This no bake chocolate cream cheese pie is an easy and indulgent make-ahead dessert. My recipe features a silky whipped chocolate filling that’s chilled overnight in an Oreo cookie crust. Learn how to get clean slices the next day to feed a crowd!
Classic chocolate meringue pie has always been one of my favorite desserts, but it takes a lot of stirring. Mom’s version used a cooked chocolate filling that spent a good while on the stovetop, thickening and cooking the eggs. This no bake chocolate pie skips all of that, using cream cheese as the base with whipped cream folded in for extra fluffiness, and there are no eggs, so there’s no stovetop and no oven.
Make-Ahead Chocolate Pie Timeline
- The day before, afternoon or evening: Make the Oreo crust, press it into the pie plate, and chill it for 45 minutes to an hour until firm. Set your cream cheese out to soften while it chills.
- That evening: Mix up the filling and spread it into the crust.
- Overnight: Cover the pie and let it chill at least 6 hours, or overnight. This is what firms up the filling so you get clean slices.
- Serving day: Spread the whipped cream over the top and add the chocolate shavings shortly before serving, so the topping looks fresh.
Ingredient Notes
My recipe uses an Oreo crust, but you can use a graham cracker crust if preferred.
Oreo Crust
- Oreo Cookie Crumbs – Scrape out the cream filling and crush just the chocolate cookies. You can do this a day or two ahead and store the crumbs in an airtight container.
- Light Brown Sugar – Sweetens the crust and helps the crumbs pack together.
- Ground Nutmeg – Just a pinch. You won’t taste it as nutmeg, but it deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Salted Butter, melted – Binds the crust so it holds together once chilled. If you only have unsalted, just add a pinch of salt.
- Unsweetened Chocolate, melted – A small amount adds a darker chocolate flavor to balance the intense sweetness from the filling. This hardens as it cools, holding the crust together and preventing it from getting crumbly and falling apart.
Pie Filling
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, melted – Let cool after melting, so the warm chocolate doesn’t deflate the whipped cream. You can also use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips.
- Cream Cheese – Use full-fat and let it soften for an hour on the counter first. Cold cream cheese is the most common cause of a lumpy filling, so set it out while the crust chills.
- Light Brown Sugar – Gives the filling a slightly caramel sweetness.
- Sea Salt – Table salt works too.
- Vanilla Extract – Rounds out the flavor, and boosts the sweetness from the chocolate.
- Whipped Cream – Folded in gently to lighten up the cream cheese filling. Homemade holds its shape best, but store-bought whipped topping (or Cool Whip) works if that’s easier.
For the topping, you’ll wait to add whipped cream and shaved chocolate just before serving, so the topping looks fresh, even if the pie chilled overnight.
How to Make No Bake Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie
First, you’ll make the crust, then the filling. Let that chill overnight, and then you can add the topping. This recipe fits a standard 8-inch pie plate.
Make an Oreo Crust That’s Not Crumbly
- Twist apart about 3 dozen Oreos and scrape off the cream. Seal the cookies in a gallon-size bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until finely crushed. You’ll need 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.
- Combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, nutmeg, melted butter, and melted unsweetened chocolate in a large bowl, stirring until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 8-inch pie plate. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and chill for about an hour, until firm.
Mix the Filling & Assemble
Start by melting the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between until smooth. Set them aside to cool for about 10 minutes while you mix the filling, since warm chocolate can deflate the whipped cream.
- Whisk the softened cream cheese with the brown sugar, sea salt, and vanilla in a large bowl until completely smooth.
- Stir in the cooled, melted chocolate chips until no streaks remain.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until no white streaks remain. This will add fluffiness and lighten up the filling.
- Scoop the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top with the spatula.
- Chill your pie in the fridge until the filling sets up. This will take at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
Add the Topping
- Top the chilled pie with a thick layer of whipped cream.
- Finish with chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips, then slice and serve.
Potluck Tips & Clean Slices
Taking it to a potluck? Here are a few tips on how to transport it, how to get clean slices, and how to scale it up to feed a crowd.
- Taking it to a potluck: Keep the pie in its dish, covered, and in the fridge until you leave. Then pack it in a cooler with ice packs, since this pie softens quickly in a warm car. Bring the whipped cream topping separately and spread it on when you get there, so it looks fresh.
- How to get clean slices: Don’t slice into it until it’s chilled at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. You want it to be fully set, somewhat firm and cold. Use a sharp knife, and dip it in hot water, wiping it dry between every slice. Add the whipped cream and chocolate shavings after slicing if you want the neatest edges.
- Making two pies: One pie makes 8 servings. To double the recipe, just double the ingredients and make 2 pies, since double the filling won’t fit in an 8-inch dish.
Recipe FAQs
It might need more chill time. The filling needs at least 6 hours to set. This can also happen if you mix in your chocolate while still warm. It’s also important to gently fold in the whipped cream so as not to deflate it. If your pie is still soft after a full night in the fridge, it can help to chill it just a few more hours before slicing.
Cold cream cheese is almost always the cause. Let it soften close to room temperature before whisking up the filling. It’s also important to beat it into the sugar before adding the melted chocolate, or else your filling can turn out grainy.
Usually the crumbs weren’t packed firmly enough, or the crust didn’t chill long enough. Measure the cookie crumbs carefully (1½ cups), press them firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate with the bottom of a measuring cup, and chill until firm. Make sure you scrape out the cream filling from the Oreos too, or else your crust will be greasy.
Covered with a plastic wrap (or stored in an airtight container), it’ll last up to 3 days in the fridge. It’s best served cold, so don’t take it out until right before serving.
Yes, you can freeze it without the topping. Wrap the pie tightly with plastic wrap, or wrap individual slices, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving, and add fresh whipped cream and shaved chocolate once it’s thawed.
More No Bake Desserts
Looking for more potluck desserts? Here are 25 potluck desserts for a crowd.
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No Bake Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate Oreo cookie crumbs no icing
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/3 cup salted butter melted
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate melted
Pie Filling:
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whipped cream
Topping:
- 1 cup whipped cream
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate shaved or mini chips
Instructions
Crust:
- Twist apart about 3 dozen Oreos and scrape off the cream. Seal the cookies in a gallon-size bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until finely crushed. You’ll need 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.*
- Combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, nutmeg, melted butter, and melted unsweetened chocolate in a large bowl, stirring until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 8-inch pie plate. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and chill for about an hour, until firm.
Pie Filling:
- Start by melting the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between until smooth. Set them aside to cool for about 10 minutes while you mix the filling, since warm chocolate can deflate the whipped cream.
- Whisk the softened cream cheese with the brown sugar, sea salt, and vanilla in a large bowl until completely smooth.
- Stir in the cooled, melted chocolate chips until no streaks remain.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until no white streaks remain. This will add fluffiness and lighten up the filling.
- Scoop the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top with the spatula.
- Chill your pie in the fridge until the filling sets up. This will take at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
Topping:
- Top the chilled pie with a thick layer of whipped cream.
- Finish with chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips, then slice and serve.
