Love cheesecake like I do? My homemade chocolate chip cheesecake recipe topped with ripe bananas, strawberries and made with a graham cracker crust is the perfect size for a small household. This easy recipe can be ready to bake in just a few minutes, simple cheesecakes are the best!
Enjoy a creamy slice with a cup of espresso after dinner.
Ingredients
For the Crust
5 full-sheets graham crackers, ground fine
3 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Filling
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
2 ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange juice
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
⅓ cup sugar
- Graham crackers- plain old graham crackers are best for this recipe. Stay away from the sugar-coated ones.
- Butter- most of the time I use salted butter, it's not going to make or break your crust.
- Cream cheese- I'm a Philadelphia cream cheese girl, but have also use Nuetfesal or reduced-fat cream cheese with very good results.
- Bananas & Strawberries - look for perfectly ripe fruit. If the strawberries are out of season you can skip or substitute another bruit like blackberry or blueberries.
- Vanilla extract - you can also substitute a vanilla paste.
- Orange juice - fresh squeezed or from the bottle is okay.
- Chocolate chips - just use your favorite, for me it's either Ghiradelli or Guitard. I've also used the Good & Gather brand from Target
- Sugar- I used granulated white sugar. You can also substitute a light brown sugar or even do a mix of the two.
Instructions for Graham Cracker Crust
Prepare a five-inch springform pan by lightly spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
Add the graham crackers to a blender or food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. If you don't have a food processor try the rolling pin method.
In a small mixing bowl add the crumbs and melted butter and mix until well moistened.
Spoon crumbs into the Springform pan and tap down until well compacted
Cheesecake Filling Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, if using a toaster oven preheat at 275 degrees.
In a medium bowl using a hand mixer on low setting, add the cream cheese and sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.
Add the orange juice and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
In a small bowl mash ½ banana and add mix into the cream cheese mixture.
Spoon mixture into the prepared five-inch Springform pan.
Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes or until top of cheesecake is set and just barely beginning to brown.
Remove from oven and cool for one hour before removing from Springform pan. Run a knife around the edges before release the Springform. Run a wide metal spatula under the crust to transfer to a serving plate.
Chill for 3-4 hours. Top with remaining bananas right before serving.
Yes, the cheesecake should already be chilled and set before freezing. Place a piece of plastic wrap on a dish and then transfer the cake to the dish. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap. Place a second layer of plastic wrap around the cake and dish, then cover with two layers of aluminum foil.
You can also freeze individual slices the same way, wrap in plastic wrap then cover them in aluminum foil.
Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving.
serving.
Cheesecake baking tips
- Put a pot of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven. The moisture helps to prevent the cheesecake from cracking.
- For mini chocolate chip cheesecake bites, bake in a mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms or use small individual-size tart pans.
- For a clean slice, cut the cheesecake with a warm damp knife.
- Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the cheesecake without cracking the crust.
Check out two more of my favorite cheesecakes!
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Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 5 full-sheets graham crackers ground fine
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounce cream cheese softened
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup sugar
Instructions
Crust Instructions
- Prepare a four-inch spring form pan by lightly spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the graham crackers to a blender or food processor and process until you have fine crumbs.5 full-sheets graham crackers
- In a small mixing bowl add the crumbs and melted butter and mix until well moistened.3 tablespoons butter
- Spoon crumbs into the Springform pan and tap down until well compacted
Cheesecake Filling Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- In a medium bowl using a hand mixer on-low setting, add the cream cheese and sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.8 ounce cream cheese, ⅓ cup sugar
- Add the orange juice and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon orange juice
- Fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- In a small bowl mash ½ banana and add mix into the cream cheese mixture.2 ripe bananas
- Spoon mixture into the prepared four-inch Springform pan.
- Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes or until top of cheesecake is set and just barely beginning to brown.
- Remove from oven and cool for one hour before removing from Springform pan. Run a knife around the edges before release the Springform. Run a wide metal spatula under the crust to transfer to a serving plate.
- Chill for 3-4 hours. Top with remaining bananas right before serving.
Notes
- Put a pot of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven. The moisture helps to prevent the cheesecake from cracking
- For mini chocolate chip cheesecake bites bake in a mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms or use small individual-size tart pans.
- For a clean slice, cut the cheesecake with a warm damp knife.
- Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the cheesecake without cracking.
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