This No-Bake German Chocolate Cheesecake is insanely decadent and such a treat! Featuring a crunchy Oreo cookie crust, creamy chocolate cheesecake filling, and coconut and pecan topping… it’s a total showstopper! Bonus: You can make this up to 4 days in advance!
German Chocolate Cheesecake
Summer is right around the corner! And that means soon… there will be days when it’s simply too hot to bake! But that doesn’t mean we won’t be getting our dessert fix! Because I have plenty of no bake recipes coming your way! Starting with this insanely decadent German Chocolate Cheesecake!
This recipe was heavily inspired by my No-Bake German Chocolate Pie and my No-Bake Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake! Those two recipes kind of have a cult following around these parts (have you made them?!) so I decided to combine them to create this No-Bake German Chocolate Cheesecake that is OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious!
How to Make German Chocolate Cheesecake
- Make your oreo cookie crust by combining crushed oreo cookies and melted butter. Press into springform pan and freeze.
- Melt chocolate and set aside to cool. In the meantime, make your cheesecake filling by beating cream cheese with an electric mixer until completely smooth. Add in sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract and beat smooth. Add in the cream and beat on low speed until combined. Finally, fold in the melted chocolate.
- Pour filling over chilled crust, then place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely.
- Once the cheesecake is set, you can make and add your coconut pecan frosting. After you add the topping, you’ll need to chill the cheesecake for an additional hour before slicing.
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
- Because this cheesecake is mainly made up of chocolate, I strongly suggest using a quality brand you know melts well and tastes good.
- The crust of this cheesecake is made from crushed Oreo cookies and melted butter. Do NOT remove the filling from the Oreo cookies before crushing them up.
- When it comes to crushing up your Oreo cookies, you have options. If you own a food processor or high-powered blender, you may simply place the cookies in the body of the machine and pulse until they’re in fine crumbs. You may also crush them manually, by placing the cookies in a large ziplock bag, and rolling over them with a rolling pin or wine bottle. Just make sure all of the cookie bits have been finely crushed, as large chunks will cause the crust to break more easily.
- Because the crust will not be baked, be sure you press it down into the bottom the pan very firmly! This will help the crust stay together when you slice the cheesecake.
- Freezing the crust before you add the filling is a crucial step that should not be skipped. I find 30 minutes the perfect amount of time, but you can cover the crust and freeze it up to 1 month in advance!
- This recipe does requires a 9-inch springform pan, so if you don’t already own one and need a good place to start, feel free to click here and check out the one I’ve been using for years.
- Because cold cream cheese won’t blend smoothly, it MUST be very soft before you begin assembling this recipe. I typically leave it out on the counter for at least two hours before I plan on baking. You can use any full-fat brand, but I love Philadelphia Cream Cheese blocks.
- And you should also bring your cream to room temperature, because batters made with cold ingredients don’t come together smoothly.
- As for the chocolate, it will need to be melted and slightly cooled, 10 minutes or so should do the job.
- If you have a nut allergy, this cheesecake can be made without the pecans. Simply leave them out!
- If you’re making this pie ahead of time, it may be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Don’t worry if the crust crumbles a little when you slice it! This is normal – especially for no-bake cheesecakes. However, cleaner slices can be made by being sure you’ve cut the through the crust before lifting the slice up and out of the pan. I do this by running my knife back and forth a few times before removing it.
- Finally, you’ll want to be sure you chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before slicing and serving. Otherwise it’ll be too soft to slice!
If you try this recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake, let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day ♥
No Bake Dessert Recipes:
No-Bake German Chocolate Cheesecake
Prep
Cook
Inactive
Total
Yield 9" Cheesecake
This No-Bake German Chocolate Cheesecake is insanely decadent and such a treat! Featuring a crunchy Oreo cookie crust, creamy chocolate cheesecake filling, and coconut and pecan topping... it's a total showstopper! Bonus: You can make this up to 4 days in advance!
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- (1) regular full-size package Oreo cookies, crushed into fine crumbs (14.3 ounce package)
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
For the German Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:
- 14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 and 1/2 pounds (680g/24 ounces) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (198g/7 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (53g/1 and 7/8 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream, at room temperature
For the German Chocolate Topping:
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
- 2 large egg yolks
- (1) 7 oz bag sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a large bowl combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter, mix well to combine.
- Press the crust into a 9" pie plate, pressing it in the middle and up the sides. Place crust in the freezer for 30 minutes.
For the German Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:
- Fill a medium pot one-third full with water and bring it to a low simmer over medium heat.
- Place a heatproof bowl that will fit on top of the pan snugly, but will not touch the simmering water, on top of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped chocolate into the bowl over the pot. Heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring occasionally with a silicon spatula. Remove the pot from the heat, leaving the bowl of chocolate over the hot water. Set aside until needed.
