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The Best Ever Easy No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

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This is THE BEST NO BAKE CHEESECAKE RECIPE EVER! It has a sweet graham cracker crust with a creamy sweet & Tart no-bake cheesecake filling and decorated for any summer gathering or patriotic holiday. Everyone loves this easy no-bake cheesecake recipe!

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Magically The Best No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

This Easy No-Bake Cheesecake recipe originally published Sept 16, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and tips/tricks for your convenience. 

One of my all-time favorite desserts is my mom’s creamy sweet and tart No Bake cheesecake recipe. This is the same recipe my Mom always made for my Dad as it was his favorite dessert.
I have no idea where it originated. She’s been making it far longer than I have been alive. It is very simple to make and is full of flavor! It is the perfect blend of sweet and tart. I have yet to find someone who does not like it
 
In fact, I have had many people tell me that they don’t like Cheesecake. BUT, they love this easy sweet and tart no-bake cheesecake. It is a golden recipe even among the critics.
The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Our family’s no-bake Cheesecake recipe is super easy to make. It consists of the crust, the filling, and the toppings. And it takes very little time to make all three. The longest part is simply waiting for it to chill.

Yield: 12

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Need a surefire winner for the summer parties or patriotic holidays? Try the best ever easy American Berry no-bake cheesecake Recipe. With condensed milk, fresh fruit, and a creamy sweet & tart flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers
  • 1/3 cup melted salted butter
  • 3 Tablespoons Sugar

Cheesecake Filling

  • 1 (8oz) package of Cream Cheese
  • 1 can Sweet and Condensed Milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 container Cool Whip (or a single batch of homemade whipped cream) - Completely Optional

Toppings

  • Fresh Strawberries
  • Fresh Blueberries

Instructions

Crust

  1. Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter into a bowl. 
  2. Mix with a fork until all graham crackers are wet and the butter is evenly distributed.
  3. Pour into a parchment lined springform pan.
  4. Gently press the mixture to create a smooth even crust, reaching to all edges of the pan.

Cheesecake Filling

  1. Place cream cheese on the counter to soften/warm so it will blend easier
  2. Dump cream cheese into a mixing bowl. 
  3. Beat until smooth and no lumps remain. 
  4. Gently add in the condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract
  5. Mix until smooth
  6. (Optional - gently fold in the whipped topping until well distributed.
  7. Pour onto the graham cracker crust. 
  8. Gently smooth it evenly around the pan
  9. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. 

Assembly

  1. When time to serve, gently remove springform pan and parchment paper. 
  2. Slice fresh strawberries.
  3. Carefully lay out blueberries in the upper left-hand corner to create the "stars" section of the flag design
  4. Carefully lay the strawberries in strip patterns for the red stripes of the flag. 
  5. Slice and serve

Notes

Sizing

  • If you want to make a cheesecake big enough to fill a traditional 9X13 cake pan, you will want to double the crust and triple the filling to have good filling to crust ratio.

Tips

  • To prevent lumpy cheesecake filling, allow the cream cheese to completely warm to room temperature before mixing. I often take it out of the fridge in the morning and then by the afternoon I can quickly whip it all together.
  • If you don't have time to warm Cream Cheese - using an immersion blender works well to get it smooth and creamy
  • If you find the cheesecake filling is too rich, add a tub of cool whip or homemade whipped cream this will make the filling lighter and not as intensely rich. 
  • If you try to use a standard blender to mix, it will still technically work, BUT the texture will not be right. It will be too runny and not set up correctly. (trust me, I've tried it) 
  • When picking the pan- this recipe can be made in a pie dish, a brownie pan, or even a springform pan if you want to remove the pan and have it look more like a traditional cheesecake. 
  • If using a springform pan, you will want to line the sides of the pan with parchment paper before adding the filling, to make for easier removal from the pan. And refrigerate overnight before removing pan
  • If by some miracle you have leftovers (rarely happens in our house) you can cover and store in the fridge for about a week.

