It’s like Oreos and milk but with an icebox dessert twist! This Oreo Icebox Cake features tons of yummy cookies with loads of rich cream cheese and whipped cream layers!
I absolutely love an icebox cake. They’re an easy, delicious, fun, and different no-bake dessert. However, I’ll admit to being a purist when it comes to the cool confection. The old-fashioned version with Nabisco chocolate wafers and whipped cream is my favorite, but they stopped making those cookies a while back. So I thought, “How do I keep enjoying this treat?” Enter the Oreo Thin.
Y’all know my obsession with everything Oreo. I mean just check out that long list of “Other Oreo Recipes” at the bottom of this post. It’s a lot, I know!
So, it’s probably no surprise that I’m the one searching the stores each time a new Oreo flavor comes out. For me, most of them haven’t really compared to the original, but that’s not the case with the Oreo thins. I really love these crisp thin cookies. And while I’m usually a Double Stuf guy, the amount of cream in the Thins is perfect, too. So, of course I had to create a dessert that would perfectly utilize these delicious, thin Oreos. That’s how you now have this amazing recipe, Oreo Icebox Cake.
It all starts with adding the whipping cream to a mixing bowl and whipping it with a hand or stand mixer until soft peaks form. Then, add the sugar and vanilla, and mix until it is incorporated.
Next, you will stir the softened cream cheese until it’s smooth in a small bowl. If you need to, zap the cream cheese in the microwave to get it super soft, but be sure to allow it to cool completely before adding it to the whipped cream. Then, gradually add the softened cream cheese to the whipped cream with the mixer on, and mix until it is well incorporated.
Now is when you want to choose a plate or pedestal that will fit into your refrigerator with the cake on it because this will have to stay refrigerated. Take 12 Oreos and arrange them in a circle on the plate – 9 cookies on the outside ring, 3 in the middle just like I did in the photo below.
Then lift each Oreo, put a little whipped cream on the bottom, and stick it to the plate in its position.
Next top the Oreo layer with a layer of whipped cream. I used about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup between each layer. Spread it thin, leaving a little bit of each Oreo exposed on the edge.
Stack another layer of 12 Oreos on the whipped cream – being sure to stagger them in each layer. That helps to keep the cake together. Stacking the Oreos on top of one another would allow it to fall apart.
Keep staking and layering until you’ve used nearly all the Oreos. You’ll probably end up with a couple extra. Those are your reward for your hard work, and they’ll help to satisfy you for a little while being that this baby has to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Just wrap it gently with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the whipped cream and will soften to allow you to cut it perfectly – just like a cake. Y’all enjoy!
How do you slice this icebox cake?
I’ve gotten a few questions (and a little skepticism) about being able to slice this cake. Here’s the thing though… it slices beautifully. I’m honestly just not sure why I didn’t photograph it sliced. 2016 Stacey was a different guy, I guess. 😂
The magic happens when you let it chill in the fridge, allowing the layers to meld together into a soft, cohesive dessert. The cookies in the cake absorb the moisture from the whipped cream, transforming into a cake-like consistency that’s easy to cut.
When you’re ready to serve, just grab a sharp knife, run it under hot water for a few seconds, and make your slices. The knife will glide through smoothly, giving you those perfect, clean-cut slices that make everyone ooh and aah. Plus, the layers look gorgeous when you serve it, showing off all your hard work—or really, your fridge’s hard work!
Recipe FAQs
- Do I really need 4 packages of Oreos? Yes, you do, and trust me you will love it! I do know that Oreos can get expensive though, so I suggest watching for them to go on sale or BOGO at the grocery store and make it then. You could also just buy 4 packages of Oreos and move on. When you consider all the ingredients it would take to make a traditional cake, it probably just about balances out.
- Can I half this recipe? Yes, you can half the recipe. It halves perfectly, and you’ll just have a shorter cake as a result.
- What’s the trick to keeping this dessert in a round shape? So, it does take a little time to get this thing sitting pretty in a round shape. It’s just about taking your time, not about any great skill. And, if it doesn’t look pretty, it will still taste great, so don’t get too caught up in the look.
