This chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake is a cookie dough lover’s dream. Creamy cheesecake, cookie dough and a chocolatey crust. Yum!

Cookie dough meets cheesecake in this incredible chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake.

It’s creamy. It’s decadent. It’s a cookie dough lover’s dream.

Whoever felt like throwing balls of cookie dough into cheesecake batter is a straight up genius, that’s all I have to say.

Slice of chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake on white plate with whipped cream and bite taken out.

The cheesecake starts with a buttery, chocolatey crust.

While many cheesecakes call for prebaking the crust for a few minutes, this crust remains unbaked until the entire cheesecake goes in the oven.

Chocolate crust in springform pan, cheesecake batter spread over chocolate crust.

Half of the cheesecake batter goes on top of the crust before we get to the star of the show: cookie dough.

Cookie dough balls with mini chocolate chips and cheesecake batter in glass bowl.

The cookie dough for this cheesecake is a simple egg-less recipe.

The cookie dough is rolled into small balls, chilled for a minute until firm, and then stirred into the cheesecake batter.

When it’s baked, the cookie dough forms delightful pockets of cookie dough goodness throughout the creamy cheesecake.

Baked and unbaked chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake.

To Water Bath or Not

I know it’s contrary to all professional cheesecake bakers out there, but I never water bath my cheesecakes.

The simple reason why: I’m too lazy. And it’s often messy.

Instead, I’ll sometimes put a pan of hot water on the oven rack below the cheesecake. The steam from the water has the same effect as a water bath.

Even with the pan of water (or the fussy water bath), a cheesecake might still crack. Some of that has to do with how much the batter is mixed once the eggs are added. Too much mixing can cause cracks.

I don’t stress about the cracks – just one more good reason to use a lot of whipped cream topping to cover them up!

Slice of chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake on white plate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Unbelievably rich (this is a good thing), this chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts of all time.

I like to top slices of the cheesecake with sweetened whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

The cookie dough effect throughout the cheesecake is brilliant and delicious, and it is an absolute showstopper of a dessert.

Fork with bite of chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake on white plate.
Should I water bath this cheesecake?

I never water bath my cheesecakes, but that’s just a personal preference. You could certainly use a water bath if that is your preference.

Can I use store bought cookie dough for this recipe?

The major downfall with using storebought cookie dough is that it has eggs in the batter. I don’t know if the cookie dough gets baked all the way through in this cheesecake recipe like it would if you were baking cookies. Having said that, the cheesecake IS baked so maybe the cookie dough bakes enough to get rid of the risk of salmonella. In this case, use your best judgment!

Does the crust need to be prebaked?

No, the crust bakes with the cheesecake and doesn’t need to be prebaked.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

4.53 stars (57 ratings)

Ingredients

Cookie Dough:

  • ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened
  • ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon milk
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (170 g) mini chocolate chips

Crust:

  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, melted
  • 2 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs

Filling:

  • 4 packages (8-ounces each) (908 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup (227 g) sour cream
  • 1 cup (170 g) mini chocolate chips

Garnish:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks (add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar while whipping if you like a bit of extra sweetness)
  • Mini chocolate chips or shaved chocolate, for sprinkling

Instructions 

  • For the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugars for the cookie dough. Add the water (or milk), vanilla and blend. Mix in the flour, salt and the chocolate chips. The dough will be fairly soft. Gently roll the dough into small balls (about a teaspoon size, maybe a bit larger) and place them on a wax paper lined plate or baking sheet. Place them in the freezer to harden while making the rest of the cheesecake.
  • For the crust: Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, combine the butter with the chocolate cookie crumbs. Press onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan.
  • For the cheesecake: Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and sour cream and mix just until blended. Be careful not to overmix – incorporating too much air into the batter can contribute to a cheesecake cracking on top during baking.
  • Pour half the batter into the prepared crust.
  • Gently stir the cookie dough balls and the one cup mini chocolate chips into the remaining batter. Pour into the pan, spreading the batter to the sides of the pan and evening it out across the top (it is ok to see bumps of cookie dough here and there, smooth it the best you can).
  • Bake the cheesecake at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes until the sides are set and the center is still a bit jiggly. Turn off the oven and prop the door open several inches. Let the cake sit in the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled. To serve, cut into slices and top with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips.

Notes

Refrigerate Overnight: this cheesecake, like any good, baked cheesecake, tastes best after being refrigerated overnight.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 745kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 50g, Saturated Fat: 29g, Cholesterol: 178mg, Sodium: 513mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 50g
Follow @MelsKitchenCafe on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I love seeing all the goodness you are whipping up in your kitchens!

Recipe Source: adapted from Nate and Kylie W. (my brother and sister-in-law)

Recipe originally published July 2010; updated December 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.

chocolate chip studded cheesecake with chocolate crust and topped with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips