No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

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This silky and rich chocolate cheesecake is the perfect dessert for when you want to impress a crowd without a ton of work–oh and did I mention that it’s no bake? You don’t even need an oven!

With very few ingredients (this cake is eggless and made with no gelatin), this no bake chocolate cheesecake comes together quickly and can be prepared days in advance!

Made with a base of good ol’ fashioned cream cheese, we add sugar for sweetness, good-quality semisweet chocolate for richness, and lighten it all up with billowy whipped cream. The batter is then spooned onto a trusty Oreo cookie crust for a no bake chocolate lover’s dream!

It’s the perfect cake to serve for the holidays, birthdays, or just because! Here’s how we make it:

How to make a No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake With An Oreo Crust

Makes an 8″ or 9″ Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 20 chocolate Oreo cookies
• 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
• 8 oz semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, cold
• 2 x 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions:

Melt the chocolate and prepare the crust

Spray the bottom and sides of an 8″ or 9″ springform pan with cooking spray. Add a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan (it doesn’t need to come up the sides) and spray the parchment lightly. Set aside.

Break up the semisweet chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.

Heat the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove the bowl from the heat and allow the chocolate to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the Oreos into large crumbs. 

Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and process until the mixture is evenly moistened and the cookie crumbs are ground fine.

Next, pour the crumb mixture into the springform pan and press the crumbs down into an even layer. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to make the crust really compact.

Pop the pan into the freezer while you make the filling.

Making the Filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the heavy whipping cream. Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream until it has reached “stiff peaks”. You’ll know the cream is ready when the whisk leaves drag marks in the whipped cream as it’s mixing and the cream stands straight up on the end of the beater.

Gently transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and pop it in the fridge. Do not clean the mixer bowl.

Add the cream cheese to the mixing bowl and on medium or medium high speed, beat until smooth.

Pour in the sugar and mix until smooth and well incorporated. Give the bowl a scrape with a rubber spatula.

Next, add the cooled melted chocolate and the vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Whip until fully mixed. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and give the mixture a final stir by hand.  

Grab the whipped cream from the fridge and scoop out 1/4 cup of the cream and add it to the chocolate batter. Stir until incorporated, don’t worry about losing the air at this point, we’re trying to lighten up the chocolate mixture before we add the rest of the cream.

Next, gently spoon the remaining whipped cream on top of the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate cheesecake batter (watch the folding technique here).  This time we are trying to preserve the air whipped into the cream, so be gentle and do not rush this part.

Continue folding until there are no more streaks of cream showing.

Remove the Oreo crust from the freezer and spoon the chocolate filling onto the crust. Make sure to gently push the cheesecake batter out to the sides of the pan. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and pop in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

Unmolding The Cheesecake

After the cake has set, run a thin sharp knife around the edge of the cake and pan to loosen.

Unbuckle the springform pan and gently lift off the ring. Transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish and slice with a sharp chef’s knife. Wipe the blade clean in between each cut for clean slices.

Serve with fresh whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and store the leftovers in the fridge.

What Chocolate Should I use for this no bake cheesecake?

I recommend using a good quality semisweet chocolate–bittersweet would be delicious too.

Chocolate chips don’t work well in this recipe. I find that chocolate chips throw off the texture and make the cake a little thick and sticky. So using good bars of baking chocolate is the way to go here.

I used the Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate for this recipe and it was absolutely perfect!

Will I need eggs for this chocolate cheesecake?

Nope! This no bake chocolate cheesecake recipe is eggless! No gelatin is required either.

The melted chocolate and the cream cheese firm up when they’re chilled overnight, giving the cake its structure and making it possible to slice. The whipped cream provides lightness and adds additional volume to the cake.

Can I make this cheesecake without whipped cream

You can sub in Cool Whip for the whipped cream if you prefer. You’ll want to use about 2 cups of Cool Whip.

Just keep in mind using Cool Whip may change the texture and slicing capability of the cake.

How Long Will This Cheesecake Keep?

This no bake chocolate cheesecake is best eaten within 3-4 days, but leftovers will continue to be enjoyable for up to 5 days. Around day 3 or so the Oreo crust starts to soften, but that never hurt anything!

Can I Freeze No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake?

Yes! This cake freezes beautifully.

You have the option of freezing the cake whole or cutting it into slices and freezing the slices individually.

Make sure the cake is fully set and unmolded from the springform pan before freezing. And also make sure the cake is stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container.

The night before you’re ready to serve, thaw your frozen cake or slices in the fridge overnight and then serve once thawed!

Variations

We love any opportunity to embellish a recipe. Here are a few different ways you can jazz up this cheesecake:

• Add a few drops of peppermint extract to the batter or add mint flavored Oreos to the crust for a chocolate peppermint cheesecake
• Make mini no bake chocolate cheesecakes by making (or buying premade) mini crusts and filling them with the cheesecake batter.
• Make bars by using an 8″x8″ square baking dish instead of a springform pan. B esure to use a long sharp knife when cutting the bars, and wipe the blade clean in between each cut.
• You could definitely melt some peanut butter or cookie butter and pour it onto the crust before freezing. Then once it’s all firmed up, add your chocolate cheesecake batter. DELISH.
• Make little no bake chocolate cheesecakes in a jar! These would make great gifts this holiday season! Just pop an Oreo in the bottom of your jar, top it with the cheesecake filling and maybe a little caramel sauce and chopped nuts. Pop the lid on and give it to the ones you love!

Tips for making the best no bake chocolate cheesecake

• Use room temperature cream cheese. It just mixes into the batter smoother and you won’t find globs of cream cheese throughout your velvety mixture.
• Cool the melted chocolate before adding it to the batter. Adding the chocolate when it’s too warm will melt the cream cheese and the whipped cream.
• Use baking bars of chocolate instead of chocolate chips for this recipe. The bars of chocolate melt way better and give the cake a smoother and more velvety texture.
• Freeze the crust before adding the filling. This helps to keep the crust from getting disturbed while spooning the cheesecake filling into the pan.
• Make sure the cheesecake gets a MINIMUM of 6 hours of chill time, but overnight is best. The texture will be better and the cake will be easier to slice.

More Cheesecake Recipes:

No Bake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

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