The best no-bake chocolate cheesecake that you'll ever make. Creamy filling with decadent chocolate flavor and crunchy Oreo cookie base. Rich, delicious, and amazing. Easy and success-guaranteed recipe, perfect to impress anybody and for any celebration!
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Why This Recipe Works
Our readers simply love all of our cheesecake recipes. So it's safe to say we know a thing or two about cheesecakes. Follow this recipe and tips, you'll be guaranteed the best no-bake chocolate cheesecake bursting with a decadent chocolate flavor, with creamy and soft filling. Biasly, obviously, these are why we feel it's the best no-bake chocolate cheesecake, ever.
- Easy no-fail recipe - This recipe is a straightforward and easy no-bake cheesecake recipe, even for a beginner in the cheesecake world, like our delicious easy mini cheesecake and our mini chocolate cheesecakes. We're using only 7 easy-to-find ingredients, not counting a pinch of salt to bring out the delicious chocolate flavor. Stick to the recipe, you can't go wrong with it even if you try, like in our panettone bread recipe. Your loved ones will be impressed!
- No gelatine - This is a no-bake chocolate cheesecake without gelatine, yes. The chocolate not only gives flavor to this cheesecake but the perfect amount helps to firm up the filling. No gelatine is needed like in our amazing no-bake vanilla cheesecake, no-bake key lime pie, and no-bake strawberry cheesecake.
- Many have made it without problems - Our recipe has had over 7.6 million views on our YouTube channel as of this post date. Everybody loves it and so many have made it without problems.
- Freezer-friendly - Since we make lots of cheesecakes, we've been freezing them a lot too! I've had this frozen for months, and it still tastes amazing. The texture is still creamy and soft. Follow my tips below.
Ingredients For This Recipe
Oreo cookies - No need to discard the filling! The filling adds flavor and sweetness to the cheesecake base. Use other cookies that are similar in consistency, texture, and flavor. We have a no-bake Oreo cheesecake recipe that you should try!
Cream cheese - We use full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese. In the US you can find it in blocks, and if you're in Europe like us, you'll find it in tubs. Don't use light cream cheese as it won't have enough fat content to help firm up the cheesecake.
Chocolate - We use semisweet chocolate with 55% cacao. It gives the perfect balance of chocolate flavor and sweetness to this no-bake chocolate cheesecake, our no-bake peanut butter chocolate cheesecake, and our mini salted chocolate tarts. The higher the percentage of the cacao, the more bitter and less sweet the cheesecake will be.
Whipping cream - With a minimum 35% fat content, like the one we use in our strawberry ice cream. Depending on your location, it's also known as heavy cream. Regardless, just pay attention to the fat content label. Don't use light whipping cream as it won't help to set our no-bake chocolate cheesecake.
⭐ See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Make the base. Crush the Oreo cookies in a small food processor, or put them in a zip lock, and bash them into a fine texture using a rolling pin. Mix it with melted butter in a bowl. Pour the mixture into a 7-inch (18cm) springform pan. Press tightly and evenly with the back of a spoon. Place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Make the filling. Melt the chocolate in a bowl and let it cool slightly before using. Using a handheld whisk or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whisk the cream cheese for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and mix well. While mixing, slowly pour in the slightly cooled melted chocolate and mix until well combined. If adding all at once, make sure to immediately mix everything to avoid the chocolate from curdling.
3. Fold in whipped cream. In another bowl, whisk the chilled whipping cream to soft peaks. Add it to the chocolate-cheesecake mixture and gently fold everything together with a spatula until you get a homogenous mixture.
4. Chill. Pour the filling into the springform pan. Spread it evenly using an offset spatula, my favorite tool when making cheesecakes! Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably overnight. Make the ganache by heating whipping cream in a pot until you see bubbles around the edges, and pour it into a bowl containing chocolate chunks. Wait for 3 minutes and whisk until you get a luscious ganache. Pour on the cheesecake and chill in the fridge for 1 hour for the ganache to set. Enjoy this best no-bake chocolate cheesecake!
If you enjoy no-bake cheesecakes then our amazing no-bake lemon cheesecake topped with our homemade lemon curd is just something that you need to try next!
