Get your chocolate, coffee, and cheesecake fix all in one in this Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake recipe. With a silky mousse-like texture and drizzled with ganache, it’s out of this world delicious and so easy to make without any water bath!
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5 STAR REVIEW
This chocolate mocha cheesecake is the ultimate dessert for any chocolate lover. It’s the perfect combination of tangy cheesecake and chocolate mousse, with the lovely hint of coffee thanks to Kahlúa and espresso, sitting on top of a buttery cookie crust and finished with a chocolate ganache drizzle. Tell me that doesn’t sound dreamy!
I love how fancy it looks, but it’s so easy to make without any water bath and it’s great for prepping a day in advance. Serve this for any holiday or your sweet Valentine – everyone will fall in love!
What’s in this Chocolate Cheesecake recipe?
This chocolate cheesecake recipe is made traditional cheesecake ingredients, plus chocolate chips, Kahlúa, and coffee. You can find the exact measurements in the detailed printable recipe card below.
- Oreos – I have an oreo cookie obsession, so that’s what we use for the crust. You can use regular flavor, golden, or mint Oreos.
- Unsalted butter – This gets mixed with the cookie crumbs. Unsalted butter gives us better control of the sodium content, but you can use salted butter if that’s all you have.
- Chocolate chips – I use semi-sweet, but milk or dark chocolate are great too.
- Heavy Cream – This is mixed with the chocolate chips and melted together.
- Cream cheese – The base of the cheesecake filling. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for more thorough blending.
- Sour cream – Sour cream is added for flavor and moisture, and makes the cheesecake filling have a creamier, less dense texture. Almost mousse like.
- Eggs – Provides structure to batter and makes it extra smooth.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is blended with the cream cheese so the filling is sweet.
- Kahlúa and Cooled Espresso – These two ingredients give the cheesecake a mocha flavor – so good!
- Vanilla extract and Coarse Salt – These two provide extra flavor and also elevate the flavors of the other ingredients.
Tips and Variations
- Try a different crust. If Oreo cookies aren’t your thing, you can swap them out for a different cookie or try chocolate Graham Cracker crumbs.
- Coffee flavor. Espresso gives this cheesecake a stronger coffee flavor. If you want it more subtle, you can use regular coffee instead.
- Swap the Kahlúa. This can be substituted with 2 tablespoons cooled brewed coffee and a splash of rum, or if you don’t cook with alcohol, you can simply replace it with more cooled coffee.
- Melted chocolate with cream. Melting the chocolate with the cream renders more of a paste. Once you blend it with other ingredients, your batter will be smooth. Worst case, you have little specs of chocolate throughout the cheesecake, which I loved. OR you can omit the cream and just melt the chocolate on its own, which will be more of a drizzling consistency.
- Does this need a water bath? No! And after testing this cheesecake recipe with and without a water bath, using a water bath actually makes the middle sink. Without the water bath, you might end up with a few cracks, but they can easily be covered up with the chocolate ganache drizzle.
- Let cool and chill completely. This cheesecake needs to cool completely before it chills and then requires a full day in the refrigerator. Don’t get impatient and skip any of the cooling steps, even though I know waiting is hard!
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Leftover cheesecake should be stored in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap and also foil to help prevent it from drying out. Ideally, return the cake to the springform pan and cover it, so the top doesn’t get ruined. It will keep for up to 1 week. PRO TIP: when you wrap the cheesecake up, have a piece of paper towel under the plastic and foil. This will help absorb condensation.
- Freeze the whole cheesecake. I recommend freezing without the chocolate ganache. Cool and chill as directed in the recipe, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil. Freeze for up to 1 month for best flavor (2 months max.) Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Freeze individual slices. I recommend freezing without the chocolate ganache. Wrap each in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 1 month for best flavor (2 months max.) Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake
Get your chocolate, coffee, and cheesecake fix in this Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake recipe with a silky mousse like texture and drizzled with ganache!
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 20 whole double stuffed Oreo cookies
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter , melted
- 1 & 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese , softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup Kahlúa (see note)
- 1/4 cup cooled espresso
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- Melted chocolate , for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
- Places 20 whole double stuffed Oreos in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Drizzle in a 1/4 cup unsalted melted butter and pulse again until combined.
- Press cookie mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Place 1 & 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 1/4 cup heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl; microwave for 45 seconds, stir, and microwave again in 15 second intervals until melted, if necessary. Stir until combined.
- In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer, beat 3 (8 ounce) bricks softened cream cheese until smooth. Wipe down the sides of the bowl. Add in 1 cup sugar and beat until well blended. Add in 3 large eggs, one at a time, blending in between each one.
- Add in the melted chocolate and blend well.
- Blend in 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup Kahlua, 1/4 cup cooled espresso (or coffee), 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat until smooth.
- Pour mixture on top of the Oreo crust.
- Bake on middle oven rack for about 55 minutes, until set, but still soft in the center (do not overtake.) Turn off heat, prop door open, and let cheesecake rest in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Transfer cheesecake to a wire rack, run a dull knife around the edge to loosen, then cool for 30 minutes. Remove pan rim and let cool completely. Then chill in the refrigerator for a full day (or overnight.)
- Melt some chocolate and drizzle over the top.
- Let set, slice, and serve!
Video
Notes
Skip the alcohol. If you don’t cook with alcohol, you can simply replace the Kahlúa with more cooled coffee.
Nutrition
Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1160IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Made for my mocha loving granddaughter for her birthday.
She loved every bite!! Only thing I changed were the Oreos. Used
The thin ones instead. They were perfect! Definitely a keeper and recipe card worthy. Thank you for the recipe.
I have tried a number of recipes and this is my new favorite. The cheesecake came out beautifully and tastes like coffee-choc heaven.
I used a mocha flavored whiskey I had instead of Kahlúa and it came out amazing. This cheesecake is what dreams are made of!
I swapped the Kahlúa with more (regular) coffee. It came out great and was so delish!
I laughed out loud….37 things! Hee hee. This is one of my favorites! Maybe I’ll even make it for our next dinner.
I think your mocha cheesecake is perfect to my morning coffee, black coffee…I’ll give it a try for sure!
This was truly outstanding, and we look forward to another dinner when I make it again!