Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes! Crumbly chocolate crust made healthier with a sneaky cookie sub, and topped with cookie-flecked yogurt cream. Vegan and gluten-free!
That’s one of those titles that feels like a lie. A deliciously innocent lie of course, meant only to prepare you for the chocolate-crumble-crust-meets-creamy-cookie-flecked-filling recipe that is comin’ atcha. Truthfully there are no cookies. There is no cheese. And the only kind of cream is of the coconut variety.
But I know you will forgive me. I know because I have dreamy, EASY, seven-ingredient, mini No-Bake Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes for you, and it’s not possible to hold a grudge against someone who brings such a yummy thing into your life.
I feel like this recipe takes things to a whole new level of easy. A level reminiscent of oreo balls and instant pudding mix pies (but much more wholesome, don’t worry!). Usually I’m all about everything from scratch, but when a few favorite healthy products can make the ingredient list much shorter and taste better too…hell to the yes!
Likelihood that I will bake my own chocolate cookies, crush them up, and make cookies and cream cheesecakes with the crumbs – VERY low.
Likelihood that I will pour chocolate cereal into a bag and pound it into “cookie” crumbs for my mini cheesecakes – quite high. 100% to be exact because I already did. Twice.
And after we amp up the chocolate flavor with extra cacao powder and mix them with coconut oil so they keep their CRUNCH, no one will ever guess the (not) cookie crumb secret.
If you are currently thinking: What, this recipe uses oil?! I know, I know – most my recipes are oil free. But unless you want soggy cookies messing up your mini cheesecakes as the cream soaks in and steals all the crunchiness, you need it here.
Enough about the cookies, let’s discuss the AND CREAM part.
I tested the cream two ways – with only non-dairy yogurt OR with non-dairy yogurt + coconut cream. The version with coconut cream was much better. Bite-able, ice-creamy texture after just five minutes of thawing. The higher water content of yogurt made the yogurt-only batch too icy. It will vary depending on what yogurt you use too, a thicker Greek-style yogurt works best.
And the natural tangy-ness of the yogurt with the sweet crunch of cookies…that is why I feel no shame calling these cheese-less treats cheesecakes.
Happy no-cookie, no-cheese, no-bake cheesecake making to you!
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Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes! Crumbly chocolate crust made healthier with a sneaky cookie sub, and topped with cookie-flecked yogurt cream. Vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
Cookie Crumbs
- 3 cups (135g) chocolate crispy rice cereal*
- 1/4 cup (20g) cacao powder
- 1/3 cup (65g) coconut oil
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup (240g) non-dairy yogurt**
- 1 cup (180g) coconut cream***
- 1/4 cup (80g) maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Crush the cereal either in a bag with a rolling pin, or in a food processor or blender (be careful not to blend it too fine!).
- Mix the cereal crumbs with the cocoa powder and coconut oil until clumpy.
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Drop a spoonful of cookie crumbs into each muffin cup, and press flat.
- Place in the freezer to harden, and save the remaining cookie crumbs for the cream filling.
- Stir together all the ingredients for the cream.
- Gently fold in the remaining cookie crumbs, saving about 1/2 cup for topping.
- Fill each muffin cup with cream. Top with a sprinkling of cookie crumbs.
- Freeze overnight.
- Remove from the freezer 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
- Keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
*My favorite is the One Degree Organics Brown Rice Cacao Crisps. Or you can use regular crispy rice cereal and add an extra 1/4 cup cacao powder.
**I used the Kite Hill Greek-style almond milk yogurt, the thicker the yogurt the better.
***Just the solid part scooped out of a can of full-fat coconut milk that has been chilled overnight.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheesecake
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 11
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
Keywords: easy, no bake, chocolate, yogurt, freezer, vegan, dairy-free
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Mmmmmmm….These look fun, easy to make and yumcious. I will be on a search for the Kite Hill Greek Style Almond Yogurt. Kite Hill is not stocked much here on the Seacoast of NH.
By chance do you have a second favorite yogurt that could work?
Thanks for all your amazing recipes. Would love to be with you in your kitchen some time. Seems like you must bake up all the time and come up with great recipes.
Enjoy,
Robin M
Oh wouldn’t that be so incredibly fun! Baking with friends is the best, and yes pretty much mixing/baking up something all the time🤗 My favorite yogurt brand in general is actually the Forager project cashewgurt, but it’s not the thickest which isn’t ideal for freezer recipes like this. For this one the thicker the better, actually if you can find the Coyo brand around you it would be amazing here (you probably wouldn’t even need the coconut cream). But I hope the Kite Hill greek finds it’s way to you soon!
