No-Bake Easter Cheesecake

This light and creamy no-bake Easter cheesecake will be a delicious and fun addition to your Easter dessert table. The graham cracker crust is rich and buttery, and provides a slightly crunchy contrast to the velvety cheesecake filling. It's topped with colorful chocolate eggs, making it a showstopper of a dessert!

Baked cheesecakes can be a real hassle, but no-bake cheesecakes are easy enough for anyone to make! No need to make a water bath, etc. All you need is an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to make a super light and fluffy cheesecake.

This no bake Easter cheesecake is super creamy, while still being light and airy. The graham cracker crust is rich and buttery, and provides a slightly crunchy contrast to our silky smooth cheesecake. The mini chocolate eggs make it perfect for Easter, but you can top it with your favorite Easter candy!

Jump to:

• Why This Easter Cheesecake is the Best
• What Is the Difference Between Baked and No-Bake Cheesecake?
• Ingredients Needed
• How to Make No Bake Easter Cheesecake
• Expert Tips for Perfect Cheesecake
• More Easter Recipes
• No Bake Easter Cheesecake

Why This Easter Cheesecake is the Best

• Creamy, light, and velvety cheesecake filling paired with a rich and buttery graham cracker crust
• Fun and colorful Easter dessert
• No baking required

What Is the Difference Between Baked and No-Bake Cheesecake?

Baked cheesecake is quite dense and heavy, whereas no-bake cheesecake has a light and airy, whipped texture that is similar to icebox pies, like my vegan peanut butter mousse pie.

The baked variety can be made either New York-style (with cream cheese) or Italian-style (with ricotta or mascarpone). I enjoy both techniques, with the latter being a bit lighter and drier than the former.

No-bake cheesecake is typically made with a combination of cream cheese and whipped cream, which gives it a fluffy texture. And lastly, no-bake does not contain eggs and is simply chilled in the refrigerator to set, so it is a much simpler preparation. No-bake cheesecake couldn't be easier!

Ingredients Needed

• graham cracker crumbs - you'll need roughly 2 sleeves of crackers
• unsalted butter - using unsalted butter helps you control the amount of salt in your baking
• cream cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese, not low fat cream cheese. The extra water content in the latter will prevent your cheesecake from setting. Also, make sure that your cream cheese is room temperature to ensure a smooth cheesecake texture.
• fresh lemon juice - this acts as a thickener for our cheesecake, and ensures a creamy texture. Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor and texture. Learn more about the role of fresh lemon juice in making cheesecake!
• Cadbury mini eggs - any mini chocolate eggs will work, or use your favorite Easter candy!

How to Make No Bake Easter Cheesecake

*See recipe card below for printable instructions.

Make Crust

Mix the graham cracker crust ingredients together. Place ingredients into a 9-inch springform pan. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press mixture into the bottom of pan and up the sides. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Make Cheesecake Filling

Pour heavy cream into the bowl of a large stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat for several minutes on high speed until stiff peaks form, around 5 minutes. Set aside.

Using a hand mixer or large stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and granulated sugar; beat on medium-high until smooth. Add the confectioner's sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium until combined, about 2 minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix for an additional minute.

Gently fold in the whipped cream. Be careful not to deflate the air in the whipped cream.

Pour cheesecake filling into the chilled graham cracker crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. To remove cheesecake, run a knife around the edge to loosen, and slowly open latch to remove sides of pan.

Decorate the perimeter of the cheesecake with chocolate eggs or your favorite Easter candy. Slice and serve immediately. For clean slices, wipe your knife clean in-between each cut. Cover and store cheesecake in refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Expert Tips for Perfect Cheesecake

• How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
• Use room temperature cream cheese. One of the key factors in making a successful cheesecake is ensuring that your cream cheese is room temperature. If it is still cold, you will end up with lumps in your batter.
• Press firmly on crust. Since you aren't baking it, make sure that you really pack the crust into the pan. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup.
• When folding in the whipped cream, be very gentle. You have just whipped a bunch of air into your heavy cream, making a light and fluffy whipped cream, and you don't want to deflate it.
• For cleanly cut slices, dip your (sharp) knife into a glass of hot water. Wipe off your knife after each cut for clean slices.
• Chill your cheesecake for a minimum of eight hours to make sure that it is completely set.
• Beat whipped cream until stiff peaks have formed (learn how to make homemade whipped cream). I don't recommend using Cool Whip, as it's a different consistency and will be much sweeter than homemade whipped cream.

More Easter Recipes

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