The dessert in your photo looks like a creamy no-bake salted caramel cheesecake in a square container, with a buttery biscuit base, thick cheesecake filling, caramel swirls, caramel/chocolate pieces, biscuit crumbs and flaky salt.
I’ve built the recipe below specifically to give you that soft, creamy, spoonable texture and the same caramel-heavy appearance. No oven is required. Similar no-bake recipes use digestive biscuits, full-fat cream cheese, whipping cream and caramel, with several hours of chilling for the cheesecake to set.
B
Baking with Aimee.
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Yield
1 square 8-inch / 20 × 20 cm cheesecake
Approximately 9–12 servings
Time
Preparation: 30–40 minutes
Chilling: minimum 6 hours
Best: overnight
Difficulty: Easy–medium
Ingredients
1. Biscuit Base
250 g digestive biscuits
110 g unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp brown sugar — optional
Pinch of salt
For a more crumbly-looking base like the photo: reserve about 2 tbsp of the crushed biscuits for decoration.
Biscuit alternatives
You can use:
Digestive biscuits
Graham crackers
Marie biscuits
Lotus/Biscoff biscuits
Shortbread
Digestives are particularly suitable because their relatively neutral flavor lets the caramel dominate.
B
Baking with Aimee.
2. Creamy Cheesecake Filling
500 g full-fat cream cheese, softened
300 ml cold whipping cream / heavy cream
100 g icing sugar / powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 g thick caramel or dulce de leche
¼ tsp fine salt
Important
Use full-fat cream cheese, not low-fat or spreadable/light cream cheese if possible. Full-fat cream cheese gives a considerably more stable no-bake filling.
B
Baking with Aimee.
3. Homemade Salted Caramel
You can use good-quality ready-made caramel sauce, but homemade caramel gives the dessert in your picture its deep golden color.
Ingredients
150 g granulated white sugar
30 g water
115 ml heavy cream
30 g unsalted butter
½–1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
This quantity makes enough for mixing into the cheesecake and decorating the top.
Easier option
Use approximately 250 g ready-made caramel/dulce de leche and loosen it with 1–2 tbsp warm cream until it becomes drizzleable.
4. Decoration — For the Look in Your Photo
Use:
80–100 g caramel sauce
50–75 g caramel chocolate, chopped
2–3 tbsp digestive biscuit crumbs
Flaky sea salt
Optional: 2–3 tbsp crushed caramel/toffee
Optional: chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
The chocolate pieces in your photograph appear similar to small caramel/chocolate pieces, so chopped caramel chocolate works particularly well.
Step-by-Step Method
STEP 1 — Make the biscuit crumbs
Put the digestive biscuits into a food processor.
Pulse until you have fine crumbs, with a few slightly larger pieces.
If you don’t have a food processor:
Put biscuits into a strong zip bag.
Seal it.
Crush with a rolling pin.
Continue until fine crumbs form.
Reserve 2–3 tablespoons for decoration.
STEP 2 — Make the base
Melt:
110 g butter
Don’t let it boil.
Pour the melted butter over the biscuit crumbs.
Add:
1 tbsp brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Mix until the crumbs resemble wet sand.
Test
Squeeze some crumbs in your hand.
If they hold together, the mixture is ready.
If they fall apart completely, add another 10–15 g melted butter.
STEP 3 — Form the cheesecake base
Line an 8 × 8 inch / 20 × 20 cm square container or cake tin with parchment paper.
Tip the biscuit mixture inside.
Press it down very firmly using:
the bottom of a glass,
measuring cup,
flat spatula.
Pay particular attention to the corners.
Refrigerate for 30–45 minutes.
STEP 4 — Make the caramel
Place the sugar and water into a heavy saucepan.
Heat over medium heat.
At first, allow the sugar to dissolve.
Then let it cook without aggressively stirring.
The syrup will progress from:
clear → pale yellow → golden → deep amber
When it reaches a rich amber color, remove it from the heat.
Very important
Slowly add the cream.
The caramel will bubble violently.
This is normal.
Stand back and add the cream gradually.
Whisk carefully.
Add:
30 g butter
½–1 tsp sea salt
vanilla
Whisk until smooth.
Allow the caramel to cool until warm, not hot.
