It takes hardly any time at all to whip up this truly delicious no-bake Baileys chocolate cheesecake for grownups. It's smooth and decadent with a crisp, buttery base everyone will love.
To make this Baileys cheesecake, you'll start with the base, which is a simple case of crushing digesting biscuits (or graham crackers), mixing them with melted butter and then pressing into the base of a cake tin.
While the base chills, you'll quickly mix up the filling by whipping cream, folding in cream cheese, sugar and Baileys and then finally folding in some melted chocolate to bring the whole gorgeous mix together.
From there, all you'll need to do is spoon the mix into your tin and then drum you fingers impatiently while it chills overnight. The next day, dust with cocoa and serve! It tastes INCREDIBLE and is 100% worth the wait.
With its creamy, chocolatey filling, rich with tones of the Baileys, this cheesecake is as tasty as it is beautiful. It's perfect for special occasions and we love serving it at Christmas especially, as that's when there tends to be a lot of Baileys around!
This simple, delicious Baileys cheesecake recipe wouldn't exist without Kara aka Chelsea Mamma, who originally taught me her version almost a decade ago! Since then, it's evolved to the beautiful cheesecake thousands of you have made and it will always be a firm favourite in my book.
Who could resist? Here's how to make it.
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) digestive biscuits graham crackers, crushed
- 100 g (3.5 oz) slightly salted butter melted (or finely grated, if you prefer)
- 600 g (1.3 lb) cream cheese
- 40 ml (1.4 floz) Baileys Original Irish Cream
- 100 g (3.5 oz) icing sugar powdered sugar
- 300 ml (10.1 floz) double cream heavy cream
- 100 g (3.5 oz) milk chocolate melted
- 2-3 tbsp cocoa powder to top
Equipment
- Silicone whisk
Instructions
Put the crushed biscuits in a bowl.
Add the melted butter.
Stir together.
Tip the biscuit mix into the bottom of a large, greased springform tin.
Press down firmly all over, then pop in the fridge to firm up while you make the filling.
Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool a bit.
Put the double cream in a large bowl.
Whisk until very thick but before it turns buttery.
Add the cream cheese and sifted icing sugar.
Fold together gently then add the Baileys.
Fold through.
Add the chocolate.
Fold through. Since the filling is cold, the chocolate will form creamy speckles in the mixture, which looks great and tastes amazing.
Spoon the filling onto the biscuit base.
Smooth over the surface. Refrigerate overnight.
Once set, run a warm knife around the inside of the tin before unclipping, then remove the cheesecake.
Sift cocoa powder over the top, then transfer to a stand, board or plate.
Some helpful hints for making the perfect no-bake cheesecake.
Why did my no-bake cheesecake not set?
If your ingredient quantities are correct and your fridge is suitably chilled the most common answer is ‘because it hasn’t been long enough’. Give it several more hours in the fridge, and preferably overnight, and it should set.
If you’ve left it overnight and it still hasn’t set there’s a chance you overmixed the cream cheese. Over mixing will interfere with the delicate structure of the cream cheese, so mix briefly and don’t be too rough.
Why is my no-bake cheesecake lumpy?
Usually, this is a result of not beating the cream cheese enough first to loosen it properly. You can also give the cream cheese a few minutes to rest and come up to nearer room temperature first which should help get the lumps out.
Will no-bake cheesecake set faster in the freezer?
Possibly, but you’ll run this risk of freezing the outside of the cheesecake if it’s in there for several hours, which will negatively affect the texture.
My base fell apart, how can I make it stick together more?
The most common cause is the biscuit base was not packed down firmly enough, or a too big a tin was used, making the base too thin.
Another tip is to make sure your quantities of biscuit and butter are correct and that your biscuit crumbs are the right consistency. If they’re too big there will be too much space between the crumbs, which will make it crumbly (hah!), and if they’re too small the base will be too dense and difficult to cut without applying a lot of pressure and running the risk of cracking.
Will no-bake cheesecake set without gelatin?
Yes, absolutely, and for the best possible texture I would recommend not using any.
Why did my no-bake cheesecake stick to the pan?
