Perfectly fresh, zingy and sweet, this no bake lemon cheesecake is the perfect Easter and summer dessert. Simple and quick to make, every bite of these cheesecake bars is truly delicious!
Easy No Bake Cheesecake Bars
Lemon is one of my favorite flavors for desserts, and this lemon cheesecake is everything!
These no bake lemon cheesecake bars are made with a Graham Cracker crust and then topped with the most creamy and zesty lemon filling. Even better, you don’t have to turn the oven on!
Why You’ll Love this No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe:
- No Baking: What could be better than a delicious dessert that you don’t have to bake?
- Make Ahead: Cheesecake bars are easy to make ahead of time, so it’s great if you are planning to serve it as part of a big feast.
- Flavorful: The creamy texture and bright, lemon-filled flavor is unbeatable! Perfect for spring and summer.
Ingredients
- Graham Cracker Crust: you’ll need crumbled up graham crackers, salted butter, and brown sugar to make the crust.
- Lemon Jello: any brand of lemon gelatin works.
- Cream Cheese: Let it soften at room temp before using so that it’s easy to mix.
- Sour Cream: this adds moisture and softness to the texture of the cheesecake, plus it adds some extra tanginess. I prefer this over heavy cream for this recipe!
- Powdered Sugar
- Lemon: You need both lemon juice and lemon zest, so fresh lemons work best.
- Vanilla Extract: This adds a hint of sweetness and balances the overall flavor.
- Whipping Topping: Something like Cool Whip, used to mix into the cheesecake mixture.
How to Make No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Crust: Mix together the graham crackers, melted butter, and brown sugar. Then press into a baking dish and chill.
- Cheesecake: Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, juice and vanilla extract. Then stir in the whipped topping, and fold the gelatin into the cream cheese mix.
- Chill: Pour the cream cheese mixture over the graham cracker crust and, let it set in the fridge until firm.
- Serve: Slice the lemon cheesecake into bars, serve, and enjoy!
Once your lemon cheesecake bars have fully set, cut them into squares and place in an airtight container, or, cover the whole dish with plastic wrap. They will keep well for up to 3 days refrigerated.
The longer your cheesecake bars chill in the fridge, the more time they’ll have to set. So if they aren’t firm enough for your liking after an hour, just let them chill longer. A few hours is ideal if you have the time.
This no bake cheesecake is lighter and softer than a baked cheesecake. There are no eggs here, so it leads to a less dense texture overall.
First, let the bars cool and set before cutting. Then, dip a knife in warm water and dry it off before each cut. The warming of the knife will help create a smooth cut.
To finish off your lemon cheesecake bars when serving, consider adding toppings. Try whipped topping, a lemon slice or peel, lemon curd, macerated strawberries, fresh blueberries, crumbled graham crackers, or powdered sugar.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- If you typically like a lot of lemon flavor, you may want to use ⅓ cup lemon juice and ¼ cup lemon zest.
- When you’re adjusting your lemon flavors before you pour it on top of the Graham cracker crust, it should be noted that the mixture becomes slightly more lemony as it cools.
- I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe additional whipped topping on top of the bars as a garnish.
Can I freeze no bake cheesecake bars?
Yes! This no bake lemon cheesecake freezes beautifully, so be sure to make extra. You can wrap the whole dish in foil and then place it in a freeze-safe bag, or wrap individual squares. They will keep well for up to 3 months and should be thawed in the fridge overnight to serve.
More cheesecake recipes to try
These no bake lemon cheesecake bars are so fresh and creamy, it makes for such a wonderful treat to share with friends and family!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cups crushed honey graham crackers 213 grams
- ½ cup salted butter 113 grams, melted (1 stick)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar 71 grams
For the Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- 3 ounces lemon gelatin 85 grams (1 box)
- 16 ounces cream cheese 454 grams, softened (2 bricks)
- ½ cup sour cream 114 grams
- ½ cup powdered sugar 57 grams
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest 18 grams, from 2 lemons
- ¼ cup lemon juice 57 grams, from 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 8 ounces whipped topping 227 grams, softened (such as Cool Whip)
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
- Place the graham crackers in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and brown sugar, tossing to combine.1½ cups crushed honey graham crackers, ½ cup salted butter, ⅓ cup brown sugar
- Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan (don’t pack upward alongside the edges of the pan). Chill in the refrigerator or freezer until your other ingredients are prepped.
- Meanwhile, boil 1 cup of water and pour over the lemon gelatin in a medium-size bowl. Stir to dissolve.3 ounces lemon gelatin
- Cool the gelatin in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, until it’s thick but not set.
- In the meantime, using a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.16 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream
- Add in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract on medium speed.½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice, 3 tablespoons lemon zest, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Stir in the whipped topping.8 ounces whipped topping
- Fold the cooled lemon gelatin into the cream cheese mixture. Taste mixture and add more lemon juice or lemon zest depending on preference.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the graham cracker crust and smooth to the edges of the pan.
- Refrigerate until set, 30-60 minutes.
- Cut into bars and place a dollop of whipped topping on each piece and/or decorate with lemon slices, optional.
Notes
- If you typically like a lot of lemon flavor, you may want to use ⅓ cup lemon juice and ¼ cup lemon zest.
- When you’re adjusting your lemon flavors before you pour it on top of the Graham cracker crust, it should be noted that the mixture becomes slightly more lemony as it cools.
- I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe additional whipped topping on top of the bars as a garnish.
Typical gelatin box is 0.3 ozs, but recipe calls for 3 ozs. So it takes 10 jello boxes to make this recipe? I was hoping to see comments from others for similar questions but can’t find any.
I believe they meant lemon Jello which is 3 oz per box.
Can I use lemon pudding mix instead of gelatin?
Can I substitute something else instead of gelatin as I am vegetarian. I want to make this yummy recipe
You can use agar agar in place of the gelatin and add a bit of extra lemon juice!
Can I substitute cool whip with real whipped cream?
You can try, but I worry it would collapse too easily. Cool whip is stabilized, which helps a lot with the texture!