Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
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.
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.
Half of the cheesecake batter goes on top of the crust before we get to the star of the show: cookie dough.
Cookie Dough
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.
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!
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.
FAQs for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough 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.
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!
No, the crust bakes with the cheesecake and doesn’t need to be prebaked.
One Year Ago: Cookie Dough Topped Brownies
Two Years Ago: The Best French Bread
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
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
Recommended Products
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.
189 Comments on “Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake”
Can i use heavy cream instead of sour cream?
I haven’t tried that but you could experiment!
Do I have to use mini chocolate chips or is regular ones ok?
If you only have regular chocolate chips, that’s probably ok.
Do the cookie dough balls bake into cookies or does it stay soft like cookie dough?
It stays in little pieces of cookie dough.
Did you put a water bath underneath it? Why does it crack?
I never personally use a water bath for cheesecakes, but you certainly can. Sometimes I’ll put a pan of water on the lower shelf.
Made this for my husbands birthday was soooo good! I always make cakes but we were all thrilled with this cheesecake. Even my FIL who doesn’t “do sweets” had a slice (then snuck some of my sons)!
This looks amazing! I’m making it for my son’s birthday and am wondering if I’m supposed to prebake the crust before adding the cheesecake filling?
No, the crust doesn’t need to be prebaked.
Thanks for the super quick response, the cheesecake came out perfectly and was SO good!! I doubled the cookie dough, because you can never have too much cookie dough in your life We’re going to freeze the leftover dough and use it in ice cream…YUM!!
Yay! I’m glad it turned out so well!
Question:
Can I use already made cookie dough for the base?
Also, won’t cooking the cake for over an hour make the base dry and hard?
Yes, you can try another cookie dough recipe that’s already been made. I can’t say for sure how it will work in this without knowing the recipe or trying it myself.
How many servings is this recipe?
It really depends on how big you cut the slices, but you could get between 8-12.
Just made this for my hubby for Father’s Day! He requested cheesecake, but I had never attempted one before. I had a 9″ spring form pan still in its wrapping and figured it was time!
I made 3/4 recipe of the cheesecake and 1/2 recipe for the cookie dough. It was perfect!! So delicious and easy! I coated the chocolate chips and cookie dough in a little flour to prevent them from sinking. The only thing that was a slight issue (not per your recipe) is my store only had double stuff oreos and I think that caused some oily leaking. Thankfully I anticipated as much so I wrapped the pan in time foil.
I noticed you don’t mention using a water bath for baking the cheesecake. Do you not recommend it for this specific flavor? Is pre-baking the crust not necessary?
Some background: I did make this cheesecake as is months ago and it was a huge it. My only issue was that it cracked on me and I tried to cover it with whipped cream. Photo here (https://goo.gl/photos/jBiLj6UjJF4JksA98)
So I’m wondering if a water bath could’ve helped with that.
I never water bath my cheesecakes, but that’s just a personal preference. You could certainly try a water bath to help the cracking!
Hi, do you use granulated sugar or caster sugar please?
Granulated.
Hi Mel!
I’m cooking this for a coworker who is coming into the office on a Friday – meaning I have to squeeze making this into a weeknight schedule. I’m usually home around 6pm. Do you think I could make the cookie dough balls a day or so in advance to cut down on time? Or would freezing them for an entire day make them almost too hard to put into the cake?
Any other tips for cutting down on time or breaking down the process into two week nights? I’d prefer not to freeze it, if I can help it. Thank you!
Yes, you could definitely break this into steps like that! Making the cookie dough ahead of time will work fine – and even baking the cheesecake and refrigerating for up to two days will work great.
How would you make this in a 9″ springform pan?
Brenda – it is a pretty full cheesecake in a 10-inch pan so I’m worried it might overflow in a 9-inch pan. A few alternatives are to make the full batch and fill your spring form pan with batter about an inch from the top and use the extra batter, baking it up in a small loaf pan or something so it doesn’t go to waste. You could also try modifying the filling ingredients to make a smaller batch – maybe a 3/4 batch? So it would look something like this:
3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream (I used light and it worked just fine)
You might have extra cookie dough but that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Amazing recipe. I made one for my colleagues at work and safe to say, it didn’t last very long at all. The one problem was all my cookie dough balls sunk to the bottom and I ended up with a layered cheesecake! Any ideas of what I did wrong?
