This mini egg cheesecake is creamy, has swirls of milk chocolate and colourful cheesecake filling, and a graham cracker crust packed with mini eggs. The top is decorated with a nest that’s so easy to make and tastes so chocolatey and rich. It’s the perfect cheesecake for Easter! This is a no bake cheesecake, and it’s ultra creamy thanks to both milk chocolate and white chocolate to help it set.
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Why you will LOVE this recipe:
- Milk chocolate and pastel swirls: The filling looks like mini eggs with milk chocolate and white chocolate pastel swirls.
- No bake: You don't have to worry about double baths because it's a no bake cheesecake.
- Graham cracker mini egg crust: There are bits of candy coated mini eggs in the crust, giving it pops of colour, crunch, and flavour.
- Easter: The perfect make ahead Easter cheesecake
Jump to:
How do I swirl a no bake cheesecake?
This mini egg cheesecake has swirls of milk chocolate and pastel white chocolate filling. It has a few extra steps to get all of the colours, but they're simple to follow along and straightforward.
All you have to do is dollop all of the coloured cheesecake fillings into the crust, tap the cheesecake down on the table to get rid of any large air pockets, and then smooth the top.
I don't recommend swirling the cheesecake afterwards with a knife or spatula because the colours can get muddled up.
You can choose your favourite two colours for this recipe! I chose pink and yellow - you can switch any of those out with purple, blue, and/or green.
How to set a cheesecake without gelatin
This no bake mini egg cheesecake sets with the help of chocolate. Melted chocolate will firm up as it cools, making it the perfect addition to this cheesecake. And it adds lots of chocolate flavour!
The coloured parts are set using white chocolate. Making this basically a triple chocolate cheesecake (including the ganache nest).
How to make a nest cake topper
I piped chocolate ganache over top of the cheesecake in a circle pattern for the nest. Use an open star piping tip (or just a bag with the end cut off), and layer on the ganache until it looks like a nest. It's so easy to put together and makes the perfect centerpiece for your Easter and/or spring table.
Chocolate ganache is so easy to make. Just pour hot cream over chocolate chips, let sit for seven minutes to melt, and then whisk by hand for it to come together (this will take under one minute). Let it cool until it becomes thick holds its shape. To speed this up I pop my ganache in the freezer for a few minutes at a time.
The benefit of making a nest out of ganache instead of a crunchy cereal easter nest like this, is that you don't have to remove the nest from the top of the cheesecake before cutting in. The ganache cuts smoothly and tastes ultra rich and creamy.
Top tips for no bake cheesecake success
- Good quality cream cheese: Use full fat, brick style cream cheese. Cream cheese that comes in a tub or is labelled as "low fat" will be too watery and your cheesecake may not set.
- Whip to stiff peaks: The heavy cream and melted chocolate mix needs to be whipped to stiff peaks to add body and structure to your cheesecake. Make sure that it's cold to the touch so that it can hold its structure.
- Chill: The cake needs to set in the fridge for at least 7 hours or overnight. This allows enough time to set and for the flavours to develop.
Make ahead instructions
Since the cheesecake needs to chill before cutting into it, it can be made a day or two before serving. This makes it a perfect make ahead dessert.
The egg nest can be piped on top before or after chilling the mini egg cheesecake. I prefer to pipe right before serving because then I'm not worried that it'll get ruined in the fridge while chilling.
I recommend decorating with mini eggs right before serving. If you add them before chilling the colours might bleed and won't be as bright.
Storing
The cheesecake needs to be stored in the refrigerator because it has cream cheese in it. It's best served cold.
I recommend storing it in a cake carrier because it will protect the top of the cheesecake from getting ruined. It will also help prevent the cheesecake smelling like fridge.
Leftover slices can be frozen in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to two months.
Key ingredients
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!
Cream cheese: Full fat, brick style cream cheese will give this recipe the best flavour and texture.
Heavy whipping cream: Cream 35% milk fat or higher works best. Don't use anything lower or it may not whip up.
Mini eggs: Cadbury candy coated chocolate mini eggs taste the best in this recipe.
Graham crumbs: Use your favourite crushed cookie instead if you prefer or can't find graham cracker crumbs.
Milk, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips: You'll need all three types of chocolate chips to help set the cheesecake and make the nest on top.
FAQ
Make sure it's refrigerated for at least 7 hours (or overnight). This helps the chocolate and fats solidify and lets the flavour develop.
You also want to make sure that the ganache is whipped until stiff peaks. This gives the cheesecake a creamy, airy texture while also stabilizing it.