A Big shout out to Portsmouth Health Food Store in NH. They carry the Kite Hill Greek Style and the Coyo brand you suggested. I do not look for yogurt often. I was thrilled to find it locally. Where we shop weekly. Can not wait to try this recipe.
Here’s to many more great recipes and good eating….Robin M
Crunchy cookies and creamy filling are the makings of an epic dessert! These beauties seem so refreshing and indulgent at the same time. I’m a little (or a lot!) obsessed with Kite Hill’s Greek yogurt, so I will use that! Wondering, do these stay firm in the fridge or are they best straight out of the freezer? Oh, and I can totally imagine the “cheesecake” filling being divine between a couple slices of cake/quick bread, which is what I’ve been doing which nice cream lately – because the freezer must be full of dessert at all times 😉
Right? Gotta have that textural contrast, it’s almost as essential as the pinch of salt in something sweet. Oh my goodness, isn’t that yogurt amazing–SO SO thick and creamy! These gotta stay frozen, too melty at room temp since there’s no coconut oil or cashews in them. And honestly they kinda taste like froyo after 5 minutes of defrosting so just for yumminess I highly recommend the freezer too🤗
I freaking love anything cookies and cream! The trick of using chocolate crispy rice cereal is so clever. I’m definitely pulling out the stops with from-scatch desserts sometimes, but summer is about easy, no-bake recipes ;). And Kite Hill’s greek-style yogurt is seriously one of the best thing that’s happened to dairy free world ever! I’ve had my fair share of watery yogurt and dairy-free yogurt not loaded with sugar is so hard to find. It’s definitely my favorite yogurt ever so I can’t wait to try it out in a recipe :).
xxMeah
★★★★★
Oh I am right there with ya, right up there with mint chip in my summery flavor faves <3 The cereal works SO well! And I love from-scratch sometimes too...but other times I like to be a little lazy hehe. Non-Dairy yogurt has come a LONG way, hasn't it? I still have yet to try Coyo, but that's next on my list. Thanks Meah! xo
These look SO good Natalie! Perfect for summer! It’s in the mid 90’s here and is so dang hot in Texas! I could really go for a couple of these! I love using yogurt for that cream cheese flavor so I know these would be so delicious and creamy and rich. Love the crunchy cereal bits in there so you get a crunchy, yet cream cheesecake, hell ya! I’m all about the no-bake desserts too. While I don’t mind using my oven (everyday, haha!) but I love no-bake cheesecakes. In fact, I have only ever made no-bake vegan cheesecakes. They are just SO easy and delicious and fresh-tasting. I just bought SoDelicious coconut yogurt yesterday in fact and made some muffins today with it and will have to go get some more soon! These are just too tempting!
I just took one in the car with me as I was walking out the door and I should report that they are NOT an ideal car snack lol, but other than that I am in love with these little guys. The yogurt tang and the crunchy cookies and yes so perfect for summer. I made banana bread today, heard my AC kick on halfway through baking, and was like yep time to stick to no-bake treats ha. Ooh yogurt muffins sound amazing though, I am loving yogurt every which way lately and I love that there are so many good vegan ones now🤗
what kind of coconut cream
did you use?
This brand: http://amzn.to/2hLWbkZ
Could you add chocolate protein powder to the mix instead of cacao powder for an extra protein boost?
Sure! I love that idea, enjoy 🙂
This looks like the perfect way to transition into the no-bake season 😍 Cookies and cream…heck, yeah!!!! And in mini form??? Even better! I’m a sucker for all things mini! I love that you not only used chocolate cereal, but that you added extra cacao because I’ll be real honest – that specific rice cereal could use an extra dose of chocolate (in my opinion) 😂😂 and while I am a bit surprised at the coconut oil, I am so glad you used it because in some recent trials of my own (cookies) I have found that coconut oil provided the exact texture I was looking for! But back to this recipe…here’s our favorite magical ingredient again! Yogurt!! Ooooohh, I can totally see how well yogurt works in a vegan cheesecake recipe – naturally tangy and creamy. It’s funny because I went so long without using yogurt and now I can’t get enough of it!! These look absolutely amazing, Natalie!! ❤️ xo
I just made more yesterday, and I am so obsessed and have made so many batches I now just pour it straight into a tupperware and break off chunks–forget the cute cup shape😂 Right?! I love nut butters deeply, but sometimes you just need the dang oil already. And cookie trials…?😏 I am the exact same way with yogurt at the moment, funny how that always seems to happen😊 Happy sunday my dear❤️