This homemade no bake Baileys cheesecake is full of luscious, creamy boozy Baileys flavor and buttery chocolate cookie base, yum!
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This Baileys Irish cream cheesecake is made with lashings of Baileys giving it a rich, decadent flavor that's perfect for Christmas, New Year's Eve or any time you want to celebrate in style!
Why you'll love this recipe
- No bake, no water bath and no worrying about cracking!
- A delicious dessert that can be made well ahead for easy entertaining.
- Make it with Baileys or your favorite Irish cream liquor.
- Perfect for Christmas or a New Year's Eve party.
Ingredients
Baileys: is a classic Irish liquor, also known as Irish Cream or Irish cream liquor. You can substitute for different brands of Irish cream if you prefer, it just needs to have approx the same alcohol content or your cheesecake may not set.
Cream cheese: full-fat cream cheese is best for this recipe for that classic creamy cheesecake taste. If you use light cream cheese it may not set properly.
Cream: I use thickened cream which has a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is similar.
Granulated (white) sugar: sugar is best in this recipe. You could use castor sugar if you prefer. I don't recommend using other types of sugar, they will be hard to dissolve and will compete with the flavors in this no-bake cheesecake.
Gelatin: a little bit of gelatin helps this no bake cheesecake set. Without it the amount of liquid is likely to prevent the cheesecake from setting properly and you would end up with cheesecake soup! Gelatin can vary in its strength depending on the brand, see the note on the recipe card for a guide on how to check you have the right amount.
Chocolate flavored cookies: such and Oreos with the filling removed, or chocolate flavored cookies such as chocolate ripple bourbon. The chocolate cookies complement the Baileys flavor beautifully. But if you prefer a plainer base you can replace it with the same amount of graham cracker crumbs or Digestives.
Unsalted Butter: because butter makes most things taste better. In this case it binds and sets the base.
How to make no bake Baileys cheesecake
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
To make the cheesecake base
Break the cookies up and blitz them into crumbs in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor you can put them into a plastic bag on a chopping board, cover it with a tea towel and bash (carefully) with a rolling pin, or even the base of a small pot.
Melt the butter in a microwave or in a pot on the stove. Add the butter to the crumbs and mix well.
Tip into the lined cake tin. Press down with the back of a spoon and chill for at least one hour, and up to twenty-four hours before filling. You want to press down enough for the base to hold together but not too firmly to your base will be too hard.
Hot tip: do not skip chilling the base. If it's too hot when you add the filling it can make the filling weep, resulting in a soggy cheesecake base. If you are pressed for time on the day you can make the base the day before and store it in the fridge.
To make the Baileys filling
Beat the cream cheese briefly to soften it. Add the sugar to the room temperature cream cheese and beat on low until combined and the sugar has all dissolved. Add the Baileys and beat until smooth and combined.
Hot tip: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. This can take anywhere from thirty minutes to one hour depending on where you live. If your cream cheese is too cold it won't mix in properly and is one of the main causes of lumpy or grainy cheesecake.
In a separate microwave-proof bowl add the room-temperature water and sprinkle over the gelatin to bloom for five minutes.
While the gelatin is blooming put your cream in a separate and whip until soft peaks form. Once the gelatin has bloomed, melt it by microwaving it for about ten to fifteen seconds. Mix well to ensure all the gelatin is mixed in and dissolved.
Temper the gelatin by adding a couple of spoonfuls of the whipped cream and mix well. Add the tempered gelatin to the whipped cream by pouring it in slowly in batches while whipping the cream, ensuring it's mixed well between each addition.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until well combined.
Hot tip: If there is too much temperature difference between your ingredients the gelatin can set too quickly, resulting in lumpy cream and therefore cheesecake filling. You can fold in the lumpy cream then blitz briefly with a stick/immersion blender until the filling is nice and smooth.
Pour the cheesecake filling onto the prepared base and smooth down. The filling will be quite thick, so take care to smooth it down right to the edges and try to press out any air bubbles. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To decorate
Once the cheesecake is set remove it from the tin and carefully peel back the baking paper or acetate. Carefully slide a large knife between the base and baking paper to loosen it, then transfer it to a serving plate or board. Smooth the edges with a spatula.
To make the Baileys whipped cream whip the cream until soft peaks form, then add Baileys and whip until mixed in. Then sift and add icing/powdered sugar. Whip until firm peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe around the edges and you're done! I used a Wilton 2D tip here.
How to serve
To serve this Baileys no bake cheesecake pop onto a plate, slice and enjoy! Perfect with a glass of Baileys of course!
To get a smooth slice you can dip a large sharp knife in hot water, dry it quickly then carefully slice the cake. You want the knife to be warm but not hot or it will melt the cheesecake. You may need to put a tea towel over the end to avoid burning your fingers on the warm metal.
How to store
This no bake Irish cream cheesecake will store well in the fridge for up to five days in a covered container, but will be freshest if eaten within three days.
Undecorated individual slices or the whole cake wrapped and frozen for up to two months, but best eaten within a month for better taste and texture.
Recipe tips and frequently asked questions
Can you put Baileys in cheesecake?
You can put Baileys in cheesecake, it all depends on how much. If you put too much liquid in your cheesecake won't set.
Is Baileys cheesecake alcoholic?
Yes it is, but not very much. Baileys contains an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 17%. Depending on the recipes there any can be anywhere from two tablespoons to half a cup of Baileys. To put this in context if there's half a cup of Baileys in the cheesecake and ten slices, that's less than half a fluid ounce per slice, so a slice or two is not enough to get you drunk.
