No bake Baileys cheesecake recipe

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Our no bake Baileys cheesecake is easy to make with only eight ingredients.

no bake Baileys cheesecake
(Image credit: Future)
Serves12
SkillEasy
Preparation Time1 hours 20 mins plus cooling time
Total Time1 hours 20 mins plus cooling time
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories526 Kcal26%
Sugar18 g20%
Fat36 g51%
Salt1.1 gRow 3 - Cell 2
Protein6 g12%
Carbohydrates29 g11%
Salt1.1 gRow 6 - Cell 2

This no-bake Baileys cheesecake serves 12 and is 525 calories per portion.

Prepare this dessert a couple of days ahead and keep it in the fridge ready for your dinner party or celebrations. This cheesecake requires no baking and is made with only eight ingredients. You can decorate it with chocolate truffles instead of whipped cream if you like, or just keep it plain and dust it with a little cocoa powder before serving. 

Ingredients

  • 100g butter
  • 250g digestives, crushed
  • 600g full-fat cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp Baileys
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 300ml double cream, whipped
  • 100g dark chocolate, grated, plus extra for decoration
  • 200ml whipped cream 

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. To make the base: Melt the butter in a pan and add the crushed biscuits. Mix well until they’ve absorbed all the butter. Remove from the heat and press into the bottom of a 20cm loose-bottomed tin. Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
  2. To make the topping: Lightly whip the cream cheese and beat in the Baileys and icing sugar. Fold in the whipped cream and chocolate. Spoon onto the biscuit base.
  3. Put in the fridge for another couple of hours or overnight. Once set, decorate with whipped cream and a little extra chocolate, if you like.

Watch how to make our no bake Baileys cheesecake

Top tips for making a no bake Baileys cheesecake

You could drizzle over some melted chocolate on the top if you prefer. Allow the melted chocolate to cool a little before drizzling over the top if it’s too hot it will melt the filling. 

How do I get Baileys no-bake cheesecake to stay firm?

The best trick is to make sure when whipping your cream you allow it to form stiff peaks. To achieve this, it helps if your cream is cold rather than room temperature when whipping.

Allow the cheesecake to set for as long as possible; 6-8 hours is a good start but overnight is much better to ensure the cheesecake is nice and firm.

What's the best container to make this no-bake cheesecake in?

If possible, go for a loose-bottomed cake tin. It's the perfect choice when making a cheesecake as it's the easiest way to release the cheesecake from the mould with minimal chance of breakage.

Simply place your cake tin on top of a tin can and gently pull the sides of the cake tin down. You can then use a palette knife or spatula to release the cheesecake from the base of the tin. Make sure you still grease the base and sides of the tin to reduce the chances of sticking.

Is this no bake Baileys cheesecake suitable for children?

This cheesecake contains a small amount of Baileys (17% abv), well beaten into the filling and spread across the 12 portions this cake cuts into. However, it's worth noting that the alcohol is not cooked off, as in the case with red wine added to a stew, or alcohol baked into a cake. At parents' discretion, this cake may be suitable for older kids, but should not be served to young children.

What is no-bake cheesecake filling made of?

Generally, a no-bake cheesecake filling will consist of cream cheese that has been whipped and folded with some whipped cream to give it a thick, firm texture. Some recipes will use mascarpone or ricotta too. For a very firm texture, you could add some gelatine to the filling but with enough setting time, this shouldn’t be necessary. 

Why is my no-bake cheesecake soggy?

You need to ensure the ingredients are cold when combining the filling. If they have been out of the fridge too long they will weep. It’s also very important to use full-fat cream cheese and double cream rather than single cream as a lower fat content makes the products watery.

For this recipe we recommend using a loose-bottomed cake tin. A standard 20cm (8 inch) is perfect but you could use a smaller, deeper tin for thicker layers.

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Using a deep tin ensures the filling will be protected while in the fridge and you don’t have to worry about any overspill. Once you remove the outer ring you can neaten the edges of your cheesecake by using a little palette knife. 

Our Baileys chocolate roulade is another great boozy dessert but you might also like this impressive Baileys ice cream bombe. If you’d like some simpler bakes, our creamy Irish liqueur fudge is an excellent edible gift of these Baileys cupcakes are an easy option. This Bailey's hot chocolate is the perfect warming drink to sip for a winter treat.

Jessica Ransom
Senior Food Writer

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.