Category: Make Room for Dessert

A creamy no bake cheesecake with swirls of spiced apple butter is a great option for a fall dessert. Add a spiced graham cracker crust, and you’ll be in for a real treat!

When it comes to fall flavors, one of the main things I love is all things apple! From drinks to savory dishes to desserts, apples have a special place in my heart. And so does cheesecake. So why not put them together with some apple butter, and make it no bake cheesecake style!!!

What is no bake cheesecake?

Cheesecake is a custard made with cream cheese and raw eggs that’s slowly cooked in the oven until it’s firm. With no-bake cheesecake, there are zero eggs, which makes the filling safe to eat without it being cooked!

These 2 cheesecakes will have a different texture. The no-bake version will have a softer texture, more like a mousse or pudding, while the baked version will be more firm. The flavor will be the same for each style, but the no-bake version is a more fool-proof recipe which is perfect for the non-bakers (like myself). 

How to make no bake cheesecake

Putting together a no-bake cheesecake takes about 20 minutes of prep. All you have to do is:

• Assemble your crust and chill in the fridge

• Whip together the cheesecake filling, then pour the cheesecake filling into the chilled crust

• Sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight
• To serve, slice with a warm knife

The only difficult part about this recipe is waiting for the cheesecake to set, since you’ll want to eat this right away!

What pan should I use for no bake cheesecake

For this recipe, I assemble the cheesecake in an 8×8 baking pan. Luckily, there are a few ways this can be put together:

• Springform pans are standard for cheesecakes. If you have one, definitely use it!
• Individual servings are a fun idea, which can be done by assembling the cheesecake into muffin tins! Be sure to use cupcake liners for this.
• Make individual cheesecake parfaits! Layer the cheesecake filling with the crumbs used for the crust  into cups before chilling. Or if you want, this can be served right away!!!

What kitchen tools do I need to make cheesecake?

Whether it’s regular cheesecake or no bake, there are a couple of tools that you should have to make the filling:

Stand mixer or hand mixer with a whip attachment – this will ensure you have a nice smooth cheesecake filling. The cream cheese needs to be beaten into a very smooth consistency with zero lumps,, and the only way to do this is with a mixer.

Rubber spatula – this is an essential tool for bakers! It helps to gently scrape the contents that’s on the inside of mixing bowls. Super cheap too. Go invest in one!

Important steps for making no bake cheesecake

While this is a simple recipe with many variations, there are a few things that you absolutely have to do to make this correctly. 

Room temperature cream cheese

Before whipping the cream cheese, it has to be room temperature. I let the cream cheese sit out on the counter for a couple of hours before putting the filling together, but even an hour will work. This is to ensure that the completed cheesecake filling does not have any lumps. Biting into a chunk of cream cheese is not appealing when trying to enjoy a smooth cheesecake.

Powdered sugar vs regular sugar

Since the filling is not being cooked, it’s best to use powdered sugar instead of granulated. 

Granulated sugar is a standard when making desserts, in which the sugar will melt while cooking. The no-bake cheesecake is obviously not being cooked. Using it can make the filling a little gritty.  So using powdered sugar, which is much finer but just as sweet, will give the sweetness that’s needed and also keep the filling smooooooth. 

Fresh lemon juice

The eggs in a baked cheesecake helps the filling to set, which is omitted from the no-bake version.

In order to get the filling to set, fresh lemon juice is needed. Acid does some science-y sh*t where it  cooks protein. In this case, the natural protein in milk is being “cooked” by the lemon juice.

Don’t worry though….the amount of lemon juice used does not alter the taste of the cheesecake. It actually helps to brighten the flavor a bit, and gives it the tanginess in cheesecake that we all love!

Don’t use reduced fat cream cheese!

This is NOT one of those recipes where you should use a low fat or nonfat cream cheese. In reference to needing lemon juice, that lemon juice needs something to cook. If there isn’t the right amount of fat in the filling, it will not set like it’s supposed to. 

How to store cheesecake

Cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Be sure to tightly cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap, or cut and store in an airtight container.

There’s also the option to freeze anything not being consumed before the 5 days are up. Wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe zippered bag for 1-2 months. Defrost on the counter for a couple of hours, or in the fridge overnight. 

Now that you have the rundown of making a no bake cheesecake, you can now make my Apple Butter Cheesecake!

The crust for my cheesecake is made with regular graham crackers. In true fall fashion, I felt the need to shake things up by adding a few spices to the mix. There’s cinnamon and nutmeg, which is also in the filling. But there’s a little ground ginger as well. Yummmmmyyyy!!!!!

