The Best No-Bake Cheesecake

Thick and creamy, this is the best no-bake cheesecake. It sets up perfectly and can be made in advance. It is perfect with any fruit topping!

This is everything a no-bake cheesecake should be: luxuriously creamy, lightly sweet, and incredibly delicious.

No-Bake Cheesecake Batter

The ingredients for the cheesecake filling are:

• Cream cheese: use full-fat cream cheese, not light or neufchatel cream cheese, and make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature (but it shouldn’t be warm or melty).
• Powdered sugar: fluff the powdered sugar before scooping in the measuring cup and leveling off.
• Vanilla extract: pure vanilla extract or clear vanilla extract can be used.
• Heavy cream: if using heavy cream with a milkfat percentage of 35% or higher, there is no need to whip the cream to peaks before mixing with the cream cheese. Otherwise, refer to the note in the recipe so the cheesecake sets up properly!
• Sour cream: full fat sour cream is recommended.

The sour cream may seem like an unusual ingredient, but it adds a necessary bit of tang to balance the sweetness and also helps create a creamier, lighter consistency to the batter.

Again, for the cream cheese, full fat cream cheese is recommended. Light (neufchâtel) cream cheese will likely result in a cheesecake that does not set up as well.

No-Bake Crust for Cheesecake

This is a no-bake recipe even down to the crust.

Graham cracker crumbs are mixed with a little bit of sugar and melted butter and pressed into a 9.5-inch pie plate.

There’s no need to bake the crust! It stays buttery and soft, especially once the cheesecake batter is spread into the crust.

Note on Pie Plate Size: a regular 9-inch pie plate can be used, in a pinch, if you don’t have a deep 9.5-inch pie plate. However, you may have extra filling leftover that won’t fit into the 9-inch pie plate (unless you pile it really high). I have also increased all the ingredients by 1/2 (crust and filling) and made the recipe in a 9X13-inch pan with great results.

Easy Fruit Topping for Cheesecake

This no-bake cheesecake is perfectly delicious served plain without any topping.

But it is extraordinary served with fresh berries or dolloped with an easy fruit sauce. ⬇️

Easy Fruit Topping: in a medium saucepan combine 6 to 8 ounces fresh or frozen fruit (about 1 cup), 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbly and thickened. Cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Fruits that work really well in the above recipe are blueberries, strawberries, cherries, huckleberries, blackberries, or raspberries. Adjust the amount of sugar, to taste, depending on the sweetness of the fruit you are using.

Best Cheesecake Ever

This no-bake cheesecake is truly exceptional. It has become a go-to dessert for us (particularly for Brian’s birthday – this cheesecake and Berries on a Cloud are his favorite desserts ever!).

It is easy and fast to make and because it requires chilling time to set up properly, it is the perfect make-ahead dessert.

Be sure to read through the recipe and recipe notes thoroughly for all the tips needed to make this no-bake cheesecake completely foolproof (thinking specifically about the heavy cream!).

I posted this recipe nearly ten years ago, and I am so happy when I see comments and reviews still coming in from people who have been making this for years or who have just discovered it. It is a keeper of a recipe – one that will be passed from generation to generation in our family for sure!

The Best No-Bake Cheesecake

Yield: 12 Slices (9-inch cheesecake)

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Chilling Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

4.73 stars (261 ratings)

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Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 ½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs (from about 12 to 13 rectangle graham crackers)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, melted

Filling:

• 16 ounces (454 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature (but not warm) – do not use light/neufchâtel cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
• ¾ cup cold heavy cream (see note)
• ½ cup (113 g) sour cream

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Instructions 

• For the crust, in a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the melted butter until well-combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of 9.5-inch deep pie plate (see note).
• For the filling, in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment, mix the cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream and sour cream and mix until very thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Don't over mix.
• Spread the filling evenly into the prepared crust.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight to set up fully. Serve plain, with fresh fruit, or a fruit sauce (see note below).

Notes

Heavy Cream: make sure to use heavy cream (not whipping cream) to ensure the cheesecake sets up and isn’t runny. Many brands of whipping cream only have 30-35% milk fat whereas heavy cream will have 35% milk fat or higher. That extra milk fat is what ensures the thick cheesecake filling. I almost always use Darigold heavy cream (40% milk fat). If you are using regular whipping cream or cream with a lower milkfat percentage, whip the cream to soft peaks first and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture until evenly combined.

Pie Plate Size: a regular 9-inch pie plate can be used if you don’t have a deep 9.5-inch pie plate. However, you may have extra filling leftover (or you can pile it extra high in the pie plate). I have also increased all the ingredients by 1/2 (crust and filling) and made the recipe in a 9X13-inch pan with great results.

Fruit Topping: serve the cheesecake with fresh, sliced fruit or fresh berries. For a simple fruit sauce, in a small saucepan combine 6 to 8 ounces fresh or frozen fruit (about 1 cup), 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbly and thickened. Cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Author: Mel

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Method: No-Bake

Serving: 1 Slice, Calories: 341kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 254mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g

Recommended Products

Electric Hand Mixer

Mixing Bowl

9.5-inch Pie Plate

Silicone Spatula

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Recipe originally published September 2015; updated May 2025 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.

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