Thanks for the measurements; a god send for us British folks who love baking American recipes!
I’m not sure exactly, Lara – but it’s probably similar to a blueberry muffin where the blueberries are sometimes coated in flour before adding to the batter so they don’t sink. I wonder if that would help here?
Superb! Was served this at a friend’s house last night. Her kids said…”Mommy, can we have Matt (my husband) and Ruth over again so we can have this amazing dessert?” 🙂
Thanks Mel for making everyone smile!!
My hubby’s birthday is tomorrow and I am making this cheesecake tonight for the fourth year in a row – which is also the number of birthdays he’s had since we’ve been married! This is hands down his favorite dessert that I have ever made!
if I’m using Oreos for the crust, should I leave out the cream filling, or could I use the whole cookie?
I use the whole cookie.
This looks incredible. Do you think it’s doable in a 9″ pan without too many adjustments?
Travis – It might be too much batter for a 9-inch pan but it’s worth reading through the comments – I think others have tried it like that.
Thanks for the reply! If I give it a try, I’ll let you know how it goes.
This cheesecake knocked my family’s socks off! I took it to a church potluck and it was gone….FAST! This decadent dessert has some die-hard fans now!
Amazing. My 14 year old son picked this out for his BD cake. Impatient, and I know better, I took out of pan still warm. We had a gooey mess – due to the run off and softness., salvaged into a bowl and chilled . ( don’t do what I did. I’ve many cheesecakes before). Remaking tonight the correct way. Thank you soooooo much for the recipe
I second Tamar’s substitution. We used plain yogurt and it turned out wonderfully. (Just in case anyone wants a second opinion.) 🙂
After keeping my eye on this cake for several months, I finally made it tonight so I can bring it to work tomorrow as part of a cheesecake contest. It looks and smells amazing and I can’t wait to taste it! Everything I’ve made from your website so far has been wonderful so I knew this recipe just had to be good. Some small notes- I didn’t have sour cream so I substituted low-fat plain white yogurt and when I tasted the cheese mixture before pouring it in the pan, it tasted really good. Also, since I live in Israel, we also use grams, so I’ve looked up the cup to gram conversion so many times- it’s 1 cup butter to about 225 grams. Now I just have to translate your recipe into Hebrew for all my friends at work but I can already tell it’s gonna be great! Thankyou!!!
I hope your coworkers like it, Tamar! Thanks for including your notes!
I bookmarked this months ago, and finally got around to making it. Followed the instructions to a T – It’s at least a close second for the best I’ve had! ( it was enjoyed thoroughly by others as well 😛 )
There are cheesecakes and then there is THIS cheesecake. Hands down, no doubt, I’d give my last dollar for a slice of this stuff! I made it for Christmas a couple years ago and (no kidding here) I have thought about it at least once a month since. Everyone asked where I bought it so they could get one for themselves. Luckily I’m a nice person (unless I’m denied cookies or Coke Zero) and shared with them the magic that is this blog!
A thought/question: could these be adapted into bar form? If so, what’s the best way to go about it?
Liz – glad you love this cheesecake! Yes, I definitely think this could be converted into bar form. If it were me, I’d press the crust into a 9X13 and top it with the filling and bake it up with probably a slight decrease in baking time. Good luck if you try it!
Hi Mel, sorry it has taken me a while to get back to you but I have now made the cheesecake. The good news is that actual cheesecake was lovely, really smooth and lush but the cookie dough balls were a bit of a disaster. On making them, with the same online conversion table as the cheesecake mix I thought the dough was a bit ‘wet’ but I stuck with the recipe and didn’t add anymore flour. I wish I had gone with my instinct because the dough balls just melted rather than stayed in balls! I am going persevere and make it again in the coming months and hopefully next time it will turn out as nice as yours :o)
Thanks for checking back in, Hilary!
Hi Mel, I am writing to you from the UK as my son has asked for this cheesecake as this years birthday cake! I wonder if it would be possible for you to give me the ingredients in weights of either ounces or grams as I am not used to the cup weighing method. I have tried looking it up but things are confusing to me like a cup of sugar is a different weight when it comes to brown sugar and is the cup of sugar granulated or caster?
