Rolo Cheesecake

The surprising thing about this Rolo cheesecake is that the Rolos on top aren’t even the best part. The filling underneath is.

It’s smooth and tangy, and good enough that the cheesecake would be worth making with nothing on top at all. Even with caramel and chocolate cookie crust in the same bite, it tastes like cheesecake first.

Bake It The Day Before

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For a cheesecake on Saturday, I bake on Friday. Allow about three hours for mixing, baking and cooling, followed by at least 10 hours in the refrigerator. That overnight chill gives the filling time to set all the way through.

The caramel, whipped cream and Rolos go on the next day, so the cheesecake is cold and firm before you start decorating.

Put The Water On The Rack Below

A pan of hot water helps the filling bake evenly from the edge to the middle. For this Rolo cheesecake, a 9×13-inch pan goes on the lowest oven rack, with the cheesecake on the rack above it.

The springform stays out of the water, so there’s no watertight seal to worry about or water seeping into the crust.

I have the filling mixed and the water pan ready before the crust finishes its 10 minutes at 350°F. Then I lower the oven to 325°F, put the water pan on the bottom rack and pour the filling over the baked crust.

Keep The Oven Closed For The Full Rest

After an hour at 325°F, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for another 30 minutes with the door shut. It continues baking in the remaining heat, so that half hour is part of the cooking time.

Check it at the end of that rest. The middle should still wobble a little when you gently nudge the pan. Waiting for it to become completely firm in the oven will take it past the texture you want.

Once the cheesecake is out, remove the foil and let it cool on the counter for an hour before refrigerating.

Recipe Test Notes – Last Updated September 2026

In August 2026, I had Teresia S., an independent recipe tester, make this cheesecake to check two things: that the bake time is right, and that the filling tastes the way it should on its own, before the caramel goes on.

She made it exactly as written and checked it with an instant-read thermometer about 1½ inches in from the edge rather than in the middle. It read 172°F at 80 minutes and 170°F at the end of the 30-minute rest with the oven off, and both times the center still had a slight wobble when she nudged the pan.

Those are readings near the edge, not a temperature to aim for in the middle. She called the bake time spot on.

Before any topping went on, she cut a small slice to taste the filling by itself. In her words, it was “smooth and creamy, just the right sweetness and tang.”

Add The Toppings On Serving Day

If you need to decorate the night before, use stabilized whipped cream, which holds on the cheesecake for a couple of days. Canned whipped topping or Cool Whip goes on just before slicing or it will melt.

MAKE AHEAD: Keep the plain cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for up to five days and add the toppings closer to serving. Serve it cold.

More Cheesecakes With A Chocolate Cookie Crust

• Samoa Cheesecake has the same chocolate cookie crust under a toasted coconut and caramel topping.
• Triple Chocolate Cheesecake has the same crust under a chocolate filling with a ganache top.

Rolo Cheesecake

5 from 24 votes

Rolo cheesecake with an Oreo crust, dulce de leche over the top and whipped cream swirls holding 16 Rolos. Bake it the day before and chill overnight.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 12 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16 slices

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Ingredients

  

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Chocolate Cookie Crust

• 2 ½ cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (I used 26-28 Oreo cookies)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Cheesecake Filling

• 4 blocks cream cheese, room-temperature (four 8-ounce blocks)
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Caramel Topping

• ⅔ to ¾ cup dulce de leche caramel sauce
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Garnish

• Stabilized whipped cream
• 16 Rolo candies, unwrapped (optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350* F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with baker’s spray and wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil all the way up the edges. Fill a 9×13 oven safe pan with 2 cups of hot water. Set both pans aside.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, unsalted melted butter and salt. Stir to combine.
• Press the cookie crumbs tightly into the bottom of the springform pan in an even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. While your crust is baking you will make your cheesecake filling.
• In another large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. Add the granulated sugar and beat for another minute to fully incorporate.
• To the cream cheese add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one.
• Add the vanilla extract, heavy cream and all-purpose flour and beat, on low, for an additional minute to make a smooth and creamy cheesecake filling. Be careful not to over beat the batter because you do not want to add too much air into your cheesecake batter.
• Once your chocolate cookie crust has been removed from the oven you will turn your oven temperature down to 325* F. Place the 9×13 water filled baking pan onto the lowest rack in your oven. This will provide the moisture needed for your cheesecake to bake evenly in the oven.
• Slowly pour the cheesecake batter over the baked crust in the springform pan. Smooth the top of the cheesecake and bake for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour you will turn off your oven and allow your cheesecake to finish baking for an additional 30 minutes as your oven slowly cools down.
• Remove your cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool on the counter, on a cooling rack, for 1 hour before transferring it to the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 10 hours or up to overnight. You will want to remove the aluminum foil that was wrapped around the springform pan to allow any excess moisture to evaporate that may have been trapped in the foil during baking.
• Once your cheesecake has chilled fully, and set up completely, you can remove the outer ring of the springform pan and place the cheesecake onto a serving platter.
• To make the caramel topping combine the dulce de leche caramel sauce and heavy cream in a small, microwave safe, bowl. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir to fully combine.
• Spread the caramel topping into the center of the cheesecake going all the way to the very edge of the cheesecake.
• Garnish the caramel covered cheesecake with a decoration of (16)whipped cream circles around the edges and a Rolo candy in the center of each whipped cream circle.

Notes

• It is important that you use full-fat cream cheese when making this cheesecake. The low-fat, or no-fat, varieties have added moisture to them and that alters the way the cheesecake bakes.
• You can swap out the chocolate cookie crumbs for graham cracker crumbs in this recipe. You will want to reduce the graham cracker crumbs to 2 cups and add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to the melted butter.
• You can use a jarred salted caramel ice cream topping in place of the dulce de leche. Choose the thickest brand you can find; we suggest Smucker’s salted caramel topping. It is thinner than dulce de leche, so start with a little less than the recipe calls for and add more only if the top is not covered. Too much will run down the side.
• If you do not want to make a stabilized whipped cream for your garnish then you can substitute a can of squirt heavy cream whipped topping or Cool-whip. You will want to wait on garnishing your cheesecake with these alternatives until just before you are ready to slice and serve. The stabilized whipped cream will hold up on your cheesecake beautifully for 2-3 days before it starts to break down.
• If you love the idea of candy bar inspired cheesecakes, I think you’ll really like my Snickers Cheesecake, too. It has that little bit of salty peanut crunch that’s so good with the creamy filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 3mg

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This recipe was originally published on September 25, 2022, and updated on September 11, 2026.