Home > Desserts > Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake December 9, 2013 | 88 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Tickle their taste buds with this Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake! It’s an ice cream, cheesecake-flavored pie with an Oreo crust, mini marshmallows, and swirls of marshmallows mixed throughout–and it only LOOKS complicated to make! Do you remember my Frozen Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake? It has (so far) been the most popular recipe on the blog, and definitely one of my favorite desserts. Even my husband (not a pumpkin fan) ate his fair share of that pie. That’s when you know you have a recipe win, BTW! Well, I have great news! I went at it again and created another version of that pie. This one is more appropriate for December and Christmas though – it’s hot chocolate-flavored! With tiny marshmallows throughout, this Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake is sure to be a hit! True to form with the last pie, this one is just as easy. Mix a few ingredients, stir in the Cool Whip®, and freeze. Freezing is the hardest part. (That waiting game.) Oreo Crust tips Crush the Oreos® thoroughly. If there are big pieces of the cookies in the crust, it will still taste great, but the pie won’t cut and serve as nicely. I recommend a blender or food processor for crushing the cookies. Alternatively, you can add all the cookies to a large plastic bag, remove any air from the bag, and break the cookies into crumbs with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Don’t add hot butter to the crushed Oreos. Let the butter cool slightly before mixing the two together, to avoid a greasy pie crust. Leave the creme filling. There’s no need to separate the creme from the cookie; the creme adds structure and sweetness to the crust. Don’t add sugar. A lot of crust recipes (typically graham cracker crusts — like in this Creamy Lemon Pie) call for sugar, but the Oreo creme sweetens the crust plenty. Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake Tips Allow the cream cheese time to come to room temperature: If you use cold cream cheese or try and microwave it, you will end up with unpleasant chunks in your cheesecake. Give it at least an hour sitting at room temperature (or in a warmish environment). Allow plenty of time for the filling to set up. The filling takes a good eight hours to be completely firm and frozen; don’t try to rush this. Also, when serving, make sure you return any leftovers promptly to the freezer. This cheesecake begins softening very quickly at room temperature. Cover the cheesecake tightly in the freezer with plastic wrap and then foil to avoid freezer burn. Use a sharp knife to cut slices. I like to run the knife under hot water, quickly dry it off, and then make a cut. Repeat for each cut; this cheesecake is sticky and firm! Everyone should have some good knives for times like this. Go with full-fat products. Reduced-fat cream cheese and light versions of Cool Whip will cause a wet and melty cheesecake that might not set up properly; I don’t recommend any of these ingredients. Homemade “Cool Whip” This cheesecake calls for one 8-ounce container of Cool Whip®. If you’d like a healthier alternative, you can try TruWhip®. Or make your own whipped topping (recipe below) to use in place of the container of frozen whipped topping. Just FYI, Cool Whip is a non-dairy product, and of course, that isn’t the case with the homemade version. 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract In a mixing bowl attached to a stand mixer (with a whisk attachment) add the 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat to combine and then increase the speed and whip until firm peaks form, about 2-4 minutes. Now you’ve got homemade whipped topping to add to this Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake! More delicious desserts: Twix Cheesecake Bars Cheesecake Filled Raspberries Chocolate Pudding Pie Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes Mini Cheesecakes FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake 4.70 from 10 votes - Review this recipe Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake (ice cream, cheesecake-flavored pie) with an Oreo crust, mini marshmallows, and swirls of marshmallows mixed throughout. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake 4.70 from 10 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Frozen Hot Chocolate Cheesecake (ice cream, cheesecake-flavored pie) with an Oreo crust, mini marshmallows, and swirls of marshmallows mixed throughout. Course Dessert Cuisine American Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 8 hours hours Total Time 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes Servings 12 Chelsea Lords Calories 400kcal Author Chelsea Lords IngredientsOreo Crust▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted▢ 1¾ cups Oreo cookie crumbs (~24 cookies)▢ Tiny pinch fine sea saltFilling▢ 1 pkg. (8 oz.) full-fat cream cheese, softened▢ 1 can (14 oz) full-fat sweetened condensed milk (Note 1)▢ 3 milk chocolate flavored hot cocoa mixes with marshmallows (Note 2)▢ ¼ cup Dutch-process (special dark) cocoa powder (Note 3)▢ 1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, (like Cool Whip) completely thawed▢ ½ cup dehydrated marshmallows, optional (Note 4)▢ Optional garnish: whipped topping InstructionsOREO CRUST: Lightly grease a 9-inch springform or pie pan with cooking spray. