German Chocolate Cheesecake
This German Chocolate Cheesecake has an Oreo crust, a thin layer of coconut filling that's topped with a chocolate cheesecake and finished with more of that famous caramel coconut topping. This German chocolate cheesecake recipe is by far one of the tastiest chocolate cheesecakes I've shared.
Skip the classic German chocolate cake and make this easy and rich homemade German Chocolate Cheesecake!
German Chocolate is one of our favorites. The caramel, rich coconut, and don't get me started on the chocolate cheesecake with german chocolate baking bars in it. This recipe has some steps involved, but trust me, the end result is more than worth it.
How To Make German Chocolate Cheesecake
To make this german chocolate cheesecake recipe, it's best to whip up the caramel coconut filling and topping first so it has time to set up. Then you can make the chocolate Oreo crust and lastly the chocolate cheesecake. Let me talk you through it.
Caramel Coconut Topping | First whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Next, add in the milk and butter and then place it on the heat. Once the butter is melted, bump the heat up and let it cook until thickened. You can now stir in the vanilla extract and toasted coconut. If you're adding pecans, stir them too. Set the topping aside to cool.
Chocolate Oreo Crust | Add the cookies to a food processor to grind them up into fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and pulse until the butter has coated all of the crumbs.
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Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom and ½ - 1 inch up the sides of a springform pan. Place the crust in the fridge or freezer to firm up while you're working on the chocolate cheesecake batter.
Chocolate Cheesecake | Add your cocoa powder and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Add in the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Quickly beat in the melted german chocolate and vanilla extract. I don't like to take a chance of it seizing up once it hits the cream cheese mixture.
Beat in the eggs one at a time and scrape down the bowl after each addition. Scraping down the bowl is important since the eggs are going to thin out the batter and any chunks left on the side of the bowl are going to be harder to mix in as the batter becomes thinner. Finish by beating in the sour cream and heavy cream just until worked in.
Pro Tip: Chop the german chocolate baking bars into pieces and add them to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals and stir after each interval. Repeat until the chocolate is completely smooth. Be patient and do small intervals otherwise you'll burn your chocolate.
Add half of the caramel coconut topping on top of the crust. Pour the cheesecake batter on top and then bake as directed below. Add the remaining caramel pecan topping on top after it's cooled to room temperature or even set up overnight.
I share all the directions below for you to follow.
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- Monster Cookie Dough Cheesecake | If you love the classic Cookie Monster cookie give this cheesecake recipe a try. Colorful, sweet, and downright gorgeous to slice and serve up.
- Mini Pastel Cheesecakes | These little no-bake cheesecakes are filled with layers of pastel colors and perfect for Easter!
- No Bake Malted Milk Cheesecakes | Mini malted milk cheesecakes that taste like a Robin's egg in cheesecake form. It's no-bake and great for those malted milk lovers.
How long will German Chocolate Cheesecake last
You can store your cheesecake in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure to cover it with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to store it. It can last in the freezer for up to 3 months if stored in the proper freezer-safe container.
How to freeze German Chocolate Cheesecake
To freeze this german chocolate cheesecake, allow the cheesecake to set up overnight. Then place it in a freezer-friendly container and store for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before you plan to serve.
If you want to be able to remove it from the pan before freezing, be sure to place a parchment circle in the bottom of the pan before adding the crust. Then you can gently slide an offset spatula under the parchment paper to loosen it up and transfer it to the freezer container.
Can I add pecans to the caramel coconut filling?
Yes! You can add ¾ cup to 1 cup of chopped pecans to the filling.
Do I have to toast the coconut for the caramel coconut filling?
Nope, that's just what I did for my recipe while testing it because I prefer toasted coconut. I find that it changes the texture of the coconut and brings out a delicious nuttiness that I really enjoy.
German Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Caramel Coconut Filling
- 3 egg yolks
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup butter cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 â…“ cups sweetened coconut toasted
Crust
- 30 Oreos
- 7 ½ tablespoons butter melted
Cheesecake
- â…“ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 24 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 8 ounces German Chocolate baking bars melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Filling
- Add the egg yolks and sugar to a medium saucepan. Don't turn on the burner yet. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the sweetened condensed milk and butter. Place over medium/low heat and let the butter melt.
- Once the butter is melted, turn the heat up to medium and let it cook for 10 to 12 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and toasted coconut. Stir until incorporated. Set aside and prepare crust.
Crust
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9.5-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the sides with a strip of parchment paper.
- In a food processor, add in the oreo cookies. Pulse until the oreo cookies are just crumbs. You can also add the cookies into a storage bag and crush the cookies with a rolling pin.
- Pour the melted butter in the food processor and pulse until all of the oreos are coated with butter.
- Pour the crumbs into the prepared springform pan and press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides about ½ - 1 inch.
- Place the crust in the fridge or freezer to firm up while preparing the cheesecake batter.
Cheesecake
- Add the cocoa powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add in the cream cheese and beat on medium until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the melted german chocolate and vanilla extract. Quickly beat the chocolate into the cream cheese so it doesn't have time to cool down or seize up.
- Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until each egg is incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the next egg.
- Add the sour cream and heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture. Beat until combined. Give the bowl one last scrape.
- Add half of the caramel coconut filling on top of the crust. Carefully spread it out.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the coconut filling.
- Place the springform pan in a slightly larger pan. Then place the two pans in an even larger pan and fill the largest pan with about ½ to 1 inch of hot water.
- Place in the oven. Let the cheesecake bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until done. To make sure the cheesecake is done, give it a wiggle and the center of the cheesecake would just slightly jiggle.
- Turn off the heat and open the oven door slightly. Let it cool in the oven for an hour then move to the counter if it hasn't come to room temperature.
- Once cooled to room temperature, place in the fridge overnight to chill. You can carefully place the remaining caramel coconut filling on before placing the cheesecake in the fridge or cover the caramel coconut filling and refrigerate until the next day when serving the cheesecake.
- If you haven't done so, place the remaining coconut filling on top of the chilled cheesecake and drizzle a little chocolate syrup on top.
- Slice and serve. Refrigerate the leftovers.
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
How do you bake it if you can't water boil it?
Do you mean water bath it? If so, the cheesecake does require a water bath.
Hi Miranda,
This looks amazing! I just have one question; do you scrape out the filling from the Oreos before putting them in the food processor? Or do you put the entire cookie in the processor?
Thank you so much?
Diana
Hi Diana! Great question- i do not scrape out the center of the oreos before blending. I just add the whole cookies right to the food processor. Let me know how your cheesecake comes out!
Thank you so much! I will be trying it this coming weekend! 🙂
If you freeze it, do you freeze it with the coconut filling in top? Or should you not put that on until it thaws?
Thanks!
It should freeze fine but may loosen up slightly when thawed.