No-Bake Cadbury Mini Egg Cheesecake
The perfect easy Easter dessert! Rich and velvety no-bake cheesecake speckled with crushed Cadbury Mini Eggs on a delicious graham cracker crust. Top it with chocolate ganache and chocolate whipped cream "nests" to make it extra festive.
Servings 12 slices
Equipment
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 Cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs about 15 full sheets
- 1/3 Cup (67g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
Cadbury Mini Egg Cheesecake Filling
- 1 Cup (8oz, 215g) Cadbury Mini Eggs
- 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 24 Oz (678g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temperature not the spread
- 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/4 Cup (60g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 1/2 Cup (93g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Whipped Cream (For the Nest Decorations)
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder regular or Dutch processed
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Garnish
- 36 Cadbury Mini Eggs about 4.5 Oz
Instructions
Make the Graham Cracker Crust
- In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan or 10-inch springform pan. Pack it down tightly to the bottom and up the sides of the pan using a glass jar or measuring cup. You’ll want to pack it as tightly as possible to prevent it from crumbling apart when you cut the cheesecake. Freeze the graham cracker crust in the pan for 10-20 minutes while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
Make the Cadbury Mini Egg Cheesecake Filling
- Place the Cadbury Mini Eggs into a food processor and pulse a few times to roughly chop them, then set aside. Alternatively you can chop the Mini Eggs by hand.
- Using a hand mixer with a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
- In another large bowl (either with a hand mixer or stand mixer), beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium until creamy. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the powdered sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined (no lumps), about 2–3 minutes.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. Then, fold in the chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs.
- Remove the graham cracker crust from the freezer and add the Cadbury Mini Egg cheesecake filling into it. Spread the filling to the edges of the crust and smooth the top using an angled spatula, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, chill the cheesecake overnight. This will yield the most set filling.
- Wait to move on in the recipe until the cheesecake is completely set unless you want to make the chocolate ganache ahead of time (see notes for make ahead tips).
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal) and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft simmer starting in the middle. When it's reached this point, pour the cream into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds.
- Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for 10-20 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature or slightly above.
Make the Homemade Whipped Cream
- Make sure the no-bake Cadbury Mini Egg cheesecake filling is set before making the chocolate whipped cream. Put the metal bowl of a stand mixer or a large metal mixing bowl into the refrigerator to chill for at least 15-30 minutes.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract into the chilled bowl. Using a whisk attachment on your stand mixer or a hand mixer, combine the ingredients on low speed, then beat together on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1-2 minutes.
Assembly
- When you’re ready to decorate the no-bake Cadbury Mini Egg cheesecake, remove the rim from the springform pan. Top with the (room temperature) chocolate ganache and smooth it down with an angled spatula until it reaches over the edges in some places. Place the cheesecake back into the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to let the ganache set up while you prepare a piping bag with the chocolate whipped cream, if using.
- Add the chocolate whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B and pipe nests (two overlapping circles) around the edges of the cheesecake. Fill each nest with Cadbury Mini Eggs. Store in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve!
Notes
Make Ahead Tips:
- After making and freezing the graham cracker crust, it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator until you add the filling (1-2 days ahead is best for the freshest flavor).
- You can make and assemble the no-bake Cadbury Mini Egg cheesecake up to 2 days in advance, stored in the refrigerator and covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can alternatively freeze the cheesecake for up to 3 months after it’s set in the refrigerator. Be sure to cover well if freezing. I recommend one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil.
- The chocolate ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a topping, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.
- The chocolate whipped cream cannot be made ahead, so be sure to make it right before you plan on piping the nests.