This easy-to-make Baileys No Bake Cheesecake is a creamy and delicious dessert that's perfect for those who are looking for a lighter option. And although this Baileys Cheesecake (no bake) is a lighter version and WW friendly, it's so good that no one would ever suspect! It can also be made non-alcoholic.
Baileys Cheesecake (no bake) is popular around St. Patrick's Day and during the holiday season, although it's great for any special occasion or the Baileys Irish Cream lover in your life! This recipe was inspired by my Birthday Cake Cheesecake (No Bake)
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Love holiday cheesecake? Try my Eggnog Cheesecake Bars too!
🥘Ingredient Notes
To make it lighter, I use reduced-fat cream cheese with non-fat Greek yogurt and low-fat sour cream instead of heavy whipping cream. The result is a slightly tangy, rich, and fluffy cheesecake with a creamy texture and a hint of baileys flavor. (*See WW points below)
For this white chocolate and baileys cheesecake, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Oreo baking crumbs. Oreo baking crumbs have become harder and harder to find. You can use any chocolate baking crumb.
- Unsalted butter melted. I prefer to use unsalted butter in my baking so I can control the salt. You need to measure the MELTED butter for this recipe.
- White chocolate squares/baking bar. Do NOT use white chocolate chips, as they are meant to melt completely like white chocolate baking bar is.
- Garnish. You can use any brand or type of gold sugar pearl, sparkling gold sugar or edible glitter for the garnish. You can buy them at hobby and cake decorating stores (Michael's in Canada) or through Amazon. Just double-check to ensure they are edible. Also, note that most gold and silver Dragees are safe to decorate with but NOT edible!
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Butter - You can use salted butter, but it will cut down the sweetness a little, or use light butter to bring down the calories/ww points
- Cream cheese - you can use full-fat cream cheese, light/low-fat or non-fat cream cheese
- Sugar - You can use a sugar substitute (like monkfruit) if you wish
- Kid-friendly/Non-alcoholic - .Baileys Coffee Creamer (affiliate link) is the perfect non-alcoholic substitute for this recipe! There a are few different brands you can buy and this should be available at your local grocery store
- Irish Cream - you could use homemade Irish cream, if you prefer
- Garnish - you could use any type of sprinkle you prefer or light whipped cream or add additional Oreo baking crumbs or sprinkle cocoa powder instead of chocolate sprinkles
🔪How to Make No Bake Baileys Cheesecake
**HEADS UP: There is a 6-8 hour refrigeration time with this recipe!
If you're not a fan of fussing with water baths when you bake cheesecakes, you'll love this no-bake version!
MAKE THE OREO CRUST (STEP 1): Spray an 8 or 9-inch springform pan with non- stick cooking spray (Image 1). Combine Oreo cookie crumbs/chocolate baking crumbs, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons of white granulated sugar in a medium bowl (Image 2).Mix until all the crumbs are moistened and a thick, crumbly paste forms (Image 3). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes (Image 4).
MAKE THE FILLING (Step 2 - Part 1): Place room temperature cream cheese, and remaining 1 cup of white granulated sugar in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (alternatively, you can use a hand electric mixer and a large mixing bowl) (Image 5). Mix on low to break down the cream cheese for 30 seconds, and increase to medium speed for another 1 minute (Image 6). Scrape the sides of the bowl and add sour cream, Baileys Irish cream, and Greek yogurt then mix for another 30 seconds or until smooth. (Image 7). Melt the white chocolate in the microwave on half (½ ) power for 1 minute, then check, stir, and put back into the microwave for 30-second intervals. Ensure that you stir each time, as the stirring helps to melt it further (Image 8).
MAKE THE FILLING (Step 2 - Part 2): Then add the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mix. Mix on medium for 30 seconds, scrape the sides, and on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. (Image 9). Mix gelatin crystals and ¼ cup water in a small bowl and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. Check out this video on how to bloom gelatin! (*Just do NOT drain it as they suggest) (Image 10). Heat the other ¼ cup water for 30 seconds in the microwave on high and pour into the gelatin bloom. Stir to dissolve, and allow to cool (Image 11). Starting on low, pour gelatin into the cream cheese mixture. Continue to mix at medium speed for a minute, scraping the sides of the bowl after 30 seconds (Image 12).
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE (Step 3 ): Pour cheesecake batter into the springform pan with crust and level with a spatula (Image 13). Hint: Before refrigerating, tap the pan lightly against the counter to get rid of air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight (8+ hours)*Do NOT add garnish yet.Unhinge rim of springform tin and remove. If necessary, smooth edges of cake with a knife (I didn't need to do this) (Image 14). Move to a serving plate and garnish with chocolate and gold sprinkles or whatever sprinkles you wish.
Serving: To ensure clean slices when serving, run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and slice the cheesecake. Clean the knife between each cut for neat slices.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Room temperature cream cheese ensures that your cheesecake batter will be smooth and lump-free!
- Use good quality ingredients (especially cream cheese). I find that the brand names of light cream cheese are less watery and better quality.
- Follow gelatin blooming instructions. Be sure to carefully follow these directions or your cheesecake won't set.
