Name: No-Bake Cheesecake
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 525 min
Yield: One 10-inch cheesecake, 10 to 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 340 g graham crackers, crushed finely; 70 g light brown sugar; 0.25 tsp kosher salt; 155 g unsalted butter, melted; 360 ml heavy cream, cold; 680 g full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature; 250 g granulated sugar; 30 ml fresh lemon juice; 30 g sour cream; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 250 g fresh berries

Before you start

What this method is trying to achieve

No-bake cheesecake depends on cold-set structure rather than eggs. Whip the cream fully, keep the cream-cheese mixture smooth, fold gently and give the finished cake enough time to firm before unmolding.

Success looks like

Know the target before you cook

The cheesecake should be light and creamy but firm enough to hold a chilled slice with a clean graham-cracker base.

Ingredients

What you need

Crust

340 g graham crackers, crushed finely
70 g light brown sugar
0.25 tsp kosher salt
155 g unsalted butter, melted

Filling

360 ml heavy cream, cold
680 g full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature
250 g granulated sugar
30 ml fresh lemon juice
30 g sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

Finish

250 g fresh berries

Method

Cook by the cues, not just the clock

Build crust

Mix graham crumbs, brown sugar, salt and melted butter, then press firmly into the base and sides of a springform pan. Freeze until firm.
Critical cueThe crust should feel compact rather than loose and sandy.

Whip cream

Whip half the cold cream to stiff, fluffy peaks.
Critical cueThe cream should hold a clear peak before it is folded into the filling.

Make base

Beat cream cheese and sugar until light and smooth, then add lemon juice, sour cream and vanilla just until combined.
Critical cueDo not keep beating after the liquid ingredients are incorporated.

Fold and fill

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream-cheese base, transfer to the crust and smooth the top.
Critical cuePreserve the whipped volume instead of stirring aggressively.

Chill and serve

Cover and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours. Unmold only when fully cold and top with berries.
Critical cueA full refrigerator set is part of the recipe.

Critical checkpoints

Stop here and check

texture

Cream stage: stiff peaks?

The whipped cream stays upright when the whisk is lifted.

Continue whipping before folding if the peak collapses.

other

Before unmolding: center firm?

The chilled center holds when the pan is gently nudged.

Keep chilling if the filling still sloshes or visibly shifts.

other

Cheesecake not setting?

The chilled filling stays too soft to hold a slice.

Use no-bake-cheesecake-not-setting to check chill time, cream, cream cheese, added liquid and folding.

If yours looks different

Route the failure before changing the recipe

The cheesecake remains too soft or slumps after the expected refrigerator set.No-bake cheesecake not setting? Diagnose chill time, whipped cream, cream cheese, added liquid and folding.

Why Won’t My No-Bake Cheesecake Set?

After cooking

Storage, reheating & substitutions

Storage

Keep covered in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Reheating

Do not reheat no-bake cheesecake.

Substitutions

Use vanilla extract in place of vanilla-bean paste. Use another crisp cookie crumb instead of graham crackers.

Evidence

Sources & methodology

Technical claims and method decisions are tied to sources. Recipe-specific advice is not presented as a universal food-science law.

No-Bake CheesecakeFood Network / Alex Guarnaschelli
Food Network beats the cream cheese smooth and refrigerates the cheesecake until firm, preferably overnight.
publisherPassage verified
The Best No-Bake CheesecakeFood Network Kitchen
Food Network Kitchen whips cream to stiff peaks, folds it into a cream-cheese base and refrigerates the finished cheesecake for 8 to 24 hours.
publisherPassage verified