No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

You will love this luscious no-bake chocolate cheesecake! It is light, smooth and airy, complete with a buttery Oreo base and creamy milk chocolate filling. It’s so easy to prepare; no tricky steps and no water bath. You don’t even need to turn on the oven!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick and easy – it’s so simple and effortless. The entire cheesecake can be whipped up in no time and then left to set in the fridge.
• Completely no bake – not an oven in sight. It’s completely no bake and prepared in just a few minutes. No eggs, no water baths needed.
• Perfect for any occasion – great for an Easter party, Christmas celebrations, birthdays and more.
• Make ahead – it has to set in the fridge, it’s perfect for making a day in advance and sliced when you are ready to serve.
• So smooth and creamy – unlike regular cheesecake, this one isn’t overly heavy. The super-light and airy filling tastes just like chocolate cheesecake mousse!
• The ultimate no bake dessert – serve it with whipped cream and berries, mini-Easter eggs or your favourite crushed chocolates.

Ingredients you’ll need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

Ingredient notes

• Cream cheese – adds creaminess and tang to the cheesecake filling. Use blocks of real cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. Make sure it’s completely softened at room temperature to avoid any lumps. I use Philadelphia cream cheese as it’s lovely and creamy, but any will work. Light cream cheese may not set properly, so make sure it’s regular, full-fat cream cheese.
• Mascarpone – an indulgent addition to the cheesecake filling, mascarpone (also called Italian cream cheese) is a rich and silky cheese made with heavy cream and citric or tartaric acid. It can be found in the cheese/dairy aisle in supermarkets. The addition of mascarpone gives the filling a creamier, richer texture.
• Caster sugar – superfine caster sugar helps to break down the cream cheese and adds sweetness.
• Oreos – for the biscuit base. They need to be crushed into superfine crumbs in a food processor (or with a rolling pin). There’s no need to remove the white filling first. Alternatively, Chocolate Ripple biscuits or any other sweet chocolate tea-biscuit can be used.
• Butter – used to bind the Oreo biscuit base together. It helps to set the base and gives a rich, buttery flavour. Use real butter, for best results.
• Salt – salt is used in the biscuit base to balance the sweetness and enhance the chocolate flavour. I don’t recommend skipping it! You can even add a little more, to taste.
• Thickened cream – cream is whipped and folded into the filling, making it light and airy. I used full-fat thickened cream which has a fat content of 35%. It’s important to whip the cream into semi-stiff peaks before incorporating into the mixture, or it won’t set as nicely.
• Gelatine powder – gelatine is used instead of eggs to give the cheesecake structure, while keeping it light and creamy. It is flavourless, so you won’t taste it in the final result. However, it is not vegetarian. If you require the cheesecake to be vegetarian, swap for a vegetarian gelatine. Ratios may vary, so check the label first.
• Chocolate – use a creamy, good quality chocolate that you know and love to eat. Milk chocolate adds sweetness to the filling, as well as helping it to set in the fridge. Don’t use chocolate chips or baking chocolate, or the filling may become grainy. I recommend milk chocolate for best results. But you could also add white chocolate.

Step by step instructions

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

1. Add the Oreos, dark chocolate and salt to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

If you don’t have a food processor, place the ingredients in a large bag and smash with a rolling pin before transferring to a bowl. The chocolate will need to be very finely chopped or grated first if you are using this method.

2. Add the melted butter and stir until completely combined.

3. Transfer the base mixture to a lined springform tin. Firmly press the mixture into the tin with the back of a metal spoon or the bottom of a glass, until compact.

Refrigerate or place in the freezer to set while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

4. Add the cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar to a bowl and beat with electric beaters (handheld or stand) until well combined and smooth. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl to avoid lumps later.

5. Add the gelatine, dissolved in a little boiling water and beat to combine.

6. Melt the chocolate and set it aside to cool slightly (but not set).

7. Fold the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture until almost combined. It’s ok if the mixture is a little streaky at this point.

Don’t use mixers to beat the chocolate into the filling. Over-beating can make the mixture grainy. Fold with a spatula until just combined.

8. Whip the cream in a separate bowl until it forms stiff peaks. Fold it into the cheesecake filling until just combined. Don’t overmix.

9. Transfer the filling to the prepared biscuit base. Smooth with a spatula and chill to set.

Expert tips

• Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing. This is especially important for the cream cheese and mascarpone. If the cream cheese is cold, it will make the mixture lumpy and can make the filling grainy.
• If you are in a rush, the cream cheese can be cut into small chunks to soften faster at room temperature, or microwaved in short bursts at 50% power.
• Line the bottom of the springform tin with baking paper, for easy removal of the cheesecake once it has set.
• Firmly press the biscuit base into the tin so that it holds together nicely when sliced. Use the back of a metal spoon or the bottom of a glass for best results.
• The fastest way to crush the Oreo cookies is in a food processor (the whole cookies are added, including the filling). Pulse until they are crushed into very fine crumbs. Alternatively, they can be placed into a bowl or plastic bag and crushed with a rolling pin.
• I used a 24cm springform tin, but a 23cm tin can also be used. The base will just be a little thicker. Springform tins with a removable bottom are best, for easiest removal of the cheesecake.
• Don’t overwhip the cream, or the filling will be grainy.
• Be careful not to overbeat the filling. Fold the melted chocolate until mostly combined but still a little streaky, and then gently fold in the whipped cream so that you don’t push out the air. The air gives the filling a gorgeous mousse-like consistency.
• Don’t skip the chilling time! The cheesecake should be refrigerated for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best. This makes it the perfect make-ahead dessert.
• Don’t place the cheesecake in the freezer to set. The filling will lose its creamy and rich texture. However, it can be frozen once it has been fully set in the fridge (see notes below).
• The cheesecake can be decorated with anything you like. Fresh berries, raspberry coulis, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, whipped cream or mini Easter eggs are great additions.

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Update notes: This recipe was originally published in April 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in March 2023.