No Bake Lemon Cheesecake is a beautiful lemon dessert that is a perfect way to bring sweet sunshine to any occasion and it’s so easy to make!
When you’re looking for the perfect dessert to impress all your guests that also doesn’t take a ton of work, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake is the answer! Made with a simple lemon cookie crust topped with a bright lemon cream cheese filling, the gorgeous round of ladyfingers turns this cake into an eye-catching dessert that everyone falls in love with!
In Love with Lemon Cake
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake is almost too pretty to eat, but thankfully, that’s never stopped us before. I love setting this show-stopping cake in front of guests and seeing their reactions because everyone gushes over it! The best part is that this no-bake cheesecake is easy to make, and it’s best when it sits overnight, so it’s a great make-ahead dessert. The filling is a mix of lemon curd, whipped cream, and cream cheese so it’s luscious, creamy, and lemony-bright with the perfect amount of tart-sweetness. You may need an extra set of hands to hold the ladyfingers, but that’s part of the fun of making this cake too!
Beautiful No Bake Cherry Cheesecake is always a crowd favorite but if you’re looking to use more ladyfingers No Bake Cinnamon Tiramisu is absolutely delicious!
Other Recipes to Serve with No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Lemon Rolls are a wonderfully sweet way to start the morning and a great way to brighten an afternoon!
- No one can resist sweet classic Lemon Bars, and these homemade bars are some of the best around!
Ingredients
To Make the Crust: You will need lemon cookies and unsalted butter to make the crust.
To Make the Filling: For the filling, you will need a jar of lemon curd, heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. You can use light or Neufchatel cream cheese if you prefer, but avoid using fat-free cream cheese in this recipe.
Ladyfingers: You’ll line the outside of the cheesecake with ladyfinger cookies. The cookies can vary in height depending on the brand you buy, so be sure to check out my tips below on how to adjust for this, if desired.
How to Make No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
STEP ONE: Toss the lemon cookies in a food processor or a sealed ziplock bag and pulse or lightly beat with a rolling pin until the cookies are fine crumbs. Pour the cookie crumbs into a bowl along with the melted butter and mix.
STEP TWO: Spread the crumb mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, pressing evenly, but leave space around the edges for the ladyfingers.
STEP THREE: Arrange the ladyfingers around the edge of the pan vertically (see note below) and press the crust against the bottoms of the ladyfingers to hold them in place.
STEP THREE: Using a stand mixer or a bowl and beaters, beat the heavy cream on medium until stiff peaks appear. Transfer this to a separate bowl.
STEP FOUR: Using the mixer again with a paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, and once mixed, add the lemon curd and beat. Fold in the whipped heavy cream until everything is well mixed.
STEP FIVE: Add the filling to the springform pan and spread evenly. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably overnight. Cover the cheesecake and cut into slices.
Tips for Success
- The length of ladyfingers can vary by brand. If they are long (as shown), you can leave them whole or cut them to fit your pan. Hold one cookie up to the side of the springform pan and make a little cut where the top edge hits the cookie. Then, cut the cookie and use it as a guide to trim all other cookies. Place the trimmed cookies with the curved side up in the pan. The extra bits can become a fun snack, or you can pipe a dollop of whipped cream on each slice and place an extra cookie piece on the whipped cream.
- Grab an assistant of any age to help you with the ladyfingers. The process is a lot easier when you have an extra set of hands to hold the ladyfingers while you push the crust against them to hold the ladyfingers in place.
- When whipping the heavy cream, do not overwhip and create butter! Once stiff peaks form, stop beating the cream. If you need to beat for a little bit longer, you can. It’s better to stop beating a little too early than to overbeat.
- The no-bake cheesecake will be set after chilling for four hours if you want to enjoy it the same day, but this is a great make-ahead cake perfect for serving the next day.
Are ladyfingers cookies or cakes?
Ladyfingers are sponge cake-like biscuits that can be soft or hard and crunchy like cookies. Soft ladyfingers can be found at stores or online and are perfect for desserts like no-bake lemon cheesecake. Hard ladyfinger cookies are easier to find at most stores and are used in desserts like Tiramisu because they hold up better and maintain their shape.
Can I add other fruit to this cake?
Because lemon is so light and deliciously versatile, you can make some amazing fruit combinations with this cake. Top the cake with fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries for an incredibly tasty and beautiful presentation. Fruit syrups can also be drizzled over the cake or dollops of fresh whipped cream. Dress the cake with any of your favorite fruits for one unforgettable dessert!
More Amazing Lemon Desserts to Love!
*This post originally posted on 03/03/2016.
Equipment
- Food Processor (see note)
Ingredients
- 9 ounces thin lemon cookies (1 package)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 4.75 ounces ladyfingers
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 10.5 ounces lemon curd (about 3/4 cup)
- Lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- Add the lemon cookies to a food processor. Cover and pulse until they are a fine crumb. Transfer the crumbs to a medium mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Spread the crumb mixture across the base of a springform pan. Press down evenly to form the crust, leaving a gap around the edges for the ladyfingers.
- Arrange ladyfingers vertically around the pan's edge so that the tops of the cookies are facing the wall. Press the crust up against the bottoms of the ladyfingers to keep them in place. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, mix slowly to combine, and then beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the lemon curd and mix thoroughly.
- Add one large scoop of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and fold it in. Repeat until all the whipped cream has been incorporated.
- Pour the lemon cheesecake filling over the crust. Spread the top into an even layer. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but chilling overnight is recommended.
- Once the filling has set up, remove the plastic wrap and cut the cheesecake into slices. You'll want to cut in between the ladyfingers for the best presentation. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.
Notes
- Instead of a food processor, you can add the lemon cookies to a large food storage bag. Press out the air, seal the bag, and then use a rolling pin to crush the cookies into a fine crumb.
- The length of ladyfingers can vary by brand. If they are really long (as shown), you can leave them whole or cut them to fit your pan. Hold one cookie up to the side of the springform pan and make a little cut where the top edge hits the cookie. Then, cut the cookie and use it as a guide to trim all of the other cookies. Place the trimmed cookies with the curved side up in the pan. The extra bits can become a fun snack, or you can pipe a dollop of whipped cream on each slice and place an extra cookie piece on the whipped cream.
Linda says
What size of springform pan did you use? It looks pretty small and very yummy.
Thanks,
Linda