Smooth and creamy with hints of lemon and vanilla, my No-Bake Cheesecake recipe is just as delicious as it is gorgeous. And since it is August and peaches are at their very best, sweet, fragrant, and juicy, there is no better time for a Peaches and Cream dessert. Unfortunately, it’s 105F and there’s no way I’m turning the oven on and baking a cheesecake for 45 minutes. My peaches and cream refrigerator cheesecake recipe is an ideal way to use these perfectly ripe and delicious peaches. A great way to treat yourself in the summertime.
A trick I learned years ago as a pastry chef was to always use powdered (confectioners’) sugar when making whipped cream. The manufacturer uses a little cornstarch in the powdered sugar to help prevent it from clumping together. The benefit to this is that the cornstarch acts to stabilize whipped cream keeping it from returning to liquid hours longer than whipped cream made with granulated sugar. An easy little trick that helps form a perfect slice when serving this cheesecake. You would never guess that this is a no-bake refrigerator cheesecake recipe.
No-Bake Cheesecake Ingredients
- Graham Crackers, Butter, and Lemon Zest: For this crust, the graham crackers are ground and mixed with melted butter and lemon zest. The graham crackers are a great, easy-to-make crust for the no-bake cheesecake.
- Cream Cheese and Heavy Cream: The base for the cheesecake. The whipped cream lightens the heavy cream cheese to a creamy smooth texture.
- Powdered Sugar and Corn Starch: These help the cheese and whipped cream mixture become firm and make the cheesecake sliceable. Powdered sugar already has some cornstarch in it to keep it from clumping up so it’s perfect for making whipped cream.
- Vanilla Extract, and Lemon Zest: This no-bake cheesecake has subtle flavors and sweetness, it’s perfect with the fresh fruit.
Here is my No-Bake Cheesecake recipe
No-Bake Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9 1/2-inch Springform Pan
- Food Processor
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Crust
- 9.5 Ounces Graham Crackers 2-packages
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter Melted
- 1 Lemon Zest only
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 Pint Heavy Cream Whipped
- 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar Confectioners Sugar
- 1 Lemon Zest and juice
- 1 Pound Cream Cheese Not low-fat
Topping
- 2 Peaches 16-slices each
- 1 Pint Blueberries
Instructions
Crust
- Spray the bottom and sides of the springform pan with nonstick spray, line the sides with strips of parchment paper cut a little taller than the sides
- A box of Graham Crackers has 3 packages in it, use 2 packages. Place the Graham Crackers in a food processor and grind until powder, about 3-4 minutes, add the lemon zest and melted butter, process until completely incorporated and the mixture has the consistency of wet sand.
- Place the crust in the bottom of the pan and press an even layer firmly along the bottom, refrigerate until needed
Cheesecake Filling
- Place the heavy cream, salt, cornstarch, and powdered sugar in the stand mixer and whisk until it forms stiff peaks, careful not to over whip
- Remove whipped cream from the mixing bowl and refrigerate until needed
- Place the cream cheese, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and juice in the mixing bowl, use the paddle attachment and paddle until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times to eliminate any lumps
- When smooth, add a cup of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and fold in by hand until completely incorporated, repeat once, then add all the whipped cream and fold the mixture completely
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into the springform pan, smooth the surface and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight
Cheesecake Topping
- Just prior to serving, slice the peaches and arrange them however you like across the top of the cake, then create a mound of blueberries in the center
- Note: Peaches will begin to oxidize and turn brown after a while. If you plan on having leftovers (that’s weird!), serve the cake with only a mound of blueberries in the center of the cake and serve the peaches on the side