No bake lemon cheesecake is a refreshing, four ingredient dessert that is perfect for spring and summer. It is so simple, easy and delicious!
With so many spring and summer celebrations and holidays on the way, I thought it would be the perfect time to share this little gem of a recipe.
I struggled with what to name it. Easy lemon pie? No bake lemon pie? 🤷🏼♀️
I finally landed on no bake lemon cheesecake, since cream cheese is one of the main ingredients.
No matter what you call it, this recipe is flat out delicious. And bonus that it is super easy!
This would be great for Easter, Mothers’ Day, Memorial Day or any gathering where you want a yummy and refreshing dessert.
This no bake lemon cheesecake recipe is based on my existing no bake key lime pie recipe, which y’all seem to love. It is basically that same recipe, made with lemons instead of limes. So if you prefer lime, you may want to check out that version.
Four ingredients is all it takes, people (if you use a store-bought crust like I did). 😎👊🏻
No ovens, cooking or heat necessary, and that is a hallelujah selling point here in Alabama.🙌🏻 It gets hot down here during summer, and we don’t always want to be heating up our (already hot) homes by turning on the oven!
How to make easy no bake lemon cheesecake
You are going to want to start by letting your cream cheese sit out to soften at room temperature. Do not skip this step! It is key to getting a creamy filling.
Next, start adding your cream cheese and other ingredients to the bowl.
The filling is three ingredients: cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and lemon (both juice and zest).
Next, you are going to beat everything together. You have options here. You can use a stand mixer, a hand mixer or even a blender. I am using a hand mixer to help show you as clearly as possible how to make this recipe and what to expect.
When you start beating the filling, start on low to prevent splashing yourself. Then slowly increase your mixer speed to medium-high. After a minute or so, it will still look chunky, like this.
No worries, friends! Just keep that mixer working a few minutes until it gets creamy like this.
After you get your filling looking creamy, you will transfer it to a graham cracker pie crust. I am using a store-bought one, but feel free to use a homemade one if you prefer.
Use a spatula (or even the back of a spoon) to smooth everything around.
Then I like to reserve some of the lemon zest to sprinkle on top.
Last, you will want to let it set up in the refrigerator until everything is solid. This process should take at least 3 to 4 hours.
Of course, it can sit in the fridge longer, if need be. When it is set, it comes out in perfect slices, just like this.
No bake lemon cheesecake recipe
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No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
No bake lemon cheesecake is a refreshing, four ingredient dessert that is perfect for spring and summer. It is so simple, easy and delicious!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese (I used two 8-ounce blocks, softened at room temperature)
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (2 large lemons were enough for me, but get some extras just in case)
- zest of 1 lemon divided leave 1/3 for garnish
- graham cracker crust 10-inch, store bought
Instructions
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Add softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and 2/3 of the lemon zest to a large mixing bowl, and beat on high until smooth and creamy (about 4 minutes).
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Transfer to a graham cracker crust.
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Sprinkle reserved lemon zest in top, and refrigerate until filling is set, about 3 to 4 hours.
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Serve chilled, and garnish with extra lemon slices, if desired.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
I used a store-bought crust, but if you want to use homemade, that works too!
It may set quicker than what I recommend here, but this is how long until I checked mine.
I highly recommend using full fat cream cheese for this recipes, but you could use light (1/3 less fat) cream cheese. I would not recommend fat free cream cheese.
Zoi says
Delicious! I made my own Graham cracker crust. This was so easy! My husband loves it. He gets his favorite cheesecake flavor without all the fuss of a cheesecake. And the lemon is perfect. Next time I will top it off with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Really, really good! And no bake! Thank you!
Rachel says
Needed something fast with limited ingredients for a BBQ this afternoon and this was perfect! A refreshing and summery dessert was just what everyone was craving after all that smoked meat. I didn’t have quite enough cream cheese so I subbed in 6 oz of sour cream and my husband absolutely loved it! Tangy, creamy, and not too sweet.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay! Glad y’all enjoyed it, Rachel.
Melanie Haward says
So I am not a dessert maker or baker…. I usually leave that to others….. So over a period of 15 years I think I have made dessert about 10 times, if that, no lies. But the number of savoury dishes I have cooked are aplenty …. But I decided to give dessert another try…. I then found your recipe, it was such a success I am making it again, twice in a month!!! Everyone loves it, thank you for the amazing recipe!!!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Melanie! Thank you for letting me know that. So glad you are enjoying it.💛
P.M. says
Can one use Real lemon out of the bottle if fresh lemons not available at the time of preparation.
Thanks
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yes, you can use that. It’ll still be good, I think.
Sheridan says
This was super easy to make, it tasted amazing and my neighbours thought it was store bought! Will definitely be using this recipe again
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Sheridan! I am so happy to hear that.💛🙌🏻
June says
Marjorie in your recipe you haven’t got any butter to glue the base together so I can’t understand it so can you enlighten me thank you June
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi June! I am using an already-made crust, so everything holds together as is. No added butter is needed.👌🏻
Andrea says
So glad to find a no bake lemon recipe without pudding mix in it.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hope you enjoy it, Andrea!🙌🏻
Shweta says
Hi.. there is no need of gelatine?? Will it set hard by refrigeration alone??
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Shweta! Correct, no need for gelatin. The cream cheese is more than enough to set the pie with refrigeration. Enjoy!
monica says
I too am in isolation and have been cooking heaps, i found this recipe to be simple and instructions easy to follow. The cheesecake is a winner and i will be making this again again. Thank you so much, sincerely Mon from down under 🙂
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That makes me so happy to hear! Hopefully we’ll all be out of isolation soon.🙏🏻💖
Tori says
I used the cheesecake as a filling for a lemon layered cake and everyone loved it! Thank you for posting this recipe.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That sounds delicious, Tori! Glad you enjoyed it.💖