No Bake Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

Recipe updated in January 2025. 

Long-time followers of bbs might remember this no-bake cheesecake recipe; it first showed up in July 2021 with four layers: an oreo crust, a thick and dark chocolate ganache bottom, a creamy no bake filling and it was topped with a bright layer of my homemade lemon curd.

I have revised the recipe to have more thorough instructions, include grams measurements and step by step photos. I’ve also removed the lemon curd from the top – but if you’d still like to make it, scroll down to the bottom notes on toppings 😉

Recipe Ingredients

Cookie crumbs: You can use chocolate sandwich (oreo), vanilla sandwich (golden oreos) or the mismatched cookies (which is what I used in the video and the pictures here). Remove the cream filling by scraping it off from them and just use the ‘cookie’ part. Alternatively, use graham crackers or digestive cookies. 

Butter: salted or unsalted is fine here.

Chocolate: semi-sweet or dark chocolate. The former will yield a very slightly softer, lighter ganache and the latter (the dark chocolate) will give a more firm and deep chocolate flavor.

Heavy cream: or heavy whipping cream. We’re using a portion of this in the ganache and another portion for the filling.

Cream cheese: full fat cream cheese. Bring it to room temperature before starting so the lumps are easier to smooth out into the filling.

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Salt: fine sea salt. Halve the amount if using table salt.

Sour cream: full fat. Labneh is a good substitute here if you don’t have access to sour cream.

Powdered sugar: preferably made with tapioca starch.

Sugar: fine granulated sugar.

Lemon: just a bit of juice in the filling, it helps bring out the tangy flavor of the cream cheese.

How to make No-Bake Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

Make the crust

This is a no-bake but we will bake the crust. I do this because I like clean cuts and smooth slices and baking the crust makes it sturdy and firm. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

We’ll start by removing the cream from the sandwich cookies; scrape it off with a butterknife or an offset spatula. If you aren’t using a cookie that has a filling, no need to worry about it. 

Weigh the cookies then set them in a food processor to grind until you have fine cookie crumbs. Add them to a bowl and add the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are wet but when you squeeze some together they hold shape.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over the bottom of a springform pan then clip the ring onto it.

Spread half of the crumbs over the bottom and press them into an even layer. Press the remaining crumbs up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to help you pack it in tightly and evenly.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes then let it cool fully before proceeding. If it has bubbled, press it down with a measuring cup to get it back into an even layer

Make the ganache

Chop up the chocolate very finely and set it into a bowl.

Warm the heavy cream until it’s steaming; if you’re doing this in a pot on the stove look for steam but also bubbling at the sides of the pan.

Pour the cream over the chocolate and give it a 30 second stir then stop and leave it for a minute.

Stir until the chocolate has all melted and the ganache is smooth.

Pour the ganache over the cooled crust and smooth it into an even layer. Set in the fridge to chill fully, about an hour.

Make the Filling

Have the cream cheese at room temperature and set it in the bowl of a stand mixer. You can use the back of a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to press the cream cheese against the bowl; this can help smooth out the lumps.

Add the sugar and vanilla and affix the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low and mix until the cream cheese is smooth.

Add the sour cream and lemon juice and mix well.

Switch to the whisk attachment and add the powdered sugar and heavy cream. Whisk the mix until you can see stiff peaks (as if you were making whipped cream). There will be markings in the mixture from the whisk that will hold shape.

Pour the filling over the ganache into the crust, smooth it into an even layer.

Set in the fridge to chill overnight.

FAQ for No-Bake Cheesecake

What do I do if my ganache isn’t coming together in a smooth mix and is separating? 

This probably means the heavy cream was too hot and burnt the chocolate. Sometimes you can fix this by adding cold heavy cream, just a bit at a time and stirring until it’s smooth. It isn’t a guaranteed fix though so you might have to start again.

What do I do if the chocolate isn’t melting for the ganache? 

