No Bake Irish Cream Cheesecake
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No bake Irish cream cheesecake is the perfect dessert to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This boozy dessert is no bake & gelatin-free! Easy recipe with quick preparation!
I used Baileys to make this no-bake Irish cream cheesecake and I was quite generous. You can reduce the amount, if you are looking for a Baileys cheesecake with only a hint of alcohol in it.
In case you are looking for gelatin-free desserts, I highly recommend making No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake, Banoffee Pie or No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Pie.
How to make no bake cheesecake with Irish cream
The crust:
To make this no bake Irish cream cheesecake you can use either Graham crackers (available in the US) or digestive biscuits (available in the UK). Use either a food processor or a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin to crush them. Place them into a bowl, pour melted butter over and mix well.
Use a small springform pan. I used a 7-inch (about 18-centimeters) wide pan that I also lined with baking parchment (sides and the bottom). It makes it easier to take the whole cheesecake out of the pan.
Fill the bottom of the springform pan with the crumbs and press down hard. Repeat until the whole bottom is covered and you have a flat surface. I like to use the back of a measuring cup or the back of a spoon to do this.
Now your crust for this Baileys Irish cream cheesecake is ready. Throw it into the freezer for a while – just until you are ready to top it with the cream cheese mixture.
The Irish cream layer:
Because this no bake cheesecake has no gelatin in it, you need to add something that will help this creamy layer hold its shape. In this case it is the whipped cream.
You will need two bowls. One for whipping the cream and other one for beating the cream cheese with sugar, vanilla and Baileys. Once done, you fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and you are done!
Just spread this over the crust, cover the springform pan with cling film and refrigerate for a few hours.
The extras/toppings:
Use anything you like. If you don’t like any of the below mentioned options, then just serve this no bake Irish cream cheesecake as is.
- Chocolate shavings/sprinkles
- Caramel sauce
- Chocolate sauce
- Whipped cream
Or mix together 6 tablespoons cream cheese with 3 tablespoons dulce de leche and fold in ½ cup heavy cream that has been whipped. It should not be runny. Pipe on the top of the cheesecake using any piping tip you like.
What can be substituted for graham crackers/digestive biscuits?
Try Oreo cookies – use about 18 cookies for a 7-inch pan.
Expert tips
- Use good-quality double cream/heavy cream/whipping cream and whip it until stiff peaks form. This is important as the cream will stop the cheesecake from collapsing.
- I don’t have good experience with whipping cream that comes in a tetra pack and does not need to be stored in the fridge before using.
- This cheesecake needs to be chilled in the fridge for about 2-3 hours before serving. Because it has no gelatin, it will be soft but will hold its shape nicely.
No Bake Irish Cream Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 6 ounces Graham crackers (170 grams), see note 1
- A pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 2 tablespoons Irish cream , see note 2
For the cream cheese layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (225 grams)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup Irish cream (80 milliliters)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream (120 milliliters)
Toppings (optional):
- chocolate shavings
- caramel sauce
- chocolate sauce
- whipped cream
Instructions
- Crust: Crush the crackers in a food processor (or in a Ziploc bag using rolling pin). Transfer them into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt, melted butter and Irish cream. Mix together with a spatula until well combined.
- Press the mixture into a 7-inch springform pan, lined with baking parchment (ideally bottom + sides). Make sure it is pressed well. If it’s not, the crust won’t hold its shape after slicing.
- Transfer the pan to the freezer.
- Meanwhile: In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients apart from heavy cream. Use a hand mixer to achieve a smoother texture. Then whip the cream until stiff peaks form and fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
- Take the spring-form pan out of the freezer and pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust. Spread around evenly. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for about 3 hours (or overnight) before serving.
- Toppings are completely optional – use chocolate shavings, sprinkles, caramel sauce and whipped cream to decorate the cheesecake.
Notes
- Either Graham crackers (US) or digestive biscuits (UK) can be used.
- I used Baileys Irish cream.
- Use a 7-inch (18-centimeters) wide spring form pan.
- This recipe yields 6-8 portions.
- I always use unsalted butter as I like to control the amount of sodium we eat. You can use salted butter, if you prefer. If you do, there is no need to add a pinch of salt to the crust.
- For more tips, I recommend reading the whole post.
Can this be frozen?
Hi David. I have not tried it so can’t say. Sorry!
It’s quick to make, not fussy, and the taste is good.
This is absolutely delicious! I substituted the graham crackers for ginger snap with a berry coulis sooo yummy 👍🏻
That sounds delicious, Lynn! Thanks for your feedback! :)
How long can i store this for Julia, would 3 days in the fridge be ok? I would love to make for Christmas dinner on Christmas eve.
Hi Orinthia, It should last 3 days in the fridge but I would say it is best to serve the following day as it will be the freshest.
Would store bought whip cream still work for the filing part?
I am afraid I have no experience using store bought whip cream, so can’t help you. However, if you have used it for making other cheesecakes before, then it should work. Hope this helps.
This is such a great cake for St. Patrick’s day! I love Irish cream desserts ♥
Thanks, Natalie!
I tend to love no-bake cheesecakes — love that the oven doesn’t go on, I guess. :-) The generous amount of baileys is splendid and the entire cake sounds incredibly delicious. St. Patrick’s Day or not!
:) No bake desserts are always winners in our household :)
No bake and boozy?! This is the best cheesecake recipe!! I was trying to decide what to make for St. Patrick’s Day and now I know!
Good to hear that!
That cheesecake look beautiful and sounds delicious. I love that it’s no bake too! Going to pin for later!
This sounds so rich and delicious!
Thanks, Mary!
Hi great recipe how would I upscale to 9″ pan?
Thanks!
Hi, Natalie. Double the recipe for the cream cheese layer. As for the crust – I am not sure, if doubling the ingredients won’t make a thick crust. If you are OK with that, then go ahead and double that too. If not, you can still take out some of the crumbs. (you can use them to make individual portions too). Hope this helps.
a timely treat! pinned to my St. Patrick’s Day board. No bake is always a winner too!