Amazing Christmas Cheesecake to make your holiday season as delicious and magical as you imagine! This heavenly dessert is a vanilla bean cheesecake layered with an easy cranberry jam and smooth white chocolate mousse.
CHRISTMAS DESSERT
It’s no wonder that this time of year is referred to as “the season of baking.” It seems like I bake every day in December. Making treats for holiday parties, making edible gifts, making cookies with kids, and of course, Christmas dinner dessert. That is a lot of baking for one month.
My favorite parts of holiday baking is making gingerbread man cookies with my little man and coming up with a Christmas dinner dessert. Making cookies is the best tradition for kids and one they remember the most as they grow up. While making cookies is the best memory for the kids, I make Christmas dessert cake for adults. I like to go big with dessert because it’s the grand finale of every dinner and party. If I could rig fireworks to go off when I bring out the dessert, I would. Until then, the dessert will have to speak for itself.
Oh boy, does this dessert speak for itself!
This cheesecake will make your holidays MAGICAL. Between the sweet and tart cranberry jam, silky vanilla bean cheesecake and smooth white chocolate mousse, this dessert is a heavenly combination of flavors and textures.
The candied cranberries on top of this cheesecake are totally OPTIONAL. It takes a while to make them so you can just decorate the cheesecake with white chocolate mousse if you don’t want to deal with the cranberries.
Not to say that it’s not worth it. I LOVE candied cranberries. When I was little, it was my favorite winter treat. So if you love candied cranberries, you can even make a double batch and use some for the cheesecake and the rest to snack on.
MORE HOLIDAY DESSERTS TO TRY
White Chocolate Cranberry Soft and Chewy Crinkle Cookies
Cranberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
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Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)
Ingredients
Cranberry Jam:
- 16 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
Crust:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 5 Tbsp butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cheesecake Filling:
- 24 oz cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
White Chocolate Mousse:
- 8 oz baking white chocolate bars (2-4 oz bars)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 oz whipped topping like COOL Whip
Candied Cranberries: (Optional)
- 8 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar or super fine sugar
Instructions
- Candied Cranberries (overnight):
- Combine water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a sauce pot, over medium heat. Heat the mixture until sugar is all dissolved, while stirring slowly. Take off heat.
- Let the mixture cool a bit before adding cranberries. Add cranberries, stir, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain cranberries in a colander.
- Add 1/2 cup of sugar to a shallow bowl and coat cranberries is sugar. Set aside until ready to decorate.
- Quick Cranberry Jam:
- In a sauce pot, over medium heat, combine cranberries, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix well cook cranberries stirring often. Cook for 12-15 minutes. Take off heat and let it cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9 inch springform pan. You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (I use the aluminum foil disposable ones). If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. (I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.)
- Crust:
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir very well, until all incorporated. Press graham cracker mixture into the pan, evenly, all over the bottom and about half way up the side.
- Spread half of the cranberry jam over the crust.
- Cheesecake:
- Start beating cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix until combined.
- Add eggs, one at the time, beating after each addition. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat until all incorporated.
- Lower speed and add corn starch. While on medium-low speed, pour in heavy cream. Mix until all combined, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again until smooth.
- Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds into the cheesecake batter. Mix well until incorporated throughout.
- Spoon all of the cheesecake batter into the springform, over the jam.
- Place roasting pan into the oven and place the cheesecake springform pan inside the roasting pan. Carefully add water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.
- Bake for 70-75 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for about 10 minutes and take it out of the oven (out of the roasting pan and carefully take off the foil).
- Let it rest for 20 minutes on the counter and then gently run a greased butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don't actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to add topping.)
- Cool cheesecake for an hour.
- Spread remaining cranberry jam over the top of the cheesecake. Cover the pan with saran wrap and place the cheesecake in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before adding the mousse.
- White Chocolate Mousse:
- Break up white chocolate bars and melt them according the to package instructions.
- Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes.
- Drizzle in melted white chocolate while continuing to beat cream cheese. Mix well.
- Fold in whipped topping gently until all combined.
- Spread white chocolate mousse over the top of the cheesecake. You can separate the mousse in two batches and use one batch to decorate with a frosting tip.
- If using candied cranberries, spread them on top of the white chocolate mousse.
Video
Nutrition
Lorie says
One of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever made! Is a huge hit the everyone!
LyubaB says
I am so happy to hear that, Lorie! Thanks for stopping by!
Ashley says
I made this for Christmas exactly as directed and it was amazing. Everyone thought it could have come from the Cheesecake Factory. I want to make it again, but would like to cut the ingredient costs a bit… would it come out ok if I substitute vanilla extract for the bean?
LyubaB says
Hi Ashley,
Yes, you can substitute a teaspoon of pure vanilla for the vanilla bean. I am so glad you liked it!
Gaby says
Could I freeze it after putting the jam on top of cheesecake?
LyubaB says
Hi Gaby,
Yes, Absolutely! You can check out my New York Cheesecake for tips on how to freeze cheesecake.
https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/new-york-cheesecake/
Dallas says
I am making this for the second time this weekend as a birthday cake for a friend of my mom. I found that many people really liked the softer textured cheesecake of this recipe as opposed to my wife’s standard Philly cream cheese cake recipe. The cranberry jam and white chocolate mousse really are stellar, but I could see it along side other accompaniments IE; Whipped semi-sweet chocolate ganache and raspberries come to mind.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
LyubaB says
Thank you, Dallas! Raspberries would go great on this cheesecake, you can look at my raspberry cheesecake to get an idea of how to make the jam for it. https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/white-chocolate-raspberry-swirl-cheesecake/
Sandy says
This cheesecake was to die for!. My daughter made it for Christmas and I asked for the recipe as I will be making it in the future. The sugared cranberries on top make it very festive, though I’m not sure if I want to have so many of them in every bite. I may just space out the sugared cranberries along the edge so each slice only gets a couple cranberries. For summer, I’d like to try making a blueberry version. I make lots of cheesecakes in different flavors and this one is up there.
Andrea P says
Loved this recipe- made it for Christmas dessert. many steps, but well worth it- my in-laws and family LOVED IT and said it was from a bakery 🙂
LyubaB says
Thank you for the compliment! I am so glad you liked it!
Jane M Edwards says
Made this for New Years and loved it. Some of the family members were not fans of the candied cranberries. It is a little time consuming but well worth it. We are thinking of swapping out the cranberries for raspberries next time…summertime flare! Any thoughts???
Tammy Misenhimer says
Awesome!!! My family loved it. Beautiful and delicious. I would not change a thing. Definitely making again!!
LyubaB says
Aw, thank you, Tammy!
Trish Linthurst says
This is one of the best desserts I have ever made it had ( and I bake a lot). Definitely will keep recipe for future use. Excellent ! Very pretty also!
LyubaB says
Thank you, Trish!
JimmyJoe says
Made this for our Christmas dinner and it was a big hit. Followed the recipe as written, although I did not use the candied cranberries. Don’t like whole berries, probably because I grew up on Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce.
NEL says
Probably wasn’t made right.. Made this last year and making it again for new years. Was perfect.
Danyelle says
Literally, the best cheesecake I have ever had! My daughter saw the recipe and asked me to make it for Christmas. I thought with the cranberries it would be too tart, but made it anyway. Followed the recipe exactly as written and it was delicious! Not too tart at all! Of all the desserts we had that day, it was the first one gone. It takes some time to make, but us well worth the time and presents beautifully.
LyubaB says
Wow! Thank you! I am so happy you liked it!