Creamiest White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
White Chocolate Cheesecake has a thick, rich creamy filling and a buttery cookie crumbs crust topped with chocolate shavings and whipped cream. White chocolate cheesecake is a decadent dessert for a special occasion or just a dessert for a family dinner. We love cheesecakes and have a huge collection on our blog, and this Classic New York Cheesecake is one of my favorites.
Ever wonder where white chocolate came from? It was the Nestle Company that accidentally discovered this delicious creamy chocolate in the 1930s. They were trying to make a children’s dietary supplement and mixed vitamin-infused milk powder with cocoa butter to make a solid bar. This was the first white chocolate. Once they realized how delicious it was, Nestle put it on the market as Milkybar, the first white chocolate candy bar in 1936.
Ingredients needed:
For the crust:
- Digestive biscuits: Ground into fine crumbs.
- Melted butter: Unsalted butter is best.
For the white chocolate cheesecake filling:
- Full-fat cream cheese: Room temperature cream cheese.
- Full-fat sour cream: You want full fat to make it extra creamy.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract is best.
- White chocolate: You can use white chocolate chips, baking chocolate, or white chocolate bars. Melt and cool slightly.
- Superfine or caster sugar: Granulated sugar is fine too.
- Cornstarch: Mixed with the sugar to keep it from clumping.
- Large eggs: At room temperature.
Garnish:
- Whipped cream: Make your own with heavy cream and powdered sugar.
- Sliced fresh strawberries: Between whipped cream rosettes.
- White chocolate shavings: In the center.
How to make white chocolate cheesecake from scratch?
Make the cheesecake crust:
- Preheat oven: First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a springform pan with baking paper.
- Make the crust: In the meantime, grind biscuits into fine crumbs with a food processor. Mix with melted butter until it forms a wet-sand texture. Pour it into the pan and press it with your fingers or measuring cup to make a firm crust.
- Bake and cool: Last, bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then, remove it and let it cool slightly.
Make the white chocolate cheesecake filling:
- Turn oven down: Now, turn the oven down to 285 degrees F.
- Make the cheesecake filling: While you wait, mix cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl with a balloon whisk. Mix instead of whip because you do not want it to aerate.
- Mix it all: After, mix the cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl and then add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each one.
- Add melted chocolate: Then, melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the melted white chocolate mixture to the cheesecake batter and stir well until combined and smooth. Transfer the white chocolate cheesecake mixture to the cheesecake crust and smooth out the top.
- Bake cheesecake: Now, place the white chocolate cheesecake on a baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake at 285 degrees F for about 70 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly puffy. The middle should still be jiggly.
- Let cheesecake cool: After, turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature in the turned-off oven with the oven door ajar.
- Cool cheesecake overnight: Once cooled to room temperature, put the white chocolate cheesecake in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight, before taking it off the baking pan. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.
- Cut chilled cheesecake: Once the cheesecake is completely chilled, remove it from the springform pan and put it on a serving plate.
- Decorate: Last, decorate with whipped cream rosettes around the edge separated by slices of strawberries. Add white chocolate shavings to the middle of the cheesecake.
- Slice and serve: Finally, once your white chocolate cheesecake is decorated, slice and serve chilled.
Recipe variations:
- White chocolate raspberry cheesecake: Add fresh raspberries or raspberry sauce to make a white chocolate berry cake.
- Oreo crust: Alternatively, use an Oreo crust and top your baked cheesecake with fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce, or some other fresh berries and sauce.
- Graham crackers: Use graham cracker crumbs for the crust for a graham cracker crust.
- Vanilla bean paste: Instead of vanilla extract, you can use vanilla bean paste for extra vanilla flavor.
- Fat-free: You could use fat-free cream cheese, but the texture and flavor will not be the same.
- No white chocolate: Instead of white chocolate cheesecake, you can use dark chocolate, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate for a different flavor.
Frequently asked questions
What are digestive biscuits?
Digestive biscuits are slightly sweet and hard cookies made with baking soda. They originated in the UK in the 1800s and were named digestive biscuits because the baking soda helps break down food and reduce stomach acid. The other ingredients are gentle on the stomach as well including fine caster sugar and whole wheat flour.
Do I need to use a water bath?
Although you do not have to, you can use a water bath if you want. Just fill a large roasting pan with enough water to reach halfway up the side of the pan. The moisture keeps your cheesecake batter from drying out. However, you can get the same result from baking cheesecake at a low temperature and letting it cool very slowly.
Why is my cheesecake cracked?
First, you have to make sure your ingredients are all at room temperature, especially the eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese. Also, do not overmix your ingredients. Whisk it by hand and do not go fast because it gets too much air. Another thing is, that you have to cook your cake at a low temperature. We used 285 degrees F because it bakes slowly to keep from overbaking. Turn off the oven while the middle is still jiggly and let it cool to room temperature in the oven with the door cracked.
How to store leftovers:
- Store: You can store your leftover white chocolate cheesecake in an airtight container, refrigerated for four to five days.
- Freeze: To freeze your leftover white chocolate cheesecake, wrap it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and then put it in a freezer-safe container. It will last for three months.
- Thaw: Remember to let your frozen leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
More amazing cheesecake recipes to try:
White Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 ¼ cups finely crushed digestive biscuits or graham crackers
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts optional but delicious
White chocolate cheesecake filling:
- 24 oz full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 12 oz high-quality white chocolate melted and cooled until warm
Garnish:
- white chocolate shavings
- whipped cream
- fresh berries
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the crust ingredients, until the mixture resembles wet sand, if needed add a bit more melted butter. Transfer the mixture into the prepared springform pan and, using the flat bottom of a measuring cup, evenly press into the bottom and about 2 inches up around the edge.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and set it aside. Once its cool enough to handle, cover the sides and bottom in aluminum foil to avoid any leaks, or you can just place it in a baking sheet when baking the cheesecake.
White chocolate cheesecake filling:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 285ºF.
- In a large bowl by hand or using a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth. Make sure you beat on low speed, to avoid adding too much air into the batter.
- Next, mix the cornstarch with the sugar in a small bowl, and add the mixture to the cheesecake filling.
- Add the vanilla and mix well until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl from time to time.
- Add the melted white chocolate (NOT HOT) and mix well until fully combined.
- Transfer the white chocolate cheesecake filling to the cheesecake crust and smooth out the top with an offset spatula.
- Bake at 285ºF for 60-70 minutes, or until the edges are fully set and slightly puffed up, and the middle is still a bit wobbly when you shake the pan. Start checking the cheesecake about 10 minutes before the recommended baking time.
- Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to completely cool in the oven with the oven door opened ajar.
- Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the cheesecake into the fridge for at least 4 hours best to stay overnight.
- Before serving, decorate it with whipped cream, fresh berries, and white chocolate shavings.
Nutrition
Recipe tips:
- If you do not have a springform pan, you can use a cake pan with parchment paper that hangs over the edges for lifting it out of the pan after baking cheesecake.
- Use good quality white chocolate for this dessert. Besides cream cheese, white chocolate is the main ingredient and should be the best you can get.
- Another way to melt chocolate is to heat cream in a small saucepan on medium heat. Then, add hot cream to the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and stir until it is melted. Let the ganache cool slightly before adding it to the cream cheese mixture.
- For clean slices, cut your white chocolate cheesecake with a hot knife. Run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry, then slice while the knife is still hot. Repeat after each slice.
- If your cheesecake cracks, you can fill it with chocolate ganache or frosting.
