No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
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Skip the oven and make this decadent No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake! The cheesecake filling is luxuriously creamy with a rich chocolate flavor and texture that’s almost like a chocolate mousse. Paired with a crunchy Oreo crust and whipped cream on top. It sets beautifully and is so simple to make.
This post was updated May 2025 with new recipe photos, step-by-step tips, and a slightly updated method to help with recipe prep.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
This no bake chocolate cheesecake is the perfect decadent chocolate dessert. It’s incredibly rich and creamy, with none of the fuss of making a baked chocolate cheesecake. The silky smooth cheesecake filling is paired with a thick Oreo crust and more whipped cream on top. I love this no bake cheesecake because the texture is actually not quite as dense or heavy as a baked cheesecake.
When making a baked cheesecake, most potential pitfalls happen in the baking and cooling stages of the recipe. This no bake version is therefore way more fail safe.
Ingredients Needed
For the Crust:
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies – I always use Oreos. You’ll use the wafers and filling
- Melted Butter. Unsalted or salted is fine, I always use unsalted because its what I keep on hand.
For the Filling:
- 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. I like to use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar (or caster sugar) because granulated sugar leaves a grainy texture in a no-bake cheesecake.
- Sour cream. 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.
Note: 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.
Method – with Step By Step Photos
Start with the Crust
- Crush the cookies until they’re fine crumbs. This can be done in a food processor or by placing in a freezer bag and crushing with a rolling pin. The food processor will be faster.
- Mix with melted butter until the mixture holds together. You can either add the melted butter to the food processor and do a few short bursts or stir together in a bowl with a fork.
- Form the crust by pressing into an even layer in the bottom of the pan and about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the sides.
- Freeze. Pop in the freezer as you make the filling.
Make the filling.
- Whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Melt the chocolate. This can either be done in the microwave using 45-second intervals on medium power, or in a double boiler. Go slowly and gently to avoid the chocolate baking and burning.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar until silky smooth. Occasionally, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure they’re are no lumps.
- Mix the melted chocolate and sour cream into the cream cheese mixture. Again, be sure that there are no lumps stuck to the bottom of the bowl.
- Fold in the whipped cream. Do this gently using a rubber spatula to ensure to keep the mixture light. Keep folding until the batter is an even consistency – AKA you no longer see whipped cream. In the second photo below – the mixture isn’t finished yet.
- Spoon into the crust and smooth the top.
The cheesecake will need to chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving. Chilling is necessary for the cheesecake to set properly.
Recipe Tip
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.
Cheesecake Toppings
I like to serve this no bake chocolate cheesecake with whipped cream and berries. It’s also equally delicious topped with:
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.
No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan
Ingredients
Oreo Crust
- 36 oreo cookies, wafers and cream filling
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter (98 grams), melted and cooled
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 ml), about 35% MF
- 8 oz dark chocolate (226 grams), 50-70% or semi-sweet
- 20 oz full-fat cream cheese (567 grams) , brick style, not from a tub
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (165 grams)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120 ml)
Instructions
Oreo Crust
- Crush the cookies (including the filling) until fine crumbs either using a food processor or by placing the cookies in a freezer bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
- Mix the crushed cookies with the melted butter. You can either do this in a bowl with a fork, or by adding the melted butter to the food processor and doing a few short bursts.
- Press into the bottom and up the sides (about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way) of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan.
- Place in the freezer as you make the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Chop the dark chocolate into fine pieces and place in a heat proof bowl. Melt in the microwave using45-second intervals on medium power, stirring between each interval. Do not use high power, as it can cause the chocolate to become grainy. Alternatively, melt in a double boiler over gently simmering water (ensure that the bottom of the bowl with the chocolate does not touch the simmering water underneath).
- In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth (about 2-4 minutes). Occasionally, turn off the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Beat the melted chocolate and sour cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until the mixture is smooth and an even consistency (AKA you no longer see streaks of white whipped cream). I typically do about 1/2 at a time. Go very gently.
- Spoon the cheesecake filling into the Oreo crust, and smooth the top.
- Cover the pan, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.
Serving
- When ready to serve, unclamp the outer ring of the springform pan.
- Optionally, decorate around the edges with whipped cream and berries (I used a piping bag with a 1M star tip).
- When slicing, use a sharp knife (not a table knife) be sure to slice all the way through the crust. The first piece will often be a little difficult to get out.
Notes
- Pan Sizes:
- Springform Pan: This recipe is designed for a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan. It can also be made in an 8-inch springform for a thicker cheesecake or 10-inch springform for a thinner cheesecake. For the 10-inch pan, the crust will only cover the bottom of the pan.
- Square Pan: If you do not have a springform pan, it can be made in a 9-inch square pan lined with aluminum foil on the bottom and up the sides. Ensure that your pan has sides that are at least 3 inches tall. When ready to slice the cheesecake, lift the aluminum foil out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Peel the foil back and slice with a sharp knife.
- Pie Plate: This cheesecake will not work in a 9-inch pie plate – there is too much batter.
- Whipped Topping: To substitute cool whip instead for whipping cream, skip step 2 of the cheesecake filling. Then in step 5, fold in 1 1/2 cups of thawed whipped topping into the cheesecake batter instead of the whipped cream.
- Make ahead tips: This recipe can easily be made 1-2 days in advance and left covered in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing the cheesecake because it can lose its smooth and creamy consistency.
- Storage: Store cheesecake covered or in the fridge at all times. The cheesecake lasts 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Nutrition: Data provided is an estimate only based on 1 slice (without decoration), assuming the cheesecake is sliced into 12 uniform pieces.
