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One slice of a basil cheesecake with a small basil sprig on top, on a white plate.
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5 from 11 votes

Sweet Basil Cheesecake Recipe

This no-bake, make-ahead Sweet Basil Cheesecake is full of beautiful and bright summer flavors. It’s easy to make and works well for both casual or elegant entertaining.
Prep Time25 minutes
Refrigeration12 hours
Total Time12 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert for summer party, make ahead desserts
Servings: 12
Calories: 454kcal
Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

Ingredients

Lemon Crust

  • 2½ cups vanilla cookie crumbs (from about ¾-pound cookies), see notes
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest

Filling

  • 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¾ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup packed basil leaves, washed and dried
  • pinch of salt
  • small basil leaves for garnish, washed and dried
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Lemon Crust

  • Add the cookies to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and blend until you have fairly fine crumbs. Add the crumbs to a large mixing bowl and mix in the melted butter and lemon zest.
  • Pour into a 9-inch springform pan and press it evenly and firmly onto the bottom surface. Place the crust in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Filling

  • Use an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, to whip the cream into stiff peaks. This will take about 2 minutes. Set aside.
  • Now add the cream cheese and powdered sugar to the food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until it’s completely smooth. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, basil and pinch of salt and blend until the basil is tiny specks of green. Use a rubber spatula to add this to a large mixing bowl.
  • Fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture just until it’s combined.
  • Remove crust from the refrigerator and pour the filling into it the pan. Smooth the top and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (at least 12 hours).
  • Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim.
  • Garnish with small basil leaves, slice and serve.

Notes

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1368IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1mg