Posted Feb 04, 2022, Updated Feb 19, 2024 When I was first married there was a woman at my church who made the most incredible desserts. My favorite of her creations were her mini chocolate cheesecakes – they were as delicious as they were cute. She was generous enough to share her recipe with me, and I adapted it to create one, regular-sized, chocolate cheesecake! In this chocolate cheesecake recipe, a rich chocolate filling sits atop a chocolate cookie crust and then is finished off with a smooth chocolate ganache. It’s an elegant dessert for chocolate lovers. Also, try this no bake chocolate cheesecake if you’re short on time or it’s too hot to bake!
Chocolate Cheesecake: Ingredients & Substitutions
Chocolate cookie crumbs. any chocolate cookie works well in the crust of this chocolate cheesecake. I always use double stuffed Oreos, but other suggestions include: Trader Joe’s JoJo’s, regular Oreos, etc. You can use flavored cookies (birthday cake, peppermint, etc.) if you want to change the flavor. You can also use a gluten-free sandwich cookie to make this recipe gluten-free (Oreo started making gluten-free Oreo’s now – amazing)! Granulated sugar. Organic cane sugar is a great substitute for regular white sugar. Salted butter. Unsalted butter or coconut oil can be used in the crust instead of salted butter, if desired. Cream cheese. use full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor. I don’t recommend making substitutions. Heavy cream. half and half is acceptable substitute for heavy cream in both the ganache and cheesecake. Vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste or the seeds of one whole vanilla bean are a good substitute for vanilla in the cheesecake. Semisweet chocolate. any variety or form of chocolate works in this recipe, choose your favorite (chips, bars, discs, dark milk, etc.) It is melted in both the cheesecake and ganache so the form doesn’t matter. Espresso powder. I always have espresso powder on hand to make chocolate desserts (like this homemade chocolate cake). It’s totally worth purchasing if you love baking. You can substitute instant coffee if you must. All-purpose flour. bread flour, cake flour, or all-purpose gluten-free flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake
This chocolate cheesecake recipe has a few different steps and elements to it, but they are all relatively simple to make on their own. Note. that this recipe needs to chill overnight, so plan accordingly.
Prepare the Springform Pan
Begin this recipe by preparing the springform pan and pan for the water bath. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C) and lightly grease a non-stick, 9” springform pan and use heavy duty aluminum foil to line the bottom so there are no cracks. Locate another pan that is larger than the springform pan and in which the springform pan sits flat. The cheesecake will be baked in the larger pan in a water bath. Set aside.
Make the Oreo Crust:
If you don’t have store-bought Oreo crumbs, process the Oreo cookies in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade or in a blender and process/blend until they reach the texture of fine crumbs. Then, in a large bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, sugar and butter. Next, press the Oreo mixture into the prepared springform pan and bake for 8 minutes until slightly puffed. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Make the chocolate cheesecake filling
While the crust is baking, make the chocolate cheesecake filling. In the bowl of a standing mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until there are no lumps. Then, add the heavy cream, melted chocolate, espresso powder, vanilla, and, sea salt and beat until combined. Next, beat in the eggs one at a time. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in flour until just combined and pour the filling over the baked crust.
Bake in a Water Bath
Bring about a quart of water to a boil. Put the cheesecake into the larger pan, then place them in the oven. Very carefully pour the boiling water into the lower pan making sure not to get any water into the cheesecake, until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 30-40 (start with 30 and go up from there) minutes until the cheesecake is set around the edges—a small spot in the middle should still look soft. Remove from the oven, remove from water bath, discard foil and cool slowly to room temperature.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
While the cheesecake is cooling, make the chocolate ganache. Heat the remaining heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just barely begins to boil around the edges. Then, remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate chips and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Next, add the vanilla extract and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken, which happens as it cools. Then pour the slightly thickened ganache over the top of the cheesecake and spread it into an even layer.
Chill
Chill the chocolate cheesecake overnight.
Note on Springform Pan
If you don’t own a springform pan you can make this recipe, however it is not easy to get a cheesecake out of a cake pan. I have done it with this recipe though, here’s how:
Serve
Serve with homemade whipped cream or chocolate whipped cream, if desired. This chocolate cheesecake is very rich, so a small slices goes a long way. This recipe feeds 16 people easily.
Store
Store leftover chocolate cheesecake in the refrigerator in an airtight container or on the serving plate covered in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
Freeze
This chocolate cheesecake freezes well in one of two ways:
- Freeze the entire chocolate cheesecake. Make and chill the cheesecake, then put it in the freezer to harden for 1-2 hours. Once it is hardened, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cutting and serving. 2. Freeze individual slices. If you have a few leftover slices you want to freeze, place them on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer to flash-freeze them. Then, once they’re frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
