Mar 18, 2023, Updated Mar 06, 2024
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 Caramilk 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:
Cheesecake Filling:
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.
Other Easter Desserts You’ll Love
Chewy Chocolate Mini Egg Easter Cookies Easy Easter Egg Brownies Chocolate Easter Egg Cookies
More Cheesecake Recipes Everyone LOVES:
Classic Philadelphia Cheesecake (with a creamy 3-Ingredient filling!) No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake Bars Cheesecake Popsicles Chocolate Cheesecake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake Recipe Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Oat Pecan Crust
