Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)
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 Recipe (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 fine white granulated sugar or caster 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.)
Cheesecake:
- 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
Notes
- Without topping: This is the best way to freeze it is without frosting or sugared cranberries. Bake and cool the cheesecake, skip the mousse and cranberries, wrap air-tight in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then add the topping and decorations.
Nutrition
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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I just looked at this recipe can you thaw frozen cranberries?
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
Hi Vanessa,
You can make this up to 2 days in advance but add the frosting right before serving it.
This looks so good! Do you use this jam for anything else? Looks like it would be good on Brie!
Using it on Brie is a great idea! I also like it on top of cream cheese with crackers like you would use pepper jelly.
Is there a way to make this with a gluten free crust? Or can it be made with no crust and just put the cranberry jam on top of cheesecake?
You can buy gf graham crackers:)
Had rave reviews about this cheesecake …will make it again!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Can this be frozen ahead of time like other cheesecakes, prior to adding the white chocolate mousse on top?
Hi Leah,
Yes, you can! Just be sure to seal it well before freezing and let it thaw out completely before you add it. I hope you enjoy it!
Can this be frozen ahead of time like other cheesecakes, prior to adding the white chocolate mousse on top?
Made this cheesecake tonight for Thanksgiving. I had trouble with the jam. It was very thick and hard to spread on the Graham crust. I feel like I should have doubled that part of the recipe, and I had to add a bit of water, and a drop or two of vanilla to give it a more spreadable consistency. Can’t wait to try it. It looks beautiful!
I hope you liked it, Dorothy!
This looks delicious, and I’ll definitely be making it this holiday season! I was wondering however 1. how many slices you get out of it and 2. if I would be able to half it– theres only 3 of us in my family and that’s a lotta cheesecake haha! 🙂
Hi Emma,
It really depends on how you slice it, if you cut it into pretty generous portions you will get 8 slices but if you cut it into smaller portions you can get up to 16 slices. The biggest problem with halving the recipe is going to be the springform so if you can find a 6-inch springform pan that may work. I hope this helps and you enjoy the cheesecake! 🙂
Lovely cheesecake recipe! I can’t wait to try it.
Thank you! I hope you like it! 🙂
Hi Radwa,
I hope you like it! 🙂
Hi Lyubab
Jennifer again
I am preparing to make the cheesecake tomorrow with the raspberries instead of the cranberries wondering if I would use the same amount of sugar I’m in the jam so 16 ounces of raspberries one cup of sugar half a tablespoon of vanilla?
Thank-you!
Hi
Made this cheesecake for Christmas and loved it.
Would like to make with raspberries and milk chocolate.
Wondering if you have made this way and what modifications I would need to make
Thank-you
Hi Jennifer,
I am so glad you loved it! I have not made it with raspberries or milk chocolate but you shouldn’t have to make any modifications besides switching out the 2 ingredients.
I made this with raspberries instead of cranberries and its officially the house favorite dish. I was thinking of making this but in small jars. Do you think the recipe will translate well that way?
Hi! I’m so glad you liked it and I’m happy raspberries worked well 🙂
As far as cheesecake in the jars, are you planning on baking it no-bake cheesecake or you want to actually bake the cheesecake in the jars? Regular mason jars are not oven-safe because the glass is not tempered, so don’t bake in them. So if you want to bake in small jars, make sure that they are labeled as oven safe!
If you want to do no-bake cheesecake, you will need to eliminate eggs and cornstarch. Besides those two, you can do the recipe as a no-bake and refer to this no-bake cheesecake if you wish: https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/strawberry-no-bake-cheesecake
I really hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions 🙂
I see this but waiting for family tonight to try it. I will say that I feel like I would make more cranberry jam next time but will see when I cut into it if there is enough. Or I may do as others did and use all the jam part for the top of the cheesecake. I also had to use the canned whipped cream as I couldn’t get cool whip. Hopefully it won’t be too thin and will hold up. After it sets a bit in the fridge. I’ll let you know how everyone likes it. Definitely easier to make in stages and over a day or so.
I made this cheesecake for a family Christmas dinner. It was delicious, creamy and pretty. My family said they want me to make this every year. I didn’t put a thick layer of the cranberry jam in the cheesecake just in case someone didn’t like cranberries. I will definitely be making the cheesecake again and I look forward to try blueberries instead of cranberries with it too.
Hi, Carla! So glad you liked it! 🙂
I made this cheesecake and while it was delicious I feel like there are two things other cooks should know: 1) I would not put half the cranberry jam on top of the graham crust. When I did that the sugar in the jam soaked into the crust and made it a hard mass that was hard to cut through and stuck to the pan. 2) When you make the candied cranberries it’s imperative that you dry them *just* enough so that they’re still wet enough that the sugar will stick to them, but not so wet that the sugar will melt.
Otherwise it tasted delicious and you can use whipped cream instead of Cool Whip in the topping no problem.
Thank you for saying that it comes out will using whipped cream. I was wondering, since I don’t like using non-dairy topping.
Love this cake!! Huge hit. Family was talking about it for days after Christmas Eve. I followed the recipe except I used wht chocolate morsels. It came out super yummy. And it looked so festive!! I wanted to post my picture…. but couldn’t figure it out
Hi, Vickie! Thank you for sharing with me how much your family liked it!
It turned out perfect! Big hit for Christmas. The only complaint was there wasn’t more!
Thanks, Sheri! 🙂
This cheesecake got rave reviews. As soon as the first person tasted it and said the it was the best cheesecake ever, everyone had to try it … just crumbs left! Even my lactose intolerant niece’s willpower didn’t resist after all of the Oh’s and Mmmmm’s! Thanks for the recipe, my family will definitely be requesting I make this year after year!!!
Hi, Sandra! I am so glad you and your family loved it! Thank you for the lovely comment! 🙂
This was our 1st time trying to make a specific cheesecake. The directions were terrific and the cheesecake was exquisite.
Awe, thank you Mark! So glad you liked it! 🙂