesecake looks beautiful with all the tiny specs of vanilla bean! And the filling tasted DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to cut into it tonight. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Sam
You’re very welcome, Amy!! <3
Hydee
There’s no sour cream available…any substitute?
Sam
Plain Greek yogurt *might* work, but having not tried it it’s hard to say for certain.
Amy
This looks delicious! I’ve only tried a no bake cheesecake once before and it had a soupy like texture. So I’m going to make yours tomorrow night for a dinner party on Saturday! ๐ I do have one question though, could I use vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract? I’m guessing it shouldn’t be a big deal but wanted to check first. I just think the specs of the vanilla beans would look nice!
Sam
I hope you love it, Amy! And I think the vanilla paste would be just fine, I agree the vanilla bean specks would look beautiful!
Amy
BTW, I’ve made this several times now and it’s hands down THE BEST no bake cheesecake. Ever. I use vanilla paste and the specs look glorious! ๐ Thank you for the delicious recipe.
Sam
Thank you so much, Amy! ๐
Hionia
Havenโt tried the crust recipe, but the filling is AMAZING! This is my second time making it. The first time, the cheesecake didnโt last more then 1 day. Saving this as my go-to cheesecake recipe.
Sam
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! ๐
Tonya
MmmmHmmm! This is one to keep in your back pocket for any occasion! Flavor is on point at each step. The cream cheese, powdered sugar vs granulated, and sour cream give that potent flavor that says European Bakery. Quick masterpiece for personal reward or to satisfy a guest. Itโs in the fridge, Iโm going to bed and hope I get the first sampling in the morning. Magnifique! -Tonya C.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Tonya! ๐
Jamie
What brand of sour cream and hevy cream do you use?
Sam
Hi, Jamie! I just use whatever store brand is available. ๐
Gretchen
Great recipe and super easy. I modified it to make it low carb and paleo friendly. I replaced the sugar with Swerve confection sweetener and made and almond meal crust. So good!
Almond Crust Recipe:
1/2 cup salted butter
2 cups finely ground almond meal
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Melt butter. Add almond meal and cinnamon to melted butter. Blend mixture with a fork (crumbly texture). Press almond crust into ungreased pan.
Then add that awesome no-bake cheesecake filling and refrigerate as directed.
Sam
Thank you for sharing your modifications, Gretchen! I appreciate it and know others will as well. So glad you enjoyed! ๐
Emily
What does fold your whipped cream into cream cheese mean?
Sam
You use a spatula and fold the ingredients over one another until combined. You don’t want to start mixing this vigorously, it will deflate the whipped cream. ๐
Azairah
Best recipe I’ve tried. Everyone loved it.
Sam
Thank you so much, Azairah! ๐
Terri Gregoire
We always do Christmas dinner super easy and simple. So we can spend more time playing with the kids and toys. Prime rib, asparagus, and loaded mashed potatoes. Than for dessert we honestly just do a box no bake cheescake. I was a late shopper and couldnโt find a box to save my life!
Found your recipe and couldnโt have been happier! Really didnโt take long at all! I did make sure I made it the night before, to be sure I got a good set.
Everyone was extremely happy and loved it.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear it was such a hit! Thank you so much for commenting, Terri! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas ๐