No Bake Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

Oreos smashed into a crust. Cream cheese layer. White chocolate pudding on top. Whipped cream finish. Ninety minutes from start to plated, and zero heat involved—that’s the whole thing. No oven required. Just a fridge and some layering patience.

Why You’ll Love This No Bake Cheesecake

Takes 35 minutes to assemble, then you wait. Actual hands-on time is maybe half that. No baking. No temperature guessing. No burnt edges or cracks that feel like a personal failure. Tastes good cold straight out of the fridge, and actually tastes better the next day—pudding sets firmer, layers don’t separate when you cut. Cookies in the crust. Specifically Oreos. Not boring graham. That chocolate bite stays through the whole thing. Works for people who don’t bake—this isn’t a recipe, it’s assembly. You need a mixer and a knife. That’s it.

What You Need for No Bake Cheesecake

Thirty-six Oreos. Cream removed or not, doesn’t really matter—most people leave them in anyway. Chocolate wafers work if you’re being precious about it, but Oreos are the standard.

Twelve tablespoons unsalted butter melted. Coconut oil works fine, same amount. The crust just needs fat to hold the crumbs together.

Eight ounces cream cheese softened—room temperature matters here. Cold cream cheese won’t blend smooth and you’ll taste the grit. Mascarpone if you want silkier, but it changes the flavor.

One cup powdered sugar. Three quarters if you want less sweet. Depends on your tolerance.

Two cups whipped topping divided. Cool Whip from the freezer. Or whipped cream if you want to feel fancy. Homemade works but you’re adding time for no reason.

One package white chocolate instant pudding mix, the small one, 3.4 ounces. Nothing fancy.

Three cups whole milk. Almond milk technically works but pudding won’t thicken the same way. Not worth the gamble.

White chocolate curls or shavings for the top. Optional. Looks good but you can skip it.

How to Make No Bake Cheesecake

Start with the crust. Grease a 9x13 dish. This matters—don’t skip it. The crust sticks like it’s glued down.

Pulse the Oreos in a food processor until they’re crumbs. Don’t pulverize them into dust. Some small chunks are good. You want texture, not flour.

Pour melted butter into the crumbs. Pulse a few more times until it holds together when you squeeze it. If it’s still too dry, add a bit more butter. Just a splash.

Press it all into the bottom of the dish. Firm. Dense. Even thickness. It needs to be packed tight or it’ll crumble when you spread the next layer on top.

Freeze it for 15 to 20 minutes. Just until it’s solid enough. You’re not freezing it completely—just firming it up enough that the next layer won’t sink in.

How to Get Perfect Layers in Your No Cook Cheesecake

While the crust is freezing, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Medium speed on the mixer, about 2 to 3 minutes. You’re looking for it to get fluffy and light. This takes longer than you think. The mixer is smoothing out the sugar grains so you don’t taste them later.

Fold in half the whipped topping. Gently. Folding, not stirring. You’re trying to keep the air in it. If you beat it, you lose the fluff and the whole thing gets dense.

Spread it over the cold crust. Smooth it out. Back to the freezer for 15 minutes.

Make the pudding while that’s chilling. Whisk the pudding mix and milk together in a big bowl. Actually whisk it hard for about 2 minutes until it thickens. It should jiggle slightly but hold its shape. Not liquid. Not solid. Somewhere between.

Spread the pudding on top of the cream cheese layer right away. Don’t wait. If it sits, it’ll set stiff and you’ll have air pockets everywhere. Work fast but don’t panic.

Top the whole thing with the rest of the whipped topping. Spread it soft. Don’t press hard or you’ll compress the pudding layer. An offset spatula makes this look nicer but a regular knife works fine.

Throw white chocolate curls on top if you’re doing that. If not, just leave it. It’s already good.

No Bake Cheesecake Tips and Common Mistakes

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Longer is better. Two hours if you have it. The layers need time to firm up separately or they’ll blend together when you cut.

Use a sharp serrated knife and wipe it between cuts. Seriously. Cold cheesecake wants to be sliced clean, not smashed.

Cream cheese temperature matters more than people think. Take it out of the fridge before you start. Cold cream cheese won’t mix smooth.

