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This No Bake Vanilla Cheesecake is incredibly smooth, light and airy. And it will go perfect with so many toppings!

No Bake Vanilla Cheesecake

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake for beginners, easy cheesecake, no bake cheesecake, no bake cheesecake without gelatin, no bake vanilla cheesecake, vanilla cheesecake
Prep Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 289kcal
Author: Malinda Linnebur
This No Bake Vanilla Cheesecake is decadently smooth and creamy, with a classic graham cracker crust. It’s rich and tangy like a traditional cheesecake, yet airy and light at the same time. The simple vanilla whipped cheesecake base makes it the ideal canvas for any flavor topping!
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • cups graham cracker crumbs (about ten full sheets)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake Filling

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream very cold
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (full fat) softened

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Using a food processor or blender grind the crackers until you have fine crumbs. Otherwise place crackers in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs. It is important to have fine crumbs so the crust holds together well.
  • In a medium sized bowl combine the crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the butter until well combined. The mixture should be thick, coarse and sandy.
  • Press the mixture in one even layer on the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Use a flat measuring cup or the bottom of a glass to help compact the crust. This is very important or the crust may fall apart. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.

Cheesecake Filling

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer or in a large bowl beat the heavy whipping cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In another large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth.
  • Spoon the whipped cream into the cream cheese and fold in gently just until combined. Spoon into the prepared crust and spread into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  • TO SERVE: Run a knife around the perimeter of the pan then unclasp and remove outer ring. Serve with desired toppings.

Notes

  1. Start with very soft cream cheese and cold whipping cream. The cream cheese absolutely must be soft if you want a smooth and silky filling. The cream must be cold to help it whip quickly.
  2. Use a springform pan. It will make it much easier to serve into nice slices (trust me!), plus it gives it the look of a traditional cheesecake.
  3. Make sure the crackers are very fine crumbs, then press the crust down firmly with a glass or the bottom of a measuring cup. This will make sure the crust holds together.
  4. Serve this cheesecake cold. Because it doesn't have gelatin, it will soften considerably the longer it sits outside the refrigerator. I don't recommend letting it sit out longer than 1 hour, but 30 minutes would be the best.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 758IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg