This No Bake Cheesecake is so light and creamy! Top with strawberries, chocolate, or simple whipped cream. Perfect for any dinner party or holiday gathering.

Photography Credit: Emma Christensen

Featured in 16 Recipes Kids Can Make for Mother’s Day

This no-bake vanilla cheesecake is light, creamy, and perfect for any dinner party or holiday gathering.

No bake cheesecake also eliminates a lot of the worries that might keep you from making a cheesecake in the first place: There’s no need for fussy water baths or elaborate cool-down steps. No worries about cracks in the top. No need to even turn on the oven, hence, no-bake cheesecake!

Video! How to Make No-Bake Cheesecake

How to Make Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

This basic steps for no-bake cheesecake is as follows:

Beat together soft cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar Then whip in some heavy cream until the mixture is thick and billowy Add a little gelatin and whisk in at the end to help make the cheesecake stable and easily sliced.

The finished cheesecake has a creamy, silky texture, like a cross between traditional cheesecake and extra-thick whipped cream.

Important Tips for the No Bake Cheesecake Filling

There are a few key things to keep in mind for this no-bake cheesecake filling:

1. First, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature (very soft). Cold cream cheese becomes lumpy when mixed and you’ll never be able to get the signature light and fluffy texture of a no-bake cheesecake. Let it warm on the counter for at least two hours before making the cheesecake. It should feel very soft when you press on the package.

If you forget to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator, you can hurry the process a bit by placing the bricks of cream cheese (removed from their boxes, but still sealed in their foil wrapping) in a large bowl of warm water. Just be sure to replace the water with more warm water as it cools. Repeat until the cream cheese is at room temperature.

2. Second, sift the powdered sugar so there are no dry clumps when you mix it with the cream cheese.

3. Third, I also add gelatin to this cheesecake to help it firm up and make it easy to slice. Without it, the cheesecake is fairly soft and will gradually deflate. Some no-bake cheesecake recipes use commercial whipped cream (which is already stabilized) or condensed milk instead of gelatin, but personally, I don’t like the chemical taste that commercial whipped cream can give the dessert or the super-sweetness of the condensed-milk version.

If you’d prefer not to use gelatin, I’d recommend just making a classic baked cheesecake instead.

No Bake Cheesecake Toppings

Of course, my favorite part of the no-bake cheesecake is picking a topping. My go-to favorite is strawberries in an easy sugar syrup. You can swap in blueberries, blackberries, peaches, cherries or whatever fruit you like. Frozen fruit works well, too, though you might need to add some extra cornstarch if the sauce is too runny.

If you’re not in the mood for fruit, try a drizzle of warm caramel sauce or chocolate sauce over your slice of cheesecake! You can also top your easy no-bake cheesecake with chocolate shavings or whipped cream.

HOW TO FREEZE CHEESECAKE



There is just something about knowing you have a dessert in the freezer ready and waiting that makes life just a little brighter!

For this cheesecake, you can even make the strawberry topping ahead of time and freeze it. Once the cake and the topping have thawed, go ahead pour the strawberry sauce over the top and serve.

I prefer to transfer the cheesecake to a cake board then wrap the whole thing plastic and foil, but you can also freeze cheesecake by the slice, which is nice when you have just a little leftover.

Click on How to Freeze Cheesecake for a step-by-step guide on keeping a cheesecake in the freezer so you’re ready the next time a cake craving strikes.

Can’t Get Enough Cheesecake?