This post may contain affiliate links.
This easy, light-as-air no-bake Easter Egg Cheesecake recipe is perfect for Easter dessert or any spring gathering.
Why you’re going to love this Easter Cheesecake recipe
- The plush texture is mousse-like and creamy – made so fluffy when you use a combination of cream cheese, whipped cream and yogurt.
- It’s a totally no-bake cheesecake, all the way from the graham cracker crust to the cheesecake filling. No need to turn on the oven, fuss with a water bath or worry about cheesecake cracks.
- The chocolate Easter eggs on top are totally irresistible to kids and adults alike. I love to use a mixture of Easter egg sizes and textures, plus a little whipped cream and a broken-up Caramkilk bar to make it really stunning.
- I know you already love this scrumptious Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies recipe and Easter Brownies – a cheesecake is the natural next step.
Easter Egg Cheesecake Ingredients
Heavy Cream: (a.k.a. whipping cream, double cream, or 35% m.f. cream). Whipping this up first and then folding it into the batter adds a light airiness to this cheesecake for a gorgeous, fluffy texture. I like to whip a little extra to use as a topping on the finished cake.
Cream Cheese: can’t have cheesecake without it! I prefer full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia cream cheese is my go-to) for optimal creaminess (and usually no texture-changing additives like the spreadable kind usually does).
Yogurt: Plain yogurt is my secret ingredient in a no-bake cheesecake. Not only does it add a lovely tang, it helps firm up the fluffy filling without gelatin, as the live bacteria subtly set the cream (like making creme fraiche). So good!
Lemon juice: the little bit of extra tartness just brings out the tang of the cream cheese and cuts the richness.
Vanilla: this adds a warm flavor to the yummy cheesecake base and pairs beautifully with chocolate easter eggs.
Easter eggs for decorations: I am personally partial to Cadbury mini eggs (they just taste so much better than any other brand, don’t you agree?) but I love the visual contrast of including a couple of larger-sized chocolate eggs as well. I used a couple of Kinder eggs (available in Canada but not in the US), but any hollow milk chocolate eggs or other Easter candy will work.
3-Ingredient No-Bake Cheesecake Crust
Just graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. I love a good graham cracker crust, especially this one because it is so simple.
You can buy graham cracker crumbs specifically or crush your own graham crackers by whacking at them with a rolling pin, or put them in a blender or food processor.
Feel free to swap in digestive biscuits, chocolate wafer crumbs (like oreo baking crumbs) or gluten-free cookies if you prefer.
You can just mix the three staple ingredients together and press the mixture into a 9-inch springform cake tin. No need to bake it at all! It firms up naturally as the melted butter returns to solid state.
I also really love the specific ratio of butter to crumbs. It is tender enough to easily cut through with a fork but stands up to lifting tidy slices without crumbling. Not a rock-hard cheesecake base, not a crumbly mess. Perfect!
How To Make This No-Bake Easter Egg Cheesecake
Graham Cracker Crust:
- Line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the crust ingredients until they are evenly moistened.
- Firmly press the crust mixture into the bottom and 1” up the sides of the prepared pan, using a flat-bottomed measuring cup to help pack it in tightly. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Cheesecake Filling:
- In a stand mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Scrape it into a separate bowl to reserve. Don’t bother washing the stand mixer bowl
- To the stand mixer bowl, add the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until it’s fluffy and shiny like buttercream frosting. It could take 5 minutes. If cream cheese is too cold to whip up to this airy consistency, warm the bowl slightly by pressing a hot, damp towel on the bottom.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a large rubber spatula.
- Scrape the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Chill in the fridge for 12 hours to set. Top cheesecake as desired just before serving. Wrap any leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Pro Tips
- To press the graham cracker crust into the pan, I use a flat bottom of a glass (spray it with nonstick spray first) and it comes out super smooth and perfect. The trick is to really press it into the bottom firmly and up the sides of the pan by about an inch. Pop it in the freezer while you prep the cheesecake filling.
