Cookies ‘N Cream Cheesecake
If you’re the kind of person that loves to dunk your chocolate sandwich cookies in an ice-cold glass of milk you’re probably also a Cookies ‘N Cream ice cream loyalist – which means this cheesecake is a dessert tailor made for you. It is a tall, velvety vanilla cheesecake loaded with chunks of sweet, chocolatey Oreo cookies, baked in an Oreo cookie crust and topped with silky smooth ganache and (of course) more Oreos. Every bite is pure vanilla and cookie bliss.
The flavor “Cookies ‘N Cream” first emerged in the late 1970s with several companies claiming credit within just a few years of each other. Initially, it took off as an ice cream flavor which quickly skyrocketed into the top five most popular ice cream flavors nationwide. From there, it didn’t take long for the flavor to spread everywhere: milkshakes, candy bars, cereals, cakes, and naturally, cheesecakes.
My take on Cookies ‘N Cream cheesecake actually evolved from the Carrot Patch Cheesecake published by Delish in 2019. I loved their idea of cheesecake as an Easter centerpiece – crushed Oreos as “soil,” strawberries dipped in orange tinted white chocolate as carrots and colorful Easter egg candies scattered on top. I made it that way for a few years, but eventually realized my family didn’t care about the decorations at all. They simply wanted the cheesecake.
And when it comes to cheesecake, I always want the creamiest, silkiest custard possible – one that slices cleanly but still melts on the tongue. The Delish base recipe was a bit denser than my ideal, so I made a few adjustments to dial in the texture:
- Swapped 2 tbsp flour for 1 tbsp cornstarch. Both stabilize the custard, but cornstarch creates a finer, silkier texture with no gluten formation.
- Increased sour cream from ¼ cup to ¾ cup and added ¼ cup heavy cream. This reduces sweetness and creates a lighter, more luxurious mouthfeel.
- Increased the eggs from 3 to 4. This restores structure after reducing the flour and aligns with the classic ratio of 1 egg per 8 oz cream cheese.
- Boosted the vanilla from 1 tsp to 1 tbsp. I wanted the custard to be unmistakably vanilla‑forward.
- Folded chopped Oreos directly into the batter. Not for structure — just because if you’re committing to Cookies ’N Cream, you might as well go all in.
There were absolutely zero complaints when this cheesecake replaced the Carrot Patch version on our Easter menu. Honestly, I got the sense everyone wished I’d made the switch sooner. And I’m confident you’ll get the same reaction – whether you’re making it for a holiday or simply because you’re craving a truly spectacular Cookies ‘N Cream cheesecake.
Equipment
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. If you do not have a silicone cheesecake pan protector, tightly wrap your cheesecake pan with heavy duty foil to prevent any water from seeping into the pan during baking.
- Place the Oreos, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small food processor. Pulse until combined and a medium fine crumb.264 g (2 cups) Oreos, 50 g (¼ cups) sugar, 8 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch, 2 g (¼ tsp) salt
- Add the butter, pulse until the mixture resembles wet, coarse sand.70 g (⅓ cups) butter
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom and just slightly up the sides of a 9” round cheesecake pan
- Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and brush lightly with the beaten egg white, return to the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes to set the egg white (the egg white helps seal the crust and keep it from becoming soggy from contact with the custard filling, if you choose not to use the egg white, simply bake the crust for 12 minutes). If you have a silicone cheesecake pan protector, insert the pan into the protector (otherwise, it should already be wrapped in foil). Lower the oven temperature to 300° F.1 egg white
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt – set aside300 g (1 ½ cups) sugar, 8 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch, 6 g (1 tsp) salt
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla – set aside180 g (¾ cups) sour cream, 60 g (¼ cups) heavy cream, 15 ml (1 tbsp) vanilla
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese at medium low speed until soft and creamy907 g (4 cups) cream cheese
- Add in the sugar mixture, mix until combined – avoid overmixing, you do not want to aerate the batter
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the egg is incorporated before adding the next.4 large eggs
- Stir in the sour cream mixture at the lowest speed or by hand, just until combined.
- Tap the mixing bowl on the counter to help release trapped air
- Coarsely chop the Oreos. Fold the chopped Oreos into the cream cheese mixture – just until they are evenly distributed.165 g (1 ⅓ cups) Oreos
- Pour the batter into the prepared crust, tap on the counter to release any trapped air – if there are bubbles visible on the surface that do not pop, you can pop them with a toothpick. Place the pan in a larger round pan or a roasting pan. Fill the outer pan with water until it reaches about halfway up the side of your cheesecake pan. Bake at 300° F for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the edges are set and the center has a slight wobble.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 1 hour to cool
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath, run a very thin flexible spatula around the upper edge of the cheesecake to ensure the filling is not stuck to the pan.
- Place the chocolate in a medium heat safe bowl. In the microwave or a small saucepan, heat the cream just to a simmer. Pour it over the chocolate and let sit for a couple minutes. Stir gently in a circular motion working from the center outward until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is silky and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.170 g (1 cup) chopped chocolate, 170 g (5 ¾ floz) heavy cream
- Cut 7 of the Oreos into neat halves (a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion work best for this). Coarsely chop the remaining 3-5 Oreos.10-12 (10) Oreos
- Pour the ganache over the surface of the cheesecake. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out to the edges of the cake. Arrange the half Oreos around the edge of the cake so they are upright on their cut edge and evenly spaced (this should result in 1 half Oreo on each slice of the cheesecake). Sprinkle (or pile) the remaining coarsely chopped Oreos in the center of the cheesecake, keeping them contained within the ring of Oreo halves.
- Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill and set for at least 4 hours or overnight before removing from the pan and serving.
Private Notes
Nutrition
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