A creamy and completely irresistible no-bake lemon cheesecake. It's the perfect dessert recipe for your favorite cheesecake lover!
Why you need to make this
This cheesecake is creamy and velvety while also being perfectly tangy with a delicate lemon flavor permeated throughout that only gets better as time goes on.
Assembly only takes a few minutes, and a handful of ingredients. This is the perfect treat to make when you crave something sweet like this lemon meringue cheesecake, but do not want to turn on the oven during those hot days.
It makes a great make-ahead dessert like this classic tiramisu if you want to make it for an event or to just keep available in the fridge for a last-minute treat.
What is a no-bake cheesecake?
No-bake cheesecake is a cheesecake you do not bake in the oven and sets at a chilled temperature in the refrigerator. The main ingredient is cream cheese, just like with a baked cheesecake. The cream cheese adds tanginess and is what allows the cheesecake to set when chilled in the refrigerator. The other primary ingredient in this no-bake cheesecake is heavy cream. The heavy cream whips up to a whipped cream consistency which adds volume and lightness to the cream cheese.
The other ingredients in the no-bake cheesecake here is lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. You don't need a lot to make a delicious lemon no-bake cheesecake.
Key ingredients
- Graham crackers - We make our own easy graham cracker crust for this using simple ingredients. I love using honey or regular graham crackers for this particular treat.
- Cream cheese - It is very important that you use block full-fat cream cheese. The kind in tubs and the reduced fat varieties will not set properly and leave you with a runny cheesecake.
- Heavy cream - Heavy cream gets whipped up to lighten the texture of the cheesecake to give it an irresistible mouthfeel. It cannot be substituted.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar is important to use to add sweetness and let the flavors of the cream cheese and the lemon to shine.
- Lemon - You should use fresh lemon in this for the best lemon flavor. Bottled lemon does not have the same flavor and will not work as well.
How to make
- Check you ingredients are the right temperature. The cream cheese must be at room temperature so there are no lumps, but you want cold heavy cream. I recommend measuring it out and then keeping it in the refrigerator until needed.
- Make your graham cracker crust and press them into your containers and store in the refrigerator.
- Grab your mixer and beat the cream cheese until smooth before adding the sugar and lemon zest.
- Grab the heavy cream and pour it into the mixer and beat with a balloon whisk attachment until it forms stiff peaks.
- Add the filling over the graham cracker crust and leave it covered in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight.
Recipe FAQs
You cannot bake no-bake lemon cheesecake in order to thicken it, as there is no thickening agent (such as flour and/or eggs) that would help it to set.
You may add gelatin to thicken or set no-bake lemon cheesecake. The best time to do this is before you pour your batter into your jar or pan. If you've already poured the batter, just remember that you need to take out the filling and put it in a bowl, which can be a messy and frustrating project. To mix in the gelatin, bloom the powder with hot water then add three more tablespoons of heated heavy cream to the bloomed gelatin to thin before beating the cheesecake into the gelatin using a mixer.
I prefer to leave my no-bake lemon cheesecake to set overnight for the best results, however, it can take as little as four hours for the cheesecake to set when in the refrigerator.
This recipe works okay frozen as long as its stored in an airtight container. You can even leave it in the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw.
Recipe Card
No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup heavy cream cold
Instructions
- Mix together the graham crackers and butter. Press down into small cups. Chill.
- In a mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Use the balloon whisk attachment
- Add in the lemon, salt, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Pour in the heavy cream and beat until the mixture is doubled in volume.
- Pour into the cups over the graham cracker crust. Chill until set. At least 1 hour, preferably 4.
libby says
Can this be made 48 hours in advance or is that too long?
Amanda Powell says
That should be fine
Mary Beck says
No one in my family likes any lemon flavored desserts. Can I omit the lemon ingredients and still have a superb no-Bake cheese cake that tastes great? Can you suggest other ways to flavor this cheesecake?
Mary Beck says
Additionally, can you tell me how much gelatin to add to the cheesecake mixture as you suggested (e.g., 1 teaspoon, entire packet)?
Amanda Powell says
As for the gelatin, it depends on how set you like it, personally, I think 2 teaspoons (which is just under a full packet) is more than enough!
Amanda Powell says
Hi! Yes, you certainly can omit it! Just add some vanilla and it will make a lovely classic no bake cheesecake. You can also replace it with other citrus like orange (especially good with a bit of chocolate), or you can add in a swirl of jam of your choosing. Even cookie butter or Nutella would be good. If you divide them into little jars as I have, you can do a “choose your own adventure” and add something different inside each jar but swirling in your mix-in when you are adding the cheesecake base!