No-Bake Cheesecake For One
This single serving no bake cheesecake is made from scratch with real cream cheese and freshly whipped cream over a buttery graham cracker crust. Made for one with no leftovers.
Servings: 1 serving
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon salted butter - melted
- 2 ounces cream cheese - softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces heavy cream
Instructions
- Place 2 graham cracker sheets in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. You need about ¼ cup of crumbs.
- Add the crumbs to a small bowl and stir in the melted butter until the mixture holds together like wet sand.
- Spoon the crumb mixture into a dessert dish or a 10-ounce ramekin and press it down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until completely smooth.
- In another bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. The cream is ready when it holds a firm peak that stands straight when you lift the beaters.
- Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and fold gently with a spatula until fully combined.
- Spoon the filling over the crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes for a soft texture, or up to 6 hours for a firmer set.
Notes
Choose your dish. This cheesecake works in a 10-ounce ramekin, a dessert dish, or any similarly sized bowl. The ramekin gives you a deeper, more defined layer; a wider dessert dish gives you a shallower fill. Either works.
Soften the cream cheese fully. Thirty minutes at room temperature is enough. Cold cream cheese leaves small lumps that won't smooth out once you fold in the whipped cream.
Keep the heavy cream cold. Take it straight from the refrigerator when you're ready to whip. Warm cream whips slowly and produces soft, unstable peaks. Cold cream traps air quickly and holds stiff peaks reliably.
Stop whipping at stiff peaks. The cream is ready when it holds a firm, straight peak when you lift the beaters. Keep going past that point and the cream turns grainy as the fat starts to separate.
Fold, don't stir. A slow folding motion with a spatula keeps the air in the whipped cream, which is what gives the filling its texture. Stirring collapses it.
Chilling time controls the texture. Twenty minutes gives you a soft, mousse-like filling. Four to six hours gives you a firmer, more set result. Both work, it depends on how you want to serve it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 866kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 74g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 2778IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 1mg
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