Chocolate Chip Cheesecake I

This was the first cheesecake I've ever made, and it turned out great. I find that if you melt all of the chocolate chips and beat them into the batter, the cake turns out much creamier, smoother, and with a more even, pleasing, delicious taste, and it looks better as well. With the chocolate chips, they turn into hard crunchy chocolate pieces once the cake is cool, but if you melt and mix them the cake is completely creamy and has a better flavor. It did have a few cracks in it, but those might be eliminated by placing the springform pan in a roasting pan of boiling water while it bakes.

This was an excellent cheesecake, and a huge hit at my family reunion yesterday. It was gone before I knew it! I did make a few modifications: used chocolate graham crackers(crushed) mixed with some oreo crumbs for the crust(no need for cocoa). I also added about 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter-1/3 didn't seem like enough. Using fat free condensed milk & 1/3 reduced fat cheese worked amazingly to save on fat & calories. This will be made again for the holidays! Thank you for a good recipe!

Hi guys, Jessica here, and this is my recipe I submitted several years ago, and I'm still making cheesecakes. Just wanted you folks to know, leave the cocoa out of the crust, and omit the chocolate chips, and this is a great basic cheesecake recipe from which many variations can be made. My current favourite variation: replace graham cracker crumbs with crushed shortbread, omit cocoa, add zest of one lemon to the batter, and swirl melted seedless raspberry jam on the top with a toothpick prior to baking. Tomorrow I'm going to try adding lime zest to the batter and topping the baked, cooled cake with a layer of store-bought key lime curd. The possibilities are countless! I'm so glad many of you enjoy the recipe!

I added three tablespoons of sour cream to the cream cheese mixture. Next time, I will sprinkle more chips in the batter.

I have been using this for over 20 years. It never fails me, perfect everytime! This is New York Style cheesecake (thick) not like Italian style which is creamy. Note: Coating the chips in flour makes no difference as far as sinking to the bottom so don't waste your time doing that. I use crushed chocolate cookies for the crust and it's yummy. Of course you can use plain graham cracker for the crust, omit the choc chips and top with fruit for an alternative. EITHER WAY, THIS IS THE ONLY CHEESECAKE RECIPE YOU WILL EVER NEED! 5 STARS!

A great cheesecake recipe any cook should have. I prefer a little tartness to my cheesecake, but this is perfect for those that want a smooth and creamy texture and a traditional taste. By the way, it doesn't matter what you do to the chocolate chips, they're going to sink to the bottom. Also, I strongly suggest baking this in a water bath - set the cheesecake pan in a larger pan that has water in it. That's the only way to bake anything that has a cheesecake/custardlike texture. If you don't, it'll crack and can dry out. Follow the baking directions to a T and you should be fine. Use an oven thermometer because all ovens vary. You should have a flawless looking cheesecake you'd be proud to serve to anyone.

delectable....i have finally conquered how to make cheesecake....and this one came out really yummy....very rich.... for those who said it was too thick or dry i would suggest shortening the cooking time up a bit...that was my biggest mistake learning how to do cheesecakes....and try cooking it in a water bath....

i have been using this cheesecake recipe since i found it here in allrecipes four years ago and it's always a HIT. not only have i found that if you use miniature chips, they do not sink, but you can also use this recipe and change it up a bit as well. i have omitted chocolate chips and made this with an oreo crust and swirled melted seedless raspberry jam in the prepared mixture before baking, and then made a topping of white chocolate ganache. i have melted the chocolate chips directly in to the batter while mixing to make a rich chocolate cheesecake... wonderful recipe and so versatile. the trick to no cracks is to not open the oven door in the entire 2 hour process, and to place a pan of water in the oven while baking. i will make this again and again and again. wonderful and perfect for extravagant-looking gifts!

Wonderful recipe!!! I will make this again at any dinner I attend! Make sure to press your crust thin and far up the sides of the pan. This is a chocolate lovers delight! Very easy to make, just follow the directions to a "T".

You gotta love it when a plan comes together! This was my first attempt at this recipe and other than a minor crack (which was mostly hidden by the chips) it came out perfect. Served on New Years Day 2011, it was well recieved. No wonder. The condensed milk makes this cheesecake special. It has my seal of approval, give it a try.

