Our tall & proud Cranberry 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. If cranberry is your favorite flavor of the holiday season, be sure to also try our popular Fresh Cranberry Shortbread Bars, Cranberry Orange Bread, and Cranberry Jello Salad!
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. 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
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.
More Christmas Dessert Recipes
Santa Hat Brownie Bites Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream Frosted Eggnog Cookies Peppermint Ice Cream Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna
Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
Gingerbread Earthquake Cake
Festive Cranberry Coconut Cake
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