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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
- Cream cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese that’s been softened at room temperature or in a microwave.
- Dark chocolate chips – I used bittersweet chocolate chips but any type of chocolate works.
- Chocolate cookie crumbs – I used chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos) but this recipe works with any kind of chocolate cookies.
- Sour cream – Use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor. For a silkier, softer cheesecake, I recommend replacing half the sour cream with heavy cream.
- Eggs – Eggs give this cheesecake structure to help it hold its shape.
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!
Tips
Work with room temperature ingredients for the best results.
Crack-free cheesecake – The most common reason for cracked cheesecake is over-mixing and large air bubbles. During baking, these air bubbles are pushed out which creates cracks on the surface. To prevent this, mix the batter on the lowest speed for 2 minutes and bang the pan several times on the kitchen counter to release the air bubbles.
Avoid opening the oven door which can cause the cheesecake to collapse due to the temperature drop.
Once it’s finished baking, allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven with the door cracked for an hour to slowly let the temperature decrease. 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 the cheesecake overnight for best results.
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!
More Cheesecake Recipes
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!
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
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.
I have a box of Oreo cookie crumbs. Approximately how many grams of crushed Oreo cookies is 15 sandwich cookies? Thank you.
This was really delicious, and I am so excited to make this again!
Yum!
This was amazing! Super silky smooth texture and a decadent rich flavor. I made exactly as instructed and it turned out perfect. Thanks!
My first attempt at chocolate cheesecake and it was delicious!
I’m not really a cheesecake fan but this was so smooth and creamy we ate the whole thing!!!5stars !!
Ohmygosh! This is such a decadent dessert that is absolutely up my alley 🙂 Love it!
This is the only chocolate cheesecake recipe you will ever need. Silky smooth and so delicious. I used semi-sweet chocolate (be sure to use good quality chocolate here as the recipe suggests, that is key).
The chocolate whipped cream is the perfect topping and we added some strawberries and raspberries to ours also.
Hey – is it possible to make without a stand mixer?
Can you make the chocolate whipped cream ahead of time? Like the day before?
Made this for my chocoholic husband for his birthday and he loved it. He didn’t want to share! This cheesecake is perfect, so creamy smooth and so chocolaty. Thanks for the great recipe!
I had a busy weekend of baking, and that included making two of your delicious chocolate cheesecakes. We enjoyed one for dessert last night with the family, and the other I have popped in the freezer for a birthday next month! I made sure to use good quality chocolate, and that really did make all the difference to the flavour. We love the chocolate whipped cream and are also going to try it with your cherry sauce next time.
The cheesecake itself is superb, but I could really eat that chocolate whipped cream by the spoonful – heavenly! This is a fantastic, reliable recipe. I followed it exactly, and my family was all thrilled with the results – my daughter has requested it as her birthday cake next week. We served with lots of fresh berries on the side.
Beautiful! The only thing better than a cheesecake is a chocolate cheesecake!
Looks amazing and I cannot wait to make it. I love cheesecake and I love even more chocolate. Thank you for sharing.
Wow! Excellent recipe with a great texture and flavor. I served this when we had out of town guests and the entire cheesecake was gone in minutes. Everyone was very impressed that I made it at home and I had many requests for the recipe… of course I pointed them here! Thanks!
This cheesecake is divine. Perfectly smooth, creamy, and silky and the chocolate makes it so rich
That is a dreamy piece of cheesecake for me I love how creamy it looks going to make this tonight!
My chocolate cheesecake came out so velvety smooth and delicious! It was a hit yesterday with my friends. Thanks for the recipe!
The recipe turned out great with no cracks at the top……it’s always a hit whenever I host. If you’re looking for a star dessert that is easy to make and foolproof. This is it 10/10 would recommend.
Your cheesecakes are always the best! So creamy and decadent, but also not too sweet! Absolutely loved this one! Thanks 🙂
I’ve made your chocolate whipped cream several times, usually serving it with a chocolate cake. Just tried your cheesecake today with it – and it is definitely the ideal dessert for a chocolate lover (like myself!)
I hadn’t ever used sour cream in a cheesecake before, but I loved how creamy it made it.
I noticed you have several cheesecake recipes on your website, and I am looking forward to trying them all.