Gluten free chocolate cheesecake is the ULTIMATE chocolate cheesecake and the perfect decadent dessert.
Crunchy chocolate cookie crust with rich, creamy, chocolate cheesecake filling and topped with a sweet, smooth chocolate ganache.
Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts.
I also love chocolate, I mean, who doesn't?
I guess I have known like 2 people who didn't like chocolate, which is unfortunate but it just means more for me. 🙂
This cheesecake is so good!
Even my family members that aren't cheesecake fans were won over by its creamy chocolaty goodness.
And those who were cheesecake fans ate it up.
Cheesecake doesn't have to be a daunting dessert. It really is a simple filling baked in a cookie crumb crust.
Creamy, smooth, rich gluten free chocolate cheesecake filling baked into a crisp chocolate cookie crust and covered in sweet chocolate ganache.
How to make a gluten free chocolate cookie crust
Making a gluten free chocolate cookie crust is easy with gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies.
Goodie Girls Chocolate Sandwich Cookies are my favorite, and I also like Glutino's Chocolate Sandwich Cookies.
Simply scrape the filling out of the middles of the cookies and place the cookies in a large ziploc bag.
Using either your hands, a rolling pin, or the bottom of a heavy pan, crush the cookies into coarse crumbs.
Melt your butter, and add it directly to the bag of chocolate cookie crumbs.
Shake it to combine.
Pour the crumbs into your prepared springform pan, and press ⅓ of the ay up the sides of the pan and evenly over the bottom.
How do you make gluten free chocolate cheesecake filling?
The filling is actually pretty simple to make.
Just cream together cream cheese and sugar. You want your mixutre to be soft, and completely smooth.
If your cream cheese isn't fully smooth at this point, you will have chunks of cream cheese in your cheesecake.
They will be almost impossible to get rid of after you add the eggs and other ingredients.
Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in melted and cooled chocolate, cocoa, and a little vanilla.
Be careful not to overbeat your cream cheese mixture, you want to mix it until it is just combined.
Pour it into a cookie crumb crust (I used gluten-free oreo cookies, minus the cream,) and bake.
How do you keep a cheesecake from cracking?
Usually those cracks are purely cosmetic, and don't effect the taste at all. Just cover it with some chocolate ganache and you are good to go.
BUT...here are the secrets to making a perfectly creamy, smooth, crack-free gluten free cheesecake:
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Cream your cream cheese and sugar until very smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time (room temperature eggs, remember?) and mix until just combined. Overmixing can lead to cracks.
- Bake your cheesecake in a water bath (more on that in a second).
- Don't overbake your chocolate cheesecake. The edge will be set, but the center will still be jiggly. It will set as it cools.
- Let your cheesecake cool slowly. Turn off the oven, and leave it open a crack. Then open it wider. Let your gluten free cheesecake cool this way for at least half an hour before removing from the oven.
- Let it cool completely at room temperature before putting it in the fridge to chill.
How do you bake a cheesecake in a hot water bath?
First, preheat your oven and set a kettle of water on to boil.
Next, you want to prepare your springform pan so that water doesn't leak into your cheesecake.
To make your pan waterproof, carefully wrap the outside in several layers of aluminum foil, using large pieces.
The idea is to make it as hard as possible for the water to seep in any cracks and get to your gluten free chocolate cheesecake.
After you've prepared your springform pan, make the cracker crumb crust and filling.
Get a large roasting pan or baking dish in the oven and place a tea towel in the bottom of the pan.
Ensure that your springform pan will sit in your baking dish.
Then, set your cheesecake in the baking dish, and place the whole set-up in your oven.
Carefully pour boiling awter into the baking dish so it comes about halfway up the sides of your springform pan.
The tea towel prevents water from splashing into our cheesecake and ruining it.
Carefully close the oven, and bake as directed.
when you remove the finished cheesecake from the baking dish, do so carefully to avoid getting water in your cheesecake.
Do you have to cook a cheesecake in a hot water bath?
Now if I'm being totally honest, I don't always mess with a hot water bath.
You can still prevent it from cracking too badly by not removing it from the oven when it has finished cooking.
