Smooth, creamy and perfect for when you don’t want to turn the oven on or just need a break from baking. This No Bake Cheesecake is the perfect dessert for a laid back kind of night. Create a custom cheesecake bar, and allow guests to pick and choose their toppings. 

Summertime fun time, right? But guess what? It’s been hot. Crazy hot. (Even in Maine where I just got back from the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K with Cabot Cheese) Like ice cream cones every night even if they melt instantly kind of hot. And that means I don’t want to turn on my oven. I want shortcuts and easy recipes to satisfy those cravings without heating up the house. That’s where classics like smooth and creamy no-bake cheesecake come in. Calories be damned, this is perfect for those long hot summer nights.

I am particular about my cheesecake. Very rarely will I taste test one out and heaven forbid it have any toppings. I thought about doing a sweet berry combination for the recipe photos, but true story, I would have never taken a bite then. And really, I wanted to enjoy this one all to myself. So, naked it remained. Am I crazy? I think plain cheesecake – New York style or this shortcut version – is best left alone. Those cheesecakes all dazzled up with extra toppings and fillings – they may be good (heck, I’ve made a few) but not what I want when it comes to my slice.

What would you top your slice with?

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No Bake Cheesecake

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Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 11 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened (full fat, do not use anything else or this wont set - trust me)
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbs zest from 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 teas vanilla

Instructions

1. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl and toss to combine. In a 9" springform pan, press the graham cracker mixture along the bottom evenly and 1" up the sides. Set in the freezer for at least 20 minutes while you make the filling.
2. Cream the cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer until smooth, about 4 minutes on high. Add the condensed milk in a stream over medium-low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixer and beat another minute. Stir in the lemon zest, juice and vanilla and beat another minute longer. Mixture should be smooth with no clumps.
3. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in fridge to set at least 4 hours to overnight.
4. Slice and serve with desired cheesecake toppings.

Notes

The hostess herself Martha Stewart