Raspberry Cheesecake
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My raspberry cheesecake recipe features a light, tangy cream cheese filling and is topped with a refreshing homemade raspberry sauce. No water bath needed!
Why I love this raspberry cheesecake
The three glorious months that raspberries are in season (and they don’t cost over $5 a pint), I load up on them to make my favorite raspberry dessert: raspberry cheesecake.
I originally wanted to fold the raspberries directly into the cheesecake, but they bled into the filling, making the texture a little too wet for my liking. A raspberry topping solved that problem. As the cheesecake chills, some of the sauce naturally seeps into the filling, adding raspberry flavor throughout while keeping the cheesecake smooth and creamy. A few more things that make it special:
- Use fresh OR frozen raspberries. I prefer fresh raspberries, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t use frozen raspberries in a pinch (aka anytime outside of summer).
- Surprisingly easy to make. No fancy kitchen gadgets are needed, and the whole thing comes together in a few simple steps. No water bath is needed.
- That sauce! Do yourself a favor and double-batch that raspberry sauce so you can use it on everything (my partner loves it over pancakes or waffles).
★★★★★ REVIEW
“A go-to dessert in my household. The raspberry topping balances the sweet cheesecake perfectly.” – Bridie
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Pie crust. Use a store-bought or homemade pie crust (included in the recipe card below), graham cracker crust, or even a chocolate crust! Blind bake it if needed.
- Cream cheese. Use a good-quality, full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature. If you forget to let it come to room temperature, microwave it unwrapped for 15 seconds.
- Sour cream. I used sour cream to add a nice tangy element to the filling. It also balances out the richness. Like the cream cheese, full-fat is best.
- Sugar. To sweeten and stabilize the filling.
- Vanilla extract. Because I’m not adding raspberries to the base, some vanilla gives it a nice, subtle flavor.
- Eggs. To bind the filling and give the cheesecake a silky smooth texture. Room-temperature eggs prevent the cream cheese from firming up. I just remove them from the fridge 30 minutes beforehand.
For the raspberry sauce:
- Raspberries. Use fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries thawed overnight.
- Cornstarch. To thicken the raspberry sauce.
- Sugar. To sweeten the sauce and break down the berries.
How to make a raspberry cheesecake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the filing. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and sugar and beat until smooth, then add the vanilla. Fold in the eggs until combined.
Step 2- Bake. Transfer the batter to the pie crust. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the edges are set and the middle is slightly jiggly. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely.
Step 3- Make the sauce. In a food processor or blender, add 1 1/2 cups of raspberries with cornstarch and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and add sugar. Cook over medium heat until thick. Remove from the heat and add the remaining raspberries.
Step 4- Assemble. Spread the sauce over the cheesecake and refrigerate overnight.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t overmix. Beat the ingredients until smooth and combined, but no further. Overmixing can incorporate excess air into the batter, which may lead to cracks as the cheesecake bakes.
- Cracks in the cheesecake? That probably happened because there were bubbles in the batter, but don’t worry! The raspberry sauce will cover them.
- Let the cheesecake cool completely. The cheesecake needs to be completely cooled before adding the raspberry sauce, but you can place it in the fridge to speed up cooling.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. I often make the sauce a day or two before baking the cheesecake. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, then spoon it over the cheesecake once it has fully chilled.
The cheesecake is ready to come out of the oven when the edges are firm and turning golden brown, and the middle still wobbles slightly. The cake will firm up completely and become velvety smooth as it sets overnight.
Raspberry Cheesecake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Graham cracker pie crust * see notes
- 4 cups cream cheese softened, 900g
- 1 cup sour cream 240g
- 1 1/3 cups sugar 265g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs whisked
Raspberry sauce
- 22 ounces raspberries divided, 625g
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch 16g
- 1 cup sugar 200g
Instructions
- Prepare the pie crust or use a store-bought crust.
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and sugar and beat until smooth, then add the vanilla. Gently fold in the eggs until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the pie crust. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the edges are set, and the middle is still slightly jiggly.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool completely.
- In a food processor or blender, add around 1 1/2 cups of the raspberries with cornstarch and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and add the sugar. Cook over medium heat for around 15 minutes, until thick.
- Remove from the heat and add the remaining raspberries. Let the mixture cool for completely, stirring regularly throughout.
- Spread the sauce over the cheesecake and refrigerate overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
More cheesecakes to try
Originally published July 2023
Fabulous topping! I did not make the cheesecake.
Thanks Sherri! Let us know if you try the raspberry sauce with the cheesecake, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
This will become my favourite deseert. Raspberries, cheesecake, cracker base-wow.
Wow this is Valentines deseert, with so much red colour!
Can I substitute agave syrup or honey for the granulated sugar? Would it be the same amount?
Haven’t tried! Feel free to experiment and see.
Can I bake the raspberry sauce into the cheesecake?
Hi Lorelei, you can definitely bake some in, but I wouldn’t use too much as it will change the consistency of the batter and it might not set as well. I would let the sauce cool and then spoon a few dollops into the mix, then use a knife or toothpick to swirl the sauce through. That should be fine. Let us know how you go!
Seems very healthy and easy desert. I could make this for my parents.