Many thanks in advance and you will make my son a very happy boy!
Hilary – unfortunately, I’m not familiar with the metric system of ingredients but the good news is that there are several online calculators that should be able to do the conversion for you if you google “ingredient conversion calculator” or something like that. I agree that it can be quite confusing! Good luck – I hope your son loves the cake!
I made a cheesecake similar to this about a year ago but I put in brownie chunks as well, and topped it with chocolate gonache, it was incredible! It was inspired by Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked Ice cream.
Hurray! I just made this cake and I think it turned out!! It was really jiggly in the middle at an hour so I let it stay in the oven a little longer…probably only five minutes which might not even be significant…but then after turning the oven off and leaving the door open for half an hour I closed the door and let it sit for another 45 minutes in the warm oven. Something weird though is that when I was checking on it part way through cooking, it was…sweating! It seemed to be dripping water into the bottom of my oven. Any idea why? I hope it doesn’t end up gooshy and overly moist on the inside. The sad thing is–Unless my husband bids on it, I might not know because it’s for a cake auction 🙂 He’d better bid on one of them, but I’m making multiple cakes, so he can’t buy them all!
Courtney – that’s odd about the cheesecake. I’ve never had that happen! Hopefully it won’t be a problem – my guess is it won’t if it baked up well overall.
What she saw dripping was probably the butter in the crust seeping out of the springform pan. Next time wrap foil around the base of the pan – problem solved!
Wow! That looks amazing! I’m totally trying that out, and soon!
Well, I gave it a go, and despite not being able to get enough cream cheese – it turned out great! We don’t really get much cookie dough here (besides Ben and Jerry’s ice cream) so everyone has gone crazy for it 🙂 Will be posting a link to the recipe from my blog, share your genius!
Hi 🙂
Stumbledupon this… REALLY want to try it, but i’m not really sure of what the conversions are from cups for each thing! You wouldn’t be able to tell me roughly in lbs/ ozs or grams?
Hi Rachelle – I’m not an expert at converting over cups to metric but I believe there are several online tools if you google the issue. Good luck!
I was so glad to find this recipe! My boyfriend served his mission in Wisconsin and always talked about this amazing cookie dough cheesecake someone made for him on his birthday. I have been trying to find the exact recipe so I could make it for his birthday in February and he said this is the one you made him on his birthday. He said it is the best thing he has ever eaten. I have never made cheesecake before but I am going to become a pro so that I can make this on his birthday. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with all of us! 🙂
Jason – I haven’t tried subbing anything for the sour cream but I definitely wouldn’t leave it out. I don’t think it has an overly sour cream taste, so I would use it or else try one of the substitutions you’ve read about. Good luck!
Hi i’m new at baking and am gonna have a crack at making this,i don’t like sour cream so can i just leave that out of recipe or do i need to replace it i read up on internet that you can use yoghurt or greek style yoghurt or cottage cheese and milk ,what do you think i should do , i can’t wait to make and eat this , i’m nearly drooling many thanks
jason
Hunter – I’ve never made this into mini cheesecakes. Sorry!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. Our cheesecake turned out so well. I was just wondering though, have you ever made these into mini-cheesecakes? If so, did you have to adjust the recipe at all?
But anyways, soo delicious.
Carren – I don’t use a water bath with this cheesecake. Good luck – hope you love it!
I am making this this week!! So excited!! I have only made a handful of cheesecakes in my life and every I have used a waterbath. Is that something I don’t need with this recipe? Thanks for the recipe! I’m making it for a friend’s son’s birthday!
This looks amazing! Looks like something that I’ll be making for Christmas dinner. Pinned it!
wanting to make his cheesecake, but i would like to pipe on the whipped cream, for garnish. will it be possible?
Eloise – sure, piping on the whipped cream should work just fine!
Mel- Thank you so much for replying! I can’t wait to make this cheesecake!
Isaac – you could probably use any cookie dough recipe…I like the eggless so I don’t have to worry if the cookie dough gets completely baked through but I’m sure that’s not a huge issue.
Could you use any cookie dough for it, or do you have to use the egg-less recipe provided?
Made this cheesecake tonight, it tasted superb! Only thing for next time is I think it needs more than an hour to cook, maybe an extra 10 to 20 mins to let the middle set would be better for my oven. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Oh Em Geeeee! This was so good! I made it for the Fourth of July & everyone devoured it! I had to travel four hours with it, and it was still delicious. The only complaint I have is that the crust needs about 2 tablespoons more butter. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Oh yum! You got me at chocolate chip cookie dough. I can’t keep my hands off it. I need to make two batches of cookies because I end up eating too much :p
Oh my goodness! This looks heavenly! Definitely something to make next time we have dinner guests, it will definitely impress.
I have made it several times for company. it’s a winner
I just made this for my boyfriend for our 3 year anniversary & it was amazing! He Absolutely loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
I forgot to mention cooking time is for a 10 inch cheesecake, lol.
I can’t wait to try this, I make a LOT of cheesecakes!! For anyone who has problems with cracking, I find this method even better then a water bath:
First make sure to grease and flour your pan
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes
Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 2 hours
Run a thin spatula around the the rim of the pan and return cheesecake to the oven with the temperature OFF for 2 more hours
Refrigerate over night and enjoy!
More tome consuming, but a flawless cheesecake is worth tje extra time!
This is more time consum
Miriam – most cheesecakes can be frozen just fine so I’m assuming this would fare well.
OMG im drooling…..can this be frozen?
I made this last December for my nursing school peeps; they still are talking about it. It was awesome. Going to make it again for the end of the semester party.
Oh My! This looks so yummy. Cheesecake is my weakness.
chocolate chip cookie dough? YUM!!
Yum! That looks amazing! Love chocolate chip cookie dough!
Wow, lovely! 🙂
Cindy – yes, it is 325 degrees F.
is the temperature 325 degree F?
*drool* this looks amazing, I have to try it! 🙂
I shudder to think of the calorie count….but it looks worth every one! Yum!
“Light sour cream” Hahahaha!!!
This cheesecake is very delicious. I have made it twice and everyone who tried it loved it! I only have an 8 in spring form pan, so mine took much longer to bake, and I had left over batter, which I made mini cheesecakes with in a cupcake tin (I had cookie dough balls left over too for the minis). This will definitely impress.
Hey! This recipe sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it! I was wondering if anyone had any problems with the sour cream? I’ve made cheesecake bars before and found 2 different recipes, one using sour cream and one without. I used the recipe including the sour cream and although the bars tasted ok, there was a slight aftertaste. I am really looking forward to baking this but just wanted to double check everything first. From all of the comments I’ve read, no one has mentioned a problem after using the sour cream so I think it will turn out great!
Mel,
Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate how willing you are to answer readers’ comments and questions– especially for people who need step-by-step help in the kitchen like me!
I ended up just buying a 10-inch springform last night to make the cheesecake… it looks beautiful and I’m excited to taste it tonight at my family’s Valentine’s Dinner!
Thanks again for your help!
Megan – it is a pretty full cheesecake in a 10-inch pan so I’m worried it might overflow in a 9-inch pan. A few alternatives are to make the full batch and fill your spring form pan with batter about an inch from the top and use the extra batter, baking it up in a small loaf pan or something so it doesn’t go to waste. You could also try modifying the filling ingredients to make a smaller batch – maybe a 3/4 batch? So it would look something like this:
3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream (I used light and it worked just fine)
You might have extra cookie dough but that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Mel, do you think this recipe should be adjusted at all if I only have a 9-inch springform or would it work okay?
Thanks for your help!
Oooh, that looks scrumptious. I can already taste it from the photograph.
Andrea – I had a few really smart programmers from webfitters.com help me with that! It was way over my tiny-programming-brain.
hi! this cheesecake looks yummy! how did you add the “pin it” with each post, that was SO slick!
Caitlin – as long as the cheesecake is well-chilled before traveling, it should do fine, especially if you can keep it in a cooler or keep your car on the cool side.
Ok so my boyfriend lovesssssssss cheesecake and his birthday is tomorrow. I plan on making this but the problem is he live 3 hours away and I would have to drive there with it. Do you think it would be ok?
