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This easy Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake is a creamy-dreamy dessert made with a buttery graham cracker crust and a smooth filling made from Philadelphia cream cheese. If you’re looking for a simple cheesecake that doesn’t require baking, this recipe delivers all the rich flavor of classic cheesecake with far less effort—just mix the filling, pour it into the crust, and chill until set!
Whether you’re planning a holiday dessert, a summer treat, or a make-ahead dessert for a party, no bake cheesecake recipes are foolproof favorites. Try my classic No-Bake Cheesecake and No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake.
Why you’ll love this Philadelphia no bake cheesecake recipe!
If you, like me, used to be slightly intimidated by the idea of baking a classic cheesecake, this easy recipe is just for you!
This incredibly delicious cheesecake features a buttery Graham cracker crust base. Then, we add a sweet and tangy filling made with softened Philadelphia cream cheese. Left to chill in the fridge for six hours, it turns out rich and creamy every single time.
- No oven required: Perfect for warm weather or when you want an easy dessert.
- Rich and creamy texture: Philadelphia cream cheese makes the filling smooth and decadent.
- Easy to customize: This recipe is like a blank canvas for all your favorite cheesecake toppings. Finish it with fresh fruit, berry compote, fruity pie filling, or a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce!
- Beginner-friendly: No water bath, baking, or special techniques required.
- Perfect make-ahead dessert: Prepare it the day before serving.
(This Strawberry Delight is another awesome no-bake dessert!)
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Crust – The crust is easily made with a combination of Graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar.
- Filling – The cheesecake filling consists of softened Philadelphia cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, sour cream, lemon juice, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and salt.
Variations
- Whole Graham crackers can easily be turned into crumbs. To do so, blend them in a food processor until you achieve a fine consistency.
- Use another brand of crackers or cookies to make the pie crust. Nilla Wafer cookies or Golden Oreos (without the stuffing) would make delicious substitutes.
- Change the flavor of the cheesecake filling by using a different extract, such as almond extract, peppermint extract, orange extract, lemon, you name it!
- Top the no bake cheesecake with strawberry pie filling, cherry pie filling, or mixed berry pie filling.
- Garnish the cheesecake with fresh fruit such as sliced strawberries, whole blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, or even candied fruit.
- Cool Whip could be used to replace the whipped cream mixture. Allow the Cool Whip to thaw before folding it into the cream cheese mixture.
How to Make Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
- Make the crust: Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a 9″ springform cake pan and up the sides. Set aside.
- Make the cheesecake filling base: Use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Then, blend in the vanilla, sour cream, and lemon juice.
- Combine the filling ingredients: Whip the cream with salt and powdered sugar in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling mixture until evenly combined.
- Assemble and chill: Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan, and spread it evenly over the crust. Cover the cheesecake loosely, and refrigerate for six hours.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy this cheesecake topped with a drizzle of caramel sauce or chocolate syrup.
- Top it with a dollop of whipped cream for a classic finish. (Here’s how to make whipped cream.)
- Or pair it fresh fruit or fried apples!
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5–7 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the cheesecake for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
No-bake cheesecake does not become as firm as traditional baked cheesecake. However, after four hours of chilling it becomes firm enough to slice. And after size hours or up to overnight, it holds its shape nicely!
Absolutely! If you don’t want to make a whole cheesecake, you can definitely serve the filling as a decadent dip alongside fresh fruit, wafers, and cookies.
Philadelphia cheesecake is named after the Philadelphia brand of cream cheese used to make the cheesecake filling. Meanwhile, New York cheesecake doesn’t always have to use the Philadelphia brand of cream cheese.
Use the correct measurement of cheesecake filling ingredients called for in the recipe, and allow enough time for the assembled cheesecake to chill in the fridge. You shouldn’t have any issues!
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Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9” springform pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- whisk
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup melted butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Filling
- 24 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start by making the graham cracker crust. Mix all of the crust ingredients together in a medium sized bowl until all the graham cracker crumbs are blended into the butter.2 cups graham cracker crumbs, ½ cup melted butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Pour the graham cracker mix into a 9” springform cake pan. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Set the pan aside while you make the filling.
- Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth using a paddle attachment of a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.24 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Blend in the vanilla, sour cream and lemon juice. Mix until smooth.1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, ⅓ cup sour cream, ¼ cup lemon juice
- In a separate mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream, salt and powdered sugar together until the mix forms stiff peaks. The whipped cream should hold its shape.1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, ¾ cup powdered sugar
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix, and add the salt. Fold slowly until the two mixes are evenly combined.¼ teaspoon salt
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the graham cracker crust and smooth it evenly into the pan.
- Loosely cover the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- Carefully remove the outer ring of the springform pan then slice the cheesecake and serve!
Notes
- Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture.
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened before mixing.
- Chill the cheesecake at least 6 hours before slicing.
- Use a springform pan for easy removal.
- Add toppings just before serving.
Made this yesterday and it is wonderful. Everybody loved it, thank you for a great recipie
Yummy!!! 🙂
Thank you, Kim!