2 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake (No Eggs or Butter)
This no bake lemon yogurt cheesecake is creamy and light. The cake doesn’t require any cooking or baking. It needs just 2 ingredients and doesn’t require any eggs or butter. It is easy to customize and can be made ahead of time.
This dessert has all the flavors of cheesecake but made into cake form. You can adjust the level of sweetness, the number of layers and the cheesecake crust base.
Ingredients
- Lemon Icelandic Skyr Yogurt
- Graham crackers
Lemon Skyr: The cheesecake filling is made with lemon flavored Icelandic skyr yogurt. Skyr is a dairy product that is actually classified as a fresh cheese, but is often sold as a yogurt because it resembles Greek yogurt in texture and taste. It is similar to Greek yogurt, except it is even thicker and contains more protein. It’s a great lighter substitute for cheesecake because it is a cheese that is creamy and thick like cream cheese, while also having the healthier, lighter and higher protein benefits of yogurt. Lemon skyr is already sweetened and has lemon flavor, saving you a few extra steps. If you don’t have lemon flavored skyr yogurt, you can also use vanilla and mix in lemon juice and zest to get lemon flavor. Lemon skyr is only very lightly sweetened. However, when eaten with the graham crackers, I thought the cake had just the right level of sweetness for people looking for a less sweet dessert. But if you prefer a sweeter dessert, you can also add powdered sugar or a little honey to the skyr to sweeten it more.
Graham crackers: Cheesecake is traditionally made with a graham cracker crust so I used graham crackers for the cake layers. If you don’t have graham crackers you can use shortbread biscuit cookies.
How to Make No Bake Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake
- Spread a thin layer of lemon skyr yogurt to the bottom of your prepared pan. This will act as a glue to prevent the crackers from moving around too much. Line the bottom of your pan with a layer of graham crackers, cutting them if needed to make them fit. Spread another thin layer of lemon skyr yogurt across the graham crackers. Add a second layer of graham crackers.
- Add about 2 cups of yogurt over the graham crackers, using an offset spatula to spread it evenly across.
- Repeat the process with the graham crackers and yogurt until you have 3 layers of each, or 6 layers total. For the final layer of yogurt, you do not need the full 2 cups. You need only enough to cover the graham crackers.
- Cover the cake and place into the fridge to allow it to set. It will need a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- This is an icebox style cake but the flavors are more like a lighter version of cheesecake.
- This cake can easily be customized for personal preference. I made this cake less sweet because I know many of my readers are looking for less sweet desserts. However, you can increase the sweetness easily by adding some honey or powdered sugar to the yogurt. You can also use a sweeter cookie.
- You do need a double layer of crackers or cookies. Skyr yogurt has more moisture than cream cheese and if you only do a single layer of crust/cake, the crackers will be a little too soft and soggy. A double layer allows the cake layers to soften without being soggy.
More No Bake Cake Recipes
- 2 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Yogurt Cake
- 4 Ingredient No Bake Tiramisu Yogurt Cheesecake
- 2 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Cake
2 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 6 cups (1437g) lemon Icelandic skyr yogurt, see note
- 27 sheets graham crackers, see note
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang above the cake pan that can be gripped like handles to easily lift up the cake out of the pan later.
- Spread a very thin layer of yogurt (about 2-3 tbsp worth) across the bottom of the lined pan. This will help act as a glue so that the crackers don't move too much. Line the bottom with a layer of graham crackers. You should be able to fit about 4 1/2 sheets across the bottom (with the 1/2 sheet cut slightly smaller to fit). (See photo in post for reference).
- Spread a thin layer of yogurt over the layer of graham crackers. Then add a second layer of graham crackers over the first. So each cake layer will be a double layer of graham crackers. A single layer is not enough because of all the moisture from the yogurt.
- Add 2 cups (479g) of yogurt over the crackers and use a small offset spatula to spread it evenly across.
- Add another double layer of crackers (using a little yogurt in between each cracker layer to help them stay in place), followed by another 2 cup yogurt layer. Add one more double layer of crackers (using a little yogurt in between each cracker layer to help them stay in place). Add the remaining yogurt on top. For the final yogurt layer, it does not need to be 2 cups and the layer can be thinner but it does need to cover the surface of the crackers. When you are done, you should have 6 layers total (3 double graham cracker cake layers and 3 layers of yogurt cheesecake filling). Lightly cover the surface of the baking pan with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the yogurt to thicken and the crackers to soften. Keep cake in fridge until ready to serve. Slice the cake with a large sharp knife, cleaning the blade between each cut. If desired, you can also add a frosting or more yogurt on top for decoration before serving. You can also garnish with fruit. I used whipped cream frosting. The whipped cream frosting recipe I used is provided in the recipe notes. Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- Sweetness note: This cake is only very lightly sweet. The yogurt filling is lightly sweet but when eaten with the graham crackers, it it is sweeter. It is still less sweet than traditional cheesecake. If you prefer a sweeter dessert, mix in a little honey or powdered sugar to the yogurt before adding the yogurt layers. You can also use a sweeter cookie base.
- Graham cracker note: Graham crackers usually come in sheets that can be broken into smaller individual crackers (usually 4 to a sheet). 27 sheets refers to the full sheets. You should have 108 individual crackers. I used Amazon Grocery Graham Crackers.*
- Yogurt note: This recipe uses skry yogurt which has a thicker consistency than Greek yogurt. If you find your skyr yogurt not sweet enough, you can mix in a little honey or other liquid sweetener to sweeten it. If you can't find lemon skyr yogurt you can use vanilla skry yogurt and add a few tbsp of lemon juice and lemon zest to make it lemon flavored. I used Siggi's lemon yogurt.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Optional Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 3 tbsp granulated white sugar
- Add cold heavy cream and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat on highest speed until soft peaks form. Frost over the surface of the cake.
- Estimated nutrition does not include optional whipped cream frosting.
I made this but mixed lemon yogurt with blueberry yogurt (both Icelandic Skyr yogurt) and put fresh blueberries on top. It was delicious! Can’t wait to make it again and try different flavor yogurt and different fresh fruit
Yum! We’re so glad you enjoyed this cheesecake!
Awesome..thank u
You’re welcome! We hope you enjoyed this cheesecake!
Save ice box cake made with graham crackers and yogurt
Yes, this is an icebox style cake but the flavors are more like a lighter version of cheesecake!
Love this easy desert
Thank you!
Reads like yummy
Thank you!