Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
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This Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake is smooth, velvety, and perfect for satisfying your cheesecake cravings. Topped with yummy cherry pie filling, you can whip up this easy-to-make recipe in no time.
Each bite of this delightfully creamy dessert has the perfect balance of tangy and sweet; you’ll fall in love with this delightful dessert.
Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
I would never say no to a chocolate brownie, but when it comes to desserts, I’m a big fan of sweet, creamy, decadent desserts like cheesecake or ice cream. And a no bake cheesecake is at the top of the list. This creamy and delicious No Bake Philadelphia Cheesecake is an easy, delicious dessert that your friends and family will love!
The Easiest No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
A graham cracker crust filled with luscious no-bake cheesecake, topped with cherry pie filling for a perfect fruity, tart, but sweet topping, makes a gorgeous, delicious, and so, so easy dessert.
The Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake is incredibly simple to put together – no baking required – and minimal cleanup involved. Plus, when served, the bright red cherry filling looks absolutely stunning over the luscious cheesecake! And trust us when we say that after one bite of this decadent treat, everyone will be raving about how incredible it is. Your guests are sure to love every bite!
Why Make this no bake cheesecake recipe
- Classic cheesecake flavor without all the fuss.
- So easy to make, whether you make a homemade crust or a store-bought one. No eggs, no baking, and no water bath needed. You only need a few minutes of prep for this delicious Philadelphia no bake cheesecake.
- I used my favorite cherry pie filling as a topping for today’s dessert, but there are unlimited flavors and topping options.
- Perfect for family dinners, parties, BBQs, potlucks, and other get-togethers.
Ingredients + tips
(Ingredients at a glance; you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Premade Graham Cracker crust: This pie calls for a 9-inch graham cracker crust. You can use a premade graham cracker crust from the store or make your own pie crust using crushed graham crackers. If you want to use a spring-form pan, use an 8-inch pan. I personally use store-bought crusts when making pies for my immediate family. They are so convenient and easy to use, without needing to mix or measure ingredients. If presenting the pie to guests, I often opt (time permitting) for a homemade crust in a spring-form pan just for presentation. (I have included a crust recipe in the FAQ section.)
- Granulated sugar: I prefer to use granulated sugar, but powdered sugar will work fine as well.
- Philadelphia cream cheese: Full fat works best and will result in a firmer pie, but you can use low-fat; just do not use fat-free. The cream cheese needs to be softened to room temperature. (Room temp ingredients will ensure the cream cheese and sugar will easily combine, and you won’t over-mix the cream cheese mixture.)
- Pure vanilla extract: I always recommend using pure vanilla extract over imitation. The difference in taste between the two is like night and day.
- Heavy Cream: I use heavy cream for my no bake cheesecakes. Homemade whipped cream tastes the best, and I think it makes for a firmer pie. However, cool whip will work too. (If you want to reduce calories, lite cool whip works as well as regular.)
- Sour cream: Sour cream needs to be at room temperature before you mix it with the rest of the ingredients. This will also keep you from having lumps in your cheesecake.
- Lemon juice: This is optional, but I love using it because it enhances the tangy flavor of the cheesecake.
- Pie filling: You have many different options when it comes to the kind of fillings you can place over this Philadelphia no bake cheesecake. Blueberry Pie filling, chocolate chips, cherry pie filling, and fresh berries, are what I have used to garnish my cheesecake pies.
How to make Philadelphia no bake cheesecake
1 In a large mixing bowl, add room temperature cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix them together on low speed using a hand mixer until they are well combined and no cream cheese lumps remain. Set aside.
2 Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream into stiff peaks (about 4–5 minutes.) Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
3 Add the cheesecake mixture to the pie crust and spread it evenly with a spatula.
4 Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pie for 8 hours or, even better, overnight before serving it with your favorite toppings.
Tips for this No Bake cheesecake recipe
- Make sure your cream cheese has come to room temperature. Let it sit out for 1-2 hours before using. To speed up the bringing of the cream cheese to room temperature, you can open the foil packaging and slice the cream cheese into squares.
