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Behold: the BEST No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake of your life. It is rich, chocolatey, ultra creamy and takes only 7 ingredients and 20 minutes of work. It tastes and feels like luxury, and is the perfect dessert for chocolate and cheesecake lovers.
If you’re not big into chocolate, check out my Best No Bake Cheesecake recipe instead!
It’s like chocolate ice cream in cheesecake form!
I am quite a stickler when it comes to all my cheesecake recipes, and you can rest assured that this recipe went through the same strict criteria. It is everything you want the perfect no bake chocolate cheesecake to be:
- It tastes like CHOCOLATE. Not sugar, not vanilla. It is rich and decadent with a stunning chocolate flavor, which is beautifully balanced by the tang from the cream cheese
- The texture is absolute *perfection*. It is how a good no bake cheesecake should be: creamy, silky and melt in your mouth while still being perfectly set and holding shape. This is actually something many chocolate cheesecake recipes struggle with: because the chocolate solidifies in the fridge, a lot of them become dry and hard in texture. Not this one, though!
- It is a simple, fuss free recipe with minimal ingredients. The cheesecake itself is made with 7 ingredients, including salt, and comes together in just 20 minutes! Optionally, you can add coffee and top the cheesecake with a chocolate whipped cream
Step by step photos
The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let’s go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
First, crush Oreos and melted butter. Transfer to a springform pan and pack down tightly to make the crust. Refrigerate:
For the cheesecake filling, start by melting together heavy cream and chocolate to make a ganache:
Whisk the cream cheese, sugar and salt until creamy:
Add the ganache and whisk until just combined:
Separately, whip heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks, and gently fold it into the cheesecake mixture:
Spread the filling on top of the crust, and chill overnight:
For the optional toppings, make some more ganache, and whip heavy cream with cocoa powder and sugar until it thickens up:
Decorate the cheesecake with the ganache and chocolate whipped cream once it is set. Serve & enjoy!
Tips to perfect this recipe
As with all simple recipes, perfection lies in the ingredients and details. Here are my best tips on how to get the perfect no bake chocolate cheesecake:
- Use quality ingredients. I cannot emphasize this enough! With such few key ingredients, each ingredient carries a lot of weight. Specifically, you need to use
- Good quality, full fat cream cheese. Get the blocks, not tubs, and Philadelphia never disappoints
- High quality chocolate. A 60-70% dark chocolate will give you the best results, but you can also use a 50-60% semi sweet chocolate if you don’t want a very chocolatey flavor. Get chocolate bars, not chips. I like to use Lindt for the best results. I do NOT recommend milk chocolate!
- Do not overheat the chocolate. Whenever making ganache, it is key to heat the chocolate slowly so it melts but does not seize up. The best way to ensure this is to use a double boiler (place a heat safe bowl over a small saucepan with boiling water, and whisk over the lowest flame)
- Do not overmix. Cream cheese becomes runnier the more it is mixed, so the key is to whisk just enough for the ingredients to be combined, at every step. The same holds for the whipped cream: whisk just enough to achieve firm peaks, but do not overmix as that will cause the cream to become grainy. Mixing the right amount will help achieve the perfect creamy texture
- Do not rush the chilling. Let the cheesecake set overnight, or at least for 6 hours in the fridge, for it to be properly set before you unmold and decorate
FAQs
For this recipe, I recommend dark or semi sweet chocolate, but NOT milk chocolate. It will not give you the same rich flavor and will also not set properly. You can make a milk chocolate ganache for the topping (instead of dark chocolate), though!
This happens from heating too much or too quickly, as chocolate can seize up and separate from overheating. Make sure to heat the chocolate and cream over low heat using a double boiler, and stop heating as soon as the chocolate has melted. If it looks split because it has become too hot, pour in a little cold cream and whisk quickly to bring down the temperature.
Yes, this is a great recipe to prepare ahead of time. You can make the cheesecake and leave it covered in the springform pan for 2-3 days in the fridge. Remove from the pan and decorate when you are ready to serve.
