36 No-Bake Cheesecake Recipes for Summer Parties (2024)

FAQs

How far in advance can you make a cheesecake for a party? ›

Best of all, cheesecakes can be made in advance, meaning there's one less thing to do on the day you're entertaining. Cheesecakes can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. For even more convenience, bake a cheesecake weeks in advance and freeze it!

They both are great in their own way. It all narrows down to your personal preferences. If you enjoy dense and velvety cake, a baked cheesecake is the one for you. Or if you crave some light and airy dessert post-dinner, go for the no-bake one.

Second, cheesecakes absolutely taste best at room temperature, so after chilling let it stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

If your cheese cake doesn't taste creamy, or if it's gone runny despite using fridge-cold ingredients, the most likely reason is that you used low fat ingredients. Use full fat cream cheese (ideally 33% fat or higher) and heavy cream (around 37% fat).

No-bake cheesecake must be refrigerated when it is first made to allow it to set properly. It also requires refrigerating for storage and should not sit out longer than two hours for serving. Any leftovers should also be refrigerated.

Many recipes say to let the cheesecake sit in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for about an hour, then let it cool completely on the counter. It also needs to spend four hours, or ideally overnight, in the fridge before slicing and eating to ensure the perfect velvety smooth texture.

Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6-8 hours, but overnight is better. For a sturdy no-bake cheesecake with beautifully neat slices, refrigerate for at least 12 hours. This makes for a great make-ahead dessert!

If you're a fan of no-bake desserts—especially no-bake cheesecakes—you'll want to pick up Prairie Farms cream cheese. This cream cheese was the firmest we sampled. While that made it harder to spread across bagels, our Test Kitchen tasters agree this quality makes it perfect for no-bake recipes.

Cheesecake is not expensive to make. It's cheap. Really, it is — you just have to know a few handy tips to trim that price down.

Another common mistake is not pre-baking the crust. Before you add your batter, it's important that your crust has a short 8-10 minute visit in the oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). This sets and seals the crust to prepare it for the wet batter. Make sure it's completely cooled before adding the batter.

Can I leave my cheesecake out overnight to cool? ›

Then, they must be cooled at room temperature (about 1 hour) to set and refrigerated. Eggs and milk have high protein and moisture content, and they're the primary ingredients in cheesecake, so when cheesecake is left at room temperature, conditions are ripe for bacteria to multiply.

To thicken a no-bake cheesecake, refrigerate it for an extended period or consider adding dissolved gelatin, more cream cheese, or Greek yogurt to the mixture before chilling.

The primary reason a no-bake cheesecake is too runny or doesn't set up properly is generally the temperature of the ingredients. If your cream cheese is too warm, the mixture will be too soft and will never set up properly.

If your cheesecake base is too hard – this can be down to a few things, such as brands of biscuits, too much butter, or a really cold fridge (or if you froze the cheesecake). Generally I stick to a rule of about 100-150g of butter in a biscuit base.

While 6 hours is the minimum, overnight is even better. (Which is awesome, because cheesecake is the ultimate make-ahead dessert!) Storage: Keep the cheesecake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

You can make your cheesecakes now! I made them as long as two months in advance. Leave the bottom of the pan with the cake (only remove sides) when freezing. Just wrap well with plastic wrap before freezing.

As with most dairy-based dishes, it is necessary to place any leftover cheesecake in the fridge so that it can stay fresh for as long as possible. If placed in the refrigerator in a timely manner, a homemade cheesecake will last anywhere from five to seven days before starting to decline in quality.

If you're making a no-bake cheesecake, make sure it's chilled long enough to fully set. Once your cheesecake is chilled, you can wrap it and freeze it as is.