These creamy No-bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bars are so rich, decadent, and ridiculously easy to make. The smooth cheesecake and Oreo crust are a match made in heaven!
If you like no-bake cheesecakes, you will definitely enjoy our mini berry cheesecake bites or take this recipe to the next level and make the most amazing chocolate cheesecake bars.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
No one can deny that cheesecake is absolutely delicious… and also a bit finicky. That is why everyone LOVES no-bake cheesecakes! You get all that sweet-tart taste and creamy texture, minus the hassle. I love this simple recipe because it makes one of my favorite desserts easy.
- TASTE: These chocolate cheesecake bars have the perfect balance of rich chocolate flavor from the semisweet chocolate and Dutch cocoa with the tanginess of the cream cheese. Every bite is so scrumptiously perfect!
- TEXTURE: Smooth and creamy, these bars are so rich and decadent. The Oreo crust is buttery and adds some crunch.
- TIME: It will take about 15 minutes to prep these bars and 4 hours to cool them.
- EASE: This recipe is simple and easy to make. With some basic ingredients and no baking needed, you can even make it in advance.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Oreos– These will be used for the crust. Any brand is fine.
- Butter- Unsalted is best here so we can control the saltiness.
- Cream cheese- Full-fat cream cheese is best because it gives the bars rich, smooth, and creamy texture.
- Heavy cream- 36% heavy cream whips up really well to make these cheesecake bars fluffy and delicious.
- Semisweet chocolate– These chocolate chips are not overly sweet, but add great flavor. They also make a good topping.
- Dutch-processed cocoa– This ingredient is rich and smooth with a mellow flavor. It will give your chocolate cheesecake the best chocolaty flavor.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Use a different crust- You can use other varieties of Oreos, such as golden or mint, or you can make the crust with graham crackers.
- Make it gluten-free- Substitute the cookies with gluten-free Oreos for a gluten-free treat.
- Substitute regular cocoa powder- These chocolate cheesecake bars can be made with regular cocoa powder with a slight change in taste. You can also use cacao powder, but may need to up the sugar to counter its lack of sweetness.
- Add sour cream- For a more tangy flavor, use sour cream with the whipped heavy cream for extra flavor.
How to Make No-bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Make the crust. Combine the Oreos and melted butter in a food processor until they are fine crumbles.
- Bake. Press the crust crumbs into the pan and bake for 5 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit just to set it.
Pro Tip: When pressing the crumbs into the baking pan, I use either my hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to get them firmly packed.
- Make the filling. Now combine the cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla, melted chocolate, and cocoa in a large bowl.
- Add the whipped cream. Whip the heavy cream and mix it to the cheesecake filling. Then pour it over the crust and chill for at least 4 hours.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature cream cheese– if you happen to forget to let it warm up. Just let it heat up in the microwave on the “soften butter” setting.
- Cold heavy cream is vital– in order to get perfect stiff peaks, you want your cream straight out of the fridge before whipping.
- Use full fat– whether it be for the cream cheese or heavy cream, the higher the fat, the better. Do not use light cream cheese. Always make sure your cream is at least 36-40 % fat.
- Do not freeze– Don’t do this to speed up the setting process. This will result in a “too hard to bite” cheesecake.
FAQs
A cheesecake that doesn’t require any baking typically takes up to 4 hours to firm up enough to serve. It’s best to make it the night before. If your no-bake cheesecake is not firming up, you may have over-mixed the filling, breaking the emulsion of the cream cheese.
Lumps can form in no-bake cheesecake filling when the cream cheese has not been beaten enough. Mix it until the filling is soft and smooth to avoid lumpy or grainy cheesecake filling. Use a hand or stand mixer to do this, as a food processor will over-mix and your filling won’t set properly.
Serving Suggestions
These No-bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bars are a scrumptious dessert that can be paired with so many others. These bars are great with toppings, cookies, pies, and coffee.
- Toppings: Top these amazing bars with some Chantilly Cream, Chocolate Ganache, Raspberry Sauce, Simple Cherry Pie Filling, fresh berries, or homemade Strawberry Jam.
- Cookies: Pair this dessert with some Cookies And Cream Cookies, Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies, Coffee Cookies, or Chewy M&M Cookies.
- Pies: Set up a dessert spread with these cheesecake bars with a Chocolate Cream Pie, Blueberry Pie, Homemade Apple Pie, or Perfect Peach Pie.
- Beverages: Enjoy one of these chocolate cheesecake bars with a Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat), Iced Caramel Macchiato, Pumpkin Spice Latte, or a sweet Hot Chocolate.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prep the crust for these cheesecake bars and store it in the fridge. You can also make these bars a day in advance and just keep them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
Storing: Store these No-bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bars covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: After your cheesecake has set in the fridge you can freeze any leftovers for later. To do so, you will need to is wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap, then foil, and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
More Amazing Cheesecake Desserts!
Watch how to make this recipe HERE
Full Recipe Instructions
No-bake Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- 24 Oreos
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 8 oz bricks Cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Dutched cocoa powder
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate 
- 3/4 cup cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Place 24 whole Oreos in a food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs. Then add 1/4 cup of melted unsalted butter into the food processor and pulse again until the butter is well combined.
- Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and press the Oreo crust into the bottom of the pan. You can use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup in this step.
- At this point, you can either refrigerate the crust for at least 4 hours or bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes. This is just to set the crust in place. 
- In the meantime place 2 (8ounce) bricks of softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl along with 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Using an electric hand mixer, beat everything together until well combined.
- Now melt 12 oz of semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and add it to the cheesecake batter making sure to scrape all the melted chocolate out of the. Bowl. Then add 1/4 cup of Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Give it another mix and set it aside. Be sure to use Dutched cocoa since it gives these cheesecake bars a rich chocolate flavor.
- In a separate bowl whisk 3/4 cup cold heavy cream using an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Then add it to the cream cheese mixture. Mix just until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the cheesecake batter right over the Oreo crust and smooth it out with a spatula. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese– if you happen to forget to let it warm up. Just let it heat up in the microwave on the “soften butter” setting.
- Cold heavy cream is vital– in order to get perfect stiff peaks, you want your cream straight out of the fridge before whipping.
- Use full fat– whether it be for the cream cheese or heavy cream, the higher the fat, the better. Do not use light cream cheese. Always make sure your cream is at least 36-40 % fat.
- Do not freeze– Don’t do this to speed up the setting process. This will result in a “too hard to bite” cheesecake.
Nutrition
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Dan says
Super easy and delicious no-bake chocolate cheesecake bars! Using Dutch cocoa definitely brought out that amazing rich chocolate flavor. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Dan! YES! It’s all about that rich chocolate flavor. Glad you loved the no-bake cheesecake recipe 🙂