Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (2024)

Published: Author: Sabine / This post may contain affiliate links

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This Chocolate Cheesecake recipe is the perfect treat for any chocoholic. It's creamy, rich, chocolaty, and decadent. Plus, it's super easy to make and no fancy ingredients are involved. By the way, have you tried my air fryer cheesecake yet?

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (1)
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  • Photo instructions
  • Expert tips for success
  • How to tell when it's done
  • Why does mine have cracks?
  • Freezing instructions
  • More cheesecake recipes to try
  • Recipe

Photo instructions

Start with lining the springform pan with parchment paper.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.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (2)

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.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (3)

Let's continue with the crust. Combine Oreo crumbs, cocoa, and melted butter. Stir until evenly moistened. This works best with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (4)

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.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (5)
Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (6)

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

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Then add melted chocolate and mix just to combine.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (8)

Then add one egg at a time and mix just until incorporated. Don't overmix at any step.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (9)

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

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (10)

Fill into chilled crust and spread evenly.Bake and chill.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (11)

Expert tips for success

  • If you cover the bottom and the sides of the springform pan entirely, you don’t need to worry about how to remove the baked cheesecake from the springform pan. After baking and chilling, just open the pan and remove the paper from the cheesecake.
  • 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.
  • The recipe works with either brick-style cream cheese (US) as well as spreadable cream cheese (UK). Brick-style cream cheese should be at room temperature and spreadable cream cheese can be cold.
  • Make sure to use high-quality chocolate from a chocolate brand you love. I used semi-sweet chocolate (50%) from Lindt. I don't recommend using milk chocolate or chocolate above 60% because the cheesecake would be either too sweet or not sweet at all.
  • 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 to prevent liquid from dripping onto the bottom of the oven.

How to tell when it's done

To tell when your chocolate cheesecake is done, gently shake the pan. The edges should be very lightly browned and set with a slight wobble in the center of the cheesecake. The wobbly center should be about 3-4 inches in diameter and very light and shiny. Do not check with a toothpick as this is not significant. Don’t worry that your cheesecake is still wobbly. It is not underbaked and the cheesecake will set as it cools.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (12)

Why does mine have cracks?

First of all, if your cheesecake cracks, please don't panic. Don't throw it away, it's not bad, it's still delicious and you can serve it. Simply cover with ganache, whipped cream or lots of berries and nobody will notice anything. However, here are a few tips to prevent your cheesecake from cracking.

  • Overmixing.Mix at every step just until combined.
  • Overbaking.Please don't bake the cheesecake until it is completely set in the center. 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. After baking, crack open the door and let the cheesecake in the oven for one hour. Then remove from the oven and cool completely before chilling in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (13)

Freezing instructions

  • Freeze the whole cheesecake: After chilling, remove the ring from the springform pan and wrap the cheesecake with the bottom of the pan in plastic wrap twice. Then wrap in aluminum foil twice. Take care that it is completely sealed and no air is enclosed or can come in. Freeze for up to 1 month. To thaw, unwrap and place the cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
  • Freeze single slices: After chilling cut into slices and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place in freezer bags or containers and freeze for up to 1 month. To thaw, unwrap and let sit on the counter for 1 hour.
Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (14)

More cheesecake recipes to try

If you love cheesecakes, you will also lovethe following recipes.

  • Oreo cheesecake
  • Lemon cheesecake
  • Mini cheesecakes
  • Eggnog cheesecake
  • Cheesecake bars

Recipe

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (15)

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

5 from 17 votes

Author Sabine

Calories: 550kcal

Servings: 16 servings

Prep 15 minutes minutes

Cook 1 hour hour

Chill Time 10 hours hours

Total 11 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Print Pin Rate

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.

Ingredients

Oreo Cookie Crust

  • 25 Oreo cookies, crushed into fine crumbs
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Chocolate Cheesecake Filling

  • 4 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups granulated white sugar
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
  • 1 ¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate, melted
  • 5 large eggs
  • cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

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

  • 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.

  • 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 a 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.

  • 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 minefor 55 minutes.

  • 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 4 hours preferably overnight. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

Video

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Nutrition

Calories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 8gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 313mgPotassium: 281mgFiber: 3gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 1057IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 4mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Did you make this recipe?Leave a feedback and rate this recipe!

