Description

This Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab is a delightful no-bake dessert perfect for festive occasions. Featuring a crunchy Biscoff biscuit base and a creamy, vanilla-infused cheesecake filling stabilized with gelatin, it’s topped with fresh berries, cherries, orange slices, rosemary sprigs, and a dusting of icing sugar for a festive finish. The recipe is straightforward, requiring chilling instead of baking, making it accessible for all skill levels and ideal for holiday gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

Biscuit Base

300g/10 oz Biscoff (38 pieces) or other plain biscuits/cookies (2 1/2 cups crumbs)
120g (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
1 tbsp brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Gelatin Mixture

3 1/2 tsp (13.5 g) unflavoured gelatin powder
3 tbsp cold tap water

Cheesecake Filling

1 1/2 cups thickened or heavy cream (fridge cold)
750g/24 oz cream cheese block (3 blocks, well softened at room temperature, do not use tub cream cheese)
1 1/4 cups caster sugar / superfine sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Pinch of salt
2 cups thickened or heavy cream (fridge cold)
3 tbsp caster sugar (or double quantity of icing sugar, sifted)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Decoration

Strawberries (halved or quartered if large)
Mixed berries (blackberries and raspberries recommended)
Cherries
Rosemary sprigs
6 orange slices, cut into half moons
Icing sugar / confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Prepare pan: Lightly grease a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13″) pan with butter or oil spray. Line it with parchment paper leaving a long overhang to lift the cheesecake out easily once set.
Make biscuit crust: Roughly break biscuits and blitz in a food processor until fine crumbs form (~30 seconds). Add melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt, then blitz again until it resembles wet sand and holds together when pinched. Press mixture firmly into the prepared pan’s base, refrigerate until needed.
Bloom gelatin: Sprinkle gelatin evenly over cold water in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve and allow to sit 3 minutes until rubbery. Microwave 15 seconds to melt (do not boil), then let cool for 5 minutes; keep liquid for use.
Whip cream (first portion): Using an electric beater, whip 1 1/2 cups of cold thickened or heavy cream on high speed for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes until firm peaks form.
Whip cream cheese mixture: In a separate large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups caster sugar on high for 1 1/2 minutes until smooth. Add vanilla extract, lemon juice, salt, and melted gelatin, then beat for an additional 10 seconds to combine thoroughly without overbeating.
Fold in cream: Gently fold about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream carefully to retain airiness.
Assemble cheesecake: Pour filling over the biscuit crust in the pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours to set completely.
Remove cheesecake: Use the parchment overhang to lift the set cheesecake out of the pan onto a serving platter. Slide out parchment paper beneath and return cheesecake to fridge until decorating.
Prepare whipped topping: Whip 2 cups cold thickened or heavy cream with 3 tbsp caster sugar and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract on high for 2 to 3 minutes until softly whipped.
Decorate: Spread the whipped cream topping in large swirls over the cheesecake surface. Arrange strawberries, mixed berries, cherries, orange slices, and rosemary sprigs decoratively. Dust lightly with icing sugar. Slice and serve chilled.

Notes

Note 1: Use plain biscuits like Biscoff for best flavor and texture consistency.
Note 2: Gelatin stabilizes the no-bake cheesecake, ensuring a firm set.
Note 3: Keep cream cold for better whipping results; whipping to firm peaks provides structure.
Note 4: Use block cream cheese, softened to room temperature, for smooth texture. Avoid tub cream cheese which is softer and has additives.
Note 5: Caster or superfine sugar dissolves more easily in the cream cheese mix, preventing grittiness.
Note 6: To stabilize whipped cream for ahead of time assembly, you can add a teaspoon of gelatin or use a commercial stabilizer (not included in this recipe).

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: Western, Christmas

Keywords: Christmas cheesecake, no bake cheesecake, Biscoff crust, holiday dessert, festive cheesecake, easy cheesecake slab