- In the bowl of a food processor (or high-powered blender), pulse the cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. Add in both sugars and cocoa powder and beat smooth. Add in the vanilla and heavy cream and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds. Fold in the chocolate until evenly combined.
- Remove the bowl from the food processor and, using a rubber spatula, stir the filling several times to ensure its evenly blended.
- Remove the crust form the freezer. Scrape the filling over the crust and smooth the top.
- Transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours.
For the German Chocolate Topping:
- In a small heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.
- Place egg yolks in a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot cream mixture into the yolks to temper the mixture, then return everything to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly; the mixture will thicken during this time. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and vanilla. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Pour mixture over chocolate cheesecake and sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into slices and serving.
Courses Dessert
Cuisine American
i’ve never seen that cake in germany. and i’m german!
The term German chocolate refers to the type of Baking Chocolate that’s used in the cake. The name of the man that created the famous Chocolates was “Germans.” Later on people just dropped the “s” and started calling it German Chocolate instead. Check it out on Google. Ask, “Who invented German Chocolate baking chocolate .” You’ll find out ALL OF THE CORRECT AND MOST ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT IT! I hope this helps you. Happy Baking! This type of Chocolate has s most unique and interesting flavor! It’s set apart from all other types of Chocolate! Simply delicious! “ENJOY MY FRIEND!”
German Chocolate cake was created by an american chocolatier named Samuel German, it was originally called “German’s Chocolate Cake” but over the years the “S” was dropped. This is probably why you don’t see this cake in Germany because it’s an american recipe.
You are 100% correct! Thank You for sharing this information! The recipe that calls itself No bake German chocolate cheesecake needs to be renamed, in my own personal opinion! “There’s NOT ANY OF THE SWEET GERMANS CHOCOLATE IN YHIS RECIPE AT ALL! “How can anyone call anything German Chocolate and not use that particular ingredient in the recipe?!” Even if it has s coconut pecan and caramel frosting or topping on it , THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT GERMAN CHOCOLATE!! DAH!!! Lol! I guess that’s why in this big wonderful country of ours, with freedom of speech, you can call your desserts whatever you so desire! In reality though, if there’s not any of the name sake Germans Chocolate in the recipe, just call it what it is! A dark chocolate cheesecake with coconut pecan topping! I’m sure it’s still a perfectly good tasting recipe! “HAPPY BAKING !
The Cheesecake Filling ingredients call for 1 and 1/2 POUNDS (680g/24 ounces) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature…should that be 1 and 1/2 CUPS instead? Thanks!
Hi! The amount listed (1 and 1/2 pounds) is correct 🙂
For the topping it calls for 1/8 teaspoon salt but in directions doesn’t say where to add ?
It is in the topping list of ingredients, so that is where it goes.
So I made this tonight for my fiance’s birthday… As he requested German chocolate cake but loves cheesecake as well. I subbed Baker’s German’s chocolate for the bittersweet the recipe calls for. It was was fabulous… Everyone loved it!!
Am I able to sub natural unsweetened cocoa powder for the dutch processed?
Hi ,wanted to try this recipe …but does not want to make such a big helping …can decrease the quantity and try ..will the result be same ?
I made this on 10/2/2020 for husband’s birthday. I used Ghiradelli chocolate and a double boiler to melt it. I had to rush the timing as I didn’t have the full 8 hours to get it made with the topping. I began at 12:30pm and it had to be ready by 8pm. I froze the crust as directed. I put the filling in and put back in the freezer for 30 minutes, then into the fridge. I made the topping and got it super cold in the freezer before adding to the cake, then put in fridge for about an hour before adding the pecans and placing it back in the fridge. We had the cheesecake about 7 hours after it was finished. It cut fine,
it was firm. Very rich.Delicious! Cut THIN slices of this!
Hi , I tried yesterday to make this cake and I got confused about middle cream .
Do I need to add heavy cream directly to cream cheese or that heavy cream should be whisked first?
I added like in the text but the cream was like chocolate milk ,not creamy at all. So I added a lot of blended cookies to get creamier texture.
I followed the steps to the T.. not sure why my chocolate filling was very firm and crumbly when chilled??!!
I’m sorry to hear that! I’m not sure how or why that would happen. Leaving it at room temperature may help soften it up.
Could this recipe be made in a mini muffin pan to make little, individual cheesecakes? Thank you.
Tried this based on the picture alone. I was amazed how easy it was to make. To my surprise it was great. The only problem I had was when releasing the cake from the pan. I will make a note for next time to use a parchment collar. Great recipe. Thanks so much.