Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that can turn a bad day into a good day. And when you start creating deliciousness like my Chocolate Cheesecake Bars with a Pecan Shortbread Crust, it becomes a very good day!

Over the years, I’ve made countless styles and variations of cheesecakes because, quite frankly, I enjoy eating them.

Adding chocolate to a cheesecake recipe can be tricky. Too much and you lose that rich, tangy cheesecake flavor. Too little and you can’t even taste the chocolate. Well, my friends, my Chocolate Cheesecake Bars have just the right balance of chocolate.

And the added ganache and shortbread crust elevate this snack-like cheesecake to a restaurant-style masterpiece.

Ingredients

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Chocolate Cheesecake Bars with a Pecan Shortbread Crust and Chocolate Ganache. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

How to make Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

The first step is making the Pecan Shortbread Crust for the Cheesecake Bars.

• Add the flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and melted butter to a bowl.
• Mix until well blended.
• Press the dough into an ungreased 9″x 9″x 2″-inch pan.
• Bake shortbread crust for 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. or until lightly browned.
• Allow the crust to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes or more before filling with cheesecake batter

The next step is to melt the chocolate that will be added to the cheesecake batter.

Using a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate and allow to cool (you will reuse this bowl for the ganache)

• Add the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes.
• Add the sugar and whip until it is well blended.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition to ensure each egg is fully incorporated.
• Add the vanilla extract and cooled, melted chocolate, blending until all the chocolate is thoroughly incorporated into the cheese mixture.

Place the chocolate and cream in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt the chocolate while mixing in the cream. Continue stirring until it is smooth and the chocolate has been completely melted.

• Pour batter into the prepared crust.
• Place the pan into a preheated oven on the center rack and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheesecake is cooked and not loose in the center.
• Allow the cheesecake to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
• After cooling, add the chocolate ganache topping to the cheesecake

Allow cheesecake to cool for at least 4 hours before serving. Overnight is best.

If you are adding pecans as a topping, sprinkle the pecans on top of the ganache before chilling.

Cut the cheesecake into squares, serve, and watch the smiles appear on the faces of your friends and family.

More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love!

Chocolate Cheesecake Bars with a Pecan Shortbread Crust

Chef Dennis Littley

If you’re looking for the perfect cheesecake for the chocolate lover in your life, look no further than my Chocolate Cheesecake Bars. They’re sinfully delicious and easy to make

4.58 from 21 votes

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 552 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Pecan Shortbread Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 1 stick unsalted butter -melted

Cheesecake Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese -softened
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese or substitute cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate cut in small pieces

Chocolate Ganache

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces
• 4 ounces heavy cream

Garnish

• 2 ounces of chopped pecans optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Pecan Shortbread Crust

• Mix together the flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and melted butter in bowl, until well blended.
• Press the dough into an ungreased 9″x 9″x 2″-inch pan.
• Bake shortbread crust for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Allow crust to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes or more before filling

Cheesecake Filling

• Using a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt 6 ounces of semi- sweet chocolate and allow to cool (you will reuse this bowl for the ganache)
• In the bowl of your stand mixer add the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese and whip until smooth and creamy 5-7 minutes.
• Add the sugar and whip until blended
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition, to make sure each egg is fully incorporated.
• Add the vanilla extract and cooled melted chocolate, blending until all of the chocolate is completely mixed into the cheese mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared crust
• Place pan into preheated oven on center rack and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked and not loose in the center.
• Allow to cool on wire rack for 20 minutes

Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate and cream in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt chocolate and mix in cream until smooth and chocolate has been completely melted.
• Pour Ganache over the top of cooked cheesecake, spreading evenly with an offset spatula.
• Allow cheesecake to cool for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.
• If you are adding pecans as a topping sprinkle the pecans on top of the ganache before chilling.
• Cut cheesecake into squares and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 552kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 7gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 96mgPotassium: 201mgFiber: 3gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 720IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1.9mg

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