No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

This No Bake Lemon Cheesecake explodes in your mouth like spring. One bite will have you dreaming of flip flops and summer! I love my no bake lemon dessert recipes but this cheesecake recipe is definitely one of my favorites.

BEST No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

Elevate your cheesecake game with the Best No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe! You’ll want to make this cheesecake for those hot summer days when you don’t want to feel the oven heat. This easy cheesecake recipe tastes light and is so creamy. Plus, we’ll add your favorite graham cracker crust to make this the ultimate dessert you will love!

Ingredients needed

• Graham Cracker Crust – I use my homemade recipe – you’ll need to make it from scratch because you’re using a springform pan.
• Cream cheese: I’m using softened cream cheese at room temperature. You can use fat cream cheese for a creamier texture if you wish.
• Sugar: The cheesecake is sweetened with granulated sugar 
• Lemon juice: freshly squeezed from about 1-2 lemons
• Lemon zest: packed from about 2 lemons – learn how to zest a lemon!
• Heavy whipping cream: make sure it’s cold – this makes up the body of the cheesecake.

How to make lemon cheesecake

• Prepare the graham cracker crust by stirring together melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Stir with a fork in a medium bowl, then press into the bottom a round springform pan. Chill to set while preparing filling.
• Place cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• In another bowl, beat cold whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form when you lift the beater.
• Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture – to not beat or mix, fold it so as not to break the cream.
• Place the cheesecake filling in the prepared crust. Chill to set, at least 4 hours.
• Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Expert tips

• Be sure to use fresh lemon juice for best results, and do not omit the lemon zest, that is where the lemon flavor comes from.
• If you want an extra punch of lemon, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract to the mixture.
• To substitute cool whip, use about one 8-ounce container in lieu of the fresh whipped cream.
• Garnish cheesecake with additional whipped cream and lemon slices.
• If you prefer to use homemade whipped cream, make sure you serve this pie the same day and that you taste it for sweetness (store bought is much sweeter than fresh whipped cream). 

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

4.60 from 5 votes

This EASY No Bake Lemon Cheesecake is the perfect no bake pie! No bake cheesecake filled with tart lemon, it’s the best recipe!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Chill Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Yield 10 servings

Serving Size 1 /8 Slice of Pie

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Ingredients

 

Graham Cracker Crust:

• ▢ 1 ½ cups (147g) graham cracker crumbs
• ▢ ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
• ▢ 7 tablespoons (99g) unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake:

• ▢ 3 (8-ounce) blocks (678g) cream cheese room temperature
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon packed lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
• ▢ ⅔ cup (158ml) cold heavy whipping cream
• ▢ Whipped Cream for garnish

Instructions

• Prepare crust by stirring together melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Stir with a fork in a medium bowl, then press into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch round springform pan. Chill to set while preparing filling.
• Place cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• In another bowl, beat cold whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold whipped cream into cheesecake filling – to not beat or mix, fold it so as not to break the cream.
• Place the cheesecake filling in the prepared crust. Chill to set, at least 4 hours.
• Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

• Be sure to use fresh lemon juice for best results, and do not omit the lemon zest, that is where the flavor comes from.
• If you want an extra punch of lemon, add 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract to the mixture.
• To substitute cool whip, use about one 8-ounce container in lieu of the fresh whipped cream.
• Garnish cheesecake with additional whipped cream and lemon slices.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 Slice of Pie | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 244mg | Sugar: 32g

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

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Last Updated on March 19, 2023