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, set aside to cool for 5 minutes. (Hot butter will cause a greasy crust.) In a blender or food processor, process the whole cookies (don't separate cookie from cream) until they are all fine crumbs (re-blend any large chunks). Measure to get a level 1 ¾ cups of crumbs and add to a large bowl. Add salt to the bowl. Use a spatula to scrape in every bit of butter and mix until well combined.FINISH CRUST: Empty the crumb mixture into the prepared pan. Using your fingers, press the crumbs into just the bottom of the pan (if using a springform pan) and up the sides (if using a pie pan). Use the bottom of a flat 1-cup measuring cup to thoroughly compress the crumbs into a firm crust. Place in the freezer while preparing the filling.FILLING: Add the softened (to room temperature) cream cheese to a large bowl and beat for about 45 seconds or until creamy. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and beat until the mixture is completely combined and smooth. Scrape the sides of your bowl with a spatula. Add in the hot cocoa mixes and again beat to combine. Beat in the cocoa powder until integrated.FILLING CONTINUED: Add in the completely thawed whipped topping and use a spatula to gently fold into the mixture until completely integrated (no dark streaks of the chocolate mixture remain -- the filling should be an even light brown color). Be careful to not over -ix the whipped topping, but ensure it's well combined with the other filling ingredients. Finally, add in the dehydrated marshmallows (if using) and gently fold through.FREEZE: Pour the mixture over the Oreo crust. Smooth the top with a spatula. Cover pan and freeze overnight or for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, remove cheesecake from the freezer and cut into slices with a sharp knife (Note 5). If desired, garnish individual slices with whipped cream.LEFTOVERS: Cover any leftovers tightly and return promptly to the freezer. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Sweetened condensed milk: Sweetened condensed milk is not the same product as evaporated milk. Check the label and be sure to get the full-fat version for best results. Note 2: Hot cocoa mix: For this recipe, we're using packets of instant hot cocoa mix with marshmallows. Note 3: Dutch-process cocoa: There are two types of cocoa powder: natural and Dutch-process. Dutch-process cocoa has a deeper, darker color and flavor, and we use this one in our recipe. Note 4: Dehydrated marshmallows: Be sure to get dehydrated marshmallows, and not the jet-puffed type. Dehydrated marshmallows are the kind in Lucky Charms® cereal. They are usually available near the regular marshmallows or can be ordered online. Note 5: Cutting and serving: Run a sharp knife under hot water, quickly dry it off, and then make a cut. Repeat for each cut; this cheesecake is sticky and firm! Nutrition FactsCalories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 231IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 4mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
I see this cheesecake happening in my future. How can you go wrong with a hot chocolate inspired cake? Thank you for sharing! This is delicious! Reply
Looks amazing Chelsea!!! It makes me think of that frozen hot chocolate everyone always talks about from Serendipity in NY! Reply
This looks amazing Chelsea! The hot chocolate cream cheese and oreo crust sound incredible together:) Reply
Love that you used cocoa mix with marshmallows in this. What a fun idea. Looks tasty, Chelsea. Your blog title always makes me giggle whenever I visit. Keep those yummy treats coming! Reply
Whoa, now this is a cheesecake! I’ve always wanted to try a frozen hot chocolate but in pie form? Even better! I can never turn down an oreo crust! Reply
I HAVE to make this cheesecake!!! Totally making my tummy rumble. Thanks so much for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday, this week. Reply
Saw this recipe on the Tuesday Talent Show link share and had to check it out! Looks fabulous!!! Hot chocolate in a cheesecake sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing. Reply
Yum! This looks absolutely fabulous!! Hot chocolate in a cheesecake?!! Seriously? You’re genius! Reply
Gahh! Thank you SO much for pointing that out. I don’t know why I thought it had an e! Fixed it. Thanks 🙂 Reply
Oh gosh, I don’t know how I skipped over this post somehow! This cheesecake pie looks phenomenal! I like that it’s a frozen cheesecake because baked cheesecakes intimidate me, haha. But I lot that there are tiny marshmallows in it too! It look so good. 🙂 Reply
Haha I totally agree! I’ve done a few baked cheesecakes and they are always way more stressful than the frozen ones 🙂 Thanks Beth! Reply
Using hot chocolate mix with the mini marshmallows already inside is a great idea! This looks super tasty. Reply
Dear Chelsea, This cheesecake looks creamy and absolutely beautiful…I love the idea of the ‘hot cocoa’. Just stopping by from Two Cup Tuesday. Blessings, Catherine Reply
Was thinking of making this and adding a hint of peppermint for a chocolate candycane taste. What do you think? Reply
Hi there. This looks delicious! I want to try it over the holidays. I’m thinking of making peppermint whipped cream to go with. I was just wondering what size of pan you used. Thanks! Reply
Thanks Nathan! You’ll have to let me know how the peppermint whipped great goes with it, that sounds delicious! I used a 9 inch springform pan. Reply
I can’t wait to make this for church group on tuesday!!! For the crust, do you use whole Oreos or just the cookie pieces, not the cream center..?? Reply
Great to hear! You’ll have to let me know how you all like it! For the crust, I used whole oreos. Enjoy 🙂 Reply
