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Treat yourself to a slice of raspberry cheesecake, a decadent and creamy dessert dressed with homemade raspberry sauce!
Do you have a pint of fresh raspberries to use up? Put them to use in this easy raspberry cheesecake recipe!
Raspberries are some of my favorite berries to indulge in throughout the summer. Their tart and bright flavors are fantastic in all kinds of desserts, like these raspberry donuts and raspberry sweet rolls. But their intense flavor is best matched with decadent desserts, like this creamy raspberry cheesecake.
Fresh raspberries are cooked down and transformed into a sweet raspberry sauce, then drizzled over the top of the easy baked cheesecake. The heaviness of the cream cheese filling is beautifully contrasted by the tart and acidic berries, leaving you with a refreshing and well-balanced dessert everyone will love.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this raspberry cheesecake recipe
- Made with fresh berries. As we do with raspberry bars or brownies, the fresh raspberry sauce on top of the cheesecake packs every bite with tart and bright flavors that will remind you of sunny summer days!
- Rich and decadent. The easy cheesecake filling is decadent and creamy thanks to a simple mix of cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and sugar.
- Surprisingly easy! Similar to a baklava cheesecake, you don’t need to be a pastry chef to make this easy cheesecake recipe. No water baths, complicated techniques, or hard-to-find equipment are needed!
Ingredients needed
This raspberry cheesecake recipe uses minimal ingredients and can even be made with a store-bought crust to speed it along. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Pie crust. Use your favorite store-bought pie crust or graham cracker crust. The crusts from my healthy cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, or peach cheesecake recipes would all be great options. Or you can make a homemade pie crust!
Filling.
- Cream cheese. Use a good quality full-fat cream cheese and make sure it’s softened to room temperature before you get started.
- Sour cream. Sour cream adds a nice tangy element to the cheesecake filling, which also balances the richness.
- Sugar. To sweeten and stabilize the filling.
- Vanilla extract. For flavor.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs bind the filling together and give the cake a silky smooth consistency.
Raspberry sauce for cheesecake.
- Raspberries. Fresh raspberries will take your raspberry sauce over the top.
- Cornstarch. To thicken the raspberry sauce.
- Sugar. To sweeten the sauce and break down the berries.
How to make raspberry cheesecake
You may be surprised at just how easy it is to make this homemade cheesecake. All it takes are 5 simple steps:
- Make the crust. Make your favorite pie crust or graham cracker crust. Press it into an even layer in a springform pan or pie plate.
- Make the filling. Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Mix in the sour cream and sugar next, then add the vanilla. To finish, fold in the eggs until you have a creamy and smooth filling.
- Bake the cheesecake. Pour the filling into the baking pan with the crust. Bake until the edges are set and the middle is still slightly jiggly. Once it’s done baking, set the cake aside to cool completely.
- Make the raspberry sauce. Blend most of the raspberries and cornstarch until smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, then add the sugar. Cook the raspberry sauce over medium heat until it’s thick and pourable. Stir the rest of the raspberries into the sauce when it’s done, then set it aside to cool.
- Assemble. When both the raspberry sauce and cheesecake are cool, pour the sauce over the top of the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight or until you’re ready to slice and serve. Enjoy!
Tips to make the best recipe
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are not only easier to mix into a smooth filling but will also help the cheesecake bake evenly.
- Don’t overmix the filling. Only beat the filling ingredients until they just come together. Overmixing will knock the air out, causing the cake to fall or sink.
- Cracks in the cheesecake are ok! They’ll be covered by the raspberry sauce.
- Let the cake cool completely. You need to let the cheesecake cool completely before adding the raspberry sauce on top. Try placing it in the fridge to speed up the cooling time.
- For the cleanest cheesecake slices, run a sharp chef’s knife under hot running water after every slice.
Storage instructions
To store: Cover the baked cheesecake or individual slices with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Store the individual slices in airtight containers, then freeze for up to 6 months.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Springform pan or pie plate. To assemble and bake the cheesecake.
- Electric mixer. You can whisk the cheesecake filling by hand, but an electric mixer is much more convenient.
- Blender. To blend the raspberries and cornstarch together.
More cheesecake recipes to try
- Protein Cheesecake
- Blueberry Cheesecake
- No Bake Keto Cheesecake
- Coconut Cheesecake
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Basque Cheesecake
Frequently asked questions
I recommend using fresh raspberries because they have the best texture and won’t water down the sauce. However, you can use frozen raspberries (thawed ahead of time) if that’s all you have at home.
Yes, the raspberry sauce can be made 1 or 2 days in advance. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until it’s time to pour it over the cheesecake.
The cheesecake is ready to come out of the oven when the edges are firm and starting to turn golden brown, and the middle still wobbles slightly. The cake will firm up completely and become velvety smooth as it sets overnight.
Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 Graham cracker pie crust or any pre-made 9-inch pie crust.
- 4 cups cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs whisked
Raspberry sauce
- 22 ounces raspberries divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar
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.
