Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts, if not my all-time favorite. I’ve made a few…Dark Chocolate Cheesecake, White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, Gingerbread Cheesecake, New York Style Lemon Cheesecake and one of my all time favorites and very first recipes, a layered Red Velvet Cheesecake cake. Not to mention a few cheesecake filled cupcakes (here and here). But I have never made a no bake cheesecake and honestly have always been skeptical of the no bake variety. In my mind, it just NEEDS to be baked. But this cheesecake proved me wrong…can you say divine?! First of all, I actually LOVE the fact that this cheesecake didn’t need a water bath and an hour and a half in my oven! And second, it is just as creamy and delicious as the baked variety. Sure, there is definitely a different in texture but it’s not a bad thing at all.
I chose to make this Oreo variation from Life, Love and Sugar. The only difference was adding a bit more Oreos, homemade whipped cream and a ganache to top it off. I took it to a family dinner and it was a huge hit, but cut the slices small because we all agreed it was VERY rich. Perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tall glass of ice cold milk!
Enjoy!
- 3 c. Oreo crumbs (about 36 Oreos)
- ½ c. Unsalted Butter, melted
- 2.5 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ c. Powdered Sugar
- 2 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3, 8 oz. pkgs. Cream Cheese, softened
- ½ c. Sugar
- 1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
- 4 c. Whipped Cream (or Cool Whip)
- 2 c. Oreo crumbs (about 25 Oreos)
- 1 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Let chill in the refrigerator to firm up.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (cream will whip better if bowl and whisk are chilled in freezer for 30 minutes), beat the heavy whipping cream until thick and holds shape. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Set aside in the refrigerator to use for the filling.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Slowly beat in the whipped cream. Gently fold in the Oreo crumbs. Pour into the Oreo crust and let chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. In a small pan over medium heat, bring the heavy whipping cream just to a boil and immediately pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for one minutes and then begin stirring until all the chocolate is melted. Let cool for a few minutes. While ganache is cooling, remove sides of the springform pan from the cheesecake. Pour ganache onto the middle of the cheesecake and down the sides. Let cool completely in fridge until ganache is firm. Serve chilled.