Baked White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

All your cheesecake dreams have come true! Baked White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is sweet and creamy, swirled with tangy raspberry sauce, and baked on a crunchy Oreo crust. Plus it's made without a water bath! It’s a truly decadent dessert that’s great for entertaining (or eating all yourself).

this recipe

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• 🏅 Why this recipe is great
• 🥚 Ingredients
• 🔪 How to bake White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
• 🍥 How to swirl a cheesecake
• 💦 No water bath (alternative method)
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd
• 🤔 How do I prevent cracks in my cheesecake?
• 🙋 Questions & Answers
• 👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks
• 📖  More dessert recipes
• 👋 Connect with us!
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and this Baked White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is definitely in my top 3. I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com many years ago, but have added a water bath alternative and a progressive cooling technique to prevent cracks. 

Looking for other berry desserts? Try these Strawberry Cheesecake Bars, this Blackberry Lemon Cheesecake or this White Chocolate and Raspberry Bundt Cake.

Fair warning - this is an image heavy post. But I want you to be successful, so I’ve included pictures of each step and lots of tips throughout so that your cheesecake will turn out perfectly! For a condensed list of the most important tips, check out the Tips & Tricks section above the recipe!

🏅 Why this recipe is great

• Smooth and creamy, not overly sweet, and bursts of tangy raspberry to compliment the white chocolate cheesecake.
• Great for making ahead and freezing.
• No water bath! We use an easy water bath alternative instead.

🥚 Ingredients

A full list of the ingredients for the white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake is in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips:

Frozen raspberries: Frozen is easy because they're available all year round, but you can also use fresh.
White chocolate chips: My favorite are 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: Bring to room temperature before using, or set them in a bowl and cover with slightly warm water for 10 minutes.

🔪 How to bake White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

For the crust, add the cookies, sugar, and melted butter to a food processor (affiliate). 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 thick (5-6 minutes). Pour it through a mesh strainer to remove any lumps and seeds. The resulting sauce should be smooth, glossy, and thickened.

For the white chocolate cheesecake, melt the white chocolate and half-and-half in the microwave until smooth.

Next, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-low speed until 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 fully combined. The final batter should be thick and very smooth.

🍥 How to swirl a cheesecake

First, prepare a 9 inch springform pan (affiliate) with parchment paper. Clamp one large piece into the bottom, then trim the edges and spray lightly with baking spray.

Firmly press the crust in one even layer on the bottom of the pan, then pour in half the cheesecake batter. Use a spoon to drizzle 3 tablespoons of the raspberry sauce over the batter (picture 3). Then repeat with the remaining batter and 3 more tablespoons of sauce (pictures 4 and 5).

To make the swirl, stick a wooden skewer or toothpick into the batter and gently swirl the sauce. I tend to make a few larger strokes to start, then use small circular motions to form the fine details. Swirl all the way to the edge (picture 6).

💦 No water bath (alternative method)

To avoid extra hassel, we bake this cheesecake with no water bath. Before baking, preheat the oven to 325°F and place a 9x13 baking pan on the lower rack. Pour 3 cups of hot water into the pan, then place the cheesecake on the center rack and bake for 55-70 minutes.

The pan of water adds moisture to the oven without risk of leaking and causing a soggy crust. There are definitely benefits to the traditional method, but if you want to keep it simple try this alternative and make your white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake without a water bath.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd

Cheesecake is a great crowd pleaser. Baked 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 to keep the slices clean.

🤔 How do I prevent cracks in my cheesecake?

Cheesecakes crack for three main reasons.

1. 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.
2. Over cooked: See my section below about how to know when your cheesecake is done.
3. Cooled too fast: To prevent this, use a progressive cooling timeline as described in the recipe card.

If your cheesecake does have cracks, don’t fret too much! You can leave it as is, or you can cover the top with raspberry sauce, white chocolate shavings, or whipped cream.

🙋 Questions & Answers

👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

• Use very softened cream cheese to avoid lumps. The best way to soften it 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 it's smooth before adding the eggs. After you add the eggs it is difficult to remove lumps without adding air to the batter.  
• Don’t over mix the batter - this is key! Keep the mixer on medium-low before adding the eggs, and only on low after adding the eggs. Mixing on high speed will add air and cause cracks. 
• Don't over bake. It will be dry, cracked, and too brown when over cooked. See my notes above for knowing when it's done.
• Cool progressively. Crack the oven for 30 minutes, then open the oven all the way for another 30 minutes. Lastly bring it to room temperature before refrigerating.

📖  More dessert recipes

• This incredibly creamy and flavorful Blackberry Cheesecake
• Our family’s favorite Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Simple and delicious Golden Oreo Cheesecake
• Simple and delicious White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
• Moist and summery Lemon Yogurt Cake

👋 Connect with us!

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