How To Remove Cheesecake From The Springform Pan
When you have the best no-bake chocolate cheesecake looking so elegant and beautiful like this (we're biased, we know!), it's only fair to want to serve it on something more beautiful than the metal bottom base of a springform pan, right? Here's how we've been removing our cheesecakes like our delicious no-bake cookie butter cheesecake, our no-bake caramel apple cheesecake, and our no-bake stracciatella cheesecake to the serving plates. It's easy!
- Find a serving plate that's a minimum of 1 inch (2.5cm) bigger than the springform pan. Have it ready together with two flat and thin spatulas.
- Take out the cheesecake from the fridge, it's best to do this when the cheesecake is already fully set. Gently run a thin small knife around the edges, making sure you reach the bottom. Wipe the knife now and then with kitchen paper for a neater look.
- Release the springform part and carefully lift it up. Whew! Yeah, we know the feeling!
- Using the same knife, insert it between the cheesecake base and the metal pan base. Again gently run it all around to help detach the cheesecake base, wiping the knife now and then.
- Carefully slide one flat and thin spatula underneath the cheesecake base and the other one in the opposite direction.
- Swiftly yet confidently lift up the cheesecake using both spatulas and place it on the serving plate. Gently slide out one spatula at a time. That's it! At this time you can run an offset spatula around the cheesecake for a neater look. We don't since we like the rustic homemade touch that it gives in this amazing no-bake chocolate cheesecake.
⭐ Make sure the cheesecake is fully set. Use spatulas that are wide, long, and sturdy enough to help support the whole cheesecake.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Flip the base of your springform pan when assembling it. This will provide a flat surface for the base. It'll make it easier to run a thin knife under the cheesecake base to detach it and transfer it to a serving plate.
- Make sure to use the ingredients at the temperature specified. This is to ensure each ingredient mixes well with the other. For example, cream cheese mixes better at room temperature with melted chocolate. Cold cream cheese will definitely curdle the melted chocolate as soon as you pour it in.
- Don't use low-fat ingredients. This is a no-bake chocolate cheesecake without gelatine so we need the fat content to help the cheesecake to set. Besides, it tastes sinfully better, isn't it?
- Chill the cheesecake in the coldest part of the fridge. This cheesecake will be set with no problem, I promise. But all fridges are not the same, obviously. We have it at different temperatures, empty, or full to the max. All these influences on how many hours it'll take for the cheesecake to set.
In our case, our lowest rack is the coldest. We also put the fridge temperature to the coldest whenever we're chilling no-bake cheesecakes. 8 hours or overnight in the fridge always works amazing for us. - Keep the cheesecake in the fridge. This is to prevent our delicious no-bake chocolate cheesecake from losing its shape from being too long at room temperature, or in hotter places. What I like to do is take it out from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to ensure the maximum creaminess. I keep the balance right back in the fridge.
⭐ Make cheesecakes like a pro, in your kitchen! Simply follow all of the tips and tricks that we've put together in our Cheesecake eBook. We've crafted very detailed info for both baked and no-bake cheesecakes!
How To Serve, Store, And Freeze
Serve - Bring this delicious, best no-bake chocolate cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. This will give you the wonderful experience of its creamy and rich texture. Keep the balance back in the fridge to avoid it losing its shape.
If you want to have it longer at room temperature, freeze the whole cheesecake for 1 hour.
Store - We keep it in the fridge at all times. It lasts up to 5 days in the fridge, in an air-tight container.
Freeze the whole cheesecake -Fast-freeze this whole no-bake chocolate cheesecake for 2-4 hours in the fridge on a plate lined with parchment paper. Once solid frozen, lift it with the parchment paper, place it in a big air-tight container, and back in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the parchment paper, and thaw it on a plate in the fridge 1 day before serving it.
Freeze in portions - Slice the cheesecake into portions. Fast-freeze them for 1 hour on a tray lined with parchment paper. Once frozen solid, wrap each portion with cling film and place them in an air-tight container. They last up to 3 months in the freezer. Either thaw it in the fridge or leave it at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
There are a few reasons for that. 1) You've swapped the ingredients for lighter ones. Higher fat-content ingredients are what's going to help firm up the no-bake cheesecake. Remember, fat solidifies when it's cold. 2) It needs more time to chill. Make sure to put it in the coldest part of the fridge, give it more time and it will firm up. 3) You've left it out at room temperature for too long. As much as we'd like to display our beautiful no-bake chocolate cheesecake, it needs to be kept in the fridge at all times. Take it to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
Yes. All cheesecakes do, regardless if they're baked or not. In this case, it's more crucial that it's refrigerated to first set it, and also helps maintain its shape since we're not using any gelatine.
