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This no bake lemon cheesecake is rich, creamy, tangy, and made with just 6 ingredients! I love how easy it is to make with little prep time.
Love cheesecake recipes? Try my coconut cheesecake, biscoff cheesecake, peanut butter cheesecake, and strawberry cheesecake.
It’s no secret that I adore all things lemon, especially in desserts. Now, when made into a creamy and rich cheesecake, it’s honestly my favorite way to enjoy it… and it’s so easy, too!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It needs just 6 Ingredients. Unlike other desserts, this needs few ingredients and they are easy ones at that!
- There is no baking required. This could not be any more simple to make. The hard part is waiting for it to set.
- Minimal prep is required. Similar to my cherry cheesecake, the total hands-on time is less than 5 minutes, so you have no excuses.
- Perfect texture. It’s smooth, creamy, and topped with a thick lemon curd. It’s sweet, tastes slightly tart, and with notes of citrus without being overpowering.
Ingredients needed
- Pie crust. I used a homemade graham cracker crust (graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar), but any 9-inch pie crust can be used. I’ve had success with store-bought crusts and it’s honestly a time saver.
- Cream cheese. Softened cream cheese, from a block and not from a tub (spreadable cream cheese).
- Powdered sugar (confectioners sugar).
- Heavy cream. It gives the cheesecake extra creaminess and balances out the tartness of the cream cheese. I tried this with heavy whipping cream and found it lacked some of the structure.
- Lemon juice. It’s a lemon dessert, folks, so please use fresh lemon juice (but bottled juice works in a pinch).
- Yellow food coloring. Optional, but I like to add a couple of drops if I really want the yellow color to stand out.
- Lemon curd. It’s optional, but it gives an extra layer of sweet lemon on top.
How to make a no bake lemon cheesecake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the crust. Start by preparing your crust and refrigerating it until the filling is made. I like to allow at least 20 minutes chilling time so the crust has time to firm up.
Step 2- Make the filling. Next, in a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat together until smooth and thick.
Step 3- Set. Pour into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Step 4- Add lemon curd. Once the cheesecake has set, spread it with a lemon spread if desired. If you do this step, chill the cheesecake once more for 30 minutes for the curd to firm up slightly. Once set, slice, add whipped cream, and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- You must refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. This not only thickens the filling beautifully but also allows the lemon flavor to seep throughout the mixture.
- Please ensure all your ingredients are close to room temperature, to make mixing the filling easier and void of any clumps.
- For an even more pronounced lemon flavor, add some lemon zest to the filling.
- Garnish the cake with whipped cream, lemon slices,
Dietary swaps and substitutions
What we adore about this cheesecake is just how versatile it is. Want to make it sugar-free? No problem. Have a dairy allergy? Got you covered. Here is everything we’ve tested:
- Cut the carbs. Easily make this keto-friendly by swapping out the sugar for keto powdered sugar. You can also spread keto lemon curd on top.
- Skip the dairy. With dairy-free options of cream cheese and heavy cream at most grocery stores, this is a simple swap.
- Add more citrus. If you want this a little less tangy, substitute half the lemon for orange or blood orange juice.
- Make these into bars. For lemon cheesecake bars, simply prepare the crust in a square pan (8 x 8-inch), covered completely with parchment paper.
Storage instructions
To store: Cheesecake softens when left at room temperature. As such, you must keep the cheesecake stored in the refrigerator, covered. It will remain fresh for up to 2 weeks. If you do prefer a creamier cheesecake, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, before enjoying it.
To freeze: Place lemon cheesecake slices in a shallow container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More cheesecake recipes you’ll enjoy
- No Bake Oreo cheesecake
- Healthy cheesecake
- No bake chocolate cheesecake
- Peach cheesecake
- Mango cheesecake
- Cottage cheese cheesecake
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust * See notes
- 2 1/2 cups cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 drops yellow food coloring optional
- 1 cup lemon curd optional
Instructions
- Prepare your cheesecake crust and refrigerate until ready to fill.
- In a mixing bowl with a beater attached, add your softened cream cheese and powdered sugar, and beat until smooth. Add the double cream, lemon juice, and yellow food coloring and beat until smooth and thick.
- Transfer the mixture onto the prepared pie crust. Refrigerate overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator and if desired, top with a thick layer of lemon curd.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published November 2020, updated and republished April 2024
Hi,its look very nice the cheesecake no bake thank for sending me recipe i appreciate it
You are so welcome!
Hi, where can I find your keto recipes.
Go to the top and recipes under diet- there’s hundreds of keto recipes
thanks so much💕
You are welcome!
Delicious cheesecake
i have friends coming from California for Christmas and she loves cheesecake as much as i so am going to try this recipe[lemon curd cheesecake no bake], and see how she likes it. we’ve never had a no bake before this will be my first to make. sounds easy so we’ll see!!. i will do 2x size so will do in a 9or10″ spring form pan.
This looks yum, I will try it
Looks easy to make beautiful recipes
Looking forward to trying your recipes
Love it Best ever!!!!
I also put some Gelatine in mine
Love it 😊
Thanks, Kea!
I LOVE FRUIT CAKES
I love any flavour cheese cake
Very good
Very good
This cheesecake-that my dream…. 😊 😊
What can I say this cheesecake looks amazing I have to save this recipe for my friend
Will definitely try this recipe. Looks delicious.
Hi did you mean we should use block cream cheese or from a tub? In the UK philadelphia cream cheese only cones in a tub.
They should come in blocks too (i.e. baking blocks). If not, the cleanest tub variety is fine.
woohoo can’t wait to make. i am down anything Lemon..wish you would state what Pan and Size used..
Says at the beginning to use a 9” pan. You could use an 8” pan, then the cheesecake would just be a bit deeper.
I made this for Mother’s Day and everyone loved it! I made the lemon curd to go with it and the almond flour crust. Really delicious!
Hello Arman, Have you tried making a no bake cheesecake using knox Gelatin and a no calorie sweetener in place of the sugar knox calls for? This makes for a smooth cheesecake with a bit more firmness. No carbs from the gelatin, does add protein and has no dairy, (but I guess it is not Vegan). For Vegan, Xanthan gum may be a suitable sub for the Knox. Would have to experiment to get the right consistency. I use the Xanthan Gum for thickening sauces it can get quite firm if incorrectly measured. Just wondering, perhaps you have tried them and don’t like the results?
I haven’t tried that, so feel free to experiment and see 🙂
Very good
Cannot have dairy, can I use coconut cream for the heavy cream?
Not that I’ve tried, but you can use plant based double cream.