3-Ingredient Oreo No-Bake Dessert (No Cream Cheese)

Oreo lovers unite! Layers of creamy cheesecake-flavored whipped cream and Oreos make for a deliciously decadent no-bake dessert. You can toss this easy Oreo dessert together in 15 minutes using just 3 simple ingredients, then enjoy the all the oohs and aahs when you serve it!

This recipe is a family favorite at our house. It’s so simple, but looks fancy enough for special occasions. It’s one of the easiest ways to please folks at a potluck or family dinner, and it requires basically no kitchen skills. 

In short, you’re going to make a delicious cheesecake layer without using cream cheese or any fancy techniques like folding things in (here’s looking at you, David and Moira Rose). Then you’re going to layer that cheesecake filling with crushed Oreos. On the bottom, you’ll have a soft and creamy Oreo crust that requires no work from you — we’re using kitchen chemistry to turn plain old cookies into that creamy layer. This could literally not be easier!

What’s in easy Oreo dessert?

To make that gorgeous layered cookies and cream dessert, you’ll need just three items: 

• Heavy Whipping Cream: This forms the base of the cheesecake filling of the dessert. You’ll want this to be very, very cold when you whip it. I recommend leaving it in the fridge until you’re ready to go, then measuring and whipping immediately. 
• Cheesecake Instant Pudding Mix: The cheesecake flavoring is so perfect with the Oreos, and gives you all of that delicious tang without having to use actual cream cheese! You want the family-sized (5.1) oz package. Please make sure you are using INSTANT pudding mix rather than cooked. Cooked pudding is lovely, but the mix doesn’t whip in to the cream as well, and you’ll end up with a slightly gritty feeling to your cheesecake filling. 
• Oreo Cookies: The star of the show! I love using Double Stuff Oreos, but regular Oreos work here. You’re going to need 26 for your finished dessert. 

How to Make 3-Ingredient Oreo Dessert

Step 1 | Make Stabilized Whipped Cream

This step sounds super fancy, but it’s not. All you are going to do here is pour your pudding mix into a large mixing bowl, then add your (very cold!) heavy whipping cream. Then, you’re going to use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the cream until you get stiff peaks. This is going to take you 3-5 minutes. 

You can tell that you have stiff peaks when the cream stands up on its own, forming a pointy “peak” that stays after you remove the beaters. Here’s a picture of what you’re shooting for: 

Step 2 | Crush the Cookies 

You can put your cream aside for a minute. You’re going to take about 10 Oreo cookies and put them in a Ziploc bag, zip the bag, then beat the heck out of them with the back of a butter knife (or roll over them with a rolling pin). Be careful not to over-crush them, no matter how therapeutic it is. You want Oreo crumbs, not Oreo powder.

Step 3 | Layer it up

Now you get to put it all together! Start by laying out Oreos in a layer on the bottom of a 9×9 square pan. As the cream layers settle over them, the Oreos will pick up the moisture from the cream and turn into a decadent soft crust.

Then, spread about half the cheesecake whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle about half of your crushed-up Oreos over the top of the whipped cream. Then, spread the rest of the whipped cream over the top of that layer. Finish it with a generous sprinkling of the remaining crushed Oreos. 

Step 4 | Chill and Serve!

Cover your easy dessert with a little plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge to chill and firm up for 2-3 hours. If you want it to set up faster, after an hour, you can take it out and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. This actually helps make it easier to cut and serve. 

Serve this heavenly Oreo dessert cold, and make sure to refrigerate any leftovers!

Substitutions

 Missing an ingredient and you don’t want to run to the store? I got you! Here’s a list of substitutions that I know for sure will work in this recipe. 

• For the heavy cream: You can use Cool Whip in this recipe, with a few caveats. Your dessert will melt, so you will need to keep it in the fridge and treat it like ice cream — serve and eat quickly! For folks who are looking for a dairy-free or vegan alternative, there are several vegan heavy whipping creams out there. I love Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative. It whips up beautifully, and is dairy allergy/vegan lifestyle friendly.
• For the pudding mix: You can use different flavors of instant pudding mix for this recipe. Vanilla is fantastic, as is chocolate. White chocolate is amazing as well!
• For the Oreos: Any old chocolate sandwich cookie will work here. It’s not written anywhere that they have to be Oreo-brand. Feel free to grab those Great Value or Kroger off-brand chocolate cookies and enjoy! You can also use your favorite flavors of Oreos — why not layer in a little dark chocolate or even lemon?

Variations

This simple recipe works well as a base for a ton of variations. Here are some that I’ve tried and loved: 

• Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Oreo Dessert: Replace regular Oreos with peanut butter Oreos, and the cheescake pudding with chocolate pudding, then follow the recipe as written. You can serve this with a drizzle of chocolate syrup or hot fudge for a delicious sweet treat!
• No-Bake Oreo Pie: To turn this simple recipe into a pie or cheesecake, create an Oreo crust by using a food processor to grind 20 Oreos into fine crumbs and add 5 Tbsp of melted butter. Press the Oreo cookie crust into the bottom of a pie pan, then make the filling and Oreo crumb topping just like in the recipe. Smooth the filling out, then top with the Oreo crumbs and refrigerate!
• Mini Oreo Cheesecakes: In a muffin tin, place muffin liners. Put an Oreo in the bottom of each, then layer a scoop of cheesecake filling over them. Top with the crushed Oreos and enjoy this bite-sized party food!
• Golden Oreo No Bake Dessert: Switch the regular Oreos for golden Oreos, and switch the cheesecake pudding for vanilla. Follow the recipe as written for one of your new favorite treats!
• Butterscotch Toffee No Bake Dessert: My person favorite variation: Use toffee flavored Oreos and butterscotch pudding. This flavor combo is to die for, especially in the fall!

What do I do with leftovers?

Cover your leftovers with plastic wrap, or put them in an airtight container, then refrigerate. This dessert will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. 

You can freeze this dessert after it sets up. To freeze, tightly cover with plastic wrap, then put in the freezer. 

To thaw, place the dessert in the fridge for about 4 hours.