Easy No-Bake Cheesecake
It’s been years since I’ve had this particular no bake cheesecake. I was trying to explain it to my hubby one day and he had no idea what I was talking about. He’s only had the kind of cheesecake that was baked or the fluffy kind with cool whip. I was so excited to introduce him to this baby. Needless to say he loved it and told me to make it again.
Growing up, my grandmother use to make these no-baked cheesecakes for Sunday dinners when she was pressed for time. She’d usually just crack open a can of cherries or blueberries for the topping and dessert was ready.
She eventually starting selling these cheesecakes to make some extra money around the holiday time. They were a huge hit. Everybody loved them and wanted them for special occasions. If only folks knew how easy they were to make!
It’s hard to believe that this no-bake cheesecake comes together with just 4 simple ingredients. It’s rich, creamy, sweet and tart. The perfect end to dinner or when you just need a yummy pick-me-up after a crazy day at work.
Let me tell ya though, this cheesecake can be “moody”! Seriously it’s one of those recipes like these no-bake cookies that is sworn to not set right if you the weather is damp outside. I find this cheesecake doesn’t set as firm with brands of cream cheese other than Philadelphia.
*Update* If you’re nervous about taking a “risk” then try out this other no-bake cheesecake. I’ve since coined it my new favorite no-bake cheesecake!
Click here for my homemade Nilla cookie pie crust that goes GREAT with this recipe!
Watch me make this Easy No Bake Cheesecake from start to finish!
Get the Recipe: Easy No-Bake Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz packs cream cheese, room temperature
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, Update: I now use 2 Tablespoons. See note
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 prepared pie crust, cookie crust
- Topping, fresh fruits, canned cherries, etc
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared pie crust.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.
- Add topping when ready to serve.
Notes
Use any kind of toppings you'd like (canned cherries or blueberries, fresh fruits, nuts or just enjoy it plain! After making this cheesecake for many years, the last two times I've made it the cheesecake did not firm up. What's up with that? Well my grandmother told me to use only 2-4 Tablespoons of lemon juice. She said sometimes if there is too much lemon juice it can react badly with the rest of the ingredients if something is wrong with one of the other ingredients (old condensed milk, over softened cream cheese, etc.) I've never heard of this before in my life but I figured it must be the other ingredients since all of a sudden this recipe stopped working for me. I cut down on the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons and it's been coming out perfect! Also she says use only Philadelphia cream cheese. Just thought I'd share in case this recipe starts acting funny on ya!
Delicious and easy, however, it does not set. Cut a piece for my husband and it does not slice. Maybe better in individual ramekins. If anyone knows why it does set, please share.
This is a home run. My whole family loves it and it only took me about fifteen minutes to prepare. I’ve been looking for a no bake recipe for when I done want to make a classic baked cheesecake, and every recipe I found had at least a few negative reviews that made me nervous, this one included. Whoever wrote negative reviews for this recipe must have done something wrong. This was extremely simple and tastes exactly like a delicious New York style cheesecake. I want to make this everyday!
I would like to know if I can use milk in a recipe for cream cheese pie. I don’t have cream or half and half, or sweetened condensed milk. Please help. Thank you.
You can always make your own condensed milk. It’s only milk and sugar boiled together. You can find lots of recipes on how to make it online. If you decide to make it and have some left over, you can always just refrigerate it and put it in your tea, hot cocoa, coffee, oatmeal, etc.
This recipe is wonderful, and really good. I would call it cream cheese pie. Better than cheesecake. So creamy. Thanks again!
This was wonderful. We tasted it before it was set and it tasted a lot like lemon so just doubled the vanilla essence and it was magical (even better after refrigeration). <3
I cannot say thank you enough for posting this recipe. My mother made these all the time. She past away 10 years ago when I was 20 and I could not remember how she made her cheesecake, but I knew it only required simple ingredients. I’ve searched for years to no avail. I decided to try to find it once more since it’s close to Christmas and there’s nothing my dad liked more than my mom’s strawberry cheesecake & I want to make it for him & my family. Thank you so much