Don’t pour hot caramel into the cheesecake mixture.
STEP 5 — Make the cheesecake filling
Place softened cream cheese into a large bowl.
Beat until completely smooth.
Add:
100 g icing sugar
Beat again.
Add:
1 tsp vanilla
Mix.
Now add:
150 g caramel
Mix until evenly combined.
STEP 6 — Whip the cream
In another cold bowl, whip:
300 ml cold heavy/whipping cream
Whip until you reach firm peaks.
Don’t over-whip until it becomes grainy or buttery.
STEP 7 — Combine
Add approximately ⅓ of the whipped cream to the cream-cheese mixture.
Fold gently.
Add the remaining whipped cream in two additions.
Fold rather than aggressively beating.
You want a filling that is:
thick
smooth
creamy
aerated
able to hold its shape
STEP 8 — Fill the container
Take the chilled biscuit base from the refrigerator.
Spoon the cheesecake filling over it.
Spread evenly.
Tap the container very gently on the counter a couple of times to remove large air pockets.
Smooth the surface.
STEP 9 — Make the caramel swirl
Warm a few tablespoons of caramel very slightly if it has become too thick.
It should be pourable but not hot.
Drizzle caramel over the cheesecake.
For the pattern in your photograph, use approximately 50–70 g caramel.
Then take a skewer or thin knife and gently swirl through the caramel.
Don’t over-swirl.
You want visible ribbons of caramel rather than mixing everything into one color.
STEP 10 — Add the toppings
Scatter over:
chopped caramel chocolate
digestive crumbs
crushed caramel/toffee
flaky sea salt
For the appearance in your photo, concentrate most of the toppings toward the center.
Then add a few pieces around the edges.
STEP 11 — Chill
Cover the cheesecake.
Refrigerate for:
Minimum:
6 hours
Recommended:
8 hours
Best:
overnight
No-bake caramel cheesecakes commonly require several hours of refrigeration to fully firm up.
J
Jane’s Patisserie
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STEP 12 — Serving
If using a square cake tin, remove the cheesecake and cut it with a hot, clean knife.
For the container-style dessert shown in your photo, simply serve it directly from the container.
For especially clean cuts:
Dip knife in hot water.
Wipe completely dry.
Cut.
Clean knife.
Repeat.
Secret to Getting the Texture in Your Photo
The cheesecake shouldn’t be hard like a baked cheesecake.
You want a texture that’s:
thick + mousse-like + creamy + slightly soft
The most important things are:
1. Full-fat cream cheese
Low-fat cream cheese can make a no-bake cheesecake too soft.
B
Baking with Aimee.
2. Very cold cream
Cold cream whips better and gives the filling structure.
3. Don’t overmix
Once the whipped cream is added, fold gently.
4. Don’t use hot caramel
Hot caramel can melt the whipped cream and loosen the filling.
5. Give it enough refrigeration
Overnight is much safer than trying to serve it after only 1–2 hours.
ALL NUT INFORMATION
Does this recipe contain nuts?
The basic recipe does not require nuts.
However, you need to check the packaging of:
digestive biscuits
caramel sauce
caramel chocolate
toffee pieces
cream cheese
whipped cream
Some commercial products may contain nuts or have “may contain nuts” warnings.
If you have a nut allergy
Do not assume a product is nut-free simply because nuts aren’t listed in the ingredients.
Look for:
Contains: nuts
or
May contain peanuts/tree nuts
or equivalent allergen warnings.
For a completely nut-free cheesecake, use ingredients specifically labelled nut-free where appropriate and avoid shared-equipment products.
Can I ADD nuts?
Absolutely.
Best choices
Pecans:
Excellent with caramel.
Walnuts:
More earthy and slightly bitter.
Almonds:
Good crunch but less caramel-like.
Hazelnuts:
Excellent with caramel chocolate.
Toast 75 g chopped nuts in a dry pan for 3–5 minutes, cool completely, then add them to the topping.
For the dessert in your picture, I’d choose toasted pecans.
Salt Question
Don’t skip the salt completely.
Caramel + cream cheese + salt gives the classic salted caramel flavor.
Use approximately:
¼ tsp fine salt in filling
½–1 tsp salt in caramel
A small amount of flaky salt on top
Taste the caramel before adding the full amount because different butters and caramel sauces contain different amounts of salt.
