This is the ultimate chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake. It has a chocolate chip cookie crust, cookie dough baked in a chocolate chip cheesecake, and topped with chocolate and more edible cookie dough. If you are a cheesecake lover or a cookie dough lover, you are going to love this cheesecake!
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
This is the best chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake because it has cookie dough of some sort in every single layer of this cheesecake!
First, it has a chocolate chip cookie crust. A cookie crust is so much better than a regular graham cracker crust! Since you pre-bake it before the cheesecake, it holds up firm like a regular crust does.
This cheesecake also has edible cookie dough. It is made without eggs and no rising agent so it doesn’t spread in the oven. The cookie dough is also safe enough to eat, if you decide to snack on it while baking.
The edible cookie dough is frozen before it is added to the cheesecake. Since it is cold, it stays as cookie dough while the cheesecake bakes. It is seriously so good.
This whole cheesecake is topped with whipped cream and chocolate ganache. The whipped cream is homemade and light and fluffy which goes so well with this cheesecake!
Sound daunting? Don’t worry! I have all the tips and tricks on how to bake this cheesecake! Now you won’t have to worry about under baking, over baking, cheesecake cracks, or the dread cream cheese lumps in the cheesecake!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust
This part is actually super easy! If you have made chocolate chip cookies from scratch, then you can make this dough! It is the same thing but in a smaller quantity for the crust.
The key here is to make sure the butter and eggs are room temperature before you start baking. Room temperature butter is so much easier to aerate with the sugar and room temperature eggs gives the crust a better rise.
After you make the dough, place in the fridge for 30 minutes. It will be too sticky before chilling, which makes it so hard to mold into the spring form pan. Let it chill before using.
Speaking of spring form pans, use a 9 inch quality pan. The cheap ones won’t be able to seal properly with all of the layers.
Once the cookie dough is chilled, mold the cookie dough into the crust into the pan. The cookie dough should come half way up the sides of the pan. Use the back of a measuring cup to compact the crust down. Make sure to compact the crust along the edges so it doesn’t get too thick.
Next, bake it for 18 minutes. This part is important. If you don’t bake it, you will end with raw dough that won’t be able to hold the weight of the cheesecake.
The crust should be golden brown when done baking and puffed up a bit. Let it cool while you make everything else!
Can This Dough Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes it can! Cover the dough and let it chill in the fridge overnight. It will keep in the fridge up to 3 days.
When you are ready to bake, leave it on the counter for 2 hours before baking.
Edible Cookie Dough Balls
Now this is what we are here for! Edible cookie dough balls that bake right into the cheesecake. Since there are no eggs, you can eat it straight away, although I think the cookie dough tastes better when it’s cold.
Since you are going to end up freezing these balls, you can make them a few days ahead of time. If not making ahead of time, start making them while the cookie dough crust is chilling.
What binds the cookie dough together is milk. I used whole milk, but you can use whatever milk you prefer. Making this dough is almost exactly same as the cookie dough crust, so it is very easy to do.
The main difference is once the dry ingredients are added to the dough, you will need to blend it for a few minutes as it comes together. Then, you can add the chocolate chips.
Next, roll up the dough into tiny cookie dough balls. This is a bit time consuming and takes 15 minutes to roll all of the dough. The balls should be about the size of a blueberry. When I made them they were all varying sizes. As long as they are pretty small, it will be okay.
Place them all on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. By the time the crust is done baking, the balls should be cold enough.
Tips On Making Creamy Cheesecake Batter
Here all my best tips on making a cheesecake with no cracks.
- Make sure to use name brand cream cheese– Off brand is just not the same thing. Off brand is usually more lumpy and a bit yellow looking. Also, do not use low fat cream cheese. We need the full fat Philadelphia bricks of cream cheese.
- All refrigerated items MUST be at room temperature before baking– This is so important! Room temperature cream cheese is easier to blend until smooth and has a completely different texture than if it was cold. This is the first step to not getting cream cheese lumps in the batter.
- Use a mixer– I use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. You will need to beat the cream cheese on medium-high for 1 minute before even adding the sugar. To get a smooth batter, you need a strong mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Scrape the bowl– You are going to want to scrape the bowl so many times while making this batter. There can be lumps of cream cheese that gets stuck of the bottom of the bowl, which is another way you can get lumps of cream cheese in the cheesecake.
- Turn the mixer to low once you add the eggs– Once you start to add the eggs, the mixer has to be on low. Too much air being whipped into the eggs can cause air bubbles. The air bubbles will expand and cause cracks in the cheesecake. So, go low and slow!
