My daughter, Madeline has a new recipe for you today!!! I'm so thankful that she loves to bake, is really good at it and comes to my aid (rescue, really) all of the time in the kitchen. We were talking about something easy I could make because we seem to always be short on time. She reminded me that we don't have a no bake cheesecake recipe on our website and showed me one she had saved from Tasty. I said, "Perfect!" and then, "Can you make it for me?" And she did, and it turned out delicious! Literally the part that took her the longest was the trip to the grocery store once she realized that we didn't have any cream to whip up for the filling...and then waiting the agonizing hours to be able to finally eat it!!! It's light and airy, has a delicious caramel flavor which pairs perfectly with the chocolate crust! She used some of our chocolate caramel to create whimsical swirls to the top which you can also do using your left over salted caramel sauce if you don't have any chocolate on hand...but you really should have some chocolate caramel on hand, it's delicious, tastes just like browning batter and sometimes I just squeeze some in my mouth when I need a quick chocolate fix...But back to this cheesecake! I think it's the perfect dessert for Valentine's Day, or any day for that matter and you should make it! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 24 Oreos, crumbled (You can use any chocolate sandwich cookie you prefer and can even make this gluten free by using gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies).
- 1/3 c butter, melted
For the filling:
- 8 oz (1 brick) cream cheese, softened
- 6 oz salted caramel sauce
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 c heavy cream, whipped
- chocolate caramel sauce for drizzle
- slice strawberries for garnish
Directions:
For the Crust:
- Place Oreos, in a food processor and blend until you have fine crumbs. Or you can place the cookies in a gallon size zippered baggie and use a rolling pin to smash them. (I like placing the baggie in-between two dish towel to catch any crumbs in case your baggie gets a whole in it).
- Transfer the cookie crumbs to a bowl and add the melted butter. Mix until all of the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Pour the cookie crumbs into a pie dish and use a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup to press down the cookie crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Refrigerate the crust until ready to fill.
For the filling:
- Use a medium mixing bowl and hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, caramel sauce, vanilla and pinch of salt until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold in the whip cream into the cream cheese mixture and pour over the top of your chilled crust.
- Smooth out the filling of the pie and drizzle some chocolate caramel sauce over the top. Use a toothpick to create a swirled pattern.
- Return the pie to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight to set. (Can also be frozen for an hour or two to speed up the setting process).
- Serve with fresh sliced strawberries.
