Yummy No Bake Cranberry Cheesecake
This luscious No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecake recipe is so easy to make and so scrumptious! No gelatin is needed here. Use homemade or storebought cranberry preserve or a tasty from-scratch cranberry sauce recipe included as a topping! Perfect holiday dessert!
So I had some leftover spiced cranberry sauce from our Thanksgiving celebration. I was thinking of how I can use it for something sweet. After all the cranberry sauce itself is kind of sweet with hints of tang and warm yummy spices, so it is the perfect pair for any dessert-type treat.
Making a cheesecake immediately came to my mind, naturally! My family is totally obsessed with cheesecake so any excuse to make cheesecake is always welcome!
I have previously made a baked cranberry cheesecake and we all loved it so I thought for this time, I would make a no-bake version because, why not? When I made this I didn’t have the luxury of time to wait until the cake was baked because I had to go somewhere. So no-bake it had to be!
I was scared that it may not set properly, but I was happy that it held up quite well after being allowed to set overnight! It looked so yummy and pretty good on its own, too. In fact, I would have been happy eating it plain — but then what would I do with all that cranberry sauce?
I wasn’t sure initially if the cranberry sauce I have would be good for it.
Well, it obviously worked pretty well because both my husband and daughter had a slice each and both loved it! I think the hints of spice plus the orange juice flavoring of the cranberries made it so perfect as a topping for the cheesecake! It was quite a yummy pairing, if I may say so!
INGREDIENTS
For the Crust
- 2 cups graham crackers or digestive biscuits, crushed
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 8 tbsp salted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
- 8 oz each of 2 packs of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 14 oz can of condensed milk
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cranberry Sauce/Topping
- 1 cup Orange Juice or Water
- 2 cups Sugar
- 4 cups fresh or frozen Cranberries
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the crust, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and side of a greased 9-inch springform pan using the smooth bottom of a glass. Make sure it’s evenly spread out. Set aside in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to chill as you make the filling.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese in medium speed until soft, creamy, and completely smooth (no lumps). Add the condensed milk slowly and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth. Occasionally scrape the sides of the mixing bowl to ensure that there are no lumps remaining on the side or at the bottom. Pour in the lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat again until just until it’s mixed.
Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate overnight or until fully set. This can be made 1-2 days ahead. Just before serving drizzle some of the cranberry sauce for topping.
In a heavy saucepan, dissolve the sugar in orange juice or water by stirring over low to medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add the cranberries and stir. Lower the heat and cook until the cranberries pop about 10-12 minutes and the sauce has thickened to your liking. It will also thicken as it cools down.
The cranberry sauce can be made a day or 2 ahead. Refrigerate if making ahead. Use as topping for the cheesecake.
It looked so festive and beautiful and had that holiday feel! I didn’t go overboard by adding all the sauce on top but simply added some of the sauce on the sides or edges of the cake leaving some space in the middle so you still see that glorious cheesecake.
Then I simply served the rest of the cranberry sauce beside the cake if anyone wanted some more. That way, you can personalize it.
So, if by any chance you still have some leftover cranberry sauce that needs using up (and of course, you are more than welcome to make this delicious cranberry sauce included in the recipe as a yummy option) then certainly make this delicious NO BAKE Cranberry Cheesecake! This is indeed the perfect holiday cake – and you can make it a day or two ahead and without much fuss or fancy – just simply delicious!
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Yummy No Bake Cranberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups graham crackers or digestive biscuits, crushed
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 8 tbsp salted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
- 8 oz each of 2 packs of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 14 oz can of condensed milk
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cranberry Sauce/Topping
- 1 cup Orange Juice or Water
- 2 cups Sugar
- 4 cups fresh or frozen Cranberries
Instructions
For the Crust
- To make the crust, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and side of a greased 9-inch springform pan using the smooth bottom of a glass. Make sure it’s evenly spread out. Set aside in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to chill as you make the filling.
For the Cheesecake
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese in medium speed until soft, creamy, and completely smooth (no lumps).
- Add the condensed milk slowly and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth. Occasionally scrape the sides of the mixing bowl to ensure that there are no lumps remaining on the side or at the bottom.
- Pour in the lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat again until just until it’s mixed.
- Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate overnight or until fully set. This can be made 1-2 days ahead. Just before serving drizzle some of the cranberry sauce for topping.
For the Cranberry Sauce/Topping
- In a heavy saucepan, dissolve the sugar in orange juice or water by stirring over low to medium heat. Bring to a boil.
- Add the cranberries and stir. Lower the heat and cook until the cranberries pop about 10-12 minutes and the sauce has thickened to your liking. It will also thicken as it cools down.
- The cranberry sauce can be made a day or 2 ahead. Refrigerate if making ahead. Use as topping for the cheesecake.
Notes
Nutrition
Last updated on December 18th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
I’m sorry, but the recipe doesn’t match the post. Recipe is for strawberry, not cranberry.
I have updated this. I must have accidentally posted the wrong recipe. It’s all good now.
Looks really good. Is the condensed milk sweetened condensed milk?
Yes, it is. Hope you enjoy it. Do let us know.
this recipe is unclear about the amount of cream cheese used…..
8 oz each of 2 packs of Philadelphia cream cheese – that means each pack is about 8 oz and you need 2 packs total. Hope that helps. Thank you and enjoy!