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
Rena says
Can this be made a day ahead of time?
LyubaB says
Yes, you can make this the day before. I would wait to add the sugar cranberries to the top until the day of just for the best presentation as the sugar on them may dissolve overnight.
Karla Haynes says
This is looks heavenly, but I wonder If you think it would be OK to replace the Cool Whip for real whipped cream? I don’t want to take such a beautiful dessert and put something on it as not fresh and homemade. I try to stay away from prepackaged items if at all possible
LyubaB says
Hi Karla, If you use real whipped cream it won’t be as stable and thick as using cool whip cream. If you do try the whipped cream I would use meringue powder to try and make it thicker. Hope this helps.
Melissa says
I agree, no to the cool whip. use a stabilized whip cream adding unflavored granulated gelatin.
Ann McKeown says
I went with white chocolate ganache – amazing!
Jenn Jameson says
I made this for Christmas Eve and my husband’s family loved it. In fact, My brother-in-law sent to kids over to pick up the leftovers on Christmas day! We can only buy fresh cranberries in November/December here, so I am curious if you can make the candy with frozen cranberries?
Carol Mi says
did you hear back on the frozen cranberries – love to know
LyubaB says
You can use frozen but thaw them first and get rid of any extra water.
NANCY WISNIEWSKI says
looks delicious . my guest will enjoy the desert s .
LyubaB says
Thank you, Nancy!
Melody says
Made this and it was amazing looked incredible tasted even better!
LyubaB says
Thank you, Melody! I am glad you liked it!
Tilly says
Hi! I’m curious if the sugar on the berries will dissolve over time or if soaking them in the sugar syrup is what keeps it from melting away? Just trying to figure out how soon before serving to top it 🙂 Thanks!
LyubaB says
If you keep it covered in the refrigerator the moisture will start to melt away the sugar. I would recommend if you want to preserve the look for presentation to have them separate on a baking sheet covered and put them on right before serving and if you see that the sugar has dissolved some then you can toss them in a little more sugar before topping.
Anna says
Made this last Christmas for a party and it was a GIGANTIC hit!! We took what was left home (which mind you, wasn’t much!) and my husband who is not a big sweet person, informed me that I will need to make this every Christmas from here on out!! And maybe once in a while during the year too!! He bragged about this for weeks afterwards at how good it was!! So thank you for giving us this amazing recipe that will probably end up being my signature dessert every Christmas!! SOOOOO delicious and almost too pretty to eat….almost!!
LyubaB says
Awesome! I love hearing this and I am so glad everyone loved it! 🙂
Angela says
I used frozen cranberries for the jam and it turned out great
LyubaB says
Yay! I love hearing that!
Alee says
Hi! I made this for my family they actually loved it! I’m surprised though it might be too sweet but nope I’m wrong!! I want to make it again but wondering can I use frozen cranberries instead fresh cranberries?
LyubaB says
Yes, you can just make sure to defrost them first.
Karen Spencer says
Could raspberries be substituted for cranberries to make this a summer dessert as well?
LyubaB says
Hi Karen,
Yes, you can use raspberries or even blueberries and it would be really good. You can look over my raspberry cheesecake or blueberry cheesecake to get an idea of how to make the jam. I will post both links below in this comment.
https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/white-chocolate-raspberry-swirl-cheesecake/
https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/white-chocolate-blueberry-cheesecake/
Angela Sheldon says
I made this it was a great success
LyubaB says
Yay! Glad you liked it!
Gaby T says
The cheesecake part was good. I like the bottom and top layer of the cranberry jelly. However I found the optional candid cranberries too much, too many. Also, I was not a fan of the white chocolate topping. It was good but didn’t appreciate the whipped topping. I wouldn’t liked a more cheese cheese finish.