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This No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake recipe is an oven-free, 5-ingredient miracle dessert. Every bite is icy and decadent, the perfect chocolate treat for hot weather.
Meggan’s notes
I grew up eating my grandma’s famous no-bake, creamy Chocolate Cheesecake. She insisted on make-ahead desserts (this one is a champ in that regard), and we loved the rich, chocolate taste paired with its light, frosty texture.
So when Nabisco discontinued its Famous Chocolate Wafers, I knew I had to figure out a new chocolate cookie crust. Luckily, Oreos make a perfect substitute.
Most recipes suggest baking an Oreo crust before you add a no-bake filling, but that step ruined everything here. I don’t know if the baked crust was objectively bad or just conflicted with my memories of the dessert, but either way, you don’t need to fire up the oven or mess with a water bath!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Oreo cookies: Stick with regular Oreo cookies for this recipe as Double Stuf are too creamy. Or, substitute another brand of chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Cream cheese: Cold cream cheese won’t incorporate well. For the smoothest possible filling, be sure your cream cheese is softened completely to room temperature. Or, speed it up in the microwave by heating it in 30-second increments at 50% power until you can whisk it easily by hand. Choose full-fat cream cheese rather than Neufactchel (reduced fat).
Step-by-step instructions
For the Oreo cookie crust:
- In a food processor or blender, process cookies (including the creamy filling) until coarsely ground, about 15 pulses.
- Continue processing until finely ground, about 10 seconds longer (you should have about 2 cups of crumbs). Drizzle in the melted butter and process until incorporated. Reserve ¼ cup of the crumb mixture for topping.
- Pour the crumbs into the bottom of a springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs into an even, tightly-packed layer. Freeze or refrigerate the Oreo pie crust while preparing the filling.
For the filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, chocolate syrup and sweetened condensed milk and smooth, removing as many lumps as possible.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the chilled bowl and whisk attachment, whisk the whipping cream until stiff peaks form, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Fold in the chocolate mixture by hand until no streaks remain.
- Pour chocolate cheesecake filling into the springform pan and top with reserved crumb mixture.
- Cover with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze at least 12 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer 10 minutes prior to serving. Store leftovers in the freezer.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This no-bake cheesecake makes one 9-inch cheesecake, enough for 16 slices (more or less depending on how you cut them).
- Storage: Store leftovers in the freezer (the fridge isn’t cold enough).
- Make ahead: This is an ideal make-ahead dessert! Make it ahead and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Gluten-free Chocolate Cheesecake: Substitute gluten-free Oreos for the regular, and everything else can stay the same in this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 9-inch springform pan is what I used to test and perfect Grandma’s recipe.
I, and many professional and home bakers, call for a springform pan for cheesecake recipes because they include two pieces that can easily detach. The base and interlocking band team up to support the cheesecake as it sets. Then you can release the vertical ring around the edges to reveal the cake without damaging its shape. No springform pan? No sweat; simply make this No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake (or any cheesecake recipe) in a 9-inch square pan.
Swap the Oreo cookie crust for a Graham Cracker Crust (homemade or store-bought). Then, substitute a small box (3.4 ounces) of any flavor of Jello that you love instead of the chocolate syrup. I’ve made a No Bake Lemon Cheesecake with lemon Jello, and let me tell you – WOW! So good.
A sprinkle of mini chocolate chips or a shower of Chocolate Glaze, Chocolate Sauce, Chocolate Frosting, or a drizzle of melted chocolate or chocolate ganache would also be over-the-top tasty. Chocolate shavings look pretty too! Or, use a piping bag with whipped cream to resemble an ice cream cake. A dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder works well too, or serve with fresh berries.
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No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 24 Oreo cookies (see note 1)
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
For the cream cheese filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened (see note 2)
- 3/4 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 16 ounces heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- For faster whipped cream, chill a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk in the freezer while preparing the crust and the filling.
For the crust:
- In a food processor or blender, process cookies (including the creamy filling) until coarsely ground, about 15 pulses.
- Continue processing until finely ground, about 10 seconds longer (you should have about 2 cups of crumbs). Drizzle in the butter and process until incorporated. Reserve ¼ cup of the crumb mixture for topping.
- Pour the crumbs into the bottom of a springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs into an even, tightly-packed layer. Freeze or refrigerate while preparing the filling.
For the filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, chocolate syrup and sweetened condensed milk and smooth, removing as many lumps as possible.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the chilled bowl and whisk attachment, whisk the whipping cream until stiff peaks form, about 6 to 8 minutes. Fold in the chocolate mixture by hand until no streaks remain.
- Pour chocolate mixture into the springform pan and top with reserved crumb mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze at least 12 hours or overnight. Remove from freezer 10 minutes prior to serving. Store leftovers in the freezer.
Notes
- Oreo cookies: Stick with regular Oreo cookies for this recipe as Double Stuf are too creamy. Or, substitute another brand of chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Cream cheese: For the smoothest possible filling, be sure your cream cheese is softened completely. Or, speed it up by microwaving it in 30-second increments at 50% power until you can whisk it easily by hand.
- Yield: This recipe makes one 9-inch cheesecake, enough for 16 slices (more or less depending on how you cut them).
- Storage: Store leftovers in the freezer.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I’ve been looking at your recipe for the chocolate cheesecake…it includes a bake time, but I didn’t see anything in the recipe to bake. Are you supposed to bake the crust before filling? And if so, at what temp?
Hi Tanya, I’m so sorry about the confusion. The recipe card says “cook time” but that is misleading, it really should just be “time you spend on this recipe” as there is no cooking involved in some recipes including this one. It’s more like “mixing things up” time in this case. You do not pre-bake the crust, although the crust is made with Nabisco chocolate wafers which have been discontinued. I’ll be reworking the recipe to have just a standard OREO crust. I don’t know if this information is helpful, but there’s no bake time, you just freeze the cake and you don’t have to pre-bake the crust. Thank you! -Meggan
Am I suppose to use whipping cream or heavy whipping cream? Thank you
Hi Marianne, whipping cream is fine. Look for one that is 30-35% fat. Take care! – Meggan
This was a big hit with both the kids and adults. I was looking for something easy but good to make. It was both. Highly recommend.
Thanks Cheri! – Meggan
I have a question! Canโt find the size of the springform pan you use for this lovely recipe. Did I miss it? Really want to make ahead for my family Christmas.
Thank you!
Hi Ann, I used a 9-inch springform pan, 10-cup capacity. You could probably go a size up and still be fine since the crust doesnโt have to be a certain height or anything. I hope this helps! – Meggan