Easy Cheesecake Recipes (11 Baked and No-Bake Favorites)
These Easy Cheesecake Recipes are the ones I make when I want a dessert that looks impressive but doesn’t keep me in the kitchen all day. There are 11 here, from a no-bake Biscoff cheesecake and a layered chocolate cheesecake to caramel apple cheesecake bars and gingerbread cheesecake cookies, and most of them never go near the oven.
Nearly all of them are made ahead and chilled, so they’re perfect for holidays and parties. If you love the cookie butter ones, my Biscoff Truffles are another easy no-bake treat, and my Easy Thanksgiving Desserts roundup has plenty more for the holiday table.
Tips for Making the Best Easy Cheesecake
- Soften the cream cheese first: Let it come to room temperature before you start. Cold cream cheese makes a lumpy filling no matter how long you beat it.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks: In the no-bake cheesecakes, whipped cream is what helps the filling set. Beat it until it holds its shape, then fold it in gently so you don’t knock the air out.
- Press the crust in firmly: Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs down tight. A firm crust slices cleanly and doesn’t crumble when you serve it.
- Give it the full chill time: Most of these need at least 4 hours in the fridge, and overnight is even better. Rushing it is the main reason a no-bake cheesecake turns out soft.
- Add toppings just before serving: Whipped cream, caramel and crushed cookies look best when they go on at the end. If you’re freezing a cheesecake, freeze it plain and top it after it thaws.
- Slice with a warm knife: Dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts for clean slices.
Easy No-Bake Cheesecakes
No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake
A Biscoff cookie crust, a fluffy cream cheese filling and a thick layer of cookie butter on top. Make it the night before and it’s ready to slice when your guests arrive.
Layered Chocolate Cheesecake
An Oreo crust with a dark chocolate layer, a white chocolate layer and a glossy chocolate ganache on top. It looks like it came from a bakery, and you don’t have to turn on the oven.
No Bake Gingerbread Cheesecake
A gingersnap crust with a molasses, ginger and cinnamon cream cheese filling. It’s a great make-ahead dessert for Christmas, since it’s even better after a night in the fridge.
No Bake Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake
Orange Jello, orange juice and Cool Whip give this graham cracker cheesecake that classic creamsicle flavor. It’s light, bright and a nice change from all the chocolate.
Cheesecake Bars and Brownies
Oreo Cheesecake
This one sits on a fudgy brownie base loaded with chopped Oreos, topped with a no-bake Oreo cheesecake filling and whipped cream. Cookies and cream fans, this one’s for you.
Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
Chewy Oreo brownies with a creamy Oreo cheesecake layer on top, cut into 16 bars. They’re easy to make the day before and keep chilled until you need them.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
A graham cracker crust, cinnamon apple cheesecake filling and a pecan streusel on top, finished with a drizzle of caramel. These are the baked ones in the bunch, and they’re perfect for fall.
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice in a creamy filling over a Biscoff crust. Make them in an 8×8 pan the day before Thanksgiving and they’re one less thing to worry about.
Come cook with us! I share new easy recipes and dinner ideas in my Facebook group, and it’s a friendly spot to see what everyone is making this week. Join the group here.
Cheesecake Cups and Cookies
Biscoff Cheesecake Cups
Little jars of Biscoff crust, whipped cheesecake filling and melted cookie butter. They set in about 2 hours, so they’re one of the quickest desserts on this list.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Cups
All the flavor of pumpkin pie with none of the slicing. A Biscoff crust, pumpkin cheesecake filling, whipped cream, pecans and caramel in single servings.
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookies
Soft gingerbread cookies with a sweet cream cheese filling baked right inside. Roll them in sugar before baking for that crackly top, and add them to your Christmas cookie tray.
Easy Cheesecake Recipes FAQs
Want more easy desserts? My Easy Christmas Desserts and Easy Thanksgiving Desserts roundups have pies, bars and cookies for every holiday, and my Easy Christmas Cookies are perfect for cookie trays and gifting.
