Easy Cheesecake

This no-bake cheesecake skips the oven entirely. Cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla get blended smooth, then folded into whipped topping and spooned into a ready-made graham cracker crust. Four hours in the fridge and it sets into a light, creamy cheesecake.

Beat the cream cheese on its own first until it’s completely smooth with no lumps. Adding sugar to lumpy cream cheese just coats the lumps in sugar. They won’t break down later no matter how long you mix. Room temperature cream cheese is the key.

Fold the whipped topping in gently. If you beat it in aggressively, you’ll knock all the air out and end up with a dense, heavy filling instead of the light, mousse-like texture this recipe delivers. Top with fresh strawberries right before serving.

Kitchen Tips

• Chill for the full four hours, or even overnight. The filling needs that time to firm up enough to slice cleanly. Underset cheesecake oozes out of the crust when cut.
• Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream. Reduced-fat versions contain extra water and won’t set properly.
• Thaw the frozen whipped topping in the fridge, not on the counter. Counter-thawed whipped topping deflates and turns watery.

Variations

• Swap the graham cracker crust for an Oreo cookie crust for a cookies-and-cream version.
• Fold in a tablespoon of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice for a lemon cheesecake.
• Top with a spoonful of blueberry or cherry pie filling instead of fresh strawberries.