No-Bake Cheesecake

No-bake cheesecake goes perfectly with many different toppings. Some of my favorites include berry sauce, fresh fruit, fruit puree, cherry pie filling, caramel or salted caramel sauce, dark or white chocolate ganache, lemon curd, basic streusel, or grated chocolate.

Ingredients:

Crust:
200 g/7 oz graham cracker/digestive biscuit crumbs* (about 2 cups of crumbs)
100 g/3.5 oz unsalted butter, melted
Cake:
24 oz (680 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (about one box) instant vanilla pudding mix**
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of one lemon, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
3/4 cup (150 g/5.3 oz) granulated sugar
berry sauce or topping of choice (see post for more suggestions)

Instructions:

Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix together crumbs and melted butter until combined and crumbs are moistened. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan using either your fingers or the bottom of a cup to form a crust layer.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and vanilla pudding mix, whisking well until combined and completely smooth. If the mixture is grainy, beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks form (they should hold their shape but have a soft texture). Using a spatula, gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the other half.

Pour filling into the pan and smooth the top. Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or until completely set, before serving. Cheesecake can be left in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Serve cold.

Cheesecake can also be frozen, wrapped tight, for a month.

Recipe adapted from: prettysimplesweet