This no bake pistachio cheesecake is a buttery biscuit crust under a creamy filling of cream cheese, pistachio paste, whipped cream and a little gelatin. It takes about 25 minutes of hands-on work, then at least 6 hours in the fridge, and one 9 inch springform gives you 10 to 12 slices.
No oven and no water bath, so there is no cracked top to worry about. The flavor comes from real pistachio paste, not pudding mix. Make it the day before and it slices cleanly straight from the fridge.
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- Pan: 9 inch (23 cm) springform
- Yield: 10 to 12 slices
- Time: 25 minutes prep, at least 6 hours chilling (overnight is better)
- Crust: 200g crushed graham crackers or digestive biscuits, 100g melted butter, 2 tablespoons sugar
- Filling: 400g cream cheese, 150g pistachio paste, 250ml heavy cream, 100g powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, set with 1½ teaspoons gelatin
- Keeps: up to 4 days covered in the fridge
If you have a scale, weigh the crust and filling ingredients. The grams are the measurements to trust here, because cup amounts for a thick paste and fluffy powdered sugar vary a lot from kitchen to kitchen.
Pistachio Paste, Sweet Spread or Pudding Mix?
This recipe is written for pistachio paste that is unsweetened or only lightly sweetened. The kind sold in baking shops or Middle Eastern grocers is usually just ground pistachios, sometimes with a little oil. Paste tastes like roasted nuts. Pudding mix tastes like pistachio ice cream from a tub, and it sets the filling more by starch than by flavor.
Sweet pistachio spreads, the jarred cream kind, work too, but they already carry a lot of sugar. Cut the powdered sugar back by about half, beat it in, and taste before the gelatin goes in. No paste in the shops? Unsweetened homemade pistachio butter does the same job.
A little graininess from the paste is normal. It disappears once the whipped cream is folded in and the cake has set.
Pressing a Biscuit Crust That Slices Clean
Mix the 200g of crushed biscuits with the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar until it looks like wet sand and holds together when you squeeze a handful. Tip it into the springform and press it firmly over the bottom with the back of a spoon or a flat-bottomed glass.
Press hard. A loose crust is the one that crumbles when you lift the first slice. Put the pan in the fridge while you make the filling so the butter firms up. Speculoos or shortbread crumbs make a good swap if you want a spiced or more buttery base.
Gelatin, Whipped Cream and the Fold
Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons of cold water and leave it 5 minutes, until it looks spongy. Microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds, just until clear. Do not let it boil. Set it aside to cool slightly.
Whip the cream to soft peaks, the point where the tips flop over when you lift the whisk, and keep it in the fridge. Soft peaks fold into the dense cheese base without streaks. Cream whipped stiff turns grainy as you fold.
Building the Pistachio Cream Cheese Base
Beat the room temperature cream cheese on its own until completely smooth before anything else goes in. Cold cream cheese leaves little lumps, and once the cream is in there is no beating them out. Add the pistachio paste, powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy. Taste it now. It should taste of nuts first and sugar second.
Stir 2 spoonfuls of this mixture into the warm gelatin first, then pour it all back into the bowl and mix well. That small step keeps the gelatin from hitting the cool cheese and setting into rubbery strings.
Fold in the whipped cream with a spatula in three additions, cutting down through the middle and turning the bowl. Stop as soon as there are no white streaks, so you keep as much air as you can.
Pour the filling over the crust, smooth it with an offset spatula and tap the pan on the counter to bring up air bubbles. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Unmolding, Cutting and Topping the Cheesecake
Once it has set, run a thin knife around the edge before you open the springform ring. Cut with a sharp knife and wipe it on a warm, damp cloth between slices. A cloth does this better than paper towels.
Finish with chopped pistachios. To drizzle, warm a little pistachio cream or melted white chocolate. I like to leave a few slices plain and drizzle the rest, so everyone gets to choose. A thin layer of chocolate ganache gives a darker contrast, the way it does in my pistachio mousse with chocolate ganache.
When the Filling Will Not Set
- Soft after 6 hours: give it the full night. If it is still loose, the gelatin was probably too hot or never fully dissolved. It still tastes good served in glasses.