Running a little hot water around the outside of the tin will work wonders when it comes to releasing it neatly from the base. If you’re worried about getting water on your cheesecake you can also run hot water over a clean tea towel and wrap it around the outside of the cake for a minute.
If you’re having trouble getting it off the base of the tin a warm, dry palette knife slid underneath will help. And remember to slide the cheesecake gently onto the plate (a large spatula can help here).
If you used a fix bottom rather than springform tin you will be in trouble though! Your best bet is to cut it into slices inside the tin and try to carefully lift it out with a spatula a slice at a time.
Can no-bake cheesecake be made in advance?
Yes, making the cheesecake the day before won’t impact the flavour or texture and will give it plenty of time to set overnight.
Can no-bake cheesecake be left out of the fridge? Will cheesecake melt?
As it’s a dairy product it should be refrigerated as soon as it’s been made and eaten as soon as it’s out of the fridge. It will not be safe to eat if left out of the fridge for more than two hours. Leaving it out of the fridge will also affect the texture negatively.
Can you freeze no-bake cheesecake?
Yes, although you’ll lose a little of that rich, creamy texture, it will work. Slicing the cheesecake first and carefully placing the sections a centimetre or so apart will let you only take out and defrost only what you need, and take a lot less time to defrost. Make sure to defrost in the fridge overnight and eat the next day.
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Baileys cheesecake recipe (no-bake!)
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) digestive biscuits graham crackers, crushed
- 100 g (3.5 oz) slightly salted butter melted (or finely grated, if you prefer)
- 600 g (1.3 lb) cream cheese
- 40 ml (1.4 floz) Baileys Original Irish Cream
- 100 g (3.5 oz) icing sugar powdered sugar
- 300 ml (10.1 floz) double cream heavy cream
- 100 g (3.5 oz) milk chocolate melted
- 2-3 tbsp cocoa powder to top
Instructions
- Put the crushed biscuits in a bowl and stir in the melted butter.
- Tip the biscuit mix into the bottom of a large, greased springform tin. Press down firmly all over, then pop in the fridge to firm up while you make the filling.
- Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool a bit.
- Put the double cream in a large bowl. Whisk until very thick but before it turns buttery.
- Add the cream cheese and sifted icing sugar and fold together gently.
- Add the Baileys and fold through.
- Add the chocolate and fold through. Since the filling is cold, the chocolate will form creamy speckles in the mixture, which looks great and tastes amazing.
- Spoon the filling onto the biscuit base and smooth over the surface. Refrigerate overnight.
- Once set, run a warm knife around the inside of the tin before unclipping, then remove the cheesecake.
- Sift cocoa powder over the top, then transfer to a stand, board or plate.
Video
Nutrition
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Angela says
had choice of 2 recipes and this one had more cream and Bailey's so obvs I picked it! lol i didnt manage to buy the Flake bars until the next day, so i crumbled them on the top instead of in the cream part but still works amazingly. Everyone loved it. so simple but wow
Emily Leary says
Yummm! So glad you loved it :)
Mary Sargeant says
Sounds lovely! Can it be frozen?
Emily Leary says
I haven't tried, I'm afraid. It may crystallise so is better made a day or two before enjoying, so that it can store safely in the fridge.
andrew francis says
Hi Novice Male here -
I want to have a go - most of it i understand - then you throw a curved ball to me -- "Press the biscuit mix into the bottom of a large, greased springform tin",-- what do i grease the base of the tin with ?? - this may be so basic to you experts - but as I have just found where the kitchen is this has got me ??
Emily Leary says
Hi! A little butter works well, or oil rubbed on with a piece of kitchen towel, or you can use a mist of spray oil, or even cake release spray! Happy baking (or no baking in this case!). Enjoy :)
andrena says
This is the best cheesecake recipe ever! I've done it a few times now for family birthdays as our family are not big fans of sponge cake and everybody loves it; even my mother who doesn't like baileys or cream! but now little ones are popping up in the family, so wondering if it tastes just as good without the baileys or maybe replace the baileys with something else?
Emily Leary says
Hey. So glad you enjoyed it. It definitely works without the Baileys. You can also use different Baileys flavours. You could also add in some mint extract for a mint choc chip flavour.