The cream was probably not hot enough; we can remedy this but we’ll need to be careful: set the bowl in the microwave (assuming it’s heatproof and safe to use) and warm it for just 10 seconds, then stir and see if you can get the chocolate to melt. Do this again if needed. careful though, if it’s overheated you’ll burn the ganache and have to start over.

How do I know when the filling is done mixing? 

As it’s whipping you should see what look like ‘stiff peaks’ similar to what you’d get if you were making whipped cream in a stand mixer. There will be marks left by the whisk attachment that do not droop.

How can I make this process quicker? 

Use the freezer to chill the layers faster – especially the crust and the ganache. For the filling, I do prefer to give it mostly fridge time rather than freezer though as this will allow it to set properly.

Topping Options for No Bake Cheesecake

Whipped Cream: use this stabilized whipped cream recipe to pipe pretty designs on top of the filling. For just piping, you’ll halve the recipe.

Chocolate Whipped Cream: similar to the above recipe but add 1-2 tablespoons dutch process cocoa powder then blend.

Berries: Fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries or sliced strawberries are wonderful here. If you would like, you can macerate the strawberries by slicing them then tossing them with a sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. After about 15 minutes they will soften and juicier.

Lemon Curd: The first edition of this no-bake cheesecake from 2021 had a layer of lemon curd spread on top of the no-bake filling (see photo below). Personally, I LOVE this version. I got a lot of feedback that was along the lines of ‘not interested in the chocolate/lemon combination’ so I’ve removed it from the recipe below.

However, if you’d like to do lemon curd with chocolate, or if you are making this without the chocolate ganache bottom, make this homemade lemon curd (you only need a small portion of it for the topping so I’d halve the recipe) and spread it over the cheesecake once the filling has set.

Recipe for No Bake Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache 

No Bake Cheesecake

Creamy, tangy no-bake cheesecake with a chocolate ganache bottom and an oreo crust. Endless topping possibilities. This cheesecake sets beautifully and without gelatin.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Yields: 16

5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

Cookie Crust

• 300g or 2 well-packed cups chocolate sandwich crumbs cream removed
• 113g or ½ cup unsalted butter melted

Dark Chocolate Ganache

• 150g semi-sweet or dark chocolate chopped very finely
• 150g heavy cream

No Bake Cheesecake

• 452or 2 bricks cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 60g or ¼ cup sour cream or labneh
• 100g or ½ cup powdered sugar
• 50g or ¼ cup fine granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice optional
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 240g or 1 cup heavy cream cold

Method

• Crust
• Preheat the oven to 350 F and set a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom part of a 9” springform pan and clasp the top part over the parchment (it will just be on the bottom).
• Mix the crumbs and melted butter together (you can do this straight in the pan if you like) and once they are well-blended press them on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use a measuring cup to press them down into a flat layer.
• Bake the crust for 10 minutes. When it comes out it might look a bit soft or poofy in spots, use the measuring cup to press it down again. Once it’s cool, set it in the freezer.
• Dark Chocolate Ganache
• Set the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Warm the heavy cream in a small pot over medium heat. When it just begins to bubble on the sides and is hot to touch in the center, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let it set for a minute then stir it until you have a smooth ganache. Pour ganache onto the bottom of the crust and smooth it over into an even layer. Chill in the fridge for an hour to set.
• No-Bake Cheesecake Filling
• Set the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and use the back of a spatula or wooden spoon to press it down. Affix the paddle attachment and add the sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Beat until creamed and you can’t see any lumps. Add the sour cream and beat to combine. Pour in the powdered sugar and then heavy cream and switch to the whisk attachment; beat until the mixture is thickened to medium/stiff peaks. Pour the filling over the chocolate ganache and smooth it into an even layer. Set in the fridge to chill for 8 hours or overnight. 
• Serve and Store
• To serve the cheesecake, first take an offset spatula and run it around the edges of the crust to loosen the pie from the pan. Open the clasp and carefully lift the cheesecake. It should be sturdy enough to lift the pie off the parchment and set it on a plate. Store it as is, uncovered, in the fridge, for up to 3 days. Serve cold.

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