How To Transform Cream Cheese Into Delicious, No-Bake Cheesecake Filling

Cheesecake is a solid indulgent and distinctive dessert, sweet and rich with the signature tang of cream cheese. Serving a homemade cheesecake is a surefire way to impress your guests — or simply please your own taste buds. However, making a traditional baked chocolate cheesecake is time-consuming and requires a somewhat difficult technique. It can easily be overmixed or overbaked, and when you're not accustomed to using a water bath, it can be downright intimidating.

Thankfully, there's a solution. For a delicious cheesecake without all the hassle, there's a much easier no-bake method, which is what recipe developer Taylor Murray recommends in this no-bake dark chocolate Oreo cheesecake recipe. To make a no-bake cheesecake filling, all you need is cream cheese, sugar, and cream. Simply beat the cream cheese and sugar together in the mixer, and then add your cream and whip everything until fluffy. Voila! Easy, no-bake cheesecake filling ready to fill your crust of choice.

In Murray's recipe, this method works beautifully mixed with crushed Oreos and topped with fudge and cocoa powder, but there are a number of different cul-de-sacs to travel down with this easy no-bake cheesecake filling. You don't have to stick to chocolate, after all. 

Let's start with a no-bake crust. Much like Oreos, vanilla wafers and graham crackers work well. They only need to be crushed, mixed with melted butter and sugar, flattened into a pie pan, and frozen until ready to be filled. Add the plain cheesecake filling and enjoy as is — or you can mix in a whirl of fruit jam to the top layer or top your cake (or is cheesecake a pie?) with a traditional chocolate ganache. For even more simplicity, whole vanilla wafers make a perfect base for mini cheesecakes. Spread individual wafers with the cheesecake filling and add fresh berries for that bright burst of flavor.

When combining additional strictly dry ingredients to the filling — spices, candy pieces — it will keep its shape. If adding liquid, go sparingly, so it doesn't come out too runny. Just a few tablespoons of lemon juice will add a nice tartness and help to thicken your batter. Otherwise, use a little gelatin to keep things together and help your filling gel — literally. Just heat the gelatin in some milk until it dissolves and slowly add it to your cream cheese and cream mixture, then continue as you normally would.

You can even tailor your cheesecake to fit whatever season you're in; top the basic no-bake cheesecake with whole gingerbread cookies, miniature candy canes, or the fresh fruit du jour. No-bake cheesecake filling is incredibly versatile. Once you have your filling as a base, almost any flavor can be added, from homemade blueberry compote to caramel sauce. Can't decide on just one flavor? Slice your cheesecake, then add the topping of your choice.