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–+ servings
side view of Oreo cheesecake recipe showing how to decorate it with whipped cream, crushed Oreos and chocolate drizzle
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Oreo Cheesecake

Calling all Oreo lovers or dizzyingly delicious dessert lovers!  This Oreo Cheesecake is the dessert of your dreams nestled in an Oreo crust, chock full of Oreo crumbs and chopped cookies swirled in the sweet, rich and creamy cheesecake, topped with silky chocolate ganache, more crushed Oreos and crowned with pillows of whipped cream.   It’s HEAVENLY.  This Oreo Cheesecake recipe can be made 100% ahead of time, including the whipped cream (thanks to my stabilized whipped cream technique) for a stress-free dessert win.  I’ve included detailed instructions on how to make Oreo Cheesecake and a How to Make Video so it will be a runaway success even if you've never made cheesecake before!
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours 20 minutes
12 hours
Total Time 15 hours 20 minutes
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

EQUIPMENT

Crust

  • 24 whole Oreos finely crushed (I use my food processor)
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted (salted or unsalted)

CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 4 8 oz. pkgs. (32 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature (full fat is best)
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
  • 10 Oreos processed into crumbs
  • 9 Oreos, quartered

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

WHIPPED CREAM

  • 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING

  • 8-10 Oreos, crushed
  • 6 Oreos, halved for garnish (optional)

Instructions

PREP

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Begin boiling a large pot of water (about 4 quarts) for the water bath (you may not need all of it). Once it’s boiling, turn the stove off and cover the pot.
  • Line the bottom of a 9" 3-inch high springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the inside of your entire pan with nonstick cooking spray. (The parchment will allow you to transfer your cheesecake later.)

CRUST

  • Add 24 Oreos to a food processor and process until finely ground (or crush in a bag with a rolling pin). Add butter and process (or stir) until evenly combined.
  • Add to the greased springform pan and firmly press the crumbs down on the bottom of the pan in an even layer using the bottom of a glass.
  • Bake crust at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. (You can prep filling while the crust bakes and cools.)

WATERPROOF PAN

  • Place springform pan in the bottom of a slow cooker liner. Bring the liner bag up to the top of the pan then gather excess to one side and tie it in a knot. Make sure the knot is secure at the top of the pan so no water can get in.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • Add cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Add sugar and cornstarch and beat on medium-slow speed until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the sour cream, vanilla and salt and beat on low just until blended. Add the Oreo crumbs and beat on low just until combined, leaving a few white streaks.
  • Add the eggs one at a time followed by the egg yolk, beating as little as possible, just until combined after each addition (overbeating once you add the eggs can cause cracks and the cheesecake to deflate). Drop the bowl on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.
  • Pour one third of the cheesecake filling onto the cooled crust and spread evenly. Drop the pan on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Top evenly with the quartered Oreos. Add remaining cheesecake filling and spread evenly.

WATER BATH

  • Place cheesecake in a large roasting pan then place the roasting pan in the preheated oven. Using a glass liquid measuring cup or pitcher, carefully pour enough boiling hot water (add it low in the corner of the pan) until it reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan.

BAKE

  • Bake the cheesecake at 325 degrees F for 75-85 minutes or until edges are firm and the center 2-3 of the cheesecake is still wobbly. (DON’T open door before 75 minutes, this can cause cracks.) The cheesecake will continue to firm up as it cools.

COOL AND CHILL

  • Turn off the oven and crack the oven door open about 1-inch. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 60 minutes, then remove it to a wire rack; remove the slow cooker liner. (Don't be alarmed if the pan seems "wet," this is just condenstation.)
  • Continue to cool for 2-3 hours on the wire rack or until the cheesecake is cooled to room temperature.
  • After the cheesecake has cooled, gently run a hot knife along the edges of the cheesecake and unclamp the cheesecake and remove the pan.
  • Cover the cheesecake with foil or transfer to a cake container and chill in the refrigerator overnight, best if 24 hours, OR proceed to add the ganache/stabilized whipped cream and then chill. I typically chill the cheesecake overnight, add the ganache and whipped cream the next day, then chill until ready to serve.  The ganache can be added as late as 30 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND OREO LAYER

  • Ganache: Add the heavy cream and corn syrup to a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave until just boiling, about 90 seconds.
  • Add the chopped chocolate and press down so it’s submerged in the cream. Let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk vigorously until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let the ganache cool for 5-10 minutes, until thickened but still pourable and spreadable.
  • Transfer about 1 ½ tablespoons (eyeball it) to a microwave safe bowl to use later as the drizzle. Pour the remaining ganache over the cheesecake and spread into a smooth layer. Transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator to slighlty set the ganache while you crush the Oreos.
  • Oreos: Top the entire surface of the cheesecake with the crushed Oreos. At this point you can add the stabilized whipped cream and return the finished cheesecake to the refrigerator or add the whipped cream any time before serving.

