This strawberry white chocolate cheesecake is a creamy baked white chocolate cheesecake with a strawberry jam topping. The cheesecake sits on a buttery graham cracker crust and has fresh strawberries piled on top! It's packed with flavor and is definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Strawberries and white chocolate is a classic flavor combination, so why not put them in a cheesecake? This strawberry white chocolate cheesecake has a lush baked white chocolate cheesecake filling and a buttery graham cracker crust!
The cheesecake is topped with strawberry jam (or strawberry puree, whatever you prefer) and tastes just like a white chocolate covered strawberry. The tart, fruity topping offsets the richness of the filling perfectly.
For more strawberry recipes, try strawberry snack cake, strawberry crumb cake, strawberry vanilla cake, strawberry icebox cake, or strawberry mousse cups.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Graham cracker crust- The crust is so buttery, crunchy, and flavorful. It goes perfectly with the white chocolate and strawberries.
- Baked white chocolate cheesecake- There are 2 melted white chocolate bars in the filling to pack it with flavor. Tangy cream cheese and sour cream make it not too sweet.
- Fresh strawberries and strawberry jam- Using strawberry jam is a shortcut so you don't have to make your own strawberry glaze or sauce!
Ingredient Notes
Here are notes about some of the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
Ingredients for the crust.
For the cheesecake filling.
- White chocolate- Please use good quality white chocolate bars, not white chocolate chips! Chocolate bars have a better melted texture than chocolate chips. Lindt White Chocolate Bars are my favorite.
- Graham crackers- You'll need 1.5-2 sleeves of graham crackers. Pulverize them in a food processor or crush them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.
- Brown sugar- Light or dark brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the crust. Make sure it's fresh.
- Unsalted butter- This brings the crust together makes it rich. Melt the butter in the microwave before you start.
- Full-fat cream cheese- Use cream cheese that comes in a brick. Cream cheese in a tub is too runny! Take it out of the fridge 2 hours before baking to reach room temperature.
- Vanilla extract- A splash or pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste adds more flavor.
- Cornstarch- This helps the cheesecake batter set up in the oven and prevent cracking.
- Sour cream- Use full fat sour cream to cut through the rich cream cheese. Pull it out of the refrigerator with the cream cheese to reach room temperature.
- Eggs- Large eggs bind all the ingredients together as they bake and add lift. They need to be room temperature, so pull them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Strawberry jam- Use good quality store-bought strawberry jam/preserves or homemade strawberry sauce. This strawberry cake filling makes a great topping!
Substitutions & Variations
- Graham crackers: You can use a different kind of biscuit or cookie to make the crust if you don't have graham crackers, like Oreos, gingersnaps, or Biscoff cookies.
- Sour cream: Plain full-fat Greek yogurt is the best substitute for sour cream.
- To make the cheesecake gluten free, use gluten free graham crackers.
- Feel free to switch out the white chocolate for semi-sweet or dark chocolate.
- Use a different fruit to customize the flavors. Raspberries or blueberries and coordinating jam flavors would be delicious.
Helpful Equipment & Tools
- You need a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper to bake the cheesecake in. This type of pan has latched sides that separate from the bottom so the cheesecake is easy to remove. You can also use pre-cut parchment circles.
- I used an electric hand mixer to prepare the batter, but a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment also works.
Step by Step Instructions
Before you start baking, preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/180ยฐC, spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray, and line it with parchment paper. Pulverize the graham crackers in a blender or food processor or crush them by hand.
STEP 1: First, microwave chopped white chocolate for about 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Let cool slightly while you make the graham cracker crust. Remelt if it solidifies too much.
STEP 2: Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt together in a large mixing. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the graham cracker crumbs are coated in butter.
STEP 3: Firmly press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and lower the heat to 325ยฐF/165ยฐC. Fill a casserole dish or oven-safe skillet with hot water and place it on the bottom rack. This is a "water bath" that creates steam to prevent the cheesecake from cracking.
STEP 4: To make the cheesecake batter, beat the cream cheese and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
STEP 5: Next, beat in the melted white chocolate, vanilla, cornstarch, and salt on low until creamy and smooth. Beat in the sour cream.
STEP 6: Next, beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl after the second and third egg. Mix the batter by hand with a rubber spatula to pop any air bubbles.
STEP 7: Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust. Smooth out the top and place it in on the oven rack directly above the water bath. Bake for 55-70 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the edges are set and the center is puffed and jiggles like Jell-O.
