No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

An absolutely delicious dessert that people will not stop talking about, this No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake comes together in just minutes! It requires just 6 ingredients and a loaf pan to make 5 generous, perfect slices. Keep this no bake cheesecake recipe made with cream cheese, whipped cream and melted chocolate taped to your fridge all summer long!

No bake chocolate cheesecake in a loaf pan sliced.

This No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake is pure perfection

You’re looking at the dessert I am most known for in my group of friends. If I show up anywhere without a cheesecake in my (oversized) purse, it’s rare. I love love love a good loaf pan cheesecake. I love that the loaf pan makes a cheesecake that makes 5 generous of cheesecake, perfect for sharing with a small group. There’s hardly an occasion where a small cheesecake isn’t welcome.

Most of my cheesecake recipes are baked in the oven, and most of them are on the smaller side, like my mini cheesecakes that we make for Valentine’s Day. But, I do make these cute little no bake blackberry cheesecakes in jars. I think we need a chocolate cheesecake recipe where we literally just stir everything together and pour it in a pan, don’t you? Super simple, super rich and delicious: no bake chocolate cheesecake with Oreo crust has arrived!

The texture of this cheesecake is so perfect, I almost cried when I took my first bite. I keep making it over and over, passing forkfuls to friends and neighbors anytime they are near my fridge. I am begging for someone to find the words to describe just how flawless the recipe is. The best words I have heard so far are: “this is everything I’ve ever wanted in a chocolate cheesecake.” And then we all nod, and dive in for another forkful.

Slice of no bake chocolate cheesecake on a plate with blackberries.

Simple Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for chocolate cheesecake on a white table.

Oreos. I use the whole cookie when making a crust out of Oreos. I have seen some recipes where only the cookies are used (and the cream filling is scraped out and discarded), but I happen to think the cream filling is the most delicious part! Using the cookies with the cream filling provides more moisture to help the crust adhere. Try my Oreo balls recipe if you love the cream filling as much as me!
Butter. I prefer to bake with unsalted butter rather than salted, but either will work here.
Heavy Whipping Cream. You need heavy whipping cream, also known as double cream, to whip into peaks for this no bake cheesecake.
Chocolate. Chopped semisweet chocolate from a whole bar is my preference here, just so that the cheesecake doesn’t become overly sweet. However, if you like super sweet, use melted milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is extra creamy and rich! You can use chocolate chips, just weigh them and be careful melting them so they don’t seize.
Cream Cheese. One and a half bricks of cream cheese (or 12 ounces) should be softened to room temperature for a few hours on the counter. Using cold cream cheese will cause lumps in your no bake chocolate cheesecake.
Powdered Sugar. Also called confectioners’ sugar or 10x sugar, powdered sugar is super fine and dissolves easily in baking. It also contains a small amount of cornstarch that helps bind the filling together.
Vanilla Extract: Using vanilla extract is optional. It makes this recipe require 7 ingredients, but if you don’t have it, just leave it out–the rich chocolate brings plenty of flavor to the mixture.

How to make Chocolate Cheesecake

Crushed Oreos with melted butter in a bowl.

Line an 8 or 9″ bread loaf pan with parchment paper. Either size bread loaf pan will work for this recipe. Leave enough parchment paper overhanging the edge to form handles that will help you lift out the cheesecake out of the pan when you’re ready to serve.

Crush the cookies in a food process until fine crumbs form; scrape the crumbs into a bowl. Stir in the melted butter until incorporated. Press the cookie mixture firmly into the bottom of the bread loaf pan.

Melted chocolate in a clear bowl over a striped towel.

Freshly whipped cream in a clear bowl with beaters.

Next, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in the microwave on 50% power until smooth. It’s okay to pull the chocolate off the heat with a few remaining pieces–they will melt fully as the chocolate sits. Set this mixture aside.

Next, whip the heavy cream until medium peaks form. Scoop the freshly whipped cream out of the bowl, and reserve it in a separate bowl.

Ingredients for no bake cheesecake in a bowl.

Cheesecake mixture with melted chocolate on top.

To the bowl you just removed the whipped cream from, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.

Beat the cream cheese mixture until super smooth and no lumps remain. Then, add the melted chocolate to this mixture. Stir the melted chocolate into the cream cheese until smooth. The chocolate mixture should be barely warm at this point. We melted the chocolate earlier and allowed it to rest on the counter for a few minutes so that we wouldn’t be pouring super hot melted chocolate into cream cheese. It’s important to follow the steps of this recipe and stick to the proper order.

