Get in on the Mermaid-craze with a sweet treat guests of all ages will swoon for. This no bake mermaid cheesecake is easily customiz-able to your unique occasion, and it’s the best way to savor a sweet cheesecake during the Summer heat.

This post and recipe were created for #SummerDessertWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always the opinions are 100% my own.

Summertime is all about fun, well moderated fun around here. It’s definitely a time when we let our proverbial hair down, and let some things slide. That includes me (within reason) trying to loosen the reigns.

It’s a time to foster healthy independence and to embrace imagination. I cut the screen time, and kick the kids outside if I have to. Go on, git- otherwise, there’s bookcases laden with books, doodle books full of picture drawing prompts, or plenty of chores to help with.

That usually gives them the kick in the pants they need.

Maybe it’s because I have all sons, but I feel like I’m often late to the latest trend party.

For example, I thought everything was still in the rainbows & unicorns camp. I mean just a couple months ago the youngest son begged me for the unicorn box of Kraft mac & cheese.

It was in the same shopping cart that he also managed to weasel some unicorn themed Snack Pack puddings into my grocery cart.

I was informed today that that particular ship has sailed, and the it’s all about Mermaids now. Hmm, mermaids. I mean, my favorite Disney princess growing up was always Ariel and the youngest son’s watched the movie since he was 3. Other than that, I had nothing.

If it was just me & my guys, I probably would’ve ignored it honestly. But we’re in the middle of Summer- the season of pool parties and sleep overs. Desserts are not only a hot commodity, but a must.

Typically, my Summer Sand Pudding is my go to. It’s always a hit at every party. Or I bring the punch and serve up a copy cat Sonic’s Ocean Water. But I’m a sucker for when my kids’ sweetly make requests, and the youngest son wanted to serve something Mermaid themed.

Not too ‘girly’ mind you, but mermaid-ish. How could I possibly say no?! The result was this surprisingly simple no bake mermaid cheesecake, and it was delish!

WHAT IS A MERMAID CHEESECAKE?

Lest ye be worried, it doesn’t involve any actual mermaids. I promise, no mermaids were hurt in the making of this delicious dessert.

Here mermaid only really correlates to the storm blue hue of the cheesecake filling, and how we’ve chosen to decorate it. Sweets & Treats Boutique had the perfect, and I mean perfect, sprinkle decorations for this dish. They’re little mermaid tails, and they come in either purple, teal, or silver. How cute is that?!

Any of those would be cute on top of this no bake cheesecake dessert. Just pick your preferred color scheme and go from there.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS NO BAKE MERMAID CHEESECAKE:

short bread cookies
butter
cream cheese
powdered sugar
vanilla extract
salt
sour cream
cream
food coloring
sprinkles

Just the normal things you’d need to make a creamy New York style cheese cake, with a few notable exceptions.

We skipped the graham crackers, and opted for a short bread cookie crust instead. This was intentional and meant to more closely resemble the sandy sea floor.

Also, we skipped the fruity toppings and went straight for sugary sprinkles instead. I mean, fruit filling on top is great. It’s classic, but sprinkles are just fun. Fun for kids of all ages, which is really what this cheesecake dessert is designed for.

We also skipped convention by going for a no bake cheesecake. It’s just as creamy, just as sweet as it’s baked counter part- but now it’s got the convenience factor of it’s Summer cousin the ‘ice box cake’ working in it’s favor.

HOW TO MAKE THIS NO BAKE MERMAID CHEESECAKE:

Pulse the cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs remain. Stir in the melted butter until evenly combined.
Spread the mixture out evenly into the bottom of a 9″ Analon springform pan. Cover & refrigerate until the crust’s firm.
Whip together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, & salt until smooth.
Mix in the sour cream & heavy cream until the mixture’s smooth again.
Use food coloring to color the cheesecake filling, to your desire effect.
Transfer the filling to the prepared crust, spreading to evenly cover.
Decorate the cheesecake with sprinkles.

At this point, your cheesecake is technically done. It’s anything but firm though. Cover it tightly with cling wrap, and place it in the refrigerator. You’re going to want to chill it for several hours so that it sets. Keep that in mind when planning your menu.

I recommend chilling it for several hours and then freezing it for up to an hour before slicing and serving. Freezing first gives you nice, clean slices when serving.

TIPS & TRICKS FOR MAKING THIS NO BAKE CHEESECAKE DESSERT:

I know there’s some stigma when it comes to using full fat, heavy cream in recipes. My advice is to get over it, and just indulge less if it’s an issue. This recipe needs the full fat version. It simply will not turn out with any substitution.
Follow the instructions as written, chilling & even freezing are key to getting this no bake cheesecake to set up & cut into slices properly for serving.
Don’t want to deal with all of the steps in this recipe? You can easily turn this into a no bake cheesecake dip. Prepare the cheesecake filling as instructed, chill, and serve with short bread cookies, graham crackers, and fruit for dipping.
While we opted for a stormy blue color, you dye this dip whatever color you want. Likewise, if you prefer to steer clear of dyes, do so. This cheesecake dip will be just as delicious in black & white as it is in technicolor.
This recipe makes a thin cheese cake, including the crust it’s less than 2″ tall. If you want a thicker cheesecake, use two smaller springform pans, spreading the crust and the filling out evenly between the two.

This cheesecake dessert recipe is really easy to whip up with just a little but of pre-planning. You can’t go wrong. My favorite part of it is how it’s always such a crowd pleaser. The young crowd is simply wow-ed by it’s Mermaid-likeness, and the older crowd is wowed by it’s incredible taste.

Stay tuned & keep scrolling past the recipe card to check out this year’s awesome #SummerDessertWeek giveaway. Don’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY for your chance to win, and also to discover all the other yummy desserts on today’s Summer-themed menu.

Other Fun Summer Treats To Try:

If you’ve tried this NO BAKE MERMAID CHEESECAKE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!