Hi Penny – this cake definitely wouldn’t hold up to the stacked weight, I’m afraid. It is a delicate cheesecake so it’s not really meant to be multi-level. I love your idea – it sounds stunning! Maybe you can think of an alternative that still incorporates the cheesecake…good luck! Oh, and this cheesecake can feed 12 people.
My son wants a cheesecake for his groom’s cake at his rehearsal dinner. I am thinking of trying this and if it comes out good making it for that dinner. I would like to make a smaller cake and place it on top of the larger one. Then I will put chocolate covered strawberries on top. Do you think that the cake can take the weight? If not I will try to put something in between the layers. Also, how many people does this normally feed?
This looks delicious, like downright dangerous! I would love if you shared this in my holiday dessert recipes Blog Hop. We’re giving away a prize from Wilton to the blogger with the most “likes”, come check it out! 🙂 http://www.recipelionblog.com/december-blog-hop-holiday-dessert-recipes-giveaway
Sarah @ RecipeLion
This is awesome! And the chocolate grahams worked just fine.(i added 1 more Tablespoon of melted butter) It was a huge hit with the family
Do you think that chocolate graham crackers would work as well as the cookies?
This looks great and I can not wait to make it!
Lorrie – I’ve never used chocolate grahams but I’m sure they would work just fine!
First time baking cheesecake. I made it for my friends mom birthday. His siblings are chefs so he had to step it up. (well he took credit. Lol)They were very impressed and asked for the recipe. Now I have to make it 3 more times thanksgiving week. This cheesecake is amazing.
Jk! If you make THIS I’ll be your best friend!! LOL
Forget the IV — you’d never taste it!
i`m really getting dated here. Great information shared! Kudos
Wahoo.. I am very fond of new recipes.. thanks for sharing
Goodness gracious does that look good!!!
Hi! This cheesecake looks so good and I am looking forward to trying out. Im having difficulty interpreting the quantity of cream cheese though. Is that 8 ounces total, or 8 ounces times four? Sorry if thats a silly question – In New Zealand you get cream cheese in 250 gram tubs rather than in blocks and im somewhat unfamiliar with ounces also.
Hi Danielle – the cheesecake calls for 32 ounces total of cream cheese – so 4 (8-ounce) packages. Hope that helps!
I made this to take on a weekend get away. The man I’m dating loved Cheesecake Factory’s until they started putting nuts in it, so I was very happy to find this recipe. He loved it! I froze the rest in individually wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. They defrost in a little over an hour.
I made this cheesecake for my husband for Father’s Day. It is really good, but even though I used a 10 inch springform pan and baked it for the correct amount of time, it was not completely baked in the middle. (And it almost overflowed!) Since I’m pregnant, I worry about salmonella. What did I do wrong?
Hi Bridget – I don’t think you did anything wrong but the cheesecake probably just needed to be baked a bit longer. Each oven can differ quite a bit in oven temperature so sometimes even though you have baked something according to what the recipe said, if it still jiggles quite a bit in the middle (like for this cheesecake) then you can add another 5-10 minutes to the baking time. A good test for a cheesecake’s doneness is if the sides (from the edge of the pan to about 2-inches or so into the cheesecake) are set (meaning firm and springy to the touch) and the very center of the cheesecake (probably a 2-3 inch radius) jiggles slightly when the cheesecake pan is moved back and forth. Another important note for this cheesecake is to cool it completely and refrigerate so that it can continue to set up. I hope that helps a little!
Two of my most favorite things in the world, chocolate chip and cheesecake, combined. What more can I ask. Thanks for this wonderful recipe and I will be making this special treat on my birthday this coming 10th of june. Wish me luck
Just made this last week for my 25th birthday — LOVED it! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
TOTALLY Divine! This is my husband’s new favorite dessert 🙂 I made it for his birthday and he loved it – thank you!
Mel, do you think this cheesecake would freeze well? I want to make it for a party next week at work and I just don’t have enough time in the evenings to put it all together. I was thinking of making it on Sunday, then freezing it until the day before the party. What do you think?
Hi Anna – yes, I think it would freeze just fine. Also, keep in mind that it could be made up to two days in advance and covered well and refrigerated, just in case that helps your timeline, too.
