Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The tangy, rich cheesecake paired with the sweet chocolate is a perfect match.
Texture: Buttery, crunchy graham cracker crust + thick, luscious, rich cheesecake, all coated in a thin, snappy chocolate coating. Heavenly!
Ease: Super easy – just a bit messy and requires some patience.
Pros: Fun bite-sized twist on a classic dessert. These will be gone in about 5 seconds flat at any party.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? I’ve made this recipe multiple times!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites are the absolute perfect dessert for any party or potluck … or just an evening to yourself!
Thick and creamy cream cheese filling with the perfect amount of tang, atop a buttery, crunchy graham cracker crust, all coated in a thin, snappy chocolate coating. Sounds pretty amazing, right?
The homemade cheesecake is such a fun surprise waiting inside these little chocolate parcels. They make fantastic gifts, too! Perfect for Valentine’s Day or Christmas.
Feel free to get creative here, too. You could experiment with adding some caramel, nuts, or mini chocolate chips. You could add some citrus zest or extracts to the cheesecake. Change up the crust to use a different cookie base. Have fun with it – just be sure to freeze the bites well before dipping them in chocolate.
Let me know in the comments below if you give these Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites a try!
How to Make Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites
Tips for Perfectly Smooth Cheesecake
- Be sure to use blocks of full-fat, high-quality cream cheese. Do not use reduced fat or whipped cream cheese. I like Philadelphia brand.
- Be sure your cream cheese is COMPLETELY softened to room temperature.
- Beat it very well with the sugar, but once you add the eggs and flour, only beat until just combined.
- Also, be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl as well as your mixer attachment often, to prevent lumps.
Cheesecake Crust Variations
You can use the same amount by weight of digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, Biscoff cookies, or any crunchy cookie you prefer! Please note that Biscoff cookies are a little richer than graham crackers (which are drier), so add just enough butter until it holds together when pressed.
Using Coconut Oil + Baking Chocolate for Dipping
Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, it helps to create a solid coating for the Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites. Use refined coconut oil if you prefer not to have any coconut taste.
What Type of Chocolate for Dipping Cheesecake Bites?
- Don’t use chocolate chips for dipping – chocolate chips contain ingredients that prevent them from fully melting in recipes like chocolate chip cookies – so they don’t melt down as smoothly.
- I like to use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate bars, but any quality baking chocolate is fine – just note that using dark or milk chocolate will alter the overall sweetness of the bites.
- You can temper the chocolate, but these Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites need to be stored chilled because of the dairy in the cheesecake, so tempering isn’t needed – but if you want to go for it anyway, learn How to Temper Chocolate here.
- You could alternatively use candy melts, but I don’t like the way they taste (it’s not real chocolate).
Tips for Dipping Cheesecake Bites in Chocolate
- Keep the chocolate warm. You may need to reheat it if it becomes less pourable halfway through dipping.
- Keep your Cheesecake Bites cold, keeping them in the freezer until just before dipping in chocolate. This will help the chocolate set up more quickly.
- You can use chocolate dipping tools to make your Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites look super neat and professional.
What Pan Should I Use for Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites?
I recommend using a light-colored metal 8×8-inch baking pan. I don’t recommend using darker metal pans, or glass, ceramic, or silicone – learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
How to Store Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites
Store Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month. Please note that the graham cracker crust may soften as the cheesecake bites sit.
More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love:
- Cheesecake Bars
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Ultimate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Death by Chocolate Cheesecake
- Ultimate Classic Cheesecake
Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 whole (135 grams) graham crackers
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the chocolate coating:
- 16 ounces (454 grams) semisweet chocolate
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a food processor, pulse the crackers until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan using the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes (longer if using a glass dish). Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Reduce heat to 325°F.
Make the filling:
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, as well as the mixer attachment. On low speed, add in the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, flour, and salt and beat until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter over the cooled crust. Tap against the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (longer if using a glass dish), or until cheesecake is slightly puffed and the center is set. If the center is slightly jiggly, that's fine.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack. Freeze for 3 hours, or until very cold and firm, or overnight.
Coat in chocolate:
- Once frozen, lift the cheesecake out of the pan and gently peel away the foil. Using a sharp knife, cut cheesecake into 36 bite-size squares. If squares become too soft, freeze until chilled again.
- Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Place parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a rimmed baking sheet. Dip cheesecake squares, one at a time, in the melted chocolate. Let the excess drip off and place on prepared sheet. Repeat for all the squares then refrigerate until the chocolate is set. Serve or store the squares in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Recipe Notes
This post was published in 2015 and has been updated with metric weight measurements, recipe improvements, and additional recipe tips.
This is such a great idea! I can only imagine how delicious these cheesecake bites are! Pinned!
i always make cheesecake for holidays. This year having more left than usual I needed a recipe to use the rest of the cheesecake up. I made mine little different because it was a big spring pan cake. I used dark chocolate and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing your idea and recipe.
I was just wondering if I do 1 day shipping would they be okay to ship since the cheesecake would be out of the fridge for 24 hours
I think you should put some dry ice in the box, to keep it frozen. Sometimes carriers do not deliver in 1 day, even though thats what you paid for, so it would be a shame if they took 2 days and your cheesecake went bad.
I have learned over the years when you are making Cheese Cake you can’t cheap out on the Cream Cheese, this is when you have to buke up and buy the PHILLY Cream Cheese, Period. After trying all the cheaper cream cheese, you get what you pay for. The better the Cream Cheese the better you Cheese Cakes will be, and they will be more Consistent. Also I find that when baking a Cheese Cake, I use a good thermometer you want the center to be 150 F, no more. This will give you a good Creamy Cheese cake, that is totally cooked.
I make cheese cake all the time, but I do like the idea of this Recipe. Unlike when you make a cheese care you are stuck with the whole Cheese cake until it’s gone. With this Recipe you can take out as much as you need and simply freeze the rest, I am definitely going to use this Recipe during the busy Christmas Time. I can make two our three of they and simple place a few on each cookie plater that I make for friends. Thank you for this awesome recipe and technique Paul
Can make them ahead and freeze them until needed without the chocolate coverd in them?
I want to make them the day before the party but, had trouble with condensation on the chocolate. What is the trick to prevent this
Its delicious! What price I could sell it for? For 1 or a little box of 2 medium size cheesecake bites cover with chocolate. I started doing them for sale but I don’t have an idea how much to charge. Thanks for any help u could give me. Thank again!
hi Tessa, I’d like to make these cheesecakes for garden party. Will it melt under the warm weather? Thanks a lot
Super easy!! Delicious!! This is definitely a keeper!!
How do you freeze this? You let the cheesecake set than freeze in foil?
I made these for x-mas and everybody loved them! I actually made 2 batches because I had to throw away the 1st batch after they got left out of the freezer all night and day (unbeknownst to me).Kind of a blessing in disguise because the first batch tasted like sawdust! I had used Walmart brand cream cheese and it turns out that Great Value brand cream cheese tastes absolutely disgusting (avoid at all cost people!). The 2nd time I used the Philadelphia brand (i could not believe the difference in taste!) and added 3 tbs of sugar to the crust. I also had a pan of water in the bottom of the oven (i didn’t want to do a *real* waterbath). It turned out really good (super tasty and creamy). The addition of coconut oil to the chocolate works great–doesn’t mess with the taste at all!