Cheesecake is perhaps one of the more stressful desserts to prepare. It is always a struggle getting it to come out of the oven with the right texture and appearance without it sinking or cracking, even despite all of the different cooking techniques that many suggest. Fortunately, the no bake cheesecake eliminates much of this stress as there is no need for an oven at all. In fact, no bake cheesecakes (like all no bake desserts) are perfect for those hot summer days when you have the taste for a sweet treat that’s homemade but want to keep the house cool. In this post, I’m going to share the quick and simple recipe I’ve tested and developed for this dessert.
Key Ingredients for No Bake Cheesecake
This No Bake Cheesecake recipe is made up of your standard ingredients: Cream Cheese with Sweetened Condensed Milk and a Graham Cracker Crust. That said, what makes this recipe stand out from the rest is the use of Greek Yogurt and Lemon Extract for the filling, as well as the addition of Ground Cinnamon to the crust.
- Greek Yogurt: Traditionally, you will find no bake cheesecake recipes that call for adding sour cream to the filling. There are a number of reasons for this. For one, the tanginess of the sour cream helps to neutralize the richness of the cream cheese. It also contributes more moisture to the filling so that the cheesecake doesn’t end up too dense. Greek Yogurt accomplished much of the same things as well, which is why it works as a 1:1 replacement. But the main reason I prefer using Greek Yogurt in my recipe is because it has a higher protein content. With there being more protein, you end up with a cake that’s a bit firmer than most no-bake cheesecakes.
- Lemon Extract: Most no bake cheesecake recipes will call for the addition of lemon juice or even lemon zest. The biggest problem with lemon juice is that you could potentially be adding too much moisture to the cheesecake, which can negatively affect its texture as it sets in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, while lemon zest is not a bad alternative, it requires much more effort adding this to cheesecake or really any dish since you’re having to take additional time grating the skin of a lemon for the zest. I find simply using Lemon Extract is the best option, as you’re getting that citrus-y which elevates the flavor of the cheesecake without contributing too much more moisture and with less effort.
- Ground Cinnamon: As a self-proclaimed cinnamon fiend, I’m of the opinion that cinnamon makes almost anything taste better. By testing the graham cracker crust with the addition of cinnamon, it helps to round out this No Bake Cheesecake by enhancing its natural sweetness of the sugar & honey. Besides providing subtle warmth / spiciness to the crust, cinnamon also gives the crust an appealing scent that can be best description as woody yet slightly citrus-y. Not to mention, cinnamon is also consider an antioxidant, which helps anti-inflammation benefits inside the body. You can even go as far as to say it’s my “secret” ingredient that really helps my recipe stand out against the rest of the no bake cheesecake recipes out there.
And that’s all there is to it. Perhaps the best part about this No Bake Cheesecake recipe is that it doesn’t require nearly as much micromanagement as the traditional oven bake cheescake. There’s no need for a water bath, or tempering how slow/fast the cheesecake cools out of the oven, or worrying about incorporating too much air into the cheesecake while mixing the ingredients. By the time you finish reading this post, you will also be a pro at making this dessert yourself!
Tips for Making this Recipe
Ensure ingredients are not too warm and not too cold. You have to be extremely careful when it comes to the ingredients for cheesecake in general, but especially no bake cheesecake. Most recipes will instruct you to use room temperature ingredients, but this can be misleading because if it’s a hot day, the room temperature will be elevated and that could lead to ingredients that are too soft or warm beyond what’s safe for consumption. Conversely, you don’t want the ingredients to be too cold because then you risk ending up with cheesecake that is lumpy because it won’t whip efficiently. This is something to be particularly mindful of if you happen to have a refrigerator that runs really cold.
Do not overmix the cream cheese. You have to be really careful when you’re whipping the cream cheese for no bake cheesecake. While it is true that there’s less of a concern about incorporating too much air into the cheesecake filling, since we won’t have to worry about heat expansion in the oven, what can still happen if you overmixed the cream cheese is that you will break down the emulsion of the fat and the water contained within (as cream cheese is made up of roughly 50 to 60 percent water). If this were to occur, you can end up with cheesecake that fails to firm up properly in the referigerator as it will be much too runny.
For best flavor, use honey-flavored graham crackers. There are many different kinds of graham crackers you can buy. There are plain graham crackers, cinnamon-flavored graham crackers and I believe they even sell chocolate-flavored graham crackers. There’s even already crushed graham cracker crumbs that you can buy. Aside from adding cinnamon to my graham cracker crust, I also like to graham crackers that include honey. The reason why is because I think it adds even more complexity to the no bake cheesecake that only helps to enhance its overall flavor profile. That being said, despite adding some of my own cinnamon to the graham cracker crust, I avoid buying the cinnamon grahan crackers because the cinnamon flavor would be too overwhelming.
