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Piece of no-bake lemon cheesecake with graham crust and strawberry on top
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No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake is extra creamy, bursting with lemon, and the perfect easy cheesecake recipe. If you love lemon desserts - then this lemon cheesecake is for you. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Chilling 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 504kcal

Equipment

  • 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 2 ½ cups graham crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (140 grams) melted

Lemon Cheesecake

  • 1 ¼ cup whipping cream (300 ml) 33-35% MF
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 24 oz cream cheese (680 grams) full-fat, brick style
  • 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar (138 grams) sifted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml) freshly squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract to taste
  • whipping cream, berries and lemon slices to serve, optional

Instructions

  • Lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) round springform pan.

Graham Cracker Crust

  • In a medium  bowl stir together the graham crumbs, sugar and melted butter. 
  • Pour/spoon the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Press it into the bottom and up the sides. It should be about ⅔ up the sides of the pan.
  • Place in the freezer as you make the filling

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Filling

  • In a medium bowl, beat together the whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go.
  • Beat the 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract into the cream cheese. I recommend first adding in only ½ teaspoon lemon extract. If the filling doesn't have a strong enough lemon flavor for you, add in an additional ½ teaspoon.
  • Turn off the mixer. Very carefully fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Do this gently until you no longer see streaks of whipped cream in the mixture. It should be an even consistency.
  • Spoon the cheesecake over the crust and smooth the top.
  • Place cheesecake in the fridge to set for at least 6 hours or overnight. 

Serving

  • When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the fridge.
  • Using a sharp, thin knife, carefully trace around the edge of the springform pan. Then unclamp the pan.
  • Optionally, decorate around the edges of the cheesecake with additional whipped cream, lemon slices and berries
  • Slice the cheesecake using a thin, sharp knife (not a table knife). Be sure to cut all the way through the crust.

Notes

  1. Crust: If you only want the crust on the bottom of the cheesecake and not up the sides, use 1 ⅓ cup graham crumbs, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and ⅓ cup melted butter. 
  2. Graham Crumbs: If you cannot get graham crumbs (such as readers in Australia and the UK), they can be substituted with crushed digestive biscuits. Omit the sugar from the crust. You will likely only need 9 tablespoons of melted butter (126 grams). 
  3. Lemon Extract: This can be found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. If you want to omit the lemon extract, the flavor will just not be quite as strong.
  4. Lemons: You will need 1 large lemon or 2 smaller lemons for this recipe, plus an additional lemon if you'd like to decorate the edges with lemon slices. 
  5. Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 slice of cheesecake, without any additional whipped cream to decorate, assuming the cake is sliced into 12 equal pieces.
  6. Storage: Store cheesecake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftovers can be placed in a freezer container and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge. 

Nutrition

Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1418IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg