No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Parfait — The Dessert That Layers Like Love

Emma turned thirteen this week. Officially a teenager. I am not emotionally prepared for this. She was born on April 28, 2003, at 2:47 AM at Memorial Hermann. I was in the room. Christine squeezed my hand so hard she left bruises. When Emma came out, she was quiet — she didn't cry right away, just looked around the room with these big dark eyes like she was assessing the situation. The nurse said, "She's observant." Thirteen years later, that's still the most accurate description of my daughter. She observes. She assesses. She decides. She's the smartest person in any room she's in, and she doesn't need anyone to tell her that. Birthday dinner: Emma's choice. She requested — and I am not making this up — "a five-course Vietnamese tasting menu." She has been watching too many cooking shows. But a request is a request, so I did it. Course one: goi cuon — fresh spring rolls with shrimp and herbs, with peanut dipping sauce. Light, cold, a warm-up. Course two: canh chua — tamarind soup with shrimp, tomato, pineapple, okra, and fresh herbs. Sweet, sour, savory. Course three: bo luc lac — shaking beef on the kamado, served on watercress with lime-pepper dipping sauce. The sear was perfect. Emma applauded. Literally applauded. Course four: bun cha — grilled pork patties and belly with vermicelli noodles and herbs. This was Tyler's favorite course. He ate the patties intended for courses three and four. Course five: che ba mau — three-color dessert. Mung bean, red bean, and pandan jelly in coconut milk over crushed ice. Ma taught me this one. It's the Vietnamese version of a sundae and it's beautiful — the three colors layer in a glass and when you stir it, it becomes something new. Emma sat at the table with candles (Lily's contribution) and cloth napkins (my idea, which the kids mocked) and said, "Dad, this is the best birthday dinner I've ever had." She's thirteen. She's had thirteen birthday dinners. But still. Still. I gave her a charm bracelet — silver, with a whisk charm and a book charm. Not expensive. But she put it on immediately and hasn't taken it off. Thirteen. My baby is thirteen. Time is a thief and I'm going to need more brisket to cope.

Che ba mau is a dessert about layers — three colors stacked in a glass that become something entirely new the moment you stir them together. When I started thinking about how to share that idea with people who might not have the mung bean paste and pandan jelly on hand, this no-bake Nutella cheesecake parfait kept coming to mind. It’s the same spirit: crushed cookies on the bottom, creamy Nutella filling in the middle, whipped cream on top, all of it waiting in a glass for the moment someone picks up a spoon. Emma would approve. She’s thirteen now — she has opinions about dessert.

No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Parfait

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
• 16 chocolate chip cookies (store-bought or homemade), roughly crushed
• 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips, for topping
• 2 tablespoons Nutella, warmed, for drizzling (optional)

Instructions

1. Whip the cream. In a large chilled bowl, beat 3/4 cup of the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Make the Nutella cheesecake filling. In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the Nutella, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, and beat until fully combined and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Fold together. Gently fold the whipped cream into the Nutella cheesecake mixture in two additions, using a rubber spatula and keeping as much volume as possible. Do not stir — fold.
4. Layer the parfaits. Divide half the crushed chocolate chip cookies evenly among four glasses or jars as the base layer. Spoon or pipe half the Nutella cheesecake filling over the cookies. Repeat with a second layer of crushed cookies, then finish with the remaining filling.
5. Top and chill. Whip the remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream to soft peaks and dollop over each parfait. Scatter mini chocolate chips over the top and drizzle with warmed Nutella if using. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the layers set.
6. Serve. Serve cold, straight from the glass. Hand everyone a long spoon and let them dig through all the layers.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 680 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 47g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg