No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake changed my life the summer I needed a fancy dessert but my oven was broken. I threw this together in my tiny apartment kitchen, and my friends literally scraped the pan clean. Now it’s the recipe I make when I want to look like a dessert genius without actually trying that hard.

Love More Cheesecake Desserts? Try My Christmas Red Velvet Cheesecake or this Pecan Pie Cheesecake next.

Why You’ll Love This No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

Rich, smooth, and decadently creamy, this No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake is a chocolate lover’s dream. With a crunchy cookie crust and velvety chocolate filling, it’s an effortless dessert that looks elegant and tastes absolutely irresistible.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Oreo Crust:

• 25 classic Oreo or chocolate sandwich cookies (do not remove filling)
• 4 tablespoons melted salted butter

For the Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:

• 8 oz finely chopped 60% or semisweet chocolate
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature (use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese)
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

For Topping:

• Homemade whipped cream (optional but highly recommended!)

Substitution Notes:

• Cookies: You can use any chocolate sandwich cookies you like – Trader Joe’s Joe-Joes work beautifully!
• Chocolate: Semi-sweet chocolate bars work best, but you can use chocolate chips in a pinch (just note they contain stabilizers that affect melting slightly)
• Sour Cream: Full-fat Greek yogurt can substitute, though sour cream gives the best tang

Why These Ingredients Work

Let me tell you what’s actually happening here because chemistry is cool (said the girl who barely passed high school chem).

Block Cream Cheese: Listen, this is where people mess up. You grab the spreadable tub because it’s easier, and suddenly your cheesecake is soup. Block cream cheese has way less water and the right fat content. Room temperature is crucial – cold cream cheese will turn your melted chocolate into a grainy disaster, and no amount of stirring will fix it. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Finely Chopped Chocolate: Get yourself a decent chocolate bar from the baking aisle. I’m talking Ghirardelli or even Trader Joe’s. Chips have stabilizers that make them melt weird. You want 60% cacao because it’s sweet enough but still tastes like actual chocolate, not just sugar.

Powdered Sugar: Granulated sugar stays grainy no matter how much you stir. Powdered dissolves instantly and helps the whipped cream stay fluffy instead of weeping all over your cheesecake.

Heavy Cream: This is where the magic happens. When you whip it to stiff peaks, you’re basically trapping air bubbles. Those bubbles make the filling light and mousse-like instead of dense and heavy. Cold cream whips better – sometimes I stick my bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes first.

Sour Cream: Just a third of a cup gives you that tangy kick that keeps this from being one-note sweet. It’s what makes people ask “wait, what’s in this?” because they can’t quite put their finger on it.

Oreos with Filling: I know it sounds lazy, but keeping the cream in actually works better. It has moisture and sugar that helps everything stick together. Plus you save yourself 20 minutes of scraping out cookie centers, and honestly, who has time for that?

Essential Tools and Equipment

Here’s what you’ll need to have ready:

• 9-inch springform pan (a MUST for easy removal)
• Food processor (for pulverizing cookies to fine crumbs)
• Microwave-safe mixing bowl (for melting chocolate)
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• 2-3 medium mixing bowls
• Rubber spatula (for folding)
• Offset spatula (for smoothing the top)
• Plastic wrap (for covering while chilling)
• Measuring cups and spoons

How To Make No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

Step 1: Make the Oreo Crust

Dump your Oreos in the food processor – cream and all – and blitz until they look like dark sandy beach crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse a few times until everything looks wet. When you squeeze a handful, it should clump together and hold its shape.

Step 2: Press the Crust into the Pan

Dump the buttery crumbs into your springform pan and start pressing. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or a glass – anything flat works – and really pack it down. Press it up the sides too, about an inch or so. You want this crust firm enough that it won’t fall apart when you cut slices later. Set it aside and forget about it. No oven necessary, which still feels like cheating to me.

Step 3: Melt the Chocolate

Chop your chocolate into small pieces – like rice-sized, not pebbles – and toss them in a microwave-safe bowl. Zap for 25 seconds, stir. Another 25 seconds, stir again. Keep doing this until it’s smooth and glossy. Don’t get impatient and blast it for a full minute because chocolate will burn on you faster than you think, and burned chocolate tastes bitter and weird.

Step 4: Beat the Cream Cheese Until Smooth

Grab your mixer and beat that room temperature cream cheese until it’s totally smooth – no lumps anywhere. Takes about 2 minutes of beating. Then pour in your melted chocolate and mix until it’s all one gorgeous brown color with no streaks.

Step 5: Add the Powdered Sugar and Vanilla

Dump in 3/4 cup of powdered sugar (save the rest for later!) and your vanilla. Mix it all together until smooth. It’ll be pretty thick at this point – like thick frosting. That’s exactly what you want, so don’t panic.

