Skip the oven and make this decadent No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake! The cheesecake filling is luxuriously creamy, extra smooth, and deliciously chocolatey. It sets beautifully without any gelatin – and has a delicious light and fluffy texture that’s impossible to resist.Â
Chocolate cheesecake was the first “grown-up” dessert I learned to make. Rich, creamy and the perfect recipe if you love decadent desserts. I suppose it was only a matter of time before I developed a no-bake chocolate cheesecake recipe – although I am surprised it took this long.
You’ll love this no-bake chocolate cheesecake for a few key reasons:
- Crunchy Oreo cookie crust
- Creamy, smooth texture
- Lighter and fluffier than a traditional baked cheesecake
- Way more fail-safe than baked cheesecake
- An almost chocolate mousse-like flavor
When making cheesecake, most potential pitfalls happen in the baking and cooling stages of the cheesecake. So by skipping them altogether – it makes this cheesecake super easy to make.
Ingredients for a Thick & Creamy No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
The cheesecake filling is made with just a few simple ingredients, but each one is important in its own right. So… here’s the rundown:
- Dark chocolate. I recommend using anywhere from 50% to 70% dark chocolate. Any less and your cheesecake can be too sweet and not chocolate-y enough. However 80% or higher will leave you with a bitter taste.
- Whipping cream – not the squirty stuff from the can – but heavy whipping cream out of the carton around 35% MF. The cream ensures that your cheesecake isn’t too dense, and gives the cheesecake a fluffy texture that’s still sturdy.
- Full fat cream cheese. Make sure to use the brick-style instead of spreadable or lite to ensure that the cheesecake is thick and sets properly. No one wants a soupy cheesecake.
- Powdered sugar for sweetness. I like to use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar because granulated sugar leaves a grainy texture in a no-bake cheesecake.
- Sour cream for that extra smooth texture. I know it might sound weird, but the sour cream really makes the cheesecake luxuriously creamy and gives it a velvety smooth texture. It also ensures that your cheesecake doesn’t just taste like you’re biting into a block of Philadelphia.
You’ll notice that this no-bake cheesecake is made without gelatin or whipped topping. It sets beautifully without the help of any gelatin, and because we’re using whipping cream instead of whipped topping, it has an extra creamy flavor.
Chilling the cheesecake is 100% necessary because for the cheesecake to set. After it’s assembled – pop it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Because no-bake cheesecake needs to chill in the fridge, it’s also the perfect make-ahead dessert. It can easily be made the day before and go in the fridge overnight to chill, set and firm up. I do not recommend freezing this cheesecake, however. Freezing no-bake cheesecake can create ice crystals, and the cheesecake will lose its velvety smooth texture.Â
Looking for a classic no-bake cheesecake? Try this easy recipe.
Or if you want to try your hand at a baked chocolate cheesecake – I’ve got you covered with the recipe here.
Making this chocolate cheesecake? Here’s my favorite toppings:
- whipped cream and strawberries
- strawberry sauce
- salted caramel sauce
- chocolate peanut butter sauce
No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Oreo Crust
- 30 oreo cookies , wafers and cream filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz dark chocolate
- 1 â…“ cup heavy whipping cream , divided
- 20 oz full-fat cream cheese , brick-style
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream
Instructions
Oreo Crust
- Crush the cookies until fine crumbs either using a food processor, blender, or by placing the cookies in a ziploc bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
- Mix in the melted butter.
- Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Place in the freezer as you make the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Chop the dark chocolate into pieces and add to a microwave safe bowl along with â…“ cup of the whipping cream.
- Microwave on medium power (not high) for 45-second intervals, stirring between each until glassy and smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate large bowl beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Beat in the melted chocolate mixture, followed by the sour cream.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream until the mixture is smooth - I usually do this in 2 batches.
- Spoon the cheesecake filling into the Oreo crust, and smooth the top.
- Cover the pan, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.
Leave a Reply