The pudding mix matters. White chocolate pudding is not the same as vanilla. Don’t substitute. It’s a different flavor.

Leftovers keep for three days in the fridge, covered. After that the crust starts getting soggy from the layers above it. Not terrible but texture changes.

Some people try to use a no-bake crust without freezing it first. Don’t. It’ll crumble through everything and you’ll have Oreo dust in the pudding layer.

The dish size matters. Nine by thirteen is standard. A springform pan works if that’s what you have, but it needs an extra 15 minutes chill time because the sides aren’t supporting the layers.

No Bake Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

By Emma

Prep:

35 min

Cook:

0 min

Total:

1h 30min

Servings:

12 servings

Ingredients

• 36 Oreo cookies (cream removed, or use chocolate wafer cookies as an alternative)
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (substitute coconut oil if preferred)
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened (can swap for mascarpone for silkier mouthfeel)
• 1 cup powdered sugar (reduce to ¾ cup if less sweetness is desired)
• 2 cups whipped topping divided (like Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream)
• 1 package white chocolate instant pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
• 3 cups whole milk (almond milk works but pudding consistency may vary)
• White chocolate curls or shavings for garnish (optional shaved white baking chocolate or candy melts)

Method

1. 1 Butter or grease a 9x13-inch dish thoroughly. Don’t skip—the crust sticks easily otherwise.
2. 2 Pulse Oreo cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs. Don’t blitz too long; some small chunks add texture.
3. 3 Add melted butter to crumbs, pulse few more times blending fully. Mixture should hold when pressed between fingers—if too dry, add a splash more butter.
4. 4 Press crumb mixture into the dish bottom firmly, dense and even. Freeze 15-20 minutes until crust firms and won’t crumble when spreading layers.
5. 5 Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with electric mixer on medium. Stops grit from sugar settling.
6. 6 Fold in half of whipped topping gently to keep airiness—no overmix or will lose volume. Spread evenly over chilled crust.
7. 7 Put dish back to freezer for quick chill, 15 minutes more. Helps support pudding layer without blending or collapsing.
8. 8 In large bowl, vigorously whisk white chocolate pudding mix and milk. Wait for smooth thick custard, about 2 minutes. The pudding should slightly wiggle but hold shape.
9. 9 Spread pudding evenly atop cream cheese layer immediately before it sets stiff. Work fast so layers don’t merge.
10. 10 Top the whole thing with remaining whipped topping, spread softly to not break through pudding. Use an offset spatula for neat finish.
11. 11 Scatter white chocolate curls or shavings on top. If unavailable, finely chop white chocolate bar or candy melts—adds texture and visual pop.
12. 12 Refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm up layers. Longer is better if time allows. Will slice cleaner and hold shape.
13. 13 Cut with sharp serrated knife, wiping blade between cuts. Prevents squishing layers.
14. 14 Store leftovers covered in fridge, best eaten within 3 days for freshness and texture.

Nutritional information

Calories

479

Protein

6g

Carbs

60g

Fat

25g

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Frequently Asked Questions About No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Can you make this cheesecake without baking if you don’t have Cool Whip? Whip your own cream. Heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, whip it until peaks form. Takes five minutes. Works exactly the same.

How long does no cook cheesecake last in the fridge? Three days before the texture starts falling apart. Best if you eat it within two.

Can I use a different type of cookie for the crust in this cheesecake without oven? Chocolate wafers work. So do graham crackers if you want less chocolate intensity. Needs the same amount of butter either way.

Does this unbaked cheesecake need to stay frozen or just refrigerated? Just refrigerated. Freezing it makes it icy and changes the pudding texture. Don’t freeze.

What if the pudding layer sets too fast on my no bake cheese cake recipe? It thickens quickly, that’s normal. Just spread it before it gets thick enough to hold its shape completely. If it hardens, throw it back in a bowl and whisk it for 30 seconds to loosen it up. Reuse it.

Can I substitute the white chocolate pudding in this cheese cake without baking? Yeah. Chocolate pudding works. Vanilla too. Flavors will change but method’s the same. Pudding is pudding.