- Rubbery bits in the filling: the gelatin set on contact with cold cheese. Temper it with a little of the base next time.
- Small lumps: the cream cheese was cold. Leave it out about an hour before you start.
- Crust falls apart: it was not pressed firmly enough or not chilled before the filling went on.
- Weeping or soft edges at the table: it sat out too long. Serve it chilled and put leftovers back in the fridge quickly.
How Long This No Bake Cheesecake Keeps
Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. The crust softens a little by day three but does not turn soggy. To freeze, chill it until firm, wrap the whole cake or single slices tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add the pistachios and drizzle after thawing.
On a dessert table, it sits well next to lighter pistachio mousse tarts, a layered pistachio pudding dessert, or a tray of pistachio tiramisu, which uses the same paste in mascarpone.
Quick Pistachio Cheesecake Answers
Can I make it without gelatin?
Not as written. Without the 1½ teaspoons of gelatin the filling stays soft and will not slice cleanly. Without gelatin, serve it as a spoonable dessert in glasses.
Can I use mascarpone instead of cream cheese?
You can, but mascarpone sets more loosely and tastes richer and milder. For a clean slice, especially in a warm kitchen, stay with cream cheese.
Can I make pistachio cheesecake with pistachio pudding?
This recipe is made for paste. Pudding mix gives a brighter green and a sweeter, more artificial flavor, and the amounts here are not built for it.
How far ahead can I make it?
Make it 1 day ahead for the best texture. It holds well for up to 4 days in the fridge; add the toppings on the day you serve it.
Pistachio Cheesecake Recipe
This no bake pistachio cheesecake is a creamy cheesecake made with cream cheese, real pistachio paste, whipped cream and a little gelatin on a buttery biscuit crust. It takes 25 minutes to prep, sets in 6 hours or overnight, and makes one 9 inch cheesecake, 10 to 12 smooth, firm slices. The gelatin is tempered into the pistachio cream cheese base and the cream is folded in at soft peaks, so the filling sets clean without baking. Serve it as a make-ahead holiday dessert, for Easter or a birthday, topped with chopped pistachios and pistachio cream or white chocolate. Use homemade pistachio butter if you cannot find paste, and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST
- 200g (about 2 cups) graham crackers or digestive biscuits, crushed
- 100g (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- FOR THE PISTACHIO CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 400g (14 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 250ml (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
- 150g (3/4 cup) pistachio paste (unsweetened or lightly sweetened)
- 100g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons gelatin powder
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- FOR TOPPING (OPTIONAL)
- Chopped pistachios
- Drizzle of pistachio cream or white chocolate
Instructions
- MAKE THE CRUST: In a medium bowl, mix the crushed biscuits, melted butter, and sugar until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan using the back of a spoon or flat-bottomed glass. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
- BLOOM THE GELATIN: In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes until spongy. Microwave for 10 to 15 seconds until completely dissolved, then set aside to cool slightly.
- WHIP THE CREAM: In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator to keep cold.
- PREPARE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING: In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add pistachio paste, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, then mix until fully combined and creamy. Stir in the dissolved gelatin and mix well. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, maintaining as much air as possible in the mixture.
- ASSEMBLE AND CHILL: Pour the pistachio filling over the prepared crust and smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release air bubbles. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight until fully set.
- DECORATE AND SERVE: Once set, run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake before releasing the springform ring. Garnish the top with chopped pistachios and drizzle with pistachio cream or melted white chocolate if using. Slice with a sharp knife and serve chilled.
Notes
Use unsweetened or lightly sweetened pistachio paste; if you use a sweet pistachio spread, cut the powdered sugar back and taste first. Weigh the ingredients if you can: the grams are the most reliable measurements. Beat the room temperature cream cheese smooth before adding anything, or small lumps stay in the filling. Do not let the gelatin boil, and stir 2 spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture into it before mixing it in so it does not form strings. Whip the cream to soft peaks only. Chill at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. To slice cleanly, wipe the knife with a warm damp cloth between cuts. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or wrap and freeze up to 1 month and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 190Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 18mgSodium 131mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 1gSugar 11gProtein 4g
