No Bake Valentine's Day Cheesecake Recipe

This delicious and decadent No Bake Valentine's Day Cheesecake Recipe is the ideal romantic dessert for 2. This heart-shaped cheesecake is a delectable combination of chocolate and strawberry with an Oreo cookie crust, it's quick and easy to make and the perfect dessert for both the strawberry and chocolate lover!

This cheesecake is popular around Valentine's Day, but also great for a date night or romantic dinner, a Galentine's Day celebration, or another special occasion. The recipe can be scaled for a larger group or made into a single, large cheesecake. This recipe was inspired by my No Bake Irish Cream Cheesecake. It pairs well with my Baked Beef Cannelloni Recipe, Baguette Garlic Bread, and Kale Salad with Cranberries and Feta. Although it's decadent, it can be made WW friendly as well.

🥘Ingredient Notes

Most Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake recipes are either a chocolate cheesecake with strawberries on top or a strawberry cheesecake with chocolate on top, but this one is a full on chocolate and strawberry blend! And because I don't use strawberry puree, the bits of strawberry give the cheesecake a welcome texture.

• Oreo baking crumbs. Oreo baking crumbs are hard to find (and discontinued in some places), but you can use any chocolate baking crumb or crush up Oreo cookies, as I did in my crust for this Black Forest Cheesecake.
• Unsalted butter melted. Make sure you measure the MELTED butter. I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in my recipes.
• Light cream cheese and Non-fat Greek yogurt. I use these ingredients to keep this cheesecake lighter.
• Frozen strawberries (defrosted). I use frozen strawberries because they are convenient and more economical, especially in the winter.

See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Greek Yogurt - you can use vanilla Greek yogurt instead of plain or use full fat. You can also substitute sour cream for the Greek yogurt.
• Cream Cheese - you can use regular cream cheese, light or fat-free
• Chocolate - you can use unsweetened chocolate or white chocolate instead of semi-sweet
• Crust - you could use a regular graham cracker crust instead of chocolate by crushing graham crackers in a food processor
• Strawberries- you can use fresh strawberries instead of frozen for the cake.
• Garnish - you can use any type of sprinkle you want! Or garnish with drizzled chocolate or chocolate ganache.
• Whole cheesecake or different shape - you can use a large springform pan instead (heart-shaped or otherwise) but you'll need to double the recipe. You can also use different-shaped springform pans.

🔪How to Make Valentine's Cheesecake

The great thing about making a no bake cheesecake is you don't have to worry about a using a water bath or the cheesecake cracking!

**HEADS UP: There is a 6 hour refrigeration time with this recipe!

Prep: Spray 2- 4-inch heart-shaped springform pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Make the Crust (Step 1) : Combine Oreo cookie crumbs with melted butter and 1.5 tablespoon of white granulated sugar in a medium bow. Mix until all the crumbs are moistened and a thick, crumbly paste forms. (Image 1) .Press crumb mixture into both greased springform pans. Level and press to the bottom of the pan using a silicone spatula and neatly taper at the edge. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes. (Image 2).

Make the Filling (Step 2): Meanwhile, make the Cheesecake Filling: Place softened cream cheese, and white granulated sugar into a large bowl and mix on low speed with an electric mixer to break down the cream cheese for 30 seconds, and increase to medium speed for another minute (Image 3). Add the drained and defrosted strawberries and Greek yogurt and beat on medium speed for another 30 seconds (Image 4). Melt the chocolate in the microwave on ½ power (50%) for 2 minutes, then check, stir, and put back into the microwave for 30-second intervals. *it's important it's on 50% power or it will seize. Then stir the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mix. Beat on medium for 30 seconds until smooth and fluffy (Image 5).

Stabilize the Filling (Step 3): Mix gelatin crystals and ¼ cup warm water (only half the water) in a small bowl and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. *DO NOT STIR (Image 6). It will look like thick gel once it's bloomed (Image 7). Heat the other ¼ cup water for 30 seconds in the microwave on high and pour into the gelatin bloom. Stir to dissolve, and it will become a liquid again .Allow to cool for about 2 minutes(Image 8). Starting on low, pour gelatin into the cream cheese mixture. Continue to mix at medium speed for a minute, scraping the sides of the bowl after 30 seconds. The cheesecake batter will be runnier, but the gelatin will firm up in the fridge (this is what stabilizes the cheesecake) (Image 9).

Assemble the Cheesecake (Step 4): Pour cheesecake batter into the springform pans with crust and level with a spatula. Tap pans lightly against the counter to get rid of air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight (8+ hours) *Do NOT add garnish yet (Image 10). When the cheesecakes are set, unhinge rim of the springform pans and remove. If necessary, you may need to run a knife around the edge to loosen the edges from the pan (Image 11). Smooth edges of cake and top of cake with a hot butter knife. *heat the knife under HOT running water (Image 12). Garnish with heart sprinkles and chocolate jimmies. Add a dab of whipped cream and a strawberry, if desired (Image 13).

You will likely have leftover mix and crust, so I recommend using it to make mini cheesecakes in muffin tins.

Use the Leftovers (Step 5): Press the crust mixture into an aluminum tart shell or a muffin cup (Image 14). Pour any leftover batter into the muffin tins you prepared earlier (Image 15).

🥗 What to eat with Valentine's Day Cheesecake

This strawberry chocolate heart cheesecake pairs well with pasta and chicken dishes. My favorite dishes to serve with the no-bake chocolate strawberry cheesecake are Cornish Hens, Baked Chicken Cacciatore, Make-Ahead Lasagna, and Orange Hoisin Chicken (shown below).

🌡️Storage

Store this cheesecake covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

You can freeze leftovers of this cheesecake in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator prior to eating. You can also make it in advance and freeze it, but wait until it defrosts before garnishing.

👪 Serving Size

This Valentines cheesecake recipe makes 2 mini cheesecakes, but half of one of these cheesecakes is a typical serving. You may have a little leftover to make a couple of tiny cheesecakes in tart tins. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.

🔢WW Points

This is a pretty indulgent cheesecake but it can be made WW friendlier by using light butter, fat-free cream cheese, and monkfruit. It would be 9 points for a ½ a cheesecake, which is about the size of a regular piece of cheesecake.

❔Recipe FAQ's