Use a hot, clean knife for slicing. A common issue people tend to struggle with when making cheesecakes is getting slices that come out smoothly, due to its creamy texture. A good pro-tip for avoiding this is not only using a sharp knife, but specifically using one that has been run in (or sat in) hot water. What you should also do is after removing the knife from the hot water, you should wipe it clean so that you don’t end up incorporating more moisture into the cheesecake. This will ensure that you’re able to easily cut through the graham cracker crust after its hardened and also ensure that too much of the cheesecake doesn’t get stuck on the knife.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add toppings to this recipe?
Absolutely! As you can see, per my pictures, I topped by cheesecake with strawberry filling. Some other popular options include crushed cookies, whipped cream and even a caramel sauce.
Can I substitute the regular cream cheese for low fat cream cheese?
I don’t recommend it. What will end up happening is your no bake cheesecake will end up more watery and thus won’t set properly because the low fat cream cheese has a higher moisture content while also having a lower fat content. This is because the fat is what helps to emulsify all of the ingredients.
Can I substitute the unflavored gelatin with Jell-O?
I don’t recommend it. It’s not a 1:1 replacement as Jell-O had added sugar & food dye, plus it doesn’t contain as much gelatin as unflavored gelatin (so the cheesecake won’t firm up as well). Knox brand gelatine is what I recommend, which is typically available next to Jell-O in grocery stores.
Can I freeze the No Bake Cheesecake to make it set faster?
I don’t recommend it. While this will in fact help the cheesecake to firm up faster, and it may work in a pinch if you’re in a hurry, it can potentially lead to an uneven texture as it doesn’t chill gently. In addition, there’s the risk of the ingredients in the no bake cheesecake separating once you thaw it.
How long can the No Bake Cheesecake be left out at room temperature?
I would advise against leaving out the no bake cheesecake longer than 2 hours at room temperature. Aside from the fact that the ingredients must be kept cool and may no longe rbe safe to eat after being exposed to room temperature air for that long, the cheesecake will tend to lost its firm structure as it warms and softens.
Can I substitute the cream cheese with mascarpone?
This recipe has not been tested with mascarpone.
How long can I store the No Bake Cheesecake in the refrigerator?
As long as the no bake cheesecake is covered, it should be safe to eat for at least 3 days. After 3 days, it may begin to lose their flavor & texture. Once 5 days have passed, I would advise that you dispose of the no bake cheesecake as it may no longer be safe to eat.
Try These Other Desserts
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Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie
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Best Sweet Potato Pie
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Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe
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Best Brownies From Scratch
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Best Banana Pudding From Scratch
Easy No Bake Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 9" Springform Pan
- 1 Hand Mixer
- 1 Plastic Spatula
- 2 5qt Mixing Bowls
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Spoon
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
- Parchment Paper *OR* Grease (to grease pan)
- Food Processor *OR* Rolling Pin *OR* Mallet (to crush graham crackers)
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 12 Whole Graham Crackers (*OR* 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs)
- 1/4 Cup White Granulated Sugar
- 6 TBSP Melted Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 TSP Ground Cinnamon
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 Block-Style Cream Cheese (8 oz)
- 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)
- 1/3 Cup Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 Cup Cold Water
- 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 TSP Lemon Extract
- 1/8 TSP Iodized Salt
- 1 Unflavored Gelatin (package)
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Crush graham crackers into granulated crumbs (skip step if using store-bought graham cracker crumbs).
- Place graham crackers into mixing bowl and mix together with melted butter, sugar and cinnamon until graham cracker crumbs have a sandy texture.
- Grease bottom of springform pan or line it with a sheet of parchment paper, then Add graham cracker crumbs to springform pan (ensure walled sides are latched on).
- Spread crumbs around to form edges against wall, then press down remaining crumbs to form bottom of curst.
- Chill springform pan with crust in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
Cheesecake Filling
- To 5qt mixing bowl, add blocks of cream cheese, greek yogurt, sweeteneded condensed milk, salt, as well as vanilla + lemon extract.
- Using hand mixer, mix the ingredients together on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes (if necessary, scrape the sides + bottom of bowl for clumps of cream cheese and mix again on medium-high speed for an additional 30 seconds).
- For gelatin, add 1/4 cup of water to small bowl,slowly/evenly sprinkle the entire packet of gelatin into the water, then allow gelatin to rest for 1 minute.
- Heat gelatin in microwave on high for 10 seconds, remove from microwave and stir to ensure no clumping. Repeat this step 3 to 4 times.
- Add warm gelatin (while still in liquid form) to bowl with cheesecake filling.
- Gently fold gelatin together with cheesecake filling until they're well combined.
- Pour cheesecake filling into springform pan with chilled crust then spread around filling until top of leveled and entire pan is filled
- Place springform pan with cheesecake filling back in refrigerator and chill for at least an additional 3 hours (or until firm)
- Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and carefully remove walled sides from Springform pan before serving.
Video
Notes