Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Rich chocolate cheesecake bars with an Oreo crust, creamy chocolate filling made with dark chocolate and cocoa powder, and a decadent chocolate ganache topping.
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 handheld mixer
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 20 Oreo cookies
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- 8 oz. dark chocolate melted
- 16 oz. (455 g) cream cheese room temperature (see notes)
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon (15 g) unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (65 g) sour cream room temperautre
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Chocolate ganache
- 100 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- 100 g heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325℉ and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. To keep the parchment paper in place, I like to use binder clips.
- Make the crust: Using a food processor, pulse the Oreo cookies until crushed, then add the melted butter.Alternate method: If you don't have a food processor, use a Ziploc bag and crush the cookies using a rolling pin.20 Oreo cookies, 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
- Pour crushed cookies into the pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. You can use a spoon, offset spatula, or flat measuring cup to create a smooth, flat bottom. Don't press too hard. Just until it's compact. Bake for 8 minutes. Once baked, remove and let cool.
Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and then melt in a microwave safe bowl in 15-30 second increments, making sure to stir every 15-30 seconds. Once melted, let cool until ready to use.8 oz. dark chocolate
- Make the cheesecake: In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and sugars and beat together on medium speed until well combined, smooth, and creamy - about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and sides. Add the cocoa powder and mix for another 45 seconds until combined.16 oz. (455 g) cream cheese, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 3 tablespoon (15 g) unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
- Add the sour cream, salt, and vanilla extract, and beat together until combined. Scrape down the bowl.¼ cup (65 g) sour cream, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add eggs and beat until combined. Don't over mix. Just until all the eggs are combined. If you feel like you might over mix the eggs, you can crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk them, then add them to the batter and mix.3 large eggs
- Lastly, add the melted chocolate and fold it in using a spatula. This will prevent over mixing the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. When done baking, the sides of the cheesecake will have puffed up and form cracks and there will be a slight jiggle in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.Heat up heavy cream until it reaches a simmer (do not boil), then pour it over the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes, then stir until completely smooth. Once smooth, let it sit for a few minutes until it thickens a little, then pour it over the cheesecake and smooth it out. Chill the cheesecake for 10 minutes before slicing into it.100 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate, 100 g heavy whipping cream
- Tips for cutting cheesecake: Warm your knife under warm water, then wipe it down. Slice into the cheesecake, and make sure to wipe the knife down between slices to get clean cuts. I like to run my knife under water before each cut (but make sure to wipe the knife dry before cutting).
Notes
Cream cheese: Make sure you're using brick-style block cream cheese. You'll need two blocks for this recipe.
To avoid cheesecake cracks: Make sure you start with room temperature ingredients. Once adding the eggs, only mix until combined, and start checking your cheesecake bars at 30 minutes. Once the sides are puffed with cracks and the center has a slight jiggle, remove it and let it cool.
If you still form cracks, you can always cover the cheesecake with your favorite toppings!
Nutrition
Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 224mgPotassium: 247mgFiber: 3gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 636IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 4mg
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