Easy No Bake Lemon Cheesecake {5 Ingredients ONLY!}

Serve this simple 5 ingredient No Bake Lemon Cheesecake all year long.  Friends and family will quickly become huge fans of this amazing lemon flavor and creamy texture!

Table of Contents

• What goes into this recipe
• Lemon Cheesecake Topping Options
• How to Make 5 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
• Expert Tips
• Storage and Freezing
• Recipe FAQs
• Do you love classic cheesecake recipe?  Try these…
• No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe (5 Ingredients)

So many people {myself included} can’t get enough lemon flavor.  Combine that with the simplicity of a totally no bake, 5 ingredient dessert and there is bound to be excitement.  

Using sweetened condensed milk in the filling helps balance the tartness that fresh lemons can add to recipes without being too sweet.  But it is the tub of whipped topping that gives this no-bake cheesecake a velvety and thick texture.

There is so much going on with this amazing Lemon Cheesecake that nobody will believe there are only a handful of ingredients.  And don’t worry…I won’t tell anyone!

What goes into this recipe

• Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese is the perfect starting point for a smooth and creamy filling.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Added to help balance the tartness of the lemon without being too sweet.
• Whipped Topping: A great ingredient to give the cheesecake filling an extra creamy and light texture. Although homemade whipped cream can also be used. Just be sure to mix until you have stiff peaks, so that you can have a thick lemon filling.
• Lemon Juice & Zest: Adding both fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest helps to give this simple cheesecake amazing tangy lemon flavor.  It also gives great flavor to this Mini Lemon Cake recipe.
• Graham Cracker Crust: Using a store-bought graham cracker crust keeps this cheesecake super simple and still delicious.  If you prefer, you can make a homemade classic graham cracker crust using graham cracker crumbs with a little melted butter in a springform pan.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Lemon Cheesecake Topping Options

I love to keep the toppings simple but use whatever you like or have on hand and would go well with the flavor of lemon.  Here are some ideas.

• Fresh Berries-Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries {or a combination} would all taste amazing on top of this Lemon Cheesecake. You would also love this Berry Cheesecake.
• Homemade Lemon Curd-Keep the lemon flavor going with a layer of lemon curd on top of the cheesecake. The curd in these Lemon Bar Cookies is so simple to make.
• Pie Filling-There are so many wonderful flavors of pie filling and the bit of sweetness would go wonderfully with the tart lemon.
• Chocolate-Add chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup to the top for a fun twist.  Chocolate and citrus go so well together and the contrast of color would be gorgeous.
• Oreos-Lemon or Golden Oreos would both be great additions to the top of this no bake cheesecake.  The added crunch would be awesome! I would also suggest trying this Golden Oreo Cheesecake.

How to Make 5 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

1. Begin the filling for your no bake lemon cheesecake by combining the room temperature cream cheese and the sweetened condensed milk in a large mixing bowl.  An electric mixer works great for this recipe.
2. Once the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk are mixed together and smooth, add the cool whip and carefully mix.  You don’t want to over mix at this point.   It is also important to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, so that everything gets mixed evenly.  The cool whip is what will be giving the cheesecake its volume and it can deflate easily.  If you are using a hand mixer, then make sure to be on low speed.

3. Finally, add the lemon juice and zest. Gently mix it into the other ingredients until everything is nicely incorporated, being sure not to over mix.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the premade crust and spread out into an even layer. Be sure to spread it out to the edges of the crust. Refrigerate the Lemon Cheesecake for at least a couple of hours {preferably overnight}.  I like to serve it with a ring of whipped topping around the edge and lemon zest curls {or lemon slices}.

Expert Tips

• Use a no-bake crust!  The whole point of making a no-bake dessert recipe is so that you don’t have to turn on the oven.  If you don’t want to use a store bought crust then go ahead and try a Vanilla Wafer or Golden Oreo Crust.
• Keep the store bought crust in the foil pan it comes in but then add the pan and crust to a nice pie plate.  This makes the pie look a bit more professional and also makes it easier to move the pie around.
• Use room temperature cream cheese.  A lumpy cheesecake isn’t very appealing.  Making sure your cream cheese is at room temperature will ensure a smooth creamy no bake lemon cheesecake filling.
• Don’t over mix the filling after adding the whipped topping.  The whipped topping is giving it a bit of sweetness but it is also giving the cheesecake a nice light consistency.  Lightly mix it in with a hand held mixer or fold it in with a spoon.
• Let the cheesecake chill for the proper amount of time.  Rushing the chilling process can mean a cheesecake that doesn’t hold its shape once you try to cut a slice.

Storage and Freezing

Store- The best way to store delicious lemon cheesecake is in the refrigerator.  It will last for up to 4 days as long as the cheesecake is covered tightly in plastic wrap or in a good airtight pie container.

Freeze- You can also freeze this easy Lemon Cheesecake recipe.  It can either be defrosted or served frozen for a fun and different texture.

Recipe FAQs

Do you love classic cheesecake recipe?  Try these…

Did you try this recipe?

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