Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Creamy New York Style Cheesecake made with vanilla bean paste, melted white chocolate and topped with strawberry sauce. Read on for the ingredients and equipment you will need to make the best cheesecake you’ve ever had!

Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake is the perfect dessert to bring to a holiday party or to bake when you’re having company over. It starts with a toasty graham cracker crust and a rich, creamy vanilla cheesecake base. Once baked and refrigerated overnight it gets topped with a vibrant strawberry sauce. 

How to avoid a cracked cheesecake

Room temperature ingredients – all the refrigerated ingredients must be room temperature to get a smooth cheesecake that doesn’t have lumps and a bad texture.

Don’t overmix – It is crucial that you do not overmix the cheesecake especially after you add the eggs! Mix just until combined on low speed (or mix by hand) occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Don’t overbake or allow sudden temperature changes – it’s very easy to over bake cheesecake. Even over baking the cheesecake for 5 minutes can cause a cheesecake to crack. You’ll know your cheesecake is done when the edges are set and slightly puffed up, the center will still be jiggly.

Once it’s done, leave it in the oven, turn the oven off and crack the door. Sudden temperature change will crack your cheesecake. Make sure your house is around 70 degrees to avoid temperature shock and avoid opening the oven door to check on the cheesecake while its baking!

Water bath – this will ensure a super creamy cheesecake and also prevent cracks. Fill a pan that’s slightly larger than your spring form pan halfway with lukewarm water and place it on the rack below your cheesecake.

In the rare event that you follow all these steps and still end up with a cracked cheesecake, don’t worry it’s getting covered in a strawberry sauce anyways. In the winter the heat can’t keep up in my home so I sometimes end up with a little crack on my cheesecake because of the temperature shock I talked about. It’s very frustrating, but this is where I remind myself that all that really matters is the taste 🙂

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These links help support my blog.

What you need to bake Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

9 inch springform pan – the pan I use is linked here.

Large oven safe pan for water bath – I’ve linked one here.

Hand mixer, stand mixer or whisk – find the ones I love here.

Ingredient Breakdown

Graham Crackers – finely crushed. I recommend crushing the crackers in a blender or food processor to get a fine, uniform crumb.

Butter – salted butter, melted.

Cinnamon – optional, brings out the graham cracker crust flavor.

Cream cheese – full fat room temperature cream cheese, I use Philadelphia brand.

Sugar – superfine, granulated, organic etc. any kind works.

Vanilla bean paste – highly recommend vanilla bean paste to add concentrated flavor, but vanilla extract will also work!

Sour cream – full fat room temperature sour cream, greek yogurt can be substituted.

Eggs – large eggs at room temperature.

White chocolate – white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate.

Strawberries – ripe and sliced lengthwise.

Cornstarch – used to thicken the strawberry topping.

It is crucial that all refrigerated ingredients are room temperature to avoid a lumpy cheesecake.

How to make Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

See notes above for avoiding a cracked cheesecake and water bath directions.

To make the crust simply crush the graham crackers using a blender or food processor. Add to a bowl and combine with the sugar, cinnamon and butter. Press into a 9-inch springform pan and bake.

To make the cheesecake, add cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla bean paste and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed just until the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs. Mix again on low speed just until combined.

Gently fold in the melted white chocolate. Pour over the graham cracker crust. Bake until edges are lightly golden, the center will still be jiggly. Turn the oven off and crack the oven door, leaving the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the fridge overnight.

To make the strawberry topping, puree half a pound of strawberries in a blender. Add to a small saucepan with sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling add a cornstarch slurry and stir constantly until the puree has slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add remaining sliced strawberries. Stir gently to combine. Pour over the cheesecake when ready to serve.

Store the cheesecake in a container in the fridge. If making the cheesecake ahead of time, wait to add the strawberry topping until you’re ready to serve it so the strawberries don’t become soggy.

Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake is a delicious twist on Classic Strawberry Cheesecake. You will love the flavor and texture that white chocolate adds to a classic.

If you make Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake please comment and rate the recipe.