This No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake has the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors! It’s a smooth, creamy, luscious cheesecake that doesn’t require a water bath or a hot oven. I think my favorite part might just be the vibrant cranberry sauce that’s spread all across the top!
Enjoy more of the very best no bake cheesecake recipes like No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake, No Bake Peppermint Bark Cheesecake and No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake.
Table of Contents
- Why we love this No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake:
- No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake Ingredients:
- How to make No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake
- Recipe Tip
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to store No Bake Cheesecake
- Can I freeze leftover cheesecake?
- More cranberry dessert recipes you’ll love!
- No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe
With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, there’s no better time to stock up on recipes like this No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake! It’s easy to make, delicious, and always a huge hit at holiday gatherings.
Let’s be real – on a crazy busy holiday, no one wants to fuss over one particular recipe while there are a million other things going on. That’s why I LOVE a good no bake cheesecake recipe! It’s as stress-free as it can be.
This no bake cheesecake with cranberry sauce is a real winner. I’ve made it for several holidays and every time it disappears even quicker than the pumpkin pie. Yes, really!
Why we love this No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake:
- No Bake: Nothing beats a no bake cheesecake! You get all of the cheesecake goodness you love with none of the stress.
- Festive: A thick layer of cranberry sauce sits atop the cheesecake. To me, it practically screams Thanksgiving and Christmas!
- Sweet and Tart: The tart cranberries are balanced beautifully by the sweet white chocolate no bake cheesecake.
No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake Ingredients:
- Graham Crumbs: I like to crush them finely (or buy them crushed in a bag) so there are no large pieces left.
- White Chocolate: Any brand will do the trick, so just use your favorite! Try not to use chocolate chips as they are designed not to melt smoothly.
- Melted Butter: I prefer using unsalted butter to avoid a salty crust.
- Cream: Do NOT try to substitute the heavy cream with any other dairy! It will not whip fully.
- Cornstarch: This is what makes the cranberry sauce nice and thick.
- Vanilla: I always try to use pure vanilla extract (not imitation) when possible.
- Cranberries: They can be fresh or frozen, either is just fine.
- Cream Cheese: For the best thick and creamy consistency, be sure to use regular cream cheese – not low fat!
- Sugars: You’ll need BOTH powdered sugar (for the no bake cheesecake) and white granulated sugar (for the cranberry sauce).
How to make No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake
Take a quick look at just how easy this no bake cranberry cheesecake recipe is! For more information on the entire process, just scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Line a springform pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the graham crumbs and melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of the pan.
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and keep beating until smooth.
- Add the melted white chocolate and beat until combined.
- Beat the remaining 1 cup cream until peaks form. Add to the cream cheese and fold in with a spatula until combined.
- Spread into prepared crust and refrigerate.
- Make the cranberry sauce.
- Spread the cranberry sauce all over the cheesecake and refrigerate.
Recipe Tip
You need to give it time to chill. If you’re serving this with a holiday dinner, you might want to prepare it in the morning (or the day before) so it has time to chill. Note that you don’t want to let it sit much more than 24 hours though, because the crust can start to get a little soggy.
Variations and Substitutions
- Change the crust: Get creative and swap the graham cracker crumbs with crushed cookies like Biscoff or gingersnaps! Chocolate baking crumbs also work well.
- Make it chocolatey: This recipe is based on my No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake, so feel free to switch the white chocolate for milk or dark chocolate if preferred.
- Swap the berries: If you’re feeling summery, you can swap the cranberries with strawberries, blueberries, or any other berry you like best. Just note that those berries may release more juices, so you’ll want to increase the amount of the cornstarch slurry.
How to store No Bake Cheesecake
You can store this no bake cranberry cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days (if it will last that long!).
The crust may get softer as it sits, but it will still be incredible.
Can I freeze leftover cheesecake?
Yes! In fact, I often like to slice my no bake cheesecakes when they’re half-thawed so the slices are cleaner. Just note that the crust may soften a little bit once frozen. In an airtight container in the freezer, this no bake cheesecake will keep for up to 3 months.
More cranberry dessert recipes you’ll love!
- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies — perfectly chewy!
- Cranberry Bliss Bars — a Christmas favorite.
- Cranberry White Chocolate Fudge — back again with one of my favorite Christmas flavor combos.
- Orange Cranberry Bread — a festive breakfast or dessert!
No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups graham crumbs
- ½ cup melted butter
- 200 grams good quality white chocolate (or about 1 ¼ cups chopped small)
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream (divided), cold
- 3 packages cream cheese (750 grams or 24oz total), room temperature
- 1½ cups powdered sugar (about 190 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cranberry Sauce
- 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
- Line a 9"m springform pan with parchment (I pinch it in between the two pieces for easy removal).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the graham crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In another medium bowl, combine chocolate and ½ cup cream and microwave in 30-45 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted and smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat again until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the melted white chocolate and beat on low speed until combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup cream on high until stiff peaks form. Add to the cream cheese and fold in with a spatula or beat on low speed until combined.
- Spread into prepared crust and refrigerate.
Cranberry Sauce
- In a large skillet, stir together cranberries, ½ cup water and sugar.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until it reaches a low simmer, then reduce heat to medium. Cook until sugar is dissolved and cranberries have softened slightly, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon water and corn starch. Add to the simmering liquid and stir vigorously until thickened. (You can mix up additional corn starch slurry if it is not as thick as you would like).
- Taste the sauce and adjust sweetness to your tastes as desired (I like my sauce a little tart since the cheesecake is sweet).
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before spreading over the cheesecake.
- Continue chilling for a minimum of 8 hours total, or overnight, before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Graham crumbs: you can substitute the graham crumbs with any hard baking crumb or crushed cookie — try Biscoff, gingersnaps, or chocolate baking crumbs.
- White chocolate: again, since this recipe is based on my No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake, any flavor of chocolate can be used — try dark chocolate for a change!
- Cream: the heavy whipping cream cannot be substituted with light cream or cool whip. We need the stiff peaks to make the cheesecake hold up, and whipped topping is too soft and too sweet to use in this recipe.
- Cranberries: feel free to use any frozen berry you like! Some may release more liquid, so in that case you will want to increase the corn starch mixture.
Nutrition Information
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Paulette says
Hi, Ashley. Can you substitute a stabilized whipped cream recipe instead of using a regular whipped cream recipe.
Thanks
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely!
Claudia Colella says
Can you substitute cream cheese with ricotta cheese?
Ashley Fehr says
No I wouldn’t recommend it
Adriana says
My family loved this!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing!
Susan Williams says
Cannot save this recipe
Ashley Fehr says
If you click the heart button you can create an account and save it.