Why is my Baileys cheesecake not setting?
There are few possible reasons:
- It hasn't had enough time to set. The minimum time needed to set a no bake cheesecake is usually four hours. But it's better to make it the night before and let it set for a good twelve hours.
- The cream wasn't whipped right. It needs to be stiff peaks or you cheesecake may not set.
- There's too much Baileys. Baileys adds both liquid and alcohol, both of which can stop the cheesecake setting.
- There's not enough setting agent. Adding a setting agent such as gelatin or agar agar can help the cheesecake set, even with extra liquid added. Different brands of both have different strengths, so always check the label and read the recipe for a guide on how much to use.
Can you freeze homemade Baileys cheesecake?
You sure can. Baileys cheesecake freezes really well, with no loss of flavor or texture when tested. Wait for the cheesecake to set completely, then either freeze the whole cheesecake or individual slices. Wrap in plastic wrap to help prevent freezer burn. To defrost place in the fridge overnight for the whole cheesecake, or a few hours for individual slices.
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📋 Recipe
No Bake Baileys Cheesecake
Equipment
- Spring form cake tin, 7" x 2.5" (18cm x 6.5cm) or similar
- Electric hand held beaters or stand mixer *its usefull but not essential to have two mixing bowls for your stand mixer for this recipe.
- Stick/immersion blender with chopping bowl attachment or food processor
- Parchment paper or food safe acetate *clear food safe acetate is available from some baking shops and can help give smoother sides to the cheesecake.
Ingredients
For the cheescake base
- 2 & â…“ cups (250gms) chocolate flavored cookies
- 1 stick (½ cup/ 115gms) unsalted butter
For the Baileys cheesecake filling
- 2 x 8 ounce tubs (450gms total) full fat cream cheese
- ½ cup (110 gms) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (125mls) Baileys
- 1 teaspoon (5gms) gelatin powder
- 2 tablespoons (40mls) room temperature water
- 1 cup (250mls) thickened cream
To decorate the cheesecake
- ½ cup (125mls) thickened cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon Baileys
Instructions
To make the chesecake base
- Line the base and sides of a springform tin with parchment paper.
- Break up the cookies and blitz briefly in a food processor into crumbs.
- Melt the butter by cubing, adding it to a microwave proof bowl and microwave for a minute or two.
- Pour the melted butter into the biscuits crumbs and mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Pour into lined springform tin and press down at the bottom to form the base. Do not press too firmly or your base may become too hard.
- Chill in the fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight.
To make the Baileys cheesecake filling
- NB Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Beat the cream cheese briefly to soften it. Add the sugar to the room temperature cream cheese and beat on low until combined and the sugar has all dissolved. Add the Baileys and beat until smooth and combined.
- In a separate microwave-proof bowl add the room-temperature water and sprinkle over the gelatin to bloom for five minutes.
- While the gelatin is blooming put your cream in a separate and whip until soft peaks form. Once the gelatin has bloomed, melt it by microwaving it for about ten to fifteen seconds. Mix well to ensure all the gelatin is mixed in and dissolved.
- Temper the gelatin by adding a couple of spoonfuls of the whipped cream and mix well. Add the tempered gelatin to the whipped cream by pouring it in slowly in batches while whipping the cream, ensuring it's mixed well between each addition.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until well combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling onto the prepared base and smooth down. The filling will be quite thick, so take care to smooth it down right to the edges and try to press out any air bubbles. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours.
To decorate the cheesecake
- Once the cheesecake is set remove it from the tin and carefully peel back the baking paper or acetate. Carefully slide a large knife between the base and baking paper to loosen it, then transfer it to a serving plate or board. Smooth the edges with a spatula.
- To make the Baileys whipped cream whip the cream until soft peaks form, then add Baileys and whip until mixed in.
- Then sift and add icing/powdered sugar. Whip until firm peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe around the edges and you're done!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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Alexandra Timmons says
Hi! I don’t have a microwave can you please advise re gelatin? I’ve never used - can you recommend a brand? Thanks
Sarah Brooks says
Hi Alexandra, you need to gently heat the gelatin to melt it once it's 'bloomed" i.e. been sitting in the water for five minutes. If you don't have a microwave you could try putting the bowl over a bowl of warm water, kind of like a double boiler. With regards to brands it really depends on what you can get where you are, but whatever you use you need enough to set 4 cups (1000mls) of liquid.
Susie says
The recipe says 5gms gelatin is 1tablespoon!
5gms is a teaspoon
So which is it ???
Sarah Brooks says
Hi Susie, sorry silly auto correct! Its 1 teaspoon (5gms). Updated now, thanks for the heads up.
Marissa says
It was very watery. I threw it away
Sarah Brooks says
Hi Marissa, hmmm, that's no good. Did it still taste great, or was it a problem with it setting? I'd love to try and troubleshoot what happened for you. A few things come to mind:
- Ingredients - were any of the ingredients substituted i.e. with lower fat or less sugar? The cheesecake needs full fat cream cheese and cream with enough fat %, and enough sugar. Otherwise this will effect the taste and it may be less rich and creamy. Did you use Baileys or a different brand of Irish cream liquor? If you used a different brand, it needs to have approx. the same alcohol % as Baileys, or your cheesecake won't set.
- Gelatin - different brands of gelatin can vary in their strength. As a guide, you need enough gelatin to set the equivalent of 4 cups (1000 mls) of liquid. Its also important to temper the gelatin so it sets properly, and with just enough water. To much water may effect the setting and taste. These things can all impact the setting of the cheesecake.
I hope this helps.
Cheers
Sarah