Most cheesecakes are meant to be creamy and smooth, and since they’re usually served cold, you may think using cold cream cheese in a no-bake cheesecake won't affect your dessert's texture and may even be a time-saver. However, cold cream cheese can actually ruin your no-bake cheesecake.

If cream cheese is a main or secondary ingredient in your no-bake cheesecake recipe, you should bring it to room temperature before getting started. Cream cheese needs to be whipped with other ingredients to make cheesecake, and mixing it while it's stiff and cold can lead to lumps in your filling.

Remove cream cheese from the fridge at least an hour before you start cooking. If you're short on time, you can spread a layer of cream cheese on a plate, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it near a heat source for a few minutes; then, scrape it off and spread a new layer, until all the cream cheese you need reaches the proper temp.