- Can I make this cake in a different shape or in a pan? Yes, you can make this in another shape. You can also layer this in a 9×13-inch baking dish or half the recipe into an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Can I use regular-sized Oreos? I’ve only ever made this dessert with the thin Oreos. My fear is that the regular-sized Oreos are too thick to soften completely which would make it very difficult to cut and bite into.
- Can I freeze this dessert until I’m ready to serve? It seems like it should work fine, in theory, to freeze the dessert and thaw overnight in the fridge when you are planning to serve it the next day. However, I’ve never tested it to be able to say for sure. My concern would be about the whipped cream mixture getting runny. Perhaps if you need to freeze it, use a stabilized whipped topping like Cool Whip.
Other Oreo Recipes
Oreo Delight – Oreo Delight is one of my most favorite desserts. The light, fluffy ingredients and crushed Oreos make it the best of all Oreo desserts.
Oreo Chewies – These delicious and chewy cookie bars are an Oreo take on my fan-favorite Pecan Chewies. Packed full of Oreo flavor, you have so many options for making these chewies with a festive flair by using the seasonal Oreos on the shelves of your grocery store, as I did with the Halloween-themed Oreos in this post. Enjoy!
Oreo Pound Cake – This OREO Pound Cake recipe has all the great flavor of a traditional pound cake, but is kicked up with tons of great OREO flavor!
Easiest Oreo Cheesecake – A delicious, decadent, and easy cheesecake recipe filled and covered with Oreo pieces and topped with chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
Mint Oreo Brownies – These Mint Oreo Brownies are decadent scratch-made brownies filled with broken Mint Oreo cookies. They are the perfect balance of rich chocolate and crispy mint flavors. Yummm!
Easy Oreo Chocolate Pie – This rich, creamy, fluffy Easy Chocolate Oreo Pie only calls for 5 ingredients and is the quick, easy dessert that your summer needs.
Oreo Cookie Balls – While I made these into Santa-themed cookie balls, you can make my Oreo Cookie Balls recipe into just about any seasonal dessert ball. Featuring crushed Oreos with softened cream cheese, they are so rich and delicious that you can’t just eat one.
Easy No-Churn Oreo Ice Cream – Indulge in creamy goodness with this Easy No-Churn Oreo Ice Cream recipe! Whip up a batch in just 15 minutes—no ice cream maker needed. With a blend of heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, and crushed Oreos, this homemade treat is a crowd-pleaser for all ages.
Recipe Card
Oreo Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese (softened)
- 4 (10.1-ounce) packages Oreo Thins cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well to combine.
- In a small bowl, stir the softened cream cheese until smooth. The cream cheese can be softened in the microwave, but allow it to cool completely before adding it to the whipped cream. Gradually add the softened cream cheese to the whipped cream and mix well to combine.
- On a cake plate, arrange 12 cookies in a layer with 9 in the outer circle and 3 in the middle. Once arranged, lift each cookie and add a little whipped cream to the bottom then stick it back to the plate. Repeat until all the cookies have been secured. Top with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the whipped cream spread to the edges but allowing the edges of the cookies to be exposed. Add another layer of cookies on top of the whipped cream being sure to stagger the cookies on top of the ones below – don’t stack them right on top of one another. Repeat the layers until all the cookies have been used.
- Gently cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. Slice and serve as you would any other cake. Keep chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Capitolah
ALDI has an Oreo Thins dupe that is delicious and very reasonably priced!
Sweet! Thanks for the tip!
Susan H.
This was good but VERY Rich and Very Sweet. If I were to make this again, I would omit the powdered sugar.
It certainly is sweet!
Dee
Was wondering how the vanilla thin Oreos would work?
They will certainly work, I’m just not sure how the flavor will be.
Donna
I am making this for July 4th and going to put a little red and blue sprinkles on the edges. Fingers crossed!
How festive!
