Golden Oreo No-Bake Cheesecake

I am not a baker…I say this all the time. The precise measurements and exact directions give me anxiety. I hardly write exact recipes down unless I plan ahead to document and share with you guys. I am the typical home-taught cook who watched my mother and grandmother cook growing up and picked up tips from them and cooking shows I have been religiously watching for as long as I can remember.

When I was in high school, my mother found a recipe for a no-bake cheesecake in the newspaper and I was tasked with making it for a holiday I have long since forgotten. The recipe for the filling was simple: a block of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar and a container for frozen whipped topping. I knew I could handle this! I made it using a store-bought graham cracker crust and topped it with cherry pie filling. It was a hit and became a staple during the holidays growing up.

The best thing about this filling is it is easy. And, the next best thing is that it is not overly sweet. You definitely taste the sugar, but it is not overly rich as some cheesecakes tend to be. The amount of sugar contrasts perfectly with the tang from the cream cheese.

This holiday season, I decided to add a twist to this recipe from my teens. I know I may get cancelled for this, but I am not a huge Oreo fan. I know, I know. They are just okay to me. But, a few years back, they came out with these Golden Oreos and I have been hooked! I don’t buy them often because I can literally eat the entire package. But, I love these cookies and had the idea to use this recipe from my teens, but add a twist with Golden Oreos.

On my quest to amp-up this recipe, I decided I needed a spring form pan. I wanted to make my own crust using the Golden Oreos so I knwe I would need this to ensure my cheesecake crust was perfect. I did a quick search and decided on this 9 inch pan. Since I know I am not a baker and will likely only use this a few times a year when I do decide to make a dessert, I did not want to break the bank. I was very happy with the way this pan worked out for me in this recipe.

When I was ready to begin making the cheesecake, I started with 30 Golden Oreos for the crust. I removed the cream from 15 of the cookies and set the cream aside to use later. Then, I threw the cookies in a food processor until they resembled dry sand. Next, I added 1/3 cup of melted butter to the cookies in the food processor and pulsed it a few times until the butter was combined well wit the cookies. I used an emulsion blender with attachments so that I would only have to use one kitchen gadget for this entire recipe. I used the food processor attachment for the cookies and will use the whisk attachment for the filling.

Next, I pressed this mixture into my springform pan, making sure to go about a 1/4 inch up the sides of the pan as well. I did use the bottom of a measuring cup to help with making sure the crust was even. I covered the pan with silicon covers to ensure the crust was not compromised.

While the crust was setting, I made the super simple filling. I added the block of cream cheese to the cream filling I removed from 15 of the cookies I used in the crust. I also added 1/3 cup of powdered sugar to this mixture. I used the hand mixture attachment and whisked this mixture until well combined. Then, I folded in 3/4 of the tub of frozen whipped topping to the cream cheese mixture.

Once my filling was combined, I took the crust out of the fridge (make sure it sets for at least 30 minutes) and I added half of the filling to the pan. On top of this filling, I added a layer of 5-6 cookies in a circle towards the middle of the cheesecake. I topped this with the remaining filling, covered the pan and set it in the fridge overnight.

The next day, just before we were ready for dessert, I placed the remaining whipped topping on top of the cheesecake. Then, I placed 8 cookies in a storage bag and crushed them a bit using a rolling pin. Then, I sprinkled the crumbled cookies on top of the whipped topping.

This was a hit in my house! The crust was perfect and filling was the perfect compliment to the crust! The filling wasn’t too sweet which was perfect since the cookies have a ton of sugar. This will definitely become a regular dessert item in my house! And, I didn’t even have to turn on my oven to make it!!!

Ingredients

1 package of Golden Oreos

1/3 cup of butter, melted

8 oz block of cream cheese (at room temp)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of powdered sugar (you can use more if you like)

1 container of frozen whipped topping (I prefer extra creamy)

Remove cream and reserve from 15 Oreos and add the cookies along with 15 cookies with cream included to a food processor and pulse until it is the consistency of sand. Add the melted butter to the food processor and pulse until the butter is well combined. Add crumb mixture to the bottom of a 9 in spring form pan ensuring that the bottom is completely covered and the crust goes about 1/4 inch up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes covered to set.

Add the block of cream cheese to the cream reserved from previous step to a bowl along with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until well blended. Fold in the 3/4 of the container of whipped topping and your filling is complete. You will use the rest of the whipped topping later.

Add half of the filling to the chilled crust in your spring form pan. Top with 5-6 cookies (I used a circular pattern). Then, add the rest of the filling. Cover and chill overnight.

Just before serving, add the remaining whipped topping to the top of the cheesecake. Then, crumble the remaining cookies in the package and add to the top as garnish. Serve and enjoy!