No Bake Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Are you looking for a delicious and easy dessert to make? Look no further than this no bake sweet potato cheesecake! It is made with only a few simple ingredients, and is the perfect light dessert for summer. Enjoy!

Baking pies and desserts is possibly the best part of holiday cooking, but sometimes it can be impossible to get one more thing in the oven. This no-bake sweet potato cheesecake is a wonderful dessert all-year, but is especially delicious in the fall. Because it’s fast, easy, and can be made ahead, it’s an excellent dessert addition to your Thanksgiving table.

It has a mildly sweet flavor, smooth and rich texture, and requires no baking at all and can be made days in advance. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving and you should definitely try it this year!

Ingredients

• 1 nine-inch graham cracker crust, store-bought or homemade
• 1 cup cream, whipped
• 16 ounces (two bars) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (about two potatoes)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe

1. Prepare the crust if you are making a homemade graham cracker crust.
2. Cook and peel the sweet potatoes, and allow them to cool slightly. (You can also boil them, or cook them in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.) Mash them with a fork or masher, removing as many lumps as possible.
3. Whip the cream in a large bowl.
4. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Then mix in the sweet potatoes. Use an immersion blender, fork, or masher to mix thoroughly, ensuring the mix is fully blended, and as smooth as possible.
5. In a large bowl, gently combine the sweet potato mixture and the whipped cream, folding in the whipped cream. Try not to overmix as it will deflate the whipped cream.
6. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust, and gently use the back of a spoon or offset spatula to push the filling to the crust.
7. Chill for at least four hours, preferably eight to ten. Serve cold with whipped cream, caramel sauce, or other fun garnishes.

Why this recipe works

I love this recipe because it is very simple, but has a wonderfully rich and complex flavor. It takes about 15 minutes to make, and dirties two bowls, and then it’s ready to go. There are a few shortcuts that make it even easier. Because it is best chilled overnight, it can be made a few days in advance and not worried about again until serving time.

As with any dessert I like to make, there are several fun ways to mix it up. So many different ingredients you can add in the cheesecake, and fun toppings, it’s a beautiful and unique dessert.

The toughest thing about this dish is deciding if it’s a pie or a cheesecake. It can be either, or both! And that’s a perfect topic of conversation around a family dinner table.

Tips and tricks for making this dish spectacular

Cook the sweet potatoes in advance so they can cool. I use the microwave, which takes about 12-15 minutes for small to medium potatoes, and 20 minutes for bigger. Alternatives are boiling them in water on the stove, or cooking them in the Instant Pot (LINK???) or in a slow cooker.

Pull out the cream cheese an hour or two before starting the recipe, if you think about it, so it can warm to room temperature. Otherwise, unwrap the blocks, cut them into large chunks, and microwave them on 20 second intervals until the cream cheese is soft.

Do not use low-fat cream cheese. It will not set right, and will get a rubbery texture as the pie chills.

After mixing the cream cheese, sugar, and sweet potato, use an immersion blender to puree, or mix thoroughly to remove as many lumps as possible. Do this before you mix it in with the whipped cream, because you do not want to deflate the cream by overmixing.

If you want to save time and mess, you can use a store bought pie crust. It’s a great way to cut down on mess and stress, especially during the holidays.

Make the pie up to four days before you plan to serve it. Just store it in the fridge in a place where it won’t get bumped or knocked over.

Fun variations on the cheesecake

This pie is pretty straightforward, which makes it such a reliable dessert. But there are lots of things you can do to make it uniquely yours, or make it exciting time after time.

In the cheesecake mix itself, you can replace one tablespoon of the maple syrup for squeezed orange juice and one teaspoon orange zest. Or you can bring some southern flair to the dish by adding 1/2 cup crushed pecans to the mix, or using pecans in a homemade crust. You can add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, or half a teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg to the mix. Taste the mix as you add these ingredients so you can control the flavor.

For toppings, my favorite is a generous sprinkle of cinnamon, and a dollop of whipped cream. If you’re looking for shortcuts, just use canned whipped cream, it’s delish! You can also sprinkle a light zest of nutmeg, or drizzle caramel sauce on the slice. I’ve used leftover graham cracker crumbles as an attractive and texture-adding topping. So many choices!

Storage and Serving Information

This dish can be prepared up to four days in advance. After the dish has chilled uncovered for a few hours, you can cover gently with tin foil or plastic wrap, being careful not to touch the top. This will extend the life of the pie, so it won’t dry out and get rubbery. So long as you keep it in the fridge when you’re not serving it, the pie will be good for five days.

A nine-inch pie will make eight to ten servings.

More Recipes You May Enjoy:

• Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
• Sweet Potato Pie with Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
• Grandma’s Sweet Potato Pie Recipe with Molasses
• Easy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
• Easy Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole