Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
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This Cranberry Cheesecake is a show stopping dessert guaranteed to get wild praise and requests for you to be in charge of dessert every year. It's got a few components, but it's well worth the effort when you present this stunning Christmas cheesecake piled high with sugared cranberries and hear the oohs and ahhs from your friends & loved ones.
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Our tall & proud Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake with white chocolate mousse topping, sugared cranberries & rosemary decoration, and buttery graham cracker crust swirled with homemade cranberry sauce is the most festive dessert of the holiday season!
It involved a few different steps what with making the crust, the cranberry filling, the cheesecake filling, white chocolate mousse for the topping, and candied cranberries for decorating, but none of them are difficult and the whole thing can be made two or three days in advance so you can take your time and not stress.
The best part is that you don’t need to mess around with a tricky water bath to get this beautiful cheesecake to turn out right. I use my favorite pan-of-water-on-the-rack-below trick to mimic a moist environment in a lower temperature oven that helps prevent cracking and makes it so the cheesecake bakes more evenly without sinking in the middle. It’s a game-changer and if you have historically avoided cheesecakes because of intimidating water baths, I’m here to tell you that this method works wonderfully well.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cream Cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese for flawless results.
Graham Crackers – I know some folks think a graham cracker crust is basic, but I love them anyway. Use Biscoff cookies, gingersnaps, or even Oreos if you want to change things up.
Cranberries – You’ll need fresh or frozen cranberries for the cranberry jam swirl situation (although a jar of canned whole cranberry sauce or leftover homemade cranberry sauce can also work) as well as for the sugared cranberries that are used on top.
White Chocolate – This is for the white chocolate mousse topping. I really recommend using the best quality white chocolate baking bars you can instead of white chocolate chips, which don’t melt nearly as well. Sometimes I mix it up and swirl in some white chocolate chunks into the cheesecake.
Eggs – Let your eggs come to room temperature so they mix in and bake well in the filling.
Granulated Sugar – Just the right amount to balance the tartness of the cranberries.
Sour Cream – Adds richness and tang to the cheesecake batter.
Heavy Cream – I like to add a little to my cheesecake batter, but the rest will be used for the white chocolate mousse to lighten it up.
Vanilla Extract – If you haven’t tried making your own homemade vanilla extract yet, what are you waiting for?! It’s the best!
Salted Butter – Helps bind the crust together and gives it a rich, buttery taste.
Flour – I have found after baking DOZENS of cheesecakes that I get much more consistent, even results when I add just a little bit of flour to my cheesecake batter to stabilize it.
How to Make Cranberry Cheesecake
Make the cranberry jam. Combine the cranberries and sugar in a medium-size pot over medium heat. Stir frequently while cooking until the cranberries have burst and become sort of mashed and jammy, about 10-15 minutes. Add a couple tablespoons of water if the jam seems like it is sticking to the bottom of the pot too much while cooking. Still in the vanilla extract off the heat, then let the cranberry jam cool completely. You can make this up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerate it until you are ready to make your cheesecake.
Make the candied cranberries. The gist of it is that you boil sugar and water together to make a simple syrup. Soak fresh or frozen cranberries in the syrupy liquid, then strain and spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let them sit out for 1 hour until they are tacky, then toss them with granulated sugar until completely coated. Let them sit out to dry, then store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Make the crust. Pulse graham crackers in a large food processor (affiliate link) until finely crushed. Add sugar and melted butter until the graham cracker crumbs are evenly moistened. Press into a 9-inch springform pan, using a flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass to help press the crumbs halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350°F oven to set the crust, then remove and cool while preparing the filling. Decrease the oven temperature to 325°F.
Make the filling. In a stand mixer or a hand mixer and large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar and flour until creamy and smooth using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, then beat again, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add eggs, one at a time. Start adding the eggs, mixing only on low speed and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl between each addition. Do not overmix the batter or beat it too fast once you start adding the eggs or it can incorporate too much air into the batter and cause the cheesecake to crack.