Hi Mel,
I want to bring the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake for Easter dinner. You say to keep it in the fridge overnight but is this something I could make 2 days ahead of time and still be good. I don’t have much experience with cheesecake but I just have to try this one.
Connie, actually, yes, I think you could get away with doing this cheesecake two days in advance. Any longer than that and I would probably suggest freezing and then thawing, but I think it would do just fine two days in advance if you keep it well covered in the refrigerator. Good luck!
Mel!!!
I made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday party and it was absolutely epic. I am pretty sure it had people who claim to hate dessert/cheesecake/dairy/sweets wishing they could also get this badboy in IV form too! 🙂 This was my first attempt at baking cheesecake and it came out perfectly. I followed your instructions (didn’t use the cookie dough with eggs I asked about earlier) and it couldn’t have been more simple and ridiculously delicious. I am actually one of those people who doesn’t love cheesecake but I am pretty sure I would replace all meals with this thing, if possible.
Seriously – everyone – MAKE THIS CHEESECAKE!!! It is not difficult so do not be intimidated, it does require some time though, so make sure to allot the proper amount so you can enjoy this cheesecake as much as we all did.
Mel, thanks for being a wicked dessert genius – Can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
I also wanted to add, that due to the smaller size of my pan, there was way too much chocolate cookie crust on the bottom, it was overpowering, so next time I would reduce the amount of crumbs/crust that I use with my 9in pan.
It ended up taking over 2 hours to bake, but I think I figured out the problem. My springform pan is a 9inch pan, not 10inch as specified in this recipe. I hadn’t even checked the size of my pan, because I didn’t realize they come in different sizes. I’ve had the 9inch pan for years, made tons of cheesecakes, and never had a problem in the past. I also checked a few stores since then, and I’m unable to find anything other than a 9inch springform like I have… so I guess the problem was, there was too much cheesecake in the pan, and it took much longer to bake. In the end, it was still delicious, and I will definitely make it again!!
(I googled some other cheesecake recipes, for 9in pans, and they all seem to only use 3 packages of cream cheese instead of 4).
I have this in the oven right now (was in for an hour) and it doesn’t look like it is cooked at all. the top isn’t browned like other cheesecakes I’ve made in the past, and when I stuck a knife in the center, it wasn’t even hot, and watery.. what could be wrong?? I put the timer on for another 20 minutes, but it seems like its going to take another 45.
Cindy – I’m not sure what could be wrong, other than the variability in oven temperatures (some ovens cook hotter than others). As long as you keep an eye on doneness (using a knife in the center) you should be able to keep baking it longer without affecting it. I’m sure you have, but have you double checked to make sure your oven is set to the right temperature? It does seem odd it needs that much more baking time…I hope it still turns out for you. Keep in mind, also, that the center of the cheesecake should still be slightly jiggly after baking – especially with this recipe because it sits in the turned off oven for another 30 minutes and will continue to set up and bake.
Absolutely to die for!!
Hi Mel! This looks amazing – do you think it would be possible to use store bought cookie dough?!?! I know, I know – it’s never as good but the convenience factor would be good as I do not have a ton of time to whip up this AMAZING LOOKING dessert.
Thanks for all your amazing posts! 🙂
Hi Jane – 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…so there are advantages to using a cookie dough mixture without eggs. Having said that, the cheesecake IS baked so maybe the cookie dough bakes enough to get rid of the risk of salmonella. I guess I’d have to say to use your best judgment!
This just reaffirmed my love, I mean LOVE of cookie dough. I will admit to making balls of cookie dough (eggless like this recipe) to keep in the freezer. Regularly. 🙂 Though I am not above sneaking regular cookie dough. This was a delicous cheese cake. THANKYOU.
I made this last Christmas and I loved it. 🙂
My parents (since I’m still 15) gave me the task to make the desserts. I chose this because I knew they loved cheesecake and that I wanted to try something new than the usual blueberry cheesecake. Aaaaand everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe! 😀
just wondering, when you write “butter” in your baking recipes, do you mean unsalted? or regular like country crock or something?
newbie – I almost always (99% of the time) use salted butter (whatever brand is on sale or cheapest). So when I reference “butter” in my recipes, it means salted butter.
It’s in my oven now as I type this! I was suprise with the easy of making it! I’ve never made a cheesecake before. So far so good! I can’t wait to try it.
