Easy No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
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No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Pie has a smooth and creamy chilled filling inside a crunchy chocolate crust. Once you taste this rich chocolate cheesecake you’ll be dreaming of seconds.
This No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Pie is perfect for the chocolate lover and will quench the strongest sweet tooth.
You won’t believe how easy this chocolate cheesecake pie is to make. It will soon become one of your most made desserts.
Freaky Friday Spring Edition 2021
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE PIE?
I wish I could take credit for developing this recipe, but I can’t. This recipe is actually inspired by the Spring edition of our Freaky Friday Blog Hop.
What is the Freaky Friday Blog Hop? Freaky Friday is a blog hop with some of my favorite food blogger buddies!
We secretly get assigned one another’s blogs to make a recipe from, and then we all reveal who we had and what we made on the same Friday, and that is today!
The Freaky Friday blog hop is organized by Michaela who runs An Affair From the Heart.
The Carefree Kitchen
I was so excited to get Jill’s blog, The Carefree Kitchen for the 2021 Spring edition of Freaky Friday.
Let me tell you a little bit about Jill
Jill and I share our love of chocolate and pretty much all food! We love to share what we know and enjoy cooking for our friends and family.
Family is so important for both of us. Jill is married and has 5 amazing children and her farm background inspires her farm-to-table lifestyle.
I had a heck of a time choosing just one recipe for this blog hop edition. I whittled down to a few contenders including her Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken which is on my menu this week. Her Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread is going in the oven before my next round of overnight guests arrives. And, her Spanish Rice recipe made a great addition to our Cinco de Mayo dinner!
Ultimately, I had to go with her No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake. It’s cool and creamy and even though this is for the Spring edition of our Blog Hop, I’ve made it 3 times, the first being when the snow was covering the ground.
No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Ingredients
Cheesecake Crust
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Sugar
- Butter
- Cinnamon (optional)
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream Cheese – We’ve used full-fat and 1/3 less fat varieties. We’ve not tried the no-fat variety in this recipe.
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as Confectioner Sugar
- Cocoa Powder – I used dark cocoa powder in this recipe.
- You can use what you prefer. If you use a lighter cocoa powder, the filling will be lighter in hue but delicious too.
- We’ve also used black cocoa powder. I’m obsessed with this cocoa powder. It makes everything look rich and is delicious without being bitter.
How to make Chocolate Cheesecake Pie
Tip: Start with the crust so that it is ready once your filling is ready.
Cheesecake pie crust
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a pie plate.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or freeze for one hour. You can make this crust ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate it until needed.
Cheesecake crust tips & variations
- Cheesecake with chocolate crust – We replaced the graham cracker crumbs and used chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs. We didn’t remove the filling. You could buy chocolate cookie crumbs or chocolate graham crackers and that would work as well.
- Pastry crust
- Purchased graham cracker crust
- Vanilla Wafers, Speculoos or other cookie flavors
*You can eliminate some or all of the sugar if using a cookie with the filling but we didn’t.
The crust can be baked or you can freeze it. See the recipe card for times and temps.
Cheesecake pie filling
Tip: While making your crust, put the bowl of your electric stand mixer into the refrigerator to chill before mixing your filling. It’s not necessary but thickens the filling firmer and faster.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until soft peaks form. Remove the whipped cream from the mixing bowl and put it in a separate bowl. Place it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
- If you pipe your pie with whipped cream or plan to serve the finished pie with whipped cream, mix it up now and refrigerate it in a separate bowl.
- Change the mixer attachment to the paddle and blend the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
- Turn the mixer to low and spoon in the sifted powder sugar and cocoa mixture and blend until well combined.
- Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and spoon it into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
- Don’t overmix you will deflate the whipped cream. Whipped cream can also be folded into the cream cheese mixture by hand.
- Spoon the filling into the crust.
- Chill for 2 hours.
Cheesecake Filling Tips & Variations
- Bring your cream cheese to room temperature before mixing it. It will blend much smoother.