STEP 8: When the cheesecake is done, turn off the oven and crack the door open. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Let cool on top of the oven for another hour, then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 6 hours.
STEP 9: Once completely cool, release the sides of the springform pan. The pan should come off easily, but if it doesn't, gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to pop it off.
Pull off the parchment paper and transfer the cheesecake to a cake stand. Spread 1 cup of strawberry jam or puree on top.
STEP 10: When ready to serve, garnish the cheesecake with fresh strawberries and white chocolate curls or white chocolate chips. Slice and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature cream cheese. Room temperature cream cheese is easier to mix into a smooth batter than cold cream cheese. Plus, extra chunks can cause cracks.
- Cool the melted chocolate. The filling can melt if you add hot melted chocolate. It should feel like warm bath water or cooler.
- Use a water bath. A water bath is essential for this recipe; you can't skip it! The steam and humidity keep the cheesecake from splitting.
- Cool gradually. Since cheesecakes shrink as they cool, you have to cool them gradually. If it goes from hot to cold too quickly, it'll crack.
How to Prevent Cracks
Baking cheesecakes can be daunting due to their tendency to crack, but there are lots of ways to prevent this from happening!
Initially, ensure that the wet ingredients (excluding the eggs) are beaten thoroughly until creamy and lump-free. Any chunks of cream cheese can lead to cracks in the finished cheesecake.
Mix in the eggs at a low speed so excess air isn't added to the batter. Too much air creates large bubbles that cause the cheesecake to rise and fall rapidly as it bakes, ultimately causing cracks.
Possibly the best way to prevent cracks is a water bath! Fill a roasting pan with boiling water and position it on the lower oven rack. Place the cheesecake on the rack above. The steam and humidity created by the hot water prevents the cheesecake from drying out and cracking.
When the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and a let it cool inside with the door cracked open for 1 hour. Then move it on top of the oven to cool for another hour. Going from the hot oven to room temperature too quickly can trigger cracking.
Storage & Freezing
Store this white chocolate strawberry cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. Remove any fresh strawberries on top before storing.
Freezing
You can freeze the whole cheesecake. Make sure the cheesecake is chilled. Then, wrap it in plastic wrap, transfer to an airtight container, and freeze up to 30 days.
Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make mini cheesecakes using a muffin tin! Fill muffin liners with the graham cracker crust and bake at 325ยฐF/165ยฐC for 10 minutes. Then add the filling and bake for 18-20 more minutes. Let cool as instructed in this recipe.
I don't recommend white chocolate chips. They have extra ingredients to help keep their shape and don't melt down as smoothly as white chocolate bars.
Of course! You can top the cheesecake with anything you want, like white chocolate ganache, milk or dark chocolate ganache, salted caramel sauce, or whipped cream.
Other Cheesecakes to Try
๐ Recipe
Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 160 grams graham cracker crumbs about 1 ยฝ sheets
- 73 grams brown sugar light or dark
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 113 grams unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 226 grams chopped white chocolate
- 680 grams full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 140 grams granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 140 grams sour cream room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 300 grams strawberry jam
Instructions
- Before you start, preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/180ยฐC. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray, line with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Microwave chopped white chocolate in a bowl for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Set aside to cool.226 grams chopped white chocolate
- Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt together in a large mixing. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the mixture is coated in butter.160 grams graham cracker crumbs, 73 grams brown sugar, ยผ teaspoon salt, 113 grams unsalted butter
- Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Take the crust out of the oven and lower the heat to 325ยฐF/165ยฐC. Prepare the water bath by filling a roasting pan or oven-safe skillet with hot water and placing on the lowest oven rack.
- For the cheesecake filling, beat cream cheese and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth.680 grams full fat cream cheese, 140 grams granulated sugar
- Beat in the melted chocolate, vanilla, cornstarch, and salt on low until creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat in the sour cream.2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ยผ teaspoon salt, 140 grams sour cream
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after the second and third egg.ย Then mix the batter with a rubber spatula to pop air bubbles.3 large eggs
- Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and smooth out the top. Place on the oven rack above the water bath and bake for 55-70 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the edges are set and the center jiggles like Jell-O.
- When the cheesecake is done, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside with the door cracked open for 1 hour. Transfer to the top of the oven and cool for 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- Once chilled, release the sides of the springform pan. Pull off the parchment paper and transfer to a cake stand. Spread 1 cup of strawberry jam on top.300 grams strawberry jam
- Garnish with fresh strawberries and white chocolate curls or white chocolate chips. Slice and serve!
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