Death by Chocolate No-Bake Cheesecake Bars — Need an easy chocolate dessert that will impress? These chocolate cheesecake bars are creamy, decadent, and loaded with chocolate!! A NO-BAKE and an easy MAKE-AHEAD dessert!!
Table of Contents
- Easiest Chocolate Cream Cheese Dessert
- Ingredients in Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Cheesecake Bars FAQs
- Tips for Making Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Death-By-Chocolate No Bake Cheesecake Bars Recipe
- More No-Bake Chocolate Desserts:
Easiest Chocolate Cream Cheese Dessert
If you’re a true chocoholic and love rich and decadent desserts, these easy no-bake cheesecake bars are going to be your new be friend.
They’re very elegant tasting and would be perfect served after a dinner party or at a holiday event. They’re also a great summer dessert when you don’t want to turn on your oven. The thin yet crunchy chocolate cookie crust pairs perfectly with the super smooth and creamy chocolate cream cheese filling.
Normally I laugh when people make 16 servings from a 9×9-inch pan but in this case, you really don’t need more than a small square because they’re so rich and satisfying.
You could serve them with whipped cream or whipped topping but we preferred the unadulterated chocolate glory.
Ingredients in Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
To make this easy chocolate dessert, you’ll need:
- Oreos
- Unsalted butter
- Dark chocolate
- Cream cheese
- Heavy whipping cream
- Bailey’s Irish Cream or Kahlua (optional)
- Salt
- Mini chocolate chips
How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
No-bake cheesecake bars take very little time to prepare, and with the help of a food processor everything comes together quickly. Let’s review how easy this no-bake chocolate dessert is to make:
- In a food processor, blend together Oreo cookies, melted butter, and melted chocolate for the crust.
- Top the crust with a mixture of melted chocolate, heavy cream, cream cheese, and an optional tablespoon of Baileys Irish Cream or Kahlua.
- Finally, sprinkle the surface with mini chocolate chips and allow your chocolate cheesecake barsto set up for at least 3 hours in the fridge, or overnight.
Cheesecake Bars FAQs
Can I Use Melted Chocolate Chips in the Cheesecake Mixture?
I do not recommend using chocolate chips at all for this recipe (except sprinkled on top, of course). They are more resistant to melting than you want. Use a chocolate bar to make these no-bake cheesecake bars.
Can no-bake cheesecake bars be made ahead of time?
Absolutely!Because these bars need to chill for at least 3 hours, you’ll have to plan ahead a bit. There is no harm in making them the day before you need them and letting them chill overnight.They will also keep for weeks in the fridge and remain virtually unchanged in taste.
Your mileage may vary of course and I don’t recommend making them 2 weeks in advance of a fancy dinner party and then serving them, but if your teenager happens to find a few in the back of the fridge a couple weeks later and proclaims them just as delicious as when you first made them, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Point being, they are an excellent make-ahead dessert because you can make them well in advance and cross that off your to-do list.
What’s the best cream cheese for cheesecake bars?
For best results, use full-fat cream cheese. Note that you must use cream cheese that comes in a brick and NOT the whipped / spreadable cream cheese that’s sold in a tub.
Why Aren’t my no-bake cheesecake Bars setting up?
If the chocolate cheesecake filling isn’t setting up, it possibly needs more time in the fridge. The filling also won’t set up if you use spreadable / whipped cream cheese from a tub, or if you use milk or half and half in place of the heavy cream.
Since these chocolate cheesecake bars aren’t baked, you need all of that fat from the dairy products to ensure the filling sets up properly!
Should I Cover Cheesecake Bars in the fridge?
Yes! Once the chocolate cheesecake bars have set, you should cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap to keep them fresh.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes! You can double the ingredients and assemble the bars in a 9×13-inch pan.
Tips for Making Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
You’re going to need 9 ounces of chocolate that all ultimately gets melted. I used a mixture of Trader Joe’s 54% Dark Pound Plus and 72% Dark Chocolate bars. I love the Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Bars because they melt like a dream and they are cost efficient. But you’re welcome to use your favorite dark chocolate bar.
I wouldn’t go much darker than about 72% because there is no added sugar in this recipe and the darker the chocolate is, it’s naturally less sweet and more bitter and you don’t want the dessert to be too bitter tasting because the chocolate is uber dark.
However, I wouldn’t go with milk chocolate either. That’s too wimpy (sorry) to give you the decadent mouth-feel this recipe aims for.
Also note that Iused mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on top and recommend doing the same. Full size chocolate chips are going to be somewhat ‘clunky’ for the size and scale of these bars. Mini is the way to go here, if possible.
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4.47 from 171 votes
Death-By-Chocolate No Bake Cheesecake Bars
By Averie Sunshine
Only for serious chocoholics because they’re rich, creamy, decadent, and loaded with chocolate!! NO-BAKE and an easy MAKE-AHEAD dessert!!
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Additional Time: 3 hours hours
Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 18 Oreo cookies
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon dark chocolate, melted
- 4 ounces brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream or Kahlua, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste but recommended
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Line a 9×9-inch pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
To the canister of a food processer, add the Oreos (whole) and process on high speed until you have fine crumbs; set aside.
To a small microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, 1 tablespoon chocolate, and heat on high power until the chocolate and butter have melted and can be stirred smooth.
Pour melted chocolate and butter mixture into the food processor, process on high speed to incorporate, turn crumb mixture out into the prepared pan, and hard-pack the mixture to form and even flat crust layer; set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on high speed until fluffy; set aside.
To a separate, large, microwave-safe bowl, add the 8 ounces chopped chocolate, heavy cream, and heat in 30-second increments until the chocolate has melted and can be stirred smooth into the cream and mixture is silky, likely about 90 seconds total, but microwaves vary and you don’t want to scorch your mixture.
Transfer the creamy chocolate mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese and beat on high power until smooth and combined.
Optionally add the liquor and/or salt. I really recommend not skipping the salt because it complements the chocolate flavors in the dessert and balances the richness. Actually, I added 1 full teaspoon and we still didn’t think it tasted like a salted chocolate dessert but all tastes and preferences vary.
Evenly spread the mixture over the crust.
Evenly sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight or a few days in advance, before slicing and serving. After the 3-hour point when dessert is well chilled, cover with foil when dessert is in the fridge. Initially, there will be some heat which will create condensation and that’s why initially you don’t want to cover it but after it’s sufficiently chilled, yes cover it.
Notes
- Dessert will keep for at least 10 days in the fridge, and likely much longer, but store and consume it for as long as you’re comfortable.
- Recipe adapted from BHG
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 267kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 147mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 17g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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