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Chocolate chip cheesecake is a super easy and delicious spin off of my classic cheesecake recipe. It has a smooth and creamy texture, and is made with a generous amount of milk chocolate chips.

Cheesecake is one of my absolute favorite desserts. I love classic plain cheesecake with all kinds of  toppings, and with all kinds of mix-ins added like chocolate chips or Oreos. I like cheesecake with the classic graham cracker crust, with an Oreo crust, or even with a brownie bottom (check out my brownie bottom cheesecake). I love cheesecake. If you love cheesecake too, but are a new cheesecake baker, this recipe will be pretty simple for you. It is made just like a classic cheesecake, but with added chocolate chips stirred into the batter before baking.

What you need for chocolate chip cheesecake.

• Cream cheese. Don’t skimp on the cream cheese for this cheesecake. Forget the reduced fat and buy the full fat version. You’ll also want to make sure your cream cheese is room temperature before making the batter.
• Sugar. You will use regular white granulated sugar for this recipe.
• Vanilla. Make sure to use a good brand vanilla flavoring. This is my go-to brand vanilla for baking.
• Eggs. You will use three whole eggs and one egg yolk. Eggs give this cheesecake its creamy smooth texture. Make sure your eggs are room temperature too before making the batter.
• Sour cream. Sour cream will also give the cheesecake a smooth and creamy texture and give it a slight tang too. Your sour cream should be room temperature as well before beginning.
• Graham crackers. This cheesecake has a graham cracker crust so you’ll need about 10 regular size graham crackers.
• Butter.  Butter will be used when making the graham cracker crust. Make sure you’re using real butter. I always bake with real butter. Trust me, you will believe when it’s not butter.
• Chocolate chips. Use good quality milk chocolate chips for this recipe to get the best flavor.

Equipment needed for chocolate chip cheesecake.

• Springform pan. This pan is essential for baking cheesecakes.
• Mixing bowls. One for the cheesecake batter and one for the graham cracker crust.
• A mixer. You can use a handheld mixer for this recipe or a stand mixer. A stand mixer of course always makes it easier to mix any batter. Just be sure not to over mix.
• Baking spatula. Baking spatulas make scraping down the sides of the bowls to make sure you get all the ingredients incorporated easier.
• A roasting pan. Or any other pan that is larger than your springform cheesecake pan to use for your water bath. Don’t let this step intimidate you! Read this guide all about using a water bath for your cheesecake.

How to make cheesecake graham cracker crust.

Step 1

Add graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until the crackers become a fine crumb. 

Step 2

Add melted butter and sugar to a bowl with graham cracker crumbs and stir until all ingredients are combined.

Step 3

Press Graham cracker crust mixture into the bottom of a springform pan starting from the middle and pressing to the outside of the pan going slightly up the sides. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to help spread out the crust evenly.

Step 4

You will need to pre-bake the graham cracker crust in a 350° oven for about 8 minutes until set.

How to make chocolate chip cheesecake.

Step 1

Add your room temperature cream cheese into your mixing bowl and mix until smooth.

Step 2

Add your sour cream, vanilla, and sugar to the cream cheese and mix until all ingredients are completely combined and smooth and creamy.

Step 3

Add eggs one at a time mixing after each one, but making sure not to over mix.

Step 4

After you’ve added all the eggs, add your chocolate chips and gently stir, or fold, them into the batter.

Step 5

Pour the chocolate chip cheesecake batter onto the pre-baked graham cracker crust. Prepare your water bath and bake for 55 minutes or until the cheesecake no longer wiggles when it is shaken.

Tips for making cheesecake

1. Use full fat ingredients.  Full fat ingredients will give your cheesecake the best texture and flavor.
2. Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients are easier to mix resulting in a smoother texture. It also helps prevent over-mixing since room temperature ingredients are easier to mix, which will help prevent cracks.
3. Don’t open the door before it’s done. Drastic temperature changes are one of the causes of cheesecake cracks, so make sure to not open the oven door too soon. Keep your oven light on and peak at it through the door often. You should be able to tell when it is firming up.
4. Let it cool inside the oven. When the timer goes off, cracker the oven door and let the cheesecake cool off inside of the oven. This will let the cheesecake cool gradually avoiding a drastic temperature change which can cause cracks.
5. Cool completely before cutting. Make sure your cheesecake is completely cool before cutting. I have been impatient plenty of times and cut mine way too soon and ended up with a gooey mess in the middle.
6. Don’t over-mix. Especially the eggs. Eggs hold air and the more they’re mixed the more air they will create, which can also lead to cracks.
7. Don’t overbake. Yep, you guessed it. Over baking can cause cracks.
8. Don’t sweat it! Cracks aren’t the end of the cheesecake world. If your cheesecake does crack, top it with whipped cream, ganache, or caramel sauce and no one will ever know!

Can you make cheesecake without a water bath?

You can, but since a cheesecake is not really a cake and more of a custard, the water bath helps to keep the cheesecake smooth. But, if you absolutely don’t want to use a water bath, don’t let that stop you from making a cheesecake. Make sure to follow all of the tips I have provided above and you should end up with an amazing cheesecake.

How to keep cheesecake from cracking?

Following the tips above and using a water bath when baking should result in a gorgeous cheesecake with no cracks.

How to store cheesecake.

Since cheesecakes do contain cream cheese and sour cream, they should always be refrigerated. If you don’t have an airtight container big enough for the cheesecake, you can simply place the cheesecake on a cake board (one of my favorite cake decorating tools) and wrap the cake with plastic wrap. You should be able to gently remove the plastic wrap without affecting the look of the cheesecake. However, if you are worried about this or if you’ve added topping to your cheesecake you can insert toothpicks into the cheesecake to hold the plastic wrap up off the top. When stored correctly cheesecake should last about 5 to 7 days.

Looking for a cheesecake that doesn’t need a water bath? Try my no bake lemon cheesecake.

What toppings are best on cheesecake?

Homemade Whipped Cream

Ganache Topping

Homemade Caramel Sauce

More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Triple Chocolate Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Chocolate chip cheesecake is a delicious dessert made with a smooth and creamy texture and a generous amount of chocolate chips.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 9 inch round cheesecake

Ingredients

  

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 1/2 cup graham crackers crumbs (about 10 large crackers)
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

• 4-8 ounce full fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Instructions

 

Graham Cracker Crust

• Preheat oven to 300F.
• Place graham crackers into a food processor and pulse until a fine crumb is made. You will need about 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs.
• Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter into a small bowl. Stir until well mixed.
• Place mixture into your springform pan and gently press down until bottom of pan is completely covered. Bake for about 8 minutes until crust is firm and set.

Cheesecake Filling

• In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and sour cream on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
• Add sugar, salt, and vanilla to cream cheese mixture and mix on low until all ingredients are completely combined.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each egg just until ingredients are combined. Be sure not to over mix.
• Add chocolate chips to cheesecake batter and gently fold, or stir, until chocolate chips are evenly distrubuted throughout the batter.
• Pour cheesecake filling onto baked graham cracker crust and smooth with a baking spatula.
• Prepare your water bath. Wrap springform pan with aluminum foil to make sure water does not get into the pan. Place pan into the water bath and bake for 55 minutes or until center is no longer jiggly.

Notes

• See blog post for more information on using water baths when baking cheesecakes.

Keyword cheesecake, chocolate chip cheesecake

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