- To avoid issues with the cheesecake not setting properly, be sure not to overbeat the cream cheese mixture, and when folding in the whipped cream, do so slowly and gently until just combined.
- Make sure the heavy whipping cream is very cold. I like to store my bowl and beaters in the freezer before using them.
- For a firm, easy-to-slice, no bake cheesecake, refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Do not place the Philadelphia no bake cheesecake in the freezer to set; this will cause it to lose its velvety texture.
Variations
- Use a different crust: vanilla wafers or Oreos cookies work great, or replace some crushed graham crackers with 1/2 cup pulverized pecans.
- Change up the toppings. You could use Strawberry Pie filling, Blueberry Pie filling, chocolate chips, raspberry sauce, caramel, or fresh fruit.
- Add Lemon curd. (Like I did in this no-bake lemon cheesecake.)
- Add 1 cup of melted white or semi-sweet chocolate chips to the cheesecake mixture for chocolate no bake cheesecake.
Storage
Store this cheesecake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to five days.
To freeze, wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Pin this recipe for later.
FAQs
What’s the difference between no-bake and baked cheesecake?
No-bake cheesecakes typically don’t have eggs in them. After making them, they are usually placed in a fridge to set. Baked cheesecakes have eggs and are baked in a water bath in the oven.
How do I make a homemade graham cracker pie crust?
Place 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs ( 9 to 11 graham cracker sheets), 3 tablespoons sugar, and 7 tablespoons of melted butter into a food processor. Mix until the mixture is well combined. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan or springform pan.
Do I need to bake the graham cracker crust?
No, a store-bought graham cracker crust is ready to use. If you make your own crust, I like to place it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so while putting together the rest of the cheesecake. This helps the crust solidify.
Can I Double Or Triple This Recipe For A Party?
You certainly can. Everyone loves this Philadelphia no bake cheesecake recipe! No changes need to be made to the recipe, except you will want to make multiple pies or use a 9 x 13 pan and a homemade graham cracker crust. For the 9 by 13 pan, use 2 cups crushed graham crackers, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and 8 tablespoons melted butter.
Why Does My Cheesecake Have Lumps?
It probably has lumps because the cream cheese wasn’t at room temperature before mixing it with the other ingredients.
Can I use a cool whip?
Yes, you can replace the homemade whipped cream with 8oz of cool whip or other whipped topping.
Can I use low-fat or fat-free cream cheese?
Low-fat cream cheese will work fine, although it may result in a slightly less firm cheesecake. I do not recommend fat-free cream cheese for this easy cheesecake recipe.
Why is it called a Philadelphia Cheesecake?
This cheesecake is called Philadelphia cheesecake because its main ingredient is Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Interestingly enough, Philadelphia Cream Cheese is not made in Philadelphia. It was first made in New York.
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Lemon Cheesecake Pie
- No Bake Mini Cheesecake Bites
- Blueberry Cheesecake Surprise
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice cream
- Carrot Cake Bars with a cream cheese swirl
- No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Blueberry Cheesecake
Did you make this Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake?
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Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 15
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: desserts
- Method: no bake
Description
This No Bake Philadelphia Cheesecake is smooth, velvety, and perfect for satisfying your cheesecake cravings. Topped with yummy cherry pie filling, you can whip up this easy-to-make recipe in no time.
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch graham cracker crust (Homemade graham cracker crust recipe is in the FAQ section)
- 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
- 8 oz package of Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream.
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Optional: topping of choice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add room temperature cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix them together on low speed using a hand mixer until they are well combined and no cream cheese lumps remain. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream into stiff peaks (about 4–5 minutes.) Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Add the cheesecake mixture to the pie crust and spread it evenly with a spatula.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the pie for 8 hours or, even better, overnight before serving it with your favorite toppings.
Notes
*nutrition calculated without toppings
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 429
- Fat: 30
- Carbohydrates: 39
- Protein: 4
