No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

You wouldn’t judge someone if they ate half a cheesecake in just a couple of days, would you? I’m asking for a friend.

Well, it’s starting. We’re on tap to get our first triple-digit day here in Sacramento this week. I don’t know why I’m surprised – this happens every year. May creeps into June and the temperatures creep upward and then BAM: sweltering heat.

Everyone gets up in arms about how it’s 100 degrees! OMG! It’s so hot! But really, it’s Sacramento in June, what do we expect? (And, BTW, by everyone I mean me.)

Admittedly, Sac is better than Phoenix. I’m sure it hit 100 at our old house in March, so I won’t complain too much…

But I’m still going to complain a little. After all, if I lived in San Francisco this week I’d be putting on jeans and gloves. It’s only going to be 70 there, and foggy. I love the fog. I miss the fog. If I could live in SF again I swear I would never ever complain about the fog again. I’d embrace it like the heaven it is.

I’d also embrace a slice of this cheesecake. It’s pretty heavenly too.

Once the temps start climbing I do not want to turn on my oven. A running oven means a hotter house which means more A/C which means that my electricity bill makes me have to work harder, which means I have to bake more. It’s a vicious cycle.

That is, until you bring no-bake cheesecake into the equation. I can make no bake recipes all summer long and it doesn’t make me cry when I read my PG&E bill.

Adding Oreos to the no-bake cheesecake is just, let’s say, the icing on the pie.

This recipe can be made in under 20 minutes, I promise. You start with a no-bake Oreo crust. You can make your own there with that little how-to post, or you can buy one from the store. Then comes the fun part: the no bake cheesecake!

No bake cheesecake is one of my favorite pies to make because it’s fast, easy, and it works every time. It’s totally no-fuss! Start with a brick of cream cheese that you’ve let soften on the counter for at least an hour. (Honestly, that’s the hardest part of this recipe – remembering to leave the cream cheese out!)

You sweeten the cream cheese with sugar and vanilla and then you add the fun part: the Oreos! I coarsely chopped some Oreo cookies and then mixed them into the cream cheese with my hand mixer. Doing this breaks up the cookies even more and gives that all-through-the-cheesecake Oreo look.

You know, like this:

Then, to give the cheesecake it’s volume, you fold in a container of Cool Whip.

The hot button question: can you use fresh whipped cream? Yes, but only if you’re serving this pie the same day. Fresh whipped cream doesn’t hold up like whipped topping does and it tends to weep and flatten over time. So if you’re making and serving this pie within a couple hours, it’s probably okay with the fresh.

Fold in your whipped topping, fill your pie, and chill for at least an hour. Before serving, top with some more whipped topping and crumbled cookies. Because, duh, that makes it better.

No bake cheesecake is a winner all year long, but especially in the summer.

Just be careful around it. Before you know it, you might eat half a pie! #wishIwaskidding