Pour batter into crust. Once the eggs have been completely incorporated, pour half of the batter into the prepared crust. Dollop about half of the cranberry jam onto the batter by the spoonful. You might need to stir the cranberry jam first to break it up if it is cold.
Swirl & repeat. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the cranberry mixture into the cheesecake batter. Pour the remaining cheesecake batter over this first layer.
Layer. Dollop the remaining half of the cranberry jam onto the cheesecake batter, then swirl again with a knife.
Bake. Transfer the cheesecake to a preheated 325°F oven. Place a large baking pan filled with very hot water on the rack immediately below the cheesecake to create a faux water bath. Bake for 55-60 minutes until just set around the edges but still jiggly in the center.
Cool. Turn off the oven and crack the door. Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully run a very thin, flexible knife like a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 20-30 minutes to cool gently before removing to cool the rest of the way at room temperature.
Chill overnight. Transfer the cooled cheesecake to the fridge to chill for at least 4+ hours or overnight to finish setting up completely.
Make white chocolate mousse. Start by carefully melting the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% power in 20-30 second bursts. Stir well between each burst of heat until the white chocolate is melted and smooth.
Combine ingredients. Beat the softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, then add the melted white chocolate and mix again.
Make whipped cream. In another bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
Finish mousse. Add the whipped cream to the white chocolate and cream cheese mixture. Use a large rubber spatula to fold them together until combined.
Top cheesecake. Remove the fully-chilled cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer it to your cake stand or serving plate. Pile the white chocolate mousse on top of the cheesecake and spread it in an even layer all the way to the edges.
Decorate. Put as many sugared cranberries on top of the cheesecake as you would like. I love the sweet-tart bursts with the bites of creamy cheesecake so I use them all, even though I know some will spill off when slicing the cheesecake. Place the sugared rosemary around the edges of the cheesecake like a wreath.
Recipe FAQ’s
Why did my cheesecake crack?
It’s not uncommon for a swirled cheesecake like this to crack somewhat on top, even if you perfectly baked it and didn’t overmix the batter or anything. I feel like it’s just the nature of adding a fruit swirl because it can crack along those lines between the cheesecake and fruit.
That said, the most common causes of cracking in cheese are overbaking, overmixing, and cooling the cheesecake too quickly. Baking cheesecake for too long or at too high a temperature can cause it to crack. The edges might cook faster than the center, leading to uneven expansion and cracking as it cools.
Also, once you start adding the eggs to the cheesecake batter, you want to avoid overmixing the batter, which adds air to the mixture which can be another cause of cracks.
Finally, rapid temperature changes can shock the cheesecake and cause cracks. For instance, removing it from the oven and placing it in a cold area or exposing it to a draft can lead to cracking, which is why I recommend letting it cool in the oven with the door cracked for the first 30 minutes.
Tips for Success
Give yourself plenty of time! Cheesecake is not a last minute dessert because the ingredients need to come to room temperature, it has a long bake time, and then it requires an even longer time to cool and then chill completely in the fridge. Start at least a day or two ahead. I feel like cheesecakes taste even better on day 2 or 3 after being made anyway, so these are perfect to make in advance.
Add spice! I wanted to focus on just cranberry and white chocolate flavors, but cranberries pair beautifully with orange and cinnamon. Add some orange zest and juice to your cranberry jam mixture or stir in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or other warm spices. Stir even more orange zest into the cheesecake batter for a citrus burst and decorate with orange peel curls instead of candied rosemary!
Use room temperature ingredients. I pull my cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream out at least a full 1-2 hours before I begin making my cheesecake. It really does make a difference in how evenly the cheesecake will bake.
How to Store Cheesecake
Store the completed cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. It should be covered in plastic or kept in an airtight container to avoid any fridge odors.
You can also freeze the cheesecake, either whole or by the slice. If you want to make this ahead of the holidays to have on hand when life gets busier, I recommend baking the cheesecake, letting it cool completely, chill it in the fridge for a few hours, and then wrap it in plastic wrap to protect it. Freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. I like to let the cheesecake sit out on the counter for an hour to have even better flavor.
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