This is my 2nd time baking a cheesecake from scratch and to my suprise, it bakes beautifully . The cake was very creamy which is to my liking. Sure will make again.

This is a great starter recipe! I didn't put the cocoa in the crust. But I did make the batter then split it in two. I added the cocoa and melter chocolate chips to one batter and left the other plain. I then added both to the crust for a 1/2 and 1/2 cheesecake! It turned out so cool and tasted great! A keeper!

This was the very first time I have made a "from scratch" cheesecake. I made it for my husband's birthday and took it to the office. All of his coworkers LOVED it! I thought it had enough chocolate chips and mine didn't turn out too done at all (as stated in a previous review) -- it turned out just perfect. I actually didn't have a 9" pan, so I used my 10" and it worked with the same cooking times. This is an easy recipe to make (as long as you have a mixer)! I'll definetly use it again. THANK YOU!

I make this for New Year's every year. A big hit with my whole family...really good..can make it with chocolate or regular graham crust.

This is always outstanding!! I have made this numerous times and people have offered to pay ME to make them for them, too! Trust me, you can't go wrong with this one!

I'm really not much of a baker, but when I saw how simple this recipe looked, I decided to give it a try for my sister's birthday. My husband, who wasn't planning on eating any, had 2 pieces, and my sister said that it was the best cheesecake she's ever had! I used a water bath and added a few more chocolate chips just because. My brother-in-law gave it 5 stars for presentation.

This was so easy and so delicious. The only thing I did different was I added the 1 cup of mini chocolate chips to the mixture, then sprinkled some more on top. A true chocolate lovers delight! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

Very excellent! I've made this recipe before (in my pre-AR days), and was happy to find it here. Easy as pie, but way yummier! Warmed ingredients to room temp, which made a nice smooth consistency, followed directions to a T. Thanks!

Out of 5 possible Stars this recipe should get 100! Fantastic! This is the first cheesecake I've ever made. I made the cheesecake, put it in the oven for the hour, then shut the oven off. Since it was midnight, I asked my daughter to take it out of the oven after an hour... So of course I got up the next morning and found it still in the oven! Guess what! IT WAS STILL FANTASTIC!! (not a bad first cheesecake for a single dad)

This is absolutely the best, easiest cheesecake recipe I've ever used! I use it all the time. It's even good to use as a base. I've substituted chocolate chips with blueberries, strawberryies and cherries and it still comes out great everytime! I recommend this recipe to everyone. Since I've been making this recipe for over a year now I've made a few changes. I add 3/4c of sugar and 2/3c of sour cream and 2 egg yolks for a denser richer cheesecake.

I'm not an experienced cheesecake maker, but I made this recipe for my daughter's birthday cake, and it was absolutely delicious. A big hit, and so very easy! I just made another one for Thanksgiving dinner....didn't even need to look at the recipe, as I remembered the ingredients in my head. That's how easy it is!

I have never made a cheesecake before, and I'm sad this is my first one...because it's all downhill from here! I couldn't believe I made this! AND it was so easy! I did add more of the mini chips than it said to the batter, but I like chocolate! So, so yummy!Very creamy and sweet.

This was a really good recipe. I melted half the chocolate chips and put them in the batter and put the other half on top once I put it in the pan. I used chocolate Teddy Grahams for the crust and made a dark chocolate ganache and drizzled it on top. Turned out awesome and everyone loved it!

Made this recipe exactly as written. The outcome was a creamy, rich cheesecake with no cracks on the top. Love the chocolate chips in the cheesecake. They just put this cheesecake over the top. I also liked that the chocolate crust could be made with ingredients that I already had. Many of them call for chocolate cookies, which I don't usually buy. Great recipe that the entire family loved and devoured!

Very good, the sweetened condensed milk really does it. I get better reviews when I make it with a standard grahm cracker crust instead of a chocolate one though.

This was a fantastic cheesecake. Not too sweet and not too tart. It was perfect. I wasn't sure how the sweetened condensed milk would taste, but it made the cheesecake nice and creamy. I melted the chocolate chips and mixed it into the batter only because I wanted it to have a smooth texture. I placed a pan of hot water in the oven while it was baking and no cracks! I will definitely be making this again!

I made this for my husbands birthday and it was better than the Cheesecake Factory!

