On Friday night, I was in charge of dessert for a cookout with a few of our friends. About a month ago, I pinned a recipe for Kristin’s no bake strawberry shortcake icebox cake and was waiting for an occasion to make it. Lauren and Tony’s BBQ sounded like the perfect opportunity to give it a whirl but I started to worry that one icebox cake might not be enough to feed a hungry crowd. I headed to Whole Foods to pick up a few more ingredients for a chocolate rendition of Kristin’s recipe, with hopes that the chocolate lovers in the group would enjoy my take on the no bake icebox cake!
Thankfully both cakes were a big hit in our group and since my friend Lauren asked me for my recipe for the double chocolate icebox cake to make for her sister’s birthday tomorrow, I knew I had to quickly make it again so I could measure everything out and while I was at it, I figured I might as well photograph it and share it on the blog because we all loved it so much!
This recipe is a great summertime dessert because no baking is involve – leave that HOT oven OFF! – and the only real “work” you have to do it whip up some homemade whipped cream and add a dash of cocoa powder and powdered sugar. (Of course you can skip this step and simply add cocoa powder to Cool Whip, but if you have the time, I highly recommend making your own whipped cream. It makes a world of difference!)
Another plus for this recipe is that’s it’s incredibly easy to customize. The version I made is gluten-free because I used gluten-free Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Crunchy Cookies, but you can substitute your favorite cookies (boxed or homemade) to suit your preference. The next rendition of this icebox cake in our house will be made with Oreos since Ryan is one of the world’s biggest Oreo lovers!
Double Chocolate No Bake Icebox Cake
Makes five large servings
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 16-ounce package Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Crunchy Cookies (or 14 crispy chocolate cookies of your choice)
Directions
- Using a hand mixer or an electric mixer fitted with the whipping attachment, whip heavy whipping cream in a large bowl on low speed while gradually adding cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Gradually increase speed as whipped cream thickens. Whip until cream is thick enough to hold its shape but not lumpy.
- Spread a thin layer of whipped cream into the bottom of a standard-size loaf pan (9×5 inches). Layer 1/3 of the cookies on top of the whipped cream (you may need to break a couple of cookies to get them to fit) and sprinkle with 1/3 of the chocolate chips. Spread another layer of whipped cream and top with another 1/3 of the cookies and another 1/3 of the chocolate chips. Spread a final layer of whipped cream on top. Crush remaining cookies and sprinkle on top of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with remaining mini chocolate chips.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight or for at least five hours to give the cookies time to soften a bit. When ready to serve, slice into icebox cake and serve immediately.
Tips:
- This recipe can easily be doubled to feed more people. If you choose to double it, the recipe will work well in an 8×8 pan.
- If you’re looking for a dairy-free version of this recipe, coconut whipped cream can be substituted for the whipped cream.
- In the past I’ve ordered Enjoy Life chocolate chips from Thrive Market to have on hand in our pantry and find that they are usually $1-2 less than what you’ll find them for at a local grocery store. They’re also gluten, dairy, nut and soy free. I’ve also found them at Publix and Whole Foods.
- I typically find the Enjoy Life crunchy cookies at Whole Foods but you can also buy them on Amazon.
I hope you guys love this recipe!
More No Bake Recipes
- No Bake Key Lime Pie Bites
- Easy No Bake Recipes (A roundup of some of my favorites!)
- No Bake (Customizable) Granola Bars
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- No Bake Breakfast Cookies
- No Bake Oatmeal Nut Butter Balls (One of the most popular recipes I’ve shared on PBF! No food processor needed!)
- No Bake Tropical Energy Bars
- Healthy No Bake Chocolate Truffles (Vegan and gluten-free!)
- Coconut Power Balls
Brynn says
Drooling! I had no clue how easy and cool (ha!) this recipe was, the end result is so impressive! Thanks for sharing, I’m definitely making an ice box cake this weekend!
Megan says
I just made a very similar one following Ina Garten’s recipe and it was amazing!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mocha-chocolate-icebox-cake-recipe.html
Julie says
Her recipes are the BEST!
Michelle says
This looks so good! Your pictures are gorgeous! I could make it dairy free as well if I used coconut cream. : )
https://thedogtribe.com/2016/07/18/college-friends/
Heather @ Polyglot Jot says
Wow this looks amazing! Love simple no bake recipes!
Haley says
What is with men and oreos!? Ha! My boyfriend is an oreo fanatic as well. I may have to try this out with oreos, I know he would love it!
Julie says
Right!? Ryan is obsessed!
Samsntha says
SO RANDOM but saw this today and thought of your obsession with oatmeal chunk Ben and jerry’s. Apparently they discontinued because their supplier for the cookie chunks stopped making them!
Closure? Lol
http://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/fun-flavor-facts
Shelby Adams says
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! My husband and I just moved and our new stove/oven is gas. I had no idea just how much a gas range heats up the kitchen (apparently the heating element is on the bottom of the oven, so heat leaks out??), so I am on the lookout for no bake desserts for the summer. I will have to give this a whirl. Thanks for sharing!!