We always put our no-bake cheesecakes in the fridge for a few hours to firm up, thinking of serving it the next day. On special occasions when we want to have it outside for a longer time, we freeze the whole cheesecake for 1 hour. We only freeze the cheesecakes balance in portions, or when we want to make it in advance to serve at least 1 week after. Please refer to our detailed steps to freeze it above.
If you like it, by all means use it. It has a double fat content, richer, and adds a touch of sweetness compared to cream cheese. We are happy to use cream cheese for this recipe as we feel that there's no big difference in flavor and texture, with doubling the fat content.
More Cheesecake Recipes
If you tried this No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake or any other recipe on our website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
The Best No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Base
- 1 ¾ cup (190 g) crushed Oreo cookies , around 17 regular cookies
- 3 tablespoon (45 g) unsalted butter , melted
Filling
- 14 oz (400 g) cream cheese
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar , sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 8 oz (230 g) semisweet cooking chocolate min 55% cocoa , chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup (125 ml) whipping cream min 35% fat , chilled
Topping
- 3 oz (85 g) semisweet cooking chocolate min 55% cocoa , chopped into small pieces
- 7 tablespoon (110 ml) whipping cream min 35% fat
Instructions
Base
- Crush the Oreo cookies in a small food processor, or put them in a zip lock, and bash them into a fine texture using a rolling pin. Mix it with melted butter in a bowl.
- Pour the mixture into a 7-inch (18cm) springform pan. Press tightly and evenly with the back of a spoon. Place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Filling
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl and let it cool slightly before using.
- Using a handheld whisk or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whisk the cream cheese for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and mix well.
- While mixing, slowly pour in the slightly cooled melted chocolate and mix until well combined. If adding all at once, make sure to immediately mix everything to avoid the chocolate from curdling.
- In another bowl, whisk the chilled whipping cream to soft peaks. Add it to the chocolate-cheesecake mixture and gently fold everything together with a spatula until you get a homogenous mixture.
Chill
- Pour the filling into the springform pan. Spread it evenly using an offset spatula, my favorite tool when making cheesecakes! Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Topping
- Make the ganache by heating whipping cream in a pot until you see bubbles around the edges, and pour it into a bowl containing chocolate chunks. Wait for 3 minutes and whisk until you get a luscious ganache, using a hand whisk. Pour on the cheesecake, and swirl it around to help cover the top surface. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour for the ganache to set. Enjoy this best no-bake chocolate cheesecake with your loved ones!
- Pour onto the cheesecake and swirl around to help cover the surface. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until the chocolate sets. Remove cheesecake from the pan, decorate with some raspberries, slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Use full-fat cream cheese, a min of 35% fat whipping cream, and a min of 55% cacao for the cooking chocolate. The lower fat content for these ingredients will not guarantee the cheesecake to firm up.
- Make sure the ingredients are used at the temperature specified to ensure each ingredient mixes well with the other.
- Place the cheesecake in the coldest part of the fridge for 8 hours, preferably overnight for it to firm up beautifully. If it still doesn't then chill it for a few hours longer as all fridges are different (in temperatures and if it's empty or fully packed). It will firm up, I promise.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Oct 27, 2018. Updated with improved text and pictures on Sep 29, 2023.
Alen says
Very good Cheesecake. I like it a lot and my friends also. They told it's perfect.
Do you have maybe recipe for Coconut Cheesecake but without gelatine? It would be nice.
I will try more of your recipe to do.
Bea says
I'm happy to know that you and your friends like it, thank you so much Alen! For now no but we already have the coconut cheesecake in our list to make 😉
Sabina says
Very dangerous recipe, Bea! Thank you 😋
Bea says
Haha, yes it is! Thank you so much Sabrina!
Sue Spartley says
AMAZING cheesecake I just increased the amount of whipped cream to 250ml and used a 9 inch tin and it was perfect, the combination of crunchy base, silky smooth cheesecake topped with rich ganache is the best, Just served this for Easter as all about the chocolate, my whole family loved it
Bea says
Hi Sue! In our house Easter was almost like Christmas, chocolate loaded day 😀 . I'm happy to know that your whole family loved it, thank you so much!