Your apple butter of choice is added into the cheesecake filling base. Once poured into the chilled crust, I also add several dollops of the apple butter onto the top to swirl into the filling. It’ll look super pretty, and add more of that bomb apple flavor! I used store bought apple butter, but you can most certainly make some from scratch. 

If you’re looking for another no-bake dessert, definitely try out my Cookie Butter Chocolate Pudding Pie!!! 

This no-churn ice cream takes your favorite cereal and turns it into the perfect summer treat!

When you think of eating a nice big bowl of cereal, one of the best parts is the leftover milk. It has a lightly sweet flavor that’ll put a regular cup of milk to shame. Take that same idea, and turn it into a frozen dessert…. cereal milk ice cream is born!!!

This is a super simple recipe. Not only is the cereal milk fool-proof, since we all pretty much make this all the time, the ice cream is also no churn! Can’t go wrong with that!

What type of cereal should I use for cereal milk?

The best part of cereal milk is that you can use any brand and flavor you love! No limits with cereal milk.

For my cereal milk ice cream recipe, I went with Cap’n Crunch! It’s not only one of my favorite cereals, it also leaves behind the most delicious drinkable cereal milk everrrrr!!!! The flavor of sweetened corn cereal in milk can’t be beat!

But whether you’re a fan of corn, fruity, or chocolate cereals, you can make a batch of cereal milk with just 2 ingredients: cereal and milk (I stated the obvious lol, but you get it).

How to make cereal milk

Making cereal milk is done as simply as we’ve been unintentionally (or intentionally) doing by letting your cereal of choice soak in milk. To get more of the cereal’s sweetness into this milk, it’ll get soaked for 30 minutes. There’s the option to add a little brown sugar to make it a bit sweeter if you’d like.

• The cereal gets finely ground in a food processor, or crushed in a bowl with your hands.
• Next, pour milk over the cereal, and soak for 30 minutes.
• While the cereal is soaking, set up a separate bowl with a strainer. Inside of the strainer, add a few layers of cheesecloth.
• Once the cereal has soaked, pour it into the cheesecloth. The milk that’s being strained is that nice flavorful cereal milk!

You’ll want to squeeze out as much of the milk from the soaked cereal as you can. To do this:

• Grab all the corners of the cheesecloth into one hand
• Pickup the cheesecloth so you’re holding it like a pouch with the soaked cereal.
• Squeeze the excess liquid from the soaked cereal with your hands, still keeping the cheesecloth pouch over the strainer. A glove can be used to keep your hands clean.

For cereal milk ice cream, the cereal is soaked in heavy cream instead of milk.

What to do with the leftover cereal from making cereal milk

That cereal paste that’s leftover from straining the cereal milk can be tossed.

BUT, for the cereal milk ice cream, the paste can be incorporated into the ice cream base! Again, this is optional, but does help to add a little more sweetness to the ice cream.

It’s also up to you how much of that cereal paste you’d like to add. If you’re crushing your cereal by hand, be mindful of any chunks. Once it’s mixed and frozen with the ice cream, the texture can be a bit odd, almost like it’s stale, even though it still has flavor. The finer the crushed cereal, the better!

How to make cereal milk ice cream

As I mentioned earlier, the cereal is soaked in heavy cream instead of milk, as heavy cream is what’s used in an ice cream base. It’s still being soaked and strained in the same manner.

Once strained, the heavy cream is beaten on high speed to create a stiff whipped cream. Then, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla is incorporated. Adding the soaked cereal to the ice cream base is optional.

How to store homemade ice cream:

The best way to store your ice cream in the freezer is in an airtight container that is freezer safe. I keep mine in a Tupperware container.

Pressing some plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on top of the ice cream helps to prevent freezer burn.

Additional toppings for the cereal milk ice cream

I’m a big fan of different textures in a dish. So just like adding crushed cookies on top of ice cream as a garnish, you can sprinkle cereal on the ice cream as well! Almost like making a bowl of cereal, but your milk is scoop (or 2, or 3) of cereal ice cream! Sounds like a great time to me!!!

If you’re looking for more super easy no churn ice cream recipes, check out my S’mores Ice Cream with Toasted Marshmallows, and my Cookie Butter Cheesecake Ice Cream with Espresso and Kahlua!

And remember to tag me on Instagram if you try out any of my recipes, along with leaving a rating and review!!!