Easy Cheesecake Recipe (no bake!)

This easy Cheesecake Recipe is totally no bake and made with just SIX ingredients! Make ahead friendly no bake cheesecake for summer.

I know this is no surprise.

With all the cheesecake recipes on The Recipe Rebel, I hadn’t yet shared the perfect easy cheesecake recipe — the recipe that serves as the basis for so many of my no bake cheesecake recipes!

As fun as White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake and Key Lime Cheesecake are, sometimes you just want good old vanilla.

Simply sweetened, with just a handful of ingredients.

The perfect cheesecake for serving up with a variety of sauces and toppings: caramel, chocolate, fresh berries, citrus curds — the options are really endless!

Like many of my cheesecakes around here, this one uses minimal bowls, with minimum prep time and head ache.

Even though we have big love for the The Best Vanilla Cheesecake Recipe, this one has a lot of the same great qualities but almost none of the work.

Baked cheesecake requires a few more ingredients, a few more steps, and a lot more waiting around impatiently.

There’s the baking, the cooling, the chilling, and finally you can eat it!

With this easy cheesecake recipe, you’re going to have to wait a good long time for it to chill (that’s one step we just couldn’t take out), you’re still ready to dig in hours before you’d be slicing into a baked cheesecake.

And even though it looks like you spent a lot of time on it, you don’t need to share the truth with anyone.

But you might have to share the recipe ?

How to make this easy cheesecake recipe:

1. Start with your crust — I use graham crumbs most often, but you could also use chocolate baking crumbs for a new twist! The melted butter is essential for helping it stick together when you remove it from the pan.
2. Beat your cream cheese — room temperature is essential for no lumps! Keep in mind that full fat cream cheese is best. If you compare the packages, you can see that light cream cheese has significantly more moisture and there’s less of a chance it will set. (That being said, I use light cream cheese often and have no issues, but it’s a chance you take).
3. Add your powdered sugar and vanilla.
4. Beat in your cold cream — I know, there are people who beat the cream first and then fold it in. If you know me at all, I’m not going to tell you you need an extra step unless you absolutely do. In this instance, I’ve tested both ways and haven’t found much of a difference at all, but you do need to whip your filling with the cream until it’s thick and fluffy.
5. Chill, chill, chill. And don’t even think about removing it from the pan until it’s set! We don’t want no cheesecake soup here, so plan ahead and be patient.

What are the ingredients in no bake cheesecake?

This easy cheesecake recipe is made with the simplest of ingredients! No specialty products here ?

• Graham cracker crumbs
• Butter (unsalted)
• Cream Cheese (full fat, room temperature)
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla
• Heavy whipping cream (cold!)

What are some easy cheesecake toppings?

This cheesecake is perfect for a party! Just set up a cheesecake topping bar and let everyone come up with their own creations.

• Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
• Lemon curd
• Strawberry Sauce
• Chocolate Sauce
• Caramel Sauce
• Chocolate chips or toffee bits
• Crushed Oreos or other cookies
• Reese’s pieces, Smarties and M&M’s
• Whipped cream (mix up the flavors if you liked)

Tools you’ll need for this cheesecake:

• I make this cheesecake in a 9″ Springform pan, but you could also make it in an 8″ Springform pan or a 9″ square baking dish.
• With no bake cheesecakes it’s very important that you use an electric mixer, but it doesn’t need to be fancy! I use the KitchenAid handheld mixer for most of my recipes.
• An offset spatula is essential for getting the top super smooth, but this is totally optional and won’t affect the way it tastes ?