This Scary Eyes in the Dark NO BAKE Halloween Cheesecake is a fun and easy Halloween dessert! It's a black cheesecake but it tastes like chocolate, has an Oreo cookie crust, and it's the perfect Party Halloween Cheesecake!
This black cheesecake is popular at Halloween, but also great any time of year for a horror movie marathon or party. It was inspired by my Halloween Pie, my Boo Batter Ice Cream, and my No Bake Black Forest Cheesecake.
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When I was a kid, these scary eyes in the dark were always in the scary parts of cartoons and always creeped me out. That's what inspired this cake design.
🥘Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter & Oreo cookies. This is the base for the cheesecake. Don't use double-stuffed or anything different that plain Oreo cookies.
- Cream cheese. Cream cheese is the basis of cheesecake. I used full-fat for this one. And just make sure it's a room temperature .
- White granulated sugar. White sugar is the choice for sweetener in this recipe.
- Semi-sweet chocolate squares (baker's chocolate). Melted Baker's chocolate is added to the mix to make it chocolatey and a little sweet.
- Sour cream. Sour cream makes this cheesecake extra creamy!
- Gelatin powder and water. Gelatin and water are what makes the cheesecake set.
- Super black food coloring. It's important to use a Super Black Food Coloring or you'll end up using too much and it will alter the taste of the Cheesecake. Americolor brand is my favorite!
- White fondant. You can buy any type of white fondant or make your own. I usually use Wilton.
- Black edible marker. I also recommend Americolor edible markers. You should use a fine marker.
See recipe card for quantities.
Top Tip - Alternatives to Black Food Coloring
I will warn you that because of the black food coloring, this cake will temporarily stain lips, tongues, and teeth. And if you're serving kids, it can get messy with stained hands and furniture etc... For these reasons and others, not everyone wants to eat or serve black food coloring.
HERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVES TO USING BLACK FOOD COLORING:
A great alternative is BLACK COCOA POWDER (dutch cocoa) to get a dark saturated black color. Here is a simple recipe for naturally black-colored icing:
Black Icing (with Dutch Cocoa Powder)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 ½ tablespoon black cocoa
1 ½ tablespoon milk
Mix together and spread on top of cheesecake. You'll need to at least double it for the top of the cake and maybe triple it if you want to do the sides of the cake.
Another excellent alternative is a Chocolate Glaze. You can also add a little black food coloring if you wish, but you won't need to use nearly as much as I did. *If you use black food coloring it needs to be added to the corn syrup prior to mixing with the butter and chocolate.
Chocolate Glaze:
- 3 oz. semi-sweet bakers chocolate, chopped * NOT chocolate chips
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
In a small bowl, melt the 3 oz. chopped chocolate and the butter. Add the corn syrup and whisk until smooth. Unclasp and remove the side of the springform pan and run a long, thin metal spatula under the bottom crust of the cheesecake. Carefully slide the cake onto a flat serving plate. Pour the glaze on the cheesecake and spread evenly. Put in the fridge for a few minutes to set.
To serve, run a thin knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and cut the cake into slices, heating and wiping the knife after every slice.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Cream cheese- you can use regular, low-fat or non-fat.
- Sour cream --you can use regular, low-fat or non-fat.
- Crust - you could use chocolate baking crumbs or Oreo crumbs instead of Oreo cookies (although they are becoming harder to find).
🔪How to make Halloween Cheesecake
Prep: Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray
- Step 1: Oreo Crust: Place melted butter and Oreo cookies in food processor. Mix on high until combined into crumbs.
- Step 2: Press the Oreo crumb mixture into an even layer in a prepared springform pan.
- Step 3: Filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy.
- Step 4: Beat in sour cream.
- Step 5: Melt chocolate in microwave at 50% power for 2-3 minutes, until just melted (or use a double boiler) and add melted chocolate to cream cheese and sugar mixture. *Make sure your chocolate, bowls or untensils don't come into contact with water/moisture or your chocolate will seize. Alternatively, you can melt chocolate in a double boiler.
- Step 6: Stir 1-7 g pkg of gelatin into 2 tbsps (hot- not boiling) water and stir until dissolved.
- Step 7: Beat gelatin and black food coloring into chocolate cream cheese mixture, a little at a time (by the tsp) until you acheive the desired color. *See TOP TIP if you don't want to use black icing (or want to use less).
- Step 8: Spoon the chocolate cheesecake filling onto the crust. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 3 -4 hours or overnight.
- Step 9: Unmold and smooth sides and top with a hot cake offset spatula or butter knife.
- Step 10: Roll out the white fondant. Cut little circles in different sizes, with whatever works (I use the bottom of my frosting tips) Then make a cut in them at the top, then draw a little circle for the eyeballs with an edible black marker.
Put the eyes on the cake just before serving. If you put them on too early (and put the cake back in the fridge) it will run.
Hint: Make sure to grease the mat you're working on with shortening or sprinkle cornstarch, before you roll out the fondant (and use a silicone or marble rolling pin). I use a silpat mat
🥗 What to serve with Halloween Cheesecake
Having a Halloween Party? Serve this cheesecake with some Halloween Blood Bags Drinks and some Slow Cooker Halloween Buffalo Chicken Dip(shown below)
Or serve it for dessert with Frankenstein Fettuccine for dinner!
🌡️Storage
Store this spooky cheesecake in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Don't put the eyes on until just before serving, as the condensation will make the cheesecake weep and run underneath the eyes
Freezing: you can freeze this no-bake cheesecake, but it's important to note that the result may not be the same as the fresh-baked version. While freezing helps preserve the flavors of the no-bake version, the texture will not be the same once thawed.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 12 servings. 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.
If you're looking for a fun Halloween Dessert, you'll love this no bake black cheesecake!
🎃 More Easy Halloween Desserts
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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🎃Halloween Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- white fondant * I use Wilton
- black edible marker *I use Americolor
- electric hand mixer ( or stand mixer)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 35 whole Oreo cookies 439 gram package
- 16 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature 2-8 oz packages
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate squares baker's chocolate
- 1 cup sour cream
- 7 g -package of gelatin powder
- 2 tablespoon hot water
- 2-4 tablespoon super black food coloring * I use Americolor
Instructions
Crust:
- Place melted butter and Oreo cookies in food processor. Mix on high until combined into crumbs.
- Press the Oreo crumb mixture into an even layer in a prepared 9-inch springform pan.
Cheescake:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy.
- Beat in sour cream.
- Melt chocolate in microwave (in a microwave safe bowl) at 50% power for 2-3 minutes, until just melted (or use a double boiler) and add to cream cheese mixture.*Be careful that your chocolate, bowls, utensils etc. do not contact water/moisture or your chocolate will seize.Alternatively, you can melt chocolate in a double boiler.
- Dissolve the other 7 g package of gelatin in 2 tablespoon hot water
- Beat gelatin and black food coloring into chocolate cream cheese mixture.Add food coloring a little at a time (tsp) until you achieve the desired color. *If you don't want to use as much food coloring, see Top Tip. You can use a chocolate glaze with a little black food coloring or natural cocoa.
- Spoon the chocolate cheesecake batter onto the crust.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for at least least 3 -4 hours or overnight.
- Unmold and smooth sides and top with a hot cake decorating spatula (see equipment in recipe card) or butter knife.
- Roll out the white fondant. Cut little circles in different sizes, with whatever works (I use the bottom of my frosting tips) Then make a cut in them at the top, then draw a little circle for the eyeballs with an edible black marker.
- Don't place eyes on cake until just before serving.
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