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I tested this no bake cheesecake for over a week before perfecting it, running into every issue from runny filling to collapsed slices. The secret is all in the technique – whipping cream cheese separately from the whipped cream for the fluffiest, thickest texture. This recipe holds its shape, cuts into clean slices, and proves you don’t need gelatin for a stable no bake cheesecake. Trust me, I’ve tested every wrong way so you can succeed on the first try.
This cheesecake recipe is the best, I have used it several times!
-Bernie
You will love this Easy No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
When it comes to no bake cheesecake, I’ve learned that technique matters just as much as the ingredients. This recipe didn’t come together overnight, it took me over a week and multiple failed attempts to get it right.
My biggest challenge? The filling wouldn’t set. After three rounds of testing, I realized the issue wasn’t the ingredients themselves, but how I was incorporating them.
The breakthrough came when I separated the steps: whipping the cream cheese with powdered sugar until perfectly smooth, then whipping chilled cream with sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until it reached stiff peaks. Once combined, the mixture was thick, fluffy, and sturdy enough to slice cleanly after chilling. This small but crucial change transformed my recipe into the no bake cheesecake I always wanted—creamy yet light, and stable enough to hold its shape without gelatin.
I share this tested method because I know how frustrating it can be to follow a no bake cheesecake recipe that collapses in the fridge. You don’t have to worry about that here. I did the trial and error so you don’t have to. This recipe delivers on both taste and texture: a velvety smooth cheesecake filling that’s rich yet airy, sitting on a buttery crust, ready to impress without ever turning on the oven.
Make this Philadelphia no bake cheesecake with cool whip or homemade whipped cream. Plus we’ll tell you how to cut clean cheesecake slices!
Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake Ingredients
I’m here to show you that you can make fluffy, thick, no bake cheesecake that you can cut into slices and will hold their shape!
I learned that it’s all about HOW you incorporate the ingredients.
- graham cracker crumbs – about 9 graham crackers. You can also buy graham cracker crumbs at the grocery store near the premade pie crusts.
- light brown sugar
- unsalted butter
- full fat cream cheese
- heavy whipping cream
- powdered sugar – also called confectioners’ sugar
- fresh lemon juice – the cheesecake doesn’t taste lemon-y at all!
- vanilla extract
How to Make Easy No Bake Cheesecake
I tested this recipe three times before I figured out why my no bake cheesecake wasn’t setting – it all came down to technique. The key is whipping the cream cheese and powdered sugar separately from the heavy cream. Once I made that change, the filling became thick, fluffy, and perfectly firm without needing gelatin.
Step 1 – Beat the cream cheese
Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar for 1-2 minutes, until creamy
Step 2 – Make whipped cream
Beat the heavy whipping cream, remaining powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a separate bowl that has been CHILLED in the freezer. Beat until stiff peaks form, meaning the whipped cream is thick and holds its shape.
Step 3 – Combine
Then add the creamy cream cheese to the whipped cream and mix them together on low speed for 1-2 minutes or just until you can’t tell which is the cream cheese and which is the whipped cream.
The result should be a thick, fluffy, mixture that holds its shape very well.
Step 4 – The chilling period
No bake cheesecake filling needs to be chilled in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but I prefer overnight. The chilling period helps the cheesecake to set and thicken, which is very crucial for cutting clean cheesecake slices.
Topping Ideas for No Bake Cheesecake
Fruit
- Any type of pie filling: cherry, blueberry, apple, peach, etc.
- Any type of fresh fruit.
Syrups
- Chocolate sauce
- Caramel sauce
- Strawberry sauce
- Hot fudge
- Butterscotch sauce
Cookies or Candy
- Chopped oreos
- Reese’s peanut butter cups
- Chocolate chips
- Chopped nuts
Easy No Bake Cheesecake Recipe Storage
How long does no bake cheesecake keep in the fridge?
You can store no bake cheesecake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Putting the cheesecake inside a cake keeper works great or you can cover the top with aluminum foil.
Can I freeze no bake cheesecake?
Let’s tease this question apart. I do not recommend freezing the cheesecake in order to speed up the chilling process that happens in the fridge. Freezing the cheesecake will change the texture.
However, you can freeze the entire cheesecake to use at a later point in time. Make sure the cheesecake is wrapped well in plastic wrap and placed in a ziploc bag or wrap the plastic wrap with aluminum foil. To thaw the cheesecake, remove it from the freezer and remove all the wrapping. Place the cheesecake inside a cake keeper and keep it in the fridge overnight to thaw.
How to cut clean cheesecake slices
In order to cut perfectly crisp slices, be sure to clean your knife after every single cut. It can be annoying, but you will have the most perfect slices!
Top this cheesecake with our homemade strawberry sauce.
Philadelphia No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can substitute cool whip in place of homemade whipped cream. Although I love the taste that the homemade whipped creams gives to the recipe and it really helps to thicken the cheesecake, you can use two 8 oz containers of cool whip.