Instead I turn off the oven, and open it about half way until the cheesecake has cooled.
This helps it to cool slower and prevents cracking.
water baths really do prevent cheesecake from cracking but it can be tricky to not get ater in your cheesecake.
I want to enjoy my cheesecake and not be consumed with perfection.
How to freeze cheesecake
Cheesecake freezes incredibly well.
You can freeze an entire cheesecake, or individual slices.
Tightly wrap your cheesecake in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.
Let your cheesecake tha before enjoying.
I froze a big leftover slice and when I unwrapped it and let it thaw a few weeks later.
(Even in the freezer I can't resist the cheesecake)
It was just as creamy and delicious as the day I baked it.
If a no-bake cheesecake is more your style, my friend Sharon from What the Fork has an amazing gluten free no bake cheesecake recipe that you'll love! It is stunning.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Cheesecake
Gluten free chocolate cheesecake is the ULTIMATE chocolate cheesecake and perfect decadent dessert. Crunchy chocolate cookie crust with rich, creamy, chocolate cheesecake filling and topped with a sweet, smooth chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ½ cups crushed gluten-free chocolate cookies (I used 1 whole package of gluten-free oreo style cookies with the cream removed)
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
For the Filling
- 4, 8oz pkgs or cream cheese, softene
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 10 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
For the Ganache
- 2 cups chopped chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the Crust
- Mix the crushed gluten-free chocolate cookies with the melted butter and press evenly over the bottom and ⅓ up the sides of a 9 inch spring-form pan.
For the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- In a stand mixer or using heavy duty electric hand beaters beat together the cream cheese and sugar until just combined.
- Add the eggs and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the melted chocolate and cocoa powder, until just combined.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the cheesecake it set around the edges and just the very center will jiggle slightly.
- Turn off the oven, prop open the door, and let the cheesecake cool for at least an hour.
For the Ganache
- Heat the cream until it is steaming (either in a saucepan on the stove-top or in the microwave.)
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until it is all smooth and melted.
- Let cool to body temperature before pouring the ganache on the top of the cheesecake.
- Let the ganache set before slicing. For best results the cheesecake should be chilled for 4-6 hours, which you can do before or after you pour on the ganache.
Notes
For best results, I recommend baking your cheesecake using a hot water bath. Before making your crust cover the springform pan in aluminum foil to prevent water from leaking in. Prepare the cheesecake filling as directed and then place it in a wide and shallow baking dish with a dishtowel on the bottom. Carefully pour after into the baking dish so it comes halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 833Total Fat 60gSaturated Fat 35gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 196mgSodium 390mgCarbohydrates 67gFiber 3gSugar 59gProtein 12g
All nutrition info is a guestimate and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.
Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
Death by chocolate indeed! Looks uber CHOCOLATEY! This would be such a great dessert to serve at a dinner party.
And lol on the ganache coveting a multitude of sins 🙂 It's totally normal for cheesecakes to crack though -- so I think your recipe is on track and I wouldn't change a thing {it looks awesome!}. That's what the ganache or sour cream layer are there for 😉
flippindelicious
Haha, Thanks Audrey. I agree, totally normal for a cheescake to get a few little cracks. And it is so tasty to cover them!
Sharon
Instead of a water bath, here is a trick that works for me. What causes cracks is when the outside gets done before the inside. So I take an old dish towel and cut into wide enough strips to wrap around your spring form pan. You wet the toweling first but not dripping wet. Use a couple of safety pins to hold them on and bake as usual. This helps the sides from finishing first.
flippindelicious
That is a great idea Sharon. Thanks for the tip!
Steph
Omg! The chocolate lover in just died from seeing this recipe </3 The cheesecake looks so delicious!
flippindelicious
Thanks Steph! It was so good!
Barbara Bianchi
Oh this looks so creamy delicious and I love the crunchy crust.
flippindelicious
Thanks Barbara!
