Best Chocolate Cheesecake
Rich cocoa filling in Oreo crust, baked in water bath, topped with shiny chocolate ganache. Luxurious make-ahead classic.
Ingredients
- For the Oreo Crust:
- 24 Oreo cookies
- ¼ cup 57 g unsalted butter, melted
- For the Chocolate Filling:
- 24 oz 680 g cream cheese, room temp
- 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar
- ¾ cup 180 ml sour cream, room temp
- 8 oz 225 g dark chocolate, melted
- ½ cup 45 g cocoa powder
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup 240 ml heavy cream
- 8 oz 225 g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Wrap springform in foil; preheat 325 °F.
- Pulse Oreos + butter; press into pan. Bake 10 min.
- Melt chocolate; cool slightly.
- Beat cream cheese + sugar 2–3 min until fluffy.
- Add sour cream, cocoa, vanilla, salt; mix.
- Add eggs one by one, then melted chocolate—low speed.
- Pour into crust; place in water bath. Bake 60–70 min.
- Cool in oven 1 hr, then room temp 2 hrs, chill 6+ hrs. Top with ganache.
Notes
- Room-temp ingredients = smooth, lump-free batter.
- Water bath + gradual cool = zero cracks.
- Freeze slices up to 3 months; thaw fridge.
- Ganache hides any top imperfections.
- GF: Use GF Oreos; same method.
- Overnight chill = best flavor and slice.