Also a plus. I am pregnant so the cookie dough without the egg was great for me being able to lick the spoon! Baby LOVED it!!
Let’s pretend that I’m living at the in-laws and can’t get to my baking supplies…What could I use instead of a springform pan? I don’t necessarily want to use a 9×13, but if I have to, I will just so I can finally make this. I’ve been dreaming about it since you posted it, but have had no time/excuse to make it…Valentine’s is coming up!!!
Ashlee – I think a 9X13 is probably your best bet, sorry. It won’t slice up as pretty but it will still taste delicious. Keep an eye on the baking time if you decide to use a different pan – you might need to decrease the time a bit.
Oh my gosh! That is all I have to say about this cheesecake. I made this for Thanksgiving the other day and it was a hit! I probably could have eaten the whole thing. My entire family loved it. It was soooooo good.
The only thing I’ll say about it, and I’m not sure if my springform pan was just a bit loose or what, but it dripped grease or something on the bottom of my oven. So about halfway through baking, when I realized it, I just put a cookie sheet on the bottom rack to catch the grease. Luckily, I have one of those nonstick pads on the bottom of my oven, so cleanup was a breeze. But in all honesty, it was worth it. Hahah!
Great recipe! I’ll be writing a blog post about it within the next few days, so you should check it out!
Erin – thanks for letting me know this cheesecake was a hit! I’m thrilled for you (sorry about the grease…not sure why that happened but glad you caught it quickly!).
Can I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese or would you suggest going with the whole fat?! Just an idea…
Ashley – in my opinion, cheesecake always tastes better with the full fat cream cheese; having said that, I’m always looking for ways to cut calories too and because this recipe has so many other components, I think it might work to use 1/3 fat. Just keep in mind that sometimes baked cheesecakes with less fat cream cheese can be a bit runnier than if you use the full fat version. Hope that helps!
Great recipe. I made this yesterday for friends and received rave reviews! I loved how smooth the cheesecake was.
Thanks, Jill!
Amy – no, you don’t bake this in a water bath, although you definitely could. Baking a cheesecake in a water bath gives you a greater success rate for not getting cracks in the top. For cheesecakes like this where you top it with whipped cream and chocolate chips, cracks won’t matter as much so a water bath isn’t necessary. If you still want the top to be picture perfect, by all means, use a water bath following the same method you’ve used before.
Do you not bake this in a water bath? That’s how I’ve been taught to bake them and in the two reccipes im using, neither one calls for a water bath. is this unnecessary?
This cheesecake is heavenly!! So easy and SO delicious. I too, used the chocolate grahams for the crust and I thought it was perfect. I was mad when my husband found it in the fridge and started eating it too! Can’t wait to make it again!
Stephanie – glad you loved this one! Looks like you need to find a new hiding spot…
So good! I made this cheesecake when we had company over, with rave reviews! The cookie dough balls just add a little something special to a wonderful dessert. I did cook mine in a 9 by 13 pan since I don’t own a springform, and it came out fine. At one point I thought it would fall over the sides but it didn’t! I had a lot of cracking on top which might be a result of my daughter ‘helping’ with the mixer =)
Amy – I’ve never made a cheesecake in a 9X13-pan so I’m glad to read your comment and know it works, especially for those without a springform pan. I’m thrilled you loved the results!
I made this two weeks ago to serve with our Sunday dinner. It was very easy to put together, thanks to your great recipe and explanations. I have never made a ‘real’ cheesecake before so I was nervous. It was so delicious, I can’t stop thinking about when I can make it again! Thank you SO much for all your wonderful recipes!
By the way, I couldn’t find any chocolate Teddys, so I used chocolate graham crackers (who knew?) and the crust was great!
Lynn – I’m so happy that your first venture into a baked cheesecake worked out for you! Thanks for letting me know.
Ooo I can’t wait to try this!!! Hopefully within the week!
I appreciate reading reviews of a recipe after others have tried it, so here goes mine . . . Fabulous! The only changes I made were using regular choc chips cuz I didn’t have minis, and I ended up having to bake mine longer, by about 20 minutes. Turned out super-duper yummy. And I’m a die-hard for plain jane cheesecake!