Yes! Any store bought graham cracker crust will work!
I love my 9 speed kitchen aid hand mixer!
Your no-bake cheesecake might not be firming up due to several possible reasons. First, ensure you’ve allowed it enough time to chill in the refrigerator, usually several hours or overnight. Second, double-check your ingredient proportions and avoid overmixing to maintain the proper texture. Third, make sure you’ve used any required binding agents, like gelatin, correctly. Lastly, consider factors like room temperature ingredients, pan choice, humidity, and ingredient quality, as these can also influence the outcome.
No-bake cheesecake becomes firmer as it cools in the fridge. Unlike baked cheesecakes, which firm up during baking due to protein changes, no-bake versions achieve their firmness by cooling down. When you refrigerate a no-bake cheesecake, ingredients like cream cheese and whipped cream firm up, creating a stable and firmer texture. So, it’s essential to give it enough time to chill in the refrigerator to get that perfect consistency before serving.
Yes, you can over-whisk a no-bake cheesecake, and doing so can affect its texture. Over-mixing can lead to the incorporation of too much air, causing the cheesecake to become overly fluffy and potentially less stable when it sets in the refrigerator.
It is not safe to leave a no-bake cheesecake out at room temperature overnight. No-bake cheesecakes are made with dairy products like cream cheese and whipped cream, which are perishable and can spoil if left at room temperature for an extended period.
More recipes that use cream cheese
- Oreo Earthquake Cake
- Mini Cheesecakes with Reese’s Cup Bottom
- No Bake Oreo Pie
- Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Pie
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Easy Philadelphia Cream Cheese No Bake Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups (170g) graham cracker crumbs, about 9 graham crackers
- ¼ cup (54g) packed brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp (86g) unsalted butter, melted
No Bake Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz (452g) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups (473g) heavy whipping cream, equal to 1 pint
- 1 ½ cups (169g) powdered sugar, divided into 1 cup and 1/2 cup
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Before you begin
- Place a metal mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes. This is used for the filling.
Graham Cracker Crust
- In a mixing bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter. Stir together until a thick mixture forms.1 1/2 cups (170g) graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup (54g) packed brown sugar, 6 Tbsp (86g) unsalted butter
- Press the crust into an un-greased 8 or 9 inch springform pan. You can also use a pie pan. Use your fingers and the bottom of a flat cup (I like to use my 1/2 measuring cup) to evenly distribute the crust on the bottom and the sides of the pan. Make sure the crust mixture is really compacted.
- Place the crust in the freeze for 15 minutes before adding the filling. If you’re preparing the crust days or hours in advance, cover with foil or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
No bake Cheesecake Filling
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.16 oz (452g) full fat cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups (169g) powdered sugar
- Remove the metal mixing bowl from the freezer. Add the heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat with an electric mixer until the whipping cream has stiff peaks, about 4-5 minutes.2 cups (473g) heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the cream cheese to the whipped cream and mix them together on low speed for 1-2 minutes or just until you can’t tell which is the cream cheese and which is the whipped cream. Alternatively, you can fold them together with a spatula.
- Scoop the filling into the crust and smooth with a offset spatula. Cover in a cake keeper or with foil and place in the fridge to set for at least 6 hours – overnight if preferred.
- Before serving, remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Use a sharp knife to cut the cheesecake into slices. In order to cut perfectly crisp slices, be sure to clean your knife after every single cut. It can be annoying, but you will have the most perfect slices!
- Serve with your favorite fruit topping, whipped cream, or chocolate ganache.
What other crackers do you recommend for the crust? We don’t have graham crackers here in Belgium.
Hi Nathalie! Do you have a plain not too sweet biscuit like cracker there?
Wow thank you so much for such wonderful recipes you provided <3 Would you mind if I take it and print? I will use it to make this no bake cheesecake for my family, and show it to my neighborhood as well as my close friend?
Definitely feel free to share the print version of the recipe! Here’s a link to the print version: https://thefirstyearblog.com/wp-json/mv-create/v1/creations/71/print
My no bake cheese filling is not as thick as I would like. I have read a lot comments about not beating the filling too much.. if I have then, what do I do with the batter?
Hi Sue! The filling will firm up when you chill it in the fridge!
Hi , this cheesecake recipe is the best . I have used it several times . I’m trying to do a chocolate cheesecake recipe. Do u have any chocolate cheesecake recipes that I can use ?
Hi Bernie! Yes!
https://thefirstyearblog.com/chocolate-cheesecake/
Hello, good recipe I will try it. By powdered sugar do you mean the one we call Glass sugar in Mexico? It is that, white powdered sugar, or can you grind the standard one in a blender?
Powdered sugar is also called confectioner’s sugar in the US.
What if you don’t have a metal mixing bowl?
Use glass!
We didn’t have Graham crackers so I use digestive biscuits just as good love this recipe