No-Bake Oreo Dessert

Article by Krissy Downey

Everyone loves an Oreo dessert, but everyone really loves the nostalgia and simplicity of a no-bake, chilled, Oreo whipped cream dessert. Our recipe has it all: layers of creamy and crunchy textures, rich flavors and a hefty dose of sentimentality that will remind you of your childhood. It’s the type of recipe you’d find in your grandmother’s recipe box or in a community cookbook; a callback to simpler times that’s easy to make and even easier to enjoy. Read on for everything you need to know to make this classic treat.

Secrets to Making the Best Oreo No Bake Dessert

• Make a tight and uniform crust: The Oreo crust is the base for this dessert, so you’ll want to get it right. We find that using a food processor yields a finer crumb, which helps the crust hold together more firmly, without any loose bits. In a no-bake dessert, a little structure goes a long way.

• Don’t skimp on the sugar: You may have noticed the cream cheese mixture has a lot of powdered sugar in it, and we think you’ll love the reason for it. With the addition of that sugar, the cream cheese layer mimics the texture and flavor of the Oreo filling we all know and love, making the dessert taste like an over-the-top Oreo in cheesecake form. Consider your sweet tooth satisfied!

• Texture is everything: A layer of whole Oreos in the middle of the dessert is essential for achieving a crunchy and textured bite, but it also helps with that ever-important structure we are trying to maintain.

• Up the chocolatey flavor: Adding black cocoa powder to instant pudding gives it a richer, more chocolatey flavor, which is essential to balance out the flavors of the whipped cream and cream cheese. Plus, it changes the color of the pudding to something closer to an actual Oreo.

• Make homemade whipped cream: This dessert is traditionally made with a ready-to-use whipped topping (you know the one!), but we think taking the extra step to make homemade whipped cream goes a long way. It gives a silkier texture, tastes fresher and you can make it as sweet as you prefer. The dessert will feel less dense and more melt-in-your-mouth with homemade whipped cream.

• Firm up the whipped cream layer: We like to reserve that last bit of cream cheese to add to the final layer of whipped cream. This helps to stabilize the whipped cream without adding too much cream cheese flavor.

• Don’t skimp on refrigeration. Of course, this dessert is tastiest when chilled, but under-refrigerating it can also result in the whole thing falling apart. Refrigeration helps stabilize the dessert, creating a firm, slice-able texture.

How to Customize Your Oreo Whipped Cream Dessert

These days, Oreos come in all kinds of flavors. While your grandmother may have kept it traditional, feel free to jazz it up a bit with mint, peanut butter or even red velvet Oreos. Adults and kids alike will love the sweet surprise.

How to Store Your Oreo Whipped Cream Dessert

Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge to enjoy leftovers for up to three days.