Chocolate Cheesecake
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This chocolate cheesecake is the dessert I make when people are coming over and I want something that looks like it came from a bakery. It is rich and dense without the water bath that turns cheesecake into a project.
The trick is to bake it as directed, then let it cool in the oven. That’s what helps keep the top smooth. One pan feeds twelve, and I make it the day before so there’s nothing left to do once guests arrive.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No water bath. It bakes straight in the pan and cools slowly in the turned-off oven, so the top stays smooth without any fussy foil-and-roasting-pan setup.
- A rich, dense filling from melted semi-sweet chocolate and a little heavy cream, not a light and airy one.
- It’s built to be made ahead. The cheesecake needs at least four hours to chill, so the day before is the natural time to bake it.
- One 9-inch cheesecake slices into twelve, which stretches a block of cream cheese and a bar of chocolate across a whole table.
- Everyday ingredients do the work here, cream cheese, eggs, chocolate, and cookie crumbs, with no specialty items or a special trip.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what’s worth noting before you start: the printable card below has the full list with quantities.
- Cream cheese: Let it soften fully at room temperature first. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps that no amount of mixing will smooth out, and overmixing to chase them is exactly what beats in the air that cracks the top.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: Melt and cool it slightly before it goes in. Semi-sweet balances the sugar in the filling, where milk chocolate would push it sweeter and softer, and there’s more on that swap below.
- Chocolate cracker crumbs: These make the crust. Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies stand in for them if that’s what you have on hand.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs blend in evenly. Add them one at a time on low speed so you aren’t whipping air into the batter.
- Heavy cream: Half a cup loosens the batter to a silky, pourable consistency once the melted chocolate is in.
How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake
Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.
Prebake the crust
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Stir the chocolate cracker crumbs and sugar together, then mix in the melted butter until it looks like wet sand.
Press it evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and bake for 8 minutes, then set it aside to cool while you make the filling.
Beat the cream cheese base
Beat the softened cream cheese on medium until it’s smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and mix until fully incorporated, then add the eggs one at a time on low speed, scraping the bowl between each.
Mix in the vanilla. Keep the speed low here to avoid adding excess air, which can cause cracks during baking.
Melt and blend in the chocolate
Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, or over a double boiler, until it’s smooth.
Let it cool slightly so it doesn’t cook the eggs, then pour it into the batter with the mixer on low. Add the heavy cream and mix just until the batter is smooth and silky.
Fill the pan and bake
Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. It’s done when the edges are set, but the center still jiggles slightly as you nudge the pan.
It firms up as it chills, so a center that already looks fully set has usually gone too far and will bake up dense and dry.
Cool it slowly, then chill
Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and leave the cheesecake inside for an hour. That slow cooldown is what keeps the top from cracking without a water bath.
Take it out, let it come to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the pan as soon as the cheesecake comes out of the oven. It shrinks as it cools, and an edge that’s stuck to the pan pulls the surface and tears it.
- For clean slices, cut it cold with a sharp knife warmed in hot water and dried between slices.
- Don’t rush the chill. 4 hours is the floor; both the texture and the slices are better after a full night in the fridge.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep leftover slices covered in the fridge and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Cheesecake is a perishable, egg-and-dairy dessert, so don’t leave it sitting out; get it back in the fridge within two hours of serving, and within an hour if the kitchen is warm, above 90°F (32°C).
Making it ahead is the whole point of this one. Bake a day early and let the dish chill overnight before serving. It freezes well too: wrap tightly, freeze, and thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
What to Serve With Chocolate Cheesecake
A slice this rich doesn’t need much beside it. Strong coffee or espresso is the natural partner, and a handful of fresh raspberries or a few sliced strawberries cuts through the density if you want some contrast on the plate.
If you’re building a dessert table for a crowd, give it some contrast. Our Lemon Cheesecake uses the same make-ahead, chill-overnight format but leans tangy instead of rich, so the two cover opposite ends of the table.
FAQs
It’s usually one of three things: the oven ran too hot, too much air got beaten into the batter, or it cooled too fast. This recipe handles the cooling for you by leaving it in a turned-off oven, and you can cover the other two by keeping the mixer on low once the eggs go in and running a knife around the edge the moment it comes out.
It’s the easiest way to get the cheesecake out in one clean piece, so it’s worth having. A deep cake pan lined with a parchment sling can work instead, but it’s shallower, so start checking it earlier since it’ll bake faster.
Not as a straight swap. The melted semi-sweet chocolate brings fat and moisture that cocoa powder doesn’t, so dropping it in changes both the texture and the liquid balance of the batter. Stick with the chopped bar or chips the recipe calls for.
More Easy Desserts to Try Next
If this one goes over well, here’s where I’d point you next.
- Banana Pudding Brownies: When I want something in the fudgy-brownie family instead of a chilled cheesecake, these bars with a banana-pudding swirl come together fast and travel well to a potluck.
- Pumpkin S’mores Cookie Cake: The one I’d make for a fall gathering, with chocolate, marshmallow, and graham baked into a single pan you slice like a pie.
- Ice Cream Cake: For a hot day when you don’t want the oven on, this no-bake frozen cake layers ice cream and berries and just waits in the freezer until you need it.
- Chocolate Pumpkin Patch Brownie Cake: If you like the showy-but-easy side of this cheesecake, this ganache-topped brownie cake is the Halloween version, and you can bake the base a day ahead and decorate later.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1½ cups chocolate cracker crumbs such as chocolate graham crackers or chocolate wafers
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup heavy cream
For serving:
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate shavings or curls
Video
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.1½ cups chocolate cracker crumbs, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2–3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and continue mixing until fully incorporated.16 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla extract.3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Melt the semi-sweet chocolate using a microwave (in 30-second intervals, stirring between each) or a double boiler until smooth. Let cool slightly.8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture. Mix until fully combined. Add the heavy cream and mix until the batter is smooth and silky.½ cup heavy cream
- Pour the filling over the prepared crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just slightly jiggly.
- Turn off the oven, crack the oven door open, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow it to come to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before serving.
- Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings for an elegant finish. Slice and enjoy!Whipped cream, Chocolate shavings or curls
Notes
- Swap in an Oreo-style crust: replace the chocolate cracker crumbs with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Let the cream cheese soften fully at room temperature before you start.
- Use room-temperature eggs, so they blend in evenly.
- Don’t overmix the batter once the eggs go in; stir just until combined to avoid beating in too much air, which cracks the top.
- Melt the chocolate over medium heat, using a small pot on the stovetop, a double boiler, or short microwave bursts, then let it cool slightly before adding it.
- Bake until the edges are set, but the center still jiggles slightly; it firms up as it chills.
- Cool it in the turned-off oven with the door cracked, then chill for at least 4 hours for clean slices.
- Keep leftover slices covered in the fridge and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