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Lemon Meringue Tart »

About Sabine

Sabine is a professional baker, cookbook author, and award-winning food photographer.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary Beth

    Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (16)
    OMG. I had to put the leftovers in the fridge in our basem*nt so I would stop eating it! But I still know it’s here. So creamy. So chocolaty. So sinfully rich. This was the first time I made a cheesecake, and I know nothing will ever compare to it!! Thank you for all the details in your post. You gave
    me confidence that I could make it! Thank you!!!!

    Reply

  2. Yvette

    Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (17)
    . This was my first attempt in 67 years to make a real cheesecake OMG it was amazingly delicious. I wanted to run though the neighborhood with a bite for everyone. My nephew hid it for himself
    Going to make the Lemon one next

    Thank you for sharing

    Reply

  3. Alexander G

    Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (18)
    Very happy with this recipe. This was my first time baking a cheesecake, let alone baking on my own as I am still very young and still learning- and it turned out great. 10/10 will make again.

    Reply

  4. Ulrike Varghese

    Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (19)
    I have no idea how many times I have made this cake already, It is an all time favourite and when I ask friends/family what cake would you like for your Bday, I get always the same response:
    Chocolate Cheesecake, like the one last time........

    Thanks a million for this delicious recipe!

    Uli

    Reply

  5. Lou

    If using a premise crust (shorter than the 9” pan), should the recipe be changed? If so how? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Lou

      That’s premade not premise, sorry.

      Reply

    • Sabine

      Yes, I would calculate the size of your crust for example 8” then calculate 8x8=64 divided by 9x9=81 is 0.79. So you are on the safe side to do 75% of the filling. Hope that helps!

      Reply

      • Louis

        The premade crust wasn’t as deep as the 9” pan, so I cut the ingredients in half and baked it for 40 minutes. It turned out very good! Thanks

  6. Ulrike

    Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (20)
    This was so yummy, my kids and husband loved it! Whipped cream a must!!!

    Reply

    • Sabine

      Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm happy that you like it! Agree with you on the whipped cream.

      Reply

  7. Nicky

    Hi Sabine,

    Just wondering if water bath is necessary for this recipe as I always bake my cheesecakes at a lower temperature around 150C with no water bath. Thank you

    Nicky

    Reply

    • Sabine

      Hi Nicky,
      no, a water bath is not necessary. I never bake my cheesecakes in a water bath. However, you can bake this chocolate cheesecake the way you bake it normally. It works with the water bath method too.
      Hope that helps!

      Reply

  8. Faith

    Soooo impressed with this recipe. Baked cheesecake is my favourite, but a chocolate baked cheesecake takes it to a whole other level of deliciousness. I made it for a friend’s birthday and they were blown away. Thank you for such a fabulous recipe Sabine.

    Faith x

    Reply

    • Sabine

      Aww, thank you so much Faith! It makes me so happy that you liked it and that it was a huge hit at the birthday party. Thank you so much for your nice feedback! Sabine xo

      Reply

  9. Heather von Biela

    Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (21)
    I'm making it for the second time tonight- it's delicious! Definitely use high quality chocolate, as you say. It truly makes all the difference 🙂 And I do always cook my cheesecakes in a bain Marie (water bath) with excellent results because I'm so scared of cracking! But I didn't change a thing about the recipe otherwise. So so good! Highly recommended! Really nice with some not-so-sweet freshly made whipped cream 🙂

    Reply

    • Sabine

      The taste of the chocolate has a huge impact on the taste, you are true! Baking cheesecakes in a bain marie is definitely the safest method to prevent cracking cheesecakes. And yes, I also love freshly made whipped cream on top. It fits this cheesecake perfectly. Thank you so much, I'm really happy that you like this recipe! 🙂

      Reply

  10. Ann

    In your print recipe instructions you did not mention when to add the melted chocolate. I followed the recipe and then discovered that I had the melted chocolate left over! I added it at the end. Haven’t cut it yet but the batter tasted wonderful and it looks fine. Just wanted you to know.

    Reply

    • Sabine

      Ann, this is bad that something weird like this happened to you. I'm so sorry about that! I printed it now and I had the chocolate in the instructions. I don't know what was wrong. However, I'm super happy that it turned out good. Thank you for letting me know!

      Reply

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Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does adding an extra egg to cheesecake do? ›

Making it lighter: If you don't like the thick and heavy cheesecake then I would recommend adding more eggs if you want to keep the classic taste or adding sour cream or heavy whipping cream if you like how those change the taste.

