Gluten Free No Bake Chocolate Cake

If you love chocolate and you eat gluten free, this recipe is going to make your day. It’s a no bake chocolate cake that tastes incredibly rich and indulgent, but comes together without ever turning on the oven.

I love no bake desserts because they take so much stress out of the process. No worrying about oven temperatures or whether the center is cooked through. You just mix, layer, chill, and enjoy.

The texture of this cake is somewhere between a cheesecake and a mousse. It’s dense enough to slice cleanly but light and creamy at the same time.

Best of all, nobody will ever guess it’s gluten free. I’ve served this to people who had no idea, and they just kept asking for seconds.

All you need are some simple ingredients like cream cheese, dark chocolate, and gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies for the crust. Nothing hard to find, nothing complicated.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Incredibly Rich and Creamy – The mix of dark chocolate and cream cheese creates a silky filling that melts on your tongue like the fanciest dessert.

Tastes Like a Fancy Restaurant Dessert – Every bite has deep chocolate flavor with a light mousse-like texture that looks and tastes totally impressive.

No One Will Know It’s Gluten Free – The cookie crust and chocolate filling taste so indulgent that even non-gluten free eaters will be asking for seconds.

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 1/2 cups Gluten Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely crushed
• 5 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Filling

• 8 oz Dark Chocolate, chopped
• 16 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 tsp Salt

For the Topping

• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar
• Chocolate Shavings, for garnish

How to Make

Step 1

Mix the crushed gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies with the melted butter until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Step 2

Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup of the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute, then stir until completely smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Step 3

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 4

Add the cooled melted chocolate to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed until fully combined and uniform in color.

Step 5

In a separate bowl, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate cream cheese mixture in two additions, being careful not to deflate it.

Step 6

Pour the filling over the chilled crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight until set.

Step 7

For the topping, whip the 1 cup heavy cream with the 2 tbsp powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe it on top of the cake, then garnish with chocolate shavings. Slice and serve chilled.

My Tips

Press the Crust Down Really Firmly

Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup or a glass to press the cookie crumb mixture tightly into the pan. You want it packed down hard so it holds together when you slice the cake later.

If you just pat it down with your fingers, the crust will be loose and crumbly. Every slice will fall apart at the bottom, and that’s frustrating after all the effort you put in.

Make Sure the Melted Chocolate Is Actually Cool

After you make the chocolate ganache, let it sit until it’s truly room temperature before mixing it into the cream cheese. It should feel neutral when you touch the bottom of the bowl.

If the chocolate is still warm when you add it, it will soften the cream cheese mixture too much. That means the filling won’t set properly in the fridge and you’ll end up with a cake that’s more like pudding than something you can slice.

It usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes to cool down. You can speed it up by spreading it in a wider bowl, but don’t put it in the fridge or it’ll seize up and get clumpy.

Fold the Whipped Cream In Gently

When you fold the whipped cream into the chocolate cream cheese mixture, use a spatula and go slow. Scoop from the bottom, bring it up and over, rotate the bowl, and repeat.

The whipped cream is what makes this filling light and mousse-like. If you stir it in roughly or use a mixer, you’ll knock all the air out and the texture will be dense and heavy instead of airy.

Folding it in two batches helps a lot. The first batch loosens the mixture so the second batch folds in more easily without losing volume.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
• Gluten Free Chocolate Eclair Cake
• Gluten Free Chocolate Mousse
• Gluten Free Chocolate Truffle Torte
• Gluten Free No-Bake Oreo Truffles

FAQ

Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?

You can, but keep in mind that milk chocolate is sweeter and less intense than dark chocolate. If you swap it in, you might want to reduce the powdered sugar in the filling by a tablespoon or two so the cake doesn’t end up overly sweet.

Dark chocolate gives this cake a rich, deep flavor that balances out the cream cheese and whipped cream really well, so if you can, try to stick with it – or at least use a semisweet chocolate as a middle ground.