How to Make Cheesecakes without Baking

You can make cheesecakes without turning on your oven—which is especially nice in the summer. They are delightful cheesecakes. They are lighter and fluffier, almost melt-in-your-mouth. Because they don't bake, they are quicker and easier to make.
In our test kitchen, we have experimented extensively with cheesecakes. We've written articles and an e-book. We've taught classes. But it took us a long time to discover how to make no-bake cheesecakes that we really enjoyed.
Cheesecakes are made in a crumb crust, most of which don't need to be baked. It's the filling that needs to be baked. It's really a custard that relies on the coagulation of the eggs to set the filling. Some commercial no-bake cheesecakes rely on gelatin to set the filling. We've never been fond of gelatin cheesecakes.

We think you'll like fillings made with cream cheese and pudding or pastry filling much more than fillings made with gelatin. But it's important to get the ratio right. You want a filling that has enough cream cheese to make the filling firm enough to cut nicely but with enough pudding or pastry filling to make a light and smooth cheesecake filling after they are beat together. Two cups of filling and one pound of cream cheese is just right for a nine-inch cheesecake.
Substitutes:
You may substitute cornstarch for the Instant Clearjel. If you do so, you will need to cook the sauce to thicken it. Cornstarch requires cooking to thicken; Instant Clearjel thickens without cooking. (Original Clearjel thickens when cooked.)
You may substitute vanilla pudding for the Bavarian Cream.
You may use fresh strawberries instead of frozen.
Raspberry Cream No-Bake Cheesecake
Make as per the strawberry cream recipe. Use raspberry flavor and raspberries instead of strawberry flavor and strawberries. Press the mashed raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds.
Blueberry Lemon No-Bake Cheesecake (with Variations)
Make as per the strawberry cream recipe. Use lemon flavor and a teaspoon of lemon zest in the filling.
Use fresh or frozen blueberries instead of the strawberries. Garnish with whipped cream.