Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis

Prince William's childhood treat Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would love

The Prince of Wales's former chef has revealed the cheesecake recipe he made for the royals at Balmoral

Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
August 21, 2024

When former royal chef Darren Mcgrady worked in the royal kitchens for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, he was in charge of imagining up delicious, nutritious menus for the monarch and her family.

The culinary star, who was also a private chef for Princess Diana, Prince Harry and Prince William for over a decade, has shared the indulgent sweet treat he often whipped up for the family during their summers at Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands. 

In Darren's words via his YouTube channel, the chef began: "Today I'm going to share with you a no bake cheesecake recipe."

© Instagram / Darren McGrady

Darren McGrady's 'No Bake Cheesecake' recipe

He continued: "In Balmoral Castle's gardens, they have an abundance of raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries - all the soft berries - Scotland has the perfect climate for growing these.

"The royal family would have those berries most nights just to take out on a picnic, or take out to the hills during a barbecue, but at the same time we'd have to come up with new ideas and new recipes."

Darren's 'No Bake Cheesecake' looked rich and indulgent, complete with a sweet and salty biscuit base, a creamy set vanilla bean filling and topped with a tart blueberry compote. 

It's not the first time the former royal chef has given an insight into what the royal family ate during his time working in the kitchens. 

© Julian Parker

Balmoral has been the holiday destination for the royals for years

Speaking via his YouTube channel, he previously shared sweet childhood memories of Prince William during his time at Balmoral Castle, including the Prince of Wales' shared love for sweet things with his grandmother, the Queen.

William had a sweet tooth just like Her Majesty, and the pair both shared the same passion for chocolate biscuit cake.

© Tim Graham

The royals would eat fresh berries picked from the Balmoral gardens

Darren continued: "William loved chocolate as much as his granny, The Queen loved the chocolate biscuit cake, so it was no surprise to me that he chose the chocolate biscuit cake as his groom's cake when he got married. We even had to share the recipe with the Prince of Wales' chefs at Highgrove so they could make it for him there too."

By the sounds of it, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have inherited their dad's sweet tooth too. 

© Getty

Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis loved tucking into toasted marshmallows last summer

When the Wales family lived in London, MyLondon reported that the Princess of Wales was a regular at Gail's Bakery in Battersea, where she would often go to pick up a sweet treat for her children after school. 

At the bakery, staff said that the Duchess ordered the Chocolate Brownie Finger for George and Charlotte. We can just imagine them also loving the No Bake Cheesecake that Darren used to whip up for their dad during Balmoral summers. 

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