Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake

Anytime I hear the words “triple chocolate,” I’m sold. No need to convince me.  And if there was, the words “Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake” would do the trick. This dessert combines all my favorite things! Could anything sound better? This cheesecake had me at hello.   

If you’re looking for the ultimate, sure-to-impress, chocolate dream of a dessert, you’ve found it.  Our Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake is our own death-by-chocolate version of cheesecake– pure decadence with a fudgy brownie crust, a creamy, dark chocolate center, and a rich chocolate ganache on top.

I have a thing for cheesecakes.  Any type of cheesecake.  Did I also mention I have a thing for brownies and triple chocolate cake?  And basically chocolate in all forms?  Cheesecake is one of those desserts that can seem sort of intimidating to make because there are a few tricks to getting it just right, but in the end, it’s actually quite simple. We’ve broken down the recipe for this Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake into three parts: the brownie crust, the cheesecake and the ganache topping. 

How to make the brownie layer

We’ve swapped the traditional graham cracker crust used in most cheesecakes for a brownie crust, which means there is chocolate in literally every bite of this chocolate cheesecake. For the brownie layer, you’ll need:

• unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• butter
• sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• flour
• cocoa powder
• baking powder
• salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F, prep a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. The baking spray and parchment paper will come in extra handy later– do not skip this step!

Melt the chocolate and butter on the stovetop or in the microwave and then stir in the sugar. Before mixing in the eggs and vanilla, make sure the butter/sugar mixture cools down a bit so it doesn’t cook your eggs. While you’re waiting, you can combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.  Add it to the wet mixture after you’ve added the eggs and vanilla.

Spread the batter into the bottom of the pan and bake the brownie layer for 25 to 30 minutes.

How to make the chocolate cheesecake

While the brownie layer is baking, you can start on the dark chocolate cheesecake layer. Here are the main ingredients:

• dark chocolate, chopped
• heavy cream
• cream cheese
• sugar
• cocoa powder
• eggs
• vanilla

Start by melting the chocolate and cream on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you’re melting it on the stovetop, make sure your heat is on low/medium to prevent the chocolate from burning. 

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg until the batter is smooth. Add in the salt and vanilla.

Lastly, you’ll add the melted chocolate mixture into the cream cheese, combining the two mixtures until your batter is well blended. Once the brownie layer is done baking and has cooled for about ten minutes, you can pour the cheesecake mixture on top. You’re now ready to seal the outside of the springform pan!

Baking tips for the perfect cheesecake (no cracks!)

To get the best result when baking this Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake, we use a water bath. It helps control the temperature and prevent the edges from becoming overheated and dry. If you find yourself asking “why does a cheesecake crack?,” a water bath can help prevent it. You just need to take an extra step to “seal” the pan which is done to keep water from seeping into the pan. 

You can seal a cheesecake pan two different ways:

• Wrap the outside of the pan in layers of aluminum foil OR
• Place the cheesecake inside the bag of a slow cooker liner or turkey-sized oven bag (we explain why we prefer this method in our recipe for Bourbon Vanilla Cheesecake)

Once the pan is sealed, place it inside of a larger pan and pour boiling water inside the space between to create the water bath. Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 45 minutes. Afterward, turn off the oven and slightly crack the oven door, allowing the cheesecake to bake for about 20 minutes longer at this cooler temperature. This will allow the cheesecake to cool down slowly, preventing any cracks! 

How to make the chocolate cheesecake ganache

A Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake requires a decadent topping: dark chocolate ganache. You only need two ingredients:

• heavy cream
• dark chocolate, chopped

Place the chopped dark chocolate in a small bowl and heat the cream just to its boiling point. Pour the cream over the chocolate, stirring the mixture as the chocolate melts.

Let the ganache cool slightly so it thickens, and then pour it over the cheesecake layer. Refrigerate the chocolate cheesecake until it is time to serve.

We decorated our Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake with chocolate curls for an extra chocolate-y touch! It’s not necessary but it’s an easy step that gives it a beautiful look. Chocolate on top of more chocolate?  YES PLEASE!

More Chilled or Frozen Desserts

• No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
• Strawberry Basil Goat Cheese Ice Cream
• How To Make Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Dots
• Passion Fruit Ice Cream
• 31 Cool Summer Dessert Ideas

SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:

This chocolate Guinness cake with Bailey’s cream cheese frosting is simply the BEST chocolate cake ever! The cake is tender and moist and the frosting is out-of-this-world. 

This spiced pumpkin cheesecake is ultra creamy and delicious. It doesn’t have to be pumpkin season to make this cheesecake, you’re gonna want it all year long. 

Brownie bottomed cheesecakes are delicious with all flavors. This chocolate caramel swirl cheesecake has a brownie bottom too. We can’t decide which one we like more. 

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake

A triple chocolate cheesecake with a decadent fudgy brownie bottom, creamy dark chocolate center and rich chocolate ganache on top.

4.80 from 15 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 531kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Brownie Bottom

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate finely chopped
• 8 tablespoons butter 1 stick
• 1-⅔ cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

Cheesecake

• 8 ounces dark chocolate chopped
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 3 packages cream cheese 24 ounces
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Ganache topping

• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 6 ounces dark chocolate chopped

Decoration

• Chocolate curls

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Instructions

Brownie Layer

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave or on the stovetop. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the sugar.
• Let the mixture cool down a bit then stir in the eggs and vanilla extract.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder over the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.
• Spread the batter into the bottom of the springform pan and place in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. It will look a bit underbaked.

Cheesecake Layer

• While the brownie layer is baking, prepare the cheesecake layer:
• Melt chocolate and cream in a microwave or on the stovetop. If you use the microwave, use short bursts of heat and stir it frequently.
• In a separate mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
• Add eggs one at a time and mix in between each addition until smooth.
• Blend in the vanilla and salt.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the cream cheese mixture and stir until well blended.
• When the brownie layer is finished baking let it cool for about 10 minutes then pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the baked brownie layer.
• Now seal the outside of the springform pan. Either use aluminum foil to seal the outside or place it inside the bag of a slow cooker liner (see our post for our bourbon vanilla cheesecake to see how we did that). If you use aluminum foil, use two or three layers to help prevent water from leaking into the cheesecake.
• Place the sealed springform pan inside a larger pan and pour boiling water inside the larger pan to create a water-bath. Make sure you don’t get any water in the cheesecake.
• Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes turn off the oven and crack the oven door open. Let the cheesecake sit inside the oven for 20 minutes after you turn the oven off (that will let it cool down slowly so it will not crack).

Ganache

• Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl.
• Heat the cream just to its boiling point and pour the cream over the chocolate.
• Allow the hot cream to melt the chocolate and stir well to combine.
• Let the ganache cool slightly to thicken up then pour it over the cheesecake and refrigerate for 6 hours. Once the cheesecake has set up, remove it from the springform pan.
• If desired, decorate the top with chocolate curls.

Notes

To make chocolate curls:

• Turn a baking sheet upside down and spread 4 ounces of melted chocolate on the sheet in a thin layer. Refrigerate until it is firm but not hard. Use a metal spatula or a bench scraper to scrape the chocolate off the pan. If the chocolate is firm enough it will curl.
• Another way to make chocolate curls is to use a vegetable peeler to scrape chocolate off a chocolate bar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 254mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 44g

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