No Bake Pistachio Cheesecake is luscious and creamy, filled with the rich yet light pistachio butter cream, freshly made from real pistachios. The nutty and buttery crust made with graham cracker crumbs is the perfect crunchy base layer, while a meringue-like topping is made of whipped cream.
No bake pistachio cheesecake is perfect make-ahead dessert! Ten minutes of prep, no bake, and can be made in advance. Perfect for a crowd! Love no bake nut butter cakes? Then make sure and also try No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake.
Why you’ll love it
Creamy – This is the creamiest cheesecake I’ve ever made using 3 main creamy ingredients: cream cheese, butter and whipping cream! The cream cheese filling is rich in flavor yet feels light and fluffy in your mouth.
Efficient use of time – We all know we don’t have the energy or time for complicated desserts. This no bake dessert cake allows you to enjoy everything the traditional cheesecake has to offer, but with only 20% of the effort and less than 30 minutes of active time.
The secret ingredient– I make Pistachio cream from scratch by using fresh pistachios, processed into a fine pasted with a food processor until the oils are released and you have a smooth texture. Then I combine it with the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract for a perfectly creamy pistachio butter. Yum!
Pistachio is layered all the way through this cheesecake, from the crust, in the filling to the topping. This feels like such a luxurious dessert but is fuss free without turning on the oven.
Supplies
- 9” springform pan – to make the crust in (omit if using premade crust). It’s useful since it allows us to shape the sides of the cheesecake.
- A serving dish in which you will serve the cheesecake. You can use any shape and size.
- Spatula to spread cheesecake filling.
- Piping bag, if piping – for whipped cream topping on the cheesecake.
- Food processor – to turn pistachios into a fine paste.
- 2 mixing bowls – one you will use to mix the Pistachio Cream, the other – to whip the whipped cream.
- Electric mixer or stand mixer – for whipping heavy cream.
Ingredients to make pistachio cheesecake
- Pistachios – I crushed them with the food processor into a fine paste, leaving some for decoration.
- Cream cheese – Always use full fat cream cheese since using lower-fat options can lead to a less stable, more watery and less flavorful cheesecake.
- Heavy whipping cream – for the filling and topping.
- Graham crackers – I used graham crackers, crushed them into crumbs (lots of crushing in this recipe!) and made a crust out of them.
- Sugar and powdered sugar – you will be using it in both cheesecake filling and the whipped meringue like topping.
- Vanilla Extract and Pistachio Extract – for flavoring the cheesecake.
How to make no bake pistachio cheesecake
Super easy – this cheesecake requires less than 30 minutes of active time and some chill time in between.
There are 4 distinct steps to making it: homemade graham cracker crust, pistachio cream, whipped cream, cream cheese mixture and whipped cream topping
Crust – I made a crust using a food processor and graham cracker crumbs. Skip this step, if using premade crust.
Pistachio cream – I used fresh pistachios, processed into a pistachio butter with a food processor. When I combined with the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract, it turned into a buttery paste.
Once processed in the food processor, pistachios should look like peanut butter! This pistachio butter is the reason the cheesecake is so good!
You can get all the pistachio butter out, using a plastic spatula.
Whipped cream – we are making a regular whipped cream with an electric mixer. Do not add sugar at this point!
Assembly of cheesecake mixture – Mix cream cheese, pistachio cream and whipped cream together for a delicious pistachio cheesecake filling.
Finally, add the pistachio cheesecake mixture inside the crust!
Whipped cream topping – while it looks like meringues, there is still NO BAKING involved. I used a piping bag to make those fake meringues:).
Tips for success
- Bring cream cheese to room temperature – You really want to make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature and without lumps to get that nice creamy texture. If you need to soften quickly, pop the cream cheese in the microwave on a dish for 10 seconds, then flip over for another 5 seconds until it is soft.
- Use pistachio extract or emulsion – I highly recommend the pistachio emulsion or a pistachio extract but you can also use a vanilla extract. The pistachio flavor may be slightly more subtle.
