Espresso Oreo Cheesecake

Creamy New York Style Espresso Cheesecake with a thick Oreo crust topped with silky, espresso chocolate ganache and more crushed Oreos.

Espresso Oreo Cheesecake is a rich, creamy cheesecake made with espresso and an Oreo cookie crust. Once baked and chilled overnight, it gets topped with espresso chocolate ganache and more crushed Oreos. This cheesecake is truly a dream!

Espresso Oreo Cheesecake is perfect for coffee and Oreo lovers! It’s super creamy with just the right amount of espresso. The Oreo pieces add a delicious texture to the creamy cheesecake and compliment espresso so well.

I wanted this cheesecake to be smaller, so it’s only 6 inches. That being said, you can easily double the ingredients and bake it in a 9-inch springform pan if you need to feed a crowd. Make sure to read the tips below to avoid a cracked cheesecake.

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How to avoid a cracked cheesecake

Room temperature ingredients – all the refrigerated ingredients must be room temperature to get a smooth cheesecake that doesn’t have lumps and a bad texture.

Don’t overmix – It is crucial that you do not overmix the cheesecake especially after you add the eggs! Mix just until combined on low speed (or mix by hand) occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Don’t overbake or allow sudden temperature changes – it’s very easy to over bake cheesecake. Even over baking the cheesecake for 5 minutes can cause a cheesecake to crack. You’ll know your cheesecake is done when the edges are set and slightly puffed up, the center will still be jiggly.

Once it’s done, leave it in the oven, turn the oven off and crack the door. Sudden temperature change will crack your cheesecake. Make sure your house is around 70 degrees to avoid temperature shock and avoid opening the oven door to check on the cheesecake while its baking!

Water bath – this will ensure a super creamy cheesecake and also prevent cracks. Fill a pan that’s slightly larger than your spring form pan halfway with lukewarm water and place it on the rack below your cheesecake.

In the winter the heat can’t keep up in my home, so I sometimes end up with a little crack on my cheesecake because of the temperature shock I talked about. It’s very frustrating, but this is where I remind myself that all that really matters is the taste 🙂

What you need to make Espresso Oreo Cheesecake

As far as equipment, you will need a 6-inch springform pan (or 9-inch if doubling the recipe), a larger pan for a water bath, mixing bowls and a hand mixer or balloon whisk. I’ve linked some here.

For the cheesecake you will need,

Oreos – double stuffed or regular will work. I recommend crushing these in a blender or food processor to get a fine, uniform crumb.

Butter, melted – I always use salted, but unsalted will work as well.

Cream cheese – full fat cream cheese is recommended. This ingredient needs to be room temperature. Set it in a warm place for at least an hour before you start to make the cheesecake.

Vanilla extract – high-quality, pure vanilla extract.

Sugar – granulated or pure cane sugar.

Espresso powder – for this cheesecake, I used espresso powder. It’s important that you use a powder that is meant for baking. The one I used is linked here.

Sour cream – sour cream will make your cheesecake extra creamy. Make sure this ingredient is at room temperature.

Eggs – large eggs need to be at room temperature.

For the ganache you will need,

Chocolate – I recommend semi-sweet chocolate. Chopped chocolate or chocolate chips will work.

Heavy cream – also known as “double cream”. Do not substitute with milk or your ganache will be very runny.

More espresso powder – I added espresso powder to the ganache as well, but you can definitely omit this.

How to make Oreo Espresso Cheesecake

Start by making the Oreo crust. In a small bowl combine the crushed Oreos and the butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press into your springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

While the crust is baking, add the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, sour cream and espresso powder to a large bowl. Using a handheld mixer, beat these ingredients together on low speed. Beat JUST until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

Add the eggs and beat again, being very careful not to overmix! Pour the batter over the crust and set aside. Fill a pan that’s slightly larger than the cheesecake pan on all sides halfway with luke-warm water. Place on the oven rack below the center rack.

Place cheesecake on the center rack and bake for about 40-50 minutes. Do not crack the oven door open while cheesecake is baking. When the cheesecake is done, the edges will be set while the center is still jiggly. At this point, turn the oven off and crack the oven door.

Leave cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked for about 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely before covering and placing in the fridge overnight.

To make the ganache topping, add the chocolate to a heat-safe bowl. Bring the cream to a light boil over medium heat and pour over the chocolate. Place a paper towel over the bowl to trap the steam and set a timer for 4 minutes. Once the time is up, whisk the ingredients along with espresso powder together until smooth.

Let the ganache thicken a bit before pouring it over the cheesecake and smoothing it out with a spoon or offset spatula. Sprinkle the outer edge with crushed Oreos. When the ganache is set, slice the cheesecake.

How to get a clean-cut slice of cheesecake

To get a clean-cut slice of cheesecake, run a large sharp knife under hot water. Wipe the blade dry and cut a slice of cheesecake. Clean off the blade every time you cut a slice of cheesecake.

Can I fix a cracked cheesecake?

In the rare event that you follow all the tips and still end up with a cracked cheesecake, don’t worry, this can be fixed. Remove the cold cheesecake from the springform pan and gently push the cracks together with your fingers as much as you can. Run an offset spatula under hot water, do not wipe dry. Use the spatula to pull the cracks together gently and smooth the surface out.

Do not attempt to do this on a cheesecake that has not chilled overnight!

Although this is a dessert that requires time and patience, it is well worth it and sure to impress any espresso lover! If you make Oreo Espresso Cheesecake, please leave a rating and a comment to support my blog.