Chocolate Cheesecake (Gluten Free)

This Chocolate Cheesecake is fabulous and happens to be gluten free! It's fluffy, creamy and based on the best crustless cheesecake recipe!

This chocolate cheesecake knows how to make an entrance.

In fact, it's time to pause and take a good look.

I hope you like chocolate!

There's a pound of it in this showstopping dessert. Eight ounces of semisweet and eight ounces of bittersweet (affiliate links), in case you're wondering.

I attempted a version of this recipe three years ago. I wasn't happy with it, however, and resolved to make it again.

But, I kept putting it off, worried I'd be making pounds of chocolate cheesecake over and over. Because...Hi, my name is Andrea, and I'm a recovering perfectionist.

I finally got up the nerve again recently and bought all the ingredients I wanted in this version. Check out this photo...there are four bars of chocolate, six eggs, five blocks of cream cheese, two cups of sugar, a pint of sour cream, a couple teaspoons of vanilla...and I forgot to capture the salt.

You don't see any flour, because this cheesecake happens to be gluten free. There's not even a crust.

It doesn't need one. It's modeled after Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake, one of the most popular recipes on my site and the best cheesecake ever.

I get so many requests for variations of that cheesecake! But a chocolate version has remained at the top of the list for years.

I needed to tackle it again. But I had to call for backup.

I needed people lined up to help us eat at least two of these sky-high, luscious, chocolate cheesecakes. My hubby called his best friend, who happily agreed to take ⅔ of a cheesecake when I made it later in the week.

But our friend got a little antsy, checking in every day.

"You promised a fat guy cheesecake!! WHERE'S THE CHEESECAKE?!!!"

Fortunately, I nailed the recipe right away this time!

Our friend was thrilled when my hubby delivered the chocolate cheesecake. He enjoyed it plain, but I recommend serving it with strawberries, homemade chocolate liqueur or one of these cheesecake toppings.

Next, I notified my friends on Facebook that I wanted someone to take another chocolate cheesecake I needed to make (so I could shoot process photos). It was claimed in minutes.

The verdict? Outstanding reviews from friends and family!

This chocolate cheesecake is fluffy, yet creamy, with a texture like chocolate mousse.

My hubby and I noticed the flavor is like chocolate ice cream. It's not heavy at all.

I hope you love it as much as we do!

Here are some tips for this chocolate cheesecake:

1. To prevent lumps, let your cream cheese come to room temperature before starting. Beat each block one at a time, until it's smooth and creamy. Add each ingredient one at a time, beating after each addition, just until combined. Then mix everything for seven minutes on a high speed that won't splash. Your batter must be smooth before baking.
2. To prevent over browning, move your top oven rack down to the second lowest position and bake your cheesecake there, with nothing above it so there's room.
3. To prevent cracks, bake your cheesecake in a water bath (bain marie) by filling a roasting pan ¼ full with hot water and letting your springform pan (affiliate link) with the batter rest in it. When done baking, leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar for one hour.
4. Test to see if your springform pan leaks before filling it by letting it sit in the water bath for 10 minutes. If water seeps into the pan, you can dry it, then place your springform in a pie dish. Then set the pie dish with the springform in the water bath and proceed.

Enjoy!

P.S. If you love cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, you have to try Mom's Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping. And, if chocolate's your thing, don't miss this gluten-free Torta Caprese recipe and this Homemade Chocolate Pudding Pie with Brownie Crust!

(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)

Watch the video to learn how to make this Chocolate Cheesecake!

Chocolate Cheesecake (Gluten Free)

This Chocolate Cheesecake is fabulous and happens to be gluten free! It's fluffy, creamy and based on the best cheesecake recipe!

5 from 7 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 16

Calories: 590kcal

Author: Mamma C

Ingredients

• ▢ 5 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese (at room temperature)
• ▢ 6 eggs (large)
• ▢ 8 ounces semisweet chocolate bars
• ▢ 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate bars
• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 16 ounces sour cream (light is fine)
• ▢ strawberries for serving (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• An hour ahead of time, unwrap your cream cheese blocks and set them out at room temperature to soften. When the cream cheese is softened, start the recipe.
• Move the top oven rack down to the second lowest position in your oven (to prevent over browning the cheesecake), with nothing above it. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan, making sure to coat the sides well. (See notes if you have a 9-inch springform.)
• Fill a roasting pan ¼ full with hot water. If you have a leak-proof springform, place it in the water bath. If you suspect your springform will leak, (see notes) place it in a pie dish, then place the pie dish with the springform in the water bath.
  
• In a large mixing bowl, add one block of cream cheese and beat it until creamy. Continue adding one block of cream cheese at a time and beating well, scraping the beaters and bowl as needed. There must not be any lumps in your batter.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition on low.
• Break up all of your chocolate bars into pieces and add them to a microwaveable bowl. Cover loosely and heat on high in the microwave for a minute, then stir. Heat for another 50-60 seconds and stir. Heat for another 30 seconds or more as needed, stirring afterward until the chocolate is fully melted. Set aside to cool. You will need to wait until all of the other ingredients have been added before you mix in the chocolate.
  
• Add the other remaining ingredients one at a time, mixing to combine after each addition, and scraping the beaters and bowl as needed.
  
• Add the melted chocolate to the batter and mix until combined, scraping the batter and bowl as needed. Then beat on high (or as high as you can without splashing) for seven minutes.
• Transfer the batter to the springform pan (filling it no more than ¾ of the way to the top; see notes if you have extra batter). With the springform in the water bath, bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Then lower the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 45-55 minutes. The top should be set, except for a small circle in the middle. Do not insert anything into the cheesecake to test it, or it will crack. Turn off the heat and let the cheesecake stay in the oven with the door ajar for one hour.
• Leave the cheesecake in the springform pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight before cutting into it. Refrigerate it uncovered if you can, unless you have strong odors in your fridge from onions or something. (See notes.) Store it in the refrigerator for up to three days or cover it with plastic and foil and freeze it for up to 3 weeks.
• Slice the cheesecake when it's cold and firm, right out of the refrigerator. It will soften as it sits out and it'll be more difficult to get clean slices. Use a knife dipped in warm water, or use unflavored dental floss. Serve the cheesecake plain or with strawberries, if desired. It's also great with whipped cream.
  

Notes

• To test if your springform leaks, place your springform pan in the water bath and wait 10 minutes to see if any water seeps into your springform. If so, dry it, grease it and place your springform in a pie dish. Then place the pie dish with the springform in the water bath.
• If you only have a 9-inch springform pan, fill it ¾ full with batter. You will have extra batter to bake in 4-5 ramekins or a baking dish (an 8x6x2 glass pan works well.)  Bake the remaining batter in a water bath, ideally in a separate oven so you can pull the ramekins/baking dish out earlier without affecting the cheesecake in the springform. I baked my extra batter in a separate oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then 25 minutes at 375 degrees, then left it in the oven with the door ajar for 20 minutes. If you don't have a separate oven, bake the ramekins/baking dish in the same oven with the springform cheesecake for the full amount of time and just know that the ramekins/baking dish will come out a bit overcooked, but tasty.
• Whenever I cover the cheesecake with foil or wrap the first night, a few drops of moisture pool on top of the cheesecake, leaving a water stain on its surface. If you don't have strong odors in your fridge, try leaving the cheesecake uncovered.

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 1030IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2.1mg

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