Whipped cream folding into chocolate cheesecake.

No bake chocolate cheesecake mixture in a bowl with a spatula.

Finally, gently fold in the whipped cream using a spatula with proper folding technique. Run the spatula around the edge of the bowl, and then straight down the center.

Repeat until the whipped cream is incorporated, being gentle to ensure the air in the whipped cream remains. The mixture should be light and fluffy without any streaks of white in it.

Chocolate cheesecake in a bread loaf pan.

Scrape this mixture into the loaf pan, and ensure it is as flat as possible on top. This mixture needs to set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight in the fridge before serving.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe No-Bake Variations

Chocolate – You can use any type of chocolate here, even white chocolate.
Crust – If you don’t want to use chocolate cookies for the crust, try graham crackers, chocolate wafer cookies, or even shortbread cookies.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe No Bake tips and tricks

Ensure all ingredients are room temperature for the fluffiest, smoothest results.
If you don’t have a loaf pan, you can make this recipe in muffin cups instead. You don’t need to use liners, just grease each muffin cup very well, press in 1 tablespoon of crust, and dollop the filling on top.

How to serve Chocolate No Bake Cheesecake

This no bake chocolate cheesecake is perfection on a plate, but you can serve it with fresh fruit, extra whipped cream, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce, if you like. I like to slice it into 5 or 6 slices.

Sliced no bake chocolate cheesecake with Oreo crust.

How to store No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

Store cheesecake in the fridge at all times, in an airtight container. It will last for up to 5 days this way. You can also freeze individual slices and store for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before serving.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe No Bake FAQs

Can you cut this no bake chocolate cheesecake into bars?

Yes, instead of cutting 5 generous slices, you can cut this down the middle and then into 6 or 8 bars. It is similar to how I cut my lemon cheesecake bars.

I have a no bake mini egg cheesecake that I cut into six smaller slices, also.

Does no bake cheesecake get firm?

No bake cheesecake doesn’t get as firm as a regular cooked cheesecake, because it lacks eggs. It will set and become like a mousse.

Why won’t my no bake cheesecake set?

There are two ways to set a no bake cheesecake: the reaction of lemon juice with canned sweetened condensed milk OR by using chocolate. Both of these reactions firm up a cheesecake while it chills in the fridge.

Other cheesecake recipes you will love:

Yield: 5

No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

No bake chocolate cheesecake with Oreo crust made in a bread loaf pan.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

15 Oreos
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 ounces (1 1/2 bricks) of full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temp
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Line an 8 or 9” bread loaf pan with parchment paper, with enough excess to overhang the edges to form handles to lift out the cheesecake. Give the parchment paper and pan a light spray with cooking spray, too.
In a food processor or plastic bag, crush the Oreos (keep the cream filling in the cookies). Dump the 1 cup of crumbs into a bowl, and stir in the melted butter.
Pour the crumbs into the loaf pan, and press them into a flat, firm crust.
Place the chopped chocolate in a double boiler to melt (or you can use the microwave on 50% setting and 30 second intervals to melt the chocolate until it’s smooth). Have ready, and keep it warm.
Next, in a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until medium peaks form. Scoop the freshly whipped cream out and reserve it in a separate bowl.
To the same bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat using an electric mixer until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.
Using a spatula, fold the warm melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture.
Finally, fold the whipped cream gently into the cream cheese mixture. Fold by scraping the outsides of the bowl, and then down the middle. Fold gently to incorporate so that the you don’t deflate the air bubbles in the whipped cream.
Scrape the mixture into the bread loaf and make it as flat as possible on top.
Place the pan in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Notes

Oreos: I use the whole cookie when making a crust out of Oreos. I have seen some recipes where only the cookies are used (and the cream filling is scraped out and discarded), but I happen to think the cream filling is the most delicious part! Using the cookies with the cream filling provides more moisture to help the crust adhere.
heavy cream: You need heavy whipping cream, or double cream to whip into peaks for this no bake cheesecake.
chocolate: Chopped semisweet chocolate from a whole bar is my preference here, just so that the cheesecake doesn't become overly sweet. However, if you like super sweet, use melted milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is extra creamy and rich!
cream cheese: One and a half bricks of cream cheese (or 12 ounces) should be softened to room temperature for a few hours on the counter. Using cold cream cheese will cause lumps in your no bake cheesecake.

14 Comments

Claire says:

February 17, 2024 at 7:43 am

This was really good! I made it with half dark chocolate and half semi-sweet. I get cheesecake is indulgent but 1/5 of this was huge!!