Cool Whip Cheesecake
No Bake Cheesecake is prepped in just 20 minutes using ingredients like extra creamy cool whip, powdered sugar, and cream cheese! Provides a dozen thick, fluffy, and creamy slices!
No bake cheesecake recipes like this one, No Bake Nutella Cheesecake Bars, and No Bake Oreo Cheesecake always have a place in my kitchen in the warmer months!
This No Bake Cheesecake Recipe Just Might Change Your Life!
Relax this Summer by making this quick and easy No Bake Cheesecake! Don’t worry; this easy cheesecake recipe doesn’t mean it sacrifices flavor for ease!
This will very well be one of the best cheesecakes you’ve ever tasted! It’s perfectly thick and creamy and has the same mouthwatering cheesecake tang and a classic graham cracker crust!
And you get ALL of that with just 20 minutes of hands-on time! After that, pop it in the fridge, and your work is done – making it a great dessert to make the night before a picnic, cookout, or family get-together!
No Bake Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Powdered sugar
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Sour cream
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- Extra Creamy Cool-Whip
What Is A Substitute For Lemon Juice In No Bake Cheesecake?
You could use any citrus juice, but it’s important to note that it may alter the taste slightly. Since this is a no-bake recipe, I don’t recommend substituting it with vinegar, which is a common substitution for lemon juice.
However, if you don’t have any lemon juice, you can omit it completely without any other changes to the recipe.
How To Make This Cool Whip Cheesecake
- Prepare the crust by melting the butter and then stirring it with the graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar until evenly moistened.
- Add the crust mixture to a springform pan and then press it into the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Cream the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl, then add in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until fully combined and no lumps remain.
- Fold in the Cool Whip until fully incorporated, then transfer to the prepared crust and spread it out evenly. Chill for at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.
Best Ways To Serve Cool Whip No Bake Cheesecake
The key to any good, blank cheesecake is delicious toppings! Though this cheesecake is definitely yummy enough to eat plain!
My go-to toppings include whipped cream and homemade strawberry sauce! It’d be fun to serve this cheesecake to a crowd with a fun toppings bar!
This way, everyone can dress their slice up according to their taste buds! Top cheesecake with your favorite toppings. Here are some ideas:
- Chocolate Syrup
- Fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
- Crushed Oreos and other cookies.
- Slow Cooker Dulce de leche Caramel Sauce
- Canned fruit fillings like cherry pie filling or blueberry!
Is No Bake Cheesecake Better Than Baked Cheesecake?
Whether one is better or not is truly a personal preference. For me, I enjoy no-bake cheesecakes WAY more than baked ones. I like the flavor more, I like the texture more (it’s so fluffy), and I love the ease and simplicity of making them.
You’ll have to wait several hours to cut into either of them, so there’s no advantage either way in that department. But if baking is your preference, I personally think my New York Style Cheesecake is pretty amazing, and I spent months perfecting it!
How To Store No Bake Cheesecake
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy them for 4 to 5 days.
Can You Freeze No Bake Cheesecake?
Yes, freezing this no-bake cheesecake is a great option! Once the cheesecake has fully set in the refrigerator, wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
How Long Can This Cheesecake Be Left Out At Picnics And BBQs?
It shouldn’t be left out in the heat for too long, as it does soften. Once it has softened, slicing and serving become more difficult. Therefore, I’d suggest slicing and serving and then getting it back to the fridge or cooler in a timely manner.
More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love:
- Sopapilla Cheesecake – This Spanish-inspired dessert is made with crescent roll dough!
- Deep-Fried Cheesecake Bites – Crispy yet creamy dessert bites worth indulging in!
- Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake – Chocolate lovers will appreciate this rich, delicious dessert!
- Oreo Chocolate Mint Cheesecakes – Mini desserts loaded with sweet, minty flavor!
- Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars – Creamy cheesecake tucked between two chocolate chip cookie layers!
Steps
Crust
Melt the butter in a medium bowl and add the graham cracker crumbs and ¼ cup of powdered sugar and stir until evenly moistened.
Transfer the crust mixture to a springform pan and spread out, then use the bottom of a cup to press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan. The mixture does not need to come all the way up the sides. Set the pan aside.
Cheesecake Filling
Add the cream cheese to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream at medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the powdered sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix at low speed until the sugar is incorporated then increase the speed to high and whip for 1 minute. Scraping down the sides as needed so everything is evenly combined and there are no lumps.
Fold in the cool whip with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated. The mixture will be thick and stiff.
Spread the filling mixture out in the prepared crust, the filling may come above the crust in the pan, but that's okay. Make sure to really press the filling in since it's a bit aerated and you don't want large bubbles. Just be careful around the edges so you don't pull the crust back into the filling. Smooth out the top and cover with aluminum foil.
Chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours. When ready to slice, run a chef's knife under hot water to heat the blade, then slice. Clean and heat the blade after each slice for clean and even cuts.
Topping
Top with whipped cream, strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce or your other favorite toppings before serving.
Notes
- I recommend using full-fat cream cheese, sour cream, and cool whip in this recipe. However, low-fat options would also work, it just may not be as creamy.
- Homemade whipped cream can be used in place of cool whip, however, when I used it during testing I found that the cheesecake didn't stay as stable at room temperature for as long as when made with cool whip. This to me was the main reason I chose to stick with cool whip because no-bake cheesecakes are traditionally a summer dessert and I wanted it to be a bit more heat-friendly.
- Speaking of heat, this cheesecake really should stay out in the heat for too long as it will still soften, and as it softens it becomes hard to slice and move since the crust will also soften when the butter begins to warm up.
- What I love about this recipe is that it has the signature tang of a baked cheesecake and once chilled it has the "crumb" sort of texture that's thick and creamy. I'd actually rather eat and make this cheesecake than a traditional New York Style.
- You could make this with an Oreo crust.
Nutrition
- Calories443
- Carbs36g
- Protein6g
- Fat32g
- Saturated fat18g
- Fiber1g
- Sugar24g
- Sodium360mg
Estimates per serving, when a serving size is listed.
