The best no-bake cheesecake
I am fiercely loyal to my classic baked cheesecake, but a no-bake version is perfect for hot summer days or when I’m short on time because I don’t have to fuss with baking. That said, I have a very firm view that a no-bake cheesecake shouldn’t compromise on quality for convenience. Like a classic baked cheesecake, the filling should be rich yet light, with a silky smooth texture, but set enough to cut neat slices. My attempt at proving the creaminess of the filling to you – an elegant smear. 😂 There’s a better demo in the recipe video below! Other than that, the texture and sweetness is very, very similar. I doubt most people could tell the difference!
Ingredients for No Bake Cheesecake
Here’s what you need to make this no-bake cheesecake. Not that much actually! I find the most challenging thing is planning ahead so there’s sufficient time for it to set in the fridge (6 hours for this one). My cheesecakes sit squarely in between these two. The filling texture is mousse-like, but not as delicate (else I’d call it a mousse cake!). And when you eat it the filling becomes velvety smooth and creamy in your mouth. I aim for the same texture for both my baked cheesecakes and this no-bake one. Here’s a fun little table that summarises the above!
What you need for a no-bake cheesecake fillinG
See rant in the introduction paragraph above for why I insist we use gelatine! And remember – easy. And cheap. 🙂
Cream cheese – I always use Philadelphia but if you’ve had success with another brand, feel free to use that. Softened at room temperature – Take it out of the fridge at least 1 hour prior so the cream cheese is softened, not fridge-cold-hard. We want to be able to beat it so it’s quite soft, smooth and fluffy so the whipped cream mixes effortlessly into it without knocking out the air (which means a lovely light aerated cheesecake filling = win!)Blocks not tubs – This recipe calls for cream cheese blocks which are firmer than cream cheese in tubs which are softer as they are designed for spreading. If you can only get tubs, you just need to use a little more gelatine. See notes in the recipe card for quantity. Gelatine – I prefer to use powder rather than gelatine leaves when I can because it’s simple to use, sold at regular grocery stores, cheap and (important to me) the strength is relatively universal around the world. The same cannot be said for gelatine leaves. 🙂Find gelatine powder in the baking aisle in small tubs (pictured above) or packets of small sachets (open and measure using a teaspoon). Water – This is to “bloom” the gelatine (explained in the step photos below). I use the bare minimum – just 2 tablespoons – so we don’t dilute flavour. Whipping cream – Whipped cream helps create a lovely light textured filling. You can use thickened / heavy cream, or regular cream. Just make sure it can be whipped because not all cream is made for whipping (for example, pouring cream, dolloping cream). The label should say if it can be whipped.Couple more cream rules:1. No low fat! Now is not the time! Eat salad tomorrow. 2. Fridge cold! The cream needs to be fridge cold else it will not whip. Sugar – Best to use caster sugar (superfine sugar) which are finer grains than regular sugar (granulated sugar) so we can be confident it will dissolve. It’s especially important because this is a no-bake recipe so we don’t have heat on our side here. If you only have regular sugar, that’s ok. Just beat the cream cheese for a little longer than per the recipe and rub the mixture between your fingers to ensure there’s no sugar grains left. Vanilla – Please use vanilla extract which is real flavour extracted from vanilla beans (hence the name!) rather than vanilla essence which is imitation. It’s especially important for no-bake recipes because the vanilla flavour is pure and unaltered in the recipe. Lemon juice – Just a touch, to bring a smidge of tang to the filling. It’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have it. Salt – Standard baking practice these days to bring out the flavours in sweet baked goods. We use just a tiny amount so it doesn’t make it salty by any stretch of the imagination.
The buttery cheesecake crust
I am a cheesecake biscuit crust fiend! So my default is to have a biscuit wall, not just a base. If you see a cheesecake recipe of mine without a wall, there will be a reason for it! Softened at room temperature – Take it out of the fridge at least 1 hour prior so the cream cheese is softened, not fridge-cold-hard. We want to be able to beat it so it’s quite soft, smooth and fluffy so the whipped cream mixes effortlessly into it without knocking out the air (which means a lovely light aerated cheesecake filling = win!) Blocks not tubs – This recipe calls for cream cheese blocks which are firmer than cream cheese in tubs which are softer as they are designed for spreading. If you can only get tubs, you just need to use a little more gelatine. See notes in the recipe card for quantity. Find gelatine powder in the baking aisle in small tubs (pictured above) or packets of small sachets (open and measure using a teaspoon). Couple more cream rules:1. No low fat! Now is not the time! Eat salad tomorrow. 2. Fridge cold! The cream needs to be fridge cold else it will not whip.
How to make a No Bake Cheesecake
If there’s one piece of advice I can give you, it’s to know that cheesecakes are not as fragile as you think they are! The biscuit crust will look a little loose and crumbly when you first press it into the pan. But once the cream cheese filling is in, it will absorb moisture which makes it set more, and once the filing is set, it holds the whole cheesecake together quite firmly. So, handle the finished cheesecake with care but there’s no need to be terrified! (I’m talking to my 18 year old self here 😂).
1. inverted base (pro tip!)
To make it easier to remove finished cheesecake, flip the base of the springform pan so it’s upside down. Why? Because this way you don’t need to worry about bumping the cheesecake over the lip of the base which could cause cracks in the crust. Instead, it will glide off smoothly!
2. Cheesecake crust
I’m an absolute sucker for the crumbly, buttery biscuit crust of cheesecakes. So I insist on a biscuit wall. But if you want to take the easier path, just do a biscuit base and leave the sides naked. The excess paper is useful to grip to slide the cake off the base onto a serving platter. Then you simply slide the cheesecake off the paper. Easy – and no stress about cheesecake structural issues, yay!
