Baked Oreo Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

• 20 Oreos1.2
• 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter (melted)
• 32 ounces (900g) full fat block cream cheese (completely softened to room temperature3)
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 8 ounces (226g) full fat sour cream (about 1 scant cup; at room temperature3)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs (at room temperature3)
• 10 Oreos (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup (120mL) heavy cream
• 1/2 Tablespoon (8g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 Oreos (quartered)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- OREO CRUST ---

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 325ºF (162ºC). Spray a 9" springform pan or my very favorite Fat Daddio's cheesecake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

3. 3

   In a food processor, crush the Oreos until they become a fine crumb. Pour the Oreo crumbs into a large bowl, drizzle the melted butter over the mixture, and stir until everything is evenly saturated with butter.

4. 4

   Press the Oreo mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, then bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the cheesecake.

5. 5

   --- CHEESECAKE ---

6. 6

   In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar then beat again until combined, about another 2 minutes.

7. 7

   Reduce the mixer speed to low4, then add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until completely combined.

8. 8

   Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low after the addition of each egg and adding the next just after the previous egg starts to incorporate, and continue mixing until there are no more yellow yolk streaks.

9. 9

   Use a large spatula to carefully fold the batter together, scraping the bottom of the bowl and the sides to gather any extra batter that may not be fully incorporated. Sometimes I need to use the mixer again, but be sure to keep it on low. Your batter should be smooth and creamy without lumps.

10. 10

    Add the finely chopped Oreos to the batter, then stir gently with a spatula until fully incorporated.

11. 11

    Pour about ⅓ of the batter into the prepared pan, then layer the quartered Oreos evenly over the cheesecake batter (it does not have to be perfect, but try to prevent all of the cookies from winding up in one spot). Pour the remaining ⅔ of the cheesecake batter over the cookie layer and smooth out the top of the cheesecake.

12. 12

    Create a water bath5 by placing the 9" springform pan in a slightly larger round pan (I like to use a 10" cake pan) and then place that pan into an even larger round pan (I like to use a 12" cake pan) or roasting pan.

13. 13

    Fill the outer pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the middle pan, then carefully transfer the whole thing to the oven. You can also assemble the pans in the oven, but work quickly so as not to let too much hot air out of the oven.

14. 14

    Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. The middle of the cheesecake (a center approximately 2" wide) should jiggle just a little bit. I use my digital instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 145ºF (63ºC). Turn the oven off6 and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the springform pan from all of the other pans and allow to cool on a cooling rack for another 2 hours. When the cheesecake is completely cool, cover or wrap tightly and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.

15. 15

    --- TOPPING ---

16. 16

    Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and use a spatula or butter knife to gently loosen the crust from the side of the pan, then release the outer ring of the springform pan.

17. 17

    Pour the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract into a large bowl (if using a handheld mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

18. 18

    Turn the mixer to medium speed. The mixture will start to get frothy and bubbly. After about 2 to 3 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken.

19. 19

    Once mixture is visibly thick (you will be able to see the trail of the whisk), increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. At this point, your whipped cream should start to look "billowy" and the trails from your whisk will be quite distinct.

20. 20

    Pull the whisk out of the bowl and check that the whipped cream in the bowl has formed stiff peaks.

21. 21

    Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Garnish with more chopped Oreos, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Cheesecake freezes well, without whipped cream on top, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, add the whipped cream, and serve.