No Bake Cheesecake

5 from 3 votes

Thick, creamy no bake cheesecake made with a graham cracker crust and simple ingredients, chilled until set and topped with whipped cream or your favorite pie filling.

Prep Time15

Chill Time2 30

Total Time2 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Servings: slices

Calories: 279kcal

Ingredients

Crust

1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling

16 ounces block-style cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed from an 8-ounce container

Optional Topping

Dollops of whipped topping, from the remaining 8-ounce container
Fresh berries
Canned pie filling (cherry, strawberry or blueberry)

Instructions

Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl.
Press the crust mixture evenly onto the bottom, and up the sides, of a 9-inch pie dish that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick baker’s spray. You can use a clean, flat bottomed measuring cup to firmly press the crumbs together in the dish to form the crust. Place the crust into the freezer for 30 minutes to allow it to firm up before adding the cheesecake filling.
To make the cheesecake filling, add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat again for an additional 1 minute or just until no lumps remain.
Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix on low just until combined.
Gently fold the 4 ounces of thawed whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture just until no white streaks remain. You do not want to add too much air into the cheesecake filling mixture.
Remove the crust from the freezer and fill with the cheesecake mixture. Gently spread the filling into a smooth even layer.
Refrigerate the no bake cheesecake for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to overnight, to allow the cheesecake to firm up before adding optional toppings then slicing and serving.

Notes

If using the remaining 4 ounces of thawed whipped topping as a garnish, pipe or dollop it onto the chilled cheesecake before adding fresh berries.
Canned pie filling can be added to individual servings once sliced, or it can be used to cover the top of the cheesecake prior to slicing and serving.
For ease of use, you can use a store-bought 9-inch graham cracker crust instead of making one from scratch as the recipe calls for. This is a handy short cut especially if you plan to freeze the cheesecake after assembly.
Full-fat cream cheese and sour cream should be used for the best texture of this cheesecake.
You can use a homemade stabilized whipped cream as a substitute for the store-bought tub of frozen whipped topping. For best results, be sure to use a homemade recipe that stabilizes the whipped cream with gelatin as it will mimic the store-bought variety the closest.

Nutrition