No-Bake Pistachio Knafeh Cheesecake
The viral Dubai chocolate bar turned into a showstopper cheesecake — an Oreo crust, a crispy golden pistachio knafeh layer, silky chocolate ganache and a cloud of no-bake pistachio cheesecake, finished with a glossy ganache drip. No oven required.
Prep
45 min
Cook
360 min
Total
405 min
Serves
12
Ingredients
Crust
- 25 chocolate creme cookies (285g)
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (70g)
Pistachio knafeh
- 3 cups shredded kataifi (100g)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (56g)
- 1/2–2/3 cup pistachio cream (140–185g)
- Pinch of salt
Chocolate ganache
- 1 cup heavy cream (240g)
- 200g dark or semi-sweet chocolate
Pistachio cheesecake
- 24 oz cream cheese (680g), room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2–2/3 cup pistachio cream (140–185g)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled (240g)
Decoration (optional)
- Melted white chocolate
- Melted pistachio cream
- Chopped pistachios
Method
- 1
Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Grind the cookies with the melted butter to a fine crumb, press firmly into the base, and freeze 10 minutes.
- 2
Toast the kataifi in butter in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, breaking up clumps, until deeply golden and crispy. Stir in the pistachio cream and a pinch of salt.
- 3
Spread the knafeh mixture evenly over the crust and freeze 10 minutes.
- 4
Microwave the cream and chocolate in 20-second bursts, stirring, until a smooth ganache forms. Pour half over the knafeh layer, tilt to spread, and freeze until firm. Reserve the rest.
- 5
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla for 3–5 minutes until creamy. Mix in the pistachio cream on low — don't overmix.
- 6
Whip the chilled cream to stiff peaks, then fold it gently into the cheesecake batter until silky.
- 7
Spread the batter over the ganache layer, smooth the top, and refrigerate overnight (minimum 6 hours).
- 8
Release from the pan, rewarm the reserved ganache until pourable, and pour over the top letting it drip down the edges. Decorate with white chocolate drizzle, pistachio cream and chopped pistachios.
Tips
- Toast the kataifi low and slow — it should be deeply golden for the signature crunch.
- Room-temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable for a lump-free filling.
- Chill overnight if you can; the layers slice dramatically cleaner.
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