Mexican Chocolate Cheesecake

A silky chocolate cheesecake made with semi-sweet and Mexican chocolate, cream cheese and sour cream is the ultimate sweet treat to enjoy with family and friends. Chocolate lovers just can’t get enough of this Mexican inspired chocolate cheesecake.

 

 

A chocolatey cheesecake made with semi-sweet chocolate and Abuelita chocolate is creamy, silky, and perfect for a birthday celebration, anniversary, or a Sunday family dinner. A thick, creamy cheesecake paired with a buttery graham cracker crust is a fun twist on the classic cheesecake. 

 

This recipe was created as part of my partnership with Imperial Sugar. You can find the recipe here.

 

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

 

Graham Crackers Crust: Our cheesecake begins with a graham cracker crust. For this recipe I used graham cracker crumbs, you can find them in the baking aisle of your grocery store. If you cannot find graham cracker crumbs you can make your own by pulsing graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground.

This recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs, begin with 12 graham crackers cookies, pulse and measure out. Add more to food processor if needed. If you do not own a food processor, simply place the graham crackers in a plastic food storage bag and crush with a rolling pin until finely ground.

Spring Form Pan: For this recipe we are baking our cheesecake in a springform pan. A springform pan has a removable side which makes it easier to safely release cheesecake from pan without having to flip the pan over to release cheesecake. I like to use the back of a measuring cup to tightly pack the crust into the pan, this will prevent the batter from leaking into the crust resulting in a soggy crust or leaks.

The crust will bake for 8 minutes, then we will reduce the oven temperature to bake the cheesecake. Place crust to the side to cool completely before adding your filling.

 

 

Filling: To make our Mexican Cheesecake we are using both semi-sweet (I used chips) and Abuelita chocolate tablets broken into pieces. Abuelita Chocolate is a chocolate seasoned with spices, cinnamon, and vanilla. You can find it in the baking aisle or hot cocoa aisle in your grocery aisle. Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, pour over warm coffee and stir to melt chocolate. Microwave in 10 second intervals if needed, until all chocolate is melted.

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature to ensure a smooth batter. I place my cream cheese on the kitchen counter 2 hours before I begin baking.

Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition – we want a smooth cheesecake filling.

BAKING: when ready to bake place your spring form pan on a baking sheet and carefully pour in your filing. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes or until edges are set.

 

After 30 minutes, turn off oven leaving oven door closed and allow cheesecake to rest in oven for an hour.

Leaving the cheesecake in the oven to rest helps to prevent the cheesecake from cracking. We want the cheesecake not to experience a sudden change in temperature from hot/cold which can cause cracks.

After the hour, remove from oven, cool completely and chill overnight. Chilling overnight helps to firm up the filing, making it easier to remove from pan.

When ready to serve, carefully remove from springform pan. Top with whipped topping and garnish with grated chocolate.

 

Mexican Chocolate Cheesecake

A silky chocolate cheesecake made with semi-sweet and Mexican chocolate, cream cheese and sour cream is the ultimate sweet treat to enjoy with family and friends. Chocolate lovers just can’t get enough of this Mexican inspired chocolate cheesecake.

Serves 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

For the Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar until combined. Press into a 9-inch springform pan gently pressing into pan and slightly up the edges. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and cool completely. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.

For the Cheesecake

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate

2 Abuelita Chocolate tablets, broken into pieces

1/4 cup coffee

24 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

3 tablespoons flour

Whipped topping

Grated chocolate

For the Filling:

Place chocolate in bowl. Warm coffee in microwave and pour over chocolate, stir to melt chocolate. If needed heat chocolate in 10 second intervals until all chocolate is melted; set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and salt, mix until creamy scraping down sides.

Add sour cream and vanilla extract, mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Sprinkle in the flour and continue to mix. Scrape the bowl down and mix until completely smooth. Stir in melted chocolate.

Place prepared crust on baking sheet and pour cheesecake into crust. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes or until edges are set.

After 30 minutes, turn off oven leaving oven door closed and allow cheesecake to rest in oven for an hour.

Cool completely, cover and place in fridge to chill overnight. When ready to serve, carefully remove from springform pan. Top with whipped topping and garnish with grated chocolate.