No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe: How to Make No-Bake Cheesecake

No-bake cheesecakes feature whipped heavy cream folded into a cream cheese filling, smoothed over a cookie or graham cracker crust, and set in the refrigerator for an extended period, to produce an effect similar to a mousse. Since this cheesecake type doesn’t contain eggs, baking is not necessary for safe consumption.

A no-bake cheesecake is similar to an icebox cake, a no-bake dessert made by refrigerating cookies and whipped cream until the cookies soften and the cake is sliceable.

Once you’ve mastered a basic no-bake cheesecake, the sky’s the limit when it comes to additional tasty toppings and fillings. Here are some user-friendly no-bake cheesecake ideas to try at home:

1. 1. Cherry cheesecake: Top your no-bake cheesecake with a layer of macerated cherries or cherry pie filling to add some tartness to this creamy, decadent recipe.
2. 2. Chocolate cheesecake: Incorporate cocoa powder and chocolate chips into your cheesecake mixture to make tasty double-chocolate cheesecake.
3. 3. Key lime cheesecake: Replicate the flavors of key lime pie in your cheesecake by squeezing some fresh lime juice into your batter and topping your cake with whipped cream and lime zest.
4. 4. Lemon cheesecake: Some zesty, tart lemon flavor perfectly balances the sweet creaminess of this dessert. Add lemon extract, increase the lemon juice, and incorporate lemon zest into the batter to make a lemon cheesecake.
5. 5. Mocha cheesecake: Replace the lemon juice with room-temperature espresso and add cocoa powder to your cheesecake filling to make a mocha-flavored cake.
6. 6. Pumpkin cheesecake: Stir pumpkin purée and seasonal pumpkin pie spices into the cream cheese filling for this creamy, fall-friendly variation.
7. 7. Strawberry cheesecake: Add a swirl of strawberry jam to your cheesecake filling before you pop it in the fridge to make strawberry cheesecake. For a classic fruit-smothered cheesecake, top the cake with a sweet macerated strawberry mixture or strawberry pie filling.
8. 8. Triple berry cheesecake: Mix a triple berry purée into the cheesecake filling to give it a vibrant berry-tinted color and fruity flavor. Finish the dish with extra fresh berries on top and homemade whipped cream.
9. 9. Turtle cheesecake: Top your cheesecake with chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, and crushed pecans for an extra-sweet, slightly savory turtle cheesecake.

This cheesecake recipe is a simple one for home cooks of any skill level to follow. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your no-bake cheesecake is a success:

1. 1. Choose the right cream cheese. Bricks of cream cheese are a better option than tubs of cream cheese spread when making cheesecake. Full-fat cream cheese will yield the best, richest taste, but you can use reduced-fat cream cheese instead.
2. 2. Experiment with toppings. You can top this versatile, no-bake cheesecake with an array of different sweet ingredients. Drizzle the cake with caramel sauce, fudge, or strawberry syrup, or top it with lemon curd or homemade whipped cream. Layer on the fresh fruit, like tart berries, cherries, banana slices, and stone fruit, then garnish the cheesecake with chocolate shavings, citrus zest, cookie crumbles, or chopped nuts.
3. 3. Make in advance and freeze. Once you assemble it, this cheesecake will keep well in the refrigerator for up to three days. For longer-term storage, wrap the cheesecake tightly in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. You can even freeze the cheesecake for up to three months. The dessert will keep in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to serve it, move the cake from the freezer to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw completely.