No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

If you follow me consistently, you might be thinking, “Hey, don’t you already have a Lemon Cheesecake recipe?” Yes, yes I do. However, that recipe, while excellent, involves making lemon curd. This recipe skips that step entirely = much easier and equally as delicious. Honestly, if I had to each lemon cheesecake everyday for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t me mad about it.

This recipe is exactly the same as my no bake key lime pie – just using lemons instead of key limes. It starts with a simple graham cracker crust that you will let sit in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling. Cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon, lemon zest, and whip cream are mixed together, poured in the crust and sprinkled with zest. The next part is crucial – let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4-8 hours. I recommend 24 hours. That allows the cheesecake to set and hold it’s shape much better. I know it is hard to wait that long. As you can see in my picture – I couldn’t wait that long!

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No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

This easy lemon cheesecake will satisfy both cravings for lemon and cheesecake with a delicious graham cracker crust and a smooth lemon filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword lemon cheesecake, no bake lemon cheesecake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 ½ cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp melted butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest plus extra for sprinkling on top
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 16 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• dash of vanilla

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

1. Place graham crackers in a food processor or blender and mix until you have fine crumbles. Pour in a medium bowl and mix in the sugar and melted butter.

2. Pour into a 9 inch pie pan. Distribute evenly around the edges and the bottom, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Cheesecake Filling

1. In a medium bowl, mix the lemon juice, lemon zest, sweetened condensed milk, and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. You will still see small lumps from the zest, just mix until there are no longer lumps of cream cheese.

2. In a small bowl, mix the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until peaks hold their shape.

3. Fold in the whip cream with the cream cheese mixture until combined. Pour into the graham cracker crust and smooth out. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon zest and refrigerate for 4-8 hours or longer.