Georgia says
Family loved it!
Bea says
Awesome, thank you!
Clara says
This looks gorgeous! I want to make for my best friends party but have tons of other things to make too. Can it be made ahead and frozen? If so any tips please?
Would I be able to freeze with the ganache topping or do that when defrosted?
Many thanks - can’t wait to try it!
Bea says
Hi Clara! The texture won't be as fresh when you freeze it. I do it because my family doesn't mind, so it's up to you. Place it in a ziplock bag and I would do the ganache after defrosted. Hope it helps and have fun! Thank you!
Sherry says
Can you please tell me what "icing sugar" is? Is there a substitute I could use so I don't have to purchase it for one recipe? Your cheesecake looks delicious.
Bea says
Hi Sherry! It's also called powdered sugar or confectioners' sugar. If you don't want to buy it, you can make it yourself by blending the granulated sugar into fine powder. The reason of using the fine powdered sugar is because it mixes better, no granule texture in the cheesecake. Hope it helps. Thank you!
Aiste says
Hi. I ve made this recipe last week. It was delicious. Everybody liked it. But for me is a lil bit too sweet. I think next time i will try with half icing sugar. Thanks so much.
Also other cheesecakes of yours are standing "in a line" to be done 🙂
Bea says
Hi Aiste, I'm happy to know that you liked it. Yes, adjust the sugar to your liking, no problem at all. Do let me know when you've made the other cheesecakes 😉 Thank you so much!
Merilyn Olthum says
Hello Bea, I just want to tell you that I made this cake and it was very delicious. I love the creamy texture and the chocolate taste. I didn't have raspberry so I used strawberry 😀 and it was beautiful. God bless and thank you!
Bea says
Hi Merilyn! Strawberry works perfect also, no problem at all 😉 I'm happy to know that you liked it. Thank you so much!
Oscar says
Brilliant recipe, thanks a lot!
alan says
and that my friends, is how chocolate cheesecake should be. thank you for the recipe.
Bea says
Hey thank you Alan! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Viv says
Can I use a lose bottom tin instead as I haven’t a spring one and how cool does the ganache have to be before it is poured over the top please. Thank you ana Merry Christmas 😊
Bea says
Hi Viv. I would say it would be a bit challenging to take out the cheesecake but yes, it's doable. Just make sure you run a knife all around the cheesecake before pushing the bottom out. Leave the ganache for a few minutes just until it's not hot and the texture is still pourable. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to you! 😀
Kim CH says
Bea I made this and it is delicious. I love the texture. I love the chocolate taste also. I am glad I made it. Thanks for sharing!
Bea says
Happy to hear that you liked it Kim, thank you! 🙂
Roxana says
Hi Be a since are not adding gelatine how much time can it stay out without melting.
Bea says
Hi Roxana. It depends on how hot your place is. I would recommend you to take it out a few minutes before serving and then place the balance back in the fridge to maintain chilled (that's what I always do).
Melissa says
This looks amazing...I would like to make it with a chocolate layer and a white layer without the chocolate, so four layers including the crust and the ganache. How would you suggest to do that?
Bea says
Hi Melissa, that would be a completely new recipe. Why don't you check my peanut butter chocolate cheesecake, it's more or less the type that you are looking for. Thanks!
Melissa says
I will do that, for sure!
Sarah Sali says
Does it really require an 7 inch springform pan? Would a bigger one do?
Bea says
Hi Sarah, this recipe is made for a 7 inch springform pan. If you use a bigger pan just know that it wont be as tall.
Sarah Sali-Serio says
Very true...
One last question, about how many Oreos would 6.7oz make?
Bea says
Hey Sarah, that's about 6 Oreo cookies.
Sumaya says
Hi, are you sure it's 6 cookies? A package of oreos in Germany is about 154 grams and that's more than 6 cookies. Just checking😉
Bea says
Opps! You are right Sumaya, it's 17 cookies. Thanks for pointing it out 😉
Karly says
I need this in my life!! Thanks for sharing!
Bea says
Haha! More when it's the holiday season now. Thanks Karly!
Zahra Essa says
Hi bea
I tried the recipe and loved it !
Can you please tell me how I can change the recipe to make it into mini cheesecakes
Bea says
Hi Zahra, I'm happy that you loved it! I'm making them and will post the recipe soon. Thanks!