This baked chocolate cheesecake recipe is silky, creamy, decadent, and full of chocolate flavor! Melted dark chocolate chips are added to creamy cheesecake batter and baked in a chocolate cookie crust made from Oreo cookies. Top with chocolate whipped cream for the best chocolate cheesecake you'll ever taste!
This decadent chocolate cheesecake is a chocolate lover's dream! It's creamy, moist, rich, and made with simple ingredients. Dark chocolate chips and a chocolate cookie crust give this cheesecake tons of chocolate flavor.
Chocolate cheesecake is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays because it can be made ahead of time and frozen! It freezes beautifully and can be thawed in the fridge overnight. It's the perfect chocolate dessert for get-togethers and serves 8 to 10 people.
Chocolate Cheesecake Ingredients
How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake
- Crush or grind the chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos) into a fine crumb to make the crust. Use a food processor or place the cookies into a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs.
- Mix the cookie crumbs with melted butter and add it into a springform pan double-lined with foil. It should resemble wet sand and hold its shape when pressed. Use a flat-bottomed cup to press it along the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Beat together the softened cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and salt using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Set it aside once its smooth and creamy.
- Add the dark chocolate chips and milk to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20 seconds at a time at half power, stirring after each time. Once it's smooth and completely melted, add it to the cheesecake batter.
- Mix the chocolate into the cheesecake batter on low speed, scraping down the sides and bottom. Once combined, mix the batter on the lowest speed for 1 to 2 minutes to remove any air bubbles.
- Pour the batter into the springform pan and bang it several times on the counter to release any air bubbles. This will help prevent cracks in the cheesecake.
- Place the springform pan into a larger roasting pan and fill it up halfway with hot water. This is called a water bath, and it insulates the cheesecake from extreme temperatures and helps prevent cracking.
- Bake for 75 minutes and then turn off the oven and crack the door slightly for 1 hour. This lets the cheesecake slowly reduce in temperature which helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking and collapsing.
If all goes well, you should have a perfectly baked, crack-free chocolate cheesecake. But if you do end up with cracks, no worries! You can cover those cracks with chocolate ganache or chocolate whipped cream, which will only make the cheesecake taste better!
Remove it from the water bath and foil and allow it come to room temperature on the counter. Loosely cover it to prevent condensation from dripping onto the cheesecake and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours to overnight.
To serve, dip a thin knife in hot water and wipe it dry before and after each slice. This will get you smooth, even slices that show off the creamy, silky texture of this cheesecake!
Enjoy this ultimate chocolate cheesecake recipe and be sure to make it for the holidays. Happy baking!
Tips
More Cheesecake Recipes
Recipe
Silky Chocolate Cheesecake
☑ Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Crust
- 15 chocolate sandwich cookies - e.g. Oreos; See Note 1
- 2½ tablespoons butter - melted
Cheesecake Batter
- 2 8oz packages cream cheese - softened; see Note 2
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup sour cream - See Note 3
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons milk
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of your springform pan with a parchment paper round for easy removal. Then, double wrap the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Crust
- Crush or grind the chocolate cookies to get fine crumbs. Use a food processor or place the cookies in a resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet. Mix the crumbs with the melted butter. It should resemble wet sand and hold its shape when pressed.Add the crumbs to the pan and firmly pat down to get an even layer on the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.15 chocolate sandwich cookies, 2½ tablespoons butter
Cheesecake Filling
- Make the batter: Reduce the oven to 325°F. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy on medium-high speed. Tip: For a softer, silkier texture, replace half the sour cream with heavy cream.2 8oz packages cream cheese, 2 eggs, ½ cup sugar, ⅔ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the chocolate: Add the chocolate chips and milk to a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at a time at half power until melted, stirring after each time. Add the melted chocolate to the batter and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom. Lastly, remove large air bubbles by reducing the speed to the lowest setting for 1 to 2 minutes.1 cup dark chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons milk
- Water bath: Pour the batter into the springform pan and remove any air bubbles by banging the pan onto the kitchen counter lined with a kitchen towel. Put the springform pan into a larger roasting pan and add hot water halfway up the side to create a water bath.
- Bake: Bake at 325°F for 75 minutes. Turn off the oven and use a wooden spoon to crack open the oven door. Let the cheesecake slowly reduce in temperature for one hour then remove it from the oven.
- Chill: Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and remove the foil. Once it reaches room temperature, loosely cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours to overnight.
Serve
- Chocolate Whipped Cream: Beat together the heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy.1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Cut slices using a thin knife that's been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice. Top with chocolate whipped cream and enjoy!
✎ Recipe Notes
- Chocolate cookie crust - Reduce the amount by half if you only want a bottom crust with no sides.
- Cream cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese for best results. To soften, leave at room temperature or microwave for 20 seconds at a time until soft (my preferred method).
- Sour cream - Sour cream helps give the cheesecake a creamy, soft texture. For an even softer and silkier texture, replace half the sour cream with heavy cream. This will give you a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake that's velvety soft. I highly recommend this for those who prefer soft cheesecakes over dense ones.
Tips:
- Crust: Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup with straight sides to easily press down the chocolate cookie crumbs.
- Crack-free cheesecake: Cracks can form in cheesecakes due to air bubbles, over-mixing, and improper temperature. Once the batter is smooth and creamy, mix the batter on the lowest speed for 2 minutes to push out any large air bubbles. Bang the pan on the kitchen counter several times. Avoid opening the oven during baking to keep the temperature consistent. This prevents the cheesecake from collapsing and cracking.
- Once the cheesecake comes to room temperature, cover it loosely to prevent any condensation from dripping onto the cheesecake.
- Chill overnight for best results.
- Make ahead for the holidays - Chocolate cheesecake can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Or it can be made up to 1 month in advance and frozen. Thaw in the fridge overnight and top with whipped cream right before serving.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Chocolate cheesecake tastes best when consumed within 3 days of making. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container or tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.
Yes, chocolate cheesecake can be made and frozen for 1 month. It freezes and thaws beautifully which makes it the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Thaw in the fridge overnight and top with whipped cream right before serving.
You can use semisweet, bittersweet, or even milk chocolate. Be sure to use good quality chocolate and look for one with a high cacao percentage for more chocolate flavor.
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