Spoonable Peach Cheesecake
The no-bake, zero wait, honeyed peach cheesecake of my dreams.
Hi Bakers!
A light and creamy cheesecake in under an hour? Say less. It’s the hottest week of summer and I’m not about to turn on my oven. And if I’m being honest, press-in crumb crusts are disproportionately frustrating for me. So I’ve ditched both in favor of this scoopable, no-bake peach cheesecake.
This cheesecake mirrors my summer goals: all the good parts without the fuss.
It’s the garden check-ups while the kids slowly crawl out of bed, turning leftover cheese and ripened fruit into snack plate lunches in the backyard, the post-dinner badminton and popsicle walks, and the card games in our pajamas because the sun refuses to set. Sure there’s the slathering of sunscreen, the sibling squabbles, and what feels like packing up our entire lives for a few hours out of the house, but I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed summer more.
With ripe peaches on my counter and a sale on cream cheese, I knew exactly what I wanted to make this week. What I love about this recipe is that you can dig right in: no waterbaths, no worrying about cracks, no waiting to slice. You get all the good parts of a cheesecake - the fluffy, creamy filling, the buttery, crunchy crust, and honey-sweetened peaches - with minimal effort and immediate satisfaction.
I can build you a multitiered wedding cake, but crumb pie crusts frustrate me way more than they should. Instead, I’ve layered the same crust components - graham crackers and melted butter - throughout the cheesecake. This way, you don’t have to press in the perfect crust and wait for the filling to set to cut into slices. Call it “deconstructed” if you will, but a bowl of cheesecake has never tasted this good.
No-bake cheesecake has a light and fluffy texture that is actually pretty dissimilar to its baked counterpart. One isn’t better or more proper than the other; they are just different. Think of no-bake cheesecake filling more like a mousse; the sweetened cream cheese lightened up with clouds of whipped cream.
Since it’s summer, I’ve been buying up all the stone fruit while we have the chance. Peaches, nectarines, and cherries are at their peak right now. And while a perfectly ripe, juicy peach eaten straight out-of-hand is an elite experience, sautéed peaches with butter and honey to top this cheesecake is a pretty close second.
Baker’s Notes:
You can use pre-crushed graham crumbs or smash your graham crackers. I prefer the latter. I like irregular pieces. And since we don’t have to worry about cutting the perfect slice, you can have more bits of cracker.
I used salted butter for the crumbs for a little extra flavor, but any kind of butter is fine.
Using barely softened cream cheese means that it is scoopable right after assembling. But if you prefer it to be firmer, you may refrigerate before serving.
I assembled the cheesecake in a 10-inch pie plate, but you can use any serving dish you’d like!
Honeyed Peaches
The Ingredients:
2 to 3 large peaches
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp honey
The Method:
Slice the peaches into ¾ inch slices and discard their pits. Put in a saucepan, along with the butter, and set over medium heat. Gently cook the peaches until the butter melts and the fruit slightly softens.
Add the honey and gently stir to coat. The peaches should be tender but not falling apart. Set aside to cool.
Graham Cracker Crumble
The Ingredients:
1 ½ cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted
The Method:
Stir together in a bowl. You’re done!
Cheesecake Filling
The Ingredients:
375g brick-style cream cheese, slightly softened
¼ cup (60ml) honey
¼ cup (50g) + 2 tsp granulated sugar, divided
2 cups (480ml) heavy cream, divided
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
The Method:
In a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer, blend the cream cheese until smooth. Add the honey and sugar and blend to combine. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whip 1 ¼ cup (300ml) of the cream on high speed until it begins to thicken. Stop the mixer and whisk by hand until it holds medium peaks. Add the vanilla and whisk to combine.
Working in 2 to 3 batches, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Whip the remaining ¾ cup (180ml) cream with the 2 tsp sugar until soft and pillowy to be used for the topping.
To Assemble:
Add about ½ of the graham cracker mixture to the bottom of a pie dish or serving vessel. Dollop ½ of the cream cheese mixture on top and spread to smooth. Top with ½ of the peaches.
Repeat with another layer of crumbs and filling, saving a few crumbs to sprinkle on top.
For the top, pile on the whipped cream, remaining peaches and a sprinkle of graham crumbs. Finish with a drizzle of honey.
Serving and Storage:
Dig right in! Spoon the cheesecake into a bowl and enjoy.
If you can resist or plan to make ahead, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.