- Cut slices with a sharp knife and run the knife under hot water between slices for easy, tidy cuts.
- A no-bake cheesecake should be allowed 12 hours to fully set. Although this requires a bit of advance planning, the payoff in luscious texture is so, so worth it. You can easily make it a day in advance (or in the morning to serve at night). Let the cheesecake set fully before adding any toppings.
- The whisk attachment on your stand mixer is more effective than the paddle attachment for getting lots of air into the batter.
Can Easter Egg Cheesecake Be Frozen?
Short answer: not ideally.
Freezing no-bake cheesecake causes the water naturally occurring in the cream and cream cheese to freeze and form ice crystals. Frozen water expands, and when thawed, leaves behind holes that disrupt the structure. The water often separates from the fat emulsion and seeps out. Fat molecules also clump together, and the overall result may be gritty and/or weepy.
Although you may be tempted to use the freezer to speed up the setting process, resist the urge and let the fridge do the chilling time.
FAQs
1. Place the easter egg on a stable cutting board and use a small, not-too-sharp knife (I like to use a cheeseboard knife with its short, square blade and blunt edge).
2. Keep one hand on the knife handle and the other hand on the flat side of the knife that faces up.
3. Keep your fingers far away from the blade.
4. Use the part of the knife closest to your body (the heaviest part) to press down on the chocolate egg, then rock the knife a little to make a clean cut.
5. If you’re struggling with eggs rolling away, crumple up some foil to cradle and hold the egg in place while you cut it.
Instead of Philadelphia in cheesecake, you can use any kind of full-fat, brick cream cheese, or swap in mascarpone or Neufchâtel. Don’t substitute low-fat, fat-free, whipped or spreadable cream cheese.
Real cheesecake is made of cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flavorings. It is dense and creamy. I love this no-bake variety of cheesecake because it is so much airier and more mousse-like in texture.
Other Easter Desserts You’ll Love
No-Bake Easter Egg Cheesecake
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 tbsp sugar
For Filling:
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 3 8- oz bricks of cream cheese softened to room temperature (60-65ºF is ideal)
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For Crust
- Line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir all crust ingredients together. Scrape into prepared pan and press into the bottom and 1" up the side. I like to press it in with a greased, flat-bottomed measuring cup.
- Freeze crust for 10 minutes while you prep the filling.
For Filling
- In a stand mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Scrape it into a separate bowl to reserve. Don’t bother washing the stand mixer bowl
- To the stand mixer bowl, add the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until it's fluffy and shiny like buttercream frosting. It could take 5 minutes. If cream cheese is too cold to whip up to this airy consistency, warm the bowl slightly by pressing a hot, damp towel on the bottom.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a large rubber spatula.
- Scrape the cheesecake batter into prepared crust and smooth the top. Chill in the fridge for 12 hours to set. Top cheesecake as desired just before serving. Wrap any leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Tips for Success
- Use the flat bottom of a glass (spray it with nonstick spray) to press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- Use your sharpest knife and wipe it down or rinse it in hot water between slices for the easiest cheesecake slicing.
- A no-bake cheesecake should be allowed 12 hours to fully set.
- Let the cheesecake set fully before adding any toppings.
- The whisk attachment on your stand mixer is more effective than the paddle attachment for getting lots of air into the batter.
Nutrition
Last Updated on March 29, 2023 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD
This easter egg cheesecake is simply fabulous, I’ll ask my niece to help me to make this cake, I’m sure she will have great time decorating the cake!!
Absolutely beautiful and my kids relished this dessert thoroughly. So well explained and so tasty.
Such a fun and delicious way to celebrate Easter and springtime! The flavors sound wonderful and I love that the cheesecake is no bake.
A perfect treat for Easter. THis cheesecake looks so cute and delicious.
This cheesecake is definitely worth making! I’m loving all the toppings on it!
I love cheesecake. Cream cheese is the best. I know the kids will love this.