2. BLOOM THE GELATINE
Gelatine is simple to use if you just follow the steps I’ve provided. There’s a reason for every direction! ⚠️ Not pressing together? Just add a little extra melted butter. You might have this problem if you used a drier biscuit than Digestives, or if they were a bit stale. Tip: For an extra neat crust, run the measuring cup (or whatever tool you use) back and forth along the corner to make it a neat 90° angle rather than curved. I also like to use a butter knife along the rim to tidy it up, but it’s not essential (you’ll see me demo this in the video).
3. MAKE FILLING
I prefer using a handheld electric beater to make the filling as you can move it around the bowl rather than stopping and scraping down the sides like you’d need to do with a stand mixer. You also only need to use one attachment (the whisks). If you use a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the cream, then the paddle attachment for the cream cheese step (stand mixer whisk may aerate it too much = large unsightly bubbles + risk of collapse mid-setting). ⚠️ Don’t dump the gelatine in one place and don’t pour water into the gelatine. This can cause the gelatine to turn into a big lump immediately. ⚠️ Do not let it boil as it can destroy the setting abilities of gelatine. ⚠️ Do not pour hot gelatine into cream or anything that it could melt or deflate. Cool it first but make sure it’s still in liquid form. If it solidifies again, re-melt gently.
4. REMOVING FROM THE CAKE PAN AND DECORATING
In this step, you are going to be so grateful I insisted that you invert the base of the cake pan! ⚠️ Don’t beat excessively because it can cause unsightly large air bubbles in the filling (not the end of the world though, I’m just fussy!). Once the initial cream is mostly mixed through, gently mix through the remaining cream. Don’t stir vigorously as you will knock air out of the whipped cream which will make the cheesecake filling denser than we are aiming for!
Other cheesecake decorating ideas
Sometimes, the best cheesecake is one that is left un-adorned. Just 100% cheesecake perfection! You won’t feel like you’re missing anything, eating a plain slice of cheesecake (at least, not one that’s made well, which of course, ours is! 😉) ⚠️ If the paper is stuck to the base, it’s because you used too much butter which, when ice cold, glues firmly to the paper! You can either warm the underside of the pan to melt the butter slightly (like putting it on a tea towel damp with warm water) or run a large offset spatula, knife or something else long and thin under the paper to loosen it. ⚠️You shouldn’t have trouble with the cheesecake sticking to the paper in this step. If you do, it is probably the excess butter from the biscuit crust that has adhered to the paper when it solidified in the fridge. Just give it 5 minutes or so to soften and loosen then try again. Else, do as above and run a large offset spatula or knife under the crust. However, when you’ve got company or if you’re taking this cheesecake somewhere, it is nice to decorate it. Here are some ideas:
Whipped cream piped along the edge with halved strawberries, as pictured; Full coverage whipped cream – Spread softly whipped cream all over the surface, doing big beautiful swirls, then scatter with mixed berries and dust with icing sugar (powdered sugar); Either of the above with passionfruit; Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream on the side and some strawberries or other berries; Fruit compote and sauces (also see Mango Cheesecake, Strawberry and Blueberry Cheesecake, and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars); Sauce – You could also serve with a chocolate or salted caramel sauce, though when I make chocolate or caramel cheesecakes I like to get those flavours inside the cheesecake too. They will be coming onto my website eventually! 🙂 Sprinkle of nuts and/or chocolate shavings – Think, macadamia and white chocolate, peanuts and dark chocolate, pecans and chocolate, pistachios or almonds. Lovely addition of texture!
That’s cheesecake perfection, right there. I hope you try this one of these days. It’s such a beautiful, elegant dessert and everyone who has tried this always comments on how it tastes decadent but it’s not too rich, and borders on the “just sweet enough” line. In fact, I’ve added tips in the recipe to dial up the sweetness for people who prefer “American-level-sweet” because as a general rule, American cake recipes tend to be on the high end of sweetness compared to, say, French and Japanese which are on the lower end. Love to know what you think if you try it! Also, extra decorating suggestions would be most welcome. I did get a little stuck of ideas! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
But relying solely on cream cheese to set the filling means it is more dense, more costly to make (the price of cream cheese has sky-rocketed in recent years!) and the cheesecake is almost alarmingly heavy when you pick it up!
It’s nice, but just too rich for my taste (I’m not going to link the recipes I tried…you understand 🙂 ).
Other cheesecakes will use less cream cheese so it’s not as dense…but they just don’t set properly. They smear and sag when sliced, and you need to eat it immediately out of the fridge before it melts into a puddle. (Again, not going to link a recipe here. These were disappointing, I should have trusted my instincts and not bothered.)
My recipe relies on gelatine powder to set the filling. We use the bare minimum we can get away with so the filling doesn’t go anywhere near “panacotta-like”. Rather, it’s light and almost mousse-like, yet cuts into neat slices and melts in your mouth into a river of velvety richness in your mouth.
Too much gelatine = panna cotta vibes. Too little gelatine = doesn’t set enough.
Too little cream = not aerated enough. Too much cream = greasy mouth feel.
Too little cream cheese = not enough cheesecake flavour. Too much cream cheese = too dense!!
I warned you…I’m fussy about my cheesecake!
Actually, I had a no bake cheesecake recipe I’ve been making forever which I was perfectly happy with until I went to share it on my website. Then I got paranoid about whether it was as good as it could be, and that’s when I started down the testing rabbit hole! The final recipe I published was actually not too different from my original recipe. The only thing I ended up changing was the gelatine (reduced from 3 teaspoons to 2 1/4 teaspoons for a softer mouthfeel).
Life of Dozer
As promised in the last post – home movie of a day in the Life of Dozer!
