Chocolate Cheesecake is a chocolate lover’s delight with an Oreo cookie crust filled in and baked with a rich and creamy chocolate cheesecake and topped with a chocolate ganache. This is the richest, most chocolatey cheesecake you will ever taste! For another rich and chocolatey dessert, try my Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake or even the Perfect Cheesecake Recipe for a classic dessert!
Chocolate Cheesecake
Get ready to indulge in a rich and moist chocolate cheesecake that will satisfy even the sweetest tooth. This dense and creamy treat is full of chocolate flavor in both the crust and the filling. As if it wasn’t chocolatey enough, I even added a chocolate ganache to put this chocolate cheesecake over the top!
What is a Springform Pan?
A springform pan is a good choice for any cheesecake recipe because it has removable sides. You won’t have to mess up your dessert by trying to get the cheesecake out of the pan! If you do not have a springform pan, I recommend using a disposable pan that you can cut off after your cheesecake is done.
A second option if you don’t have a springform pan would be to line a pan with parchment paper, leaving plenty of the paper hanging over the side. With some help, you and your extra set of hands can carefully lift the cheesecake out of the pan.
How to Make the Chocolate Ganache
After you have allowed the cheesecake to chill for at least four hours (up to overnight), prepare the ganache to pour over the cheesecake.
- Combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat up the chocolate and cream in 20-second intervals until it is melted and creamy.
- Pour this over the chocolate cheesecake, let it sit for about 15 minutes, and serve. Enjoy!
Can I Use Regular Unsweetened Cocoa?
Although I used Dutch-processed cocoa, you could use regular unsweetened cocoa for both the cake and the frosting instead. The difference would be that each would be a lighter color and will not be quite as rich tasting.
How to Tell if Cheesecake is Done
You will know the cheesecake is done when the sides are set, but the middle is still a bit jiggly. You can check the internal temperature of the cheesecake to check for doneness (150°F)
The other option to check for doneness would be to take a wooden spoon and tap the outside of the pan. If there is a slight jiggle, it’s done!
How to Store Chocolate Cheesecake
Cheesecakes are rich and filling, so even though you may want to eat the entire cheesecake in one sitting, it’s not always (if ever) possible. So, how do you store it to eat when you are craving a bite later? One easy way is to cover the cheesecake and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two. If you tightly wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container, it will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
To freeze a cheesecake:
- Let the cheesecake cool completely.
- Place the cheesecake (uncovered) in the freezer for about an hour. I suggest that if you are keeping the cheesecake pie in the springform pan, remove the sides of the pan.
- After the hour in the freezer, take the cheesecake off the pan, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
- Place the wrapped cheesecake into a zipped freezer bag or wrap it in aluminum foil. Be sure to label and date the cheesecake.
More Cheesecake Recipes
Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 24 Oreo cookies
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 cups (336 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (178.5 g) heavy cream, room temperature and divided
- 3 packages (24 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (29.5 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 ½ cups (252 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cups (178.5 g) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan (or use parchment paper to prevent sticking).
Crust
- Add Oreo cookies to a food processor and crush until you have a fine crumb and very few larger pieces.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the Oreo cookies and melted butter and stir until evenly distributed.
- Press the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan and up the sides.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. NOTE: Sometimes the butter can drip out of the springform pan if it is not sealed properly. You can either wrap the bottom edge of the pan in aluminum foil or place a cookie sheet on the bottom rack to collect any drippings.
Filling
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and the chocolate chips. Heat for 20-second intervals until the chips have melted and the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand-held mixer until creamy and smooth.
- Beat in the sugar and dutch process cocoa powder until smooth.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and the REMAINING 1/2 cup of heavy cream, mixing until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate mixture.
- Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
- Pour the batter on top of the cooled cookie crust.
- Bake for 70 minutes, placing a separate pan underneath the cheesecake to catch any drippings. The cheesecake is done when the sides are set but the center is still a little bit jiggly.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it rest until the pan is cooled.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled.
Chocolate Ganache
- Combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 20-second intervals until melted and creamy. Pour over the chilled cheesecake and let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
This recipe makes the most divine chocolate cheesecake ever!
I would add just 1 note – even though it doesn’t say to remove the Oreo filling before crushing them your crust will turn out worlds better if you do. If you leave the cream centers in the crust is like a rock and very hard to get your fork through.
I’m not sure how this is going to pan out yet lol. I’ve never made a cheesecake and this seemed simple enough. I used a 9 Inch spring pan. The batter filled the entire pan. For the most part almost to the top. It baked for 70 minutes at 325 and seemed to have like that muffin top. My partner didn’t think it was done and so we baked it a little longer like 10-12 longer. Took it out to rest and then eventually chilled. While it rested it the top started to cave just a little bit and the muffin too was like hard? It was cracking essentially. Fast forward about 8 hours later in the fridge. It’s sunken just a little more and the muffin top is still sunken and hard. I’m not sure what I’ll get when I undo the spring but I’m wondering if I can some how cut the muffin top off and go from there with the ganache? Things I noticed while making it was that the batter wasent as thick as I thought it would be, and I am wondering if I let them sit and get too warm since everything needs to be room temp I’m wondering if that is what messed it up because the part where your supposed to fold the chocolate mix into the batter. I was confused because the batter wasent like “folding” texture it felt more stir to me. And I did use too much butter making the crust on accident. I had a stupid moment because I melted the butter in the microwave in a 1 cup measuring cup and some spilled over but my brain disregarded the one stick because I was focused on the one cup and essentially I melted another half stick to make up for the butter that got spilled and to get a full cup. 😭 (I figured it would be okay though for the crust lol. But yeah i guess Ill see once I take this spring off. It looked and smelled good though so I’m super nervous but I’m unsure about that batter mistake
I made this today, Monday, but wont serve it until Friday so I will freeze it. Do I freeze it with the ganache or wait until I’m ready to serve it?
I usually bake my other cheesecakes in a water bath. Would you recommend against that on this one?
You definitely can!
For the crust, do you include the oreo cream filling? Or do u remove the cream filling from the oreos and only use the cookies?
Do you need to do water bath?
Delicious my oven could have done 60 minutes I decorated with peeps and mini eggs for Easter
I made this cheesecake yesterday. I have never made cheese before and I love cooking and baking. My husband said that it’s the best dessert I have ever made. The guests were in ecstasy. The different textures in one dessert makes this one unique. Will be now on my list of desserts to impress. Did not change anything in the recipe.
Great!! I put chocolate covered cherries on mine!
What type of cocoa powder is best to use Natural or Dutched process?
This is my go to chocolate cheesecake recipe! Love it 😀
Can this recipe be used to make mini cheesecakes in a cupcake tin?