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chocolate cheesecake with hazelnut oreo crust
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Chocolate Cheesecake with Hazelnut Oreo Crust

Super creamy and decadent dark chocolate cheesecake with a crunchy oreo hazelnut crust.
Course Dessert
Keyword cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chill Time 4 hours
Servings 12

Equipment

  • stand mixer or food processor

Ingredients

Hazelnut Oreo Crust

  • 2 cups or 235g oreo crumbs from about 24 oreos, cream removed
  • 1/2 cup or 113g butter
  • 1 cup 125g ground hazelnuts (if using raw hazelnuts, toast them at 350 F for 10 minutes on a baking sheet then let cool completely and then grind)

Chocolate Filling

  • 2 packages cream cheese at room temperature, 452g
  • 1 cup sour cream at room temperature, 240g
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk 396g
  • 260 g dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt or sub with 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Chocolate ganache

  • 100 g heavy cream
  • 100 g dark chocolate finely chopped
  • Chopped hazelnuts optional (garnish)

Instructions

Make the Crust:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter or spray with oil an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan and then press a sheet of parchment paper into it (it will crease and you will need to fold it over itself, this is fine). Use metal clips to hold the parchment paper in place.
  • Melt the butter then combine the cookie crumbs, and hazelnuts in a bowl and mix the butter in. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the parchment-prepared pan. Don’t strive for perfection here, do the best you can.
    A round cake pan lined with parchment paper and clipped with binder clips, filled with a dark, crumbly crust—perfect for chocolate cheesecake. A white bowl with chocolate batter is partially visible in the background.
  • Bake the crust for 10 minutes then remove it from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325 F. If you have time, put it in the freezer while you make the batter.

Make the filling:

  • Melt the 2 cups of chocolate over a bain marie or in the microwave (stirring every 30 seconds). Set aside to cool.
    A glass mixing bowl containing creamy, whipped butter and cream cheese on a white surface, perfect as a base for a luscious chocolate cheesecake. The mixture appears smooth and pale yellow in color.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the back of a rubber spatula to smooth down the cream cheese. With the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese until it’s smooth and there are no lumps (you can also do this with a food processor). Add the sour cream and sweetened condensed milk and mix to combine. Add the vanilla and fine sea salt and combine.
    Close-up of creamy, smooth, pale yellow frosting or whipped butter in a glass bowl, showing soft, swirled peaks and a silky texture—perfect for topping chocolate cheesecake.
  • Have the mixer on low and pour the cooled chocolate into the bowl. Once it’s fully incorporated add the eggs one at a time, mixing to just combine each before adding another. Careful not to overmix the eggs.
    A glass mixing bowl filled with smooth, swirled chocolate cheesecake batter sits on a white countertop. An opened can of sweetened condensed milk is in the background.
  • Pour filling into the chilled crust (if you see bits in the filling pour into the crust through a mesh sieve to remove them).
    A round baking pan lined with parchment paper and secured with binder clips, filled with chocolate cheesecake batter, sits on a light countertop.
  • If using a cake pan: Set the pan into a 13 x 9” cake pan and fill it halfway with hot water. Set the cheesecake and it’s water bath into the middle rack of the oven. If using a springform pan, place the water bath on the rack underneath the cheesecake.
  • Bake for about 1 hour, until the sides look set and the center is still slightly jiggly. Once it’s done, shut off the oven and use a wooden spoon to prop open the door. This lets the cheesecake cool slowly. After 30 minutes, remove the cheesecake from the oven (and the water bath) and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature on the counter. Then set in the fridge overnight.
    A chocolate cheesecake in a round pan lined with parchment paper, secured with black binder clips around the edges, sits on a white surface.

Make the ganache:

  • Warm the heavy cream in a small pot. Once the sides begin to bubble pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir until you have a smooth ganache. Spread ganache over the top of the chilled cheesecake, sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top. Chill an additional 10 minutes until ganache is firm.
  • Serve chilled and store in the fridge (uncovered is fine).

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