Wonderful! I also melted the chocolate chips and swirled them in beofre bakinging the cheesecake. It came out very creamy and no cracks!

i halved the recipe and made 24 mini cheesecakes using a mini muffin pan. baked for 20 min. came out awesome! i don't like tangy cheesecake unless its plain. this flavor is not tangy and goes great with the chocolate chips. can't wait to make again using variations by omitting cocoa and choc chips as suggested by jessica the author. thank you so much for a great recipe ;)

I liked this recipe, but it was quite difficult to make.

I didn't put the chips in the batter I melted them first and swirled it in. Also baked in water bath. Perfect Perfect Perfect!

This turned out great! I chopped up about 1.5 cups of dark chocolate into chunks. Because they were in various sizes, I did not use the flour to coat them. I did put about half of the chocolate into the batter and half on top. I think it baked just fine just on the oven rack, but it did have cracks on top-but like someone else said, they were pretty much covered up by the chocolate chunks. Someday I may try a water bath if I need a smooth top, but this worked great. I made it a day a head so it would have plenty of time to chill. Everyone LOVED it-we ate 2/3 in one day :P It was nice and thick and cream cheesy but chocolately too-a wonderful mix! I will definitely make this again :)

One of my favorite cheesecake recipes! Never fails to please!

Fantastic!

This recipe is very good. I have made a lot of cheesecakes, never used sweetened condensed milk before. Not sure if it added anything than other recipes I've used that has different ingredients. It is very rich. Very easy. My only problem, though I did leave it in the oven for an additional hour, the top cracked deeply. Other recipes that call for leaving the cake in the oven have not cracked like this one. Thanks!

I have made this several times in the past 10 months, and I ALWAYS receive compliments. The cheesecake turns out perfectly every time! I wouldn't change a thing. It is a family favorite. Thank you.

best cheesecake... i use cinnamon graham crackers instead and minus the cocoa powder...i also use white chocolate chips instead and put on raspberry topping but i'm sure any fruit topping will work ... i have had so many people rave about my version and this version..so rich and creamy ...love love love it

I recently made this and it turned out perfect! This will be my recipe for cheesecake from now on. After reading the reviews, I made a few minor changes...I used chocolate graham crackers for the crust, with butter and sugar - worked great! I also melted about 1 cup of good quality chocolate and mixed that in right at the end, allowing it to cool a bit first. Then after puting it into the pan, I still sprinkled some mini choc. chips on top - mostly for presentation. Don't peek in the oven - this trick really really works! I baked it as directed, then turned the oven off for an hour and walked away. Very tempting to look, but don't do it! When the timer finally beeped, I was truly amazed to see that the top was smooth, beautiful - with NO CRACKS! The cheesecake was dense, creamy and delicious! Thank you for this great recipe!

This is the very first cheesecake I have ever made, and they are the best! The whole thing was gone in two hours.

Very easy and delicious recipe. I've made it twice now and didn't need to use a water bath to avoid it from cracking. The appearance of it is great. Everyone loved it! Several comments saying it tasted like it came from the Cheesecake Factory. I did make one change to save time: I used chocolate graham crackers for the crust to avoid adding in cocoa powder.

This was a good recipe. I found it to be the perfect combination of light and creamy - unlike other reviewers who found it too dense. I hand-whipped mine - that may have made it lighter. I do think that it makes for a beautiful presentation - and will garner loads of compliments.

This was a very easy cheesecake to make. I followed the cooking instructions exactly and it turned out perfectly.....no cracks in the cake either.

This was ABSOLUTELY the best chocolate chip cheesecake ever!! My family has had a similar recipe that we have made for years but it does not even compare to this! This is awesome!! I accidentally added 1 cup of sugar to this and I wouldn't do it any different next time! It was rich but not too sweet at all. I also added a chocolate glaze like someone else mentioned. AWESOME!!

I made this for my son's birthday and we all loved it. I followed the recipe exactly. It is the first cheesecake I have baked that didn't crack in the center!

My guys are addicted to this! I used mini chips dusted in flour in batter, then added more on top. DELICIOUS!!!

