Sometimes simplest is best! You’ll be shocked how quickly these Easy No Bake Cheesecake Bars come together! Creamy, dreamy perfection on a hot day, a busy day, or any day!
I heard the other day that the average temperature last month in Death Valley, California, was 108 degrees. Think about that. The lowest daily low temperature all month long was 82, and the highest high was 127 . 10 days of the month the temperature NEVER got lower than 100 degrees. Good grief! Living in the Pacific Northwest, I freely admit I’ve become a “weather weenie.” What I mean by this is that any temperature over, say, 80 degrees, seems unbearably hot to me. And that’s without appreciable humidity.
Last week we had a super-hot week (I think it got over 90 a couple times – I know, I’m seeing you do “the worlds smallest violin” – Ha!) where I didn’t even want to turn on the stove or oven. But, you have to understand, most of us DO NOT have air-conditioning, and many older homes don’t even have insulation, so whatever the outdoor temperature, basically becomes the indoor temperature without careful use of shades, windows and fans.
So, when you combine all of that with my NEED to bake on Sundays for our always-special Sunday dinners, I had a difficult time deciding what to make. But then I remembered this No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake I made about a year ago and was inspired to make these creamy dreamy No Bake Cheesecake bars. Just a few ingredients, all at room temperature, a quick stir or two, and NO BAKING! I made every attempt to not use stove, oven or even electric appliance. (I did have to use the microwave to melt butter, though ?).
And these bars are per-fect! A crispy buttery graham cracker crust with a filling that is just 4 ingredients, these bars are not too sweet, super-creamy, tangy, delicious! Just making sure the ingredients are at ROOM TEMPERATURE before putting this together ensures a light and creamy texture. Feel free to keep it frozen for an extra-frosty treat, or refrigerate for a light and creamy delight! You can top these bars with fresh fruit, jam, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or buttery graham cracker crumbs. So delectable!
So, whether you live in Death Valley, CA or Nome, Alaska, you can enjoy a fabulous No Bake Cheesecake! Enjoy!
Be sure to check out other cheesecakes I’ve made by clicking HERE.
PrintBest Easy No Bake Cheesecake
This creamy, dreamy dessert is so simple – just a few ingredients and a whisk produce the a light, sweet and tangy filling you can top with whatever you want! I topped mine with blackberries and graham cracker crumbs that I made with 3 crushed graham cracker sheets and 2 T butter. So so good!
If you make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, this recipe is so easy and quick, you’ll wonder why you don’t make this every day!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 min + chilling
- Yield: 12-20 bars 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: No Bake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 1/4 c (15 sheets) graham cracker crumbs
- 10 T (1 1/4 sticks or 5 oz.) melted butter
- Pinch Kosher Salt
For the Filling:
- 16 oz. (2 Bricks) Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
- 1 c Sour Cream or Full-Fat Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt (I used half Sour cream/half yogurt)
- 1 c Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted
- 2 t Natural Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 t Kosher Salt
(optional) Toppings:
- Fresh Berries
- Jam
- Chocolate Sauce
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Whipped Cream
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- In a zippered, gallon-sized plastic bag, place graham crackers, and roll out with a rolling pin until crumbs are quite small, almost-but-not-quite, sand-like.
- Pour crumbs into a bowl. Add salt and melted butter. Mix until the consistency of wet sand. Press into a thin layer in a 9×13 pan. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes, then prepare the filling.
Make the Filling:
- Using a whisk, beat together the room temperature cream cheese and sour cream and/or yogurt, until very creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Sift in the confectioners sugar, whisk until fully incororated. Add the vanilla extract and salt.
- Pour over graham cracker crust. Return to freezer for at least 1 hour to make sure the crust is set perfectly, then feel free to move to the refridgerator if you want your dessert frozen or creamy. (I kept mine in the freezer, then transferred to refrigerator 1 hour prior to serving.) Chill or freeze at least 2 hours.
- Top, slice, serve.
Keywords: No Bake, Cheesecake, Easy
PIN Best Easy No Bake Cheesecake ->
I love cheesecakes like this! All the flavour and none of the hassle, these look great.
Thanks so much! That’s the perfect description for this one, too. It is definitely all flavor and no hassle! Thanks for visiting!
oooh yes! i can’t bear to wait all night for normal cheesecake to set, so only a few hours sounds about perfect to me (:
I agree, Heather! That’s one of the best things about this recipe! Just a couple hours in the freezer and it’s perfect! Thanks for visiting!
Omg you have such beautiful pictures here. I wish to pop 2-3 bars in my mouth right now! Pinned.
Thanks so much Neha! And thanks for the Pin!
Looks so good 🙂
Thanks so much! And thank you for visiting!
I hear ya on the temperatures this summer, Laura. It’s been hot here in the northeast, too. In fact, we’re in the middle of another short heat wave. I’ve learned that a heat wave (at least here in our area…don’t know if it changes around the country) is defined by 3 days in a row with temperatures over 90°F. And like you, I’ve become a wuss. 90°F used to be a normal day when I lived in the south. Now it’s like “where is the A/C!?” Haha! Great idea for a no bake dessert. We have a blackberry bush in the backyard, and I picked the first berries last week. I’ll have to pick more for these bars…they look delicious!!
David – I’m jealous of your blackberry bush! I find myself wishing to have a row of berry-bearing bushes once again! Sorry it’s so hot in NY, too! But I’m glad to have company in the “Weenie / Wuss boat”. Ha!
Hard to resist any time of year if you ask me! Those look delicious Laura! Pinned <3
Thanks so much! I agree, any time is cheesecake time!
I Love no-bake desserts you know. I will try this.
Thanks, Priya! Hope you love it as much as I do!
Good morning America !
Would like to pack several slices for my office 🙂 Thank you Laura and enjoy the day !
That’s a great idea! I imagine they’d be thrilled! Thanks for your visit!
Haha! I grew up in Oregon and my parents still live there; the other day I was talking to my dad and he was complaining because it was in the 90s. I know just how rough it can be up there when it gets hot! These cheesecake bars sound PERFECT for the hot weather. You know me and cheesecake 🙂
I imagine you know hot better than we do here. And I feel like you and I have similar love of a good Cheesecake! ?☺️ Thanks for visiting, Kelsie!
Tell me about this heat, Laura (But please better don’t!) It’s been unbearably hot and humid in our area – around 80 degrees (actual temperature) but feeling like 100 with humidity. And 127? Don’t count on me! I’m pretty happy with 70 degrees or so. As you mentioned, air-conditioning is another issue. Since we personally don’t get any in our apartments, sometimes it feels so much better outside at afternoon rather than being inside – at least there’s some air circulation. Okay, do I sound as an old grumpy grandpa? 🙂 These bars look delicious, and they’re the perfect way to enjoy a rich dessert on a sweltering day!
Oh, Ben, humidity is worse than heat, I completely agree. But for sure, cheesecake remedies lots of discomforts! Thanks for visiting!