Helen says
how big of a tin is it plz?
Emily Leary says
I used a 23cm springform tin - you can use a bit smaller though (e.g. a standard sandwich cake size tin) and it'lll still work, you'll just get a taller cheesecake.
Natalie says
Oooohhh this looks delicious. Needed a reciepe for a stunning pudding to take to the mother in laws after Christmas, and this is perfect thanks.
Bessie says
Beautiful recipe!!! sooo tasty!! :)
How many calories do you think are in a slice? (If i slice it into 8)
I put the recipe into myfitnesspal and it told me it would be 5,455 a slice!!!! :O
I hope thats not true! :'(
Thanks x
Emily Leary says
Hi. Oh, you'd get far more than eight slices out of it. It's a big, BIG cheesecake. I'd say 16 slices. I'm not a nutritionist, but according to my calculations, that's about 398 calories per slice.
100g butter = 720 cals
250g digestive biscuits crushed = 1183 cals
600g cream cheese = 2052 calories
40ml Baileys = 131 calories
100g icing sugar = 389 calories
300ml double cream = 1335 calories
100g Cadbury flakes = 535 calories
Cocoa powder to dust = 28 calories
= 6373 / 16 = 398 calories
Joanne says
This recipe looks fab - may I know what size of a cake tin you used? I only have an 8" one and wonder if I need to adjust the recipe.
Thank you!
Emily Leary says
I used a sprinform 9" (23cm) cake tin for this, I think. It would be fine to use a smaller one, you'll just get slightly taller biscuit and cheesecake layers, and it might take a little longer to set enough to cut.
Joanne says
Thanks very much for the reply!
Winnie says
What an amazing cheesecake!!
I'd say it has quite a unique taste according to the recipe and I really wish I could taste it - sounds wonderful
Gayle says
I was wondering how far I'm advance can this be made? Could I make it the night before?
Emily Leary says
It will last a couple of days if well wrapped in the fridge x
Ian rockett says
I get asked to make this all the time. So easy so delicious. I double the base ingredient tho'.
Donna Webber says
Made this cheescake today..will be definitely making it again thanku so much for the recipe..
Emily Leary says
Excellent - so glad you enjoyed it :)
Natalie Shirley says
Hi, I made this cheesecake for a new year party last night - thank you for the idea! I used Oreo biscuits instead of plain digestives and it was gorgeous!
Jane says
wonderful topped with cherry filling! naughty
Faye says
This cheesecake recipe looks wonderful.
Aimee says
I followed this recipe exactly but my cheesecake turned out like a bowl of melted ice cream. Would not set even after a full 24 hours. The flavor is delicious, but I couldn't get the texture right. I'm so glad I made this as a treat for my boyfriend and I, not for a party or special occasion.
Emily Leary says
How strange! I wonder if you beat the cream enough so that it was stiff? I know a lot of people have had success with the recipe - sorry you didn't have much luck x
Javier Yellowhair says
I think this is one of the best cheesecake recipe I have ever seen. This is great for the holidays since everyone loves a little bit of sweetness. The best part of this recipe is that it is simple and everyone can try it.
barbara burnett says
here's the easiest cheesecake ever,but it's more delicious than the rest:make your biscuit base,any flavour you like,bourbon biscuits are good as are ginger or plain digestives.
Make up a packet of birds dream topping,instead of milk use baileys or any other whiskey cream,add a tablespoon of icing sugar or to taste.
Stir in a packet of philedelphia cream cheese,low fat if you want to save calories,blob onto crumb base,in a springform tin.
I like to sprinkle the top with crumbled flakes or even crumble them into the bailey's mixture,before puting onto the base of course.
Leave in the fridge to set overnight if you can.Enjoy.
Amanda @gidders1 says
Love Baileys, and love cheese cake.... what's not to love about this!!
Aly says
I don't like Bailey's but that does look fab! If I have any rum left I'll make this for new year.
Jen says
Looks delicious, but unfortunately there's never enough Baileys left in our home at Christmas!
Emily Leary says
Ha. Yes you have to make it with a brand new, just opened bottle, I think. Then you can swig the rest while the cheesecake is chilling. :D