This delicious creamy After Eight Cheesecake is full of mint and chocolate flavour. It has a chocolate biscuit base, a chocolate mint filling that's stuffed with After Eights, then dark chocolate, mint icing and whipped cream decoration on top. It is an easy no bake dessert to make all year round, and it's also great for Christmas and the festive season. You can make it ahead too.
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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- It is really important to stick to the ingredients and use full fat cream cheese and double cream (a cream with a 48% fat content), both of these ingredients are essential to ensure the no bake cheesecake sets. If you want to make a low fat version, I suggest doing this in small dessert glasses or ramekins as they will not set well enough to be sliced.
- I am based in the UK and I find that Philadelphia cream cheese is the thickest and best quality cream cheese to use for no bake cheesecakes. I have made many cheesecakes with supermarket own brand cream cheeses too, and they have worked great. If you can though, I think it is worth spending a little more for Philadelphia (and no they haven't paid me to say this!)
- I like to use digestive biscuits (Graham crackers if you're in the US) for the base, but you could substitute if for another similar biscuit like Hobnobs.
- You can use either butter or baking spread for the biscuit base, I find that baking spread makes the cheesecake easier to remove from the tin as it doesn't make the base set as solidly.
- If you can't get hold of After Eights, you can decorate and fill the cheesecake with any other mint chocolate.
- You can find lots of answers to common no bake cheesecake questions on my How To Make A No Bake Cheesecake guide. If you've never made a no bake cheesecake before, I highly recommend reading through my guide first!
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make After Eight Cheesecake
To make the biscuit base, whizz the digestive biscuits in a food processor until they become crumbs. Stir in the cocoa powder, then add the melted butter or baking spread and mix it in, press the mixture into the tin until compact and even. Put in the fridge to set.
For the filling, mix the cream cheese, icing sugar, cocoa powder and peppermint extract together. Then mix in the double cream until the mixture is very thick and holds its shape.
Fold in the chopped up After Eights gently. Spoon the filling into the tin over the biscuit base and smooth it out. Put in the fridge for 4 hours to set. Remove from the tin, drizzle over the melted dark chocolate and the mint icing. Whip up the double cream, vanilla extract and icing sugar, pipe it around the edge of the cheesecake and decorate with After Eights and mint leaves.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How do you make sure the cheesecake sets?
When you’re mixing the filling, you want it to get to a stage where you can scoop some up with your spatula or spoon and you have to give it a tap on the side of the bowl or slight flick of the wrist to get the mixture off the spoon. If it’s sloppy and slides right off the spoon without any encouragement needed, then you need to mix it more. This should only take a couple of minutes, so do be careful not to over mix. Always use an electric mixer for best results. If you have issues with this method, you can whip the double cream up separately and fold it into the other ingredients. It’s also very important to use full fat cream cheese and double cream (heavy cream), as any low fat versions will affect the setting of the cheesecake. I always set my cheesecake overnight in the fridge, I’d suggest a minimum of 4 hours.
How long does the cheesecake last and can it be frozen?
The cheesecake should be stored in the fridge and will last for 3-4 days. You can freeze the undecorated cheesecake, however you do need to let it set in the fridge first. Setting it in the freezer will affect the texture and it won't be as nice. Once it's set in the fridge, you can remove it from the tin and put the cheesecake in a box or tupperware. You could also slice it up, and freeze in portions. Then you can easily defrost a few slices at a time depending on when you'd like some cheesecake!
How do you remove a no bake cheesecake from the tin?
To see step by step photos and a video showing you how to remove a no bake cheesecake from the tin, as well as the answers to lots of other common no bake cheesecake questions, check out my How to make a No Bake Cheesecake guide!
Can this cheesecake be made gluten free?
Yes! To make this recipe gluten free, swap the biscuits in the biscuit base for gluten free biscuits. I would also recommend that you check the packaging of everything you're using in the recipe in case of cross contamination. And especially if you're serving this to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Can you use mascarpone instead of cream cheese?
Yes, you can swap the full fat cream cheese for full fat mascarpone cheese. I prefer using cream cheese as it has that slight 'tang' that you expect from a cheesecake. I find mascarpone to be much creamier and a little too rich. But, if you prefer it then you can absolutely use it instead!
