Our White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is made with fresh, real ingredients for the best flavor and rich, creamy texture. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for celebrating or taking to a dinner party and even better than the popular Cheesecake Factory version. The best part? No water bath necessary.
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White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
We used to love going to the Cheesecake Factory and enjoying a slice of their tall, dense cheesecakes for dessert, but ever since we learned they weren’t made on site but were shipped in frozen then thawed I confess that I have been disillusioned. Then I discovered that I can make cheesecakes at home that are even BETTER than Cheesecake Factory.
If the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is your favorite flavor, like it is mine, then be prepared to fall head-over-heels in love with this simple cheesecake recipe that doesn’t even need a water bath to turn out fabulous.
To me, cheesecake is the best way to finish off a meal! For a quick and easy cheesecake, try our Instant Pot Classic Cheesecake. Or if you love chocolate, maybe our Black Forest Cheesecake is for you. And for something a little extra crunchy, try our Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars!
Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Ingredients:
Cheesecake Crust Ingredients:
- Oreo cookies: Crushed Oreo cookies give this cheesecake recipe a crunchy chocolate layer. No need to scrape out the creamy filling before crushing to fine crumbs in a food processor (affiliate link).
- Butter: Butter holds the crushed cookies together and adds a delicious, rich flavor.
White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:
- White chocolate chips: White chocolate chips add the delicious white chocolate flavor to this recipe, as well as a creamy sweetness.
- Cream: We want a rich cheesecake so we have to add cream! I used two types: regular cream for a neutral richness and to help melt the white chocolate, and sour cream to really bring out that tangy cheesecake taste!
- Cream cheese: What’s a cheesecake without cream cheese? I’ve done this with both full-fat cream cheese and the reduced fat neufchatel variety. It works with either, but the full-fat cream cheese version is definitely the best.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar adds a simple sweetness – a good cheesecake needs to be sweet!
- Vanilla extract: I love vanilla in cheesecake! I used my homemade vanilla extract for this White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake!
- Eggs: Adding eggs to your cheesecake batter brings all of the ingredients together and helps it to rise properly when it’s baking in the oven.
Raspberry Swirl Ingredients:
- Raspberries: You can use fresh or frozen – whatever you have available.
- Granulated sugar: To help counter the tartness of the raspberries, and to make the sauce more syrupy, I added white sugar.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to thicken the raspberry swirl sauce. It would go everywhere if it was too runny!
White Chocolate Cheesecake Topping Ingredients:
- White chocolate: Of course! I added more white chocolate by shaving a bar of Ghiradelli white chocolate just to really emphasize that flavor in this white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.
- Cream: Heavy cream is whipped up to stiff peaks so that the topping holds in place.
- Sugar: I used powdered this time as I wanted it to be completely smooth and not at all grainy.
- Vanilla extract: Just a little extra flavor! I think it really complements the white chocolate in the topping.
How to Make White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
- Make the crust. Crush the Oreos into fine crumbs in a food processor (affiliate link), then pulse in the butter until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crust into tall a 9X3-inch springform pan using the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup and going an inch or so up the sides. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes at 325 degrees F to set it before adding the cheesecake batter.
2. Make the raspberry swirl sauce. Combine raspberries, water, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until thickened and boiling, about 5 minutes, and then strain through a wire mesh strainer.
3. Mix the cheesecake batter. Next, melt white chocolate chips and heavy cream (or half-and-half would also work) in the microwave in short bursts, stirring frequently until smooth. Beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth, and then add the sugar and sour cream. Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined. Next, beat in melted white chocolate, vanilla, and cream.
4. Put it together. Pour HALF of the batter into the crust. Dollop half of the raspberry sauce (about 3 tablespoons) over the batter and swirl with a skewer or knife. Add remaining batter and then dollop the remaining sauce. Swirl again.
5. Bake, cool & chill. Bake 60 to 70 minutes with a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake just until set. Turn off the oven and crack the oven door open. Let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour in the oven before removing. Next, take it out to cool completely and chill it in the fridge.
6. Whip up the topping. Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Finally, sprinkle the cheesecake with the white chocolate shavings, then pipe the whipped cream in decorative swirls around the edges to finish.
How to Store Raspberry Cheesecake
How do I store this White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake?
