No-bake lemon cheesecake bars
Creamy, tangy cheesecake on a buttery graham crust that sets in the fridge, with no oven, no water bath and no cracks to worry about.
- 270 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 16
- About $0.69 a serving
- 270 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. Whatever’s left keeps for tomorrow.
Ingredients
For 16 servings.
- 2 packages cream cheese, 8 oz blocks
- 10 graham crackers, full sheets
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 cup raspberries, to top (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Each serving has about 270 calories, 4 g protein, 25 g carbs and 17 g fat, and costs about $0.69 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Unwrap the cream cheese onto a plate and microwave it in 15-second bursts until soft, or leave it on the counter for an hour.
Timer: 15 sec
8-inch square pan with , leaving the paper hanging over two sides.
Line a pan. Lining a pan means covering the bottom, and often the sides, with parchment paper or foil before the food goes in. Leave the paper hanging over two sides, and you can lift bars or brownies out in one piece to cut them neatly.
How you’ll know: The paper lies flat against the bottom, with flaps sticking up on two sides like handles.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
Seal the graham crackers in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan.
Microwave the butter in a bowl until , about 45 seconds, then stir in the crumbs and sugar until it looks like wet sand.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 45 sec
Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan with the bottom of a measuring cup.
the soft cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in the condensed milk, lemon , lemon juice and vanilla until creamy.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Dolly’s tip: Get the cream cheese smooth before anything else goes in. Lumps now stay lumps.Spread the filling over the crust, cover, and , at least 4 hours.
Chill. Chilling means putting something in the fridge until it’s cold all the way through. No-bake desserts firm up as they chill, and chilled cookie dough spreads less in the oven.
How you’ll know: It feels cold in the middle, not just on top, and it holds its shape when you cut or scoop it.
Set. Set means food has firmed up from runny to holding its shape, from cooking, baking or chilling. Set eggs have no clear, runny white left, and a set pudding stays put when you tilt the dish.
How you’ll know: Tilt the pan or press gently near the middle: it barely wobbles, and nothing runs.
Timer: 240 min
Dolly’s tip: The lemon juice is what thickens it. Overnight gives the cleanest slices.Lift the slab out by the paper, top with raspberries if you like, and cut into 16 squares with a knife dipped in hot water.
Food safety: Food with mayonnaise, dairy, eggs, cooked meat or cream, like dips, salads and cream desserts, can sit out for 2 hours at most, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep cold food in the fridge or on ice until serving, and hot food at 140°F or hotter.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop picks a dessert for treat night, puts what you need on the week’s grocery list, and walks you through each step.
