Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (+ Tips to Make It Lactose-Free!)

This decadent chocolate chip cheesecake is easy to make and so delicious! It’s sure to leave everyone asking for more! And if you’re lactose-intolerant, we’ve got you covered—the recipe even includes helpful tips that you can use to make this cheesecake completely lactose-free!

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Growing up, I was never a big fan of dairy. I refused to drink milk, ate all my cereal dry and although I’d occasionally have a bagel with cream cheese or some baguette with Brie, I generally avoided most types of cheese.

Ironically, it was my lactose-intolerant husband who changed that.

Since meeting him, I’ve incorporated more and more dairy into my diet, to the point that I struggled a bit when I had to go dairy-free while breastfeeding our third child. (I’m planning on writing an article with helpful tips for those who find themselves in that same position, so be sure to check back often or subscribe using the form at the bottom of this article!)

I had never tried cheesecake before meeting my husband. The idea of putting cheese inside a cake sounded very unappealing to me, and since I wasn’t a big fan of cheese to begin with, I wasn’t inclined to try it.

I finally had cheesecake for the first time a few years ago when my husband made it for me, and I’ve been hooked ever since! This recipe is a variation on the one my husband used when he made it for me, though we’ve adapted it over the years.

And for those of you who are lactose-intolerant like my husband and kids, the good news is that with the right products and a few extra steps, you can make this cheesecake completely lactose-free! I’ve included some instructions at the end of this article to help you do just that.

Required Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need in order to make this decadent chocolate chip cheesecake:

• Oreo cookie crumbs
• Melted butter or margarine
• Cream cheese
• Sweetened condensed milk (we make our own using this recipe, which yields exactly the right quantity!)
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Chocolate chips
• Flour

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (Step-by-Step)

1. Preheat Oven

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F.

2. Make Crust

While your oven is preheating, pour all the Oreo cookie crumbs into a small bowl and mix in ¾ cup of melted butter or margarine.

Once the Oreo cookie crumbs are evenly coated, press them into the bottom of a greased 10-inch springform pan using a spoon or your hands.

Then, bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes.

3. Beat Cream Cheese & Sweetened Condensed Milk

While the crust is baking, beat three (250-gram) packages of cream cheese and two cups of sweetened condensed milk using an electric mixer.

Tip: I always soften the cream cheese in the microwave before this step as I find it can be hard to mix in if it’s too firm. Just leave it in for a few minutes at a very low temperature (be sure not to cook it!) and it should be good to go.

4. Add Eggs & Vanilla

Once the cream cheese mixture is ready, beat in three eggs one by one, followed by one tablespoon of vanilla extract.

5. Pour Onto Crust

By now, your crust should be finished baking. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before pouring the cream cheese mixture on top of it.

6. Add Chocolate Chips

In a small bowl, coat 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips in a couple teaspoons of flour. This prevents them from sinking too much.

Set aside two tablespoons of chocolate chips and pour the remaining cup into the springform pan. Use a spoon or spatula to gently push them into the filling until they are no longer visible. Then, sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with the remaining two tablespoons of chocolate chips.

7. Bake Cheesecake

Place the cake in the oven and bake it for about 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Note: I highly recommend placing some aluminium foil at the bottom of your oven so that it can catch anything that leaks out of the springform pan.

8. Let Cheesecake Set

Once you are satisfied that the cake is fully cooked, take it out of the oven and give it a few hours to set in the fridge. Ideally, you should make this cake the day before you intend to serve it so it has time to set overnight.

When the cake is done setting, remove the top of the springform pan and it is ready to serve!

It doesn’t need to be quite as dark as in the picture—I actually overcooked mine a little. I’ve spent a lot of time pregnant in the past few years, so I tend to be overly cautious when cooking anything that contains eggs.

Cut a slice and enjoy! Doesn’t that look delicious?!

Tips for Making this Cake Lactose-Free

If you want to make this cake lactose-free, you’ll have to make some of the ingredients yourself. Thankfully there are more and more lactose-free products on the market, so it’s becoming a lot easier!

Oreo Cookie Crumbs

As I write this, Oreo cookie crumbs, surprisingly enough, don’t contain dairy. (But always make sure to check the ingredients just in case!)

Margarine & Chocolate Chips

We go to Costco to buy lactose-free margarine as well as chocolate chips.

Kirkland-brand chocolate chips are not advertised as being lactose-free, but if you read the ingredients, you’ll see that they’re made from soya lecithin and don’t contain any lactose. Plus, they’re a lot cheaper to buy in bulk!

Sweetened Condensed Milk

The sweetened condensed milk is a little bit more complicated.

We haven’t been able to find a lactose-free version in any store, so we just make our own. When making it, just be sure to use lactose-free milk and cream, which are sold in most stores.

Note: I recommend making the sweetened condensed milk the night before, or at the very least a few hours in advance, so that it has time to cool down in the fridge. This will give it a thicker consistency and will prevent the cheesecake filling from being too runny.

Cream Cheese

Finally, as far as the cream cheese is concerned, the stores in our area have finally started selling an affordable lactose-free version in the last few months. We have seen it in a couple of stores, including at our local Walmart, for about the same price as regular cream cheese.

If, however, the stores in your area don’t carry it, you can simply make your own!

Related Chocolate Chip Recipes

Looking for more recipes that include chocolate chips? Check out this article:

• Spiced Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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