Step 6: Stir in the Sour Cream

Pour in the sour cream and stir until you can’t see any white streaks anymore. The mixture will loosen up a bit, which is good. That sour cream tang is what keeps this from being sickeningly sweet – it’s the secret ingredient people can never quite identify.

Step 7: Whip the Heavy Cream

In a clean bowl, pour your cold heavy cream and the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat with your mixer on medium-high until the cream gets thick and fluffy. You’re looking for stiff peaks – when you pull the beaters out, the cream should stand straight up like little mountains, not flop over. Usually takes 3-4 minutes.

Step 8: Fold in the Whipped Cream

Here’s where it gets real. Scoop about a third of your whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and fold it in gently – this lightens everything up. Then add the rest of the whipped cream and fold with a rubber spatula. Use a scooping motion from the bottom of the bowl up and over.

Step 9: Fill the Pan

Pour all that gorgeous chocolate filling into your Oreo crust. Grab an offset spatula (or a regular butter knife works too) and smooth the top. Take a minute to make it pretty – a smooth top means prettier slices later.

Step 10: Chill Until Set

Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. Minimum 4 hours, but honestly overnight is better. The cheesecake needs time to firm up properly.

You Must Know

My Personal Secret: Chop your chocolate super fine before melting – I’m talking almost shaved. Tiny pieces melt way more evenly and you won’t end up with that one stubborn chunk that refuses to melt and then suddenly burns everything.

Room Temperature Matters: Set your cream cheese out at least 2 hours before you start. Cold cream cheese is the number one reason this recipe fails. It’ll turn your smooth melted chocolate into a grainy disaster, and once that happens, you’re done. There’s no coming back from seized chocolate.

Cold Cream is Key: But your heavy cream? That needs to be freezer-cold. Warm cream won’t whip properly. Sometimes I throw my bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes before I start whipping just to give myself an edge.

Don’t Rush the Chilling: Four hours is the bare minimum, but I’ve learned the hard way that overnight is so much better. The texture gets creamier, the slices come out cleaner, everything just works better. If you try to cut it after only 4 hours, you might get away with it, but it’ll be softer than you want.

The Fold Technique: Folding is not stirring. You’re trying to keep all that air you just whipped in. Scoop from the bottom, bring it up and over the top, rotate the bowl, repeat. It feels slow and weird at first, but you get the hang of it.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Prevent a Soggy Crust: Really pack that crust down hard. Like, use some muscle. A loose crust will soak up moisture from the filling and get weird and mushy. The bottom of a measuring cup or a flat-bottomed glass gives you good leverage for packing.

Avoid Grainy Chocolate: Never nuke chocolate at full power. Always 25-30 seconds, stir, repeat. I learned this after ruining an entire batch of expensive Ghirardelli. Once chocolate goes grainy from overheating, it’s trash. No fixing it.

Easy Pan Release: Before you pop the springform sides off, run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Just slide it between the crust and the pan. This stops the edges from catching and tearing when you release the spring.

Perfect Slices: Want bakery-perfect slices? Fill a tall glass with hot water. Dip your knife in, wipe it dry, make one cut. Dip again, wipe, cut again. Hot knife = clean cuts. Cold knife = messy dragging.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t try to speed up the setting by throwing it in the freezer. The texture comes out wrong – kind of icy instead of creamy. Just plan ahead and give it time in the fridge.

Smart Shortcut: If you’re in a serious time crunch, you can freeze it for 2 hours instead of refrigerating for 4. But move it back to the fridge for 30 minutes before serving so it’s not rock-hard.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Mint Chocolate: Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract along with the vanilla. Top with crushed Andes mints!

Mocha Cheesecake: Dissolve 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder in 1 tablespoon hot water and add it to the chocolate mixture. Coffee and chocolate are best friends!

White Chocolate Raspberry: Swap the dark chocolate for white chocolate and swirl in 1/2 cup raspberry preserves before chilling.

Peanut Butter Chocolate: Add 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese mixture and top with chopped Reese’s cups. Heaven!

Double Chocolate: Mix 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips into the filling before spreading it into the crust for extra chocolate chunks.

Orange Chocolate: Add 1 tablespoon orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract for a sophisticated twist.

S’mores Style: Use graham cracker crust instead of Oreos and top with toasted marshmallows!

Make-Ahead Options

This cheesecake is a meal planner’s dream!

Up to 3 Days Ahead: This actually tastes BETTER after sitting for a day or two. The flavors meld and the texture becomes even more perfect. Make it up to 3 days before serving and keep covered in the fridge.

Freezing Instructions: Wrap the completely set cheesecake (still in the pan) tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. The texture is nearly identical to fresh!

