No-Bake Cheesecake

I have previously, in my post for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, lamented about my inability to make a baked cheesecake work and I am afraid the situation remains unchanged.

But I make no apology for it – I’m still happy to stroll to the local Starbucks for my fix of their New York Cheesecake (which I LOVE) – and especially since a no-bake cheesecake is just so much quicker and easier to make.

chocolate chip cheesecake sliced

Making Dessert Ahead of Time

Whenever we have guests coming over for dinner, I always try to make as much ahead as possible, just to minimise any stress on the actual day itself. Dessert is one course I always appreciate making the day or night before, and a no-bake cheesecake is extremely versatile.

For the most part, I like to top my cheesecakes with fresh fruit, such as steeped strawberries or fresh passionfruit. But at this time of the year in Zurich, berries and anything slightly tropical can be hit and miss in terms of quality, not to mention extortionate in price.

Which is why I came up with the idea for this Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

chocolate chip cheesecake on metal tray

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

On a recent trip to a French supermarket just across the border from Switzerland, I was particularly excited to find chocolate chips. I know, I know. Every other country in the world sells this basic baking product, but here in Switzerland – aka the land of chocolate – such chocolate drops are nowhere to be found. Instead, the chocolate chips sold here are cubic in shape, like those seen here on my Chocolate Chip Sablé Cookies.

I actually don’t mind the cubic chocolate, but as I grew up with the drop variety, it’s nice to be able to cook with something familiar again.

Speaking of familiarity, there is something about this cheesecake which reminds me of stracciatella ice-cream, especially since I used mini chocolate chips in the filling. It’s up to you if you wish to use dark or milk chocolate; readers living in the US might even like to try other flavoured chocolate chips (pumpkin spice chips sounds pretty perfect to me!!).

I could have gone overboard and used chocolate biscuits for the base, but I wanted a slight contrast in flavour, so I opted for some caramelised biscuits instead. I usually use digestive biscuits for any cheesecake base, and I think they would work equally well in this recipe.

chocolate chip cheesecake sliced on tray

How to Make No-Bake Cheesecake

You will notice from the recipe that, unlike most cheesecakes, this one is made using mascarpone. Whilst I love the taste of cream cheese which is more commonly used in cheesecakes, I always have a large tub of mascarpone in the fridge and it is an ingredient I use more frequently than cream cheese. In fact, when I think about it, we only ever buy cream cheese to make cheesecake!

Also, I should disclose that I have fallen into the habit of making my own mascarpone at home, and this cheesecake sort of came about as way of using up the excess dairy in our fridge. So it is sort of a fridge-raid cheesecake, and an excuse to dip into my new supply of “proper” chocolate chips. Or maybe I just need an excuse to go grocery shopping in France again soon 😉

chocolate chip cheesecake with teatowel
5 stars (2 reviews)

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
Prep15 minutes
Rest4 hours
Total4 hours 15 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8
A quick and easy no-bake Chocolate Chip Cheesecake using mascarpone. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare!
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Ingredients

Instructions 

To Make the Base

  1. Place the cookies into a large ziplock freezer bag and seal the bag. 
  2. Bash the biscuits with a rolling pin and then roll over the biscuits until you have fine crumbs.
  3. Place the crumbs into a large bowl.
  4. Add the melted butter and mix to combine.
  5. Line the bottom of a 20 cm (8 inch) springform cake pan with baking paper.
  6. Press the biscuit mixture into the tin and use the back of a spoon or your finger tips to press the mixture into an even layer.
  7. Place the cake pan into the fridge to firm up while you make the filling.

To Make the Filling

  1. Whisk the cream until it has thickened and soft peaks form. You want the cream to be firm but not over-whipped. If the cream is not firm enough, the cheesecake may not set properly.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat the mascarpone together with the sugar and vanilla.
  3. Gently fold through the whipped cream.
  4. Add half (100 g) of the chocolate chips. Reserve the other half of the chocolate chips for decorating the cake.
  5. Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared tin.
  6. Use a small spatula to even the top.
  7. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
  8. Just before serving, decorate with the remaining chocolate chips.

Kitchen Notes

  • WHICH CHOCOLATE CHIPS TO USE
    * I normally use only dark chocolate chips in this recipe as I don’t like my cakes and desserts to be overly sweet. However, on the last occasion, I didn’t have enough of either, so I used dark chocolate chips in the cheesecake filling, and milk chocolate chips to decorate the cake. This recipe is very forgiving so you can, of course, use whatever chocolate and whatever combination you like.
    * If you cannot buy chocolate chips where you live, or you don’t have any at home, a chopped up chocolate bar would work just as well.
    * By accident, I once used mini chocolate chips in the cheesecake filling and I found that I preferred their small texture to the larger chocolate chips. However, I used the larger (or normal-sized) chocolate chips to decorate the cake.
  • CONVERSIONS
    To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 8g, Calories: 630kcal, Carbohydrates: 40.4g, Protein: 7.2g, Fat: 51g, Cholesterol: 125.8mg, Sodium: 268.8mg, Fiber: 1.7g, Sugar: 30.3g

Did you make this recipe?

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Update

This recipe was first published on 13 May 2017. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.

More Cheesecake Recipes

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Cheesecake with Plum Compote

Mini Cheesecakes with Passionfruit & Raspberries