Store this cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
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Ingredients
Crust:
- 25 Oreos or chocolate creme cookies of your choice (~285g)
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (~70g)
Cheesecake Filling:
- 250g dark chocolate* (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled and divided into 3/4 cup and 3/4 cup (360g)
- 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature (3 8oz packs or 680g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Optional: 1 tsp instant coffee
Ganache for decoration (optional):
- ½ cup heavy cream (120g)
- 100g chocolate (can use dark, semi sweet or milk)
Chocolate whipped cream for decoration (optional):
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled (240g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted (25g)
Instructions
- Prepare a 9″ springform pan by lightly brushing butter on the bottom and edges. You can also place parchment paper on the bottom
- Grind the chocolate cookies (oreos) with melted butter in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Transfer to the pan and press down tightly using the back of a spoon or measuring cup to form the crust. Place in the fridge while you work on the cheesecake filling
- For the cheesecake filling, add the 250g dark chocolate and 3/4 cup heavy cream in a heat safe glass bowl. If using instant coffee, add that in too. Place a small saucepan with 1″ water on the stove over low heat and bring to a boil. Place the glass bowl on top of the saucepan (it should not touch the water) and stir for a few minutes until the chocolate has just melted. Remove from heat immediately and mix gently to form a shiny ganache. Set it aside to cool down for 5 minutes
- In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature cream cheese, sugar and salt for 2-3 minutes on medium speed until creamy. Scrape the bowl once in the middle to ensure everything is well combined
- Pour the ganache into the cream cheese mixture and whisk again on medium low speed until just combined (~1 minute). Scrape the bowl again
- In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup heavy cream (chilled) until it forms stiff peaks. Do not overmix
- Add the whipped cream to the cheesecake filling and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it until combined. You should have a smooth and fluffy cheesecake filling
- Transfer the filling to the springform pan on top of the crust and spread it out evenly
- Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours to set
- When the cheesecake is set, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer to your serving board
- Prepare the optional toppings. Make the ganache by melting together the cream and chocolate over a double boiler. Make the chocolate whipped cream by whisking together the heavy cream, sugar and cocoa powder until stiff peaks form
- Let the ganache cool down slightly (it should be warm and runny but not hot) and pour over the cold cheesecake, spreading it out gently. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and top off with the chocolate whipped cream
- Serve & enjoy!
Video Tutorial
Notes
- If you don’t want to use dark chocolate, you can replace it with semi sweet chocolate and reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup as needed
Related recipes
If you’re new here, I have some incredible cheesecake recipes for you to try, including baked and no bake cheesecakes! Check these out:
Comments
Jean
What a fantastically gorgeous scrummy chocolate cheese. Followed the recipe completely and it has turned out wonderfully well. Will definitely make it again. 🙂
Zoha Malik
AWH thank you so much, Jean! So glad you liked the recipe!
Marium Noor
Have made this recipe a lot of times! and it is an absolute hit everytime ♥️
Asma @ Bake with Zoha
Hi Mariam, So glad that you tried this recipe many times and found it perfect always. That’s the best feedback one could hope for and a motivation to keep developing recipes for you. ❤️
Sana Rehman
Absolute perfection!!
Zoha
Thank you!
Bernice
I made the no bake chocolate cheesecake this morning! I tasted the cream cheese mixture after putting it onto the crust, it was delicious! I added a teaspoon of vanilla instead of the instant coffee. I’m taking it to our family birthday dinner tonight and the grandkids will be there, they are not coffee drinkers, yet! I’m so excited about this recipe. It will simplify making that chocolate cheesecake which I bake every year for our son and his wife who both love chocolate cheesecake.
Because it says to chill for six hours, I don’t have enough time to just put it in the fridge. Is it OK to put it in the freezer for four hours instead?
