It’s hard to decide what to bring to a Christmas potluck party. Get store-bought pizzas and you’ll be faulted for being lazy; whip up a potato salad and you might be seen as the Grinch. For this Christmas, no-bake cheesecake is the name of the game. My favourite thing about them is that they don’t require baking, so you can leave them to set in the fridge while going for your last minute Christmas shopping.
Quick and easy to prepare, make yourself look like a master pâtissier in front of your guests and try out these four no-bake Christmas cheesecakes recipes this festive season!
You don’t need to pay top dollar at Starbucks to get a taste of pumpkin spice. Combine pumpkin puree with mixed spice powder and you’ve got a rich and addictive cake that is great on any dessert table. I prefer my cake to have the rich and fruity taste of this festive fruit, but you can reduce the amount of pumpkin puree if you prefer the taste of the pumpkin to take a backseat.
1. To prepare the cake base, smash digestive biscuits in a zip-lock bag until they’ve become fine crumbs.
2. Mix crumbs with unsalted butter until well-combined.
3. Spread crumb and butter mixture on an 8” cake pan and press firmly. Pack it as compact as you can.
4. To prepare cake filling, combine softened PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, mixed spice, and pumpkin puree together. Mix well.
5. Pour cheesecake mixture into the crust and smooth out the top as much as possible.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, preferably overnight for a firmer texture.
7. To serve, let the cake rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh berries.
It’s hard to go wrong with OREO. Add a tinge of bitter-sweet matcha to this popular biscuit and you’ve got yourself a real crowd-pleaser. The OREO base gives a rich chocolatey flavour, going well with the moist cake filling. For those who are watching their sugar intake, you may choose to reduce the sugar by up to 50g, as the whites of the OREO give quite a bit of sweetness.
1. To prepare the cake base, separate the whites of the OREO from the blacks.
2. Combine the blacks of the OREO with the unsalted butter until they are finely incorporated.
4. To prepare cake filling, gently cook warm milk with OREO whites. Whisk in gelatin powder when the mixture is heated up.
5. Combine gelatin milk mixture with PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and matcha powder. Mix well.
6. Pour cheesecake mixture into the crust and smooth out the top as much as possible.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, preferably overnight for a firmer texture.
8. To serve, let the cake rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with crushed OREO or fresh fruit.
These cakes are similar to Japanese rare cheesecakes, which are known for their incredibly smooth texture. It’s hard to believe that this delicious cake is actually made from marshmallows. The marshmallows give this cake a nice soft and pillowy texture, while the sweet and slightly tart jam adds a bit of excitement to this decadent cheesecake.
1. Line a rectangular container with plastic wrap.
2. In a pot, combine marshmallow, lemon juice and milk. Stir frequently for around 8 minutes, until marshmallow is melted.
3. Fold marshmallow and milk mixture with PHILADELPHIA cream cheese.
4. Mix over a bowl of ice water for around 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick.
5. Pour half of the mixture into the plastic wrapped rectangular container, add jam, then another half of the mixture.
6. Wrap and chill for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight for a firmer texture.
No Christmas party is complete without alcohol. Add some excitement to your cheesecake with a little bit of booze. Make sure to use quality chocolate, as it will affect the taste of the cake greatly. If you don’t have Irish Cream in your pantry or have young ones coming to the party, you may omit it for an equally delicious chocolate cheesecake.
1. To prepare the cake base, smash chocolate biscuits in a zip-lock bag until they’ve become fine crumbs.
2. Mix the chocolate biscuit crumbs with the unsalted butter until well-combined.
4. To prepare cake filling, mix gelatin powder with warm milk.
5. Combine gelatin mixture with PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla extract and Irish Cream Liqueur. Mix well.
6. Fold in melted chocolate.
7. Pour cheesecake mixture into the crust and smooth out the top as much as possible.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, preferably overnight for a firmer texture.
9. To serve, let the cake rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with strawberries.
A quintessential ingredient in no-bake cheesecakes, PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Block lets you prepare delicious Christmas goodies for you and your loved ones. Carefully crafted with fresh milk and real cream, smooth and creamy cream cheese adds a luxurious depth to cheesecakes and more. Happy baking and let us know your favourite in the comments below!
Photos taken by Pepita Hope Wauran.
This post is brought to you by PHILADELPHIA.