Mary Berry No Bake Cheesecake

What You Need: Ingredients List

This serves 8 to 10 people generously, in a 20cm springform tin.

For the biscuit base

• 250g digestive biscuits
• 100g unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling

• 600g full-fat cream cheese (at room temperature, and this matters)
• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not vanilla flavouring, the real stuff)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 300ml double cream

To serve (optional but worth it)

• Fresh berries: strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries all work well
• A dusting of icing sugar
• A drizzle of coulis if you want to go the extra mile

How to Make Mary Berry’s No Bake Cheesecake: Step by Step

Step 1: Make the biscuit base

Put your digestive biscuits into a zip-lock bag and bash them with a rolling pin until you’ve got fine crumbs with no large chunks. Alternatively, blitz them in a food processor if you have one. I always do it the rolling pin way because it’s genuinely satisfying and requires less washing up.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in a bowl in the microwave (30 second blasts, stirring between each). Add the melted butter to the crushed biscuits and mix until every crumb is coated. The mixture should feel like wet sand and hold together when you press a bit between your fingers.

Tip the mixture into your springform tin and press it down firmly and evenly across the base. I use the back of a large spoon and then the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass to really compact it. This is worth taking your time over. A loose base will crumble when you try to slice it.

Pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up while you make the filling.

Step 2: Beat the cream cheese

In a large mixing bowl, beat your room-temperature cream cheese with an electric hand whisk until it’s completely smooth. This step makes a bigger difference than you might think. Cold cream cheese goes lumpy and those lumps don’t disappear later however much you mix.

Add the sifted icing sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Beat again until everything is just combined. Don’t over-mix at this point. You just want it smooth and uniform.

Step 3: Whip the double cream (the step that matters most)

In a separate bowl, whip the double cream until it reaches soft peaks. This means the cream holds a shape when you lift the whisk but the tip curls over gently rather than standing bolt upright. You want it thick and pillowy but not grainy or stiff.

Don’t walk away from this. Over-whipped cream goes buttery and grainy, and there’s no fixing it. You’d need to start again with a fresh pot. Under-whipped cream means your cheesecake won’t set. Stop at soft peaks and you’re golden.

Step 4: Fold the cream into the cheese mixture

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a large metal spoon or spatula. Use a figure-of-eight motion rather than stirring. You want to keep as much air in as possible. This is what gives the filling its light, mousse-like texture.

Keep folding until the mixture is smooth and no streaks remain.

Step 5: Fill the tin and chill

Spoon the filling onto your chilled biscuit base and spread it out evenly with a palette knife or spatula. Give the tin a little tap on the worktop to knock out any air bubbles, and smooth the top as best you can.

Cover loosely with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours. Overnight is genuinely better. The texture improves significantly and it’s much easier to slice cleanly.

Step 6: Releasing and serving

When you’re ready to serve, run a warm palette knife or thin spatula around the inside edge of the tin. Then carefully release the springform clasp and lift the tin away. Most of the time it comes out beautifully. If the sides look a little rough, smooth them with the palette knife and nobody will know.

Decorate with fresh berries, a dusting of icing sugar, or whatever takes your fancy. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between cuts for the neatest results.

Common Mistakes and What to Do Instead

Using low-fat cream cheese
It has a higher water content and the filling won’t set properly. Always use full-fat. Philadelphia is the one I always reach for.

Adding cold cream cheese straight from the fridge
It goes lumpy and stays lumpy. Take it out an hour before you start.

Rushing the chilling time
4 hours is the minimum. If you’re making this for a special occasion, make it the night before. It genuinely tastes better and sets more firmly.

Over-mixing the filling after adding the cream
Stir too vigorously and you knock out all the air. Fold gently and stop as soon as it’s combined.

Pressing the base in too loosely
A loose base crumbles when sliced. Press it down properly and use a glass to compact it.

Variations Worth Trying

Once you’ve made the classic version and it’s gone down well (and it will), it’s very easy to play around with it. Here are the variations I’ve made and can actually vouch for.

Lemon no bake cheesecake
Double the lemon zest and add the juice of half a lemon to the filling. You end up with something a little sharper and more refreshing, brilliant in summer. Top with lemon curd and a few fresh raspberries.

Strawberry no bake cheesecake
Fold a few tablespoons of good-quality strawberry jam through the filling before spreading it into the tin. Add fresh sliced strawberries on top before serving. My eight-year-old requests this one specifically for birthdays.