- Bake the cheesecake in a water bath– I will go into more specifics later, but the cheesecake HAS to be baked in a water bath. The moisture helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Dry cheesecake always cracks.
The Best Water Bath Technique
I will go to my grave saying this is the best water bath technique! Traditional water baths will have the spring form pan wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in a roasting pan with steaming water and baked in the oven.
I have tried this multiple different times, and water always got into my crust and it became soggy, which is the worst!
To prevent this, place the spring form pan in a 10 inch cake pan. The cake pan acts as a barrier from the water, but the cheesecake still has plenty of access to the moisture from the hot water.
Then, place the cake pan in a roasting pan or a 12X16 pan. Once the cheesecake is ready to bake, pour in the boiling water into the roasting pan. Then, immediately place the pan in the oven to bake.
This way means no water gets into the pan and the cheesecake still gets a proper water bath.
Also, I have tried with having a roasting pan full of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven and placing the cheesecake on the top rack. This doesn’t work unfortunately. The steam from the water doesn’t engulf the cheesecake and it will lead to a cheesecake that cracks.
How To Tell When The Cheesecake Is Done Baking
Once the cheesecake batter is ready, fold in the mini chocolate chips and 2/3rds of the frozen cookie dough balls. Then, pour the batter on top of the cookie crust.
Next, bake the cheesecake for 70-80 minutes.
When the cheesecake is done baking, it should have slightly golden brown edges, no cracks, the edges will be set, and middle has a slight jiggle. If the middle jiggles a lot, then bake for another 10 minutes and check again.
Crack the oven door slightly and turn off the oven and let it sit for 30 minutes. This allows the cheesecake to slowly cool down. If it initally cools down fast, it will be too much and the cheesecake will crack.
After the 30 minutes, take the spring form pan out of the water bath and on a cooling rack. The cheesecake HAS to cool completely before wrapping and storing in the fridge.
How Long Does The Cheesecake Take to Cool
The cheesecake has to cool for at least 6 hours before you take it out of the spring form pan. I usually prefer to make this a day before I need it, so it can cool overnight.
Cheesecake is the best when it is cold, if you take the cheesecake out before it has cooled it will a big soupy mess.
Also, once it cools it will become more dense and creamy. Trust me, it is worth wait!
How To Make Smooth Chocolate Ganache
The chocolate ganache on top completes this whole cheesecake. It is smooth chocolaty and allows to get the pretty chocolate drips down the side of the cake.
Luckily it is SUPER easy to make!
First, start with the chocolate chips in a bowl. Then, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat the heavy cream until it is hot and steaming, then pour it over the chocolate chips.
Let the heavy cream sit on the chocolate chips for 1 minute and 30 seconds. This gives the heavy cream time to melt the chocolate. Then, use a rubber spatula to stir it until smooth and glossy.
Save about 1/4 of the ganache for drizzling on top of the whipped cream. Pour the rest of the chocolate on top of cheesecake. Use an icing spatula to spread the chocolate to the edges and a little over the edges. This is how to get the pretty chocolate drips!
Next, place the cheesecake back in the fridge for 10 minutes. This lets the chocolate ganache set and it is easier to decorate the rest of the cheesecake.
Decorating The Cheesecake
After you make the whipped cream, you can pipe it on top of the cheesecake. I used a wilton 1M tip to get swirl border.
Next, drizzle the rest of the chocolate ganache over the whipped cream and the rest of the cheesecake. I used a squeeze bottle, but you can use a piping bag or spoon to drizzle the chocolate. If the chocolate isn’t as pour-able, you can heat it back in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Now you can decorate the rest of the chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake with the cookie dough balls and mini chocolate chips!
How To Cut The Perfect Slice
After all the hard work, when you slice into the cheesecake, we want to see the cookie dough baked into the cheesecake!
To get the perfect slice, heat up a sharp knife and cut a slice of cheesecake. Between each cut, make sure to clean and wipe the knife. You should end up with a clean cheesecake slice!
Storing The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Store this cheesecake in the fridge in a cake carrier. You can also store the cheesecake cut into slices in airtight containers. The cheesecake is good up to 5 days in the fridge.
Can This Cheesecake Be Frozen
Yes! This cheesecake can be frozen. After the inital 6 hours of chilling and before you decorate the cheesecake, wrap it firmly in cling wrap and then with aluminum foil. Keep the cheesecake in the freezer for up to 30 days.
To thaw, leave on the counter for 1 hour. Then, decorate it!
