Cranberry Cheesecake

A slice of this creamy Cranberry Cheesecake is worth rushing through dinner so you can get straight to dessert. While a classic New York-style cheesecake is a formidable contender, this vibrant, fresh cranberry twist is a tasty stunner.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Cheesecake with Cranberry, Cranberry Cheesecake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 25

Chilling 8

Total Time 9 45

Servings slices

Calories 680kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Ingredients

Cranberry Sauce:

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water

Graham Cracker Crust:

cooking spray
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsps. granulated sugar
6 tbsps. butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

24 oz. full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tsps. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Topping:

whipped cream
sugared cranberries
rosemary

Instructions

Cranberry Sauce:

Start by making the cranberry sauce so that it can cool. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cranberries, sugar, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, or until cranberries have burst and fallen apart, and a thick sauce forms. (If desired you can strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, but it's not necessary). Place the sauce in the refrigerator to cool down.
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water

Graham Cracker Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with a parchment paper circle and spray the top with cooking spray. Set aside.
cooking spray
In a medium mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Mix until well combined. Add crust mixture to the springform pan and press firmly on the bottom and along the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and cool while making the filling.
2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 tbsps. granulated sugar, 6 tbsps. butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

In a large mixing bowl with a hand or stand mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
24 oz. full-fat cream cheese, room temperature, 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar, 2 tsps. vanilla extract
Add eggs, two at a time, and mix until combined. Slowly add the heavy cream while mixing on low speed; mix until completely combined.
4 large eggs, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Add a double layer of aluminum foil around the cheesecake pan to stop water from leaking in when placed in the water bath.
Pour ½ the cheesecake batter over the crust and spread into an even layer. Spoon ½ of the cranberry sauce over the batter and swirl with a knife. Pour the remaining batter on top, followed by the remaining cranberry sauce and swirl with a knife.
Place the cheesecake into a large shallow pan (a roasting pan works great) containing hot water that comes half way up the side of the springform pan (about 2-3 inches).
Bake at 350 degrees F until the sides start to puff, the center is slightly jiggly, and the surface is no longer shiny (about 1 hour- 1 hour 25 minutes). Let the cheesecake sit in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for one hour, remove it from the water bath and let it cool completely on the stovetop, then chill in the fridge overnight. (If cracks start to form in your cheesecake, remove it from the oven immediately.)
Top with whipped cream, sugared cranberries, and rosemary.
whipped cream, sugared cranberries, rosemary

Notes

If you want to make sugared cranberries for garnish, you can find the recipe within the post.

For optimal outcomes when preparing this cranberry cheesecake, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition