Mary Berry Malteser Cheesecake Recipe

There are cheesecakes, and then there’s Mary Berry’s Malteser cheesecake, a no-bake showstopper that combines a crunchy chocolate biscuit base, a light malted cream cheese filling, and a generous tumble of whole Maltesers on top. It looks like something from a patisserie window. It takes about 30 minutes of actual work. I’ve made this for more celebrations than I can count, and it earns a gasp every single time it comes out of the fridge.

What Is Mary Berry’s Malteser Cheesecake?

Mary Berry’s Malteser cheesecake is a chilled no-bake dessert featuring a buttery crushed digestive and chocolate biscuit base, a creamy, lightly malted chocolate filling made from cream cheese, double cream, and melted chocolate, and a dramatic topping of whole Maltesers, chocolate shavings, and a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce. No oven required. No water bath. No cracked top to worry about (the cheesecake’s greatest anxiety, not yours). Just layers of pure, unapologetic indulgence.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Biscuit Base

• 200g (7oz) digestive biscuits
• 100g (3½oz) chocolate digestive biscuits
• 100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, melted

For the Malteser Cheesecake Filling

• 600g (1lb 5oz) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 100g (3½oz) icing sugar, sifted
• 300ml (½ pint) double cream
• 150g (5oz) milk chocolate, melted and cooled
• 3 tbsp Horlicks or malted milk powder. This is the secret that makes the filling taste genuinely of Maltesers rather than just chocolate cheesecake
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Topping

• 2 x 37g bags of Maltesers (or one larger sharing bag)
• 50g (2oz) dark chocolate, melted for drizzling
• Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, optional, but adds a professional finish

FYI, full-fat cream cheese only. Low-fat versions contain more water, and the filling won’t set firmly enough to slice cleanly. Philadelphia is the most reliable brand for no-bake cheesecakes. It behaves consistently every time, which matters when you’re serving this to people you want to impress.

How to Make Mary Berry’s Malteser Cheesecake

Step 1: Make the Biscuit Base

Crush both types of biscuits into fine crumbs. A food processor does this in seconds, or bash them in a sealed zip-lock bag with a rolling pin if you’re feeling therapeutic. Combine the crumbs with the melted butter and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand and clumps when pressed.

Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the base of a lined 23cm (9-inch) springform tin. Use the base of a flat glass to compact it properly. A loose, crumbly base falls apart when you try to lift a slice. Refrigerate for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

Step 2: Make the Malteser Filling

Beat the room temperature cream cheese and sifted icing sugar together with an electric mixer until completely smooth, no lumps. Add the vanilla extract and malted milk powder and beat again until incorporated. The Horlicks is doing serious flavour work here, it adds that distinctive honeyed, malty note that makes this taste like actual Maltesers rather than just chocolate cream cheese.

In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to soft peaks, billowy and light, not stiff. Pour the cooled, melted milk chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and fold gently to combine. Then fold in the whipped cream in three additions, using big, gentle strokes to keep as much air as possible.

Don’t rush the folding. Knocking the air out at this stage gives you a dense, heavy filling instead of the light, mousse-like texture that makes this cheesecake so good. Three gentle folds are all it needs.

Step 3: Fill and Set

Pour the filling over the chilled biscuit base and smooth the top with a palette knife or offset spatula. Tap the tin gently on the worktop a couple of times to release any air bubbles trapped near the surface.

Cover loosely with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight is significantly better. A properly set no-bake cheesecake slices cleanly and holds its shape on the plate. An underset one slides, sags, and makes you look far less impressive than you deserve to after all that effort.

Step 4: Decorate and Serve

Remove the cheesecake from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off slightly cold cheesecake straight from the fridge has a slightly waxy texture that softens beautifully at room temperature.

Pile the Maltesers generously over the top, don’t be shy, this is not the moment for restraint. Drizzle the melted dark chocolate over the Maltesers and the surface of the cheesecake in thin, confident lines. Scatter chocolate shavings or a light dusting of cocoa powder around the edges for a professional finish. IMO, that contrast of dark cocoa powder against the pale cream filling is one of the most visually striking finishing touches in the whole repertoire of no-bake desserts.

Carefully release the springform tin sides. Run a thin palette knife around the edge first; if it feels at all stuck, this prevents any tearing at the edges.

Tips for the Perfect Malteser Cheesecake

• Room temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable. Cold cream cheese lumps in the filling, and those lumps don’t beat out, you’ll end up with a lumpy, uneven texture no matter how long you mix. Take it out of the fridge at least an hour before you start.
• Cool your melted chocolate before adding it. Hot chocolate added to cream cheese and whipped cream melts the fat and deflates the filling. Let it cool to room temperature, warm but not hot, before folding in.
• Add Maltesers just before serving if possible. Maltesers left on top of a cheesecake overnight absorb moisture from the filling and lose their crunch. They’re still delicious, just less dramatically crunchy. Add them the morning of serving for best results.
• Use a hot, dry knife for clean slices. Run the blade under hot water, wipe dry, and slice. Repeat between each cut. Clean slices reveal those beautiful layers properly.
• Storage: Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. The filling stays set, and the flavour deepens slightly overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Mary Berry’s Malteser cheesecake ahead of time? Yes, it’s actually better made the day before. Prepare and fill the cheesecake, refrigerate overnight without the Malteser topping, and add the decoration the next day before serving.

Can I freeze Malteser cheesecake? Yes, freeze without the Malteser topping, well wrapped, for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and decorate with fresh Maltesers before serving. The texture holds up surprisingly well after freezing.

What if my cheesecake filling won’t set firmly? Usually caused by overwhipped cream that’s gone grainy and separated, or cream cheese that was too cold and lumpy before mixing. If it seems very loose after filling the tin, add another hour or two in the fridge. Sometimes it just needs more time.

Final Thoughts

Mary Berry’s Malteser cheesecake is exactly the kind of dessert that gets people talking before they’ve even tasted it and then keeps them talking long after the plate is empty. No baking, genuine wow-factor, and a flavour combination that hits every note: creamy, chocolatey, malty, and satisfyingly crunchy.

Make it for your next celebration and prepare to field compliments for the rest of the evening. Just don’t tell anyone how straightforward it actually was. That’s your secret to keep.