Thanks, Lisa! I appreciate you including your changes.
Thanks for the tip, Mel. I went to a smaller store and sure enough they had them. Can’t wait to try this recipe out! Thanks again!
Where do you find mini chocolate chips? Is my local grocery store lame for not carrying them?
Laura, I hate to say it, but yes, your grocery store is totally lame! I’ve always just found them by the other chocolate chips in Walmart or any other mainstream grocery store. Do you have a second grocery store option to check out?
Thank you for all your advise. I ended up making the Oreo no bake cheese cake in the 9 x 13 pan and everyone loved it. I will try the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake next.
In response to Connie, I have made plain cheesecake in a 9×13 pan with no problems. I just greased the pan, patted the crust along the bottom and slightly up the sides, poured in the good stuff and baked for 50 minutes. I have not tried this particular recipe yet, but I’m sure it will do just fine.
I made this yesterday morning and had family over last night for dinner…..It was wonderful. I had never attempted cheese cake. It turned out great. Thanks for all of the good recipes and ideas!
Polly – so glad this worked out for your first cheesecake attempt!
I would like to take this to a pot luck this weekend. Has anyone ever made this in a 9 x 13 pan.
Thanks for any adivce!
Connie – I think this would be difficult to make/cut/bake evenly in a 9X13 pan. If anyone else has tried it, let me know!
I love your site…….but it is NOT good for my diet!! My mouth is watering right now!
you’re making it difficult for me to maintain my anti-cheesecake attitude. 🙂
safe travels (both physically and mentally!).
Cheesecake is my favorite sweet, with cookie dough as a close second…..needless to say, this looks absolutely amazing to me!
Montana! My in-laws live near Glacier National Park. It is such a beautiful state. Hope you have loads of fun with your boys up there in Big Sky Country.
Thanks for all the recipes. I am always amazed when I make one. I really appreciate the detailed descriptions and directions you include with each one. Your site is truly a treasure!
That looks amazing! I sooo wanna make this! My hubby loves cheesecake and choc. chip cookies, this would be perfect!!!
Today is our 5 yr anniversarry and I may just have to run to the store so I can make this for him tonight!!!
Wooooow I’m adding this to my favourites so I can try making this later… Looks gorgeous, I love the rich, super-creamy texture… and of course bits of cookie dough make this cheesecake absolutely unique.
Wow, picture perfect! I hope you don’t mind, but I have a little spot on my blog where I sometime feature sweet treats I’m going to attempt to make. This one definitly won this week’s spot! Can’t wait to try it out!
DIVINE…. spell check anyone? 🙂
Oh my DEVINE! I’m thinking so hard right now of any future events I have so I could make this! I might just have to make this for fun! 🙂
That. Looks. DIVINE!!!!
This cheesecake looks AMAZING! I would have to sub sour cream for heavy cream since I don’t like the former, though. It looks similar to my go-to recipe for cheesecake I use, so I believe you when you say this is the best.
Have a safe trip! Come back soon!
Oh my divine….. I HAVE to try this!
Oh My Goodness. I love cheesecake. This looks ridiculous. Now I need to find something to celebrate so that I can make it! 🙂
Oh Mel. Posts like this make me wish that you lived closer because we all know that I will NEVER be a great, amazing, fantastic chef like you. Please come back and make me fat-er!!!
oh WOW!! did you pre-bake the crust??
Natalie – I didn’t pre-bake the crust, which was nice to cut out that step.
Wow!
Yum! But I can’t figure out why you would WANT an IV of this. That would bypass the joy of tasting it!!
*drool*
and another one goes on my “to make” list.
Can I use the cookie dough for the crust or will it burn?
I haven’t tried that, but you could experiment!
Wow!! I think I just gained 10 lbs looking at this–but it’ll be so worth it when I get the chance to make it 🙂
Chocolate chip cookie dough…one of my favorite things in the world! I love it combined with creamy cheesecake, and LOVE that you top it with whipped cream! Absolutely sinful! 🙂
Have fun in Montana, Melanie. It is such a gorgeous state- snow covered mountains even in the summer! I’m sure you will survive and treasure every moment with your husband and boys. Come back soon…you will be missed! 🙂
I have no words. This may be the best cheesecake I’ve ever seen.