No Bake Oreo Cheesecake Jars
No Bake Oreo Cheesecake Jars are full of cookies-and-cream flavor! An easy, no bake, make ahead, and indulgent mason jar dessert. The jars are layered with a chocolate cookie crust, Oreo cheesecake filling, and homemade whipped cream. Top with cookie crumbles and the mini desserts are ready to eat!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- 12 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Oreo Cheesecake Layer:
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup frozen whipped topping (cool whip) (thawed in fridge until soft)
- 10 chocolate sandwich cookies crushed
Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- additional Oreos, mini Oreos, crumbled cookies, or mini chocolate chips for a garnish
Instructions
Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- Use eight 4-oz mason jars (or similar size jars) for this recipe.
- Crush 12 chocolate sandwich cookies in a gallon-size zip top bag (closed) with a rolling pin until they are crushed to fine crumbs. Alternatively, use a food processor. Pour crumbs in a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of melted butter until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the crust among each of the jars evenly. I gently wiggle each jar to flatten the crust, but avoid packing it down since that makes the desserts hard to eat later.
Oreo Cheesecake Layer:
- Soften the cream cheese in a medium microwave-safe bowl by microwaving in 10-15 second increments. Stir in-between intervals. When the cream cheese is very soft, (but not hot) use a hand mixer to beat in 1/2 cup sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
- Beat the mixture until the sugar is completely incorporated and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Use a spatula to carefully fold in the thawed cool whip until combined.
- Crush 10 chocolate sandwich cookies roughly (you can do this with your fingers or use a zip-top bag + rolling pin again) and fold into the cheesecake batter with a spatula. Use a few more Oreos if you like lots of cookie pieces.
- Spoon the filling into 8 jars, dividing it equally. To smooth, use a spoon held against the top of the filling while you spin the jar with the opposite hand.
- Refrigerate jars for 6-12 hours to set. Technically you can dig in right away (though the filling will still be quite soft from the cream cheese), so feel free to do that if you prefer. Jars at this stage can be stored in the fridge for a few days before topping as desired.
Whipped Cream:
- When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. With a hand mixer, wire whisk attachment, and bowl (or use a stand mixer), combine 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract. Beat until the cream starts to form soft peaks and then beat a bit more until the whipped cream is just beginning to form stiff peaks.
- Spoon the whipped cream evenly over each dessert (or pipe it with a piping bag and large star tip) and sprinkle with desired garnish (crushed Oreos or mini chocolate chips are great) and serve.
Notes
Storing the Desserts:
- Without the whipped cream layer, these no bake cheesecakes can be stored in the fridge for a few days (up to 3-4).
- I've also stored them *with* the whipped cream layer and while they make great movie night snacking, you'll have the best flavor and appearance if you add the whipped cream before serving.
- As noted, jars are ready to eat immediately, but the filling will set up over 6-12 hours in the fridge.
- I find that I can prepare the whipped cream a few hours in advance if needed and pipe or spoon onto the desserts directly before serving.
- If you prefer, use more Cool Whip to top the desserts instead of whipping the fresh whipped cream.