Go Back
–+ servings
featured no bake lemon cheesecake

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 18 bars
Calories: 252kcal
Author: Becky Hardin
These no bake lemon cheesecake bars with graham cracker crust are a light, fluffy, and fuss-free dessert for any occasion! Made with simple ingredients like cream cheese, lemon jell-o powder, Cool Whip, and sour cream. No oven, just chill!
Print Recipe
US Customary - Metric

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • 9x13 Baking Pan
  • Hand Mixer

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

  • 1½ cups crushed graham crackers *
  • ½ cup salted butter 1 stick; melted
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar

For the Lemon Cheesecake Bars:

  • 3 ounces lemon Jell-O powder 1 box**
  • 16 ounces cream cheese 2 bricks; room temperature
  • ½ cup sour cream room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces whipped topping thawed if frozen (such as Cool Whip)

Instructions

Make the Crust:

  • Place the graham crackers in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and brown sugar, tossing to combine.
    1½ cups crushed graham crackers, ½ cup salted butter, ⅓ cup brown sugar
    folding graham cracker crust in a glass bowl with a rubber spatula.
  • Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-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.
    pressing graham cracker crust into a rectangular baking pan with a rubber spatula.

Make the Cheesecake:

  • Meanwhile, boil 1 cup of water and pour over the lemon jello in a medium-size bowl. Stir to dissolve. Cool the jello in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, until it’s thick but not set.
    3 ounces lemon Jell-O powder
    whisking lemon gelatin with boiling water in a glass bowl with a whisk.
  • 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
    fluffy beaten cream cheese and sour cream in a glass bowl.
  • 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
    sweetened cream cheese/sour cream mixture with lemon juice and zest in a glass bowl.
  • Stir in the whipped topping.
    8 ounces whipped topping
    beaten lemon cream cheese with whipped topping folded in in a glass bowl.
  • Fold the cooled lemon jello into the cream cheese mixture. Taste mixture and add more lemon juice or lemon zest depending on preference.
    lemon gelatin and lemon cream cheese in a glass bowl.
  • Pour the cream cheese mixture over the graham cracker crust and smooth to the edges of the pan.
    no bake lemon cheesecake in a rectangular baking pan before setting.
  • Refrigerate until set, 30-60 minutes.
    cutting a set no bake lemon cheesecake into bars with a knife.
  • Cut into bars and place a dollop of whipped topping on each piece and/or decorate with lemon slices, optional.
    no bake lemon cheesecake bars with whipped cream and lemon slices on top.

Video

Notes

*The crust can be be with crushed cookies instead; including Oreo, Biscoff, or Vanilla Wafers.
**Use a powdered Jell-o style mix, not pure gelatin. Gelatin requires a bit more work to prepare and use. Jell-o mix also contains flavoring and sugar that adds more oomph to this cheesecake. Feel free to swap in other flavors to try something different!
Tips:
  • Always let the cream cheese come fully to room temperature before mixing, and beat it with sour cream until it’s completely smooth before adding sugar or lemon juice. Acid can seize cold cream cheese and create lumps.
  • If you typically like a lot of lemon flavor, you may want to use more lemon juice and zest! I recommend using ⅓ cup lemon juice and ¼ cup lemon zest.
  • Always taste the cheesecake mixture before chilling and adjust the lemon juice and zest if needed. Cold dulls flavor, so a little extra zest or juice ensures the bars stay bright and tangy after setting.
  • I sometimes like to fold ½ cup of blueberries or raspberries into the lemon batter.
  • If you’re serving these bars more than a day after making them, you can brush the crust lightly with melted white chocolate before adding the filling. It creates a thin barrier that keeps the crust crisp.
  • 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. 2-3 hours is ideal if you have the time.
  • Over-chilling can make the texture tight instead of creamy. If prepping ahead, remove them from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving to let the filling soften slightly.
  • For clean cuts, 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.
  • I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe additional whipped topping on top of the bars as a garnish.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg