This easy raspberry cheesecake recipe is a perfect dessert. The combination of creamy, luxurious cheesecake filling and sweet, bright raspberry sauce is simply sublime. You’ll have delicious raspberry flavor in every bite because the sauce is swirled into the batter itself, not just used as a topping.
Another amazing thing about my raspberry swirl cheesecake recipe is you don’t need a water bath! I have all the tips and tricks so your cheesecake is always crack-free without having to worry about water seeping into the pan. For more cheesecake recipes, try my blueberry cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, and lemon cheesecake.
Ingredients
Raspberries — you need fresh or frozen raspberries for the raspberry puree sauce.
Sugar — granulated sugar sweetens the raspberry sauce as well as the cheesecake filling.
Lemon juice — lemon juice helps to break down the raspberries and also adds a bright flavor to the berry sauce.
Cornstarch — cornstarch acts as a thickener for the berries.
Crust — for the simple graham cracker crust, you need graham cracker crumbs, unsalted butter, sugar, and salt.
Cream cheese — use full-fat brick-style cream cheese, not the spreadable or whipped kind that comes in a tub.
Sour cream — full-fat sour cream adds a slight tang that balances the sweetness and it adds to the creamy consistency.
Vanilla — use good vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Eggs — eggs help to bind the ingredients in the cheesecake batter to form a smooth, luxurious filling.
How To Make Raspberry Cheesecake
1. Stir together the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat until saucy, then reduce to low heat.
2. In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by whisking cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of water. Pour into the raspberry mixture, then increase to medium heat. Cook until slightly thickened and remove from the heat.
3. Immediately strain the sauce thoroughly through a fine mesh strainer and discard any solids. Set the sauce aside to cool to room temperature.
4. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, 6 tablespoons melted butter, sugar, and salt until the mixture looks like wet sand and holds together when pinched.
5. Pour the crust mixture into the prepared springform pan. Using a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup, press the crumbs into an even layer along the bottom and 1½ to 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool on a wire rack while you make the cheesecake filling.
6. Place the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium-low speed until creamy and smooth. Add the sour cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low until the mixture is combined, then increase to medium-low and beat until the mixture is completely smooth.
7. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed until fully combined between each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
8. Pour about half the batter into the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer. Drizzle ¼ cup of the raspberry sauce evenly over the batter. Swirl with a toothpick or wooden skewer.
9. Gently pour the remaining batter over the top, starting at the edges and pouring in a circular motion towards the center. Drizzle another ¼ cup of the raspberry sauce evenly over the batter. You will have leftover sauce, which you can refrigerate and use later for serving.
10. Swirl just the surface with the wooden skewer. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and continue baking for another 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges of the filling are just slightly puffed and the center wobbles slightly when gently shaken. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour. Then, remove the raspberry cheesecake and let it cool at room temperature for another hour. Lastly, refrigerate it for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days before serving.
No Water Bath Needed
This cheesecake recipe does not require a water bath. I have developed it specifically to work without the hassle! If you are concerned and want some extra insurance against cracking, you can put a casserole dish of hot water on the bottom oven rack with your cheesecake on the rack above it. This will add extra moisture to the oven without placing your pan in a water bath and risking water seeping into your cheesecake crust.
How To Avoid Cracking
- Use room temperature ingredients: Bring the eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese to room temperature so they are easier to incorporate without over-mixing. If the eggs are cold, they can cause the other ingredients to firm up, leading to a lumpy filling.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Over-mixing incorporates too much air into the batter, which will cause the cheesecake to puff up too much in the oven and then sink as it cools, leading to cracks.
- Cool the cheesecake properly: You can’t rush the cooling process. Let the raspberry cheesecake cool in the oven (turned off) with the door closed for 1 hour, then at room temperature for 1 hour, and lastly in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Drastic, quick changes in temperature can cause the filling to seize and crack.
You can find even more tips and tricks to making a crack-free cheesecake in my classic cheesecake recipe!
How To Serve
- You’ll have leftover raspberry sauce, which you can drizzle over the top as a raspberry topping.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
- For a decadent option, drizzle with dark chocolate ganache or white chocolate ganache.
How To Make Ahead
Since raspberry cheesecake keeps well in the refrigerator or freezer, it’s an excellent make-ahead recipe!
Refrigerating: Let the raspberry cheesecake cool completely at room temperature and leave it in the pan. Place a tea towel or paper towels on top of the springform pan to catch any potential condensation, which will mar the surface of the cheesecake. Wrap the whole cheesecake pan tightly with plastic wrap to prevent it from absorbing any odors from the refrigerator. Chill for up to 2 days before serving.