If I could give this recipe 10 stars I would. I've tried many cheesecake recipes from this site and this is one of my all time favorites. I use chocolate oreo crumbs for the crust.(I can only find them at Meijer's) I even use this as a base recipe and change the stir-in's. I made a snickers cheesecake using this recipe. I think the sweetened condensed milk might be the key ingredient. It gives the cheesecake a sheen and is so creamy. Thanks Jessica

i made this cheesecake for a valentines dinner and it was really good. it was hard to believe that i made it at home because it looked so good and it had just the right consistency. i like my cheesecakes really dense and smooth, not creamy like the jello no-bake cheesecakes. this one had the perfect consistency and looks pretty professional. everyone loved it, they couldn't even tell i accidentally left the sugar out of the crust......oops

This cheesecake was awesome! Very creamy. Very rich..and it looked really appealing as well. I substituted chocolate graham crackers for the kind listed and then omitted the cocoa. It was delicious! I was a bit nervous about turning off the oven for one hour, but it came out perfect. I had trouble getting the cracker crumbs up the sides too but the cake did not stick to the sides at all. Everyone wanted the recipe! Thanks for a great cheesecake!

Very good! I used 2 packages of reduced fat cream cheese and 1 package of regular cream cheese. Also, I used reduced fat condensed milk. Instead of 1 cup of chocolate chips, I used about 1 1/2 cups. Turned out very well!

Made this and took to a Christmas party this past weekend and everyone loved it. I did even use Neufchâtel cheese and fat free condensed milk and it turned out fine. Other than that followed the recipe exactly A keeper in my book!

Delicious cheesecake and so easy to make! I tweaked crust recipe a little: use 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup toasted pecans, 1/3 melted butter, 2 tablespoons white sugar. Good with chocolate chips but good plain too, topped with strawberry supreme topping (see this cite for recipe). Will be making again!

This cheesecake is awesome! It was super easy to make and was delicious!

My friend told me this was the best cheesecake she ever had, and to be honest, I'd have to put it right up there with any restaurant cheesecake I've ever had! It was awesome and really easy! The only thing I changed is that I mixed more (about half) of the chocolate chips with the flour and mixed them in with the batter, then put the rest on top. It was nicely sprinkled with chips throughout -they didn't even sink! Also, I didn't have regular graham crackers, so I used chocolate ones and it was great, even with the extra cocoa powder and sugar. I will make this all the time!

Mine cracked big time! I followed the recipe exactly, except melted the chocolate chips before putting them in the cheesecake. It was still very moist and tastes delicious. Thankfully, I am not serving it to others, because it is not pretty. I placed water in a pan under the cheesecake. I don't own a pan big enought to create a waterbath for my spring form pan, but will make sure to get one. I think it would have made a huge difference! I'll definitely try it again!

I made this exactly as the recipe called for and it came out a little dry which was very disappointing. I will consider trying it again and reducing the cooking time.

Turns out real good, but NOT a cheesecake taste at all. Actually it really did not taste cheescake-y at all - will not make again. Very disappointed.

Just made this for Thanksgiving and it was gobbled up (pun intended!) by all in attendance. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. It's delicious and a real crowd-pleaser. I'll definitely make this one again!

This cheesecake was extremely easy to make. Instead of graham crackers and cocoa, I just used crushed chocolate wafers...simple. I did bake it in a water bath and when I cut into the cake, it was the perfect consistency...every piece cut looked like it was being served at a restaurant. Served it with drizzled caramel...must make it over again and again.

This is a very creamy,thick, and delicious cheesecake. This was my first attempt EVER at making cheesecake, and I was so happy with the results. Everyone was really impressed! The only suggestion I would make is to add more butter to the crust. It did not want to go up the sides and was really crumbly. I did put a pan of water in the lower rack when baking also, and no cracks appeared. I followed the directions exactly. Thanks for the wonderful cheesecake recipe!! I will use it often!

This cheesecake was great. I mixed the mini chocolate chips into the cheesecake mixture and then sprinkled some on top.

This was a disappointment. Not enough flavor to make it worth while making again.

So Amazingly good! Love it!!!

So easy and very yummy!!

This cheesecake was wonderful and super easy to make. It's best to use 1 stick of butter and let the cheesecake set overnight.

If I could add more stars, I would give this recipe a 10! I have made this SEVERAL times and everyone has loved it. It's what my daughter request for every birthday and holiday.

The sweetened condensed milk gives this cheesecake a carmel-y flavor. I made it for a birthday cake and everyone loved it. Flour coating the chocolate chips worked perfectly to prevent them from sinking.