Chocolate no bake cheesecake
Melt 150g of dark chocolate and let it cool slightly, then fold it through the cream cheese mixture before adding the cream. Swap the digestive biscuit base for crushed Oreos with the filling removed, just biscuit and butter. This version is very rich so slice it smaller than you think you need to.

Salted caramel no bake cheesecake
Stir 3 tablespoons of shop-bought salted caramel sauce into the cream cheese mixture. Drizzle more over the top before serving. This one goes down very well with adults. It also pairs beautifully with a crushed ginger biscuit base instead of digestives.

Which Cheesecake Style Is Right for You?

People often ask whether they should make a no bake or baked cheesecake. Here’s a straightforward comparison.

For most home bakers and most occasions, the no bake version is the better choice. It’s less stressful, produces consistently good results, and it’s genuinely better suited to making ahead. The baked version has a different and in its own way wonderful texture, but it asks more of you and has more ways to go wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why has my no bake cheesecake not set?

The most likely reason is that the double cream wasn’t whipped enough before folding it in. It needs to reach soft peaks, thick enough to hold a shape. The second most common cause is using low-fat cream cheese, which has a higher water content and doesn’t set as firmly. If your cheesecake is still wobbly after 4 hours, give it longer in the fridge. Some cheesecakes just need a full overnight chill.

Can I freeze a no bake cheesecake?

Yes, you can, though it’s worth managing expectations. Freeze it whole or in slices, well-wrapped in cling film and then foil, for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight rather than at room temperature. The texture does change after freezing. It becomes slightly denser and can lose a little of its lightness, so if you’ve got the option, fresh is always better. That said, if you need to get ahead and freezing is the only way to make it work, it’s perfectly acceptable. Add any fresh fruit toppings after defrosting, not before freezing.

Do I need gelatine in a no bake cheesecake?

Not in this recipe, no. Properly whipped double cream combined with full-fat cream cheese gives the filling enough structure to set without gelatine. Some recipes do use it, and it does give a firmer result, but Mary Berry’s approach doesn’t call for it and I’ve never felt the need to add it.

How long does no bake cheesecake last in the fridge?

It’s best eaten within 3 days of making. Keep it covered in the fridge. The biscuit base does soften slightly over time, which some people actually prefer. The filling stays good for 3 to 4 days but I wouldn’t push it beyond that.

Can I make individual no bake cheesecakes?

Absolutely, and it’s a lovely idea for dinner parties. Use individual silicone moulds, ramekins lined with cling film, or glass jars for a more relaxed presentation. The method is exactly the same, just scale down and chill in the same way. Individual ones also tend to set faster since they’re smaller.

Can I use a different type of biscuit for the base?

Yes. Digestives are the classic and give a slightly honeyed, gentle flavour that works with almost anything. Hobnobs give a slightly oatier, more textured base. Ginger nuts work brilliantly with lemon or caramel fillings. Oreos (just the biscuit part, filling scraped out) are the go-to for chocolate versions. Whatever you use, keep the butter-to-biscuit ratio the same.

There seem to be different Mary Berry no bake cheesecake recipes online. Which one is the right one?

This is a genuinely good question and the short answer is: there’s more than one, and they’re not the same recipe. Mary Berry’s Cookery Course (2013) features a lemon and lime cheesecake that uses condensed milk, double cream, and cream cheese together, with no separate whipping step. Other versions attributed to her use icing sugar and whipped double cream folded into cream cheese, which is what this post uses. Both are legitimate approaches that produce good results, but they’ve got different textures. The condensed milk version is slightly sweeter and denser. The whipped cream version is lighter and more mousse-like. This post uses the whipped cream method because I find it easier to control and more reliably set. If a recipe you’ve found calls for condensed milk, it’s a different (also valid) version of the same idea.

The Bottom Line

Mary Berry’s no bake cheesecake is one of those recipes that delivers every single time once you understand the few things that actually matter. Whip the cream properly. Use full-fat cream cheese at room temperature. Give it enough time in the fridge. Everything else is just detail.

My kids ask for this regularly, my husband’s family request it at Christmas, and it’s been the pudding I’ve brought to more dinner parties than I can remember. It looks like you’ve made a real effort. It tastes genuinely good. And start to finish it takes you half an hour of actual work.

If you try it, I’d love to know how it goes, especially if you have a go at one of the variations. The salted caramel version in particular tends to get very enthusiastic reactions!

Pin this for later!