The no-bake cheesecake is the recipe I give to anyone who tells me they find cheesecake intimidating. A baked cheesecake requires a water bath, careful temperature management, and a nerve-wracking cooling period that can still result in cracking.

A no-bake cheesecake requires a bowl, an electric hand whisk, and a fridge. The result — when the technique is correct — is silky, perfectly set, and completely wonderful.

This is the master recipe. The base version — vanilla, plain, classic — from which every other no-bake cheesecake on this site is built. Once you can make this one confidently, every other variation is simply a matter of flavouring the filling differently.

The technique that makes or breaks a no-bake cheesecake is simple: full-fat cream cheese, properly whipped double cream, and enough setting time in the fridge.

These three things give a cheesecake that slices cleanly, holds its shape on the plate, and tastes specifically of vanilla cream cheese rather than simply of sweetened cream.

Ingredients for Mary Berry No-Bake Cheesecake

For the Biscuit Base

300g digestive biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs
150g unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp golden caster sugar

For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling

600g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
125g icing sugar, sifted
300ml double cream, cold
2 tsp vanilla extract
Juice of ½ lemon — gives a slight sharpness that balances the sweetness

To Decorate

Fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries
A dusting of icing sugar
Or a drizzle of good quality fruit coulis

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How to Make Mary Berry No-Bake Cheesecake

Step 1 — Make the Biscuit Base

Combine the crushed digestive biscuits, melted butter, and caster sugar in a bowl. Mix until every crumb is coated in butter — the mixture should hold together when pressed between your fingers.

Press very firmly and evenly into a 23cm round loose-bottomed springform tin — using the flat base of a glass to press the base flat and the sides of a spoon to press the edges. The base should be compact and even, with no loose crumbs.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes while making the filling.

Step 2 — Make the Vanilla Filling

Beat the room-temperature cream cheese and icing sugar together with an electric hand whisk for two to three minutes until completely smooth — no lumps whatsoever. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat briefly.

In a separate bowl, whip the cold double cream to soft peaks — the cream should hold its shape gently when the whisk is lifted but still look billowy rather than stiff.

Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions — gently, with a large spatula, stopping the moment no white streaks remain.

Step 3 — Fill and Set

Spoon the filling onto the chilled biscuit base. Spread evenly with a palette knife — smoothing the top as flat as possible. A palette knife dipped in hot water gives the cleanest, smoothest surface.

Cover loosely with cling film — do not press it onto the surface. Refrigerate for at least six hours. Overnight is better. The cheesecake must be completely set before it is removed from the tin.

Step 4 — Remove and Decorate

Run a thin palette knife carefully around the inside edge of the tin. Release the springform sides very slowly and gently. Slide onto a serving plate.

Decorate with fresh berries, a dusting of icing sugar, or a drizzle of fruit coulis. Serve immediately.

My Top Tips For Perfect Mary Berry No-Bake Cheesecake

Full-fat cream cheese only — never reduced fat. Reduced-fat cream cheese has a significantly higher water content and a lower fat content than full-fat. It gives a filling that does not set firmly, is slightly watery in texture, and can pool at the edges when sliced. Full-fat cream cheese — Philadelphia or similar — gives the only result worth serving.

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The cream cheese must be at room temperature. Cold cream cheese does not beat to a smooth, lump-free consistency. Small lumps of cold cream cheese embedded in the filling are visible when the cheesecake is sliced and cannot be beaten out once the cream is added. Leave the cream cheese at room temperature for at least an hour before starting.

The double cream must be cold. Cold cream whips to a stable, billowy consistency. Warm cream whips poorly and gives a less stable filling. Keep the cream in the fridge until the moment it is needed.

Fold the cream — do not stir. The air in the whipped cream is what gives the filling its light, slightly mousse-like quality. Stirring rather than folding deflates this air and gives a denser, slightly heavier filling.

Six hours minimum — overnight is significantly better. The filling needs time to set completely. At four hours it is edible but slightly soft. At six hours it is properly set. Overnight gives the cleanest possible slices and the best possible texture.

Serving Suggestions

Cold from the fridge, decorated with fresh berries — the simplest and the most beautiful presentation. With a fruit coulis drizzled over. As a birthday dessert for anyone who does not want a baked cheesecake.

How to Store Mary Berry No-Bake Cheesecake

In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. The filling stays set and the base stays crisp throughout.

In the freezer: Freeze without the berry decoration for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.

Mary Berry No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Mary Berry's no-bake cheesecake is a silky, perfectly set vanilla cream cheese filling on a buttery digestive base — the easiest, most reliable cheesecake recipe on this site.

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Prep Time 20

Setting Time 6

Total Time 6 20

Servings: 12 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 450

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Biscuit Base:
300 g digestive biscuits crushed to fine crumbs
150 g unsalted butter melted
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling:
600 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
125 g icing sugar sifted
300 ml double cream cold
2 tsp vanilla extract
Juice of ½ lemon
To Decorate:
Fresh strawberries raspberries, or blueberries
Icing sugar for dusting

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Method

Mix crushed biscuits, melted butter, and sugar. Press very firmly into a 23cm springform tin. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Beat room-temperature cream cheese and icing sugar 2–3 minutes until completely smooth. Add vanilla and lemon juice — beat briefly.
Whip cold cream to soft peaks in a separate bowl. Fold into cream cheese mixture in 2 additions — gently until just combined.
Spoon onto base. Spread evenly — smooth surface with a hot palette knife. Cover loosely. Refrigerate 6 hours minimum — overnight ideal.
Run palette knife around edge. Release springform. Slide onto serving plate. Decorate with berries and icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Notes

Full-fat cream cheese only — reduced fat gives a filling that does not set and pools when sliced.

Cream cheese at room temperature — cold cream cheese gives lumps that cannot be beaten out.

Double cream must be cold — keeps the whipped cream stable and billowy.

Fold the cream — do not stir. Stirring deflates the air and gives a denser filling.

Six hours minimum — overnight gives the cleanest slices and the best texture.

Freeze without decoration for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ginger biscuits instead of digestives?

Yes — ginger biscuits give a slightly spiced, slightly more complex base. Use the same quantity. Particularly good under a lemon or citrus filling.

Can I add fruit to the filling?

Yes — fold 100g of fresh raspberries or blueberries gently through the finished cream cheese mixture just before spooning onto the base. The fruit bleeds slightly into the filling and gives a beautiful marbled appearance when sliced.

Why is my no-bake cheesecake not setting?

The most common causes are: reduced-fat cream cheese, under-whipped double cream, insufficient chilling time, or cream that was not cold when whipped. All four together give a perfectly set cheesecake. Any one missing gives something that is too soft to slice cleanly.