My Gluten Free Millionaire’s Cheesecake Recipe (No-bake)

My gluten free Millionaire’s cheesecake recipe is a super-easy no-bake wonder and nobody would ever know it’s gluten free.

Never heard of a gluten free Millionaire’s cheesecake recipe before? Well erm… me neither really! But you know what? It just makes sense!

So since this isn’t really ‘a thing’, what does my gluten free Millionaire’s cheesecake recipe involve?

Well, it’s a buttery biscuit base with a creamy caramel filling, topped with a milk chocolate ganache layer and finally… lots of caramel!

Oh and who could forget a little mini millionaire’s shortbread on top to finish it off?!

Honestly, it is one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted ever and it needs to be more of a thing, if it isn’t already!

And because my gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake recipe is no-bake, it’s really quite simple to make at home.

You just need to be a little patient during the chill time so the cheesecake can set properly – that’s super important!

I leave mine to chill overnight just so it’s nice and set. Then you can add the chocolate ganache and after one more hour in the fridge, you can then add your finishing touches.

I think this dessert has a real wow-factor, especially for us gluten free folks who are probably used to getting a dull option for dessert!

Ok, so here’s your shopping list – don’t forget to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the method ??

Ingredients for my gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake

For the biscuit base

• 320g gluten free digestive biscuits, gluten free shortbread OR gluten free granola 
• 125g butter

For the filling

• 500g cream cheese
• 100g icing sugar
• 300ml double cream
• 100g caramel (I used carnation caramel for this)

For the chocolate ganache top

• 150g milk chocolate, chopped finely
• 150ml double cream

For the topping

• 100g caramel
• mini gluten free millionaire’s shortbreads

Oh and here’s a few tips and frequently asked questions to make sure you make the perfect gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake every time:

Can I make this recipe gluten free?

It is gluten free!

(but nobody would ever know this recipe was when tasting it – trust me!)

Can I make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake recipe dairy free?

Most of my recipes are really easy to make dairy free with a few simple swaps, but unfortunately, it’s not so simple with cheesecakes.

The cheesecake filling is purely made up of dairy – double cream AND cream cheese. And though dairy free versions are available, they just don’t set like whipped dairy does.

I am working on a few dairy free cheesecake alternatives in my kitchen at all the time, but I just want them to be perfect before I share them, so stay tuned!

Can I make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake recipe vegan?

Though there’s no eggs in this recipe, read above for the same reasons why this can’t be made vegan.

Like I said, if I make a dairy free cheesecake in the near future, you can bet that it’ll be vegan too so keep an eye on my Instagram for when I finally post it.

Is your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake recipe nut free?

Yep, this is a nut-free recipe as far as ingredients go, BUT make sure you check the ingredients label on ALL the products you use to make this cheesecake just to be safe.

Even if the products don’t contain nuts, they may have a ‘may contain nuts’ warning due to being produced in a factory that handles nuts.

You can never be too careful so always read the labels on everything first!

Is your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake recipe low FODMAP?

Sadly, because of the high dairy content, this recipe isn’t suitable for the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet.

However, if you’ve successfully reintroduced dairy during the reintroduction phase then this might be a good option for you.

Can I make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake in a food processor or standing mixer?

Of course you can! I actually use both in this recipe just to speed up things. I use my food processor to blitz the biscuit base and my standing mixer to mix the cheesecake filling.

If you only have a food processor, you can happily use it to mix both. However, if you only have a standing mixer, you’ll have to bash the biscuits in a plastic bag using a rolling pin.

Just remember to keep scraping down the side of the mixing bowl when making the cheesecake filling – this applies to both a food processor AND standing mixer.

Oh and remember NOT to over mix the cheesecake filling, otherwise it can split!

Can I make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake without any kind of electric mixer/appliance at all?

You can, of course, make this without any assistance from any appliance – just a good ol’ fashioned wooden spoon or spatula will do.

But you will need a lot of elbow grease to get the biscuits bashed and the filling mixed. Just make sure you give it a lot of welly, otherwise your mixture won’t be consistent!

So yeah, if you’re making my gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake by hand, make sure you mix everything really, really well before adding the next ingredients to the bowl.

Do I need any special equipment to make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake recipe?

You won’t need anything in particular apart from a good springform cake tin – here’s the one I use

It’s 20cm (8 inch) in diameter, so remember if your tin is bigger, your cheesecake will end up looking a lot flatter!

Even if you don’t have a springform cake tin, a loose bottom one like this will do.

But definitely don’t make this in a normal cake tin without a loose bottom/springform mechanism. You won’t be able to get the cheesecake out or cut it!

Can I make this recipe without xanthan gum?

There’s no xanthan gum in any of my cheesecake recipes, this one included.

You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s an essential ingredient in gluten free baking – in cakes and biscuits, it helps to replace gluten by binding the texture together.

Otherwise you can end up with a very crumble bake. Fortunately, that doesn’t apply here!

What cream cheese should I use for the filling?

I always use Philadelphia cream cheese without fail because it always works! Call me superstitious but I’m reluctant to use different brands as I just don’t know how well they set or not.

The fat content of the cheese is so important to make it set or not and they can vary from brand to brand. So I just think… why risk it?!

That’s why I always use proper Philadelphia cream cheese, just to be safe.

Can I make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake using mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese?

Yes! If I don’t use cream cheese, you’ll see me using mascarpone from time to time. It really doesn’t make too much difference.

