No-Bake Millionaire Cheesecake
This No-Bake Millionaire Cheesecake is overflowing with rich flavor and texture in every bite. A buttery cookie crust is topped with a layer of homemade caramel, rich no-bake cheesecake filling, and a final layer of glossy chocolate ganache.
Rich, creamy desserts are always in our dessert rotation, especially no-bake treats. After all, nothing tastes better than easy, right? Desserts like root beer pie and chocolate-dipped strawberries are always great choices during the summer.
Our no-bake millionaire cheesecake falls squarely into that category. The only baking involved is the crust. After that, it’s all smooth sailing aboard the S.S. No-Bake. With its combination of a buttery shortbread crust, caramel, cheesecake, and ganache, it’s fancy enough for a special occasion and easy enough to make any time you get a craving for it.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: This recipe uses basic ingredients found in your kitchen and at any grocery store.
- Easy to Make: Every part of this recipe is easy enough for beginners to make. Even the crust and the homemade caramel are very straightforward.
- Rich Flavor and Texture: From the buttery crust to the ganache topping, every part of this cheesecake is filled with rich texture and flavor that melts in your mouth with every bite.
- Versatile: This cheesecake is sophisticated enough for special occasions but easy enough for an after-dinner treat.
Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
- Ganache: Semi-sweet or dark chocolate ganache works well with the other flavors in this cheesecake.
- Salted Caramel: Add a pinch of salt for a salted caramel layer.
- Caramel: You can use caramel sauce if you’d prefer not to make your own.
- Gluten-Free: Use 1:1 gluten-free baking flour to make a gluten-free version of the crust.
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pulse the crust ingredients in a food processor until they form a ball.
- Press the crust into the bottom of a 9-inch cheesecake pan with a removable bottom. Bake at 350 until golden brown.
- Bring all the caramel ingredients except the evaporated milk to a low boil over medium heat while stirring continuously. Cook until the mixture is a golden color.
- Continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, slowly adding the evaporated milk as you do so. Remove it from the heat, add the vanilla, and pour it over the crust. Chill while making the rest of the cheesecake.
- Beat the cheesecake in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat again until creamy.
- Beat the heavy cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Then, fold it into the cheesecake mixture with a rubber spatula.
- Spread the cheesecake over the caramel and chill again while making the ganache.
- Add the chocolate chips to a bowl. Then, bring the heavy cream to a simmer and pour it over the chips. Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Spread the ganache over the cheesecake in a smooth layer and let it cool until set. Sprinkle the cheesecake with flaked sea salt. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving.
Expert Tips
- Be sure your caramel mixture remains at a low boil while cooking and stir constantly to avoid scorching.
- You should add about a half teaspoon at a time to the caramel as you cook it to maintain an even temperature. It should take approximately 12 to 15 minutes to incorporate all of this.
- Your caramel is ready, with a half teaspoon of it dropped into ice water; it sticks together but is still pliable.
- It’s important to let the ganache ingredients sit for a few minutes to allow the chips to soften and melt. This produces a smooth, glossy final product.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
A no-bake millionaire cheesecake is made with a buttery shortbread crust topped with a layer of caramel, no-bake cheesecake filling, and a final layer of ganache.
Shortbread is the best base for millionaire cheesecake. It’s sweet and buttery but with a neutral flavor that won’t overshadow the other ingredients in the cheesecake.
A springform pan or a pan with a removable bottom like a Lloydpan are the best options, making it easy to remove your cheesecake.
More Cheesecake Recipes
If you love cheesecake as much as we do, then we think you’ll enjoy our strawberry cheesecake lush, lemon cheesecake bars with lavender, and mini biscoff cheesecakes.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! I would love to hear back from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more delicious recipes.
📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
No-Bake Millionaire Cheesecake
Equipment
- Food processor
- 9″ Springform Pan
- Saucepan
- large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Microwave Safe Bowl
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Caramel
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 6 ounces evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Cheesecake
- 28 ounces cream cheese softened (3 ½ bricks of cream cheese)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup heavy cream
Ganache
- ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Flake sea salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- To make the crust, place the flour, butter, powdered sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse until the dough starts to form a ball.
- Remove and press into the bottom of a 9” cheesecake pan with a removable bottom.
- Place the crust into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, just until it’s golden brown.
- Remove and let it cool completely.
- To make the caramel, place the butter, corn syrup and sugar into a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Bring to a low boil and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes.
- Slowly add the evaporated milk over the next 12-15 minutes, continuing to stir and maintaining it boiling. You don’t want the temperature to drop as the milk is added, so a half teaspoon at a time is optimal.
- It should take the entire 12 minutes to add the milk.
- To double check the caramel is ready, drop a small half teaspoon of caramel into a glass of ice water. The ball should stick together, but be pliable. That’s when the caramel is ready, do not overcook!
- Remove the caramel from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour over the cooled crust and place in the refrigerator while making the next layer.
- To make the cheesecake, place the cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy.
- In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Use a spatula to fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese until thoroughly mixed.
- Spread the cheesecake layer over the cooled caramel and place in the refrigerator.
- To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a bowl and heat the heavy cream to simmer.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2-3 minutes before whisking until smooth.
- Spread the ganache in an even layer over the top of the cheesecake layer and let the ganache cool until set.
- Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt. (optional)
- Return the cheesecake to the refrigerator and chill overnight – or minimum of 6 hours to set before serving.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Be sure your caramel mixture remains at a low boil while cooking and stir constantly to avoid scorching.
- You should only add about a half teaspoon at a time to the caramel as you cook it to keep the temperature even. It should take the full 12 to 15 minutes to incorporate it all.
- Your caramel is ready with a half teaspoon of it dropped into ice water sticks together but is still pliable.
- It’s important to let the ganache ingredients sit for a few minutes to allow the chips to soften and melt. This produces a smooth, glossy final product.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
This was so, so good. It looks like it should be complicated, but it’s easy. That makes it taste even better!
This is so good! It was actually a lot easier to make than I thought, but it looks fancy enough to bring to special events. Fantastic.
This was just so good, Maria, everyone loved it. Thank you, perfect for these hot days!
This is the best cheesecake ever! The caramel layer and ganache layer were incredible with the cheesecake layer. YUMMMMM!