Mom's Old Fashioned Cheescake

This cheesecake is light, fluffy, and absolutely melts in your mouth. It's a no-bake recipe that requires just a bit of refrigeration, making it easy and quick to prepare. My mom used to make this for us kids and I made it for my kids - and we approve this recipe! It always disappeared within a day - it's that good!

Don't be intimidated by the steps; it might look like a lot, but it all comes together quickly and is worth every bit of effort.

Ingredients for the Cheesecake

• 3 ounce Jello lemon flavor
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 large can evaporated milk (chilled)
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 32 graham crackers (crumbled)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine or butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Making the Graham Cracker Crust

• Crush the Graham Crackers: Crush 32 graham cracker squares into crumbs. You don’t need to pulverize them - some texture is fine. Feel free to use more crackers if you love a thicker crust like I do!
• Mix the Crust Ingredients: Melt 1 stick of margarine or butter and combine it with the graham cracker crumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar (or 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon if you use extra crackers) and mix well.
• Prepare the Crust: Set aside a small amount of crumbs for sprinkling on top of the cheesecake. Press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of a 13x9x2 glass baking dish, pressing lightly on a small portion of the sides of the baking dish.
• *Optional: Bake the crust at 350°F for 4 minutes for a firmer base.

Making the No-Bake Cheesecake Filling

The night before making the no-bake cheesecake, place the can of evaporated milk in the fridge so it’s cold and ready to whip.

Prepare the lemon-flavored jello using 1 cup hot water and place it in the fridge to partially set. It should be about 3/4 set - still jiggly but not firm. If it fully sets, don’t worry; it’ll still work!

Soften cream cheese: leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on kitchen temperature. For faster results, you can cut it into smaller pieces to increase surface area. Avoid leaving it out for more than two hours to prevent spoilage.

• Whip the Jello: Once the gelatin has set to the right consistency, whip it in its own bowl until it breaks into small, fluffy chunks.
• Whip the Cream Cheese, Lemon Juice and Sugar: In a separate bowl, add the softened cream cheese, whip in the lemon juice and slowly add in the sugar (so the final mixture is not gritty from the sugar) until combined.
• Whip the Evaporated Milk: In another bowl, whip the chilled evaporated milk on medium to medium-high until it thickens.
• Fold: Fold the cream cheese and jello into the whipped evaporated milk. Pour the mixture over the prepared graham cracker crust.
• Finish and Refrigerate: Sprinkle the reserved graham cracker crumbs on top, then refrigerate for 2-3 hours until fully set.

Variations

Using Cherries: You can add a layer of canned cherries on top of the graham cracker crust before pouring the cream cheese mixture, or wait until the cheesecake is fully set and add the cherries as a topping.

My Notes

This is my mother's recipe that she made and I made for years, it was light and fluffy and it didn't need baking. It was delicious and it turned out great - every time! When I made this not too long ago - first time in years - it wasn't as light and fluffy as I remembered it. Mine turned out not so light and fluffy but heavy and it didn't firm up like it should have. It was still good, it just had the wrong texture. I realized after it was finished that I used sweetened condensed milk instead of the evaporated milk - not sure if that was the issue but - This really is a great treat when made correctly.

Related

Difference Between Evaporated Milk and Condensed Milk