I find that a mascarpone sets to be a little firmer, which means it won’t go soft so quickly out of the fridge. It holds it’s shape much better for longer, but obviously isn’t quite as light as cream cheese it.

So if that’s something that sounds good to you, then bear that in mind!

Can I make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake using light cream cheese?

Definitely, no! Using light cream cheese is a very quick way to ensure that your cheesecake is an instant disaster.

As the fat content is much lower, your cheesecake won’t ever have a hope of setting in the fridge. It’s fall-fat or nothing, I’m afraid!

What gluten free biscuits should I use for the base?

I usually use digestive biscuits from the free from aisle like these. However, since this is a millionaire’s cheesecake (and a millionaire’s shortbread usually has a shortbread base), I’d highly recommend using these.

What caramel should I use for this recipe?

I used a tin of Carnation caramel for this recipe. It’s gluten free and just takes away all the stress of having to make your own caramel!

What mini gluten free millionaire’s did you top your cheesecake with?

I bought Morrisons free from Millionaire’s shortbread bars (sorry they don’t seem to be online at the mo) and cut them in half into squares.

I found them down the free from aisle of my local Morrisons!

Do I need weighing scales to make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake?

In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any my recipes without them. One of the worst things you can do in any baking recipe is alter the quantities by mistake or on purpose.

(unless you know what you’re doing of course)

Why? Well, you’re sort of just gambling with the recipe and praying that it turns out ok, don’t you think? And I’ve generally already done the hard work there for you, so you don’t have to do the guesswork with measurements!

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities so I wouldn’t mess around with them unless you really know your stuff.

I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.

Can I make your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake without sugar?

I can understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but this recipe is one where I wouldn’t recommend it!

The sugar in the cheesecake filling helps to balance out the rich cheese flavour from the Philadelphia. That makes it taste more like a dessert than an actual cake made of cheese if you know what I mean ?

So yeah, remove the sugar at your own risk!

Can I use other sugar apart from icing sugar in this recipe?

I’ve chosen to use icing sugar in this recipe because it’s nice and light, powdery and almost vanishes into the cheesecake filling. Other sugars just wouldn’t work the same.

By using other granulated sugars (like caster sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar etc), you’ll end up with an almost gritty-like texture in your cheesecake filling which is far from good!

That’s because this is a no-bake recipe. That means there’s no heat to break the sugar down and dissolve it, so it’ll just be all grainy in the filling.

So yeah, icing sugar is the only way to go!

How long can I keep your gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake for?

Obviously keep this in the fridge at all times (it’s cheese after all!) and it should last around 4-5 days – try to keep it in an airtight container, or covered with clingfilm.

Can I freeze my gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake?

Yep! You can freeze it for up to 2-3 months without a problem – just make sure you put it in an airtight plastic container. It’s probably a good idea to slice it first so you can defrost a slice at a time.

Then, when you want to defrost it, you can leave it at room temperature to thaw for around 12 hours. A single slice will probably take about 5 hours to thaw, so get it out ahead of time!

Can I bake my gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake in the oven?

No, please don’t! This is a no-bake cheesecake, meaning that it’s made to be chilled in the fridge and that’s it.

I can guarantee that if you try and bake this in the oven, you’ll just end up with a big mess to clear up ?

A baked cheesecake will usually have eggs in the filling which will help it to set when heated – this isn’t one of those recipes!

Troubleshooting

My cheesecake filling mixture split – what happened?

That means you probably over-mixed it, which you must be careful not to do! This will definitely cause the entire mixture to split.

You can avoid this happening by not using the highest setting on your mixer whilst making this. Also, don’t leave the filling in the mixer for any more than it needs to!

Once it starts to look nicely combined with no lumpy bits or anything, it’s done!

My cheesecake filling became really thin. What happened?

That’s what happens when you over mix your cheesecake filling too. Try to avoid mixing once the cheesecake filling is thick and combined/consistent.

If it all goes wrong, still try giving it a chance to set in the fridge anyway – it might set, you never know! And if it doesn’t, just pop it in the freezer and serve it up slightly more frozen!

My cheesecake filling spilt out everywhere when I removed it from the tin. What did I do wrong?

That sounds like a classic case of not waiting long enough for your cheesecake to set.

A cheesecake really does need a good 12 hours to set – after all, we’re not baking anything in this recipe at all! So you’ve got to give it a lot of time to chill in the fridge and set. Patience is important here!

If you did allow your cheesecake an adequate time to set and this happened, then it’ll be down to two reasons. Either you over-mixed your mixture and it became either split, or really thin.

OR, you under-mixed it. The cheesecake filling shouldn’t be of a ‘pourable’ consistency, it should whip up to a nice thickness that you can spoon into your loose-bottom tin. That’s how to tell when to stop mixing!

My cheesecake filling was a bit lumpy instead of being smooth. What happened?

Sounds like you didn’t mix your cheesecake filling well enough.

Adding in the ingredients gradually, like first mixing the vanilla extract, icing sugar and cream cheese, can help prevent this massively.

My cheesecake isn’t as tall as yours – how come?

That means you probably used a cake tin that’s bigger than mine (mine is 20cm/8 inches).

I mean, don’t go rushing out to buy a new one if you have one that’s 10 inches wide – but your cheesecake will be a lot flatter!

Can I print your recipe?

Of course! Just hit the print button located on the recipe below ?? (otherwise you might end up printing this entire post which would probably make your printer go into early retirement)

Thanks for reading all about my gluten free millionaire’s cheesecake recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turns out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!

Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

Oh and don’t forget to pin this for later!