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No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

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This super creamy no bake lemon cheesecake has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The bright lemon sings and you never have to turn on your oven, making it the perfect summer treat!

first slice being removed from lemon no bake cheesecake with swirls of cream cheese whipped cream and cherries.

When life gives you lemons, make lemon curd. Then turn that lemon curd into cheesecake!

I am pretty sure that’s how the old saying goes.  Whether or not that’s the old adage is really irrelevant because no bake lemon cheesecake is good regardless!

Get ready to rock your senses with goodness.  No bake lemon cheesecake may just become your new summer dessert go to.

graham cracker crust in analon springform pan.

The base is a classic graham cracker crust. Though you could easily switch that up with gingersnaps, golden Oreos, vanilla wafers or anything that you like.

The filling is where you want to really start paying attention.  It is light and fluffy without any cool whip or whipped topping.

mixer bowl of no bake cheesecake with lemon curd.

It gets just enough sweetness from a can of sweetened condensed milk and a generous helping of sweet and tart lemon curd.  I used my homemade microwave lemon curd because it is so cheap and easy to make.

You could definitely sub in a store bought lemon curd if you’d rather.

The resulting texture is smooth and creamy. It is solid enough to be cut into nice slices and soft enough to almost melt in your mouth.

beater full of no bake lemon cheesecake filling.

Between the tang of the cream cheese and the sweet and sour lemon curd, you’ll find the sweetness is far from overwhelming. Instead the flavors just dance over your tongue.

Now it would be good just like that, but a little extra lemon curd on top really dives home the lemon flavor.  It gives it a little extra punch.

running a knife around the outside of the cheesecake to release it from the pan.

Again, you could easily stop there. However if you’ve come this far you might as well go all the way!

So whip up a batch of vanilla cream cheese whipped cream and pipe it on top. Do swirls, rosettes, shells or whatever strikes your fancy!

piping swirls of cream cheese whipped cream on top of lemon curd topped no bake cheesecake.

Then top the whole thing with some fresh fruit. I had some beautiful and delicious cherries, so I went with those.

Raspberries,  blueberries or strawberries would be delicious options as well.  You could always do some of each and consider it a fruit salad! 😉

lemon no bake cheesecake topped with whipped cream swirls and fresh cherries.

Tips and tricks for making a no bake lemon cheesecake

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. It will beat smooth more quickly.

Make sure you get your cream cheese completely smooth before you add any other ingredients. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and the beater a couple of times.

If the cream cheese isn’t smooth before you add everything else, it will be nearly impossible to get it there later.

Make sure your lemon curd is completely cooled before you add it. Make it a day or two ahead and chill it if you can.

For getting bite of creamy no bake lemon cheesecake topped with lemon curd and fresh cherries.

Give the cheesecake quite a long time to set before serving. 4 hours is a minimum, overnight is better.

If you absolutely can’t wait, you can place it in the freezer for an hour or two.

Save the fresh fruit garnish for closer to serving time of you can. That way it won’t macerate and bleed down your pretty piping.

More fun no bake cheesecake ideas

  • Orange Creamsicle No Bake Cheesecake is creamy delicious no bake cheesecake nestled between orange juice soaked lady fingers. A orange topping takes it to the next level of orange and vanilla goodness.
  • No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake is perfect for fall.  Loaded with pumpkin and a hint of spice, it is sure to be a hit at Thanksgiving or any fall party.
  • No Bake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Jars are cute single serve treats that are great for a party. I made them as one of the treats from my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding!
first slice being removed from lemon no bake cheesecake with swirls of cream cheese whipped cream and cherries.

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Carlee
This super creamy no bake lemon cheesecake has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The bright lemon sings and you never have to turn on your oven, making it the perfect summer treat!
5 from 11 ratings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 389 kcal

Ingredients
 

Crust

  • cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 7 Tablespoons melted butter

Lemon Cheesecake Filling

  • 24 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup lemon curd
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • optional garnishes: additional lemon curd cream cheese whipped cream and fresh fruit

Instructions
 

  • In a 9 inch springform pan, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Use your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs firmly into an even layer of crust.  Refrigerate until ready to use.
    1½ cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 7 Tablespoons melted butter
  • Beat cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping sides of bowl and beaters several times during the process.
    24 ounces cream cheese
  • Once there are no lumps, slowly drizzle in the sweetened condensed milk while still beating the cream cheese. 
    14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • Fold in the lemon curd and lemon extract.
    1 cup lemon curd, 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • Smooth over graham cracker crust.
  • Spread a layer of lemon curd over the cheesecake if desired.
  • Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  • Run a plastic knife around the edge of the cheesecake  before releasing the outside of the springform pan. 
  • Pipe cream cheese whipped cream around the border and top with fresh fruit if desired. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 6gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 280mgSugar: 30g
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Recipe Rating




Pao Pao

Friday 24th of June 2022

I'm making this tonight for tomorrow's backyard cue 🤪. Thank you for sharing this deliciousness 😋

Carlee

Friday 24th of June 2022

Awesome! I hope everyone loves it!

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

Wednesday 31st of July 2019

This sounds absolutely wonderful!

Carlee

Monday 5th of August 2019

It really is scrumptious!

Liz @ Books n' Cooks

Friday 26th of July 2019

What a pretty cake Carlee!

Carlee

Monday 5th of August 2019

Thank you!

Chris

Sunday 21st of July 2019

I am loving all these no bake recipes! This cheesecake is going on the menu for sure.

Carlee

Monday 5th of August 2019

You're going to love it!

Jaida

Thursday 18th of July 2019

I love all things lemon. And cheesecake. So, this is pretty much perfect for me!

Carlee

Monday 5th of August 2019

It sounds like it!