If you grew up in New Zealand, there’s a good chance you know exactly what inspired this slice.

My favourite ice cream growing up was a Choc Bar. That combination of creamy vanilla ice cream, crunchy chocolate, toasted coconut and that little chocolate centre was SO good. And recently, I had an overwhelming urge to turn those nostalgic flavours into a slightly more grown-up bake.

So, I introduce to you my Choc Bar Cheesecake Slice: a crisp chocolate biscuit-style base, a thick layer of creamy baked vanilla cheesecake and a crunchy milk chocolate and toasted coconut topping.

It has all those classic Choc Bar flavours, just in cheesecake slice form… and it has quickly become one of my favourite bakes of the year.

What is a Choc Bar?

If you’re not from New Zealand, you might be wondering what on earth I’m talking about!

A Choc Bar is a classic Kiwi ice cream: vanilla ice cream coated in a crunchy chocolate and toasted coconut shell, with a solid chocolate centre hiding inside.

It’s simple, nostalgic and absolutely delicious! The chocolate, vanilla and coconut combination works so well in this slice.

Why you’ll love this Choc Bar Cheesecake Slice

Three seriously good layers. A crisp chocolate base, creamy baked vanilla cheesecake and crunchy chocolate-coconut topping.
It’s surprisingly simple to make. Each layer is straightforward, but together they make something that looks and tastes pretty special.
Perfect for sharing. Cut it into 16 generous squares or 32 smaller bite-sized pieces for a party or afternoon tea.
The textures are SO good. Crisp chocolate base, silky cheesecake and that crunchy chocolate coconut topping, it has a bit of everything.
It’s a little bit fancy, but still nostalgic. All the flavours of a childhood Choc Bar, turned into a slice worthy of an afternoon tea or celebration.

My top tips

Use room-temperature ingredients for the cheesecake.
This one really does matter. Your cream cheese and eggs should be at room temperature so they combine smoothly. Cold ingredients can leave you with little lumps of cream cheese throughout the filling.

Don’t overbake the cheesecake.
After around 25 minutes, the cheesecake should look set around the edges but still be slightly soft with a little jiggle in the centre. It will continue to firm up as it cools and chills.

Let the cheesecake cool before adding the chocolate.
Give the cheesecake layer time to cool to room temperature before adding your chocolate topping.

Use good-quality milk chocolate.
There aren’t many ingredients in the topping, so the chocolate really gets to shine. Use one that you genuinely enjoy eating!

Don’t skip the toasted coconut.
That toasted flavour is what really gives this slice its Choc Bar personality. I love using toasted coconut flakes that are already salted with sea salt, the little hit of salt is SO good with the milk chocolate.

How to get clean slices

For lovely defined layers use a large, sharp knife and run it under hot water before drying it and making your first cut. Wipe the blade clean between each cut and repeat with the hot water as needed.

One little warning: because the top is essentially a chocolate shell, it can crack if it’s very cold and you push straight down with the knife. I find it easier to let the slice sit at room temperature for a few minutes and use a warm knife to gently cut through the chocolate layer first.

FAQs:

Absolutely. In fact, I recommend it! Make the slice the day before you want to serve it and leave it in the fridge overnight. It will be beautifully chilled and much easier to cut the following day.

Chances are your ingredients were still a little cold when you mixed them together which caused the mixture to go lumpy. You can still absolutely use the mixture it just won’t have the super silky texture you are after. If you mixture is looking lumpy, you can press it through a sieve before baking.

Yes. You can use coconut flakes, shredded coconut or desiccated coconut. If yours isn’t already toasted, lightly toast it first to bring out that gorgeous nutty coconut flavour. Just keep an eye on it, it can go from golden to burnt surprisingly quickly!

Definitely. Milk chocolate gives me the nostalgic Choc Bar flavour I’m after, but dark chocolate would make the slice a little less sweet and give you a more intense chocolate flavour.

Storage:

Store your Choc Bar Cheesecake Slice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Because of the baked cheesecake layer, this one does need to stay refrigerated. I actually think it’s even better the next day once it’s had plenty of time to chill and all those layers have properly set.

💕Loved this recipe?💕

If you loved this recipe I would absolutely love you to tag me on Instagram and feel free to leave a review below 🥰

Choc Bar Cheesecake Slice

This Choc Bar Cheesecake Slice is inspired by the nostalgic Kiwi Choc Bar ice cream. It has a crisp chocolate base, creamy baked vanilla cheesecake filling and a crunchy milk chocolate and toasted coconut topping. Easy to make, perfect for sharing and seriously delicious.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

+ cooling time 3

Total Time 4

Course Baking, Dessert

Servings 16 sqaures

Equipment

22cm square tin

Ingredients

Chocolate Base

150 g butter softened
100 g caster sugar
150 g plain flour
25 g cocoa

Vanilla Cheesecake

250 g cream cheese at room temperature
150 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 tbsp plain flour

Coconut Chocolate

250 g good quality milk chocolate I always use Whittakers Creamy Milk
50 g coconut flakes, toasted and salted I like to use the Macro coconut flakes that are already toasted and salted with sea salt but you could also use toasted desiccated or shredded coconut instead.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 170ºC (160ºC fan bake). Line the bottom and sides of a 22cm square tin with baking paper.

Chocolate Base

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the plain flour and cocoa until just combined.
Break the dough into pieces and spread out in the bottom of the baking tin. Press the dough into the tin until it evenly covers the base of the tin. Prick with a fork and bake for 15 minutes.

To make the base super even, cover the dough with a sheet of baking paper and use the bottom of a flat glass or a cake scraper to flatten it out evenly.

Vanilla Cheesecake

While the base is cooking, prepare the cheesecake filling. In your stand mixer or with a wooden spoon, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla and caster sugar until smooth and combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then finally mix in the flour. It’s important your eggs and cream cheese are at room temperature otherwise they won’t mix properly and your mixture will be lumpy.
When the base is cooked, pour the cheesecake mixture on top, spread it evenly using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon and return to the oven for 25 minutes, it should be set to touch but still a little soft and jiggly (not firm).
Allow to cool to room temperature.

Coconut Chocolate

Break up the chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a bain-marie. Gently stir while melting until the chocolate is almost fully melted, remove from the heat and keep stirring until all of the chocolate is melted.
Mix in the coconut then pour over the cooled cheesecake layer, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread evenly.
Allow to set in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours. Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 squares and then enjoy. 🥰

For perfect slices, heat your knife under boiling water, dry it with a clean tea towel or paper towel before slicing. Wipe the blade clean between each cut and repeat with the hot water as needed.

Keyword baked cheesecake, chocolate, slice