- Use a springform pan. Springform pans are ideal for cheesecakes because the texture is more custard-like than a cake.
- Spray your pan thoroughly. If you don't want your cheesecake to stick to the pan spray generously with non-stick cooking spray or it will be a mess.
- Don't skimp on chilling time. If you try to remove your cheesecake from the springform pan before it's properly chilled, it won't firm up and cut as cleanly as a properly chilled cheesecake.
🥗 Meals to serve with Baileys cheesecake (no bake)
Making this cheesecake for a Sunday dinner? Try it with my Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie or Baked Chicken Cacciatore (shown below). Got a special occasion dinner planned? Then I recommend pairing this dessert with my Easy Cornish Hens with Rosemary Wine Sauce . And if you are making this cheesecake for St. Patrick's Day, Reuben Soup is the perfect pairing!
🌡️Storage
Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. It will freeze well in an airtight container for 3-4 months.
If you are making this cheesecake in advance to refrigerate or plan to freeze it, I recommend that you do not garnish it with sprinkles (or anything) until it's fully defrosted and just prior to serving.
👪 Serving Size
This decadent cheesecake recipe makes 16 servings. However, you can cut the slices bigger and get 12 pieces instead. You can also double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. However, you'll need additional springform pans.
🔢WW Points
A typical piece of cheesecake can be up to 21 points! This recipe is 13 WW points with low-fat/light ingredients. You can bring down the points even further by using light butter, non-fat sour cream, and non-fat cream cheese and your points for a slice (1/16) will be 10 ww points . If you use a sugar substitute you can bring down the points even more.
❔Recipe FAQ's
There are a couple of possible reasons that a no bake cheesecake is not firming up:
1) If you don't refrigerate your no bake cheesecake long enough (6-8 hours) it won't firm up properly
2) You did not let your gelatin bloom properly (or cool) before adding it to the recipe
Of course! Options include cocoa powder, light whipped cream, chocolate shavings, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Absolutely! You can substitute Oreo crumbs with graham cracker crumbs, digestive biscuit crumbs, or any cookie crumb of your choice.
If you prefer not to use gelatin, you can substitute it with agar-agar. However, note that the texture may vary slightly.
If you are looking for a great recipe for St. Patrick's Day or Christmas, you'll love this easy Irish Cream Cheesecake. It's one of those perfect desserts that lets you indulge while staying on track!
And if you're looking for more light cheesecake recipes, give my Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake a try!
More No Bake Cheesecakes
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📋Baileys No Bake Cheesecake recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
**HEADS UP: There is a 6-8 hour refrigeration time with this recipe!
Cheesecake Base:
- 2 cups Chocolate baking crumbs
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter melted * measure the MELTED butter
- 3 tablespoon white granulated sugar
Cheesecake filling
- 1 -7 gram package of unflavored gelatin crystals
- ½ cup water (divided into 2)
- 2 - 8 oz packages of light cream cheese room temperature softened
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 3 ounces white chocolate squares **do NOT use white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup baileys irish cream
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup non- fat Greek yogurt
Garnish (optional)
Instructions
Cheesecake Base:
- Spray an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with non- stick cooking spray.
- Combine chocolate baking crumbs with melted butter and 3 tablespoons of white granulated sugar in a medium bowl.
- Mix until all the crumbs are moistened and a thick, crumbly paste forms.
- Press crumb mixture into the greased springform pan. Level and press to the bottom of the pan using a silicone spatula and neatly taper at the edge.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Cheesecake Filling
- Place softened cream cheese, 1 cup white granulated sugar in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (alternatively, you can use a hand electric mixer and a large mixing bowl).
- Mix on low to break down the cream cheese for 30 seconds, and increase to medium speed for another1 minute.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add sour cream, Baileys Irish cream and Greek yogurt and mix for 30 seconds or until smooth.
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave on ½ power for 1 minute, then check, stir and put back in to microwave for 30 second intervals until melted. *Ensure that you stir at each 30 second interval, as the stirring helps to melt it further.
- Then stir the melted white chocolate into the cream cheese mix. Mix on medium for 30 seconds, scrape the sides, and on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
- Mix gelatin crystals and ¼ cup water in a small bowl and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Heat the other ¼ cup water for 30 seconds in the microwave on high and pour into the gelatin bloom. Stir to dissolve, and allow to cool.
- Starting on low, pour gelatin into the cream cheese mixture. Continue to mix at medium speed for a minute, scraping the sides of the bowl after 30 seconds.
- Pour cheesecake batter into the springform pan with crust and level with a spatula.Tap pan lightly against the counter to get rid of air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight (8+ hours) *Do NOT add garnish yet.
- Unhinge rim of springform pan and remove. If necessary, smooth edges of cake with a knife (I didn't need to do this)
Garnish (optional)
- Add extra chocolate and gold sprinkles to the top of the cake, as desired. *Do not do this until just before serving (or the sprinkles will melt and run)
Terri Gilson
I'm thrilled with how this No Bake Baileys Cheesecake turned out! It's so creamy and delicious, you'd never guess it's a lighter version. I love that I can enjoy a slice without feeling too guilty, especially during the holidays. The best part is how easy it is to make - no water baths or fussy baking required!