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If you’re looking for a gluten free Christmas dessert recipe, then look no further than this beautiful gluten free Melto cheesecake. It’s a combination of a buttery, hazelnut and biscuit base, with a creamy chocolate and hazelnut topping and chunks of Schär Melto. A dreamy combination!
If you’re not a fan of Christmas pudding then a gluten free cheesecake is an easy crowdpleaser for dessert. It’s so easy to make gluten free and I think the chocolate and hazelnut flavours of this one are just dreamy. Topped with golden stars and chunks of Melto it will make your guests ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ when you present it to the table!
Schär Melto – the gluten free ‘Bueno’ equivalent
As part of their Christmas campaign, Get Creative This Christmas, Schär challenged me to get creative with their Meltos. This cheesecake just seemed like the perfect option. If you haven’t heard of them before (where have you been!?) a Melto is basically gluten free equivalent of a Bueno bar that every coeliac has been dreaming of FOR YEARS. Also known as absolute HEAVEN.
Schär seems to keep pulling out all the stops by creating gluten free equivalents of all your favourite pre-coeliac treats. After years spent watching my boyfriend Steve scoff Buenos, I had no idea what the fuss was all about,. Now completely understand! A crispy wafer filled with a dreamy, creamy hazelnut centre and coated in chocolate, the Melto bars are actual heaven.
Which is why a cheesecake just seemed the perfect recipe to craft from my Melto inspiration. I tried to match the chocolate and hazelnut flavours in the cheesecake. It’s got the flavours of chocolate hazelnut spread in the ‘cheese’ part and crushed hazelnuts in the buttery biscuit base. The chunks of Melto inside are an absolute dream – I honestly had to resist scoffing the lot once I’d photographed it!
Tips for my no-bake gluten free cheesecake recipe
If you’re going to give this recipe a go, it’s pretty simple to chuck together, even for the novice baker. In fact, you don’t even need to turn on the oven! Here are some pointers for making my gluten free Melto cheesecake:
No food processor? Don’t worry – you can easily crush the biscuit base the old fashioned way, like I used to when I was a child and I made cheesecake with my mum! We would just pop the biscuits in a sandwich bag, seal and hit with a rolling pin. You’ll probably end up with a chunkier base, especially with the nuts, but this is absolutely fine. Some people prefer it! I just like to use a food processor as I am trying to use less single-use plastics, so wanted to save the use of a sandwich bag!
Don’t over-whisk your mixture when it comes to making the cheesecake topping either. Once you add the cream, make sure you use a low setting on the electric whisk to avoid the mixture splitting. You’ll know it’s ready after about 4-5 minutes as the mixture will thicken and it will be able to hold it’s own – i.e. it won’t budge if you tilt the bowl. As soon as it’s done, stop mixing and fold in that Melto!
The Melto chunks may start to soften a little in the fridge. I still think it tastes amazing as you end up with these chunks of creamy hazelnut filling and chocolate and it’s just delicious! I’d recommend not decorating your cheesecake until before serving. Ideally this is best made the night before, as you want the cheesecake to set completely before you try to take it out of the tin. So I would make it up and then top just before serving.
My gluten free Melto cheesecake recipe
So here it is, my gluten free Melto cheesecake recipe. Make sure you stock up on extra Schär Meltos when making this as you’ll probably want to scoff a few while you whip up the recipe! This easy gluten free no bake cheesecake serves 16 people – or less if you want a big slab!
Gluten free Meltos cheesecake
My gluten free Meltos cheesecake is a hazelnut buttery biscuit base, with a chocolate hazelnut topping and chunks of Schär Meltos. Perfect as a festive dessert option.
Ingredients
For the base:
- 150 g gluten free Digestives, (I used the Schรคr ones)
- 50 g toasted chopped hazelnuts
- 150 g unsalted butter, (melted)
For the topping:
- 500 g full fat cream cheese
- 100 g icing sugar
- 300 ml double cream
- 150 g chocolate hazelnut spread
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 Schรคr Meltos
To decorate:
- 2 Schรคr Meltos
- Toasted chopped hazelnuts
- Gold star sprinkles
Instructions
To make the base:
- Add the digestive biscuits and hazelnuts to a food processor and pulse until they form a breadcrumb-like consistency.
- Melt the butter (either in the microwave in short bursts or in a pan over a low heat). Once melted, remove from the heat and pour into the biscuit/hazelnut mix. Pulse again in the food processor until the mixture starts to combine. Pour into a 20cm-diameter round springform baking tin and press down firmly with a spoon so the base is level and compact. Chill in the fridge for an hour.
To make the topping:
- Add the cream cheese, icing sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer on a low setting, beat together until combined.
- Pour in the double cream and whisk again using an electric whisk on the lowest setting. Patience is key here - whisk for around 4-5 minutes until the mixture thickens and can hold itself.
- Chop the four Schär Meltos into eight pieces and then add them to the cheesecake topping mix. Gently fold them into the mix using a spatula. Remove the chilled cheesecake base from the fridge and pour the topping on top. Use the spatula to gently spread out the mix, ensuring there are no gaps. Refrigerate for at least six hours, ideally overnight.
To finish:
- Once completely chilled, gently remove the cheesecake from the tin and onto your desired serving plate. Cut the additional two Schär Meltos into eight pieces and decorate with 12 pieces around the edge and the rest in the centre of the cheesecake. Sprinkle over the remaining stars and hazelnuts and serve straightaway.
Notes
- This cheesecake will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, but be aware the Melto chunks in the cheesecake itself might soften a little overtime. They'll still be delicious!
- If you don't have a food processor (or want to save on washing up!) you can also crush the biscuits by placing them in a sandwich bag and hitting them with a rolling pin. This might get a chunkier base, which some people prefer!
- Don't be too tempted to whisk the cheesecake topping on the highest setting otherwise the mixture may split. Slow and steady definitely wins the race here!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 431Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 133mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 5g
Schär Melto are stocked in Asda, Tesco, Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, RRP £1. For a full list of ingredients and stockists, as well as to see the other amazing products Schär offers, visit their website here.
Need some more gluten free dessert inspiration?
<
p data-slot-rendered-dynamic=”true”>Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free dessert recipes on the blog? Give some of these other gluten free recipes a try! There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:
- Banana and caramel upside-down cake
- Gluten free chocolate yule log recipe
- Toffee and pecan meringue roulade
- Christmas pavlova wreath
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!