Other Cheesecake Recipes To Try
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats and leave me a review below if you made this cheesecake. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust
- 1 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
- 1/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 Large egg room temperature
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/8 cup Mini chocolate chips
Edible Cookie Dough
- 1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
- 1/2 cup White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 3 TBSP Milk
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup Mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
- 24 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 3/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Sour cream room temperature
- 1/4 cup Heavy whipping cream room temperature
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 3 Large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup Mini chocolate chips
- 2/3 Cookie dough balls
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Heavy whipping cream
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup Powdered sugar
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Use a mixer and beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together for 2 minutes. The butter should be light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and scrape the bowl. Add in the egg and mix on low until combined. Scrape the bowl.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Once all combined, scrape the bowl and mix again for 15 seconds. Add in both chocolate chips and mix until all combined.
- Place in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with non-stick baking spray. Place a 9 inch parchment circle on the bottom of the pan and spray again.
- Pour all of the cookie dough into the pan. Compact the cookie dough on the bottom and half way up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to compact the crust.
- Bake for 18 minutes. The crust should be golden brown.
Edible Cookie Dough
- White the crust is cooling, start on the edible cookie dough. In a medium bowl, sift the flour and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together for 2 minutes on medium. The butter should be fluffy. Add in the vanilla and scrape the bowl. Add in the milk and mix on low until combined.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients, once combined, scrape the bowl. Mix on low-medium for 30 seconds. Then, add in both chocolate chips. Mix again until combined.
- Grab a cookie sheet, and take a tiny amount of dough and roll it into a ball. The size should be the size of chick peas to the size of large blueberries. This will make a lot of cookie dough balls.
- Place cookie sheet with cookie dough balls in the freezer until ready to add into the cheesecake. The cookie dough should be very firm. It should be at least 15 minutes in the freezer.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
- Once the cookie crust is done baking, allow it to slightly cool while making cheesecake batter.
- As you start the cheesecake, heat up water in a saucepan for a water bath. It can be done in 2 different ways. 1. My favorite. Get a roasting pan that is 12×16 inches and a 10 inch cake pan. Put spring form pan in 10 inch pan. Then, put the cake pan in the roasting pan and fill roasting pan with hot water. 2. Cover spring form pan 3 times with aluminum foil to prevent water getting into pan. Then, fill roasting pan with hot water and place spring form pan in the water.
- Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese on high for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. The cream cheese should be fluffy.
- Add in the sugar and beat again on high for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. There should be no large chunks of cream cheese left. Add in the vanilla, sour cream, and heavy cream. Mix on low until combined, then turn to high and beat for 1 minute. It should be creamy with no chunks of cream cheese. Scrape the bowl. If there are cream cheese chunks beat again for 30 seconds.
- Add in the eggs one at a time on low. Mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl one more time and mix for 10 more seconds. Add in the mini chocolate chips and 2/3rds of the frozen cookie dough balls. Since it is frozen, it will remain as cookie dough as it bakes. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir it together.
- Bake for 70-80 minutes. The cheesecake should be light golden brown on the edges with no cracks. The cheesecake is done baking when there is a slight jiggle in the middle and the edges are set. Prop oven door open and turn off the oven. Let cheesecake slowly cool in oven for 30 minutes.
- Take cheesecake out of water bath and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before wrapping in aluminum foil and storing in the fridge. Cheesecake needs to cool for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache
- Take the pan off the cheesecake and remove the parchment circle. Pour chocolate chips in a small bowl. Take the cookie dough balls out of the freezer and place on the counter.
- Use a saucepan on medium-low heat the heavy cream until hot and steaming. Pour heavy cream on top of chocolate chip and let it sit for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then, use a rubber spatula to stir until ganache is smooth and silky.
- Save 1/4 of the ganache for the drizzle. Pour the rest of the ganache on top of the cheesecake. Use an icing spatula to smooth the ganache. It should only come down a little bit down the sides.
- Place in the fridge for 10 minutes for the ganache to set.
Whipped Cream
- While the ganache is chilling, place a metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Using a mixer, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar on high until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe whipped cream on the cheesecake. Use the rest of the ganache and drizzle it over the whipped cream and all over the cheesecake. Top with cookie dough balls and mini chocolate chips.
Tanvisingh
Hey What’s a replacement for sour cream in the recipe??
Stephanie Rutherford
You can also use plain yogurt!
Aaron
Wow. I just had some of Stephanie’s chocolate chip crusted cheesecake. It’s delicious. A really nice crust. Very rich.
Sam B
Seriously the entire family was obsessed!