Enjoy making this fresh no-bake cranberry cheesecake made with fresh cranberries for a beautiful and delicious dessert everyone will love.
I love fresh cranberries. Maybe it's because they are only available during in the fall and winter months. The color is always so beautiful, and the tart, sweet flavor is perfect for all kinds of desserts.
Of course, we always make fresh homemade cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, so I usually buy several bags when they show up in the store. I found that if I keep them in the crisper section of the refrigerator, they will last for several months.
This year for Christmas, I made a delicious fresh cranberry cheesecake. It's a no-bake recipe, so no eggs or oven are needed. And it's a make ahead recipe, so you can have more time for all the other things on your list.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 -8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1.5 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
Sugared Cranberries (optional)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar to coat berries
Making Cranberry Cheesecake
Step 1. Combine graham cracker crumbs with sugar, salt, and melted butter and stir. The result will look like wet sand.
Step 2. Pour the graham cracker mixture into a buttered 8-inch springform pan and press it evenly with the back of a spoon. Then place the pan into the freezer for 20 minutes.
Step 3. Meanwhile you can make the filling by combining softened cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest in a large mixing bowl. Whip with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
Step 4. Fold in chopped fresh cranberries.
Note: I used my food processor to roughly chop the cranberries with the pulse function, but you can also do this by hand.
Step 5. Pour the cream cheese cranberry mixture onto the graham cracker crust in the springform pan and spread evenly across the top.
Step 6. Cover with plastic and set the cheesecake in the freezer for 12 hours or overnight.
Making Sugared Cranberries
- Make sugared cranberries by heating 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of sugar on the stove.
- Once the sugar has melted and the mixture starts to simmer, add cranberries and stir.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and let it set for 5 minutes.
- Remove the cranberries from the syrup with a slotted spoon and place them on parchment paper.
- Roll the cranberries individually in more sugar before setting them on a parchment lined baking sheet to dry.
- Store the sugared cranberries in an airtight container on the counter for a few days. Use them to decorate the cheesecake before serving.
The next day, pull the cheesecake out of the freezer and decorate it with sugared cranberries if desired.
Then place it into the fridge until ready to serve.
Use a knife dipped into hot water to slice the cake.
It's cheesecake, but the texture and flavor is light and refreshing, and who doesn't love a graham cracker crust?
Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 8 inch springform pan
- hand or stand mixer
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1.5 cups fresh cranberries chopped
Sugared Cranberries (optional)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar to coat berries
Instructions
- Combine graham crackers, sugar, salt, and melted butter in a mixing bowl.
- Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a buttered 8-inch springform pan.
- Place the crust into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, with a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest in a large mixing bowl.
- Fold the chopped cranberries into the cream cheese mixture.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan and spread evenly.
- Wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap and set in the freezer for 12 hours.
- Make the sugared cranberries by heating 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of sugar.
- When the water starts to simmer, add the cranberries and stir.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the cranberries sit for 5 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the cranberries onto parchment paper.
- Then roll the cranberries into more sugar.
- Set on parchment to dry.
- Move the cheesecake to the refrigerator an hour before serving and garnish with sugared cranberries if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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