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slice of amaretto cheesecake on a plate with the rest of the cheesecake on a cake stand in the background

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Chocolate amaretto cheesecake is a delicious dessert that everybody loves--and it doesn't require a water bath!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chilling Time 8 hours
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8
Author Kelsie

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Filling

  • 3 (8-ouncpackages full fat cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup amaretto
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons amaretto

Instructions

Crust

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and a little bit up the sides of the prepared pan.
  4. Freeze the crust for at least 10 minutes; leave in the freezer while you work on the filling.

Filling

  1. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
  2. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the chocolate, sour cream, amaretto, butter, and salt. Beat on low speed until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  3. Pour into the crust and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set but the middle still jiggles a little when you tap the sides of the pan.
  4. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, then cover loosely and refrigerate overnight. (Don’t worry if the cheesecake cracks—no one will see once it’s covered with the ganache topping.)

Topping

  1. After the cheesecake has chilled, make the topping.
  2. Place the chopped chocolate in a small mixing bowl.
  3. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan set over medium heat and warm the cream until it just begins to steam. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes.
  4. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, then whisk in the amaretto to combine.

  5. Pour over the chilled cheesecake and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the topping. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

  • I recommend using good quality chocolate rather than chocolate chips in both the cheesecake and the ganache. Trader Joe's Pound Plus is my favorite but Baker's is another good option. Chocolate chips will work in a pinch but using good chocolate improves the cheesecake's flavor.
  • Uneaten cheesecake can be stored, loosely covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months.
  • See the body of this post for instructions for freezing your cheesecake if you want to make it ahead.