Cheesecake is delicious, but can be really heavy. It’s not the kind of thing you’re going to want after a meal like pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy. This version gives you the same taste with a much lighter texture. And it’s a no-bake, so it won’t heat your kitchen up in the summer, either.
Ingredients
graham cracker crust
16 ounces (2 packs) cream cheese
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups heavy cream
Directions
Combine the cream cheese and the powdered sugar and beat until thoroughly combined. I know I’ve said this before, but if you’re trying to do this by hand … good luck.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream with a hand mixer until it turns into whipped cream. It can take a while without seeing any change, then all at once it will turn fluffy. Put the bowl in the freezer for a bit before starting to speed up the process.
You can see my previous post for a video of the process. That time I sweetened the cream, you don’t need to for this recipe.
Add the vanilla and the whipped cream to the cheese and beat gently until just combined. You don’t want to deflate the cream.
Spread the mixture into your graham cracker crust.
Put the finished pie in the freezer for an hour, or the fridge for two or more hours.
Slice …
… top with fresh fruit …
… and that’s it.
34 Comments
I love no bake cheesecakes. This looks great!
um-ummmmmm!
Looks awesome, my mom used to make something a lot like this. It was called Cherri-o Cream Cheese Pie and it was topped with cherry pie filling. I loved it, I used to have it for my birthday dessert (although I would never have it with the pie filling, I either ate it plain or with raspberry jam.) I haven’t made that in ages, I should break it out soon.
OK, I’ll make this for my husband who doesn’t like dessert. Unless it’s cheesecake, my special brownies (it’s the cinnamon!), Brahm’s vanilla ice cream (a Dallas thing), or my version of his grannie’s Million Dollar Pie. Wow, he sure likes a lot of desserts.
Bob, the recipe I followed called for cherry pie filling … and a tub of Cool Whip. There’s a good chance our recipes came from the same place.
Stephanie, yes clearly he doesn’t like dessert. :-/
That looks absolutely delicious.
This looks lovely and I need to try it.
I second what a lot of folks have already said–I have a soft spot for no-bake cheesecake. ‘Course, you know I’m going to say, where’s the salt?
And now, I offer Mrs. McCorkle’s Cherry Yum Yum from 1976.
1 box yellow cake mix
2 sticks of melted butter
cherry pie filling from a can
Mix cake mix and butter. Spread in pan. Top with cherry goo. Bake until bubbly, golden brown and ridiculous.
Crazy, and full of not-so-good-for-us things, but Yowza!
Doh! Completely forgot about the salt. Okay, so about how much should I have added for this?
I have made a similar recipe for a few years and have come up with a couple variations. I have made a pineapple cheesecake using pineapple extract and crushed pineapple and a strawberry cheesecake using strawberry cream cheese and sliced strawberries on top. Both are insanely delicious.
Pineapple sounds good. Hmm, fruit right in the cheese … My wife thinks I’m strange, but I like citrus with chocolate. I think I’ll try this with an oreo crumb crust and a little orange juice in the cream cheese.
This is the way I like to enjoy cheesecake…nice and creamy!
I have to admit that I’ve never really seen the problem in having a heavy dessert after a heavy meal. But then, pretty much the only kinds of desserts I like are heavy. Sorbet? Pffffft.
This is such a brilliant site! Yep, that dessert looks just like grandma would make. Except my grandma would’ve had a glass of brandy in her hand while making it…
Kristin, if I went out after dinner to slop the hogs — or whatever it is you country folk do — I could probably handle it. But I’m going to sit down and watch TV. If I do a heavy dinner and a heavy dessert, I’ll fall asleep and miss the end of whatever I’m watching.
Alexis, the more I talk to people about their grandmothers, the more I think they were the ones rotating the stock in the liquor cabinets, not the grandfathers. I’m not sure what to make of that.
Substitute real vanilla for vanilla extract. I got a real Bourbon vanilla bean from an online Juliet Mae Spices. It is just as easy and a value. If you must use extract, make your own, also easy, bean meet vodka.
I forgot to put it in the picture (Doh!) but I’m using real vanilla. Sure, I’m not be starting from beans. But there are so many things I do have to make, because everything else available in the store is bad, that I’ll take the few decent convenience foods I can find. And real vanilla is one of them.
Thanks for the recipe and the pic of the ingredients in their packets! It’s always nice to see food packaging from other countries!
That’s not from other countries, that’s all from … oh, you’re in another country.
Great looking recipe, plus unique! I’d love a piece right now.
Well then you’re just going to have to make one, aren’t you?
Wow, that looks incredibly delicious. Shame I don’t have all the ingredients right now…
I’m sure there’s a store nearby. Maybe one open 24 hours?
I just made this and it didn’t end up turning out right. I could tell at the “mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar” stage that something was wrong because it was very liquid and your picture shows it as more solid. After 2 hours in the fridge it is still all soupy. What did I do wrong?
Molly, were you perhaps using a low-fat version of any ingredient? Those just don’t work out as well, or maybe your cheese or cream was a little ’round the bend? That’s the only think I can think of.
Molly, was the cream cheese very soft or very warm when you started? Did you have anything else in the bowl besides the cream cheese and sugar? I really can’t think of anything except maybe that the mixing bowl was really hot, like from the dishwasher, or something was wrong with your mixer. I wish I could be more helpful, but I’ve never seen cream cheese do that.
Yum! This sounds delicious! I look forward to trying out the recipe.
Wow, that looks absolutely delicious! Great post, you did such a nice job presenting the pictures too…I am definitely going to have to try that recipe this weekend! Thanks
Ohhhhhhh how I miss my grandmother’s cooking…this looks so delicious and I love the fact that it is so easy with so few ingredients. Can’t wait to give it a try. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Many thanks!!
Oh my!! This one will really make my nephew happy. He loves baking and at the same time, he also loves creams and icing.
Heh, does this even count as baking? I'm not so sure.
I made this cake last night for my husbands birthday, with fresh strawberries!! yum, yum…it came out perfect. My mom used to make a pie called peaches and cream she would make it with sourcream and actually bake it. This to me is much better…
Angie, I've seen a chocolate sour cream cake, but this is the first pie I've heard of. Sounds like it could be good, do you have the recipe?
Hi Drew
You and your bloggers are the cutest. With that said! I am going to try your recipe. I made a No-Bake CheeseCake today. It's to die for and always requested. Just wanted to share with you.
My name is Angie. I stumbled across your website looking to make French Onion Soup. I checked out most of your recipes since I was here
2 blocks of Cream Cheese
1 jar of Lemon Curd (or Lime whatever flavor you like)
Sugar to taste
This is what I do:
Blend the Cream Cheese (but dont whip)
Add the Lemon Curd and Blend
Finally Add sugar (I dont measure, just pour to taste, so maybe 1/4 cup)
Then WHIP THAT BABY GOOD
Fill up the Mini (individual size) Pre-Made Graham Cracker Crusts and drizzle a small amount of Caramel on top. Refigerate for 2 hours.
When I say UM UM GOOD…TRUST ME!
On the Holidays I get fancy and add Lemon and/or Lime slices or Peels to the top.
Try it out if you're interested!