This Easy Pistachio No Bake Cheesecake (Minis) recipe yields creamy pistachio cheesecake filling with a toasted pecan graham cracker crust. I topped these with pineapple curd and meringue as a nod to watergate salad, but for my all-out pistachio lovers, they'd be excellent with whipped cream and chopped pistachios.
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I started a new series on Instagram and TikTok where I am reimagining classic, but questionable, recipes from the mid-century. The first recipe is watergate salad. I made Mom on Timeout's recipe and actually loved the flavors, but disliked the texture of the crushed pineapple. So for my version, I set out to preserve the flavors but upgrade the textures. I garnished these with a smooth pineapple curd and a cloud-like Swiss meringue whipped to stiff peaks.
For most of my pistachio recipes, I make homemade pistachio cream, like in these pistachio macarons or pistachio tiramisu. But, this time I wanted to stay true to the ease of watergate salad by using pistachio instant pudding mix to flavor the cheesecake batter. It is also just more accessible for you all. Homemade pistachio paste is time consuming and store-bought pistachio spread is expensive. However, if you have the time and/or money, feel free to swap the pudding mix for some pistachio butter (taste as you go). If you can't find instant pistachio pudding, another more affordable option is pistachio extract and a touch of green food coloring. This is my favorite pistachio flavoring.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Brown sugar makes for an extra flavorful no bake crust.
- The cheesecake batter comes together quickly with minimal ingredients.
- These are much easier and quicker than baked cheesecake.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese is the base of the dessert. You'll want to use room temperature for this recipe.
- Graham cracker crumbs are the base of the buttery graham cracker crust.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the cheesecake filling. This is also sometimes called icing sugar.
- Pistachio instant pudding mix flavors the cheesecake.
- Heavy cream adds richness and moisture to the cheesecake. This is also referred to as double cream.
- Brown sugar sweetens and flavors the crust. Light or dark will work here.
- Toasted pecans add crunch and flavor to the crust, but are entirely optional.
- Kosher salt and vanilla extract balance the overall flavor profile of the dessert.
- Melted butter adds richness and moisture to the crust. I prefer unsalted, since we add kosher salt later.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here's how to customize these easy pistachio no bake cheesecakes to your liking:
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- No pistachio pudding mix — swap the pudding mix for homemade or store-bought pistachio paste, cream or butter. Use 6.7 oz / 190g of pistachio butter, or start with less and add more to taste.
- Extracts — add ¼-1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, pistachio flavoring or orange blossom water to the filling for a deeper pistachio flavor.
- Baked crust — I actually baked the crust in the version in the photos. Due to the brown sugar, when baked, the crust becomes chewy and crunchy. If you are into that, then feel free to bake the crust at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. If the crust loses its shape during baking, tamp back down when it comes out of the oven. If the cheesecakes are stuck to the tin, use a kitchen torch to warm the bottoms to melt any butter that may have cooled, causing the cheesecakes to stick.
- No nuts — omit the pecans from the crust, or swap for chopped pistachios.
- White chocolate — garnish with a white chocolate drizzle, or add melted and cooled white chocolate to the cream cheese mixture after whipping in the heavy cream.
- No kosher salt — if you only have table salt, use just ¼ teaspoon in the crust and a small pinch in the pistachio filling.
- Sour cream — for a lighter texture and more tang, add ¼ cup of sour cream to the cheesecake batter.
- Regular size — use a greased and parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan for one big cheesecake, rather than minis.
- No graham crackers — use 394g of lotus biscuits (biscoff cookies), digestive biscuits, nilla wafers or oreo cookies (with the cream removed) instead of graham cracker crumbs. I like to use a food processor to crush the cookies into fine crumbs, but a zip top bag and a rolling pin will work too.
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make easy pistachio no bake cheesecake (minis)
Step 1: Prepare a 12-cavity muffin tin with cupcake liners. Alternatively, grease and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl, whisking to combine. Add the melted butter and mix to combine.
Step 2: Add about two tablespoons to each liner and tamp down with a wooden tamper or the bottom of a small cup. You may have some left over. Set aside while you make the filling.
Step 3: Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with electric mixer. Add the pistachio pudding mix, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and beat to combine. The mixture will be thick. Change to the whisk attachment, pour in the heavy cream and whip until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Step 4: Pipe or spoon the pistachio cheesecake mixture over the crusts. Use an offset spatula or bent spoon to smooth the tops. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or at least four hours to set up before garnishing and enjoying.
Top tips
- Measure pecans after chopping, not while whole or halved!
- After chilling in the refrigerator for 2 hours, freeze the cheesecakes to set up faster.
- I like to make my graham cracker crust completely in the food processor, since I use it to crush my graham crackers anyway.
Recipe FAQs
Only freeze no bake cheesecake after it has chilled in the refrigerator. The cheesecake needs to cool gradually at first. If you go straight to the freezer after assembling, your cheesecakes might split or crack.
Yes, replace the instant pudding mix with 6.7 oz / 190g of pistachio butter, or start with less and add more to taste. If you want to use real pistachios, try this homemade pistachio paste.
Store no bake cheesecake in an airtight container or in a container covered plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I do not recommend this.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Pistachio No Bake Cheesecake (Minis)
Equipment
Ingredients
Graham cracker pecan crust
- 18 graham cracker sheets two packs from a 14.4 ounce box
- ½ cup chopped* pecans toasted** (55g) optional
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar (70g)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt use half as much if using table salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks) melted
No bake pistachio cheesecake filling
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature (two blocks)
- 1 box instant pistachio pudding (3.4 oz)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (99g)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt use half as much if using table salt
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream (176g)
Garnishes
- Whipped cream
- Pineapple curd I used this recipe
- Swiss meringue I used this recipe
Instructions
Do ahead
- Prepare a 12-cavity muffin tin with cupcake liners. Alternatively, grease and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
Make the crust
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl, whisking to combine. Add the melted butter and mix to combine.
- Add about two tablespoons to each liner and tamp down with a wooden tamper or the bottom of a small cup. You may have some left over. Set aside while you make the filling.
Make the cheesecake
- Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with electric beaters. Add the pistachio pudding mix, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and beat to combine. The mixture will be thick.
- Change to the whisk attachment, pour in the heavy cream and whip until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Assemble
- Pipe or spoon the pistachio cheesecake mixture over the crusts. Use an offset spatula or bent spoon to smooth the tops.
- Chill in the refrigerator overnight or at least four hours to set up before garnishing and enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 05/23/2025.
