Raffaello cheesecake is an easy and thoroughly delicious treat to make. Coconut and white chocolate team up in this no-bake Raffaello dessert that is easy to make and feeds a crowd.
Don’t miss my Raffaello torte. It’s another showstopping dessert starring these chocolates.
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This Raffaello cheesecake has all the hallmarks of a great no-bake dessert. It’s easy to put together, combines several flavours and looks spectacular.
Coconut and white chocolate are the headline acts in this creamy, dreamy dessert. Topped with those delightful Ferrero chocolates, a slice is hard to resist.
Although this recipe was not created with Christmas in mind, this Raffaello dessert would definitely not look out of place during the winter months. Those chocolates do look like little snowballs.
If you’ve got a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates you’d like to use try my Ferrero Rocher cake or Ferrero Rocher cheesecake.
Why you’ll love this Raffaello dessert
This white chocolate and coconut cheesecake has plenty going for it:
- There’s enough for 12-15 people (depending how large you want to cut those slices).
- Coconut and white chocolate is a delicious flavour combination.
- It makes great use of Ferrero Raffaello chocolates, which are a delicious and more unusual offering than Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
- The desiccated coconut adds a little texture to this creamy Raffaello dessert.
- There’s no need to turn on the oven as this is a no-bake cheesecake recipe.
And if you love the coconutty cousin of the Ferrero Rocher chocolate, then don’t miss my Raffaello torte. It’s another gloriously tasty Raffaello dessert.
What are Raffaello chocolates?
Ferrero Raffaello chocolates are coconut and almond truffle balls. Each one consists of a spherical wafer that encases a creamy coconut filling and a blanched almond. A crisp shell, covered in coconut flakes, surrounds these layers. It’s a misconception that they contain white chocolate. They do not. However, they do pair gorgeously with white chocolate desserts such as this white chocolate and coconut cheesecake.
You will need approximately 15 chocolate balls for this Raffaello dessert. One 230g box should be sufficient with a few chocolates left over (I call these cook’s hard-earned treats). Pick them up in Asda or Sainsbury’s (£4-£6).
Ingredients notes
Raffaello chocolates: these are mandatory if you want this sweet to be truly a Raffaello cheesecake. However, if you are looking to avoid nuts, you could decorate this no-bake white chocolate and coconut cheesecake with homemade coconut truffles instead.
Desiccated coconut: this is used in the base, in the filling and as decoration, so it is a vital ingredient. Desiccated coconut is dried coconut that has been ground to a fine texture. Look for it in the baking aisle of UK supermarkets.
Cream cheese: use only full-fat cream cheese and I highly recommend using Philadelphia rather than the supermarket’s own-brand. I’m only a cream cheese snob when baking and that’s because Philadelphia has the best (firm) texture that helps no-bake cheesecakes to set nicely.
White chocolate: this ingredient has a reputation for seizing when melted, so use the best quality chocolate that you can afford to reduce this risk. Callebaut gives consistently great results and I’ve also used Green & Blacks, Lindt or Waitrose own brand previously and had no issues. Whatever brand you go with, melt the chocolate gently to further reduce the risk of it spoiling.
Coconut rum: a splash of coconut rum, such as Malibu, helps carry the coconut flavour through the cheesecake filling, but this Raffaello dessert does not taste boozy.
Cream: you’ll need double cream for this recipe. In the UK this product has a fat content of 48% so if you live outside of the UK look for a cream with a similar fat content.
Step by step instructions
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Grease and line a deep-sided 20cm (8-inch) baking tin.
- Crush the biscuits in a food processor.
- Melt the butter, add to the biscuit crumbs with the coconut and pulse briefly to blend.
- Press the biscuits into the prepared tin.
- Melt the white chocolate and stir until smooth.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar together.
- Add the vanilla bean paste, soured cream, lemon juice & salt. Mix in.
- Take 1 heaped tablespoon of the batter and briskly mix it into the white chocolate.
- Add the white chocolate mix back into the remaining batter and beat in until smooth.
- Mix in the coconut and coconut rum.
- Pour in the double cream and beat until very firm (the beaters or a large spoon should be able to stand up in it).
- Spoon half of the batter onto the biscuit base, pressing it in and levelling before adding the rest and pressing that down too. Level the top, cover and chill for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Unmold the cheesecake and place it on a serving plate.
- To make the ganache, melt the white chocolate then beat in the cream. Allow to firm up slightly (chill in the fridge if necessary) then drizzle over the top of the cheesecake.
- Scatter desiccated coconut and white chocolate flakes over the top of the ganache.
- Pipe rosettes of whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake (aim for 15) and top each one with a Raffaello chocolate.
- Either serve your Raffaello dessert straight away or store it in the fridge (covered) for up to 48 hours.
Expert tips
- Weigh all ingredients accurately. The easiest way to do this is to use digital kitchen scales and the gram system. I do not advocate the use of the cup system as it is highly inaccurate.
