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
Linda Day says
This year when I made this I wrapped my pan using the extra wide aluminum foil, which helped as there are no holes anywhere and then I put the cheesecake inside a crock pot liner. I then put the water on the outside of that. Not one drop of water got anywhere near my cheesecake!!!
LyubaB says
Yay! I am so glad it turned out well, Linda!
Jennifer Williams says
Somehow my water bath seeped water through the foil into my cheesecake when I baked it on Christmas Eve, but even still, this was THE MOST DELICIOUS CHEESECAKE I’VE EVER HAD!!! Thankfully you couldn’t see the water damage too much from the outside, so it still looked beautiful! This is our new Christmas dessert!!!
LyubaB says
I’m glad it still turned out good sometimes if you have an older spring form pan it won’t seal as well maybe that is what happened.
Terry says
This is probably one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever tasted. Definitely the best I’ve ever made!!
Such a great combination of flavors and a gorgeous presentation.
The star of the dessert table for sure!!!
LyubaB says
Wow! Thank you for such a kind complement!
Robin Warnberg says
Wonderful and gorgeous. Made for Christmas dinner and it was hugely appreciated! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe ❤️
LyubaB says
You’re so welcome! I am so pleased you liked it!
Tracie says
Amazing! Made recipe as it was written! Best Christmas Cheesecake ever! My family loves cranberry everything and they loved this!
LyubaB says
Awesome! So glad you liked it, Tracie!
Anna D. says
This is my second year making this amazing cheesecake. S the flavor is to die for but both years the crust turns out soggy on the sides and it seems to leak cranberry fluid. I read the recipe for a like a week ahead, plan out the steps, follow it to the letter and cannot figure out why it does this!! It tastes awesome!, but just doesn’t look so pretty on the sides!! I even thought it was my springform pan letting water in so i bought a new one AND wrapped it in foil. I used 4 layers of foil this year and there was still water inside the foil when i removed it! What am I doing wrong?
Melissa King says
Is it ok to freeze this cheesecake? If so, should you wait until the day you want to serve it to add the white chocolate mousse?
LyubaB says
You can freeze this cheesecake, I would wait till day of if possible to add mousse!
Theresa Beanblossom says
I made this for Christmas Eve. It was a hit!
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it!
Sheri says
Can’t figure out how to attach a picture.
Sheri says
Made this for our family Christmas dinner today. It wasn’t hard at all and the batter tasted phenomenal so I’m hoping it tastes as good as that.I am excited to share it with everyone. I don’t have my frosting bags/tips because we recently moved and it’s all still in storage so I used a baggie and cut a corner; it’s not nearly as pretty as the others but it was the best I could do. My candied cranberries also don’t look as pretty as others, not sure why.
Peggy Jackson says
I have to be doing something very wrong. Yhr cranvlberry jam calls for 1 cup sugar, berries and vanilla. No liquid. So of course I scorched it. What is wrong? If appreciate any help. Thanks!
Lela says
I would try lowering the heat. If you add liquid it will be too runny.
MARY says
I just finished making this for Christmas day. It looks delicious. It was not very hard to make. I taste tested every different part and they were great separately. I bet they will be amazing all together.
LyubaB says
Thanks, Mary! Glad you liked it!