Can I Make It Without a Square Container?
Yes.
Use:
20 cm / 8-inch round tin
Same quantities.
23 cm / 9-inch round tin
Use the same recipe, but the cheesecake will be slightly shorter.
9 × 13 inch pan
Make approximately 1.5× the recipe for a similar thickness.
Can I Use Store-Bought Caramel?
Yes—and it’s actually the easiest option.
Use approximately:
250 g caramel/dulce de leche
Reserve about 75–100 g for the top.
If it’s extremely thick, stir in 1–2 tbsp warm cream until you get a thick-drizzle consistency.
Storage
Keep covered in the refrigerator.
Best quality:
3–4 days.
No-bake caramel cheesecake can also be frozen; thaw it gradually in the refrigerator before serving.
R
Recipes by Carina
Don’t leave the finished cheesecake sitting at room temperature for extended periods because it contains dairy and cream.
FAQ
Q: Can I make this without gelatin?
Yes. The recipe above is gelatin-free.
The combination of full-fat cream cheese and properly whipped cream provides the structure.
If you want an exceptionally firm cheesecake for transporting, gelatin can be incorporated, but it isn’t necessary for the creamy dessert shown.
Q: Why is my cheesecake runny?
Usually one of these:
cream wasn’t whipped enough
low-fat cream cheese was used
caramel was still hot
too much liquid caramel was added
cheesecake wasn’t chilled long enough
Put it back in the refrigerator overnight before deciding it has failed.
Q: Why didn’t my cream whip?
Your cream may not have been cold enough.
Use very cold heavy/double cream and a chilled bowl if your kitchen is warm.
Q: Can I use whipping cream instead of heavy cream?
Yes, provided it has enough fat to whip properly.
For the best stability, use a cream intended for whipping rather than a low-fat pouring cream.
Q: Can I use Philadelphia cream cheese?
Yes.
Use full-fat Philadelphia-style block cream cheese if available.
Avoid very soft, watery cream-cheese spreads where possible.
Q: Can I use Biscoff?
Yes.
Replace the digestive biscuits with 250 g Biscoff biscuits.
For an even stronger Biscoff-caramel cheesecake, add 100 g Biscoff spread to the filling and reduce the caramel slightly.
Q: Can I use condensed milk?
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend replacing the entire filling with condensed milk.
Condensed milk makes the cheesecake considerably sweeter and changes the texture.
Q: Can I make it less sweet?
Yes.
Reduce icing sugar from 100 g → 60–70 g.
Don’t remove it completely because it contributes to both sweetness and texture.
Also use a little extra flaky salt to balance the caramel.
Q: Can children eat this?
Yes, provided your caramel contains no alcohol and all ingredients are appropriate for them.
The recipe as written contains no alcohol.
Q: Can I make it the day before?
Yes—this is actually recommended.
Make it the evening before, cover it, and refrigerate overnight.
Add the final chocolate pieces and flaky salt shortly before serving if you want them to remain especially crisp.
Q: Can I freeze it?
Yes.
Freeze it well covered, preferably without delicate toppings.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Approximate Nutrition
Because the exact nutrition depends heavily on the biscuits, cream cheese, caramel and chocolate brands, these are estimates rather than laboratory values.
For 12 servings:
Nutrient Approx. per serving
Calories 450–550 kcal
Carbohydrates 45–55 g
Sugar 30–38 g
Fat 28–35 g
Saturated fat 16–21 g
Protein 5–7 g
Sodium 250–450 mg
The toppings can push the calories and sugar higher.
My Recommended Version for the Photo
For the closest result to your photograph, I’d use:
250 g digestive biscuits
110 g butter
500 g full-fat cream cheese
300 ml whipping cream
100 g icing sugar
150 g caramel in filling
100 g caramel for topping
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
75 g chopped caramel chocolate
3 tbsp biscuit crumbs
Flaky sea salt
And chill overnight.
That combination should give you the thick white cheesecake layer + golden caramel swirls + crunchy caramel/chocolate center + crumbly biscuit decoration seen in the image. Similar published no-bake versions use the same fundamental combination of biscuit base, cream cheese, whipped cream, caramel and a long refrigeration period.
B
Baking with Aimee.
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With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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