All your cheesecake dreams have come true! White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is sweet and creamy, swirled with tangy raspberry sauce, and baked on a crunchy Oreo crust. It’s a truly decadent dessert that’s great for entertaining (or for eating all yourself!).
Skip to:
Cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite desserts. And this White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is definitely in my top 3. It is the perfect smooth texture, not overly sweet, and has a vibrant flavor thanks to the raspberries. I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com many years ago, but have added an alternative water bath method and a progressive cooling technique that I use with all cheesecakes.
Fair warning - this is an image heavy post. But I want you to be super successful, so I’ve included pictures of each step along the way. I’ve also included lots of tips and tricks throughout so that your cheesecake will turn out perfectly every time! For a condensed list of the most important tips, check out the Tips & Tricks section right above the recipe!
🍫 Ingredients
Oreo cookies: You can also use the generic brand.
Sugar: Adds sweetness to the crust, sauce, and batter.
Butter: Melted in the microwave for the crust.
Frozen raspberries: Buy a bag from the freezer section or freeze your own.
Cornstarch: This will thicken the raspberry sauce to the right consistency.
Water: Helps smooth out the cornstarch in the sauce.
White chocolate chips: My favorite is Ghiradelli. The better the quality, the better the final flavor will be.
Half-and-half: I don’t recommend substituting milk, because the fat content in the half-and-half impacts the final texture of the batter.
Cream cheese: Soften it before using by leaving it on the counter until it is room temperature and easily dents when pressed with a spoon.
Eggs: Let the eggs come to room temperature on the counter before using, or set them in a bowl and cover with slightly warm water for 10 minutes.
Vanilla: A little goes a long way to round out the flavor of the cheesecake.
🔪 Instructions
The crust comes together very quickly. Just add the cookies, sugar, and melted butter to a food processor. Pulse it until the cookies are fine crumbs. Done!
For the raspberry sauce, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and boil on the stove until it is very thick (5-6 minutes). Pour it through a mesh strainer to remove any lumps and seeds. The resulting sauce should be smooth, glossy, and thick.
For the cheesecake batter, melt the white chocolate and half-and-half in the microwave until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-low speed until it is ultra smooth. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each egg is just incorporated. Lastly, add the white chocolate mixture and vanilla and continue to mix on low until it is fully combined. The final batter should be thick and very smooth.
To assemble, prepare a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. I take one large piece of parchment and lay it over the circular bottom of the pan. Then I set the outside rim on top, press it firmly down over the circular bottom, and clamp it shut. You can easily fold the extra parchment underneath the pan or trim it off. Then spray lightly with baking spray.
Firmly press the crust in one even layer on the bottom of the pan. Pour in half the cheesecake batter. Use a spoon to drizzle 3 tablespoons of the raspberry sauce over the batter. Pour in the second half of the cheesecake batter. Spoon another 3 tablespoons of raspberry sauce over the top, being sure to drizzle all the way to the edge. Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl the raspberry sauce using a small circular motion until the top is evenly swirled.
Before baking, preheat the oven to 325°F. Place a 9x13 baking pan on the lower rack and pour 3 cups of hot water into the pan - this is my alternative to a water bath. It adds moisture to the oven without any risk of leaking. Place the cheesecake on the center rack and bake for 55-70 minutes. Then cool the cheesecake progressively to prevent cracks (see instructions in recipe card).
🤔 How do I prevent cracks in my cheesecake?
Cheesecakes crack for three main reasons.
- Too much air in the batter: Mix the cheesecake batter on medium-low speed at first, and only on low speed after you add the eggs. Eggs incorporate air easier, so mix the batter until the eggs are just combined, then stop.
- Over cooked: See my section below about how to know when your cheesecake is done.
- Cooled too fast: To prevent this, use a progressive cooling timeline. Once the cheesecake stops baking, turn off the oven, crack the oven door, and leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes. Then open the oven door all the way and leave for another 30 minutes. Then remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to continue cooling on the counter until it has reached room temperature. Lastly, refrigerate until cold.
If your cheesecake does have cracks, don’t fret too much! You can leave it as is, or you can always cover the top with raspberry sauce, white chocolate shavings, or whip cream. Cracks can always be disguised. 😊
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
Cheesecake is a great crowd pleaser. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake in particular is a rich dessert, so small slices go a long way. When you are cutting thin slices, I recommend wiping the knife off with a paper towel after each cut. This helps prevent large chunks from breaking off the thin pieces. Plus it keeps the raspberry swirls pretty.
🙋 Questions & Answers
I answered that in a section above. Check a full answer out there!
I personally don’t think baking cheesecakes of this size in a water bath is absolutely necessary (although if you are baking a thicker cheesecake, it may be helpful). Instead, I bake my cheesecake with a pan of steaming water in the bottom of the oven. This creates extra moisture without the hassle of a water bath.
If you really prefer using a water bath, I highly recommend ditching the common tin foil method. Instead, I use slow cooker liners like these. After baking the crust, I place the springform pan in the center of the liner. There will be a lot of excess plastic… pull all of the extra to one side of the pan, making sure that the plastic comes just to the edge of the rim of the pan. Twist the extra plastic tightly and tie a knot. You should be left with a relatively tight layer of plastic that won’t let any water in.