WHIPPED TOPPING

  • Add unflavored gelatin to a microwave safe bowl then pour the cold water over top; let stand for 5 minutes. Microwave for 20 seconds. Stir the mixture, then set aside while you immediately begin to beat the heavy cream.
  • Add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Whip using an electric hand mixer just until soft peaks form (the peaks flop over when the beaters are lifted.) 
  • Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the gelatin mixture. Mix until combined then increase speed to medium and continue mixing until stiff peaks form (peaks stand straight up when the beaters are lifted).
  • Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large tip. You can pipe the stabilized whipped cream onto the room temperature cheesecake before you pop it into the fridge or any time after that. The beauty of stabilized whipped cream is it will hold its shape indefinitely. If using regular whipped cream, top just before serving.

DRIZZLE (optional)

  • Microwave reserved ganache for 10 seconds or until melted. Transfer to a plastic bag, snip the corner and drizzle all over the cheesecake.

TO SLICE

  • Fill a large glass with hot water. Dip the knife in the hot water before each cut, then wipe clean with a paper towel after each cut, then repeat.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Notes

  • Oreos: This Oreo Cheesecake recipe uses 53 Oreos.  One family size Oreo package contains 33 Oreos, so you will need TWO Family Size packages at - 19.1 ounces each.  Please use regular Oreos and not double stuffed.
  • Gluten free: Oreos now come gluten free!  The rest of the recipe ingredients are gluten free.
  • Unflavored gelatin: This is a common baking ingredient and can be found next to the packages of Jell-O and pudding at your grocery store. It is what makes this “stabilized” whipped cream and not just whipped cream.
  • Chocolate:  Use quality baking chocolate bars as opposed to chocolate chips because they have a higher percentage of cocoa butter and therefore melt more seamlessly.
  • Corn syrup: This keeps the ganache shiny, smooth and pliable after being refrigerated.  You can omit the corn syrup if you really are opposed but the ganache will not be as smooth, shiny, flexible or overall successful.

Tips and Tricks

  • Start the cheesecake early! Start making the recipe early in the day because it requires 4 hours of hand’s off time between the baking and cooling before you can transfer it to the refrigerator.  Once the cheesecake is cooled, you can proceed to add the ganache/stabilized whipped cream and then chill overnight or add them any time before serving. I typically chill the cheesecake overnight, add the ganache and whipped cream the next day, then chill until ready to serve.  The ganache can be added as late as 30 minutes before serving.
  • DON’T MICROWAVE THE CREAM CHEESE: Normally microwaving the cream cheese is acceptable to create super soft cream cheese.  In this recipe, however, it creates too thin and runny of cheesecake.  Instead, we want the filling to be rich and creamy so it holds the Oreo pieces in place (see pics), otherwise, they will rise to the surface while baking and cause cracks.  
  • To soften the cream cheese: Cube it and lay it in a single layer on a plate. It can sit on the counter for up to 2 hours according to com. It will also soften quickly outside. If it’s a warm day, it won’t need much longer than 20 minutes outside and then you can bring it inside until ready to use.
  • Room temperature ingredients: Room temperature eggs, sour cream and cream cheese allow them to mix more easily which means you’re less likely to overbeat the eggs which causes cracking (more below).
  • Don’t overbeat eggs:  Eggs trap air, which can rise to the surface and cause cracks and/or the cheesecake to deflate, so mix the eggs/cheesecake filling as little as possible once they’re added.
  • To quickly bring eggs to room temperature: Fill a bowl with warm
  • water (not hot) and add eggs and let sit 10-20 minutes.
  • Stabilized whipped cream:  This allows you to make the cheesecake 100% ahead of time because it won’t deflate or weep (due to the gelatin) and will hold its shape long after the last bite of cheesecake is gone.  If you use regular whipped cream, add it to the cheesecake just before serving.
  • Don’t panic if your cheesecake cracks – it will still be delicious! This recipe is more prone to cracking due to the Oreo pieces which cause air bubbles.  If your cheesecake cracks, DON’T WORRY, no one will ever know because it is being drenched with ganache, crushed Oreos and whipped cream and will still taste drool worthy. 

How to Store

The Oreo Cheesecake will store up to 7 days but is at its prime 24-48 hours after making. To store, I recommend a cake caddy/container to cover the cheesecake otherwise you can use a large inverted bowl or tent with foil.

How to Freeze

You may add the ganache to the cheesecake before freezing but not the whipped cream.
1. Let the cheesecake cool in the refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
2. Freeze uncovered on a baking sheet until firm.
3. Wrap cheesecake in plastic wrap followed by heavy duty aluminum foil and finally in a large heavy duty freezer bag.
4. Freeze for up to 2 months.
5. To thaw, remove cheesecake from the freezer to the refrigerator.  Let thaw overnight, then pipe on whipped cream.