Zoha
Hi Bernice! I actually don’t recommend freezing as that impacts the texture. Do 4 hours in the fridge, and check how set it is. If it feels slightly soft, just ~20 minutes in the freezer will hopefully do the trick 🙂
Sana
Simply delicious!! Whoever eats this dessert falls in love with it.
Zoha
Aw thank you so so much!
juweriya
absolutely love it! everyone in my family devoured this cake!!so good
i love how detailed your recipes are ❤️
Zoha
You made my day!
darleen
This recipe was a 1000% SUCCESS!! It wasn’t just delicious—it felt deeply comforting, like the kind of dessert that stays in your memory long after the last bite. Zoha, your recipes hold so much heart and magic. They remind me why I fell in love with baking in the first place—the joy, the creativity, the feeling of making something beautiful from simple things. You inspire me to become a better baker every time I try one of your creations. Please never stop doing what you do; the world needs more of the warmth, love, and brilliance you pour into your recipes. 🤎
Lindsay Nehrer
Hi I got through step one, making the ganache and whip now but if I apply the ganache and while the day before will the whip stay? Or is it more of an apply the day of thing?
Candice
Absolutely delicious! Made this for Thanksgiving and received raved reviews from my guests.
Zoha
Yay! So glad to hear that!
Rija
First cheesecake I ever made and it was perfection!
Zoha
I am so happy to hear that <3
Tania
Hi Zoha! I really like soft smooth cheesecakes with almost a mousse like texture. Which one of the baked or no bake chocolate cheesecake would you recommend to someone who would really like to also taste a real chocolatey taste? I am a chocoholic, so in my desserts I really like to taste the chocolate, I love dark chocolate because of the intensity. So which one would you recommend I make? They both look so nice. Thank you!
Zoha
Hi Tania! Since you mentioned mousse like texture, go for the no bake cheesecake, and use dark chocolate in it (not semi sweet). You will get what you are looking for 🙂
Tania
Made the no bake version as suggested, it was really delicious! I never really liked chocolate cheesecakes tasted before, because there was too much tang that did not pair well with the chocolate, in my opinion. But this recipe does not have that tangy undertone, so I was very pleased I have found a chocolate cheesecake I like. Thank you Zoha xx
Zoha
Aww I am so pleased to read that, thank you!!!
Tania Kruger
Thank you Zoha, looking forward to trying it! Have a lovely day xxx
Nithya ?
So so soooo good
Zoha
Thank you!
Christina Reay
This was “hands down” the best no-bake cheesecake chocolate or otherwise I have ever had! So delicious! I didn’t make the ganache because my husband had requested raspberry sauce which we used along with the chocolate whipped cream. Thank you!
Tracy
Made this yesterday omg it’s amazing and so easy my family loved it!!
Mariam
Wish I could post pictures along with me review to show you how BOMB it turned out eachhh time I made. Yep!! Already made thrice and everyone droools and begs me to keep making it🤌🏼
A fool prooof detailed recipe , really appreciate the effort! Thankyouuuu
hi
fortnite
Chels
Made this for a Christmas party using cupcake trays and WOW had so many people asking for the recipe! This is definitely my new favourite cheesecake recipe
Roza
hey zoha. i have a question, can i change granulated sugar to allulose? if yes will the measurement and texture be the same?
Bushra
Hi Zoha. This recipe is amazing and I have read it multiple times as I am going to trg this tomorrow (fingers crossed). The only question I have is how does the granulated sugar dissolves with the mixture? I have usually seen castor sugar being used in cheesecakes. Please let me know if granulated sugar will work well in the cheesecake filling or will stay grainy? Thank you!
Zoha
In the US, granulated sugar is very similar to caster sugar (very fine) and dissolves easily! You can use caster sugar
Jane
Thanks for this recipe! It was absolutely amazing!! So creamy & delicious! Had so many rave reviews from my guests!! Am making it again for next weekend!
(I did actually freeze it and thawed in the fridge overnight. Was amazing !)
Zoha
Made my day! Thank you so much Jane 🙂