This No-Bake Cheesecake is an elegant, crowd-pleasing summer dessert. From the crust to the velvety whipped cheesecake center, this is 100% a NO-BAKE dessert. The Strawberry Sauce takes this dessert to the next level so don’t skip it.
If you love no-bake desserts like Chocolate Lasagna or our Berry Trifle, you’ll love this No-Bake Cheesecake.
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No-Bake Cheesecake Video
Watch Natasha make this Easy No-Cook Cheesecake Recipe. We love the decadence and texture of a Classic Cheesecake, but this no-bake cheesecake is equally dreamy and truly easy.
Mascarpone cheese elevates the flavor and texture of this easy no-bake cheesecake and it doesn’t get any easier. The double strawberry topping is lip-smacking good and you will want the strawberry sauce on all of your desserts.
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The Best No-Bake Cheesecake
On a trip to Maui, we visited a fancy restaurant named Monkey Pod. The food was awesome but the best thing was the slice of strawberry cream pie we shared at the end of our meal. It was tall, gorgeous, silky as can be, and $10 a slice! I asked the waitress about it (of course I did) and she said they mixed mascarpone with whipped cream so I set out to experiment.
Their original cheesecake pie had a baked pie crust which I tested, but I couldn’t resist using this no-bake crust. It was crazy easy, just as good, and it makes this a true no-bake dessert. Most graham cracker crusts are pre-baked but the amount of butter here holds the crust together so baking is not necessary at all.
Ingredients
We tested these proportions over and over until we got the perfect no-bake cheesecake consistency. It is easy to slice, whipped, airy, rich, and decadent.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs – You can buy these pre-crushed or crush your own crackers
- Butter – moistens the crumbs and keeps them set in the pan
- Cream Cheese – provides a classic cheesecake flavor
- Sugar – we use granulated sugar to add just the right amount of sweetness
- Heavy whipping cream – be sure to use HEAVY cream for the correct fat content or the cheesecake won’t set properly.
- Mascarpone – This is a key ingredient. It stabilizes the whipped cream and makes this cheesecake taste like a $10 slice at a fancy restaurant.
- Lemon Juice – Make sure to use FRESH lemon juice. It cuts the sweetness and balances the cake.
Pro Tip: Be sure to have your ingredients at the proper temperatures. Keep heavy cream and mascarpone chilled in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. You’ll want to soften the cream cheese for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature so you don’t get lumps in your creamy cheesecake.
Tools you will need
- A 9″ springform pan with 3-inch walls works best for this recipe
- Parchment paper – we found that adding a round of parchment paper to the bottom of the springform makes it easier to slide and transfer the cake out of the springform mold once it’s set.
The Best Cookies for a Crumb Crust
A variety of sweet crunchy cookies can be used for a crumb crust and each will give a different flavor profile. We used graham crackers because we usually have them on hand, but these will all work:
- Graham Crackers
- Biscoff Cookies
- Vanilla Wafers
- Chocolate Oreo Cookies (cream removed)
Pro Tip: To crush the crackers, put them into a zip bag, remove excess air, and crush with a rolling pin. You can also pulse them in a food processor until fine crumbs form then follow the instructions in the print-friendly recipe below.
How to Make No-Bake Cheesecake
We love no-bake cheesecakes especially in summer when we don’t have to heat up the oven, but they are great year-round. The best part is, it can make them ahead and even frozen (see instructions below).
- Combine Crushed Crackers with sugar and melted butter then press into a 9″ springform pan then chill.
- Beat together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat heavy whipping cream in a separate bowl then fold in the mascarpone.
- Fold cream cheese mixture into mascarpone mixture then fold in lemon juice 1 Tbsp at a time.
- Spread the cheesecake filling over the crust. Cover and refrigerate until set.
Make-Ahead Tip: This no-bake cheesecake (the crust, filling, and syrup) can be made for up to 3 days, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. It’s perfect for easy entertaining.
Can I substitute mascarpone?
Just like with a tiramisu, the mascarpone helps the cream set up properly into a thick and sliceable cheesecake. It not only adds flavor but acts as a stabilizer so I don’t recommend substituting it.
Can you Freeze a No-Bake Cheesecake?
This is a make-ahead dessert and freezes well. Just be sure to let it set in the refrigerator before freezing. I prefer to keep it in the springform pan for freezing.
- To Freeze: Wrap with several layers of plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months.
