Dress up cheesecake for Halloween! Spider web cheesecake tart decorated with melted chocolate webs and garnished with an edible chocolate spider!
Looking for a Halloween themed dessert that’s quick and easy to make? This spider web cheesecake tart checks all the boxes! It’s a fun and festive twist on cheesecake, perfect for sharing with family and friends this spooky season.
If you need more options, have a peek at my top 13 best Halloween desserts. Whether you are on team candy or team chocolate, you’ll definitely find something to satisfy your sweet tooth!
This isn’t your traditional cheesecake. It’s a much simpler version that requires little effort. No water bath. No long baking time.
This Halloween cheesecake tart takes about an hour to prep and bake. The most difficult part is waiting for the cheesecake to cool (at least 2 hours in the fridge) before slicing!
Ingredients
This dessert has three components: chocolate almond crust, cheesecake filling, and chocolate spider web topping.
The crust is made from a mixture of ground graham crackers, ground almonds (or almond flour), sugar, cocoa powder, and melted butter. Mix together all the ingredients and press into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
The almonds adds a rich nutty flavor and helps to keep the crust moist. You may sub in your choice of nuts (such as walnuts, hazelnuts, or cashews). Or, omit the nuts all together and substitute with additional graham cracker.
The filling combines cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Be sure to use brick-style full fat cream cheese. I highly recommend using Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Compared to generic store brand, I find that Philadelphia has better flavor and texture.
And finally, the chocolate spider web is made with one simple ingredient: chocolate! You may use any kind of chocolate – white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even ruby chocolate. Chopped chocolate bars, chocolate chips, or chocolate morsels all work. Simply melt the chocolate and transfer into a piping bag.
Recommended Tools
This recipe works best in a shallow 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. However, it will also work in an 8-inch or 10-inch fluted pan.
A food processor is very help if you use whole graham crackers and sliced almonds (or chopped almonds) for the crust. This 3.5 cup capacity is good compact food processor. I personally use this 14-cup food processor. It is a bit larger but more versatile.
Otherwise, if you don’t have a food processor, use pre-ground graham crackers and almond flour to simply mix ingredients by hand.
Cheesecake filling may be mixed together using stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or using the beaters of an electric hand mixer. For easy mixing, make sure cream cheese has softened to room temperature.
Assembly Instructions
More Halloween Recipes
Spider Web Cheesecake Tart
Ingredients
Chocolate Almond Crust:
- 8 full sheet graham cracker, (120 g ground crackers)
- ½ cup roughly ground almonds, (45 g), or almond flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, (50 g)
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, (10 g)
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, (70 g), melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 16 oz brick-style cream cheese, (454 g), room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, (150 g)
- 1 large egg, room temp
- ½ cup non-fat yogurt, (113 g), room temp
- 1 teapoon vanilla paste (or pure vanilla extract)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Chocolate Spider Web:
- ¼ cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, (50 g) melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
Chocolate Almond Crust:
- In a food processor, pulse together graham crackers, sugar, and cocoa powder until fine. Mix crumbs with ground almonds and melted butter. Press into 9''-tart pan with removable bottom.
Cheesecake Filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cheese cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg and mix until incorporated. Mix in yogurt, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes until set. Cool tart on on wire rack. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
Chocolate Spider Web:
- Melt chocolate chips over bain-marie. *Alternatively, heat in 15-30 second intervals in the microwave at half power until melted.
- Transfer to piping bag or parchment bag and draw spiderweb on chilled cheesecake. Return to fridge to set chocolate.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Do I not have to pre-bake the crust?
No need to pre-bake the crust
Love the recipe, thanks for sharing it!
I absolutely love this! I’m so glad I stumbled upon your page!
Mine doesn’t come out as white and beautiful as this one :(
Hi Alisha, sometimes the brand/type of vanilla paste can slightly tint the cheesecake a little tan. And in person, my cheesecake looks a little pale yellow ;)
I made these for Halloween. They were wonderful! Quick and easy, without the need for a water bath.
That’s great to hear, Tara! I’m glad you liked it! I’ve had a bad experience with water baths, so I love this recipe!
what a fabulous idea for a Halloween cheesecake, it looks wonderful and I bet it was delicious too!
A perfect Halloween treat! Just enough holiday sass and full of decadent dessert flavor and satiety. A lovely post!
That is perhaps the cutest cheesecake I have ever seen. What a fantastic idea!! I never decorate my cheesecakes but I’m going to have to start now – this is amazing!
Such a beautiful cake! Love the spider :)