Make this one of your easiest NO BAKE cheesecakes!
I enjoy the challenge of a more complicated recipe, but sometimes I revert to this EASY NO Bake cheesecake I concocted after the holidays for our family. This one tastes so good, especially with some M&M's to give it some color and MarshMallow fluff for more fluffiness. That's where the M&M&M&Ms come from - M&Ms and MarshMallow.
This chocolate cheesecake filling is so soft and silky since there is a cup of marshmallow fluff blended in. Along with less cream cheese, than I normally put in a cheesecake, this has a little less tart flavor. My hubby likes that. A chocolate graham cracker crust doubles up on the chocolate flavor for those choc-oholics. Yum!!
Blend graham crackers, sugar and dark cocoa powder along with butter for a deep chocolate crust and top it with a silky chocolate and marshmallow filling. I have cut the cream cheese in half from what I normally use in order to make it little silkier. Decorate it with colorful M&Ms and you have a cool silk pie for summer or winter. It’s especially cool in summer since you don’t need to use the oven for too long – just for the crust.
Prepare your 9" springform pan (mine is a non-stick variety):
- Brush a little butter on the bottom of your pan. It will help keep the parchment paper stable while you pat down your crust ingredients. I also like to protect the non-stick layer on the bottom of the pan from knives cutting the dessert. I can easily slide the entire cheesecake off the bottom of the pan and place it onto a cutting board in order to cut the slices.
- Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit and place in the bottom of your pan.
Crust Ingredients:
2 ½ Graham crackers
1/3 C Sugar
¼ C Cocoa, powdered
½ C Butter, melted
Cheesecake layer Ingredients:
8 oz Cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 C Powdered sugar
¼ C Cocoa powder, sifted
½ C Heavy cream
1 C Marshmallow fluff
Make the Crust:
- Combine all the crust ingredients and press into the pan, bringing some crumbs up the sides a little.
- NOTE: As an alternative I have even used up crunchy boughten cookies or homemade molasses cookies that I’ve had from other recipes. For example, I had a few crispy Bischoff cookies leftover from another recipe and crushed them up with the graham crackers to total the 2 ½ cups of crumbs. One time I used a few of Gram’s homemade crispy molasses cookies. They gave the cheesecake a nice full flavor with a little spice. I just hate to waste something left over from another project.
- Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes to an hour. Cream the cheese layer:
- Beat the cream cheese on medium to high until smooth.
- Add the marshmallow fluff and beat until combined.
- Sift in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar slowly, and beat on medium until smooth. Sifting the cocoa powder eliminates the chunks that can create bitter bites.
- Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream and beat on low to medium until fluffy and holds a peak.
- Add the marshmallow fluff and fold in completely.
- Spread the cream cheese filling over the crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or better yet, overnight, if you can stand it.
Extract the cheesecake from the pan:
- Take cheesecake out of springform cake and place on a cutting board to cut the slices. Be sure to peel away the parchment paper from the sides. I usually leave the parchment paper on the bottom until I'm done cutting all the slices for serving or storing. I store it in the fridge inside the springform pan and reattach the round sides, clamp it shut and it stays perfect until it’s all been thoroughly enjoyed.
Make it pretty and bright with garnishes:
- Before serving, garnish the entire cake with M&Ms for a colorful dessert. I usually sprinkle the M&Ms on individual slices with dollops of homemade whipping cream just before serving. If you put the M&Ms on the entire cheesecake they tend to get a little melty and spread over the top of the dessert, especially if you refrigerate it for any length of time.
Change the flavors of your cheesecake:
- This is a delicious cheesecake that’s very easy to make and very easy to modify with varying garnishes and flavors. Try almond or peppermint extract in the cheesecake filling. Then sprinkle almond slices or candy cane over the top.
- Sprinkle the top with malted milk balls and add a ¼ cup of malted milk powder to the cheesecake filling to give it a fun flavor.
- Crumble your favorite candy bar or cookies on top – Snickers, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, Andes Mints, Chocolate Oreos, Mint Oreos, etc.
Storing your cheesecake is easy:
- Refrigerate your cheesecake in a covered container for up to 7 days. I have a large plastic bowl that I turn upside down over the cake, then I don’t need to put it in a covered container or cover it with plastic wrap. I normally do not add the garnishes until just before serving.
- If you plan to freeze this cheesecake, don't sprinkle the M&Ms on until you take it out of the freezer and thaw it for serving. The M&Ms could get a little funky in the freezer.
- Freeze your cheesecake for a month or so. Again, I do not add the garnishes until just before serving. It’s easy to cut with a large serrated knife that’s been heated under hot running water. It gives the slices a clean cut.
- Another idea for easily taking out one or a few slices from the freezer, is to cut it in slices, usually 8-10. Then cut pieces of parchment paper to fit between the slices, but cut the pieces at least double the height of the slices and as long as the slices are. Then fold one piece of parchment paper, place a butter knife in the fold of the parchment paper and slide it between two slices of cheesecake. Repeat until you have parchment papers between every slice. Then while they're still frozen just slide a pie server or large metal spatula under a slice and pull out however many slices you need for serving. It's that easy!
Cream cheese your way to your family's heart and "Bake your own Memories!"