The USA Flag topping is only one of MANY topping options. You can also try


  • Cherry pie filling
  • Blueberry pie filling
  • Raspberry filling
  • Cherry pie filling with chocolate sauce drizzled on top
  • Hot fudge and salted caramel drizzled on top
  • options are endless! 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 136 Total Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 22mg Sodium: 107mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 8g Protein: 1g
© Amber
Category: Dessert

Combine all crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a fork. Once all the graham crackers are wet, then transfer it into the pan of your choice and pack it down slightly.

There are many options of pans you can use for this easy no-bake cheesecake. You can use a large 9X 13 cake pan, small brownie pan, pie dish, or my latest attempt –  a springform pan.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

If you want a good table piece for a summer party, I recommend making it in a pan with sides to support the filling. Being no bake, it does soften in the heat and then it won’t hold together.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

But if you are just going to set it out and immediately serve it, you can have success using the springform pan, so it looks even better.

If you use a bigger/deeper pan, you will want to double the crust and triple the filling recipe, otherwise, it will be VERY shallow and thin. But that is completely up to your preference.

Easy No bake Cheesecake Recipe Sweet and Tart

In order to have a smooth texture, the cream cheese needs to be room temperature. If not, then it will lump as you blend the ingredients together. And who wants a lumpy cheesecake?

I found that if you try to mix in a standard blender it turns out far too runny.

Though, if  you don’t have time to warm the cream cheese, you CAN use an immersion blender to get the smooth texture without making it too runny. 

If you find the taste is too rich, you can add 1/2 tub whipped topping, but this is entirely optional. I only use it about half the time I make it.

The whipped topping offers the cheesecake a slightly lighter texture and slightly sweeter flavor. So if you don’t like rich desserts you will want to add the whipped topping.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

The original recipe my mom used never used whipped topping. But my husband always said it was too rich for him. So I started adding the whipped topping so he could enjoy a lighter flavor.

But when He is on Keto I always go back to making it without the whipped topping because I prefer the richer tart flavor.

Mix all the filling ingredients together until smooth. Then pour onto the Graham cracker crust and refrigerate for 3 hrs.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

If you are using a Springform Pan, you will want to remove the parchment paper shortly before you decorate and serve.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Easy American Berry No-Bake Cheesecake Topping

If you remove the cheesecake from the pan, you can also run a frosting knife around the outside to make the sides look crisp and smooth.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

To create the illusion of the USA flag, arrange fresh blueberries in the top left corner in a square.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Then place fresh sliced strawberries in horizontal lines for the stripes of the flag.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

No other topping is necessary! It is quite delicious! And it makes the perfect dessert for any USA/Patriotic holiday like Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day (4th of July) and Veteran’s Day!

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

But is always a surefire winner at every potluck, BBQ, Summer party gathering where I donate this easy No-Bake Cheesecake.

Not to mention – This is the most requested dessert for Birthdays in our family.

And best of all, this easy No-Bake Cheesecake recipe can be made into any shape you desire, simply by the type of pan you use.

Easy No bake Cheesecake Recipe Sweet and Tart
Easy No bake Cheesecake Recipe Sweet and Tart

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake Topping Alternatives:

Really any kind of topping would go great with this recipe!

I’ve tried

No bake Cheesecake Recipe

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake Crust Alternatives!

Another fun way to mix up the flavors of this easy no-bake cheesecake is to play with the crust flavors!

Really the sky is the limit with your flavor combination choices! We have tried all the toppings and most of the crust options I’ve suggested to you and they have ALL been a huge success!

But the favorite still remains the classic way, just like my Mom used to make.

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

If you like No Bake desserts, you may also like:

No-Bake Red White and Blueberry Cheesecake Trifle

Easy No Bake Triple Berry Cheesecake Trifle Recipe

Peach Raspberry Fluff Jello Salad

Peach & Raspberry Fluff Recipe Best Jello Fruit salad for a social dinner

Chocolate Cheesecake Tarts

Fluffy No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Tarts with Goldfish Pretzel Crust

Sour Cherry No Bake Cheesecake

 

If you enjoyed this easy American Berry No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe, Be sure to Pin It and share with your friends and family!

