A rich chocolatey cheesecake filled with a sweet chili spice makes this Chocolate Chili Cheesecake an edgier version of the original recipe!
Love Chocolate Cheesecake? Then you will love this Chocolate Chili Cheesecake that has a little extra spicier every bite using the Chili Nut M&M flavor!
Obviously, I’m a huge dessert fan as you all know! And what better way to use these candies than in cheesecake? So behold Chocolate Chili Cheesecake.
I’m all about keeping it easy here on Tornadough Alli and this cheesecake may look complicated, but in all honestly it isn’t. All the ingredients for this delicious chocolatey heaven you most likely have on hand already!
Cream cheese, graham crackers, eggs, chocolate chips, sugar, butter and whip cream. THAT IS IT. Oh, but to set this over the top we have M&M’s crushed into the crust and in the batter as well.
I think that I’m becoming more of a chocolate cheesecake lover than the traditional these days! But I may be biased as I consider chocolate one of my main food groups that I consume. No judgement, I can’t help it.
Apparently it releases the same chemicals in your brain that are released when you fall in love so one can only come to one conclusion for my addiction.
This Chocolate Chili Cheesecake is so moist and dense, I pay that deliciousness to letting it sit overnight to rest. That is the key to this bad boy.
To get the full effect, this cheesecake needs to chill for at least 8 hours if not overnight. Then in the morning (yes morning, what better time for sweets!) you get a thick, solid chocolatey heaven.
Oh did I mention that it is topped with a thick, silky layer of ganache as well? Then, it is set off by light whip cream to balance out the chocolate chili flavor, which comes through with just a little kick at the end of each bite.
Something that our family and even the kiddo’s really enjoyed! We are not a family who shy away from heat!
Chocolate Chili Cheesecake
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 sleeve graham crackers
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup M&M's® Chili Nut
- 6 Tbs melted butter
FILLING
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup chopped M&M's® Chili Nut
- Whip cream
GANACHE
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" spring-form pan.
- In food processor blend together your graham crackers, sugar, M&M's® Chili Nut until coarse. Pulse in your butter until it becomes moist.
- Press onto bottoms and up sides of prepared pan and bake for about 10 minutes or until it appears set, set aside to cool.
- In double boiler melt your chocolate chips until smooth, remove and let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile in large bowl mix together with hand mixer or stand mixer your cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder until creamy and combined.
- Add in your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in your melted chocolate until blended then fold in your chopped M&M's® Chili Nut.
- Pour cheesecake over prepared crust and bake for about one hour or until center just seems set.
- Remove from oven and remove the ring from the spring-for pan, let cool until it becomes room temperature.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
- Once cool and set make your ganache by placing chocolate chips in bowl and heating your heavy whipping cream in saucepan until simmering.
- Once simmering pour your cream over your chocolate chips and cover for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove cover and stir until all blended together, let cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- Once cooled pour over your cheesecake and place in refrigerator for a few minutes until ganache sets.
- Remove from refrigerator and top with whip cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Frugal Hausfrau
Alton Brown uses a little chili in his hot chocolate and it’s great, so why not, lol! That cheesecake looks gorgeous, btw!
Mollie
Tornadough Alli
Oh it just enhances the flavor and gives it a little kick that it craves!! Thanks so much Mollie!
Quinn Caudill
Great looking cake Alli. Pinned and shared!
Tornadough Alli
Thanks Quinn!
Samantha
Wow! What a great idea. That looks amazing! (client)
Tornadough Alli
Thank you so much Samantha, chocolate just screams for a little bite and that’s exactly what this cheesecake has!