You can also make just the raspberry sauce up to 2 days ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing: Once the raspberry cheesecake has chilled, wrap the whole pan in a layer or two of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before digging in.
You can also slice the cheesecake and freeze individual slices. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- You can use fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries for the sauce. Eighteen ounces is about 3¾ cups of raspberries. If using frozen, you do not need to thaw them first.
- It is important to strain the sauce while it is still very hot. As it cools, the sauce will thicken, making it harder to strain out the seeds.
- Avoid large dollops of sauce on top. When drizzling the last layer of raspberry sauce on top of the batter before swirling, try to avoid making large pools or dollops of it. I typically dollop ½ to 1 teaspoon or so at a time and then swirl the sauce. Large amounts in one spot can cause the sauce to sink during baking and crack the filling when the cheesecake is cooling.
- For neat slices, warm a sharp, non-serrated knife with hot water and then dry it before slicing the raspberry cheesecake, and wipe off the knife between slices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but keep in mind the flavor and texture won’t be quite the same as making a fresh raspberry sauce. Thin the jam out slightly and brighten the flavor by mixing 1 cup seedless raspberry jam with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Feel free to swap the graham crackers for Biscoff cookies, Nilla wafers, chocolate graham crackers, or Oreos (it will taste similar to my Oreo pie crust).
Store leftover raspberry cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
If you’ve tried this raspberry cheesecake recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or handheld electric mixer
- Wire mesh strainer
Ingredients
For the Raspberry Sauce:
- 18 ounces raspberries (510g)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the Crust:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (180g)
- 6 to 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (70 to 113g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- 3 (8-ounce/226g) blocks cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature, (120g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
For the Raspberry Sauce:
- In a small saucepan, stir to combine the raspberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to break up the raspberries, for 8 to 10 minutes, until bubbling and saucy. Reduce the heat to low.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of water until completely dissolved.
- While stirring the raspberry sauce, pour in the cornstarch mixture and stir well to combine. Increase the heat to medium and allow the mixture to return to a simmer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Immediately strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Stir vigorously with a spoon to push the sauce through the sieve and remove the seeds. Set the sauce aside to cool to room temperature. (You should have about 1 cup.)
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir to combine the graham cracker crumbs, 6 tablespoons (70g) melted butter, sugar, and salt until the mixture looks like wet sand and holds together when pinched. (If the mixture feels dry or loses shape when released from the pinch, stir in more melted butter 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 2 tablespoons.)
- Pour the crust mixture into the prepared springform pan. Using a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup, press the crumbs into an even layer along the bottom and 1½ to 2 inches up the side of the pan.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden and aromatic. Let cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
For the Filling:
- Place the cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, salt, and vanilla. Beat on low until the mixture is combined, then increase to medium-low and beat until the mixture is completely smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to remove any lumps of cream cheese, and beat once more until smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed until fully combined between each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Pour about half the batter into the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer. Drizzle ¼ cup of the raspberry sauce evenly over the batter. Swirl with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Gently pour the remaining batter over the top, starting at the edges and pouring in a circular motion towards the center. (This helps to keep the raspberry sauce underneath evenly dispersed.) Drizzle another ¼ cup of the raspberry sauce evenly over the batter. Swirl just the surface with the wooden skewer.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and continue baking for another 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges of the filling are just slightly puffed and the center wobbles lightly when gently shaken.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake and let cool at room temperature for another hour, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days before serving. (If refrigerating for several days, loosely cover after the cheesecake is completely chilled.)
- Serve with extra fresh raspberries and a drizzle of the remaining sauce, if you like.
Notes
- You can use fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries for the sauce. Eighteen ounces is about 3¾ cups of raspberries. If using frozen, you do not need to thaw them first.
- It is important to strain the sauce while it is still very hot. As it cools, the sauce will thicken, making it harder to strain out the seeds.
- Avoid large dollops of sauce on top. When drizzling the last layer of raspberry sauce on top of the batter before swirling, try to avoid making large pools or dollops of it. I typically dollop ½ to 1 teaspoon or so at a time and then swirl the sauce. Large amounts in one spot can cause the sauce to sink during baking and crack the filling when the cheesecake is cooling.
- For neat slices, warm a sharp, non-serrated knife with hot water and then dry it before slicing the raspberry cheesecake, and wipe off the knife between slices.
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