Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

This Chocolate Cheesecake recipe is the right thing for chocoholics. It’s creamy, extremely chocolatey, and decadent. 3 ingredient Oreo cookie crust, lots of high-quality chocolate, and cocoa. Prepared in 15 minutes with just 10 ingredients. Super easy to make and no fancy ingredients involved. Detailed step-by-step photos and video.

What we cover in this post:

• How to make Chocolate Cheesecake
• How to freeze Chocolate Cheesecake
• Why Cheesecakes crack and how to avoid it

How to make the best baked Chocolate Cheesecake

Start with lining the springform pan with parchment paper. If you cover the bottom and the sides of the springform pan entirely, you don’t need to worry about how to remove cheesecake from the springform pan. After baking and chilling, just open the pan and remove the paper from the cheesecake.

Take the bottom of a springform pan and line it with parchment paper. Then place the ring of the springform pan on top of the bottom and close it slowly. Adjust the paper while closing the ring that it doesn’t wrap in the center.

Then cut the paper around the edges of the pan. Cut about 3 inches (7-8cm) broad stripes for the sides of the pan. Take one of the stripes and line the sides of the pan. Spray a bit of non-stick spray underneath the paper that it sticks to the pan. Alternatively, you can use oil and a brush. Repeat until the sides of the pan are completely covered with parchment.

Let’s move on to the crust. Oreo cookie crumbs, unsweetened cocoa, and melted butter is everything you need for the crust.

The fastest way to get Oreo cookie crumbs is to place the Oreo cookie sandwiches (including the filling) in a food processor and pulse a few seconds until finely ground into crumbs. Alternatively, you can place them in a zip-lock bag and smash them with the rolling pin into fine crumbs.

Then combine Oreo crumbs, cocoa, and melted butter. You can use either dutch-processed cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder. Stir until evenly moistened. This works best with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. It should look like in the picture below.

Transfer to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs with the back of a flat bottomed cup into the bottom of the pan and halfway up the sides. Freeze until the filling is done.

The filling is also super easy to make.

Start with beating the cream cheese, sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Mix just until combined, smooth, and no lumps remain.

I recommend using room temperature cream cheese because it combines faster and better with the other ingredients. If the cream cheese is too cold, you tend to overmix it to get rid of all lumps.

So room temperature cream cheese = less mixing = better incorporating with the other ingredients = no lumps = BETTER. Why it is important not to overmix the batter, you will know when you read on.

The recipe works with brick style cheesecake as it is available in the US as well as the spreadable cream cheese which is available in the EU.

Then add melted high-quality chocolate. This means that we have cocoa in the crust and the filling and additional melted chocolate in the filling. If this doesn’t sound like chocolate heaven, I don’t know what does.

Make sure to use high-quality chocolate from a chocolate brand you love. The quality and taste of the chocolate have a high impact on the taste of the Chocolate Cheesecake. I used semi-sweet chocolate from Lindt. I don’t recommend using milk chocolate or very dark chocolate because the cheesecake filling would be too sweet or not sweet at all.

Then add one egg at the time and mix just until incorporated. Don’t overmix at any step. As you can see in the pictures below, the cheesecake filling transfers from firm to liquid with every egg you add.

First egg: 

Second egg: 

Forth egg:

Fifth egg: 

After adding all eggs, the batter should look like this:

Add heavy whipping cream, salt, and vanilla and mix to combine.

Before you add the batter to the crust, it should look like this:

Fill into chilled crust and spread evenly. You don’t need to wrap aluminum foil around the pan to catch the liquid that is leaking during the baking process. I always place a piece of parchment paper under the pan while baking. The paper prevents liquid from dropping on the bottom of your oven.

Then bake until the center is just set with puffed edges. To tell when your chocolate cheesecake is done, gently shake the pan. The edges should be very lightly browned and set with a slight jiggle in the center. The wobbly center should be about 3-4 inches in diameter and very bright and shiny.

Do not check with a toothpick because this is not significant. Don’t worry that your cheesecake is still wobbly. It is not underbaked and the cheesecake firms up when it cools.

How to freeze Chocolate Cheesecake

Freeze the whole cheesecake: Let the cheesecake cool as described and then chill for about 4 hours. Then remove the ring from the springform pan and wrap the cheesecake with the bottom of the pan in plastic foil twice. Then wrap in aluminum foil twice. Take care that it is completely sealed and no air is enclosed or can come in. Freeze up to 1 month.

