No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

This chocolate cheesecake skips the oven entirely. Melted semi-sweet chocolate chips get blended into beaten cream cheese with sugar and butter, then lightened with folded-in whipped topping and spooned into a ready-made graham cracker crust. Chill until firm and you’re done.

Melt the chocolate chips in short microwave bursts, stirring between each, until completely smooth. Let it cool before adding to the cream cheese mixture. Hot chocolate will soften the butter too much and make the filling loose instead of thick and scoopable.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and butter until genuinely smooth before blending in the chocolate. Lumps of cream cheese won’t disappear once the chocolate goes in, so get it right at this stage.

Folding in the whipped topping is the final step. Use gentle, sweeping motions to keep the filling light and mousse-like. Overmixing deflates the topping and makes the cheesecake dense.

Chef Tips

• Use fully softened cream cheese. Microwave it for 15-20 seconds if it’s still cold from the fridge. Cold cream cheese creates a lumpy filling.
• Chill for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best. The filling needs time to set firm enough to slice cleanly.
• Garnish with extra whipped topping and chocolate shavings just before serving for a polished look.

Variations

• Use a chocolate cookie crust instead of graham cracker for a double-chocolate base.
• Stir a tablespoon of instant espresso into the melted chocolate for a mocha cheesecake.
• Fold in crushed peppermint candies with the whipped topping for a mint-chocolate version during the holidays.