Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
Combining the most nostalgic and delicious store bought Halloween cookies with none other than the rich and creamy CHEESECAKE is a no brainer. So ladies and gentlemen I present to you this Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Cheesecake.
This recipe can of course be made with any of the Pillsbury Sugar Cookie shapes but is extra cozy with the classic pumpkin designs. The Cheesecake recipe is an easy to make NO BAKE Cheesecake recipe that requires basic household ingredients. This dessert will be the most delicious show stopper at any Halloween event this year. And the best part is, I’m going to take you through every step 🙂
Let’s start with the base of this Cheesecake. We’ve got an entire package of Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies all cozy and packed together at the bottom of a greased springform pan. We’re going to bake this crust until they are just golden brown on the edges – about 12 minutes. At this point we want to let the crust cool. But don’t worry. In the meantime we prepare the no bake cheesecake filling. This filling is so rich, creamy, and silky. Once the base of our Cheesecake has cooled we fill in our springform pan with our filling and let it set until firm. This will take at least 3 hours in the fridge. Freezing the no-bake Cheesecake can help speed up the process too. If you choose to freeze the Cheesecake to set it, keep it in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Lastly we top off our Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Cheesecake with some fresh whipped cream and extra Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies to add the PERFECT finishing touch. You’ll be left with the most adorable and festive Cheesecake there has ever been.
What Is No-Bake Cheesecake Filling Made of?
No-bake Cheesecake filling is typically made of cream cheese (of course) stabilizers like whipped cream will help help to create the texture and flavors of a baked cheesecake. While there are of course subtle differences like the texture of a no-bake cheesecake having a bit more of a lighter mousse like texture, the biggest difference will be that a no-bake cheesecake needs plenty of time to set versus a baked cheesecake that needs to cool. Cutting into a no-bake cheesecake prematurely can cause it to lose it’s shape and deflate.
No-bake cheesecake does not contain eggs as their thickening agent. Instead, we use whipped cream to fold throughout the entire mixture to help make the texture lighter, fluffier, and even tastier. Another bonus to no-bake cheesecakes is avoiding cracks. With baked cheesecakes, you risk them cracking on the surface either during the baking process, or cooling process. This headache is completely avoided with no-bake cheesecakes!
A common layer to no-bake and baked cheesecakes for that matter is a graham cracker crust. While you can absolutely use a graham cracker crust for this recipe, the Pillsbury Sugar Cookies make for the tastiest, most nostalgic show stopper of a dish.
The taste and texture of this Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Cheesecake is out of this world. Feel free to add your own take and details to this. You can add festive Halloween sprinkles, use the purple ghost designed Pillsbury Sugar Cookies, or add fresh fruit to the top as well.
Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
8-12
servings12
minutesKeep the screen of your device on.
Ingredients
2 packages 2 pillsbury pumpkin sugar cookies (some cookies will be used to top the cheesecake)
1 1/4 cups 1 1/4 heavy whipping cream
24 oz 24 cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 Tbsp. 3 confectioner’s sugar
3/4 cups 3/4 granulated sugar
1/4 cup 1/4 sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. 1 1/2 lemon juice
2 tsp. 2 vanilla extract
- Whipped Cream
2 cups 2 heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup 1/4 granulated sugar
1 tsp. 1 vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9″ springform pan.
- Place the Pillsbury Sugar Cookies at the bottom of the greased pan making sure they cover the entire bottom. Feel free to slice the last few in half or quarters to fill in any little spaces of the pan left uncovered.
- Bake the cookies in the pan for about 12 minutes or until just golden brown on the edges. Once finished baking, set aside and allow to cool while we prepare the filling.
- In a medium sized bowl, use an electric mixer or stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream until is has thickened to a cool whip consistency. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
- Next, in a large bowl use an electric mixer or a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment to beat the room temperature cream cheese until smooth.
- Once the cream cheese is nice and smooth, add in the confectioner’s sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Continue to beat until everything is evenly combined and there are no lumps in the mixture.
- Once this mixture is smooth, use a silicone spatula to fold the heavy whipping cream from earlier into the cream cheese mixture. Fold this in until it is just combined and the mixture is evenly incorporated.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared pan with the cookie base and spread it around evenly so that the mixture is evenly distributed and the top is nice and flat.
- Allow this to chill in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for at least 3 hours in the fridge or overnight. To speed this process up, you can chill the cheesecake in the freezer for 2 hours.