Really good!!! I changed a few things but still utilized most of the ingredients. I melted the 1 1/3 cup chocolate chips in the sweetened condensed milk and added that to the cream cheese. I also used 1/3 less fat for one of the cream cheeses, and used 2 eggs and 2 egg whites. Received rave reviews at the tailgate. Will definitely make this a keeper. Thank you for sharing!!!!

This was such an easy recipe and definitely delicious! I was very pleased and so were my guests!! I added way more chocolate chips than required because you can never have too much chocolate, and it turned out great. I will definitely be making it again!! :)

I was disappointed with this recipe. From the excellent reviews, I expected it to taste better. Here are my opinions. - Crust was a little too overpowering for me. Next time I will stick to a pure graham cracker crust. - The top looked brown to me and not very pretty. I'm wondering if cooking it an hour is too long. If I make this again, I would try 45 minutes instead. - It too heavy and not sweet enough for my taste. I thought the flavor was very blah. While I did not love it, some other people who tried it really liked it. However, they prefer cheesecakes that are not very sweet. If you have more of a sweet tooth, I would suggest looking for a different recipe.

This was my first try EVER and I was certainly very concerned since I was making it for my husband's 40th birthday. I made it the day before and put it in the fridge and we were so excited to taste it after dinner becuz it was So beautiful (I didn't get the cracks like others mentioned). Well, it was so worth the wait, it was SO delicious and thick and rich, I couldn't believe the "I" made it and it wasn't purchased from some fancy bakery downtown. lol I will say, I looked at all the pictures and read the reviews and made sure to add more chips than in the recipe, but now looking back, I wished we had put less so we could have had more of the cheesy goodness and it not being so packed with chips inside as well as on top. Trust me, it was still divine. I think it had to be the sweet condensed milk, and I actually beat my eggs one at a time and let my cheese and eggs sit at room temperature. I think this will be THE Cheesecake recipe I will ever need. ENJOY!!

I have made this one several times and every time I do friends rave over it. This is one thing I always buy the best for. Tried to skimp one time and buy store brand chocolate chips and cream cheese, it just wasn't the same... Will only put the best in my cheesecake from now on....Philadelphia and Ghirardelli all the way!

This was pretty good but I made a few changes. I used chocolate graham crackers, 1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa and about 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter for the crust. I baked the crust for 7-8 minutes so it wouldn't get soggy later on. To the actual cheesecake, I used a good deal more vanilla (2 tablespoons?) and also split a vanilla bean I had on hand and added the seeds of that. I only used 3/4 of the can of condensed milk because it seemed it would overpower the cream cheese flavor otherwise. I also thought it tasted a bit bland so I added 1/2 cup white sugar. The main difference was that I used a full cup of mini chocolate chips in the cheesecake itself, and only 1/4 cup for the top of the cake. I then added 1/2 cup sour cream to compensate for the sugar, extra chips and smaller amount of condensed milk. It turned out wonderfully.

This was my first attempt at a cheesecake and it came out beautifully! I followed the recipe exactly.

Easy and yummy! I did bake it in a water bath. No cracks!

Great recipe, had it for our Easter dessert. Everybody loved it. Will try it with chocolate drizzled over the top next time, just to make it prettier.

I made a few changes using 2 packages of light cream cheese and 1 fat free cream cheese, egg substitute, fat free sweetened condensed milk, and used splenda instead of white sugar in the crust. It turned out great!

This cheesecake is my very first cheesecake trying to bake, and surprisingly it was so much easier than I thought it was going to be! You will be so happy that you tried it, I knew I was!

I was rather disappointed with this recipe. I think although it had a great texture, the condensed milk really over-powered the cream cheese flavor. I'm not sure how to descibe it but it just didn't have that cheesecake flavor and seemed to be lacking something. It was ok but just not what I expected.

Unbelievable how amazing this came out! First cheesecake I've ever made and this is TO DIE FOR! Thanks so much for sharing, will definatly make this again :)

Spectacular!!! Followed the instructions but only, decided to put it in a water bath to avoid cracking. Thank you!!! If you use a spring mold, make sure to cover the sides with heavy duty foil!

This is nothing but Great! Best I've ever eaten and super easy.

Excellent recipe. Came out perfect!