In the refrigerator, this cheesecake will last for up to 5 days. Store it in a container if possible, or carefully covered with aluminum foil.
Can you make cheesecake in advance?
Yes! You can freeze the entire cheesecake whole if you need to make a bunch of cheesecakes in advance. Or slice and freeze individual slices, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight before serving.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe FAQs
Well, I’m going with a yes and no answer. Does a water bath help the cheesecake cook more evenly so it is less likely to crack on top and to not sink in the middle as much? Absolutely!
Do I make cheesecakes without water baths all the time? Yup. And they are still delicious. The approach I took with this cheesecake is sort of a middle of the road approach where I put a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake, rather than actually baking the cheesecake in a water bath. It sill creates a more moist oven environment, but doesn’t run the risk of water seepage.
There are three major culprits behind a cheesecake that cracks. First on the list of causes for cracked cheesecakes is overbaking! The cheesecake should just barely be set in the middle. You can also tell by appearance. When it’s a golden color on top, it’s ready! Just turn the oven off and let it cool for about an hour.
Second is overbeating the filling mixture after adding the eggs. This adds too much air into the batter, which can cause it to crack. Go ahead and beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy, but once you add the eggs, try not to mix the batter to fast or too long.
Another reason your cheesecake may crack is drafts and temperature changes. Keep the oven door closed while it’s baking and try to let the cheesecake cool slowly by turning the oven off and just cracking the door so as not to shock the cheesecake with a drastic temperature change.
Occasionally I will receive a comment on this post that there was too much batter for someone’s springform pan. Be sure you are using a TALL 9-inch springform pan that has 3-inch sides. Some springform pans are shorter and can’t hold the same volume of batter. Another option would be to adjust the recipe down slightly by using one less package of cream cheese (so 24 ounces total instead of 32 ounces) and one fewer eggs (so 3 eggs instead of 4). Pretty much everything else can stay the same. It will be a bit sweeter without adjusting down the white chocolate chips and sugar also and the cheesecake would be as tall and thick, but the recipe will still work and you won’t have as much of an issue with the shorter pan size.
More like this Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe:
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 26-30 Oreo cookies, finely crushed (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
- 32 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Raspberry Swirl
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
Topping
- 2 ounces white chocolate, grated or shaved for sprinkling on top
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine crushed Oreos and melted butter in a bowl and mix until evenly moistened. Press the crumbs into a tall 9X3-inch springform pan to form a crust on the bottom and sides. Bake crust 8-10 minutes.
- Combine raspberries, water, sugar, and cornstarch in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until thickened and boiling, about 5 minutes. Strain through wire mesh strainer.
- Melt white chocolate chips and cream or half and half in the microwave in short 20-second bursts, stirring between each burst until melted and smooth.
- Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Add sugar, sour cream, and flour, mixing well.
- Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined.
- Mix in melted white chocolate and vanilla extract just until combined.
- Pour half of the cheesecake filling into the crust crust. Dollop half of the raspberry sauce (about 3 tablespoons) over the batter and swirl with a skewer or knife.
- Add remaining batter and then dollop the remaining sauce. Swirl.
- Bake 60 to 70 minutes with a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake until set. Turn off oven and crack the oven door open. Let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour in the oven before removing. Let cool another hour at room temperature. Transfer to the fridge and chill for 3-4 hours until completely set.
- Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until they reach stiff peaks. Sprinkle the cheesecake with the white chocolate shavings, then pipe the whipped cream in decorative swirls around the edges to finish.
I love this recipe. This is my third time making it!! You must use a 3 inch deep pan so that you have a tall cheesecake. I love the suggestion of straining the raspberries before adding the sugar and cornstarch. That is definitely simpler. My family looks forward to this cheesecake for the Holidays.
Thanks Holly! This would make an excellent cheesecake for the holidays.
This was so great. I swapped out the Oreo crust for a graham crust from a different cheesecake recipe that I love. I thought it was perfect as perhaps the Oreo crust would have taken away from the gloriousness of the cheesecake flavor. Also increased raspberry sauce by 50% and was glad I did. I baked for the 70 minutes and will likely increase bake time by an additional 15 minutes next time I make it—which will definitely be soon. Loved it!
Honestly I would love either crust. You can’t go wrong with a graham cracker crust. Sounds like it turned out great!