A creamy and completely irresistible no-bake lemon cheesecake. It's the perfect dessert recipe for your favorite cheesecake lover!
I used to intern at a film production company in London. Nearby, there was a Pret a Manger that I absolutely loved. They made this amazing lemon cheesecake that I was obsessed with. It was so bad for me, but I would have one basically every time I went there.
Eventually, they ended up changing the recipe so it was more of a parfait that included lemon curd. It was definitely good, but I missed the old recipe.
Most of my life, I only knew of baked cheesecake. I didn't even know a no-bake cheesecake was a thing until I moved to London and most of the cheesecakes I found were no-bake cheesecakes. As someone who was still confused about converting my American recipes in British kitchens, a no-bake cheesecake meant one less conversion to think about, so I was all on board.
Plus, I had a no-bake lemon cheesecake to recreate.
This cheesecake is exactly as creamy and velvety as I dreamed of, while being perfectly tangy and a delicate lemon flavor permeated throughout that only gets better as time goes on.
What is No-Bake Cheesecake
No-bake cheesecake is a cheesecake you do not bake. 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.
How to Thicken No-Bake Cheesecake
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 hot heavy cream to the bloomed gelatin to thin before beating the cheesecake into the gelatin using a mixer.
How Long Does No-Bake Cheesecake Take to Set
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.
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!