A no bake chocolate cherry cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust, creamy chocolate cheesecake filling, topped with cherry sauce. This is an easy recipe that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion where you want a dessert that looks a little fancy, but is so simple to make.
Looking for more no bake cheesecake recipes? You might also love this vanilla bean cheesecake with blueberry sauce, blackberry cheesecake, and strawberry orange cheesecake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No Bake. All the cheesecake recipes on my site are no bake. I love the silky, creamy texture, and the ease of putting them together.
Chocolate and Cherries. For a classic pairing of flavors, you can’t beat the combination of chocolate and cherries, and this chocolate cherry cheesecake is just fantastic. Of course, you could use raspberries or strawberries instead of the cherries, if you prefer.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Crust
- Oreos. You can use Oreos or generic chocolate sandwich cookies. For today’s recipe, you’ll only be using the cookie part, and not the cream filling.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Butter. Adds moisture and binds the crust together.
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream. Heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks, helps to thicken and set the cheesecake. The whipped cream also makes this dessert very light, silky and creamy.
- Gelatin. Gelatin is a protein commonly used as a setting or jelling agent in jello and no bake desserts. I use unflavored powdered gelatin, which comes in a box containing four 1/4-oz envelopes.
- Cream Cheese. Use full fat cream cheese for the best flavor in your cheesecake.
- Powdered Sugar. Adds sweetness.
- Chocolate. To add rich chocolate flavor, I used both Dutch-processed cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate in the cheesecake filling.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Cherry Sauce
- Cherries. For the cherry sauce, you’ll need pitted cherries, either fresh or frozen.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and makes the sauce “saucy”.
- Corn Starch. Thickens the sauce.
- Lemon Juice. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the cherries.
Instructions
Crust
- Scrape the filling out of the Oreos or chocolate sandwich cookies and discard the filling. Finely crush the cookies in a food processor.
- In a bowl, combine the crushed cookies with the salt and melted butter, until moist and crumbly.
- Press the cookie crumbs evenly and firmly against the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan. Set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a microwaveable glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the heavy whipping cream with the gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds, to dissolve the gelatin. Set aside while you make the filling. If any small lumps of undissolved gelatin remain in the warmed cream/gelatin mixture, pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and cocoa powder, scraping the bowl several times, until there are no lumps of cream cheese.
- Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup of cream. Beat in the vanilla extract, melted chocolate and warm cream/gelatin mixture.
- Immediately spread the cheesecake filling into the crust. Refrigerate for about 4 hours, until chilled and set.
- To serve the cheesecake, slide a sharp knife around the sides to loosen the crust from the pan, then remove the sides of the pan.
Cherry Sauce
- In a saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, corn starch and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cherries become very juicy. Continue to cook until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken (stir constantly at this point), then boil for 1 full minute to activate the corn starch.
- Scrape the cherries into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Serve slices of the cheesecake with the cherry sauce.
TIP: Although I poured the cherries on top of the cheesecake for the photos, it actually makes things a little messy when cutting the cake. I suggest serving the sauce separately and spooning it on top of each slice.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a springform pan?
A springform pan is a type of cake pan that has sides that can be removed from the base. It’s typically used for cheesecakes and other molded desserts so that the cheesecake can be easily removed from the pan and presented on a cake pedestal.
If you don’t have a springform pan, you can assemble this recipe in a deep-dish pie pan, and just serve it the same as you would slices of pie.
What can I use instead of Oreos?
You can use generic “chocolate sandwich cookies” (without the filling) or another type of crunchy chocolate wafer cookie or biscuit.
What kind of chocolate did you use in the cheesecake?
I used Rodelle Dutch-processed cocoa powder and Chocolove 55% dark chocolate.
Can I make this recipe without the gelatin?
You “probably” can (although I haven’t tested it). The cheesecake might not set quite as firmly, but it should still work, and will have a wonderfully creamy texture.
How long does cheesecake stay fresh?
Cheesecake is best eaten within 3 days.
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Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake (No Bake)
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 8-inch Springform Pan with Removable Bottom
- Electric Mixer (Stand or Hand-Held)
Ingredients
Crust
- 30 Oreos or chocolate sandwich cookies, filling discarded
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 lb cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 oz good-quality chocolate, melted
Cherry Sauce
- 1 lb pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Crust
- Scrape the filling out of the Oreos or chocolate sandwich cookies and discard the filling. Finely crush the cookies in a food processor.
- In a bowl, combine the crushed cookies with the salt and melted butter, until moist and crumbly.
- Press the cookie crumbs evenly and firmly against the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan. Set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a microwaveable glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the heavy whipping cream with the gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes.Microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds, to dissolve the gelatin.Set aside while you make the filling. If any small lumps of undissolved gelatin remain in the warmed cream/gelatin mixture, pour it through a mesh strainer.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and cocoa powder, scraping the bowl several times, until there are no lumps of cream cheese.
- Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup of cream. Beat in the vanilla extract, melted chocolate and warm cream/gelatin mixture.
- Immediately spread the cheesecake filling into the crust. Refrigerate for about 4 hours, until chilled and set.
- To serve the cheesecake, slide a sharp knife around the sides to loosen the crust from the pan, then remove the sides of the pan.
Cherry Sauce
- In a saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, corn starch and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cherries become very juicy. Continue to cook until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken (stir constantly at this point), then boil for 1 full minute to activate the corn starch.
- Scrape the cherries into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Serve slices of the cheesecake with the cherry sauce.
I made this dessert for 2 of my very best friends. A birthday dinner. It was to die for delicious and it was beautiful as well! The dark cookie crust with a bit of a salty crunch was perfectly paired with the silky chocolatey flavor of the cheesecake! I don’t have an 8″ springform ( I do, however, have 2 each 9″, a 7 1/4″, a 6 ” and a 4″ !!! Go figure!)
I used the 7 1/4″ because it has very high sides. It worked perfectly! It was full to the top!
My friends couldn’t stop raving over this cheesecake and I will definitely be making it again! Maybe even try it as lemon or almond…but that chocolate with cherries…it just doesn’t get any better!!!