Lastly, use good quality, full fat, brick style cream cheese. Low fat cream cheese is too watery for cheesecake.
Yes, you can use biscoff, regular oreos, and golden oreos to name a few. You may need to add more or less melted butter, depending on the cookie. Add butter until it holds its shape when you grab a handful of the crust and squeeze.
Yes you can. It will taste richer and more chocolatey. I preferred the milk chocolate because it tasted more like mini eggs but either way will work!
Mini eggs are generally available at around spring-time in grocery stores or online. They're with all the Easter candy. I recommend the Cadbury brand because they taste the best but if you can't find them, others will work too.
Please don't try to cut mini eggs, you'll hurt yourself because of the hard candy coating. I recommend either placing them into a resealable bag and crushing with a rolling pin, or crushing them on a cutting board with the flat side of a wide knife.
No, they're not interchangeable in this recipe. Your cheesecake will be too sweet and won't set if you use regular sugar.
For the cheesecake, chocolate bars will work. Chop it up into chocolate chip size bits and measure like you would chocolate chips. Don't use chocolate bars for the ganache nest on top because it will likely be too soft to use.
Check out these other recipes:
Happy baking!
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📖 Recipe
Mini Egg Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup mini eggs crushed (place in resealable bag and crush with rolling pin)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled
Filling
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 24 oz cream cheese room temperature, full fat, brick style
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- pink gel food colouring or colour of choice
- yellow gel food colouring or colour of choice
Nest
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Mini eggs and creme eggs for decorating
Instructions
Crust
- Combine graham crackers, mini eggs, and salt in a large bowl. Add melted cooled butter and mix until fully combined.3 cups graham cracker crumbs, ½ cup mini eggs, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ½ cup butter
- Transfer crust into a 9” round springform pan (line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal).
- Spread the crust around the pan and pack it down tightly with the flat bottom of a glass. While packing, push the crust ¾ of the way up the pan. Set aside.
Filling
- Prepare two separate, heat safe bowls. Pour the milk chocolate chips in one and the white chocolate chips in the second one.1 cup milk chocolate chips, ½ cup white chocolate chips
- Heat cream in a saucepan until simmering (not boiling). Measure half (¾ cup) and pour into the milk chocolate chips. Pour the rest of the cream into the white chocolate chips.1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Cover both of the bowls with plates and let sit for 7 minutes. Uncover and whisk the white chocolate mixture by hand. Whisk the milk chocolate until smooth next. Chill both the white chocolate and milk chocolate ganache until cool to the touch and thickened. Chill in the freezer for faster chilling.
- While the ganache chills, beat together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth with an electric mixer or by hand. Scrape down the bowl for even mixing.24 oz cream cheese, 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Add vanilla and salt, beat well until combined.1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Once the chocolate ganache is chilled, use an electric mixer to whip each one separately until thick and doubled in volume. Don’t overwhip! Whip just until stiff peaks form.
- Divide the cheesecake filling roughly into two bowls - adding slightly more into one bowl.
- Add the whipped milk chocolate ganache into the bowl with extra cheesecake filling. Sift cocoa powder into the bowl and gently fold until smooth.1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Add white chocolate ganache into the second bowl of cheesecake filling. Fold until smooth. Divide in half. Add pink (or a touch of red) food colouring to one half and yellow to the second half. Fold until no more streaks of colour remain.pink gel food colouring, yellow gel food colouring
- You should have three bowls of filling - chocolate, pink, and yellow. Alternate adding fillings into the crust to get a marble effect. Tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to remove any large airpockets. Smooth the top and chill in the fridge for at least 7 hours or overnight.
Nest
- You can make the ganache nest before chilling the cheesecake or after it’s been chilled, depends on when you have time.
- Heat the cream until it comes to a simmer (don’t boil). Place chocolate chips into a large, heat safe bowl.¾ cup heavy whipping cream, 1 ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pour cream on top of chocolate chips and sprinkle salt on top. Cover with a plate and let sit for 7 minutes without touching.
- Uncover and whisk until the ganache becomes smooth. Pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, mixing every 5 minutes so that it chills evenly.
- Once the ganache thickens enough to pipe, transfer it into a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Alternatively, use a resealable bag with one of the corners cut off.
- Pipe a circle on top of the cake. Layer the ganache on top in a nest shape. Fill with chocolate eggs right before serving so the coloured coating doesn’t bleed.Mini eggs and creme eggs
Katie
I will still need to work on making mine at least half as pretty as the pictures but the cheesecake turned out wonderful ! Well explained and easy to follow instructions. Great recipe overall.
Mary
So happy you liked it! 😀