Thaw in the fridge overnight. Therefore remove the foil and the plastic wrap and place the cheesecake in an airtight container. Decorate before serving and eat within 2 days.

Freeze single slices: After chilling cut into slices (without toppings) and wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap twice. Place in freezer bags and squeeze out all the air. Freeze up to 1 month.

For thawing, unwrap the cheesecake and place in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Decorate before serving and eat within 2 days.

Why did my Chocolate Cheesecake crack?

Overmixing. Don’t overmix the filling. There shouldn’t be any air in the filling. Mix at every step just until combined.

Overbaking. Please don’t bake the cheesecake until it is completely firm in the center. Just the top of the center should be set with a jiggly underneath. It should wobble like a pudding when shaking the pan.

Opening the oven door too early. Let the oven closed during the baking time. Just at the very end, you can open the door to check if the cheesecake is done. Check the first time after 50 minutes.

Fast temperature changes. Cheesecake hates fast changes in temperature. After baking, crack open the door and let the cheesecake in the oven for one hour. Then remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator.

If your cheesecake cracks, please don’t panic. The cheesecake is not ruined, you don’t need to throw it away, it is not bad, it is the same in taste and texture, and you can still eat it. And if the crack bugs you because of the look? Cover it with ganache, whipped cream or lots of berries (or all of that?). Nobody will know that there is a crack. So don’t panic because of a crack, the world is still good. And delicious.

If you make this to-die-for Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe, leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #alsothecrumbsplease on Instagram! Would love to see your snap!

You may also like Best Oreo Cheesecake Recipe, Salted Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake Bars, Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins, Homemade Brownie Recipe From Scratch, or click here to see all recipes.

5 from 6 votes

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Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Chill Time

4 hrs

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

This Chocolate Cheesecake recipe is the right thing for chocoholics. It's creamy, extremely chocolatey, and decadent. 3 ingredient Oreo cookie crust, lots of high-quality chocolate, and cocoa. Prepared in 15 minutes with just 10 ingredients. Super easy to make.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe, How to make Chocolate Cheesecake

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 537 kcal

Author: Sabine

Ingredients

Chocolate Cheesecake Oreo Cookie Crust

• 25 Oreo cookies, crushed into fine crumbs (9.7oz / 275g)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (85g)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Chocolate Cheesecake filling

• 4 packages cream cheese, room temperature (32oz / 907g)
• 1 + 1/2 cups granulated white sugar (300g)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled (25g)
• 1 + 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate, melted (10.5oz / 315g)
• 5 large eggs
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (80ml)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 vanilla beans* (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a 9" (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Chocolate Cheesecake Oreo cookie crust: In a large bowl stir together Oreo crumbs, melted butter, and cocoa until combined and evenly moistened. Transfer to the prepared pan and press crumbs into the bottom and halfway up the sides with the back of a measuring cup. Freeze until filling is done.

3. Chocolate Cheesecake Filling: In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa just until combined, smooth and no lumps remain. Add melted chocolate and mix to combine. Add one egg at the time and mix just until combined before you add the next egg. Scrape down the bowl and add heavy whipping cream, salt, and vanilla* and mix until creamy. Don't overmix. Too much air in the filling can cause cracks while baking. 

4. Pour filling into the crust and spread evenly. Place a piece of parchment paper under the springform pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until the edges look puffed and the top is set with a lightly wobble underneath. It still should wobble like pudding when you remove it from the oven. Don't overbake. I baked mine for 55 minutes.

5. Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. Then remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. 

Recipe Video

Notes

*First, cut off the straight end of the vanilla bean. Then place the tip of your knife below the curled end and cut the vanilla bean through the middle of the bean lengthwise with a sharp knife. Although you don't need to cut it all the way through, it's ok when you do so. Then open the vanilla bean and scrape out the flavorful seeds with the back of your knife. Just use the seeds.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

• Watch step-by-step photos in the blog post above to see the required consistency at every step to have full clarity.
• Watch the 40 seconds video to see the whole process.
• Read the blog post for additional information on how to freeze Chocolate Cheesecake, how to avoid cracks in cheesecakes, etc.