Knowing when cheesecake is done can be a bit tricky… every oven is different, so the key is to start checking it at the lower end of the cooking range, and then look for visual cues. The edges will be set and firm, and they may be just slightly golden. The middle 2-3 inches will still look underset - not liquidy, but not yet firm. When you lightly shake the pan, the cheesecake should still jiggle slightly in the center.
Once you see those visual cues, stop baking it. It is very important not to over bake because it will continue to cook as it cools. If at any point you see small cracks forming, stop baking immediately.
Absolutely! Freezing your cheesecake is a wonderful option if you want to make it ahead for a party, bridal shower, Mother’s Day, or similar event. It is also a great option for leftover cheesecake that you don’t want to go to waste.
You can freeze the whole cheesecake or individual slices. Either way, completely cool and refrigerate your cheesecake as directed before freezing. Then place it on a cookie sheet and freeze unwrapped for 2-3 hours. This ensures that the cheesecake won’t be dented or otherwise ruined when you wrap it. Then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of tin foil. Freeze for 1-2 months.
📖 More great dessert recipes
- Our family’s favorite Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Simple and delicious Raspberry Streusel Bars
- Moist and summery Lemon Yogurt Cake
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Start with truly softened cream cheese to avoid lumps in the batter. The best way to soften it (without accidentally over-softening) is to leave it on the counter until it is room temperature and very easily dents when pressed with a spoon or finger. If it feels slightly firm or cold, it is not ready yet.
- Make sure the cream cheese is beaten until very smooth before adding the eggs. If there are lumps before adding the eggs, it tends to be very difficult to remove them.
- Don’t over mix the batter - this is key! Keep the mixer on medium-low before adding the eggs, and only on low after the eggs have been added. If you mix on a higher speed or for too long, it will add air to the batter and cause cracks during the baking.
- Avoid over baking the cheesecake. Over baked cheesecake is dry, cracked, and very brown. Your cheesecake is done when the edges are set and firm, but the middle 2-3 inches still look slightly underset (not liquidy, but not quite firm).
- To avoid cracks, cool your cheesecake progressively. Start by leaving it in the oven with the door cracked for 30 minutes. Then open the oven door all the way for another 30 minutes. Lastly allow it to come to room temperature on the counter before refrigerating.
📋 Recipe
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 24 Oreo cookies
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted
Raspberry Sauce
- 10 oz frozen raspberries
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Cheesecake Batter
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 3 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Spray lightly with baking spray. Set aside.
- Combine the Oreo cookies, sugar, and melted butter in food processor. Pulse until cookies are fine crumbs. Press crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan, making one even layer.
- Combine raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the sauce is very thick. Pour warm sauce into a mesh strainer and strain thoroughly to remove seeds. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine white chocolate chips and half-and-half. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir well and continue to microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until the mixture is smooth.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine cream cheese and sugar on medium-low speed until smooth (there should not be any large lumps). Adjust speed to low and add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until just combined. Add vanilla and white chocolate mixture, mixing on low until just combined.
- Pour half of the cheesecake batter onto the prepared crust. Using a spoon, drizzle 3 tablespoons of raspberry sauce onto the batter. Add remaining cheesecake batter and drizzle another 3 tablespoons of sauce on top, being sure to bring the sauce to the edges. Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl the raspberry sauce with small circular motions until desired swirl is reached.
- Before baking, place a 9x13 baking pan on lowest rack in oven. Pour 3 cups of hot water into the pan. Place the cheesecake on the center rack and bake for 55-70 minutes. Baking time is highly dependent on your oven - cheesecake is done when edges are set and firm, and the middle 2-3 inches are slightly jiggly (not liquidy, but not quite set).
- Turn oven off. Leave the cheesecake inside with the oven door cracked for 30 minutes. Open the oven door completely and leave for another 30 minutes. Move cheesecake to the counter and allow to come to room temperature for 2-3 hours. Refrigerate until cold, then serve.
Notes
- Start with truly softened cream cheese to avoid lumps in the batter. The best way to soften it (without accidentally over-softening) is to leave it on the counter until it is room temperature and very easily dents when pressed with a spoon or finger. If it feels slightly firm or cold, it is not ready yet.
- Make sure the cream cheese is beaten until very smooth before adding the eggs. If there are lumps before adding the eggs, it tends to be very difficult to remove them.
- Don’t over mix the batter - this is key! Keep the mixer on medium-low before adding the eggs, and only on low after the eggs have been added. If you mix on a higher speed or for too long, it will add air to the batter and cause cracks during the baking.
- Avoid over baking the cheesecake. Over baked cheesecake is dry, cracked, and very brown. Your cheesecake is done when the edges are set and firm, but the middle 2-3 inches still look slightly underset (not liquidy, but not quite firm).
- To avoid cracks, cool your cheesecake progressively. Start by leaving it in the oven with the door cracked for 30 minutes. Then open the oven door all the way for another 30 minutes. Lastly allow it to come to room temperature on the counter before refrigerating.
Lucy says
True story.....my daughter made this and made me try it. I don't like cheesecake.....I do now. This is so good.
Misty says
Wow, so glad you loved it! I have known this cheesecake to do that for a few people 😉.
Tacy says
This turned out really good! I baked it without a water bath as directed. I also froze the extra in slices individually, and just thaw them on the counter for 30 minutes before eating. So good!
Misty says
Freezing individual leftover slices is an excellent idea! Glad you liked the recipe!