Easy No Bake Rocky Road Cheesecake

A slice of the Rocky Road Cheesecake sits on a white plate on a rattan server.

4.84 from 6 votes

Easy No Bake Rocky Road Cheesecake

While it looks complex it is actually very easy. Peanuts, chocolate and mini- marshmallows are stirred into a chocolate cheese cake made with cream cheese, condensed milk and a bit of whipped cream - all in the processor

Prep Time30

Freezing time8

Total Time8 30

Course: Cheesecake

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy No Bake Cheesecake,

Servings: servings

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

9x3 cheesecake or springform pan

Ingredients

Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust

1 ⅓ cups graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs (170 grams)
¼ cup cocoa (25 grams)
½ cup powdered sugar (65 grams)
8 to 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (114 to 150 grams)

Rocky Road Cheesecake

1 cup semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips, divided (185 grams)
½ cup dry roasted and salted peanuts (58 grams)
1 cup heavy cream, cold
2 8 ounce cream cheese, sofened (454 grams)
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini-marshmallows (45 grams)

Gravel

½ cup semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips (90 grams)
½ cup dry roasted and salted peanuts (58 grams)

Instructions

Chocolate Graham Crumb Crust

Spray a 9x3 cheesecake or springform pan with a non-stick baking release. Melt the butter and set aside.
Break the graham crackers up and place them in the bowl of a processor along with the cocoa and powdered sugar. Process to form fine crumbs.
Empty them into a medium size bowl. Pour 8 tablespoons (½ cup) of butter over the crumbs and toss them with a fork until all the crumbs are coated and the mixture looks like lightly wet sand. If it is still a bit dry, add the other 2 tablespoons, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Pour the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them evenly and firmly into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Make the Gravel

Place the peanuts and chocolate in the bowl of the processor (no need to clean it). Pulse to coarsely chop them up so they look like gravel. Set aside.

Rocky Road Cheesecake

Melt ⅔ of the chocolate (125 grams) over a double boiler on half power until about a scant half is shiny and looks melty,. Stir to melt the rest. This may also be done in a double boiler. Set aside.
Using the remaining chocolate and peanuts for the inside of the cheesecake, repeat as for making the gravel. Set aside.
Wipe the bowl of the processor out with a paper towel. Add the heavy cream and process until it is very stiff around the edges of the bowl. There will be some cream in the middle that is not incorporated. Place all of the cream, including the unincorporated in a bowl and stir together. It should be medium firm after combining the two. Set side.
Without wiping out the bowl, add the softened cream cheese. Process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate, condensed milk and vanilla. Process until completely smooth, scraping down as necessary. Transfer to a medium size bowl.
To remove all of the mixture from the bowl, place it back on the machine. Pulse it 2 or 3 times to sling the batter off the blade. Remove the blade and use a rubber spatula to clean the bowl.
Stir in the coarsely chopped peanuts and chocolate followed by the marshmallows. Pour over the crust and smooth it out so it is even.
Sprinkle the gravel over the top. Place in the freezer for about 8 hours or overnight.
To release the cheesecake from the cheesecake pan, go around the outer rim of the pan with a hair dryer on high. Place the pan on a wide can such as a 28 ounce can of tomatoes. Pull down the sides. Place the cake flat on a table and run a metal spatula between the crust and the bottom of the pan. Using 2 pancake turners, lift the cake off the metal bottom and transfer it to a serving plate or a 10" cake round.
Room temperature the cheesecake for about 20 to 30 minutes to make cutting it easier. Serve with homemade or purchased caramel sauce.
This can also be refrigerated overnight for a softer texture. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
In any case, the entire cake can be made, frozen and thawed in the refrigerator for serving.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

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Different brands of Graham Crackers take differing amounts of melted butter because of their formulas. It is best to start with a given amount and then add another tablespoon or two to get the consistency of wet sand.

Either Natural or Dutch cocoa powder can be used in this recipe because there is no leavening agent being used.

Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. They are two different products. Both milks are evaporated milks, using different techniques. All condensed milk is sweetened. Evaporated milk is not.

Any dry roasted, salted peanuts can be used, even those with honey.

While I used my go to pure chocolate Callebaut #811 callets, this recipe can even use chocolate chips if that is what you have on hand.

Full fat or ⅓ less fat cream cheese can be used here. It should be softened before processing by leaving it at room temperature or microwaving it briefly. Do not melt it. Be sure to unwrap the cream cheese and place it on a microwave plate before placing it in the microwave.

Nutrition