Times are tough right now and The Cheesecake Shop being closed is not making life any easier. I’m here to help though! Whether it’s someone’s birthday or you’re just craving cheesecake I’ve got you covered with this super easy no-baking-needed recipe.

Here’s what you need:

Cookie Crust:

250g (approx. 25 cookies) Oreo cookies
60g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Cheesecake filling:

500g (2 & ½ cups) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
65g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
240ml (1 cup) thickened or heavy cream
60ml (1/4 cup) full fat sour cream
150g (approx. 15 cookies) roughly chopped

Topping:

240ml (1 cup) whipped cream, to decorate
Mini Oreo cookies (you could use normal Oreos), to decorate
Oreo cookies, crushed, to decorate

Method:

First lightly grease a springform baking tin with butter and line the bottom with baking paper.

We’re making the cookie crust first – add the Oreo cookies (cream and all) to a food processor and blend until they resemble fine crumbs. Melt the butter in the microwave then pour over the crushed Oreo’s and whiz again until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Pour the Oreo mixture into prepared tin and press down gently using a spatula (or your hands) to form an even layer. Pop in the fridge.

Next up is the filling: add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixture until smooth and creamy.

Add the heavy cream and beat until the mixture becomes thick and holds its shape. Add sour cream and mix until smooth. Gently fold through chopped Oreos. Then pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the Oreo cookie crust. Smooth the top and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (or overnight).

Now for the exciting part – decorating! Add whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe swirls of cream along the edges. Top the whipped cream stars with Oreo cookies and the middle with Oreo cookie crumbs.

Here’s a couple of tips for the P E R F E C T no bake cheesecake:

Always use a springform tin so you can easily remove your cheesecake. Run a butter knife around the edge and then gently remove the cake rim when you’re ready to serve
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so you can beat it well and get rid of any lumps
Beat your cheesecake mixture well so the mixture becomes thick and your cream is whipped
Let your cheesecake set in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight. This recipe doesn’t have any gelatine but if you beat the mixture well, the whipped cream will easily allow the cheesecake to hold its shape.

Give this easy recipe a go and tag us @studentcardnz to show us your creation!