G’day Chelsea, This looks ‘scrumdididdilyumptious’!!! I am not able to find the mix, with mini marshmallows here in Aussie, we have the mini marshmallows readily available in shops, so my question is do you have an approximate quantity, by weight, of hot choc mix and marshmallows used? Thanks in advance for your reply Reply
One packet is 28 g about 45 mL (3 Tbsp). I just opened one up! I was curious about the same comment, but I am assuming that the mini marshmallows that we find in the store (I’m in Canada) are going to be bigger in throughout the recipe and hopefully won’t make too big of a difference. I wanted to find out because I just want to use the big cans of powder, so I just figured out (while doing your math) that I’ll need a heaping cup of hot chocolate powder (needs 18 Tbsp, 16 Tbsp. is 1 cup) Hope that helps! Reply
I decided to try this recipe finally after seeing it on Facebook months ago and it is by far one of my favorites that I’ve ever made. My husband and son agree too as we are all eating a piece now!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thank you for this beyond amazing cake!! Reply
YAY!! So glad to hear it!! Thank you so much for your sweet comment April 🙂 I hope you love whatever you try next! 🙂 Reply
Great recipe! I’m going to make this for my coworkers but was wondering of I could use chocolate graham crackers instead of oreos for the crust? If so, how many do you think I’d need? Thanks in advance! Reply
Yes I think that would be delicious! 🙂 I’d say you’d probably need two sleeves of the graham crackers (crush to a fine powder) and about 6 tablespoons butter. Reply
I made this for my Valentine’s dinner party and everyone loved it! It was so creamy and flavorful! Thanks for posting, I will add this to my routine of desserts I make! Nicole Reply
Best dessert hands down. Thanks for the recipe!!! Can’t wait to make it again! It came out perfect!? Reply
This looks amazing!!! You’re instructions are great – I just have limited experience with springform pans and found out they come in different sizes. Do you know what size you use for this recipe? Thanks so much! Reply
Thank you so much Kelly! I appreciate that 🙂 Honestly any size will work for this recipe so it just depends if you want a taller or thinner cheesecake (taller, use a smaller springform and thinner, use a wider sprinform). Reply
You can use either! Just make sure you don’t beat the cool whip in the mixture (fold it in with a spatula) 🙂 Reply
I this looks so yummy I can’t wait to try! What brand of hot chocolate do you use? I can’t seem to find anything here in Australia thag has marshmallows in it? Reply
Thank you so much Tracey! If you can’t find the marshmallow packets you can use regular packets and add dehydrated marshmallows if you are able to find those. I generally use Swiss Miss in this because they have the marshmallow hot chocolate packets! Reply
Like 6 of the packets from the box you can buy at the store. Or they are available online; for example: https://www.amazon.com/Swiss-Miss-Marshmallow-Cocoa-Ounce/dp/B00BJ9URYA 🙂 Reply
Could I use a 9×13 pan?? Or does it have to be spring form?? Would it be enough mixture for a ,9×13?? Thanks!!!? Reply
It doesn’t have to be a springform, but I don’t think the mixture would be enough for a 9 x 13 pan unfortunately. Unless you don’t mind pretty thin bars 🙂 Reply
Did you freeze it? And are you sure you used the right ingredients? Sweetened condensed milk not evaporated milk and cool whip? It shouldn’t be anything like a gooey pudding. Reply
I made this recipe last Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! Made one last night for this year. Thanks for your wonderful recipes!! Reply
Yes of course! 🙂 The filling might be too much for a standard size oreo crust, so you may want to do 2. Reply
I’m so sorry Susan! I just switched to a new kind of recipe box and it changed the formatting on some of the recipes; it was supposed to read 22 oreos or about 2 cups. I’ve updated it now. Thank you! Reply
I’m so sorry Pixie! I just switched to a new kind of recipe box and it changed the formatting on some of the recipes; it was supposed to read 22 oreos or about 2 cups. I’ve updated it now. Thank you! Reply
I really love this cake, I really really wanna make it but here in Greece we dont have milk chocolate flavored hot cocoa mixes with marshmallows and marshmallow fluff – – what can I put instead ? Is there anything similar or make another recipe ? Thank youuuuuuuuu Reply
I couldn’t get this recipe to set firmly. Perhaps the sweetened condensed milk or marshmallow fluff was too much sugar to allow it to freeze? What are your thoughts? Reply
Hey! A couple thoughts; did you use any low fat versions (low fat cream cheese or a reduced fat sweetened condensed milk or fat free whipped topping)? And did you for sure use sweetened condensed milk (I’ve had a few people confuse it for evaporated milk which are right next to each other!) Let me know; I’d love to troubleshoot with you on this recipe! Reply
This recipe sound so good. You mentioned you also make one with punkin, I would love that recipe also. Reply
Made this today, it tastes heavenly, but I’ve had it in the freezer for 8 hrs already and it’s still soft. What did I do wrong? Reply
Maybe it just needs a bit longer if your freezer isn’t as cold. Did you use any low fat ingredients? Reply
Nope , I used all full fat ingredients. I checked on it this morning, it’s not as frozen as I’d like it to be but it’s a little bit better. But I have to say it is still mighty delicious! Reply
Nice idea but TOO much sugar! Next time we will cut out the added sugar to the crust and to the cake. It was way too sweet. I think with that change though, it will be just right! Reply
Chelsea, I made this cheesecake. It is a solid 10/10, incredible! Thank you so much for sharing!! Reply