More tips for making the After Eight Cheesecake:
- The fresh mint leaves on top are optional, but they add a lovely pop of colour. You could also use green sprinkles.
- You could also decorate with other mint chocolates like matchmakers, Aeros, Terry's mint chocolate etc.
Troubleshooting
My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients
- 23cm Springform tin
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Angled palette knife
- Piping bags
- After Eights
- Dark chocolate
- Peppermint extract
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After Eight Cheesecake (No Bake)
Ingredients
For the biscuit base
- 300 g Digestive biscuits crushed into crumbs
- 135 g Butter or baking spread melted
- 1 tbsp Cocoa powder
For the cheesecake filling
- 750 g Full fat cream cheese I use Philadelphia
- 175 g Icing sugar
- 40 g Cocoa powder
- 2 tsp Peppermint extract
- 300 ml Double cream
- 275 g After Eights chopped up
For the drizzle
- 50 g Dark chocolate melted
- 75 g Icing sugar
- ½ tsp Peppermint extract
- 1 tbsp Water
For the decoration
- 200 ml Double cream
- 1 tbsp Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 8 After Eights cut in half
- 6-8 Mint leaves
Instructions
- To make the base use a food processor to whizz up the biscuits into crumbs, if you don't have a food processor, bash the biscuits gently with a rolling pin in a bowl or freezer bag. Mix the cocoa powder into the biscuit crumbs
- Mix the melted butter (or baking spread) into the biscuit crumbs, and press the mixture into the bottom of a 23cm springform tin. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to set
- For the cheesecake filling use a food mixer with a whisk attachment or an electric hand whisk to mix together the cream cheese, cocoa powder, peppermint extract and icing sugar until smooth with no lumps
- Add the double cream and whisk until it is very thick and holds it's shape, You want it to get to a stage where you can scoop some up with your spatula or spoon and you have to give it a tap on the side of the bowl or slight flick of the wrist to get the mixture off the spoon. If it’s sloppy and slides right off the spoon without any encouragement needed, then you need to mix it more
- Gently fold in the chopped up After Eights using a spatula or a spoon
- Smooth the filling into the tin on top of the biscuit base, then put it in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours, to set
- Remove the cheesecake from the tin and put on your serving plate. Smooth the sides with a butter knife to create a neater finish if needed
- Drizzle or pipe the melted dark chocolate all over the cheesecake. Mix the icing sugar, peppermint extract and water together. Drizzle the icing over the cheesecake
- Whip up the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla, ideally using an electric whisk, and pipe swirls all around the edge of the cheesecake. Decorate with the halved After Eights and the mint leaves
- Serve immediately, store any leftovers in the fridge and eat within 2-3 days
Notes
- It is really important to stick to the ingredients and use full fat cream cheese and double cream (a cream with a 48% fat content), both of these ingredients are essential to ensure the no bake cheesecake sets. If you want to make a low fat version, I suggest doing this in small dessert glasses or ramekins as they will not set well enough to be sliced.
- I am based in the UK and I find that Philadelphia cream cheese is the thickest and best quality cream cheese to use for no bake cheesecakes. I have made many cheesecakes with supermarket own brand cream cheeses too, and they have worked great. If you can though, I think it is worth spending a little more for Philadelphia (and no they haven't paid me to say this!)
- I like to use digestive biscuits (Graham crackers if you're in the US) for the base, but you could substitute if for another similar biscuit like Hobnobs.
- You can use either butter or baking spread for the biscuit base, I find that baking spread makes the cheesecake easier to remove from the tin as it doesn't make the base set as solidly.
- If you can't get hold of After Eights, you can decorate and fill the cheesecake with any other mint chocolate.
- You can find lots of answers to common no bake cheesecake questions on my How To Make A No Bake Cheesecake guide. If you've never made a no bake cheesecake before, I highly recommend reading through my guide first!
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Jackie Mac
This seems easier than the Biscoff cheesecake (which was my first ever attempt at any cheesecake) …
At least with this the After Eights will be easier to measure & add (fingers crossed I’m successful).
I’ve shared the recipe even before I have made it, as I feel so confident friends will find your format as easy to read as I have.
Thank you xx