- To make the whipped cream, use an electric mixer or a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment to whip the heavy whipping cream while slowly adding in the sugar until it reaches the cool whip consistency. Add in the vanilla. Use this to add swirls of whipped cream around the perimeter of the cheesecake then top the cheesecake with additional Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies.
- Enjoy!
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Hi! Could I make this with a 7” springform pan instead? Thanks! Looks delicious!!
Hi there! You absolutely can however, the center may take a bit longer than the minimum of 3 hours to chill if it is stacked a bit higher in a 7″ versus a 9″ pan. I would let it chill for at least 4 🙂 I hope this helps!!
Just wanted to say this was delicious!! I was sad because our store ran out of the pumpkin design cookies but I found the large pumpkin spice white chocolate cookies to bake and used that for the crust and it was really good too! This will be my go-to recipe for any no bake cheesecakes I make!!
Thank you so much for this comment!! 😊
Hi, can I use half & half instead of the heavy whipping cream for the no bake cheesecake? I just already have half & half I need to use up but won’t if it will make a big difference for texture and taste. Thanks!
Hi there! I have not tried this recipe with half & half but i do know that half & half does not whip up as nicely and firm as heavy whipping cream. We need that whipped cream to fold into the cheesecake mixture to lighten the texture of the cheesecake. I recommend using heavy whipping cream for the best results!
After it has full set up in the fridge overnight.
Do we take the cheesecake out of the springform before or after refrigerating?
It’s important to let the cheesecake set and firm up before removing it from the springform pan 🙂
Hi there! Am I able to make this a few days in advance and store in freezer?
Hi there! You can absolutely make this in advance. I recommend making the cheesecake then wrapping the cake in plastic wrap to keep it nice and sealed. Then you can store in the fridge until serving. Enjoy! 🙂
This looks so good! If I were to make little individual cakes in a cupcake pan instead of a whole cake, would you alter the cooking times? Thanks!
Hi there! The bake time should be the same since we are only baking the cookies maybe 1-2 minutes less. You can always bake the cookies according to the directions on the box them place them in the bottom of a cupcake pan and top with the no-bale cheesecake filling! If not, just be sure to bake the cookie base until just light golden brown!
Did you end up trying this as individual cakes? If so, did it work well? How many cupcake sized ones did you end up with?
Hi there – I have not made this recipe as individual cheesecakes so I don’t have an exact number of how many it would yield. If you do plan to take this route, I recommend baking the cookies in cupcake liners in the cupcake tray first for the recommended amount of time as directed on the box. Then you can fill the cupcake liners with the cheesecake filling and allow to chill for at least two hours to set. I hope this helps!
This would be perfect for the band’s Halloween party, the kids would love it. Since I have to feed so many could I make this in a 9×13 pan?
Making this as my husband’s birthday cake this year! Can I make this a day ahead? Thanks!
Hi there! How exciting! 🙂 Yes this can absolutely be made the day ahead! Just be sure to wrap with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until it is time to serve! I hope you enjoy!!
I can’t wait to try this. I’m interested in possibly adding color to the filling. Would liquid food coloring alter things too much? Would gel based be better? Thank you for any direction, I’m a baking novice ☺️
Hi Rebekah!! I recommend gel food dye so that it doesn’t alter the texture of the cheesecake 🙂 I use Americolor food gel, a little goes a long way for the best results! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KCUXRLC?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzthesquea-20&creativeASIN=B00KCUXRLC&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.16AALAF2TZ1E8&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin
Could I mix in pumpkin purée or pumpkin spice to give the cake more of a fall taste?
Hi Amy! You can absolutely add pumpkin pie spice to this! Pumpkin puree might alter the texture too much, however you can add 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice to help amp up the fall flavors 🙂
Can this be made with a New York type baked cheesecake?
Hi there! Since the cookies on the bottom can’t bake as long as a classic Cheesecake takes to bake in the oven, I don’t recommend it. I personally LOVE New York style Cheesecake but had to go with the no-bake version to be able to use the cookie crust 🙂
Can I use Cool Whip instead of making my own?
For decorating the top of the cheesecake, absolutely! 😊
Hi, can other cookies be used as in my country we do not have the Pillsbury Sugar Cookies?
Hi there! Any small slice and bake sugar cookies should work fine but the baking times may vary based on the type of cookie so just be sure to bake the base until lightly golden brown 🙂 You can check out my Copycat Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies here too! 🙂 https://thesqueakymixer.com/copycat-pillsbury-pumpkin-sugar-cookies/
Saw this on tiktok and had to try it! Delicious!
Thank you so much!! 😊