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
Kelly says
I would prefer not to use Cool Whip. Would it change the consistency if I whipped my own cream and added it in place of the CW?
LyubaB says
It will be thinner that’s why I used coolwhip but you can do Your own whip cream but it will be thinner and lighter you could also use my cream cheese frosting.
Lois says
For the cranberry jam what is the measurement for the water? Sorry I didn’t see it in the ingredients part of it. Not sure how much water to put.
Betty says
Water is not needed for the jam. Just combine the cranberries, sugar and vanilla and cook on med to low heat stirring. It comes together fairly quickly
Bitsy Cavanaugh Rapp says
Thinking about making. I like a crispy crust. Could you bake graham crust, cool, then proceed with recipe?
LyubaB says
Hi Bitsy,
Even if you bake your graham cracker crust it’s still going to get moist because it is going to be covered with the cheesecake fillings, so you can try it but I don’t think you will get a crispy crust with a cheesecake.
Rachel Ortego says
CAn this be made ahead of time and frozen, except for decorative cranberries
Tisha says
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it a couple times and just looking it up to make again. No matter the skill level the candied cranberries make it a beautiful presentation. The tart and sweet combo is PERFECT! Thank you for sharing!
Suzette518 says
Looks beautiful and delicious! How long do the candied cranberries keep and how do you store them?
LyubaB says
I would wait to make and add the sugar cranberries to the top until the day of just for the best presentation as the sugar on them may dissolve overnight. It will still taste the same but won’t be as pretty.
Marianne says
Oh my goodness ! This cake looks Luscious.. Is there ANOTHER FRUIT JAM I could use ???
THANKS, in advance,
LyubaB says
Hi Marianne,
You could make the jam with raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries.
Ann Marie says
What do you think of cherries? Probably frozen
LyubaB says
I think that would work okay just defrost them before hand and pat them dry before following the rest of the steps.
Lil says
i always use a cookie crust for my cheesecakes because l do not like graham crackers will they work here
LyubaB says
Yes, that should work fine for this recipe.
Deb Jones says
I am a bit confused with the baking instructions for the cheesecake, do I really turn the oven off after 35-40 minutes? My fear is that the cheesecake will be semi-raw. Also, you did not address the mention that there might be an unnecessarily large amount of butter in the crust which then oozes out and makes the crust too soft and messy.
Doreen says
Theses recipes are too die-for do not miss out 👍
LyubaB says
Aw, thank you so much, Doreen! 🙂
Denise says
Can I use fresh strawberries instead of cranberries? Would I make the jam the same way? I want to make this for my parent’s 60th anniversary. Thanks!!
LyubaB says
Hi Denise,
I think you can make it as I did with strawberries instead of cranberries. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Teresa Scanlon says
Love love this. I made it for thanksgiving and now I make it for friends birthday. And family. Beat recipe ever.
LyubaB says
Thank you, Teresa!