Chocolate Cheesecake Pie (no bake)
This is an easy chocolate dessert with an interesting ratio of chocolate crumb crust, cheesecake filling and whipped topping. Together, they're fantastic and deliver a creamy, intense but sweet chocolate no-bake pie. Very versatile, you can serve it for the holidays or an outdoor gathering.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the cookie crust:
- 2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs or plain cookies crumbs
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the no-bake chocolate filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 3.5 ounces semisweet chocolate melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup heavy or heavy whipping cream cold
Whipped cream topping:
- ½ cup heavy or heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
- chocolate shavings to serve (optional)
Instructions
For the chocolate crust:
- Mix 2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs with 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm, until it looks like wet sand.
- Place the mixture in a 9-inch pie pan with a removable bottom. Carefully press evenly against the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Refrigerate it until ready to be filled. (You can bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 350°F. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before filling).
For the chocolate cheesecake filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 8 ounces cream cheese, softened, with ½ cup white granulated sugar until smooth and lump-free. You can use an electric mixer for this part.
- Add 3.5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and warm, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix to incorporate well.
- Beat ½ cup heavy or heavy whipping cream, cold, in another large bowl until it forms medium-firm peaks.
- Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture in 2 parts, mixing lightly the first time and making sure it's fully incorporated the second time. Don't beat or overmix, but make sure no streaks remain. Use a rubber spatula to integrate well.
- Fill the prepared crust, smooth the top and refrigerate the pie for several hours until firm. The pie should be served cold.
For the whipped cream topping:
- Beat ½ cup heavy or heavy whipping cream, cold, with 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar in a medium bowl until firm. Be careful not to overbeat it, as it can curdle.
- Put the cream in a piping bag with a star or round tip. Pipe mounds in the center of the pie or around the pie. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and serve.
Notes
Storage: it needs a few hours of chilling before serving for the cheesecake filling to firm up. And it should be served cold. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, or in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature until you can cut it.
Chocolate flavor: you can vary the type of chocolate and make a more or less sweet pie. I like semisweet (60% or so), but you can use milk chocolate (sweeter) or bittersweet chocolate instead of semisweet, or in addition to it, to achieve a different flavor intensity.