- Use a glass to even out the crust – I like to use a glass cup with a 90 degree base and side so that you can really even out the crust and pack it together both on the sides and the bottom.
FAQ
Will this pistachio cheesecake work with any cream cheese brand? I used generic cream cheese in many recipes and got good results.The only thing I suggest avoiding is low-fat or non-fat cream cheese. That being said, the generic cream cheese available where I live does have a slightly lower fat content than the name brand (Philadelphia). However, I personally don’t feel the difference is significant enough to warrant only using name brand.
Can I use light/low calorie cream cheese? I’m all for using healthier alternatives, but not so much when it comes to baking, especially a cheesecake. Use real butter, real sugar and full fat dairy cream cheese for both taste and the “tried and true” recipe results factor.
Full fat cream cheese is the best. Anything that is a low fat alternative affects the outcome of cheesecake recipes. Fat is not just a flavor, but it is one of the major components of a cheesecake structure.
Is this cheesecake too sweet? This is not an overly sweet dessert, if you like a lot of sweetness, then you can add more sugar to the cheesecake filling.
How long to chill it — I chilled it for 4 hours to maximize on cheesecake solidifying. This cheesecake is perfect for making ahead!
Fun Substitutions and Variations
- Vanilla wafers or Biscoff – Swap graham crackers for crushed vanilla wafers or Biscoff cookies for a different base flavor.
- Pre-made graham cracker crust is a delicious way to substitute for homemade crust (in this recipe). It also has a crispy texture when and is ideal for no-bake cheesecake!. Use 9-inch crust.
Serving suggestions
The cheesecake needs to cool in the fridge for at least four hours. Serve chilled straight out of the fridge. You can take it out of the fridge for half an hour ahead, but I don’t recommend eating it warmer than that.
Storage instructions
Can I make it ahead? This cheesecake sets beautifully overnight, making it a perfect dessert to prepare in advance for gatherings or special occasions. The minimum time for it to set is 4 hours, if planning to make it the same day.
How to store it. Planning to make a cheesecake in advance for an event but wasn’t sure how to go about storing it or when to add the toppings? Simply cover with Saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and add the topping the day of serving.
It’s unbelievable how easy it is to make the most beautiful and creamy cheesecake in the most efficient way!
More delicious No Bake desserts
No Bake Strawberry Tiramisu (no eggs)
No Bake Double Chocolate Layer Pie
No Bake Fourth of July Icebox Cake
Hungry for more cheesecake recipes?
Pistachio Cheesecake (No Bake)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup pistachios, shelled, crushed
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Filling
- 1 cup pistachios, shelled
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pistachio extract, or emulsion
Topping
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pistachios, finely chopped
Instructions
Crust
- Using a food processor, combine graham cracker crumbs, crushed pistachios, melted butter, and sugar and pulse until evenly mixed and looks like slightly wet sand. You can mix by hand in a mixing bowl if you prefer.Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan. You can use a flat bottom glass to press in the mixture evenly.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you make the filling.
Pistachio cream
- Add 1 cup of shelled pistachios into a food processor and blend until the pistachios have formed a chunky paste.Now add ¼ cup powdered sugar, ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and blend until the mixture looks like creamy nut butter.
- In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, ½ cup sugar and pistachio emulsion (or extract) and mix until the cream cheese is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Whipped cream
- In a 2nd mixing bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and use an electric mixer to whip the cream until stiff and resembles whipped cream.
Cheesecake filling
- Combine in the PISTACHIO CREAM and WHIPPED CREAM, folding the whipped cream gently until the mixture is fully incorporated.
- Spread the filling into the chilled crust and smooth out. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Whipped cream topping
- Mix ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat using electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Place into a piping bag with desired tip. (I used a decorating tip Wilton #12)
- Pipe the whipped cream in a circular pattern around the edge of the cheesecake. Take the remaining chopped pistachios and sprinkle around the inner edge of the whipped cream. Slice, serve and enjoy.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Pistachio butter? Can I use that?
Yes! We made this recipe twice and it’s so delicious!
Wow! I love this!