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Chocolate Cheesecake has a decadent chocolate filling and a chocolate cookie crust. It’s covered in creamy chocolate mousse swirls and chocolate shavings.

Quadruple Chocolate Cheesecake
You don’t need to be a pastry chef to make this incredible Chocolate Cheesecake! With a few tips and tricks below, you can make this show-stopper dessert for your next special occasion or the holidays.
Every bite of this luscious, rich cheesecake is top to bottom chocolate – from the chocolate OREO cookie crust…to the super rich chocolate cheesecake…to the creamy chocolate mousse topping…and finally, milk chocolate shavings on top. Chocolate lovers will be very happy to see this on the dessert table!

Why you’ll love Chocolate Cheesecake
- It’s so delicious with layers of deep, rich chocolate in every bite.
- This chocolate cheesecake is sweet – but not overly sweet – so you can fully appreciate the different chocolate flavors throughout.
- Your dinner guests will be so impressed to see this gorgeous cheesecake served for dessert. (It will be our secret that it isn’t difficult to make!) 😉
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chocolate – We use a combination of unsweetened chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and Dutch processed cocoa powder in the filling and topping. A milk chocolate baking bar is shaved over the top of the cheesecake as additional garnish.
- Dairy – You’ll use a combination of cream cheese, heavy cream, and Greek yogurt in the filling.
- Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- For the Crust – Crushed OREO chocolate cookies and melted butter.
- For the Chocolate Mousse Topping – More heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and Dutch processed cocoa powder.

What is Dutch Processed Cocoa?
Dutch-processed cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans that have been washed with an alkaline solution before they are ground into cocoa powder. The alkaline solution neutralizes the natural acidity of the cocoa beans, giving the cocoa powder a darker color and a milder, smoother chocolate flavor.

PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION
We recommend Rhodelle’s Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this recipe. It has a wonderfully rich chocolate flavor.
Special Tools Needed
- Food Processor – To crush the OREOs. Or place the cookies in a gallon zipper seal bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs.
- Stand (or Hand) Mixer – You use both the paddle and whisk attachments.
- 10” Springform Pan
- Larger Roasting Pan – For the water bath. The 10” springform should fit inside this pan with room for water around it.
- Aluminum Foil – This will be used to wrap the springform pan bottom for the water bath so water doesn’t seep into the bottom of the pan. A sheet of 18” foil will work the best.
- Saucepan and Bowl (or double boiler) – To melt the chocolate.
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Rubber Scraper
- Cooling Rack
- Pastry Bag with Large Star Tip – Click here to see the disposable pastry bags we always have on hand. Click here to see the large star tip used to pipe the chocolate mousse on top of the cheesecake.
- Sharp Knife – To shave the chocolate for the topping.

How do I make Chocolate Cheesecake?
- Make the crust by crushing Oreo cookies and mixing crumbs with melted butter.
- Press the crumbs into a 10” springform pan and bake for ten minutes, then set aside to cool.
- Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar in mixing bowl with paddle attachment then add one egg at a time, beating as you add. Add cocoa powder, heavy cream, Greek yogurt, flour, and salt and mix again. Scrape the bowl and beat until smooth.
- Place metal bowl over saucepan half-filled with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and add the unsweetened chocolate as well as the semisweet chips to the bowl. Stir until just melted. Carefully remove the bowl from the heat (be careful not to splash water or condensation into the chocolate) and cool slightly.
- With mixer running on low, and with the whisk attachment, slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate until fully whisked into the batter. Scrape the bowl and whisk again.
- Pour batter into the springform pan, over the cooked OREO crust. Wrap the outside of the springform pan in foil to protect the water in the water bath from leaking in.
- Bake in a water bath for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F, then lower the temp to 300 degrees F and bake 50 minutes more. Then shut off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the door closed for an hour.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Whisk heavy cream with confectioners’ sugar, Dutch cocoa powder and vanilla to stiff peaks.
- Spoon whipped topping into a pastry bag with a star tip and proceed to make star dollops all over the top, building to two layers high.
- Shave a milk chocolate bar by pulling the blade of a sharp knife along the surface of a chocolate bar. (Sharp side away from you as you scrape the knife over the chocolate towards you). Sprinkle the shavings over the chocolate mousse topping.
- Chill completely to firm up, then slice to serve.

