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
Supriya Kutty
These cheesecake squares look so incredibly delicious.. definitely could devour a couple right now. Great flavour combination too, I can imagine how good these bars would have tasted. pinned!
Sam
I hope you love it! ๐
Margaret (Margie) Sanchez
Being Cuban, I would love to make this a Guava Cheesecake. I can melt down guava paste to a thick syrup. Should I leave out or lessen anything?
Sam
Hi Margie! Without having tried this it’s too hard for me to say, honestly. I’m sorry! The guava sounds like a great addition and I would probably fold it in at the end, but as to how much I don’t feel comfortable advising without having tried this or anything similar myself.
Laci
I love this recipe! Before I put the filling on the graham cracker crust I put a thin layer of chocolate ganache on the crust first. I also add almond flavoring to the filling. And top the cheesecake with fresh strawberries and swirls of leftover ganache.
Sam
Ooo that sounds delicious, Laci! I am so glad you enjoy the cheesecake. ๐
Leanne
I am wondering if I can leave the lemon out. I mostly want a vanilla flavor. If I leave the lemon out will it not taste like cheesecake is supposed to?
Sam
Hi Leanne, you can leave the lemon out. The lemon does not make the cheesecake taste like lemon, though, it just helps to balance the flavor. I hope that helps!
Katie
Hi there,
I wanted to use this recipe as a multicolored layered trifle for Easter but I’m wondering where I’d add the color since you fold the cream cheese mixture into the heavy cream, I’m not sure the color would blend all through?
Sam
Hi Katie! I’d add the color after combining the cream cheese mixture and heavy cream. Enjoy! ๐
Heather Wootton
Delicious!!! Really want the recipe for your whipped cream icing!!
Sam
Hi Heather! I don’t have a whipped cream icing recipe at this point, I have a whipped cream and a couple of different variations of icing, but they are all delicious. ๐
Laurice
I never made cheesecake before, neither baked nor no-bake, because I thought it had to be a complicated endeavor. After the holidays I had a couple of bricks of cream cheese leftover and Googled โNo-bake Cheesecakeโ and found your recipe. I am SO happy I found your recipe and most especially because you had a tutorial video, which was invaluable. I found your recipe and directions to be so easy and, most importantly, it was soooo delicious! My family LOVED it!!! Unfortunately (joking), they now want me to make it all the time. Lol! Thank you and God bless you! โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
Sam
Thank you so much, Laurice! โบ๏ธ I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cheesecake. Sorry for adding the extra burden of making a cheesecake to your plate. ๐ I hope you and your family continue to enjoy it for years to come. ๐
Tracey
Amazing recipe! Super easy to follow with all the basic ingredients however, the taste is beyond basic! Def going to continue to use this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the cheesecake, Tracey! Thank you for commenting ๐
Deborah Barkley
I loved this cheesecake, I did freeze it and had no problem with weeping. I also made it with Swerve (sugar replacement) and it was delicious too!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Deborah! Thanks for the feedback. ๐
Lucreรฉ
I tried this recipe twice already: first time was with an electric mixer, but the second time I had to beat the cream cheese by hand with a mixing spatula.
The first time was incredible, and I enjoyed every bite of it! The second one’s still chilling overnight, but as good as the batter looked and tasted, it’ll probaby hold up as amazing as the first one did!
Your recipe is heaven on earth, and I’m totally bookmarking this (and the graham cracker crust recipe) as a personal favorite of mine! You may have also turned me into a cheesecake snob by introducing me to sour cream in a cheesecake. Thank you so much for posting this!
Sam
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed it! ๐
Amanda
Hi,
Could I add chopped Rolos to the batter? Would it set?
Sam
Hi Amanda! The rolos shouldn’t keep the batter from setting, but they are a little heavy and may sink to the bottom of the cheesecake. ๐
Lori
I made this with Truvia as Iโm a diabetic. It still turned out great!
Sam
Thanks for the feedback, Lori! I am so glad you enjoyed it! ๐
Sarah
This looks amazing!
Do you know if it is possible / how difficult it is to use a whisk rather than electric mixer?
Sam
Hi Sarah! Creaming the cream cheese could be pretty difficult, and whipping the cream is very difficult without the aid of a mixer. It is possible but very very time consuming.
Colt
Great, simple recipe that tastes good and is so pain free. I hand-whipped it at 3:30 in the morning for my wifeโs work event.
Faith
Super easy and I followed the video exactly! Thank you, first cheesecake I’ve ever made and it was a success!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake, Faith! ๐
Valery
Amazing! This is the first time making a no Bake Cheesecake like this. I did make 2 – 9 in pie pans, added strawberry glaze to put over. One to take and one for home. Everyone โค๏ธ. Will be making this Cheesecake again. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake, Valery! ๐
Bee
just curious if you’ve tried freezing this? do you think it would weep when it defrosts?
thank you!
Sam
I have not tried freezing it, but you shouldn’t have any issues doing so. ๐
Debbie Barkley
This is an excellent cheesecake! I froze it and it didnโt weep for me.