- Sift the cocoa and powdered sugar together.
- We always sift our cocoa powder. It holds a lot of moisture and tends to clump. Mixing it with the powdered sugar cuts down on the mixing time it takes compared to blending them separately.
- The cocoa that you use will make a difference in the hue of the filling. I’ve used regular dutch-processed cocoa and I’ve used black cocoa which made a deep dark chocolate filling. They’re both delicious.
Cheesecake Cake Garnishes
- Chocolate curls make the whole thing fancy. Just take a piece of chocolate bar and shave it with a vegetable peeler. We’ve found that you get longer curls if the bar isn’t cold but not too soft either.
- We piped whipped cream stars on top of the pie. We’ve made it a couple of times and the last time sprinkled a few leftover cookie crumbs over the whipped cream stars.
- You could skip the whipped cream stars and just sprinkle the top with the cookie crumbs or skip them both for a simple and delicious chocolate cheesecake pie.
If you like this recipe I think you’ll love these!
- Cheesecake Cookie Bars
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
- Rocky Road Brownies
- White Chocolate Cheesecake
- Cappuccino Cheesecake Bars
This Chocolate Cheesecake recipe is perfect for a warm day. However, it’s so easy and delicious, we’ll make it all year long. We’ll guarantee no one will complain when I set a slice of this beauty in front of them.
Note: This pie serves 8 people. However, it’s rich and we always slice it into 16 pieces. It’s that rich! There are always seconds, right?
If you like this recipe, we would appreciate your comment and a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!
No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 6 tbsp butter melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- 1¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 16 oz cream cheese 2-8oz packages, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar measured then sifted
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder measured then sifted
Instructions
Crust
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and the melted butter. Stir until completely combined.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 375 °F or, freeze for 1 hour.
Filling
- Add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high until soft peaks form. Refrigerate in a separate bowl until the cream cheese is prepared.
- Add the cream cheese to the electric stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment. Beat until the cream cheese is light and fluffy.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together. With the mixer on low, gradually spoon the mixture in with the cream cheese. Mix until combined and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low, spoon in the whipped cream just until combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the pie crust.
- Refrigerate for two hours.
- Garnish with additional whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
We’d like to thank Jill for this yummy cookie recipe, and I hope you’ll check out The Carefree Kitchen and take a look at her recipes.
Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes:
- A Dish of Daily Life – Smoky Chicken Street Tacos
- An Affair from the Heart – Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas with Cilantro Lime Butter
- An Affair from the Heart – Blueberry Mojitos
- Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
- The Carefree Kitchen – Glazed Lemon Cookies
- The Culinary Compass – Easy Candied Pecan Recipe
- Devour Dinner – Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
- The Foodie Affair – Keto Broccoli Salad
- The Fresh Cooky – Bowtie Pasta Recipe
- Hostess at Heart – No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
- House of Nash Eats – Roast Beef Sliders
- Lemon Blossoms – Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars
- Life, Love & Good Food – Sandwich Cubano
- Off the Eaten Path – Grilled Vegan Guacamole
- Or Whatever You Do – Blackstone Mexican Style Street Corn
- The Speckled Palate – Lemon Bars
- Take Two Tapas – Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels
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I found that the recipe could’ve used melted chocolate too. It just wasn’t chocolatey enough.
I find this recipe full of a thick layer of chocolate but every recipe is subject to change and love hearing people’s tips and ideas.
Not everyone uses a standing mixer… instructions for a handheld mixer would’ve helped.
This recipe doesn’t use a standing mixer, Charlene.
@Julie Menghini, it literally states electric stand mixer and stand mixer multiple times in the recipe. Why you getting sassy and defensive when you’re dead wrong?
I stand corrected. I do suggest using an electric mixer when making whipped topping. Thank you for pointing this out and didn’t see where my response was defensive. If taken that way, I apologize.
Can you replace whipping cream with cool whip
Yes, you can Eileen.
