1 hour to make and bake, these chocolate cheesecake bars have chocolate goodness in every bite. Make them ahead, refrigerate and cut into bars when needed.
2014 will go down in history as not-my-lucky year.
It actually started just before the winter holidays. One morning one of my stove burners stopped working. After 5 minutes of panic, I slowly realized I still had 3 other working burners so I did not worry much after that. Until february when 2 other burners stopped working as well. Only one burner left. What at first seemed to be an easy fix turned into a nightmare. Since I don’t have a vent above my store and no way to install one, I had to find a downdraft stove that fit perfectly in my already cut countertop. Weeks later found the perfect-fit GE stove. It may not be my 1st choice, but for the price, it better last me a few years!
I was in my happy kitchen again until the beginning of this month when my dishwasher dies on me. A quick trip to Lowe’s and a brand new KitchenAid dishwasher was installed.
To make things more complicated, over the weekend my dryer made a load noise and that was the end of it. We just ordered a brand new washer and dryer yesterday. Can’t wait to have them delivered next week!
And I don’t even want to count how many times we’ve been sick this year.
When life throws me down so many time in less than half a year, there’s just one thing left to do. Make chocolate cheesecake. And not just any chocolate cheesecake, but a chocolate crust topped with creamy cocoa cheesecake and topped with chocolate ganache and lots of chocolate shavings.
Just by looking at these chocolate cheesecake bars you’d think it takes forever to make it. Actually it’s about 10 minutes of prep time. Yes! Just 10 minutes!
The crust is made of nilla wafers, cocoa powder sugar and butter. If you do not have a nilla wafers you can use graham crackers.
For the cocoa cheesecake, you’ll need cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream and of course cocoa powder. The chocolate ganache is a mixture of chocolate and heavy cream.
Ingredients I’m sure you already have in your kitchen/pantry.
This is actually the first time I use cocoa powder in a cheesecake. I’ve made chocolate cheesecake before but I used melted chocolate. I was actually intrigued when I found the recipe in Hershey’s chocolate cookbook
The recipe in the Hershey’s cookbook was baked in a 9″ round pan but I find it easier to make bars. It takes less time to bake and almost never I had cracks in cheesecake when baked in a rectangle pan. Don’t ask me why, I have absolutely no idea.
Anyhow, if you prefer to bake the cheesecake in a round pan, you can certainly do so. You just have to keep in mind the cheesecake needs to be baked longer, maybe 55 to 1 hour.
Yields 16 bars
1 hour to make and bake, these chocolate cheesecake bars have chocolate goodness in every bite. Make them a day or two ahead and cut into bars when needed.
10 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
5 hrTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 40 wafers, crushed)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 container (8 oz.) sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325°F. Line a 13X9" baking pan with parchment paper.
- Stir together crumbs, sugar and cocoa in medium bowl. Add butter; stir until well blended. Press mixture firmly onto bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Set aside while making the filling.
- In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar.
- With the paddle attachment on, beat on low speed until light and fluffy.
- Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until blended.
- Stir in the cocoa powder.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition well.
- Pour over the crust.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
- Turn the oven off, open the door and let the cheesecake cool for few hours in the warm oven.
- Once the cheesecake is completely cooled, make the ganache.
- In a heatproof bowl, add the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave for 1 minutes and stir to combine.
- Pour over the cheesecake. Decorate with chocolate shavings.
- Refrigerate for a couple of hours before cutting into bars.
Happy baking,
Roxana
Chocolate is the best way to cheer you up! This recipe is looking wonderful!
These look absolutely terrific, can’t wait to try, thanks Roxana!
These cheesecake bars look incredible! Chocolate cheesecake can make lots of situations better!
Ursula,
Roxana you really have been going through a rough time with broken electrical appliances – just to cheer you up the light bulbs usually start conking out one after the other!! Only joking. Well these chocolate cheesecake squares have the ingredients to solve all the problems thrown our way. Can’t wait to get going on them. Thank you for sharing another luscious treat. xxx
Although everything breaking in such a short time sucks I would love to have new appliances. Our dish washer broke in January but we haven’t gotten a new one yet. It is stuck in place unless we tear out half the kitchen until we do a major reno it is staying put and we are hand washing like crazy.
What gorgeous bars, love the ganache and chocolate shavings!
Roxana,
I love your recipes. Sorry to hear about all your troubles this year and all of your appliances breaking down. But thank goodness you got new ones. I love to look at all your recipes, you have some very great one, keep baking. And may God Bless you and your family.
Thanks, Becky
These look amazing!
You are the queen of cheesecake!!
These cheesecake bars look so creamy, chocolatey, and amazing!
Roxana, I very much loved your recipe. I in fact saw it this morning and told myself that I HAD to make them. So, I went out and got the stuff to do so. The recipe was super easy to make and the cook time and the cool time was a breeze! I did however swap the shaved chocolate with white chocolate on top. They were delicious and the had the right cocoa flavor that German grandmother would have loved.
I love every layer of these cheesecake bars! The ganache sprinkled with chopped chocolate makes them extra special! I know how you feel with the appliances. We have had a similar winter with an epidemic of dying machines! The stove only lights with a bbq lighter now, the new microwave doesn’t exactly fit in the cabinet hole, and I am trying to figure out how to make the new energy efficient washer actually wash the clothes without turning them into a wrinkled mess! When all else fails, eat a cheesecake bar. 🙂
You are an appliance sales person’s dream! So sorry about all of the stress, but your bars DO look amazing!
Wow! These look delicious and your photography is beautiful! Pinning to remember to try baking these. Thanks!
Kristy @ 3 Peppers Recipes – Crafts, Cooking & Color
Hello, Roxanna! Just came across one of your recipes on Pinterest and came over to have a look around. So glad I did! These cheescake bars look like the perfect pick-me-up (hey, they’re chocolate!) I have a feeling your luck is about to change now … I think you’ve had your fair share of bad luck! 🙂
Oh my goodness, this is just out of this world! It looks rich and decadent and I would love this 🙂
Stopping by from whimsey Wednesday!
Cathy
I hope the 2nd half of the year turns around for you! Love love love these bars! My mouth is watering for them. 🙂
Wow does this look amazing! I found you over at Pint Sized Baker’s Two Cup Tuesday party. I host Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday and would love it if you linked up this recipe. I’m sure our party goers would love it as much as I do. Here is the link http://bit.ly/1l4cu0j. Have a wonderful day!!
I liked these so much, I pinned twice!
Oh my! These look delicious! Cheesecake is my weakness so if I made these, they would be gone the day they were ready to eat. lol.
Mmmmmm these cheesecake bars look amazing.
I would love for you to share this at my T.G.I.F. Linky Party @ MamasBlogCentral.com 🙂 Have a great weekend!!
Wow, these look amazing!!
That sounds delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
These look amazing! We featured you at The Creative Collection Link Party! Thanks for linking up! Have a great weekend!
Can these chocolate cheesecake bars be FROZEN?