I think you can never have too many cheesecake recipes. I rarely make one that I do not like. If I try something new and it doesn't turn out, I just try again until I get it just right. Such was the case recently with this new no-bake cheesecake that I am going to share with you today. This is so easy to put together. Very little fuss and it is simply delicious. So let's get started.
I'll give you the recipe first and then we will go through it together.
The Best No-Bake Cheesecake
20 sheets graham crackers
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are very fine as in the picture above. You want them very fine for this recipe. No large pieces. Place the finely chopped graham crackers into a large bowl.
To the bowl add the melted butter and two tablespoons of brown sugar.
Combine these ingredients thoroughly with a rubber spatula. I find a rubber spatula works best for this step. It is flexible and that flexibility helps to move the ingredients inside the bowl so that everything is incorporated.
Place this crumb mixture into a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. Either size will do. For this recipe I used a 10-inch pan. Press the crust in place and up the sides of the pan a little. Most springform pans and non-stick, so it is not necessary to use any sprays or butter to keep the crust from sticking. Remember, we added 11 tablespoons of melted butter to the crust mixture, so it will not stick to the pan. There is no need to go to all the trouble of cutting a round of parchment paper to put on the bottom of the pan. That is all just extra work and serves no purpose. Chill the crust in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Place two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese into a large bowl. Make sure they are room temperature. You can cut them into 1-inch squares if you like, but that is not necessary. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. You see here that I did not this time and it was not any easier nor any more difficult to mix them with the other ingredients using an electric mixer.
Before adding the remaining ingredients, be sure to beat the cream cheese until smooth. You can do this on medium-high speed.
Then, in with the can of condensed milk. Beat in the condensed milk just until combined.
Add 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice.
And finally, 1 teaspoon almond extract. Mix all of these ingredients thoroughly with your electric mixer. Start the mixer on low because you do not want the lemon juice and almond extract splashing all over the kitchen. Increase the speed to medium-high once everything is mixed together. You may have to stop once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure your mixture is fully mixed and that all the ingredients are incorporated.
Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the cheesecake mixture into the springform pan on top of the crust. Smooth the stop. You can do this by shaking the pan back and forth in several different directions. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator until firm, about 3 hours.
After about 3 hours, or the next day, release the sides of the springform pan and you will have a lovely and delicious cheesecake to serve your family and/or guests.
If you want to get creative, you can caramelize some sugar and make a fancy spun sugar topping for your cheesecake as I did above.
But, ... a word of caution. If you decide to make the spun sugar topping, do that right before you serve the cheesecake. Or, you can make the spun sugar, but do not place it on the cheesecake until ready to serve. I placed the decorative sugar on top and covered the cake with plastic wrap and placed it back into the refrigerator and a little while later this is what I had. A cheesecake with melted caramelized sugar. It was delicious, but I'm just letting you know that the sugar will come apart in the refrigerator.
This is a very delicious cheesecake and is a favorite here. I hope you will try it.
I'll give you the recipe first and then we will go through it together.
The Best No-Bake Cheesecake
20 sheets graham crackers
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are very fine as in the picture above. You want them very fine for this recipe. No large pieces. Place the finely chopped graham crackers into a large bowl.
To the bowl add the melted butter and two tablespoons of brown sugar.
Combine these ingredients thoroughly with a rubber spatula. I find a rubber spatula works best for this step. It is flexible and that flexibility helps to move the ingredients inside the bowl so that everything is incorporated.
Place this crumb mixture into a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. Either size will do. For this recipe I used a 10-inch pan. Press the crust in place and up the sides of the pan a little. Most springform pans and non-stick, so it is not necessary to use any sprays or butter to keep the crust from sticking. Remember, we added 11 tablespoons of melted butter to the crust mixture, so it will not stick to the pan. There is no need to go to all the trouble of cutting a round of parchment paper to put on the bottom of the pan. That is all just extra work and serves no purpose. Chill the crust in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Place two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese into a large bowl. Make sure they are room temperature. You can cut them into 1-inch squares if you like, but that is not necessary. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. You see here that I did not this time and it was not any easier nor any more difficult to mix them with the other ingredients using an electric mixer.
Before adding the remaining ingredients, be sure to beat the cream cheese until smooth. You can do this on medium-high speed.
Then, in with the can of condensed milk. Beat in the condensed milk just until combined.
Add 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice.
And finally, 1 teaspoon almond extract. Mix all of these ingredients thoroughly with your electric mixer. Start the mixer on low because you do not want the lemon juice and almond extract splashing all over the kitchen. Increase the speed to medium-high once everything is mixed together. You may have to stop once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure your mixture is fully mixed and that all the ingredients are incorporated.
Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the cheesecake mixture into the springform pan on top of the crust. Smooth the stop. You can do this by shaking the pan back and forth in several different directions. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator until firm, about 3 hours.
After about 3 hours, or the next day, release the sides of the springform pan and you will have a lovely and delicious cheesecake to serve your family and/or guests.
If you want to get creative, you can caramelize some sugar and make a fancy spun sugar topping for your cheesecake as I did above.
But, ... a word of caution. If you decide to make the spun sugar topping, do that right before you serve the cheesecake. Or, you can make the spun sugar, but do not place it on the cheesecake until ready to serve. I placed the decorative sugar on top and covered the cake with plastic wrap and placed it back into the refrigerator and a little while later this is what I had. A cheesecake with melted caramelized sugar. It was delicious, but I'm just letting you know that the sugar will come apart in the refrigerator.
This is a very delicious cheesecake and is a favorite here. I hope you will try it.
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