How to Make a Perfect Cheesecake Base

Love a cheesecake? Who doesn’t! There are so many flavour combinations to choose from, and it’s a super simple showstopper to make for your next dinner party or birthday. 
But did you know you can switch up your cheesecake base to get even more flavour combinations? Yes, that’s right. You can go classic with a digestive cheesecake base or go all out with Oreo or Biscoff. You can even make your cheesecake base gluten free or vegan. 
Here’s what you can use, and how to do it.

Digestives are the perfect cheesecake base, and the most popular choice in the UK. To make a digestive cheesecake base, you’ll need 250g of digestives and 125g of unsalted butter.


First place your digestive biscuits into a food processor until they are finely crushed.

Then mix in your melted unsalted butter and process until it’s well combined.

Next press the mixture into a 9-inch springform cake tin.
Use a straight-sided glass to press and spread the biscuit mixture firmly over the base and side of the tin. You can also use a potato masher to make sure it’s as compacted as possible.
Pop it in the fridge while you get on with your cheesecake filling.

Using a digestive biscuit base is ideal as the neutral flavour of the digestives means you can match it with any type of filling. We love our Caramel Cheesecake or Eton Mess Cheesecake. We reckon you will too. 

Making a cheesecake for gluten free friends or vegan family members? No need to worry, it’s pretty simple to whip up too.
For a gluten free cheesecake base with a classic taste, just swap your normal digestives out for gluten free ones. And to make it vegan too, you can use vegan butter or vegan margarine instead of the usual unsalted butter. Use 250g gluten free digestives and 125g butter/margarine substitute.
Our White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake uses gluten free digestives with unsalted butter, but you can add in vegan butter to tick both boxes if you want.
Another great recipe for a vegan cheesecake base is our Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake. With this recipe you use a combination of 100g dates, 100g almonds, 25g cocoa powder and 15ml maple syrup. All you need to do is blend together and press into your base as normal. 

Love the sweet and creamy flavours of Oreos? Who doesn’t?
Well, did you know you can swap out those classic digestives and use Oreos as your cheesecake base instead? All you need is 300g of Oreos and 100g of unsalted butter.
You can pop your Oreos in your food processor, or simply place them in a sealed food bag and bash them with a rolling pin (oh so satisfying) until you have a fine crumb. Then just mix with your melted butter to form your base and press into your springform cake tin as usual. We’ve done it right here with our Oreo Cheesecake recipe and we’re sure you’ll agree the results are fabulous. 

Biscoff is delectable. It’s decadent. And it’s going to form the base of your next cheesecake. Yes, now you can satisfy your sweet tooth with our irresistible Biscoff Cheesecake recipe! It’s a caramelised and white chocolate creation we know you’re going to love.
For this recipe, you’ll need 150g of Biscoff biscuits and 50g of unsalted butter. You’ll also need a food processor or you can bash away with your rolling pin and the biscuits in a sealed sandwich bag. 

How long does cheesecake last in the fridge?
Your cheesecake should last for between three or four days and a week in the fridge. To keep it fresh and to make sure it doesn’t absorb any odours, seal it in an airtight container.

Can you freeze a homemade cheesecake?
Yes, you can freeze a homemade cheesecake. Just make sure you seal and wrap it effectively and it should last for up to two months. Check out our handy article on how to freeze cake to find out more.

What are the alternatives to digestive biscuits for a cheesecake base?
If you want that classic taste of digestives but want to make a gluten free cheesecake base, it’s a simple swap for some gluten free digestives. Alternatively to play around with flavours and bring some added sweetness into the mix, you can use Oreos or Biscoff biscuits as your cheesecake base. They’re both delicious. We also like ginger nuts too.

What size of pan works best for a cheesecake?
The type of pan you use depends on your chosen cheesecake recipe. We find that a 9inch round springform pan is ideal. But you can also use mini cheesecake moulds or a 9x9 square tin.