We’re here for the comeback of retro desserts, resurrecting favorites from grandma’s recipe index cards like the beloved Lane cakes or mid-century spiked punches. Before you go full-on jello salad though, a less intimidating (ahem, less gross) on-ramp is the simple act of infusing your no-baked goods with pudding mix. Using pudding mix in baked goods was once a common kitchen hack that should have never gone out of style, as it adds perfectly custardy texture and firmness to a no-bake cheesecake.
No matter the no-bake cheesecake recipe you’re following, try adding an entire package of instant pudding mix to your package of cream cheese and mixing. The only real key here is to just choose any package of instant pudding mix, versus a regular box of pudding mix — which are made with different ingredients and for different uses. The former, what you want here, is made with lots of cornstarch, and, as the name suggests, cooks up nearly instantly when mixed with liquid, with no cooking over the stovetop required (as you would with regular or “cook and serve” style mix). The magic here is all thanks to that helpful cornstarch, which lends stability and body to your cheesecake, helping it quickly firm up into a smooth, sliceable texture after a bit of chill time in the fridge.
Instant pudding helps cheesecake’s texture firm up
The world of cheesecake types is quite vast — stretching far beyond the iconic New York-style slice, a tall white wedge adorned with a drippy topping of fruit compote. Of the many types, including Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York styles, this tip of using pudding mix is indeed only for the no-bake variety. Unlike traditional cheesecakes, which are typically baked in the oven often in a springform pan, a no-bake version offers much of the same rich, semi-sweet, tangy taste thanks to the cream cheese and less time in the kitchen. Because it forgoes the use of eggs, there’s no need to bake, and the fatty, thick cream cheeses, sugar, and few other ingredients firm up in the fridge before getting sliced into.
The addition of an instant pudding mix therefore only makes sense in the no-bake cheesecake context and helps address one of the more common challenges of making a good one — which is achieving that firm, stable texture. By adding the cornstarch-heavy pudding mix to the cream cheese, pressing the mixture down onto your crust, and allowing to set until completely firm in the fridge, the recipe’s virtually foolproof, but tastes like it took hours. Instant pudding mixes are sold in a range of flavors from plain vanilla to chocolate, lemon, or banana pudding, also allowing you to easily flavor your no-bake creation according to your craving.