Tips & Tricks
- A water bath is necessary for this cheesecake to ensure that the cheesecake cooks through without drying out AND to avoid cracking the top – the water bath creates a high moisture level in the oven that helps prevent the top from drying out and cracking.
- Make sure the springform pan is wrapped in one piece of foil to keep water out and make sure the springform pan fits flat in the larger outer pan. Boiling water should go halfway up the sides of the foil-wrapped springform pan. (See our post How to Bake Using a Water Bath)
- Once you put the cheesecake into the oven, do not open the oven door at all until the end of the cooking.
- The full baking time on this cheesecake is important to ensure the cheesecake is cooked through. Start at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, lower temp to 300 and time it 50 minutes more, then shut off oven and let it sit for an additional hour in the oven, leaving the oven door closed the entire time.

Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Chocolate Cheesecake ahead of time? Yes, you can make this cheesecake a day or two in advance if you wish. (It will need time to chill so if making this the day you plan to serve it, plan accordingly.)
- How do I store leftovers? Cover with plastic wrap (we placed toothpicks into the top of the cheesecake to suspend the plastic wrap and stop it from pressing down on the chocolate mousse topping). Keep refrigerated for up to five days.
- Can I freeze? Yes, you can freeze this cheesecake. Obviously, the topping will get flattened if you wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap. You can place slices in plastic containers (avoid oversized containers to prevent freezer burn). Or, you can freeze the plain cheesecake and add toppings once thawed and ready to serve.
You might like these other Cheesecake Recipes:

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Chocolate Cheesecake
Chocolate Cheesecake has a decadent chocolate filling and a chocolate cookie crust. It’s covered in creamy chocolate mousse swirls and chocolate shavings.
Ingredients
Crust
24 chocolate OREO cookies
5 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
24 ounces cream cheese (three 8-ounce packages), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 whole eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares (two 4-ounce packages)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Topping
3 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Quality milk chocolate bar such as Ghiardelli’s
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in the center of the oven.
- Place OREO cookies into a food processor and process to a fine crumb. Pour into a bowl and add melted butter and stir. Then press into the bottom of a 10” springform pan using the bottom of a drinking glass to press to the edges.
- Bake for ten minutes then remove to cool. Keep oven at 350. Wrap the outside of the pan in one piece of foil to keep water from leaking into the cheesecake.
- Place a tea kettle of water on to boil and find a pan larger than the springform pan to use as a water bath. A roasting pan works well. Keep the water hot in the kettle while you prepare the batter.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, place cream cheese and sugar and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bowl and beat again.
- Lower speed to low and add one egg at a time, making sure each egg is completely mixed in before going to the next. Scrape the bowl and mix again.
- Switch to a whisk attachment and add the cream, yogurt, cocoa powder, flour, and salt and whisk to combine. Scrape and whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Place a medium saucepan on the stove half filled with water and bring to a boil.
- Find a metal bowl larger than the opening of the saucepan and place it on top. Lower heat to simmer.
- Break up the unsweetened chocolate and add to the bowl along with the chocolate chips and stir continually with a whisk or spatula until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- With mixer running on low, slowly drizzle in the cooled melted chocolate until completely incorporated. Scrape the bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the springform pan over the cookie crust and smooth with a spatula.
- Place the foil lined springform pan into the larger pan and open the oven and place on the rack. Take the tea kettle and pour the water into the outer pan being careful not to get any in the batter. Slide the rack in and bake for 25 minutes. Don’t open the door but lower heat to 300 and bake for 50 more minutes. Keep the door closed and shut off the heat and let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the heat off and door closed for another hour.
- Remove from the oven and cool then remove the outer ring of the pan. Place the cheesecake on a serving platter.
- To make the topping, whisk the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla to stiff peaks. Spoon the topping into a large pastry bag with a star tip and squeeze dollops of topping all over the top, building two layers of star shaped dollops.
- Take a large milk chocolate bar and place bottom up on a towel. The towel will hold it in place. Take a sharp knife, sharp edge facing away from you and drag the blade across the bar towards you to make curls of chocolate. Sprinkle these over the top of the topping.
- Cut into 12 even pieces and serve.
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