White Chocolate Cheesecake

This white chocolate cheesecake is a stunning dessert. Smooth and creamy with an Oreo cookie crust and topped with chocolate ganache – it’s the ULTIMATE white chocolate cheesecake!

If you’re debating between New York Cheesecake or chocolate cheesecake – this white chocolate cheesecake is definitely the way to go.  It has a tangy flavor and velvety smooth texture that you expect from cheesecake, but it’s infused with sweet white chocolate. Then the Oreo cookie crust and chocolate ganache topping are the perfect complements to the white chocolate flavor. I’m not a huge fan of using superlatives but I’ve been told “This is the best cheesecake I’ve ever eaten.”

Ingredients for White Chocolate Cheesecake

When you make cheesecake – each ingredient is extremely important and has a distinct purpose. I do not recommend making any ingredient substitutions (unless stated in the recipe). 

Oreo Crust

• 30 Oreo cookies – wafers and filling
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

*If you’d like to use Oreo baking crumbs (the kind that comes in a box from the baking aisle) you’ll need 1 ½ cups Oreo crumbs and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

• 10 oz white chocolate. Use high-quality baking chocolate – such as Ghiradelli, Bakers, or Lindt. Do not use candy melts. Candy melts do not have the flavor or consistency needed.
• 24 oz cream cheese. The cream cheese must be full-fat, brick-style. Lite, spreadable or whipped cream cheese don’t have the consistency for making a smooth, creamy, perfectly dense cheesecake.
• ½ cup white sugar. You’ll notice that we aren’t using much sugar – that’s because the white chocolate adds sweetness as well.
• 1 cup sour cream. Again – full fat here. I love adding sour cream in cheesecake because it makes it velvety smooth and ensures it isn’t as heavy. No one wants a cheesecake that tastes like biting into a block of cream cheese.
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch. This helps bind the cheesecake together and reduces the risk of cheesecake cracks.
• 3 large eggs. Eggs contribute to the rich, luxurious texture by thickening the batter and binding it together.

White Chocolate Cheesecake – Tips & Tricks

I’m also here today to promise you that making cheesecake doesn’t have to feel scary. But because the ingredients are pricey, I want to ensure your cheesecake is a success.

1. Ensure the ingredients are room temperature before getting started. This makes it easier to mix everything together without having lumps in the batter.
2. Add the eggs in 1 at a time and only mix until just combined. Beating the eggs adds air to the batter. More air means the cheesecake is likely to rise in the oven and then sink and crack as it cools.
3. Bake the cheesecake using a water bath. This is 100% the best trick for ensuring your cheesecake is smooth, creamy, and doesn’t crack. I have a photo showing the cheesecake in the water bath below. The water bath keeps in moisture. It also minimizes temperature swings to decrease the chance of your cheesecake cracking. To make the water bath:
   1. Wrap the outside of the springform pan in aluminum foil and fold the foil up over the edges. You’ll likely need to wrap the pan at least 3 times.
   2. Then place the springform in a large roasting pan.
   3. Prior to baking, pour boiling water into the roasting pan until there’s about ½ to 1 inch of water. Then the entire contraption goes into the oven when the cheesecake is baking.
4. Cool the cheesecake slowly. Again – minimizing changes in temperature reduces the risk of the cheesecake cracking.
5. Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving. The flavor and texture improve over time.

Don’t think of these tricks as scary instructions – instead, they’re your playbook for cheesecake perfection. And oh how perfect this cheesecake will be.

Toppings for White Chocolate Cheesecake

I topped my cheesecake with chocolate ganache and a drizzle of white chocolate (as outlined in the recipe card below). But it’s also delicious:

• Served plain with a few berries
• With strawberry sauce
• With raspberry coulis

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

White Chocolate Cheesecake

This white chocolate cheesecake is a stunning dessert. Smooth and creamy with an Oreo cookie crust and topped with chocolate ganache - it's the ULTIMATE white chocolate cheesecake!

Prep Time45 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Chilling6 hrs

Total Time7 hrs 45 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Oreo Crust, White Chocolate Cheesecake

Servings: 14 pieces

Calories: 634kcal

Author: Fiona Dowling

Equipment

• 9-inch springform pan
• large roasting pan (big enough for the springform pan to fit inside)

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cookie Crust

• 30 Oreo cookies wafers and filling
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

For the Cheesecake

• 10 oz white chocolate
• 24 oz cream cheese* full-fat, brick style
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup sour cream*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 large eggs*
• boiling water for the waterbath

Topping

• 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate or 50-70% dark chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 oz white chocolate
• berries and whipped cream for serving optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and position the oven rack on the bottom ⅓ of the oven.
• Wrap the outside of 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil so that the bottom and sides are covered. Wrap at least 3 times so that every part of the outside of the pan is tightly covered.

Oreo Crust

• Pulse the cookies in a food processor* until they're fine crumbs.
• Add in the melted butter and pulse a few more times to combine.
• Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and slightly up the sides to form a little edge.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. (Remove from the oven but leave it turned on).

White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling

• Chop the white chocolate into very small pieces and place in a large, glass bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals on medium power (NOT high power/regular power or the chocolate will burn), stirring in between each interval, until melted.
• In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until soft. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract.
• Beat in the slightly cooled white chocolate, turning off the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Beat in the sour cream and cornstarch. Then beat in the eggs 1 at a time until just combined.
• Place the springform pan into the center of a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan so that there's about ½ to 1 inch of water. Then pour your cheesecake batter into the springform pan.
• Very carefully place the roasting pan with the cheesecake inside into the oven. Bake for 60-70 minutes until the there's about 2 in the centre of the cheesecake that still has a slight wobble.
• Remove from the oven and using a very thin knife, trace around the outsides of the cake. Cool the cheesecake in the roasting pan until it's room temperature. Remove from the roasting pan, cover, and place in the fridge to chill for 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Chocolate Ganache

• A few hours before serving (or more), make the ganache. The cheesecake should be fully cooled and have started the chilling process before topping.
• Chop the semi-sweet chocolate into very small pieces and place in a large, heat-proof bowl.
• In a small saucepan, heat the cream while gently stirring until it comes to a simmer for about 1 minute.
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
• Remove the chilled cheesecake from the fridge, unclamp the outside of the springform pan.
• Let the ganache cool for a few minutes, then slowly pour the chocolate ganache over top of the cake.
• Chop the white chocolate into small pieces, place in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on medium power for 30-second intervals until melted.
• Drizzle the white chocolate over the cheesecake.
• Return to the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

*Ingredients should be room temperature.

**If you don't have a food processor, place the cookies in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they're fine crumbs.

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cheesecake can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge. 

Nutrition

Calories: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 1083IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 3mg