How to make a fool-proof, no-crack white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust and raspberry swirl. Rich and creamy, decadent dessert that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other holiday, and it’s so easy to make!
I love a good cheesecake, but it’s no secret that I used to struggle with this family-favorite dessert. It just breaks my heart to spend so much time whipping up this classic, New York style dessert, only to pull it out of the oven chock full of large, gaping cracks. It’s even worse if you add any kind fruit filling, hence the reason I’ve always made Instant Pot raspberry cheesecake to avoid this problem.
But now that I’ve discovered how to bake a cheesecake using the water bath method, everything has changed! This is a truly no-crack white chocolate raspberry cheesecake that anyone can make.
The best part is that this tastes just like the Olive Garden white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, if not better! We don’t always have the money to eat out, so I’m over the moon that I’m able to make this decadent cheesecake dessert right at home.
Ingredients & Substitutions Notes
- Chocolate Cookie Crust – You can buy a store bought chocolate cookie crust, or you can just make a homemade chocolate cookie crust with Oreos. I usually make this recipe gluten free, so I like to make my own.
- Cream Cheese – I use full fat cream cheese for this raspberry cheesecake dessert. While as you can use a low fat cream cheese, it won’t be quite as rich or creamy.
- Vanilla Extract – I recommend purchasing a high quality pure vanilla extract. Ever since our vacation to Mexico, I’ve been really enjoying this Mexican vanilla.
- Egg Yolks – Whether you do it by hand or with an egg separator, you’ll need to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites for this cheesecake.
- Raspberry Sauce – The raspberry sauce is swirled into the cheesecake batter before baking to make this a raspberry swirl cheesecake. Fortunately, homemade raspberry sauce is really easy to make!
- White Chocolate – Last but not least, you’ll need a white chocolate baking bar for the white chocolate topping on this decadent dessert. Yum!
How to Make White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Before getting started, you’ll need to buy or make the chocolate cookie crust and the raspberry sauce. Transfer or press your chocolate cookie crust into a 9-inch springform pan for the cheesecake. Finally, use an egg separator to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, and set aside in a small bowl.
Mixing & Assembling Your Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
- Start by whipping the softened cream cheese, pure cane sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add your egg yolks into the mixture, mixing ’til well combined.
- When your batter is creamy and smooth, pour half the batter into your crust in the springform pan that you prepped in the first step.
- Spoon about 1/3 cup raspberry sauce on top of the batter, adding small dollops of sauce here and there.
- Swirl the sauce into the batter with a table knife.
- Then pour the rest of the batter on. Add another 1/3 cup raspberry sauce, adding small dollops of sauce here and there all around the top of the batter. Again, swirl the sauce into the batter with a table knife.
How to Bake a White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Using the Water Bath Method
I first learned how to bake a cheesecake using the water bath method from an article from the Kitchn on how to make the perfect cheesecake. This provides a steam bath environment for your cheesecake as it bakes to keep it very moist. I found that this method really helped to prevent cracking, and so I’ve been baking my cheesecakes this way ever since!
- Start by wrapping the outside of the cheesecake pan with a couple layers of aluminum foil. Then place the pan down into a bigger roasting pan that has about 1 inch of water in the bottom; A turkey roasting pan works perfectly for this.
- Bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the cheesecake is cooked through. It should be firm around the edges and a little jiggly in the middle.
Once it’s fully cooked, leave the cheesecake in the oven, and turn the oven off. Allow it to cool in the oven, with the oven door open, for about 30 to 45 minutes. You want a slow cooling process, in order to prevent crack from forming.
After 30-45 minutes has passed, remove your cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Once cooled down to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place it in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
Topping Your White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake
It’s time to add the white chocolate part of this white chocolate raspberry cheesecake recipe. Shred the white chocolate with a vegetable peeler, and sprinkle it all over the top of your cheesecake.
That’s it! Top it off with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries, and serve. This Olive Garden copycat recipe requires a few extra steps and a little patience, but all in all, it’s a pretty simple dessert. If I can make it, you can too.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s
This is a common problem with homemade cheesecakes, so don’t feel bad! Fortunately, it only affects the appearance and not the actual flavor of a cheesecake. This happens because the cheesecake dried out too much, causing it to crack. Although the water bath baking method described above will usually prevent this problem, it can still happen if you bake your cheesecake for too long, and sometimes even when it’s cooled too quickly. Remember, your cheesecake is done when it becomes firm around the edge but still a little jiggly in the middle. Also be sure to let it cool down slowly as instructed in the recipe.
Stored in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap, this raspberry swirl cheesecake should last up to 3 days in the refrigerator before the raspberry sauce starts to discolor.
Yes, white chocolate raspberry cheesecake freezes well. Once cooled and chilled completely, you can wrap it up with a couple layers of plastic wrap followed by another layer of aluminum foil. Stored this way in the freezer, it should stay good for up to 6 months.
