This easy, decadent no-bake Milkybar cheesecake recipe is delectably rich, velvety smooth and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
We use mascarpone cheese along with cream cheese and a generous amount of Milkybar chocolate. This combination makes this white chocolate cheesecake extra rich and creamy, but also firm enough to hold its shape when cutting.
If you love white chocolate cheesecake you will also love this no-bake white chocolate cheesecake with strawberry topping.
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What's to love about this recipe
- Melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- It's a white chocolate lover's dream.
- Straightforward, easy recipe.
- No bake, creamy cheesecake.
- Perfect for any occasion, whether it's a birthday party, a fancy tea, a delicious dessert or even as a special treat for your work colleagues.
- Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge until needed.
- Feel free to decorate the white chocolate cheesecake however you like. You can leave it plain or go all out with chocolate curls, Milkybar chocolate buttons, a silky white chocolate ganache or a chocolate drizzle.
Key ingredient notes and substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the complete list of ingredients.
Shortbread biscuits
We find shortbread biscuits work really well with the Milkybar flavour.
You can also use digestive biscuits, Graham crackers or any other plain biscuit.
Butter
Unsalted butter is recommended for this recipe as the biscuits already contain added salt.
However, if you prefer to use salted butter, please be mindful of the additional salt content, especially if you are watching your salt intake.
Milkybar
Nestle Milkybar adds a delicious flavour to the cheesecake, but feel free to use any other brand of white chocolate (just don't call it a Milkybar cheesecake!).
Double cream
Also known as heavy cream in the US. Full-fat double cream is the best option for this recipe. It's what gives the cheesecake its rich, dreamy texture.
Mascarpone cheese
Mascarpone brings a whole new level of depth to the cheesecake and should not be replaced with more cream cheese or ricotta cheese.
Soft cream cheese
We use full-fat spreadable cream cheese, such as Philadelphia cream cheese.
Icing sugar
Also known as confectioners or powdered sugar in the USA.
How to make this recipe
To make the biscuit base
- Using a food processor, whizz the shortbread biscuits into a fine crumb.
You can also place the biscuits in a strong plastic bag and crush them into a fine crumb with a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter until it turns into a liquid, either in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove.
- Add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and blend them together using the food processor.
If you are doing this by hand, transfer the crumbs from the bag into a bowl and use a fork to mix and incorporate the melted butter evenly.
- To make a parchment paper circle for the base of a 23cm springform tin, place the tin down on a piece of parchment paper. Trace the shape of the tin's base with a pencil or pen. Cut out the traced circle and place it in the bottom of the tin.
- Another method is to pinch the parchment paper between the base of the tin and the frame. Then, cut around the paper following the shape of the tin, similar to the photo above.
- Pour the biscuit mixture into the tin and use the back of a spoon or the flat bottom of a glass to press it down and create an even layer.
- Place the tin in the fridge while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
To make the cheesecake filling
- Break the Milkybar chocolate into smaller pieces and place it in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted.
- Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate on the stove using a double boiler method. Place the chocolate in a metal or glass bowl that sits on top of a pot with simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir the chocolate continuously until it melts.
- Set aside the melted chocolate to cool slightly while you continue with the rest of the filling.
- Whip the fridge-cold double cream until soft peaks form.
- In a separate large bowl, whip together the room-temperature mascarpone, cream cheese, vanilla extract and icing sugar until well combined.
- Add the whipped double cream to the mascarpone mixture and continue whisking on medium speed until you have a medium-firm texture.
- Add the melted Milkybar chocolate and whisk briefly until mostly combined. Give it a final stir by hand and scrape down the sides as you do so.
- Spoon the mixture over the top of the butter shortbread base and smooth with the back of a spoon.
- For an extra smooth surface on your cheesecake, dip the spoon into a bowl of freshly boiled water, wipe the spoon dry and gently smooth over the top of the cheesecake.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours to set, ideally overnight.
- Before releasing the clip on the springform tin, use a long knife or palette knife to carefully slide between the cheesecake and the sides of the tin.
This step helps to ensure a clean and smooth release, preventing the cheesecake from sticking to the sides and avoiding any uneven or jagged edges.
Decoration ideas
- In the feature photo of this post, we sliced Milkybar buttons in half for the pattern we used. You can use whole buttons and place them in any pattern you like.
- Drizzle over melted white chocolate.
- Scatter with chocolate curls or chocolate shavings.
- Pour over a white chocolate ganache demonstrated here by Jen over at SimshomeKitchen.
- Pipe with swirls of whipped cream.
- Decorate with chunks of Milkybar chocolate.
- Sprinkle with leftover shortbread crumbs.
Top tips
Use cold cream
Cold cream whips better than room-temperature cream, so make sure your cream is well-chilled.
Use room-temperature mascarpone and cream cheese
On the other side of the spectrum, cream cheese and mascarpone will give you a much creamier, less grainy texture if whipped at room temperature.