Rich, thick & creamy, and delicious! All you really need is a couple bites of this dessert! I made half of mine into cheesecake pops - which tasted and looked great, but were a lot of work (it was hard to form into balls) which is why I only made half of them into cheesecake pops. I don't have a springform pan either so I just made it in another pan I had and that worked just fine for me. Yum.

This is a fabulous recipe. Every time I make it I get requests for the recipe.

This was good although when I brought it to a family party I asked for opinions and the consensus is that it was dry. It was overall a good dessert that people enjoyed.

SUPER YUMMY! THIS IS EVEN BETTER THE NEXT DAY AFTER BEING FRIDGE :)

Given the simplicity of the recipe and ingredients, I'm rating it 5 stars. This is a great cheesecake. It was very simply and quick to put together, and it came out fabulous. I melted a 6 oz. bag of chocolate chips and added it to the batter. I made no other changes,following all instructions exactly, and I did sprinkle some mini chips on top for garnish before cooking. The cake was very silky, smooth, and dense. It was heavy like a New York cheesecake, but not as crumbly. I had a little trouble getting the crust to go up the sides of the pan, but it actually came out fine after baking with good flavor and consistency. I might add a little more butter to it next time so I can get the sides higher. I didn't do a water bath, but I did put a pan of water on the lower rack to add moisture to the oven. I plan to try this again without chocolate next time, as a plain cheesecake with fruit on top. I think it's a good base recipe that you can modify with different flavorings. I'll bet melted white chocolate would also be good. I will definitely make this again. I love making cheesecake and collect recipes for them, so this won't be the only one I'll ever make--I'm too much of a cheesecake junkie for that! But this one certainly deserves a place of honor and I'd also recommend it to anyone who hasn't made cheesecake before. It's easy and I think a forgiving recipe to the novice.

Wonderful!!! Just the right amount of everything! My family loved it. I did not have a springform pan, so I had some cracks, but still it was fantastic!!! Thank you Jessica!

This certainly is a keeper. It was both easy to make and it presented beautifully. I think I will experiment using the cheesecake base and try different add-ins. Can't see how I could go wrong~this cheesecake has a great backbone!

Started a new diet but REALLY wanted cheesecake. I used egg beaters instead of the whole eggs, light butter in place of butter, fat free cream cheese in place of the regular cream cheese and fat free sweetened condensed milk. I also used oreo crumbs and omitted the sugar and cocoa powder. I used mini oreos in place of the chocolate chips. My kids who would never go near cheesecake couldn't get enough of it. Hubby is gonna try it later tonight YUMMY!!!!

Loved this and so did my family! Also, this was a easy recipe to make with my daughter who is 5. For the crust I used chocolate chip cookies instead of Graham crackers. delicious!!!!

This was yummy, but not over-the-top exceptional. I used for the crust, crushed chocolate teddy graham-type crackers with the butter, no added sugar or cocoa. All else was followed exactly & was my first cheesecake ever. Enjoyed by all, but I'll keep searching for a WOW recipe.

If possible I'd rate this 6 stars! I myself am not a cheesecake lover but everyone who had a piece of this cheesecake raved about it. I even made one for my husband to take to work for his work buddies to enjoy and my husband had multiple persons ask if I would make and sell them. No joke. Matter a fact today I'm making one to share with my grandma because she's heard about my chocolate chip cheesecake ;)

I love this! I made this and it was so easy!!

There is absolutely no way that this cake could possibly be cooked after 1 hr at 300 degrees. At that point, it was still VERY wet, barely cooked and not browned at all. I ended up having to cook it for another HOUR, then left it in the oven for 1 1/2 hrs, and it was finally set. If you are going to make this - it needs to bake for TWO HOURS, not one. Otherwise, increase the temperature.

The first time I ever made cheesecake I vowed I would never again because it was so time-consuming and it turned out looking horrible (although it did taste pretty good). I decided to give this recipe a shot though, and I'm glad that I did! It was pretty easy and turned out really good!

I used full size chocolate chips and this was AMAZING...thank you-my husband thinks it was better than his mom's!

Pefect even if you buy the crust pre made just divide the batter into two parts. Thank you for sharing this has become the family favorite!

Having tried three other cheesecake recipes, this one had a great flavor but came out too dense and heavy, in the future i might try adding flour and/or sour cream (as i saw in another recpe on this site)for a lighter consistency. The crust was great but needed more butter to help form the sides. No cracks, smooth top.