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 it's shape when cutting.
If you love white chocolate cheesecake you will also love this no-bake white chocolate cheesecake with stem ginger.
Jump to:
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 cheesecake.
- Great for any occasion from birthday parties, desserts, a fancy tea or to spoil your work colleagues with.
- You can make this creamy cheesecake ahead and store in the fridge until needed.
- Decorate it in any way you please, leave it plain or go over the top 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.
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full 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 works best simply because the biscuits will already have salt added to it. You can use salted butter, just be aware of the above if you're watching your salt consumption.
Milkybar - Milkybar gives a lovely taste to the cheesecake but you can use any other brands 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 it it's rich, dreamy texture.
Mascarpone cheese: This brings a whole new level of depth to the cheesecake and should not be replaced with more cream cheese or ricotta.
Soft cream cheese: We use full fat cream cheese such as Philadelphia cream cheese, which is spreadable.
Icing sugar: Also known as confectioner's 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 do this by hand by placing the biscuits in a strong plastic bag and beating it to a fine crumb with a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter to a liquid in the microwave, or in a small pot on the stove.
- Add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and whizz together using the food processor. If doing this by hand, empty the bag of crumbs into a bowl and work the melted butter through with a fork.
- Using the base of a 23cm springform tin, trace a circle onto a piece of parchment paper. Cut the circle out and place it in the bottom of the tin, or, see below method.
- You can also pinch the parchment paper between the base of the tin and the frame and simply cut around it as in the photo above.
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin. Press down and level it out with the back of a spoon, or the flat bottom of a glass. Place the tin in the fridge whilst you make 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.
- You can also melt the chocolate on the stove over a low heat, by placing the chocolate in a metal or glass bowl sitting on top of a pot of simmering water. Ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until melted. Set the melted Milkybar chocolate aside to cool down slightly whilst you get on 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.
- Scoop 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 dry and gently smooth over the top of the cheesecake.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
- Before releasing the clip on the springform tin, use a long knife, or palette knife, to slide between the cheesecake and the sides of the tin. This will ensure a neat 'release', otherwise you might find the cheesecake will stick to the sides causing a raggedy edge.
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 some 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
- Cold cream whips better than room temperature cream, so make sure your cream is well-chilled.
- 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 take those two out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start the cheesecake.
- When melting the chocolate in the microwave in intervals and you find that you only have a few solid bits of chocolate left, just give it a good stir and they will melt by themselves, without having to give it another blast in the microwave.
- It's really important that you slide a knife along the inside of the tin before releasing the clip on the springform tin. If the chilled cheesecake is sticking and you release the clip before separating the cheesecake from the side, it will tear into the cheesecake giving you raggedy edges.
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! It's best to let it set first before placing it in an airtight container and freezing it. Leave the decorations off for now and put them on when you're going to serve the cheesecake. To defrost the cheesecake, remove it from the freezer the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight to thaw.
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 it's 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 really is no need to add additional salt with salted butter.
Overmixing can cause your cheesecake filling to split or become very dry and grainy. Only mix until the ingredients are combined and has a smooth, 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 are 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 contains 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 you may need
- 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 do this by hand by placing the biscuits in a strong plastic bag and beating it to a fine crumb with a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter to a liquid in the microwave, or in a small pot on the stove.
- Add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and whizz together using the food processor. If doing this by hand, empty the bag of crumbs into a bowl and work the melted butter through with a fork.
- Using the base of a 23cm springform tin, trace a circle onto a piece of parchment paper. Cut the circle out and place it in the bottom of the tin. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin. Press down and level it out with the back of a spoon, or the flat bottom of a glass. Place the tin in the fridge whilst you make 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.You can also melt the chocolate on the stove by placing the chocolate in a metal or glass bowl sitting on top of a pot of simmering water. Ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until melted. Set the melted chocolate aside to cool down slightly whilst you get on with the rest of the filling.
- Whip the fridge-cold double cream until soft peaks form.
- In a separate 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.
- Scoop the cheesecake filling over the top of the biscuit base and smooth with the back of a spoon.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
- Before releasing the clip on the springform tin, use a long knife or palette knife to slide between the cheesecake and the sides of the tin. This will ensure a neat 'release', otherwise you might find the cheesecake will stick to the sides.
**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
Leave a Reply