- To Thaw: set in the refrigerator overnight and it will taste just as good as fresh no-bake cheesecake. We also love it partially frozen because it tastes like an ice cream cake.
Cheesecake Toppings
A great topping is a great way to finish off a cheesecake and keep things exciting with new flavors. These are our go-to cheesecake toppings:
- Fresh Cherry Sauce – tastes like cherry pie filling
- Strawberry Sauce – great over pancakes too
- Caramel Sauce – so easy to make with pantry staples
- Fresh Berries – we love adding seasonal berries
- Stone Fruit – slice up nectarines, plums, or apricots
- Blueberry Sauce – try our No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
Have you ever tried making a no-bake cheesecake? It’s so easy and good, it might just spoil you forever. Also, I’d love to hear about your favorite summer dessert in the comments below.
More Summer Desserts
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Tres Leches Cake
- Classic Tiramisu
- Strawberries Romanoff
No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, (from 12 whole crackers)
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1 stick
Ingredients for No Bake Cheesecake:
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 12 oz mascarpone cheese, chilled
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Strawberry Topping:
- 8 oz Strawberries, thinly sliced
- 1 Strawberry Sauce Recipe, strained and chilled
Instructions
Prep:
- Make the Strawberry Sauce Recipe and strain through a sieve, pushing on the solids with a spatula to get as much syrup as possible. Set aside to cool to room temperature or cover and refrigerate if making ahead of time. The strained strawberry sauce will keep 3-4 days.
How to Make No Bake Cheesecake:
- In the bowl of a food processor, coarsely break up graham crackers then pulse into fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a bowl, add 1 Tbsp sugar and 8 Tbsp melted butter. Stir to evenly moisten crumbs. Line a 9-inch round springform pan with a round of parchment paper and press crumbs into the bottom of the pan going 1/2" up the sides. Freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate 30 minutes for crumbs to set.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, add 8 oz cream cheese and 2/3 cup granulated sugar and beat on medium/high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy and smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, using a clean electric hand mixer, beat 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form (3-5 minutes on high speed). Reduce speed to medium/low and beat in 12 oz mascarpone until well combined and smooth.
- Use a spatula to fold cream cheese into whipped mascarpone mixture until well blended. Fold in 2 Tbsp lemon juice, adding 1 Tbsp at a time and folding until well incorporated.
- Transfer cheesecake filling over the chilled crust and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight until completely chilled. Just before serving, arrange sliced strawberries in rings over the top and brush with the strained strawberry sauce. Serve extra strawberry sauce over each slice.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi Natasha
This cake turned out well in terms of taste but my crust got stuck in the pan. I wonder why you didnt have the pan lined in the recipe. I did use a non stick pan too. In the end everyone loved it even though the crust became a crumb on the side.
Hi Alicja, a couple of things – make sure to use the same proportions of crumbs to butter and when putting into the pan, make sure not to pack it too tightly which will help. Another thing is you can place a ring of parchment paper on the bottom which will help with lift (especially if the pan isn’t non-stick).
5star cheesecake. Best we’ve ever tasted. Such nice balance of creamy, fluffy and fresh. Not too sweet. Celebration of Strawberries in the Clouds. My husband doesnt like cheesecakes, he thinks they’re too dense.. This feels Light and Fluffy but still substantial, well balanced. Its very likely we’ll make it again.
I followed the recipe as close as I could and the result was perfect.
Hi Liva, thank you for that wonderful review. I’m so glad you enjoyed that.
Hi Natasha,
If I wear to add gelatine, how many sachet would I need to add and at what stage? Thank you so much for all your recipes!
Nazia
Hello Nazia, this recipe does not require gelatin but some choose to if they don’t like the cheesecake body not being solid enough. I haven’t tried adding it to this recipe though to advise.
Hi I have the 16 oz mascarpone cheese… how much is 12 oz in cups… will I be able to measure it like that?
It should be about 340.2 g mascarpone
Thanks for the recipe! I made it for my moms bday. It was a success and yummy. I love cheesecake
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Achel!
Made this as a birthday cake for my boyfriend and he loved it. We’re in Mexico so I had to use digestive biscuits and limes (rare to find graham crackers or lemons in Mexico) and it came out lovely. Better each day!
I’m so glad that worked out and you both enjoyed that! Happy birthday to your boyfriend!
delicious! my family and I loved this recipe! so easy too, thank you for recipe!
Thank you for your great review, Tina. I hope you and your family love every recipe that you try!