I surprised myself in that it looks exactly as pictured. Bonus is that it tastes awesome, love your recipe!
Thank you, Liz! That’s always a win in my book too!
This looks easy and delicious which makes it DANGEROUS! Making this one with my kiddos to celebrate the end of the school year!!!
Chocolate… No Bake… OH MY YUM! I’m all over making this recipe and your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you, Rebecca! I appreciate your lovely comments!
My family made this for me for Mother’s Day, and the entire cheesecake is already gone, haha. What a delicious and wonderful recipe. Also, I love that you broke down exactly how to make this to help everyone out. I can’t wait to try my hand at making this next!
Thank you, Erin! It’s so easy and easy to make ahead.
I love that you chose this one! It’s a favorite at our house for sure! Your pics are gorgeous and I’m so happy you love it as much as we do! Cheers to chocolate on chocolate topped with whipped cream!
Thank you, Jill! It is an amazing recipe and I’ve been sending tons of people to check out your recipes!
I LOVE cheesecake so having a no-bake version for the summer is going to be amazing!
Thank you, Sam! I’m with you. This is going to be a summer favorite in our house too.
With summer supposed to be about slowing down we seem busier than ever. That’s way this No Bake cheesecake is perfect! Its so tasty and light and SUPER easy to make! I got rave reviews when I made it yesterday!
Thank you, Jennifer! I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t loved it yet.
Oh wow the texture of this cheesecake is sooooo dreamy! And I love the rich, deep chocolate flavor! I’m going to make this again for Father’s Day!
Thank you, Amy! My husband loves this one and it will be a great treat on Father’s Day!
Oh my goodness! So silky and delicious! I cannot wait to dive right into this no bake cheesecake! What a perfect treat.
Thank you, Angela!
I LOVED this recipe!! I made it again after you brought it to my house and it was DEVOURED!!
Thanks, Michaela! I’ve made it again too for a whole group of guests and the consensus is that it’s a winner.
Oh! I’m a chocolate lover, too, and this dreamy cheesecake pie is right down my alley! YUM!
We sure have that in common, Sheila! Thank you!
I love how easy this is to make. I’m so obsessed with no-bake pies. Perfect for the family as well as any special occasion.
I’m in love with no-bake pies too, Sandra. Especially with this weather finally giving us a hint of warmer weather.
Absolutely amazing! Delicious, creamy and perfect. I will be making this recipe for years to come.
I’m with you! Thanks, Kathy!
What a fantastic recipe and I love (as usual) all of your tips, tricks and shortcuts Julie! But this one, I will be making this cookie crust vs. buying one because not only are they easy, it’s SOO delicious! My family will go bonkers over this I know!
Thank you, Kathleen! I’m really hooked on this cookie crust. It goes so well with the velvety chocolate filling.
I think I’ll make it for my mom this weekend because it’s mother’s day and her birthday and she loves chocolate! No bake makes it even better especially in the summer!
That definitely sounds like a wonderful weekend for your mom and this pie will not disappoint!
I will never ever turn down cheesecake! And this one is amazing!!
Thank you, Michelle!
Enjoyed this for dessert last night and it does not disappoint! Exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth and easy too!
Thanks, Sara! So glad you enjoyed it.
The oreo crust was so delicious! Love this recipe thank you!
Thank you, Tawnie! It’s one of our favorite crusts especially with this pie.
I made this for my son’s birthday and he loved it! It was demolished in no time! So good!
Thanks, Michelle! We’re hooked on this recipe too.
I made this with an Oreo crust since that’s what I had on hand and it was amazing! And you are right, it IS easy. I will be making this a lot this summer!
It’s a family favorite! Thanks, Emily.
I can’t wait to make this delectable cheesecake this weekend for Mother’s Day! I know it will be a hit!
Whoaaaaa. This looks like the perfect dessert for spring and summer! I love no-bake everything and I love that you made the crust out of oreos!!