More Cream Cheese Dessert Recipes
- Strawberry Delight
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Creamy Blueberry Delight
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Strawberry Angel Food Cake Layered Dessert
- No Bake Strawberry Shortcake
- No Bake Easy Banana Pudding
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Equipment
- Egg Separator optional
- Electric Hand Mixer optional
- Table Knife
- Decorating Bag optional
- Decorating Tip optional
Ingredients
- 1 Chocolate Cookie Crust
- 32 ounces Cream Cheese
- 3/4 cup Cane Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- 2/3 cup Raspberry Sauce
- 4 ounces White Chocolate
- 2 cups Whipped Cream
Instructions
- First things first, make your chocolate cookie crust in a 9″ springform pan (sprayed with cooking spray). You’ll want it ready to go after the cheesecake batter is all mixed up.
- Line the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil; this will keep water from getting into your cheesecake during baking.
- Pre-heat the oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip together the softened cream cheese, pure cane sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Using an egg separator, separate the egg yolks from the whites, and add the yolks into the cream cheese mixture, mixing well.
- When your batter is creamy and smooth, pour half the batter into your crust.
- Spoon about 1/3 cup raspberry sauce on top of the batter, adding small dollops of sauce here and there.
- Swirl the sauce into the batter with a table knife.
- Pour the rest of the batter on, and add another 1/3 cup raspberry sauce, adding small dollops of sauce here and there all around the top of the batter.
- Again, swirl the sauce into the batter with a table knife.
- Place the cheesecake-filled springform pan in a roasting pan that has an inch or so of water in the bottom.
- Place the whole pan into the oven, and bake at 325°F for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the cheesecake is cooked through. It should be firm around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center.
- Once it's fully cooked, leave the cheesecake in the oven, and turn the oven off. Allow it to cool in the oven, with the oven door open, for about 30 to 45 minutes. You want a slow cooling process, in order to avoid cracks.
- Now you can remove your cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Once your cheesecake has completely cooled at room temperature, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place it in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
- Once fully chilled, shave or curl the white chocolate with a vegetable peeler, and then sprinkle the chocolate over the entire top of the cheesecake.
- Use the decorating bag with the large decorating tip to add small swirls of whipped cream all around the edge of the cheesecake.*
- That's it! Your white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is ready to serve.
This is by far the best cheesecake I’ve ever had! It was so easy to make. I did use a graham cracker crust instead because I don’t care for a chocolate crust but it all came out perfect. I took it to thanksgiving and everyone raved about it. Will be making this for now on!
That’s awesome, Sarah! We all love this cheesecake recipe. It’s hard to beat!
So what do you do with the egg whites?
SanDee, we usually just cook them separately and eat them.
This cheesecake looks delicious! It is my favorite flavor from a small hometown restaurant I use to work at! I’m curious if you have ever made cheesecake cupcakes before, and if you have any tips I would love to hear them! I think that I could just make it like a regular cupcake and test out the baking times. Tia!
Thank you, Haley! I have not made cheesecake cupcakes, but they are on my list to make. I would think you’d make them pretty similarly; the only difference would be the bake times and the muffin pan with liners vs. springform pan. You’ll have to let me know if you try it.
I misread and used egg whites instead of the yolk. It baked up fine but how will that affect the flavor?
It’ll still be really good. It will be much richer with the yolks, though.
I’m new to all this. Will the recipe be ruined if the eggs aren’t separated. I havent separated for previous cheesecake recipes.
Meg, it should be fine if you want to use whole eggs. I’ve actually made another cheesecake here recently, based off this recipe, but with whole eggs, and it was absolutely delicious. I added in a little bit of sour cream, as well. If you wanted to add sour cream, I’d add in about 1/4 cup. It makes it even more creamy.
Angel. Want to print off my paper
If you hit the print button, it will open up another page. Then you just hit File, then Print.
Dear Mel,
Loved your cheesecake recipe! We had it for our Christmas dinner dessert. This recipe is a keeper.
Yay! Thank you so much, Cindy! So glad you enjoyed it.
You mention nowhere in the directions about adding the white chocolate!
Hey Lisa, if you look at the bottom of the printable recipe card, I give instructions for how to place the white chocolate. You’ll just shred it and add it on. “Once your cheesecake has completely cooled at room temperature, cover and place it in the refrigerator, and allow it to chill overnight. Next day, your cheesecake is ready to decorate, with white chocolate and a small batch of whipped cream. Shave or curl the white chocolate with a vegetable peeler or chocolate shaver until you have enough chocolate to cover the top of your cheesecake.”
Im curious how this would be done in an Instant pot or such? Im going to have to give this a whirl!
Nan, I’ve made a pumpkin cheesecake in the Instant Pot, and it turned out delicious. You’d likely have to make this smaller, but I bet it would work… You’ll have to let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Hi 🙂 I am so excited to try this delicious cheesecake! It is so beautiful and looks amazing! I was wondering if there is directions for the chocolate cookies crust? I may have missed it but I didn’t see them listed above. Thank you for this great recipe!
Hi Maggie, I actually do have a recipe for the chocolate cookie crust on my other site. I hope you enjoy the cheesecake. It’s probably my favorite kind of cheesecake. Thank you so much!
What kind of raspberry sauce do you use? Do you puree raspberries?
Hi Jodie, I actually use this recipe for raspberry sauce from my other site.
Does the recipe for raspberry sauce you provide make the amount needed for the cheese cake or more than needed for the cheesecake?
It will likely make a little extra. You need around 2/3 cup for the cheesecake.