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! All the flavors of German Chocolate Cake but in cheesecake form.
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
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.
Monica nair says
Hi which chocolate did you use to decorate the edges of the cheesecake ? Was it the same chocolate cheesecake filling ? Pls let me know. Recipie looks great can’t wait to try it out
Kevin says
I was wondering this too!
Grant Wilton says
What size springform pan?
Rae says
I just made this again. The first time I made like recipes. Amazing.
this time I did a slight variation. I added 1 Tsp espresso powder and added some herseys chocolate to the bitter chocolate. It was amazing
Ashley Bisson says
What is the springform pan for?
Kevin says
It’s what you put the cheesecake in….
Abigail says
It was wonderful! I really loved the Oreo crust and will definitely use it for all my cheesecakes! It was also really fun and easy to make! It was just the right balance between rich and sweet and the fam loved it too! Thanks for another great recipe! Keep ’em coming!
From your biggest 13 year old fan,
Abby
Emily says
This was incredible. Made it for my husband who loves German Chocolate desserts. It was so easy to make with the help of my 2 1/2 year old. So so good. Already looking forward to another occasion to make it again. Yummm!
Emily says
This cake was incredible. Made it for my husband who loves German Chocolate desserts. He loved it. The recipe was very easy to make with the help of my 2 1/2 year old. So so good. Can’t wait for another occasion to make it again. Yummm!
H J G says
Hello, for the German Chocolate Topping is there any substitute for eggs? (I’m vegetarian)
Susan Onderisin says
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.
Kate says
Could this recipe be made in a mini muffin pan to make little, individual cheesecakes? Thank you.