Crust Only: You can make and press the crust up to 2 days ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the filling.

Partial Make-Ahead: You can prepare the chocolate cream cheese mixture (through step 6) up to 24 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before whipping the cream and folding it in. This makes day-of assembly much faster!

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Why No Gelatin? Most no-bake cheesecakes use gelatin to help them set. This one doesn’t need it because the whipped cream does all that work. The cold cream cheese plus the stabilized whipped cream firms up perfectly in the fridge. One less ingredient to deal with.

Springform Pan is Essential: I tried making this in a regular cake pan once thinking I’d just scoop it out. Don’t. You need to be able to remove the sides cleanly or your slices will look like you attacked them with a shovel.

Texture Expectations: This isn’t dense like New York cheesecake. It’s lighter, more mousse-like. Some people expect heavy and rich, but this is rich without being heavy. That’s what makes it so good – you can eat a whole slice without feeling like you need a nap.

Chocolate Quality Matters: Since chocolate is basically the star of the show here, don’t cheap out. I use Ghirardelli or Trader Joe’s Belgian chocolate bars. The difference between cheap chocolate and good chocolate is massive in this recipe.

Serving Temperature: Serve it cold, straight from the fridge. If you let it sit out too long, it gets soft and doesn’t slice as well. Though honestly, even slightly soft, it’s still delicious. Just messier.

How to Store Your No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

Refrigerator Storage: Cover the cheesecake tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. It will keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 5 days. The crust may soften slightly after day 3, but it’s still delicious!

Freezer Storage: This cheesecake freezes wonderfully! Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag, or freeze the whole cheesecake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Reheating/Thawing: No reheating needed! To thaw frozen slices, place in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or overnight. For the whole cheesecake, allow 8 hours or overnight in the fridge. Don’t thaw at room temperature – you want to maintain that perfect chilled texture.

Room Temperature: This is a dessert that needs to stay cold! Don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or the filling will become too soft and may not re-firm properly.

Serving Suggestions

This cheesecake is stupid-good all by itself, but here’s how to make it even better:

Classic Presentation: Pile on some fresh whipped cream and shave some chocolate over the top. Simple, elegant, makes you look fancy.

Berry Beautiful: Fresh raspberries or strawberries look gorgeous on top and the tartness cuts through the richness perfectly.

Drizzle It: Warm up some chocolate ganache or caramel sauce and go crazy with the drizzle. Or raspberry sauce if you’re feeling fancy.

Crunch Factor: Crush up some extra Oreos or toffee bits and sprinkle them on top right before serving. Texture contrast is everything.

Coffee Pairing: Serve this with really good coffee. The slight bitterness of coffee makes the chocolate taste even better.

Holiday Twist: Christmas time? Crush up some candy canes on top. Instant festive dessert.

Dinner Party Style: Put each slice on a chilled plate with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Boom, restaurant-level presentation.

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy (cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, sour cream), wheat (Oreo cookies), soy (may be in chocolate)

Dairy-Free Option: This recipe is difficult to make dairy-free while maintaining the same texture, but you can try using dairy-free cream cheese (like Kite Hill), coconut cream (whipped), and dairy-free chocolate. The texture will be different but still delicious!

Gluten-Free Option: Simply swap the Oreos for gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies (Glutino makes great ones!) or use gluten-free chocolate graham crackers.

Nut-Free: This recipe is naturally nut-free as written. Just check your chocolate bar doesn’t contain nuts or isn’t processed in a facility with nuts if that’s a concern.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My filling seems too soft even after 4 hours. What went wrong?

Three main culprits here: First, your whipped cream might not have been at stiff peaks. It needs to stand straight up when you lift the beaters – if it was droopy, it won’t set right. Second, did you use real heavy cream and full-fat block cream cheese? Any low-fat or fake stuff and you’re gonna have problems. Third, did you overmix after folding? That deflates the whipped cream. If it’s still soft after 4 hours, just leave it in the fridge overnight. Sometimes it just needs more time.

Do I really need to leave the cream in the Oreos?

Yep! For no-bake crusts, that cream filling does actual work. It adds moisture and sugar that helps bind everything together. Without it, your crust ends up dry and crumbly and falls apart when you try to cut it.

Help! My chocolate seized up when I added it to the cream cheese. Can I fix it?

Ugh, this is the worst and I’m sorry. Once chocolate seizes (goes all grainy and clumpy), it’s really hard to save. This happens when the cream cheese is too cold and shocks the warm chocolate. Best you can try is stirring in a tablespoon or two of warm heavy cream and mixing like your life depends on it. Sometimes that helps, but sometimes it doesn’t.

💬 Tried this No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake? Leave a comment and rating below! Did you try any flavor variations?