This classic Woolworth Cheesecake is a light and fluffy cheesecake with a hint of lemon flavor. Made with Jell-O, whipped cream, cream cheese, and a graham cracker crust, it has an amazing creamy texture and taste.
It’s a simple no-bake cheesecake recipe.
You’ll also love our no-bake cherry cheesecake.
Classic Woolworth Cheesecake
I love a good old-fashioned cheesecake recipe and I’m pretty obsessed with this version of a creamy cheesecake.
We love this version of cheesecake because its tastes light and refreshing with just a hint of lemon. The lemon flavor is light and airy and doesn’t overwhelm, but adds the refreshing flavor making this the perfect addition to the end of any meal.
I love that the filling has that lemon flavoring and the light and creamy texture that just doesn’t feel heavy.
This lemony dessert would make a great dessert to bring back fond memories on a holiday like Easter and Mother’s Day. It’s also a refreshing treat dugin the summer months.
We aren’t certain if this is the exact cheesecake they served at Woolworth’s, but it sure is a great recipe!
Ingredients
- 1- 3 oz. Lemon gelatin like Jell-O
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3 cups graham crackers, crushed into crumbs, divided
- 8 Tablespoons butter, unsalted (1 stick)
- 8 oz. cream cheese (1 block)
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 Tablespoons lemon juice (from lemon, not lemon juice)
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions to make Classic Woolworth Cheesecake
This recipe is such a classic and this is the original recipe that we’ve used over and over.
- In a small saucepan, boil water and pour in lemon Jell-O. Stir until dissolved. Cool until slightly thickened.
- While the Jell-O is cooling, place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until you get crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place graham crackers in a zip-top bag and crush with a mallet or rolling pin. Reserve ¼ of the graham cracker crumbs for the top of the cheesecake.
- Melt butter in the microwave or on top of the stove and pour melted butter over the graham cracker crumbs. Stir to combine.
- Spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, then press the graham cracker crumb mixture onto the bottom of the pan to form the crust.
- In a chilled mixing bowl, add heavy cream and beat on high until whipped cream is formed and is light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until combined and smooth.
- Add thickened Jell-o and stir to combine.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Spread the cheesecake filling on top of graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle top with remaining graham cracker crumbs.
- Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
What size pan should I use?
If you search for the Woolworth Cheesecake on the Internet you’re going to find that it bakes in a 9×13 pan. The photos you’ll see show a very high cheesecake. When we tested, we decided to bake it in an 8×8 pan to achieve the thicker level of cheesecake.
You can use a 9×13 pan, but will get a thinner cheesecake and may need to adjust the baking time.
Substitutions/Additions
- Crust – You can easily use a premed crust or leave the crust off if you’re not wanting one.
- Toppings – Add fun toppings like crushed nuts of even some extra lemon zest on top.
- cookies – You can change this recipe up and make a vanilla sandwich cookie crumbs crust. (or even make it with Oreo cookies!)
Tips
- Line bottom – line the bottom of the baking dish with parchment paper so you can easily remove the cheesecake to cut into perfect slices
- Pack the crust – Make certain that you really pack down the crust of this homemade cheesecake recipe. You want it to hold firm!
- Chill in the fridge – Put the cheesecake in the fridge and let it chill for several hours before serving. This will help it hold its shape.
- Change up the flavor – If you’re not wanting to use lemon Jell-o, don’t. There are plenty of other flavors that you can easily use to make this cheesecake recipe.
- Clean knife – Use a clean knife and wipe it after each cut, to get perfect cheesecake slices
How do you keep the crust from getting soggy?
There really isn’t a lot that you can do. The good news is that once you store it in the fridge and keep a lid on it, the crust should stay crispy for a day or so.
The cheesecake also doesn’t have fruit juice or any other type of liquid seeping into it so it should still keep a bit of a crisp.
How to store an icebox cheesecake?
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you want to store in the fridge with a lid on it. This will keep the flavor fresh and the texture rich and creamy.
No-Bake Woolworth Cheesecake
This is my version of a nice lemon fluff dessert. It’s one of those cheesecakes that have me thinking back to summer days and remembering a nice, cold dessert such as this waiting in the fridge at home.
Why is it called Woolworths’ Cheesecake?
Woolworth’s was a five-and-dime retail store that also had a lunch counter where they served lunch foods and drinks. It became famous in 1960 when four African-American college students sat down at the Woolworth counter and asked for service. That act ultimately led to the desegregation of the lunch counter.
So, what about the cheesecake? This recipe is called the Woolworth Cheesecake because it’s believed to be the original recipe from the cheesecake that was served at Woolworths back in the day. No matter if this is the actual recipe or not, it’s simply delicious.
How is this recipe different from a New York Cheesecake?
Typically a traditional New York Cheesecake is much richer and has a more dense consistency.
The easiest part about this no-bake cheesecake recipe is that it’s just a mix and chill recipe. It’s a lemon lovers dream!
Want More Delicious Cheesecake Recipes?
- Strawberry Layer Cheesecake Jars
- Red Velvet Candy Cane Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Egg Nog Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Oreo Cheesecake Balls
Classic Woolworth Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 3 oz. lemon gelatin
- 1 cup water boiling
- 3 cups graham crackers crushed into crumbs, divided
- 8 tbsp butter unsalted (1 stick)
- 8 ounces cream cheese 1 block
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 tbsp lemon juice use fresh lemon juice from lemons
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In small saucepan, boil water and pour in lemon gelatin. Stir until dissolved. Cool until slightly thickened.
- While the gelatin is cooling, place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until you get crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place graham crackers in a zip top bag and crush with mallet or rolling pin. Reserve ¼ of the graham cracker crumbs for the top of the cheesecake.
- Melt butter in microwave or on top of stove and pour over the graham cracker crumbs. Stir to combine.
- Spray the bottom of a 8×8 baking dish, then press the graham cracker crumb mixture onto the bottom of the pan to form the crust.
- In chilled mixing bowl, add whipping cream and beat on high until whipped cream is formed and is light and fluffy.
- In medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until combined and smooth.
- Add thickened gelatin and stir to combine.
- Fold in whipped cream mixture.
- Spread cheesecake filling on top of graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle top with remaining graham cracker crumbs.
- Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
Nutrition
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