What not to do when making cheesecake? ›

16 Mistakes You're Making With Homemade Cheesecake
  1. Working with cold ingredients. Hobo_018/Getty Images. ...
  2. Using whipped cream cheese. ...
  3. Using low-fat cream cheese. ...
  4. Undermixing your cheesecake. ...
  5. Not diversifying your cheeses. ...
  6. Not being careful with your eggs. ...
  7. Only making plain cheesecake. ...
  8. Baking in anything but a springform pan.
May 29, 2023

Should you beat eggs before adding to cheesecake? ›

Now, here comes the trick to my cheesecakes that make them so much different from most others. I separate my eggs and beat the whites before folding them into my cream cheese mixture. This gives the cheesecake a much lighter texture than most cheesecakes.

Is sour cream or heavy cream better for cheesecake? ›

The addition of cream gives a velvety, smooth texture, but too much of it and you begin to mask the cream cheese flavor. Sour cream supports the underlying tang of the cream cheese, but, if overdone, it takes over as the dominant flavor. You need a little of each -- cream for texture and sour cream for flavor.

What happens when you overbeat cheesecake batter? ›

Overmixing may lead to cracks and a grainy texture

With a batter mainly composed of cream cheese, sugar, and egg yolks, you can quickly form cracks in your cheesecake with the excess air that comes from overmixing (via Cheesecakes World).

What happens if you over mix cheesecake batter? ›

Avoid Overmixing: Unlike other cakes, where beating air into the batter is key, overmixed cheesecake can rise, fall and then crack from that excess air. Keeping ingredients (cheese, eggs, liquids and flavorings) at room temperature can help.

When should you not eat cheesecake? ›

Eggs and milk have high protein and moisture content, and they're the primary ingredients in cheesecake, so when cheesecake is left at room temperature, conditions are ripe for bacteria to multiply. According to the USDA's Food Keeper App, cheesecake should be consumed within 5 to 7 days of refrigeration.

Does Cheesecake Factory actually make their cheesecake? ›

We own and operate two bakery production facilities, one in Calabasas Hills, California, and one in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where we produce approximately 70 varieties of cheesecakes and other baked desserts based on proprietary recipes.

What is classic cheesecake made of? ›

This recipe makes a classic New York-style cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust and rich, dense filling made from cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, a hint of lemon, and a few tablespoons of flour. Cream cheese is the key ingredient, so I recommend using a good brand, like Philadelphia.

What can I use instead of cream cheese for cheesecake? ›

Cream Cheese Substitutes:
  • Sour Cream. Sour cream replicates cream cheese's taste but isn't quite as caloric, making it a good choice for a lower-calorie substitute. ...
  • Greek Yogurt. ...
  • Neufchâtel. ...
  • Mascarpone. ...
  • Silken Tofu. ...
  • Cottage Cheese. ...
  • Hummus. ...
  • Quark.
Oct 18, 2023

Is it better to overcook or undercook cheesecake? ›

Avoid Overcooking

DON'T overbake. Overbaking a cheesecake can cause cracks on the surface.

What does an undercooked cheesecake look like? ›

An underbaked cheesecake will ripple and jiggle noticeably. The key to a perfect cheesecake is a subtle wiggle—not a sloshy jiggle. Because cheesecakes are part of the baked custard family, you can use this technique not just for them, but for classic creme brulee and old-fashioned baked custards.

Should I leave cheesecake in the oven to cool? ›

Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven in the water bath as it cools down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and water bath, then cool cheesecake completely uncovered at room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.

What happens if you add an extra egg? ›

Eggs are responsible for giving baked goods structure, which means the amount you use directly affects the resulting texture. Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery. The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein.

What happens if you add extra egg to dough? ›

The reason for that is the fat in the yolk that inhibits gluten formation just as any other fat would. This results in a looser dough that can expand and puff up more.

How do you make a cheesecake mixture thicker? ›

  1. Increase the Amount of Cream Cheese: Adding more cream cheese to the filling can help thicken it. ...
  2. Add Sour Cream: Incorporating sour cream into the filling can add thickness and tanginess. ...
  3. Use Greek Yogurt: Similar to sour cream, Greek yogurt can be added to the filling to increase thick.
Jun 1, 2023

What makes a cheesecake rise high? ›

Don't overmix ingredients.

This way you will be able to blend your ingredients very easily without overmixing. When the batter is overmixed, too much air is added and will cause your cake to rise in the oven and then collapse and crack when being removed.

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