We love to bake, but baking during these hot summer months can really heat up our kitchen. So we’ve made sure to have a few quick and easy no-bake treats in our summer recipe tins. A no-bake lemon cheesecake is just the light and refreshing treat we had in mind for a hot summer evening. The combination of cool, sweet cream cheese with bright citrusy lemon and a crumbly graham cracker topping is about as refreshing as a cheesecake can get.
Aside from the crushing of graham crackers and the blending with a hand mixer, this is definitely a no-sweat no-bake recipe. The shortcut here is the lemon pie filling, then the not overly sweet cream cheese filling that we whip up super quickly. All of this is topped with crunchy graham crackers for yet another layer of texture and flavor. A little time in the refrigerator will help the cheesecake to set and come out nice and cool for a warm summer day.
Get the kids involved in this one! They can smash graham crackers and help make the cream cheese filling. Our kiddos love becoming little chefs and serving up a delicious dessert. This no-bake lemon cheesecake is perfect for sharing and couldn’t be any more adorable than when served in mini mason jars, but any small vessel will do for serving. To serve up these little beauties, we whip up some fresh whipped cream to dollop on top and crown each cup with a slice of fresh lemon as garnish. These yummy petite cheesecakes are perfect for hosting everything from a barbecue to a baby shower, and couldn’t be easier to make or more delightful to eat!
No-Bake Lemon Cheesecakes
20 minutes active, 2 hours inactive to prepare serves 4
INGREDIENTS
½ cup graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup lemon pie filling
1 lemon, sliced
PREPARATION
Mix ½ cup crushed graham crackers with sugar and butter until well combined. Set aside.
Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add cup ½ heavy cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
Assemble cheesecakes in a small mason jar, glasses, or bowls. Add 2 generous tablespoons of lemon pie filling then top with cream cheese mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of crushed graham crackers to top. Chill cheesecakes for 1-2 hours in refrigerator to set.
To serve, beat ½ cup heavy cream with 3 tablespoons powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon whipped cream on top. Garnish with slices of lemon.