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Cranberry Cheesecake with White Chocolate Mousse and Sugared Cranberries Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 57 reviews

This luscious Cranberry Cheesecake combines a creamy, smooth cream cheese filling swirled with a homemade tart cranberry jam, all set on a buttery graham cracker crust. Topped with a delicate white chocolate mousse and decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary, this festive dessert is perfect for holiday celebrations or any special occasion, offering a beautiful balance of sweet and tart flavors.

Ingredients

Scale

Cranberry Filling

  • 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (divided)
  • 1 cup water
  • 8–10 sprigs fresh rosemary

Crust

  • 2 1/4 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons salted butter (melted)

Cheesecake Filling

  • 24 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 (4-ounce) bar white chocolate (chopped)

White Chocolate Mousse Topping

  • 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Chopped white chocolate (melted, from the 4-ounce bar above)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cranberry Filling: Combine 12 ounces of cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir frequently until cranberries burst and mixture thickens around 10-15 minutes. Add extra water if mixture sticks. Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and cool completely. Can be made up to two weeks ahead and refrigerated.
  2. Make Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary: Boil 1 cup water with 1 1/2 cups sugar until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, soak fresh cranberries in syrup for 1-2 minutes, strain and spread on parchment or wire rack to dry. Soak rosemary sprigs in syrup similarly, drain, and dry separately. Once tacky after 1-2 hours, toss both cranberries and rosemary in granulated sugar to coat. Store airtight or use immediately.
  3. Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Pulse graham crackers in food processor until finely crushed. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture firmly into pan, halfway up sides. Bake for 10 minutes to set crust. Remove and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
  4. Make Cheesecake Filling: Beat softened cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and flour until smooth using a mixer. Add sour cream, heavy cream, and 2 teaspoons vanilla; mix well, scraping bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing gently and scraping bowl between additions to avoid overmixing.
  5. Assemble Cheesecake Layers: Pour half the batter over crust. Dollop half the cooled cranberry jam by spoonfuls over batter, swirling gently with a knife. Pour remaining batter over this, then dollop and swirl remaining cranberry jam on top.
  6. Bake Cheesecake: Place cheesecake on middle rack of preheated 325°F oven. Set a large pan of very hot water on rack below to create a water bath. Bake 55-60 minutes until edges are set and center slightly jiggly. Turn off oven, crack door open, cool 10 minutes, then loosen edges with a thin knife. Leave cheesecake in oven 20-30 minutes to cool gently. Remove and cool fully at room temperature.
  7. Chill Cheesecake: Refrigerate the cooled cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight to fully set.
  8. Prepare White Chocolate Mousse: Melt chopped white chocolate in microwave at 50% power in 20-30 second bursts, stirring until smooth. Beat 4 ounces softened cream cheese until smooth, add melted white chocolate and mix until combined. Separately, whip 1/2 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into white chocolate mixture gently until well combined.
  9. Assemble Final Cheesecake: Remove cheesecake from springform pan and transfer to serving plate. Spread white chocolate mousse evenly over cheesecake surface to edges. Decorate with sugared rosemary sprigs arranged in a wreath around the border and pile sugared cranberries on top as desired.

Notes

  • You can prepare the cranberry filling and sugared cranberry decorations up to two weeks in advance to save time.
  • Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing and smooth texture.
  • Do not overmix after adding eggs to prevent cracking during baking.
  • The water bath helps prevent cracking and ensures even baking.
  • Allow cheesecake to chill completely to set properly before adding mousse topping for best results.
  • Sugared cranberries add a festive tangy crunch and work well as garnish but may spill when slicing—use as desired.
  • Make sure to cool the cranberry filling fully before swirling into batter to avoid melting the cheesecake batter.

Keywords: cranberry cheesecake, white chocolate mousse, holiday dessert, creamy cheesecake, graham cracker crust, sugared cranberries, festive desserts

Find it online: https://amayaharis.com/cranberry-cheesecake-with-white-chocolate-mousse-and-sugared-cranberries-recipe/