If you love the sweet, chocolaty, fluffy flavor and texture of Milky Way candy bars and the richness of cheesecake, you need to try this Milky Way cream cheese dessert. It’s layered with a buttery Oreo crust, a fluffy, no-bake, cream cheese filling, and topped with caramel, whipped cream, and chunks of Milky Way candy bars.
If you love easy, no-bake treats like this one, check out my mini no-bake pumpkin pies or lemon cheesecake bars for more creamy, delicious goodness.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Beginner-friendly with no complicated steps
- Creamy, fluffy, and loaded with chocolaty Milky Way flavor
- It uses simple ingredients available in any grocery store
- A great, freezer-friendly make-ahead option
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
- Oreo Cookies: They create the crunchy, chocolaty, buttery crust.
- Butter: Mixes with the cookie crumbs to bind the crust so it actually holds its shape.
- Cream Cheese: The rich, smooth, creamy base of the filling that gives the pie that classic cheesecake-like texture.
- Milky Way & Pudding Mix: Create the main flavor combination of chocolate, caramel, and signature candy-bar sweetness.
- Evaporated Milk: Helps create that thick, creamy pudding layer that blends perfectly with the cream cheese.
Variations
- Swap Out the Candy Bars: Swap Milky Way for Snickers for a peanut-caramel twist, or try Twix bars for a cookie vibe.
- Use a Graham Cracker Crust: Use a graham cracker crust instead for a more muted flavor that spotlights the filling.
- Extra-Chocolaty: Mix chocolate chips into the filling.
- Semi-Homemade: Use Cool Whip in place of homemade whipped cream to save time.
- No-Bake: While baking the crust helps firm it up, it’s not mandatory. Skip baking it for a fully no-bake option.
How to Make Milky Way Cream Cheese Dessert
Step 1: Mix the crushed Oreos with the butter. Then, press it firmly into the bottom of a prepared 7×11 baking dish and bake.
Step 2: Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then, beat in the heavy cream and sugar.
Step 3: Beat the pudding mix and evaporated milk until combined. Then, mix it into the cream cheese.
Step 4: Spread the filling in an even layer over the crust and chill for at least 3 to 4 hours.
Step 5: Beat the whipped cream ingredients until stiff peaks form.
Step 6: Spread over the cream cheese layer, top with a drizzle of caramel sauce and coarsely chopped Milky Way bars, and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Leave an Overhang: Leave an overhang on either end of the dish when lining it to create handles for easy removal.
- Fully Soften the Cream Cheese: This creates a smooth filling.
- Clean Cuts: Clean your knife between slices for neat edges.
- Wait on the Whipped Cream: Make it just before serving for the best texture.
- Longer Chilling is Better: 3 to 4 hours is the minimum chilling time for this dessert. Overnight is even better.
Milky Way Cream Cheese Dessert FAQs
Yes! This dessert is perfect for making ahead. In fact, it’s best when chilled overnight so it fully sets.
Absolutely! Snickers, Twix, or even chopped chocolate bars work great for a fun twist.
Yes, store-bought whipped topping works perfectly if you want to save time.
It may need more chill time, or the pudding mixture may not have thickened enough before combining.
Milky Way Cream Cheese Pie is Perfect With:
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Milky Way Cream Cheese Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 Milky Way candy bar, coarsely chopped
- caramel sauce, for drizzle
Oreo Pie Crust
- 20 Oreo cookies
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Cream Cheese Pie Filling
- (2) 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 5 ounce evaporated milk
- 3.25 ounce Milky Way instant pudding mix (bought at Walmart)
Homemade Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 7×11 baking dish with parchment paper with an overhang on both ends (makes it easier to remove from the dish).
Oreo Pie Crust
- In a food processor, pulse 20 Oreo cookies until finely crushed and add to a medium bowl.
- Add melted butter to the cookie mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the crust mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread and press out in an even layer.
- Bake for 6 minutes at 350. Remove and let cool.
Cream Cheese Pie Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and sugar. Beat until combined.
- In another medium bowl, beat Milky Way pudding mix and the evaporated milk together until combined. The mixture will be very thick, then add it to the cream cheese mixture and beat until combined.
- Once the crust has cooled, spread pie filling in an even layer on top of the cooled crust.
- Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Homemade Whipped Cream
- In a medium bowl, beat heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Once ready to serve, add whipped cream on top of the pie filling, drizzle with caramel sauce, and add coarsely chopped Milky Way candy bar on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Leave an Overhang: Leave an overhang on either end of the dish when lining it to create handles for easy removal.
- Fully Soften the Cream Cheese: This creates a smooth filling.
- Clean Cuts: Clean your knife between slices for neat edges.
- Wait on the Whipped Cream: Make it just before serving for the best texture.
- Longer Chilling is Better: 3 to 4 hours is the minimum chilling time for this dessert. Overnight is even better.
Nutrition
This is such a great dessert! It really does taste just like a Milky Way, my kids loved it, looking forward to making it again.
Wow, I love this Milky Way Cream Cheese Dessert! It is so good, sweet, and perfect with coffee.
This was so light and creamy! What a delicious dessert and perfect for the warmer months ahead. It’s cool and satisfying!
Creamy, chocolatey, and super easy. Everyone asked for the recipe!
The chopped candy bars were such a fun addition to the smooth cream cheese. It was a rich, decadent treat for our weekend gathering.
This is fully awesome. I love how easy this is and just how tasty it is, too. Great one!
I have to make this! I love how rich and creamy it is, and Milkway is my favorite candy bar.