The Best Ever Easy American Berry No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

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Amber

Owner/Influencer at Busy Creating Memories
Besides my quirky obsession with BBC classics, Sci-Fy, Dystopian novels, Fantasy, DR Pepper, Chocolate, and Popcorn; I also have a passion for photography, baking and creating recipes, crafts & crochet, tabletop board games, and camping. My Husband and I have 4 children, 2 girls ages 2 and 8 years. And 2 boys ages 12 and 14.I am the owner & editor of Busy Creating Memories located just north of the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area.
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About Amber

Besides my quirky obsession with BBC classics, Sci-Fy, Dystopian novels, Fantasy, DR Pepper, Chocolate, and Popcorn; I also have a passion for photography, baking and creating recipes, crafts & crochet, tabletop board games, and camping. My Husband and I have 4 children, 2 girls ages 2 and 8 years. And 2 boys ages 12 and 14. I am the owner & editor of Busy Creating Memories located just north of the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Summer K.

    I'm totally going to have to try this! My husband loves cheesecake so I'd love to surprise him. Plus he's in the military so the design fits 🙂

    Reply

  7. Amber Edwards

    Oh, I'm so glad you ladies like it! It really is my favorite and SUPER easy to make. just make sure you let it sit in the Fridge for about 2 hrs or else it won't set up enough, that serving it will be a problem…it won't affect the taste at all, just how pretty it looks on the plates. lol.

    Thank you all for your visits and comments, I just LOVE reading them all!

    Reply

  9. Maureen

    I’ve tried other no-bake cheesecakes before and they just tasted like whipped cream. I tried this one today and it has that signature tartness of traditional cheesecake! Must be that secret ingredient of lemon juice. This was super yummy! TFS

    Reply

  11. ellen beck

    I have made them just like this before 🙂 One of the variations I like is using pecan sandies cookies for the crust- yummy and deliciously sinful! I have always added fruits too- and for me strawberries are always my pick, but I am going to have to try the chocolate version now too!

    Reply

  17. Chacoy

    This looks so yummy! I was thinking what could make it a bit tart, the lemon juice!? Genius(: I also love the flag on there!!
    I can not wait to give this no bake cheesecake a try!

    Reply

  18. Susan

    That is the cutest cheesecake I’ve ever seen!!!!
    I am stealing this idea for my Fla trip this summer. And as for cheesecake flavor fave…can any cheesecake be my answer? :0

    Reply

    • Amber Edwards

      Be careful! It is very addicting! I can’t eat hardly any other cheesecake now. And I can’t stop at just one slice! lol. That’s why I can’t make this recipe very often. I just can’t control myself around it.

      Reply

  42. Janey Campbell

    Hello. I had refrigerated the cheesecake for almost two and a half hours and it still hadn’t hardened. I was wondering if I should just put it in for longer?

    Reply

  48. Brandy

    This is similar to my recipe and I LOVE how easy it is to make and tastes so amazing. Adding the berries to be your flag is a cute idea for all the weekend BBQ’s that will be thrown this weekend.

    Reply

  50. Dawn Lopez

    YUM! Not only is this cheesecake gorgeous, it sounds unbelievable tasty! I am huge lover of non-bake goodies, I will need to try this! My mouth is totally watering!

    Reply

  51. Kayla @ TheEclecticElement

    One of my friends used to make THE best no bake cheesecake I’ve ever tasted. I once helped her make one but dummy me forgot to write things down so to this day I don’t know how it’s made. I’m definitely going to give this one a try to see if it’s similar! If so, this will be my new go-to xD

    Reply

    • Amber

      I seem to use a different one each time. i’ve used a 9X 13 for a thin graham cracker crust. Or an 8X8 for a thicker crust and filling. I’ve also used an extra large pie dish to make this in a circular pattern before too.

      Reply

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