Cookie Dough Cheesecake

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A tall, creamy vanilla-bean cheesecake loaded with chunks of egg-free chocolate chip cookie dough — made genuinely safe by toasting the flour first. Some of that same dough gets pressed into the graham crust, so every bite has chew underneath the custard. Baked low and slow in a water bath for a crack-free top, then finished with more dough crumbles and a drizzle of chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheets)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• 32 oz full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (heat-treated, from above)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 cup whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat-treat the flour: Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups for the dough plus 3 tbsp for the filling, measured together) on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 7 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the pile reads at least 165°F. Cool completely, then whisk to break up lumps and re-measure — toasting drives off moisture, so scoop and level fresh.
2. Make the cookie dough: Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand or stand mixer on medium for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla, and 3/4 tsp salt and beat 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cooled heat-treated flour and mix on low just until combined, then fold in the mini chocolate chips. The dough should be scoopable, not sticky.
3. Portion the dough: Press about 1/2 cup of the dough into a flat 1/4-inch slab and set it aside for the crust. Roll another 1 cup of dough into pea-to-marble-size pieces (about 3/4 inch), spread them on a parchment-lined plate, and freeze at least 30 minutes — frozen chunks won't dissolve into the batter. Refrigerate the remaining dough for topping.
4. Build the crust: Reduce the oven to 325°F. Wrap the outside bottom of a 9-inch springform pan in a double layer of heavy-duty foil, then line the bottom inside with a parchment round. Stir the graham crumbs, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and melted butter until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly up the sides about 1 1/2 inches and across the bottom using a flat-bottomed glass.
5. Add the dough layer: Tear the reserved 1/2 cup slab of cookie dough into small pieces and scatter them over the crust bottom, then press with your fingertips into a thin, patchy layer — it should cover roughly two-thirds of the base. Bake the crust 12 minutes, then cool on a rack while you make the filling. Leave the oven at 325°F and put a kettle of water on to boil.
6. Make the filling: Beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium-low for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl twice, until completely smooth with no lumps. Add the 1 1/3 cups sugar, 3 tbsp heat-treated flour, and 1/2 tsp salt; beat 2 minutes more on medium-low.
7. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing only until each disappears (about 20 seconds each). Scrape the bowl and paddle, then mix in the sour cream and vanilla bean paste on the lowest speed just until uniform. Do not whip — air is what cracks a cheesecake. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times to release bubbles.
8. Assemble: Pour about one-third of the batter over the crust. Scatter half the frozen dough chunks over it, then add another third of the batter, the rest of the chunks, and the remaining batter. Smooth the top with an offset spatula and nudge any chunks below the surface.
9. Water bath: Set the springform in a large roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan to come 1 inch up the sides. Bake at 325°F for 75 to 90 minutes, until the outer 2 inches are set and the center 3 inches still jiggle as one soft unit when nudged; the center should read 150°F.
10. Turn the oven off, prop the door open a few inches, and let the cheesecake sit in the cooling oven for 1 hour. Lift it out of the water bath, remove the foil, and cool on a rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Run a thin knife around the rim, then refrigerate uncovered 1 hour, cover, and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
11. Finish and serve: Microwave the 1/3 cup chocolate chips with the heavy cream in 15-second bursts, stirring, until glossy and smooth. Unmold the cheesecake, drizzle the chocolate over the top, and crumble the reserved chilled cookie dough over it in pea-size pieces. Slice with a hot, dry knife, wiping between cuts, and serve with whipped cream if you like.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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