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    Home » Dessert

    Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

    Originally Published: Mar 18, 2019 · Last Updated: Feb 11, 2020 by Ann · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    A triple chocolate cheesecake bar on a white plate with more bars in the background

    Perfect for Easter, or any time, these triple chocolate cheesecake bars are rich and decadent and so much less trouble than making a whole cheesecake! These bars feature a buttery chocolate cookie crust and smooth creamy classic chocolate cheesecake filling topped with a luscious chocolate ganache. No cracks, no water baths, no fuss.

    The other day I was having a monster of a chocolate and cheesecake craving. And my cravings are serious business these days, with our second baby on the way.

    A triple chocolate cheesecake bar on a while plate with more bars in the background

    *This post probably contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

    Making a cheesecake is a PROCESS though, and usually reserved for dinner parties and the like. And frankly, with my husband in and out of town and a kid whose interest in cheesecake was as yet untested, it seemed...unwise to go that route.

    But cheesecake bars are a different story. BARS are a casual dessert you whip up at the last minute and serve at a BBQ. No reason to feel guilty about inhaling a pan of bars like I would an entire cheesecake, right?

    Anyway these got made and they were good. SO GOOD. Maybe part of it was just the craving satisfaction.

    But the fact that the boy loved them too, and that Phil and I fought over the last one tells me there's more to it than that. I encourage you to go ahead and test that hypothesis.

    Here's how to make these triple chocolate cheesecake bars

    This looks like a lot of steps but they're all really easy. The hardest part is waiting for them to chill...

    1. Start by making the world's easiest crust. This is literally just cookie crumbs and melted butter mixed together and pressed into a pan lined with foil. I used these Oreo baking crumbs, but strangely enough it seems these are only available in Canada. If you don't have access to these, just scrape the cream out of some oreos and crush those up. It's exactly the same thing. Or use chocolate wafers.
    2. Bake the crust for 10 minutes in a 400 degree F oven. Remove the pan from the oven and lower the heat to 325 F.

    chocolate cookie crust for cheesecake bars being mixed in a glass bowl, and being pressed into a pan

    3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vanilla extract, and espresso powder.

    4. In another small bowl, melt the chopped chocolate slowly in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water, and set aside to cool.

    5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in the sugar for about 3 minutes on medium speed.

    6. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium low speed until incorporated.

    7. Add the sour cream mixture and beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined.

    8. Beat in the eggs until just incorporated.

    9. Give the filling a good stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it's well mixed and pour into the pan, smoothing the top so it's even. Bake in a 325 F oven for about 35 minutes until sides are set but the center still jiggles a little.

    10. Cool the bars completely (about 2 hours) and chill thoroughly (at least another 3 hours).

    Filling for triple chocolate cheesecake bars being mixed in a stand mixer and spread into a pan

    10. Heat the heavy cream in a small pan until simmering and pour over chopped chocolate. Stir until incorporated.

    11. Pour the ganache over the chilled bars and return to the fridge (I KNOW!!) for a few more minutes to firm up the ganache.

    Chocolate being whisked withe heavy cream for ganache topping for cheesecake bars, and being pour and spread over the bars

    12. Slice the bars. *TIP: the best way to get clean cuts is to run a large sharp knife under hot water, wipe it off, slice, and repeat for each cut. Cutting them into 9 bars makes for pretty large portions (that's how we roll!) but feel free to make them smaller.

    Triple chocolate cheesecake bars just sliced, on top of a sheet of aluminum foil

    That's it! These thick decadent triple chocolate cheesecake bars are not too sweet and perfect anytime. I found myself taking tiny bites to savor it as long as possible, which is truly the mark of a great dessert for me.

    Two triple chocolate cheesecake bars stacked on top of one another on a white plate with more bars on a cake stand in the background

    Enjoy! xx

    Sound good to you? If you make these amazing triple chocolate cheesecake bars, I would be thrilled and honored if you would take a pic and tag me on Instagram @ourhappymess!

    Or pin for later! ↓↓↓

    A triple chocolate cheesecake bar on a while plate with more bars in the background

    Here are a couple more easy cheesecake favorites!

    Mini cheesecakes with mango coulis and Biscoff crust 

    Mini no-bake lemon cheesecake tarts

    And a couple of other decadent chocolate Easter desserts!

    Chocolate Easter tart

    Mini chocolate Easter cupcakes

    And if you're looking for even more easy dessert inspiration, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Or subscribe in the sidebar on the right to get every new recipe in your inbox 🙂

    Two triple chocolate cheesecake bars stacked on top of one another on a white plate with more bars on a cake stand in the background

    Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

    Perfect for Easter, or any time, these triple chocolate cheesecake bars are rich and decadent and so much less trouble than making a whole cheesecake! 
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    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    cooling and chilling: 5 hours
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 384kcal
    Author: Ann Otis

    Ingredients

    Chocolate Crust

    • 1 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs *see recipe notes
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
    • pinch salt

    Filling

    • ¼ cup sour cream
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon espresso powder
    • 1 lb cream cheese (2 8 oz packages) at room temperature
    • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • pinch salt
    • 5 oz dark chocolate finely chopped
    • 2 eggs

    Ganache Glaze

    • 3 oz dark chocolate finely chopped
    • 6 tablespoons heavy cream
    • 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Chocolate Crust

    • Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with butter or baking spray.
    • In a medium bowl, stir together the chocolate cookie crumbs, salt, and melted butter. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes and remove to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 325 F.

    Filling

    • In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, vanilla extract, and espresso powder.
    • Carefully melt the 5 oz of chocolate. You can do this in a microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring after each burst, or slowly in a double boiler, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool slightly.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, cocoa powder, and salt on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until well combined. Reduce the speed to medium low and beat in the melted chocolate. Beat in the sour cream mixture. Finally, beat in the eggs until just combined. Remove the bowl from the stand and give the contents a thorough stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it's well combined.
    • Pour the filling into the pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Transfer to the 325 F oven. Bake for 35- 40minutes until the sides are set but the center still jiggles slightly.
    • Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool completely (about 2 hours). Once cooled, cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

    Ganache Glaze

    • Place 3 oz of finely chopped chocolate in a medium heat safe bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for a couple of minutes. Stir until well combined. Add 1 tablespoon room temperature butter and stir until smooth and incorporated. 
    • Pour the ganache over the cheesecake bars, and spread evenly. Return to the refrigerator to chill for an extra 15 minutes or so, until ganache is firm. 
    • Slice the bars: Lift the cheesecake slab out of the pan with the foil and place on a countertop. Put a long sharp knife under hot running water and wipe it off. Make one slice, and repeat the heating and wiping of the knife between each cut. You can slice into 9 large square bars, 12 smaller rectangular bars, or 16 smaller squares.

    Notes

    * For the crust, you can either remove the cream filling from some Oreos and crush those, or use chocolate wafers. Wafers are less sweet however, so you may want to add up to 3 tablespoons of sugar if you use those.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 840IU | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2.7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @OurHappyMess or tag #OurHappyMess!
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    Ann from Our Happy Mess

    I'm Ann and I believe in balanced eating, homemade foods, and DESSERT. I love to cook, but I can't spend all day in the kitchen anymore, so what you'll mostly find here are simple, family-friendly recipes. I'm really happy you're here!
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