Tim Parker
I have been wanting to make a “chocolate wafer icebox pie” for years but it has been impossible to find Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers. Then I saw Oreo thins in the store & immediately had the same idea. Chalk it up to great minds think alike or there is nothing new under the sun.
Ha! Either way, it’s delicious!
Krzysztof
Can I use standard Oreos cuz I live in Poland and there’s no ability to buy thins (Internet shops are too expensive)
I’ve only ever made it with the thin ones. My fear is that the regular Oreo’s are too thick to soften completely which would make it very difficult to cut.
Sara
Would it be possible to freeze this after assembling, transport it in a cooler, and allow to defrost and serve the next day? Thanks for this great recipe; I can’t wait to try it!
It seems like it should work fine in theory, though I’ve never tested it to be say for sure.
Tina
Yum!! This looks delicious!
Thanks, Tina!
Lynn
I make a chocolate chip icebox cake that is like this one. You can do store bought or bake your favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies. It is divine, too! Everyone enjoys it. Many are questioning how to slice it without falling apart. After it sets for at least 4 hours..he recommends overnight, and, I agree. The cream mixture will soften the cookies, so when you cut the cake it doesn’t crumble..it stays moist like a cake. I can’t wait to try this one. Going to be on our Easter buffet for all to enjoy!
Thanks so much, Lynn! And you’re absolutely right, it cuts beautifully! Now onto to your version of the cake… I CAN’T WAIT to try it!
Rita
Hi Lynn, I’m very intrigued to try the chocolate chip version of this cake, as well as the Oreo. I’ll be making my own cookies, but wondering if it’s done the exact way? Exact filling? Exact a out of cookies and are the cookies placed right side up or upside down. Thanks so much!
Norma Jeanne
How do you cut/slice it without it falling apart?
Nice it has chilled for the correct amount of time, you’ll have not trouble cutting it. The cookies soften and it cuts beautifully!
Karen Kronmiller
Looks so good and is so beautiful. I’m sure my Oreo loving husband would love this cake. As much as I like the looks of the cake I am totally loving the cake plate. It has to be one of the prettiest plates I have ever seen and the fact it’s a square one (my favorite) just adds to it.
Thanks so much, Karen! This cake is so delicious and that cake plate… my wife always jokes that I married her for it. 🙂
Doris
Stacey, I have a cake plate exactly like this.can you give me any information about it.Thanks
I wish I knew more. I love it, but essentially know nothing about it.
LaFern
I wondered if you could use a springform pan and stack the cookies and cream mixture in it and then chilled it until it was set before removing the sides if that would help to keep it together. Of course it wouldn’t be as pretty but maybe you could “frost” the sides of the Oreo Cake with more of the whipped cream mixture and then sprinkle some Oreo crumbs over the top. Just a thought … 😀
Its’ certain a great idea, but the cake will be much taller than the pan. If you go that route, I’d recommend cutting the recipe in half. 🙂
MARSHA G
Stacey you said keeping it round was the hard part then why not use a spring form pan? That would make it easy to keep round plus easy to take the sides off.
Well, you certainly can, but you’ll need to cut the recipe in half. This full recipe would make a cake much too tall for a spring form pan.
Denise
It looks delicious, but how does it slice, besides very carefully (lol) ? 🙂
Once it has time to set, the cookies soften and become almost cake like. It slices easily and beautifully! 🙂
Kathleen
OMG!! This is gorgeous and looks so amazingly good!! I am so anxious to try the recipe and think it will be for Easter weekend!!
If dont have whipping cream can you sometimes substitute whipped topping??
Thanks so much!
Absolutely! That would work perfectly. 🙂
Leslie
This looks sinfully good. I would love to see what a slice of it looks like.
I’ll see what I can do. It slices beautifully!
Nana
Very impressive for such simple ingredients. It looks like a fancy pastry shop dessert. For a buffet or shower, I could even envision adding some mint leaves, cherries, flowers, etc. just to gild the lily.
Exaactly! Those are some great ideas to put it over the top!