Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake might be the most over-the-top dessert I’ve made yet! It’s a smooth and creamy chocolate cheesecake filled with chocolate donut holes and the perfect vanilla glaze!

Love this donut cake? You should check out my Pumpkin Spice Donut Cheesecake Trifle too!

A Slice of Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake on a purple plate

Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake

I couldn’t wait to post this cheesecake. Not only is it delicious and chocolatey, but it’s kind of awesome too. 🙂 I mean, donuts and cheesecake? Is it dessert, or is it breakfast? How about both! I’d gladly eat it morning, noon and night.

I started brain storming about fun donut recipes a few weeks ago when I went to watch the hubs play in a ProAm tennis tournament. There was some tasty food, including Krispy Kreme donuts. Of course I ate one of said donuts, which got me to thinking about how good donuts are.

A Slice of Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake on a purple plate
Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake with a slice removed

Of course I could’ve just made a donut (which is on my list of things to do), but that just wasn’t what I wanted to do yet.

After toying with a few ideas, I decided this one was a winner!

I actually made a vanilla version first with Krispy Kreme donuts – the classic one – but it didn’t really turn out like I wanted. Because of the kind of donut (not cakey), it just kind of absorbed into the batter and lost it’s donut-y appeal. No good.

A Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake Slice with Vanilla Glaze on a purple plate
Overhead view of Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake

So I decided to go with a donut hole. And since I don’t have an actual Krispy Kreme store around me (I had to get the previous donuts at Publix – very sad), I went to Dunkin Donuts.

Now I know I could’ve made the donuts myself, but honestly. I like making some involved desserts at times, but I also am of a fan of shortcuts. If you want to make your own donuts feel free. But if not, hop on the easy train with me! Just make sure the donuts you use are cake ones. They hold up better in the cheesecake batter.

Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake Slice From Above
A Half-Eaten Slice of Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake

And since there aren’t vanilla cake donut holes, I got the chocolate! I mean, why didn’t I do that to begin with? Chocolate = happiness.

Chocolate donuts + chocolate cheesecake = double happiness!

Tips for Making This Chocolate Donut Cheesecake

When you get the perfect bite with a bit of cheesecake, donut and glaze all on the fork, it is soooo good! I’d normally say don’t worry about adding the extra donuts on top if you want to cut back a bit, but not this time. Seriously. The extra donuts make it that much better.

And the glaze totally makes it! What is a donut without glaze, after all?! I recommend keeping some of the glaze handy for each and every slice you cut of this. The glaze tends to soak into the cheesecake as it sits – kind of like it does on the donuts, go figure! – and I love having pleny of it in each bit. So I add on a little extra with each slice. Bring on the sugar, baby! 🙂

Chocolate Donut Cheesecake on a white plate
A Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake Slice on a Plate

You might also like

Ultimate Breakfast Cake
Pumpkin Spice Donut Cheesecake Trifle
Chocolate Lover’s Cheesecake
Loaded Maple Bacon Donut Fries
Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon
Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake slice on purple plate
Recipe

Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake might be the most over-the-top dessert I’ve made yet! It’s a smooth and creamy chocolate cheesecake filled with chocolate donut holes and the perfect vanilla glaze!


Ingredients

CRUST

  • 2 cups Oreo crumbs
  • 4 tbsp butter, melted

CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 24 ounces packages of cream cheese, room temperature (three 8 oz packages)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 810 doughnut holes

GLAZE AND TOPPING

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (add more if needed for thickness)
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • doughnut holes

Instructions

CRUST

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients and mix well.
3. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom.
4. Bake crust for 10 minutes then remove.
5. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in, and set aside.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

1. Reduce oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugars, cocoa and flour with an electric mixer until combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
4. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until well combined.
5. Put a little bit of the filling in the bottom of the crust. Press the doughnuts into the bottom of the cheesecake.
6. Pour remaining filling into the springform pan and spread over the doughnuts. The pan will be very full.
7. Place springform pan inside another pan. Fill outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour and 35-40 minutes.
9. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 20 minutes.
10. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 20 minutes or until set. This cooling process helps the cheesecake cool slowly to prevent cracks.
11. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill.
12. Remove springform pan sides from cheesecake. Cheesecake may be a little lumpy on top from the donuts inside.
13. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract to make the glaze.
14. Pour a little glaze on top of the cheesecake, then pile on additional donut holes.
15. Drizzle more glaze over the donut holes just before serving.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 851
  • Sugar: 37.3 g
  • Sodium: 618.5 mg
  • Fat: 65 g
  • Carbohydrates: 56.6 g
  • Protein: 14.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 225.8 mg

Filed Under:

Enjoy!

Three Images of a Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake

Share a Comment

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

34 Comments
    1. Lindsay

      I mean fresh donut holes are going to be fresher, but they should be fine after being refrigerated. I’d try to cover things as well as you can (a cake carrier is ideal).

  1. Dianne

    This looks so wonderful. Can you answer 2 questions for me? How far in advance can I make this? Also, would it be possible to freeze? I have a lot to do on Christmas Eve.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Cheesecakes hold up quite well. You could probably make it 2 days in advance and it’d be fine. Just add the garnishes on top shortly before serving. I haven’t ever tried freezing.

  2. yarden toren

    I want to make this but it i’m not sure that i understand the times right
    Do i realy need to bake it over an hour?

    And thanks for all your recipe it’s always so good!!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Yes, cheesecakes take quite a while to bake. The time is correct. 🙂

      Glad you enjoy the recipes!

  3. Jocelyn @BruCrew Life

    This is truly the most epic dessert ever!!!! I love how your dessert brain works! Of course now I want donuts and cheesecake all day long today!!! And your pictures always amaze me…I need some lessons from you!!!

  4. Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life

    That is a jaw dropping cheesecake! Whew, donuts AND cheesecake? And both chocolate?? Lindsay, I cannot imagine how rich this would be. And I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t mind one bit 🙂

  5. Jess @ On Sugar Mountain

    Omg but it’s over the top in the most awesome way possible! Need a donut? Need cheesecake? WHY NOT HAVE BOTH?! Brilliant, Lindsay! 😀

  6. Julie @ This Gal Cooks

    Oh my yum. This cheesecake looks amazing and I wish I had more than one slice in front of me right now! Great recipe, Lindsay!

  7. Liz @ Floating Kitchen

    Oh this looks DANGEROUS! I’m drooling over my computer. Such a great idea and what a beautiful presentation!

  8. Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog

    Is this real life? Because it sounds way too good to be true! It’s like something you would only find in chocolate heaven. My daughter would go nuts for this!

  9. Handmade by Lorna

    I am blown away – this cheesecake looks amazing – I made a chocolate cheese cake for a celebration dessert last weekend but this is something else – thank you so much for sharing the recipe.

  10. Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking

    I cannot even begin to describe how I feel about this cake. Speechless. Seriously I LOVE chocolate cake donuts (actually its the only kind I eat) and you just took them to the next level of awesome! Donut inside cheesecake…pinned.

  11. Heather @ Shards of Lavender

    Oh my! All your desserts are so perfectly composed and this one is so over the top! Loving it… My husband is really into chocolate and would love a slice or two of this!

  12. Mir

    You need to patent this, FAST. It’s like the Cronut, but so much cooler! You could call it the Chonut. Or the Cheesenut! No, that sounds weird.
    This idea is over the top and amazing. No wonder you were excited to post it!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29