This is our easy 3 ingredient cheesecake recipe with Cool Whip, Philadelphia cream cheese and sugar! It’s so easy to pour into a graham cracker crust to serve when guests come over, and it’s so good they may even think it was homemade.
Jump To
- Ingredient Notes
- What else can you add?
- Crustless 3 Ingredient Cheesecake (option)
- How long does it take to make a no bake cheesecake?
- How long should you refrigerate a no bake cheesecake before serving?
- How far in advance can you make a no bake cheesecake?
- 3 Ingredient Cheesecake Recipe
- How to Store Leftovers
Ok this is another version of our popular Philadelphia cream cheese cheesecake recipe, but easier!! Yes you will need that main ingredient as well but along with that is just some granulated sugar and thawed whipped topping. Seriously, that is it y’all.
I have made this a few times as a whole pie as well as crustless in ramekins and it is always a huge hit. You can change it up with toppings too like fresh fruit slices, maybe some strawberry pie filling on each slice or add sprinkles to add to the pretty.
I mean it is delicious as is right out of the refrigerator but decorating it sometimes fun when it comes to the holidays. It only takes 5 minutes to prep really so you can make this the night before and enjoy for dessert throughout the year.
Ingredient Notes
Before you get started you will want to take out your block of cream cheese about an hour before. Set on the counter so it can soften which will enable it to become smooth with the other items. That is the ideal texture for this dish.
Measure out white granulated sugar and add that in. You will want to use a hand mixer to blend them together. You will get a thick bowl of yum at this point but will want something fluffier and light to become what you would imagine a cheesecake to be.
And then there is no need for your mixer when blending in your tub of thawed Cool Whip (or store brand whipped topping works fine). If you do use the low setting so it doesn’t over-mix. Alternatively you can use elbow grease and a spatula until incorporated properly.
Most people will want to spoon this into a graham cracker crust but I will discuss how to make it crustless if you would rather below.
What else can you add?
If you want a classic flavor you would want to fold in a bit of vanilla extract. This can be swapped out for other flavors but this is traditional. Other alternatives could be coconut extract, lemon with a bit of zest on top or go with peppermint at Christmas time!
Beyond this you could go further with a few tbsp of mini chocolate chips folded into the batter. Chocolate sprinkles go well on the top to add a bit more flavor and make it pretty.
Crustless 3 Ingredient Cheesecake (option)
Ok so let’s talk about this option because it is a good one. I will say that I do love a good cookie crust but you may not have one, or want to save on some calories. It is possible to skip that part however you won’t be able to slice it as nicely and serve that way.
Instead, I will use 6-8 oz ramekins and instead I spoon in the filling mixture into those. Cover the top with foil or plastic wrap and put them in the fridge like you would the whole version overnight. You can top with cherry pie filling like our cherry cheesecake dip and serve with broken up pieces of grahams or Nilla wafers!
How long does it take to make a no bake cheesecake?
Honestly it is really quick! Once you have your 2 of 3 ingredients thawed (for about 1 hour ahead of time) it only takes like 5 minutes to cream everything together!! Spooned into a crust or small dishes takes a few, cover and refrigerate so I would say from start to finish it is like a 15 minute process friends.
How long should you refrigerate a no bake cheesecake before serving?
You don’t want to rush this. It does need a decent amount of time to really chill all the way thru so make sure you have overnight (10-12 hours) to leave it in the fridge. You could prepare early in the morning to serve that night after dinner, or in the evening to enjoy for breakfast (I won’t tell).
How far in advance can you make a no bake cheesecake?
This is why this dessert is the bomb. If you need to prep some treats ahead of time for a party or holiday you can easily make this and leave in the fridge up to 3 days ahead of time. With this said I will say that the crust will get softer the longer it sits with the wet filling on top but most people like it that way but something to keep in mind.
3 Ingredient Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 block cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tub Cool Whip, thawed, 8 oz.
Instructions
- Add softened cream cheese, sugar (and 1 tsp vanilla (if you want to add that) into a mixing bowl and beat well with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Add thawed Cool whip and beat just until combined. Spoon into prepared graham cracker crust.
- Cover with tented aluminum foil so it doesn't touch the top. Refrigerate overnight before slicing into 8 slices and you can serve with a spoon of pie filling on top or sprinkle chocolate sprinkles on top.
Notes
Additional Add ins (optional)
1 tsp vanilla can be added into the blended cheesecake mix before adding into pie shell. You could gently fold in a few tbsp mini chocolate chips into cream cheese batter or sprinkle on top before refrigerating. You can spoon a few tbsp of pie filling on top after the cheesecake has chilled in fridge overnight.Crustless Cheesecake (option)
If you do not want to use a crust, spoon blended cheesecake mixture into ramekins instead. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Store Leftovers
You will want to keep this in the fridge when not being served so it stays firm. You can keep it for up to 3 days but want to keep it covered. You can tent the top with foil so it doesn’t stick to the top, or store in a pie container with an airtight lid.