So, for a super creamy white chocolate filling, take those two ingredients out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start the cheesecake.
Don't overheat the chocolate
When melting chocolate in the microwave and you notice a few solid bits of chocolate remaining, remove it from the microwave and simply give it a good stir.
The residual heat will help melt those remaining bits without needing to microwave them again and run the risk of burning the chocolate.
How to avoid jagged edges
It's really important to slide a knife along the inside of the tin before you release the clip on the springform tin. If you don't do this and the chilled cheesecake is sticking to the sides, it can tear and result in uneven edges.
So, make sure to slide the knife to separate the cheesecake from the tin before releasing the clip.
Storage
How long will a cheesecake last?
3-4 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container to protect it from fridge smells and to keep it from drying out.
Can you freeze cheesecake?
Yes, you can freeze cheesecake. It's recommended to let the cheesecake set first before freezing it. Once set, place it in an airtight container, ensuring to leave off any decorations that may be added later when serving.
To defrost the cheesecake, remove it from the freezer the day before and allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight.
FAQ
Yes, it does. Cheesecake is made from perishable ingredients like cream cheese and mascarpone. If it's left outside in the warm, bacteria can grow and the cheesecake will go off.
It also needs to be kept in the fridge to retain its firm texture, otherwise, it will go soft, or even melt under extreme temperatures.
Absolutely! Just swap the biscuits for a gluten-free version.
Unsalted butter is the better option. You will mix the butter with biscuits that already contain salt, so there is no need to add salt to salted butter.
Overmixing the cheesecake filling can lead to the mixture splitting or becoming dry and grainy. Mix the ingredients just until they are combined and the filling has a smooth and even texture.
You don't need to line the sides, but you do need to line the base of the tin on which the biscuit base will rest.
The biscuit base is far more likely to stick to the tin causing breakage when you try to remove it. For the sides, simply slide a knife along the inner edge to release the cheesecake from the tin.
New York-style cheesecake - Baked, heavy and contains eggs like most baked cheesecakes.
Italian cheesecake - Lighter, uses ricotta cheese, baked.
No-bake cheesecakes - Usually contain gelatine or other ingredients that will help the cheesecake to set. This is a lighter cheesecake than the baked versions and much easier to make, especially for beginners.
More chocolate desserts
Chocotorta - Argentinian birthday cake
Chocolate-covered coffee beans
Chokladbollar - Swedish chocolate balls
More easy, no-bake fridge tarts
Recipe
Decadent no-bake Milkybar cheesecake with mascarpone
Equipment
- 1 23cm springform baking tin
Ingredients
For the base
- 250 grams shortbread biscuits
- 80 grams unsalted butter - melted
For the cheesecake filling
- 350 grams Milkybar chocolate
- 200 grams double cream - fridge cold
- 250 grams mascarpone cheese - room temperature
- 400 grams soft cream cheese - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
Instructions
To make the base
- Using a food processor, whizz the shortbread biscuits into a fine crumb. You can also place the biscuits in a strong plastic bag and crush them into a fine crumb with a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter until it turns into a liquid, either in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove.
- Add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and blend them together using the food processor. If you are doing this by hand, transfer the crumbs from the bag into a bowl and use a fork to mix and incorporate the melted butter evenly.
- To make a parchment paper circle for the base of a 23cm springform tin, place the tin down on a piece of parchment paper. Trace the shape of the tin's base with a pencil or pen. Cut out the traced circle and place it in the bottom of the tin.
- Pour the biscuit mixture into the tin and use the back of a spoon or the flat bottom of a glass to press it down and create an even layer.
- Place the tin in the fridge while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
To make the cheesecake filling
- Break the Milkybar chocolate into smaller pieces and place it in a microwave safe bowl.
- Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted.Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate on the stove using a double boiler method. Place the chocolate in a metal or glass bowl that sits on top of a pot with simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir the chocolate continuously until it melts.
- Set aside the melted Milkybar chocolate to cool slightly while you continue with the rest of the filling.
- Whip the fridge-cold double cream until soft peaks form.
- In a separate large bowl, whip together the room temperature mascarpone, cream cheese, vanilla extract and icing sugar until well combined.
- Add the whipped double cream to the mascarpone mixture and continue whisking on a medium speed until you have a medium-firm texture.
- Add the melted white chocolate and whisk briefly until mostly combined. Give it a final stir by hand and scrape down the sides as you do so.
- Spoon the mixture over the top of the butter shortbread base and smooth with the back of a spoon.
- For an extra smooth surface on your cheesecake, dip the spoon into a bowl of freshly boiled water, wipe the spoon dry and gently smooth over the top of the cheesecake.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours to set, ideally overnight.
- Before releasing the clip on the springform tin, use a long knife or palette knife to carefully slide between the cheesecake and the sides of the tin. This step helps to ensure a clean and smooth release, preventing the cheesecake from sticking to the sides and avoiding any uneven or jagged edges.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
For food safety advice, including guidance on food allergies
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