Hi need the recipe of no bake Oreo cheese cake without egg and gelatin
Hello Seema. I only have the No-Bake Strawberry cheesecake recipe here
Hello Natasha.
Thank you so much for all your recipes.
I just love to know how to make the syrup.
Thank you!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Jeannette! Thank you for that great feedback.
Hi Natasha I made the cheese and was wondering if I can freeze it for a little bit instead of keeping it the four hours in the fridge ? Do you know how long it would be cause I have guests coming and 4 hours is too late
Hi Michelle, sorry I didn’t see your message sooner. I haven’t tested that but it might be a good idea to put it in the freezer for the first hour then refrigerate to speed up the process. Let me know how it turned out!
Hi Natasha! Can I use chocolate ganache as a topping instead of the strawberry?
Hi Micaela, yes but my advice would be to make sure the ganache is not warm when pouring over or you might melt some of the cheesecake.
I can’t find the mascarpone cheese can I use something else??
Hello Ingrid, you can substitute it with cream cheese.
That sounds delicious, Micaela! I haven’t tested that but I bet it would work.
Hi Natasha!..made the no bake cheesecake yesterday…I was gonna bake the cookie crumb but didn’t… did the way u said to refrigerate..turned out amazing!!
Everyone loved it!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed that, Vicky! Thank you for that awesome review!
Hi!..for the no bake strawberry cheesecake…can I bake the cookie crumb for few minutes instead of putting it in fridge?
Vicky
Hi Vicky, we prefer it refrigerated for this recipe but I imagine that should work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
This was my first time to try preparing a no bake cheesecake and the taste was good. However, I was not able to make the body hard, it was kinda soft. I wonder what went wrong?
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake! I would double-check that all of the proportions of ingredients were the same (be sure to measure the ingredients correctly), and also make sure to use the correct gelatin – unflavored gelatin-like Knox gelatin but not flavored jello. Also, make sure you are using HEAVY whipping cream which has a higher fat content and will help the cheesecake set better.
Gelatin? That is not included in the ingredients list. Please confirm as I would like to try this recipe soon. Thanks!
Hi Yuri, you are correct. Over the years, we have found that most recipe mishaps are made when substituting ingredients and not measuring correctly. This recipe does not require gelatin but some choose to if they don’t like the cheesecake body not being solid enough.
Also, it would be wonderful if you could add that mascarpone cheese is prone to curdling so there are no surprises while in the process. I read on another blog how it can be salvaged. I wish I would’ve known that so I wouldn’t have thrown away my curdled mixture. It would be awesome if you could update your recipe to add extra instructions so our mascarpone doesn’t curdle whole mixing together with the heavy whipping cream. Still an awesome recipe I will keep going back too and hope that my next tries come out as great, thick, and tall as yours.
Thank you Teresa! What kind of tips did you find?
Hi there!…how many packages of cream cheese would I need instead of mascarpone?…for the no bake cheesecake.
Hi Vicky, it would be a 1:1 substitution.
Hi could I make this recipe with mangoes I’d like to use the purée in the cheese mixture also ?
Hi Susa, I haven’t tested that with mangos but I imagine it may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I followed your recipe exactly except I used a 7” wide 3” tall push pan parchment lined and the filling came right to the top. This was easy to make & the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
In your receipe, there’s no gelatin. please explain when and how much we should use. thanks. that must be reason lots of people cake did not turn out nicely.
Hi Smita, over the years, we have found that most recipe mishaps are made when substituting ingredients and not measuring correctly. This recipe does not require gelatin.
I used this recipe last night and the cake was so delicious! My family couldn’t help themselves but have it for breakfast when they saw it this morning. The strawberry sauce was so sweet. Thank you! But I have one question…why did my cake so soft – like melted ice cream once we cut it
Hi Betty, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake! I would double-check that all of the proportions of ingredients were the same (be sure to measure the ingredients correctly), and also make sure to use the correct gelatin – unflavored gelatin like Knox gelatin but not flavored jello. Also, make sure you are using HEAVY whipping cream which has a higher fat content and will help the cheesecake set better.
Thank you Natasha! I didn’t see gelatin in the recipe 🤭 will get it for my next try!
hi natasha, are you sure there’s gelatine in the recipe? cause you didn’t mention it in the video or the written recipe
I apologize, I thought you were asking about our strawberry no bake cheesecake. This recipe is correct as written.