No bake cheesecakes are quickly becoming my favourite thing to make this summer. Not only do you not need to go anywhere near a hot oven (which is a godsend in our tiny apartment kitchen), but they are also really quick and easy to put together. The only time-consuming thing here is waiting for the Maltesers cheesecake to set in the fridge. And anyone can do that, right?
Get some willpower.
This was one of the many sweet treats I made during what I am now going to refer to as my ‘baking holiday’. We spent a week at my parents’ house down in sunny Cornwall back in July, and I made the most of my time off from work to bake a whole bunch of scrummy things for the blog. Last week’s Caramel Peach Pavlova included. But I think you’re going to agree that this Maltesers Cheesecake takes the biscuit.
Biscuit. Get it?
It’s modelled after my previous no bake cheesecakes (see Snickers Cheesecake and Creme Egg Cheesecake) and there’s no way this will be the last cheesecake that comes out of my kitchen this year. No bake cheesecakes are so fun to make, and you don’t need any baking skill to master them either. And the best thing? People always think you are a superstar baker when they try one. So don’t let on to anyone just how easy they are!
The biscuit base on this cheesecake is made with just two ingredients – digestive biscuits and melted butter. If you’ve never heard of a digestive biscuit, then chances are you live somewhere in the world where they don’t exist. In which case, just switch them out with some trusty graham crackers. You won’t be able to tell the difference.
There’s also a chance you live somewhere that doesn’t have Maltesers. At least, you don’t think you do. I’m reliably informed that the US version of a Malteser is a Whopper. Ahhh, so now we’re on the same page.
The actual cheesecake isn’t just a normal plain vanilla cheesecake, oh no. We don’t do things by halves around here, so I added 8 tablespoons of malt powder to the cheesecake batter, as well as A WHOLE LOT of crushed Maltesers. You don’t want to go in too hard on the Malteser crushing, as you’re looking to have some nice malty chunks in there.
When it comes to the malt powder, you can use Horlicks, Ovaltine, or whatever’s available. I went for Horlicks, cos it was my bedtime story drink when I was little. I’m sentimental like that.
Top your Maltesers cheesecake with whole Maltesers like me, or pile a whole load of crushed ones on top. But I’m sure we can agree that you’d be a fool to not drizzle the whole thing with some melted chocolate before serving. Galaxy (or Dove in the US) works best here, as it tastes the most like the outside of a Malteser.
If you have any cheesecake requests then do let me know – I’m always happy to try and turn amazing flavours into cheesecakey perfection.
- 300g (10.5 oz) digestive biscuits or graham crackers
- 115g (Ā½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 240g (1 cup) mascarpone cheese
- 360g (1Ā½ cups) cream cheese (I used full fat Philadelphia)
- 150g (1Ā½ cups) icing sugar (US confectioner's sugar)
- 8 tablespoons malt powder (Horlicks/Ovaltine)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300ml (1Ā¼ cups) double or heavy cream
- 150g (5.25 oz) Maltesers (or Whoppers in the US)
- 100g (3.5 oz) Maltesers (or Whoppers in the US)
- 50g (1.8 oz) milk chocolate (semi-sweet) - I used Galaxy
- Grease and line the bottom of a 20cm (8 inch) springform tin. Crush the digestive biscuits into fine crumbs. The easiest way to do this is in a food processor, but you can also crush them by placing them in a sturdy plastic bag and bashing them with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs into a bowl, and add the melted butter. Stir together until the crumbs are evenly coated with the butter, and then spoon into the pre-prepared tin. Press the crumb mixture right up to the edges of the tin using the back of a spoon, and level out the top, pressing down to make sure it is nice and compact. Place the tin in the freezer to set whilst you make the topping.
- To make the cheesecake topping, place the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, sifted icing sugar, malt powder, and vanilla extract into a large bowl. Mix well until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the double cream until stiff peaks are just about formed. Add the cream to the cheesecake mix, folding in gently to avoid knocking the air out of the whipped cream, until completely incorporated. Crush 150g of Maltesers using a rolling pin (or cut them into quarters). You want decent sized chunks of Maltesers, rather than crumbs. Fold the chunks of Maltesers into the cheesecake batter until evenly distributed.
- Remove the biscuit base tin from the freezer, and spoon the cheesecake batter on top of it. Spread out using the back of a spoon or a palette knife, getting it right to the edges of the tin. Smooth out the top and place in the fridge until set. This will take at least four hours, but overnight is preferable.
- Once set, carefully remove from the tin and place on a serving plate or board. If necessary, neaten up the edges with a palette knife. Place whole Maltesers (or halves) into the top of the cheesecake, and drizzle with melted milk chocolate before serving.
- Don't leave the cheesecake at room temperature for more than an hour or so, as cream cheese will spoil quickly. Make sure to keep in the fridge when not serving, and it should stay fresh for at least three to four days. The cheesecake also freezes well for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and then top with the Maltesers and drizzle with chocolate.
I still find it incredible how you manage to make baked goods that have so much of the taste of the inspiration in them. Maltesersiest cheesecake ever!
Great recipe made it yesterday! Thank you!
Thanks Bethany!
Thanks, I tried your recipe and it was very tasty. However, the consistency of mine turned out very creamy more like a mouse and not as firm as I would have liked. Is this how it should be? If not do you have any suggestions on how to make it firmer?
Hi Kate. I’m sorry that my cheesecake wasn’t quite what you were expecting, and thanks for getting in touch. The no-bake cheesecakes I usually make are the creamy type, and I think the only way you’re going to get a firmer cheesecake is to add some gelatin. You are probably best searching for a vanilla cheesecake recipe which includes gelatin and then adding the malt powder and the Maltesers as per my recipe. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful š
I stumbled across your recipe and thought Iād give it a go. Absolutely delicious cheesecake, my family appreciated it greatly! Thank you for sharing it ?
Thank you so much Becky! I’m glad you and your family loved the cheesecake š
No bake?! Count me in! haha I’m excited to give this recipe a try. Great recipe, thank you!
Thank you Bryan! š
Hi. Can i make this cheesecake without malt powder? ?
Hi Louise. You definitely can, although it won’t have quite the same Maltesers flavour. Will be still be a nice vanilla cheesecake though!