S’mores Cheesecake

5 from 4 votes

This Smores cheesecake is the ultimate summer dessert! A rich chocolate cheesecake filling gets poured on top of a buttery graham cracker crust, and after baking topped with a fluffy marshmallow topping. No water bath needed!

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Chilling time4

Total Time6 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 830kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

Crust:

1 ½ cups (180 g) graham cracker crumbs about 12 crackers
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
5 Tablespoons (71 g) unsalted butter melted

Filling

½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
12 ounces (340 g) semi-sweet chocolate chopped
3 8- ounce packages full-fat cream cheese softened room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons unsweetened or Dutch cocoa powder

Marshmallow topping:

4 large egg whites room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the crust:

Prepare oven and pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350oF (180℃).
Make the crust. In your food processor pulse the cookies together until they are fine crumbs. You can also do this in your stand mixer, or place cookies in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. If doing this by hand with a rolling pin, transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl. Add butter and sugar and mix until combined. 1 ½ cups (180 g) graham cracker crumbs ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar 5 Tablespoons (71 g) unsalted butter
Bake the crust. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and about halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Make the chocolate cheesecake:

Make the filling. Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a small saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chips melt and the mixture is smooth. If doing this in the microwave, heat for 30 seconds at 50% power, stirring in between. ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream 12 ounces (340 g) semi-sweet chocolate
Beat cream cheese and sugar. In a large mixing bowl (I like to use my stand mixer with my paddle attachment) beat together the cream cheese and sugar at low speed, until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula and beat until smooth. You don’t want to continue to mix the cream cheese at this point or it will incorporate too much air and cause your cheesecake to crack so mix briefly. 3 8- ounce packages full-fat cream cheese 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
Add eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine. Scrape down the bowl as needed. 4 large eggs
Add vanilla and cocoa. Stir in the vanilla, then the cocoa powder. 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons unsweetened or Dutch cocoa powder
Add melted chocolate mixture. Add the chocolate/cream mixture, beating on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula; and beat to combine briefly, just until smooth.
Add batter into the crust. Spread batter on top of cookie crust. Mixture will be thick. Smooth into an even layer. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake the cake (at 350℉) for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and the internal temperature (if testing with a thermometer reads 175oF). Insert a toothpick, about an inch from the edge, not directly in the middle. The center may not look set quite yet but will continue to bake up as it cools.
Cool the cheesecake. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door open several inches, and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate for up to 4 hours until firm or overnight.

Make the marshmallow topping:

Heat egg whites. Right before serving, make the topping. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, or 160oF, about 3 to 5 minutes. 4 large egg whites 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Whip egg white mixture. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add topping to cheesecake. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge, and run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Remove the springform pan. Pipe or spread the frosting on top of the cooled cheesecake. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting. Cut and serve!

Notes

Storage: Keep covered in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I like to place a paper towel over the surface, then cover with plastic wrap or tinfoil. The paper towel helps to keep condensation from forming on top of the cheesecake.
Freezing: You can freeze a whole or slice of cheesecake for up to 3 months. Wrap well with several layers of plastic wrap (I also like to then place in a plastic bag or wrap a final time in tinfoil). Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Cream Cheese: While possible, using full-fat cream cheese and sour cream contributes to the best texture and flavor.
Semi-sweet chocolate - I recommend a baking chocolate bar, like Ghiradelli. I haven't tried but I Lindt bars I've read can be too oily and cause the cheesecake to not set. I don't recommend chocolate chips as they contain stabilizers and won't melt smoothly.
Graham cracker crumbs, about 12 graham crackers - If you don't have any, you can use Nilla wafers or digestive biscuits.

Nutrition