No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

• Cookie crust. The absolute best choice for a no-bake crust is Graham crackers (or digestive biscuits, if you can find them). They crush and press beautifully, holding their shape perfectly without baking.
• Butter. Use standard unsalted butter (any brand with 80% or more fat content works fine).
• Cream cheese. Opt for standard brick-style cream cheese (like classic Philadelphia). Avoid the spreadable kind that comes in tubs, as it’s too soft and won’t hold up.
• Heavy cream. You will need heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (at least 30-36% fat). Lower-fat options won’t whip properly and will make the filling too runny, causing issues with stabilization.
• Coffee. I prefer using high-quality ground coffee here – in my opinion, it delivers the most authentic and robust mocha flavor. However, if you choose to use instant coffee instead, 1 teaspoon will be just right.
• Powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is highly recommended over granulated sugar. It dissolves instantly into the cream without leaving any gritty texture.
• Chocolate. I recommend using dark chocolate (anywhere from 55% cocoa and up) to get that deep mocha flavor.
• Gelatin. I typically use sheet (leaf) gelatin. It’s incredibly easy because you don’t need to measure the water – it absorbs exactly what it needs, and you just squeeze out the excess. However, if you are using powdered gelatin, use a 1:6 ratio with water. For example, bloom 10g of powdered gelatin in 60g of cold water.

Let’s start cooking!

Combine the cream and coffee, bring to a boil.

Let it sit for 5 minutes, then strain it through a very fine sieve. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool first to room temperature (you can speed up this process by placing the bowl of cream in a larger bowl filled with ice water), then refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Soak the gelatin in cold water.

For the crust, grind the cookies in a food processor.

Add the melted butter and mix well. Place the mixture on the bottom of a springform pan and press down firmly.

Place the pan in the refrigerator.

If the mixture is too dry, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of milk (this may happen depending on the brand of cookies used).

To make the cream cheese filling, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla sugar. Beat the mixture until smooth.

Add the melted chocolate.

Beat again until evenly distributed.

Whip the chilled heavy cream.

Squeeze the excess water from the soaked gelatin, then melt it in a saucepan. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes.

Add a couple spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture to the saucepan, stirring quickly and vigorously.

Add about a third of the remaining cream cheese mixture and stir again. Then, combine this mixture with the rest of the cream cheese mixture, stirring well.

These steps are necessary to prevent the gelatin from setting too quickly due to the large temperature difference, which can cause lumps to form.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture with a spatula.

Spoon the mixture into the pan on top of the crust and spread it evenly. If desired, you can create a relief pattern on the surface.

I recommend lining the inside of the pan with an acetate cake collar to make removing the cheesecake from the pan easy and ensure the sides look their best.

Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least four hours, or preferably overnight, so the filling can set.

Once the cheesecake has set, you can decorate it with chocolate chips or shavings.

Cut it into slices and serve.

Enjoy!

This No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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