Name: No Bake Cheesecake With Cool Whip
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese; 1/2 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 8 ounces Cool Whip; Prepared graham cracker crust (see notes below); Fresh fruit for topping

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This quick and easy No Bake Cheesecake with Cool Whip is a smooth and creamy dessert that’s perfect any time of year. Top with seasonal fresh berries or your favorite fruit pie filling and you’ll have a crowd-pleasing cheesecake without even having to open your oven door.

Craving a big slice of homemade cheesecake but don’t feel like fussing over baking one? I get it! Baking traditional cheesecakes are not as easy as some would think. Not only do they take a lot of ingredients, but you also have to bake it perfectly in a water bath hoping it doesn’t crack. And that’s why you’re going to love this no-bake, no-fuss version!

This easy cheesecake recipe uses just a handful of ingredients and it comes together in just 15 minutes. I mean, don’t you just love it when the best desserts are also so simple to make. I know I do, and no bake desserts are my absolute favorite!

These Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake Bites, Peanut Butter and Coconut No Bake Cookies and fun little Unicorn Cheesecake Bites are a few of my other go-to no bake dessert recipes for when I need a dessert in a snap.

Why We Love this Recipe?

Easy dessert: This is truly one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make. It’s a great recipe to get the kids involved in. You just let them mix up all the ingredients, pour it into prepared pie crust and chill!
Versatile: This cheesecake recipe acts as a blank canvas for any of your favorite fresh fruit or pie filling toppings to make a delicious dessert that takes very little effort.
Perfect summer dessert: Even though you can make it anytime of the year, it’s especially great on hot summer days when you aren’t wanting to heat up your oven just to make a dessert.

What’s Needed for this No Bake Cheesecake Recipe?

Cream cheese-for best results, use full fat cream cheese

Sugar-white granulated sugar sweetens everything up as it breaks down in the cream cheese

Vanilla– you can use real vanilla extract or almond extract

Cool whip-full fat cool whip is recommended

Prepared graham cracker crust -store bought or homemade graham cracker crust

Fresh fruit or pie filling– for topping your cheesecake

How to Make No Bake Cheesecake

Step 1. Combine sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl.

Step 2. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until well combined.

Step 3. Mix in vanilla extract until well incorporated, making sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.

Adding vanilla extract to cream cheese and sugar

Step 4. Using a rubber spatula, fold Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture.

Folding cool whip into cream cheese mixture

Step 5. Pour the creamy filling into prepared graham cracker pie crust and use the back of a spoon to smooth out the top.

No bake cheesecake in graham cracker crust

Step 6. Top the cool whip cheesecake mixture with fresh fruit and additional whipped topping. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for two hours.

No bake cool whip cheesecake with berries

How Long Does Cheesecake Last?

Fridge: Cover the cheesecake with the lid that comes with the crust, or a double layer of plastic wrap and it will stay fresh 5-6 days in the fridge.

Freezer: You can either freeze the entire pie or individual slices. Double wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap, followed with a layer of aluminum foil. Label the outside of the foil with the date the cheesecake was made. Place in the freezer for up to a month, or two at the most.

No bake cool whip cheesecake with berries and striped napkin

Can I Make Mini Cheesecake with this Recipe?

You sure can! All you have to do is buy a package of store-bought mini pie crusts, or you can use this recipe for Homemade Graham Cracker Crust, that uses crushed graham cracker crumbs and just a couple other ingredients. You can then divide it up in a muffin tin, lined with cupcake liners.

Allow the cheesecake mixture to chill until it has set up and they are ready to serve!

Want to make it even easier? Use phyllo shells to make these cheesecake bites and you don’t have to worry about a crust at all.

No bake cool whip cheesecake with strawberries and blueberries

Tips for Making the Best No Bake Cheesecake Dessert

If you prefer, you can make your own whipped cream instead of using Cool Whip. Make sure you start with really cold heavy whipping cream and beat with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until it forms stiff peaks. If the whipped cream isn’t firm enough, your cheesecake won’t be able to hold its form when sliced.

Cream cheese is a key ingredient. Be sure you use full fat cream cheese, not light cream cheese or cream cheese spread.

Avoid over mix the filling. You’ll want to use an electric mixer, not a food processor to mix everything up. You want to mix the ingredients just until everything comes together. Over mixing will break down the cool whip and will make your filling runny.

To prevent a lumpy cheesecake filling, be sure that you start with room temperature cream cheese. It will blend well and give you a smooth and creamy filling.

The hardest part about this recipe is allowing it to chill for a couple hours. But in order to get nice and clean sliced of cheesecake, you won’t want to hurry this step.

Can I Make this Dessert in Advance?

Absolutely! One of my favorite things about this cheesecake is that it’s great made up to several days in advance! This is a huge time saver during the holidays or for special occasions when you’re tied up preparing other dishes.

Slice of no bake cheesecake on white stacked plates

No Bake Cheesecake Variations

Once you see how amazing this no bake cheesecake filling is, have fun changing up the toppings to make countless variations. The following flavor options are some of our favorites you may want to try next time!

No bake cherry cheesecake: If you love cherry, all you have to do is add 1/2 can of cherry pie filling to the top of your cheesecake and you’ll have a rich and fluffy cherry cheesecake.

Caramel apple cheesecake: Add 1/2 can apple pie filling as a topping for your cheesecake, then drizzle caramel syrup over the apples and finish it off with a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers. SO good!

Christmas Cheesecake: This recipe makes the best fluffy cranberry cheesecake using whole berry cranberry sauce! Loosen up the can of cranberry sauce with a little fresh lemon juice or orange juice and use it just as you would any other fruit topping.

Banana Split cheesecake: Top the cheesecake with a layer of freshly sliced bananas, then a 1/2 can drained, crushed pineapple. Drizzle the pineapple with chocolate syrup. The finish it off with maraschino cherries and chopped nuts. It’s like a banana split in pie form!

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake: While mixing the cream cheese filing you can add about 1/2 lemon curd or for a more subtle lemon flavor, you can add some lemon extract to the filling mixture. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.

Blueberry cheesecake: Blueberry pie filling makes a great topping for this cheesecake. Strawberry pie filling is amazing with this recipe as well.

Chocolate cheesecake: Add some chocolate chips to the cheesecake mixture then drizzle the top of the cheesecake with a little chocolate syrup. You could even use a chocolate graham cracker crust for even chocolate flavor.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Add 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter to the cheesecake mixture then top it off with mini-Reese’s cups.

Caramel pecan: It is so easy to make this recipe into a fluffy caramel pecan cheesecake by just folding in some chopped pecans, then topping it with caramel syrup and additional chopped pecans.

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