Victoria says
I want to eat this for breakfast. Right now.
signed, my inner fat kid
Julie says
Ha! I definitely had some for breakfast the next day. No shame…
Sues says
This looks like the most perfect summer dessert ever! It would probably be an issue for me if I had this in my freezer with no plans to have anyone over 🙂
Emily @ Sweet Summer Smiles says
I love easy recipes! I try to limit dairy when I can and I love enjoy life brand, you can’t even taste the difference!
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
Holy yum!!!!!! I’ve never made my own whip cream before but now I’m on a mission!
Heather Montgomery says
This looks delicious!
Melissa @ melissakolbeck.com says
Yeah…I’m going to be making that VERY soon. Homemade chocolate whipped cream is the BEST!!!!
Julie says
Agreed! It is WAYYY better than store-bought!
Jessica @ Semi-Sweet Tooth says
This looks delicious! I actually posted a similar recipe on my SnapChat (@SemiSweetTooth) earlier this week that I made for my new husband’s 30th birthday. It was such a huge hit that it will be up on the blog tomorrow.
But really, there’s no way to mess up this recipe, right? I could switch out a whole flavor and the whole thing would still be golden! 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
Victoria @ Minus Thirty Three says
I was patently waiting for you to post the recipe for the Ice Box Cake you referred to a few days a go! This looks to die for 🙂 🙂
Julie says
Yay! Hope you like it!
Jessie @ The Acquired Sass says
Om nom nom! I’m headed to Game Night at a friends house this weekend. I promised to bring something & the menu is lacking desserts. But, 90 degrees & my oven don’t mix. So, icebox cake it is! I love that I only need a few ingredients. And TBH, as a KY girl at heart, my favorite way to spice up homemade whipped cream is to add a tablespoon or two of bourbon. So maybe I’ll make this a “Drunken” Ice Box Cake!!!
Helen @ BlondeWithWeights says
Love this! I swear using the oven makes my whole house 80 degrees hotter. I should use it as an excuse to get creative with more no-bake recipes!!
Alyssa @ renaissancerunnergirl says
Perfect for a hot summer day! I tend to crave fruity flavors in summer so love the idea of the strawberry shortcake version but this one looks scrummy too 🙂
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
I want to eat this through the screen!
Bethany says
This recipe looks amazing Julie! Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah @ Sweet Miles says
THIS LOOKS AMAZING!!!!!! Reminds of those no bake oreo cakes that are also delicious. Saving this for later!
Sarah McC. says
Ah can’t wait to make this! So excited you shared the recipe, this will be perfect for a summer BBQ. Are you gluten free? Or just enjoy the taste of Enjoy Life brand? I haven’t had it but have heard good things about it.
Julie says
My friend Carrie is gluten-free and was attending the cookout, so I made a gluten-free dessert for her! I am not gluten-free but loooove Enjoy Life products.
Abby says
Loving all of the gluten free recipes you’ve been posting lately! I am so excited to try this one out!
Heather says
My grandmother always made the “classic nabisco ice box cake” that’s on the back of the Nabisco chocolate wafer box for us as kids during the Summer. It is DEFINITELY for an Oreo/chocolate creme cookie lover, so I had to share! The wafers can be hard to find, so I always stock up whenever I am in a store that has them in stock. You’ve got to try it! http://www.rachaelray.com/recipes/famous-chocolate-wafer-cake
Kaitlyn says
Ohhhhhh my goodness, this looks incredible. Making ASAP. I just know I’ll eat the whole thing, especially if it’s chocolate!
https://poweredbysass.com/2016/07/20/overcoming-irrational-fears/
Natalie Clark says
Welp! I’m going to the grocery store today, so I might as well add these ingredients to my list! This looks amazing and right up my alley for a summer dessert!
Sarah @ BucketListTummy says
This actually sounds pretty easy and looks SO refreshing and delicious! I miss having ice cream cake with my crunchies but this looks like a great homemade substitute!
Jessi says
YUM. Also I had no idea that it was that easy to make whipped cream at home … WHY have I been buying it all my life.
Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says
Wow! And it is no bake! Fabulous.
Annie Kreikemeier says
Yum! Cannot wait to try this! Perfect with this crazy hot weather we’re having in Chicago lately!
Ann Wilson says
I just made the strawberry one over the weekend and thought about making a chocolate strawberry or chocolate peanut butter icebox cake. Chocolate whipped cream + GF graham crackers + PB drizzle of some sort. That would be amazing! Almost like a s’more. I’ll definitely try yours sometime. Buying the cookies on Amazon ASAP! Yum!
Meg says
Can’t wait to try it! Your pictures look really good, by the way!
Cassie says
I’ve never heard of such a cake like this! How clever!
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says
This is totally the dessert for chocolate lovers…yum!
pilla says
OMG looks so good!!
ZofieLovise says
Woooow, this look truly amazing and very yummy! I’m so going to try to make this myself some day. 🙂
Kim from MN says
Daaang this looks delicious! I love your recipes! Thanks for a chocolatey one. I bet this would be good made with chocolate chip cookies, too. Thanks!
Kelsey says
This look so simple to make! definitely going to try this out!