- It’s okay to vary the tin size but keep in mind that a large tin will result in a thinner cheesecake and a smaller tin will create a deeper dessert.
- A deep-sided springform cake tin is the best option as it will be easier to remove the cheesecake from this type of tin.
- This Raffaello dessert takes a minimum of 6 hours to set. Ideally, leave it overnight in the fridge.
- To make it gluten-free use gluten-free biscuits and, since Ferrero Raffaello chocolates contain gluten, these will need to be replaced with a suitable gluten-free alternative. As a precaution, check the packaging of all ingredients to ensure there is no possibility of cross-contamination during the manufacturing process.
Frequently asked questions
Provided that the chocolates remain whole they will not go soft. If you decided to chop up the Raffaello balls before using them as a garnish on top of the cheesecake then they would soften within a couple of hours.
As there is no gelatine or other setting agent in this Raffaello cheesecake, it is essential to keep beating the filling until it is quite stiff. If it falls off of a spoon easily then it needs to be beaten for longer. Keep on going until a metal spoon can stand up well in it. Make sure you use the correct ingredients too -that’s full-fat cream cheese and double cream (48% fat). Lighter versions will affect the set of the cheesecake significantly.
This no-bake Raffaello cheesecake can be stored in the fridge (covered) for up to 4 days.
I’m not a huge fan of freezing no-bake cheesecakes as I find that the creamy texture is significantly compromised, so I do not recommend it.
How you made this Raffaello cheesecake? I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know how you got along by leaving a comment or rating below – it would mean so much to me if you do.
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📖 Recipe
Raffaello Cheesecake (no-bake)
Equipment
- 1 20cm (8-inch) deep-sided springform cake tin
Ingredients
Cheesecake Base
- 200 g Digestive biscuits or graham crackers
- 100 g Butter
- 30 g Desiccated coconut
Cheesecake Filling
- 400 g Cream cheese full-fat (I recommend Philadelphia)
- 30 g Caster sugar
- 125 g White chocolate
- 3 tablespoons Soured cream
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla bean paste
- 3 tablespoons Coconut rum such as Malibu
- 60 g Desiccated coconut
- Pinch of salt
- 275 ml Double cream (48% fat content)
Decoration
- 15 Raffaello chocolates
- 200 ml Double cream
- 30 g White chocolate
- 2 tablespoons White chocolate grated
- 2 tablespoons Desiccated coconut
Instructions
Make the cheesecake base
- Grease a deep-sided 20cm (8-inch) baking tin. Optional: line it with baking parchment to make it easier to remove from the tin.
- Crush the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- Melt the butter, add to the biscuit crumbs with the coconut and pulse briefly to blend. (Be careful not to pulse too much as the coconut will reduce to powder. A couple of 1-2 second pulses should be sufficient.)
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and use the back of a metal spoon to press it down firmly.
Make the cheesecake filling
- Melt the white chocolate either using a bain-Marie or in a microwave (gentle heat). Stir until smooth.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar together using electric beaters.
- Add the vanilla bean paste, soured cream, lemon juice & salt. Beat in.
- Take 1 heaped tablespoon of the batter and briskly mix it into the white chocolate. (This helps to reduce the risk of the chocolate seizing when mixed with the cheesecake batter).
- Now add the white chocolate mix back into the remaining batter and beat it in until smooth.
- Mix in the desiccated coconut and coconut rum.
- Pour in the double cream and beat until very firm (the beaters or a large spoon should be able to stand up in it).
- Spoon half of the batter onto the biscuit base, pressing it in and levelling before adding the rest and pressing that down too. Take time doing this to ensure there are no air pockets within the cheesecake.
- Level the top, cover and chill for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
Decorating the cheesecake
- Unmold the cheesecake and place it on a serving plate.
- To make the ganache, melt 30g of white chocolate then beat in 30ml of the cream. Allow to firm up if necessary (chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes) then drizzle over the top of the cheesecake.
- Scatter desiccated coconut and white chocolate flakes over the top of the ganache.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks and use it to pipe rosettes around the edge of the cheesecake (aim for 15). Top each rosette with a Raffaello chocolate.
- Either serve your Raffaello dessert straight away or store it in the fridge (covered) for up to 48 hours.
Notes
- Weigh all ingredients accurately. The easiest way to do this is to use digital kitchen scales and the gram system. I do not advocate the use of the cup system as it is highly inaccurate.
- It’s okay to vary the tin size but keep in mind that a large tin will result in a thinner cheesecake and a smaller tin will create a deeper dessert.
- A deep-sided springform cake tin is the best option as it will be easier to remove the cheesecake from this type of tin.
- This Raffaello dessert takes a minimum of 6 hours to set. Ideally, leave it overnight in the fridge.
- To make it gluten-free use gluten-free biscuits and, since Ferrero Raffaello chocolates contain gluten, these will need to be replaced with a suitable gluten-free alternative. As a precaution, check the packaging of all ingredients to ensure there is no possibility of cross-contamination during the manufacturing process.
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