Shannon
love all your recipes! Wondering if cheesecake would work with An egg sub? What do you Ya think? Should I try it?
flippindelicious
I don't work with egg substitutes often enough to know for sure how they would work in a cheesecake Shannon. It very well might work. Comment back and let me know how it tuns out that way everyone will know your results 🙂 I think it is worth a shot. It might not set up the same, but cheesecake is still cheesecake.
Cheryl Rodgers
This cheesecake looks fabulous -- but I have a question, is the white sugar the recipe calls for cane sugar, or confectioner's sugar?
flippindelicious
Hi Cheryl! The white sugar is white granulated sugar (or cane) sugar.
Shannon
Hi Shannon again. I tried it with four neat eggs. It looked amazing! Tasted awful!! Just like garbonzo beans. SO sad. Im going to try it again with ener-g egg teplacer and see if that will work.
flippindelicious
Thanks for updating us. I've never used neat eggs before. I hope that the other egg replacer gives you better results.
Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts
Totally irresistible! Had to share on All Gluten-Free Desserts, of course. 😉
Happy Easter, Brianna!
Shirley
flippindelicious
Thanks Shirley! Happy Easter to you too.
Deborah Davis
We adore chocolate so this cake would be a hit at our house! Who can resist this healthy, delectable chocolate treat! Thanks for sharing your Gluten-Free Death By Chocolate Cheesecake with us on the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop Blog Hop. I'm pinning and sharing.
flippindelicious
Thanks Deborah!
Mel
What type of chocolate did you use for the ganache?
flippindelicious
I used semisweet chocolate, but you really can use whatever chocolate is your favorite or whatever you have on hand. I can't remember which brand, but I think I used semisweet chocolate chips when I made this recipe. Chocolate chips have a waxy stabilizer in them that *can* mess with a ganache, but usually that is what I have on hand, so I just use it. I haven't ever had a problem.
I don't think you can go wrong with whatever chocolate you use!
Debbie
How do you think
this be without the ganache topping and substitute strawberry topping.
flippindelicious
That sounds delicious! Can I come over 😉
Sarah
This is now one of my top four most requested desserts and has become the requirement for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s on the list of “it’s not Thanksgiving without..,” list! Well done, and thank you for this fantastic recipe my Celiac son and nut-free friends can all enjoy!
flippindelicious
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I rarely actually know when someone actually makes my recipes instead of just looking, and I'm so very happy to hear that it has been such a hit for your son and his friends. I'm going to share your comment on my social media accounts. You made my day! -Brianna
Celeste Noland
Cheesecake is my favorite dessert and I cant wait to try this one!! I think I'll be adding it to my holiday list 😃
flippindelicious
Thanks Celeste! I hope you and your family love it. -Brianna
Lori Miller
Have you ever made these as mini cheesecakes? Trying to decide how long I would bake them and if there were any other details I'd have to consider.
flippindelicious
Hi Lori, I haven't made these into mini cheesecakes, but I think they'd work great. You'll have to cook a much shorter time, and I'd also recommend cooking about 25°f lower. You can check for doneness the same way, but I'd start checking about halfway through the original bake time. Hope that helps!
Happy Baking! -Brianna
Ms. Shawn
Made this today. It came out perfect without cracks. I used the Ganache anyway and my oh my what a cheesecake it is. I made this for my daughter with the allergies but everyone loved it.
flippindelicious
Yay! An uncracked cheesecake is an impressive achievement. You have to mix, cool, and bake it just perfectly. I'm so glad it was a hit! Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know. -Brianna
Janet
Can this be made 10 inches instead of 9?
flippindelicious
Hi, You absolutely can use a 10-inch pan instead of a 9-inch pan. Because the batter will be thinner, it may cook a little faster so start checking it early to prevent overbaking it.
Happy Baking! -Brianna
Kirsten
Is the water bath necessary? I don't have a baking dish or pan big enough to hold my springform pan flat.
flippindelicious
Hi Kirsten,You can certainly cook it without a waterbath, but the waterbath helps it to cook evenly and prevents cracking. If you cook it without a waterbath, I'd maybe even lower the baking temperature by 25°f and cook for a touch longer, to help it cook slowly and evenly. Quick temperature changes are what lead to a grainy texture or a crack in the top. Hope that helps! -Brianna