This easy No Bake Lemon Cheesecake has a tangy sweet cream cheese filling with a buttery graham cracker crust. Made with real lemon, it’s the perfect refreshing summer recipe that won’t heat up your kitchen.
This is one of those desserts that can be served year-round, but I especially love it on a hot summer day. For more no bake lemon desserts, try this Lemon Cheesecake Fruit Dip, Lemon Parfait, or this Lemon Raspberry Parfait.
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Easy No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
I can’t think of a summer dessert that’s much easier or more refreshing than this easy No Bake Lemon Cheesecake. It’s got a rich and smooth cream cheese filling that’s loaded with fresh lemon juice and zest. Serve it in a buttery graham cracker crust with a little dollop of whipped cream and lemon curd on top for a simple treat that everyone will love.
You can make this in a 9” pie plate, or assemble in a baking dish and slice into Lemon Cheesecake Bars. Either way it has just as much creamy, delicious lemon flavor as baked cheesecake without having to turn on the oven.
If you love No Bake Cheesecakes, you're going to love our Cookie Butter No Bake Cheesecake, Nutella Cheesecake and, of course, our Classic No Bake Cheesecake Recipe.
How to Make No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Make the graham cracker crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soft butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well using a rubber spatula, then transfer to a 9" pie plate or springform pan and press firmly. Either freeze for at least 1 hour or bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes until golden brown.
- Whip the cream. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, transfer to another bowl, and set aside.
- Make the lemon cheesecake filling. In the same bowl, add the softened cream cheese and beat using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat again until fluffy.
- Assemble and chill. Turn off the mixer and fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust and refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Key Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- Butter - the melted butter is what holds the crust together.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs - you can make your own graham cracker crumbs or buy them pre crushed.
- Cinnamon - adding just a pinch of cinnamon adds an optional but delicious flavor.
Lemon Filling
- Heavy Whipping Cream - make sure your heavy whipping cream is very cold when you go to whip it.
- Cream Cheese - your cream cheese needs to be quite soft in order to make the creamy lemon filling. You can either leave cream cheese at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or very gently warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time.
- Powdered Sugar - powdered sugar sweetens the filling without adding any grittiness.
- Fresh Lemons - you will need both the lemon juice and lemon zest from a fresh lemon for this recipe.
Recipe Variations and Tips
- Add a handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries to the cheesecake mixture before chilling.
- Take a spoonful of raspberry jam and swirl it into the cheesecake mixture for an elegant and delicious twist.
- Substitute half of the lemon juice with freshly squeezed lime juice and add some shredded coconut to the crust.
- Use this Oreo Pie Crust instead of graham cracker. The combination of the chocolatey Oreo crust and the citrusy lemon filling is a total crowd-pleaser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since there are only a few ingredients in this lemon cheesecake, there are only a couple of reasons why your filling might be runny. As long as you measured properly, the most likely reasons for a runny no bake cheesecake is either it hasn’t set up in the fridge for long enough or the whipped cream wasn’t whipped to firm peaks. Make sure you let the cheesecake firm up in the fridge for at least 2 hours prior to serving.
Yes! It freezes perfectly so feel free to make one for now and freeze one for later. You can even serve it frozen, although I personally prefer to let mine thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Once your Lemon Cheesecake is finished, make sure you allow at least 2-3 hours for the lemon cheesecake mixture to firm up in the fridge before planning to serve. If you don’t give it enough time, it will likely be runny and impossible to cut.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Refrigerator: store lightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: you can freeze this No Bake Lemon Cheesecake for up to 1 month. You can actually serve it frozen, or let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes first.
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 6 Tablespoons Butter melted
- 1½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)
Lemon No Bake Cheesecake Filling
- 1¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 16 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the soft butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well using a rubber spatula, then transfer to a 9" pie plate or springform pan and press firmly.
- Freeze for at least 1 hour.*
Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, transfer to another bowl, and set aside.
- In the same bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and beat using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat again until fluffy.
- Turn off the mixer and fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust and refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More Of The Best Lemon Desserts
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Lemon Bars
- Easy Lemon Cooler Cookies
- Lemon Oreos
- Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake
- Raspberry Lemon Parfait
- Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- Creamy Lemon Bars
- Lemon Cheesecake Fruit Dip
- Lemon Cream Cookie Cups
- More No Bake Desserts
- More Easy Dessert Recipes
This easy No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake recipe is the perfect refreshing summer dessert. It's made with silky smooth cream cheese and lemon filling and a graham cracker crust.
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