Luscious Holiday Cranberry Cheesecake

A deliciously creamy holiday cheesecake topped with a luscious sweet-tangy and perfectly spiced cranberry sauce. It can be made completely gluten-free so it’s perfect for those on a wheat-free diet!

That my family loves cheesecake is an understatement! If you do a cheesecake search on my blog, you will find several varieties from baked to no-bake, fruity or chocolaty, and everything in between!

For the holiday season, you can expect that cheesecake would be part of our dessert, certainly the main attraction. Because it’s cranberry season it makes sense to make a cheesecake loaded with a delicious homemade cranberry sauce on top. And that’s what this cheesecake is all about.

The new thing about this cranberry cheesecake and what sets it apart from the other cheesecakes I have made previously made is that this recipe includes a completely gluten-free version. I have decided to make a separate gluten-free version so I always have something to go back to when I fancy a completely wheat-free cheesecake.

After all, that’s the main reason I had this blog – to have an online repository of my family’s favorite recipes and this recipe for sure is something I will always go back to.

Why do I love this cheesecake? The sweet-tangy taste of the homemade cranberry sauce provides a nice contrast to the creamy cheesecake.

You bite into a rich and dense cake and then your taste buds are also treated to the fruity tang of the cranberry sauce. What a perfect explosion of flavors that are truly unforgettable.

If you are still in the process of considering what to serve as dessert for your gathering this Christmas, I do highly recommend this one.

But if you don’t fancy baking then I most highly suggest that you try our No Bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake version as that one is equally luscious, too. Please enjoy.

Luscious Holiday Cranberry Cheesecake

Manila Spoon

A deliciously creamy holiday cheesecake topped with a luscious sweet-tangy and perfectly spiced cranberry sauce. It is completely gluten-free so it's perfect for those on a wheat-free diet!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

 

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For the Crust

• 1½ cups Graham crackers or Digestive biscuits, finely crushed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted

For the Gluten-free Crust

• 3/4 cup Almond meal or ground Almonds
• 3/4 cup dried Coconut, shredded
• 1 (2.5 – 3oz) packet Pecans or Walnuts, crushed
• 3 tablespoons Sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted

For the Cheesecake

• 3 (8 oz) blocks Cream Cheese, softened (room temperature)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 Eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

For the Cranberry Sauce

• 3/4 cup Orange Juice
• 3/4 cup Sugar, adjust to taste as desired – cranberry should retain some tartness to contrast well with the sweet and creamy cheesecake
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch, dissolved in 1 teaspoon cold water
• 2 cups Cranberries

Instructions

 

For the Crust (regular or gluten-free)

• To make the crust, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan using the smooth bottom of a glass. For easier removal, line the springform pan with cut-up parchment paper before adding the crumbs. Refrigerate the crust while you are making the filling. 

For the Cheesecake

• Preheat the oven to 325 F.

  Using a hand mixer or an electric mixer with a flat paddle, beat the cream cheese in medium speed until soft, creamy and smooth (no more lumps appear). Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl to ensure that there are no lumps remaining on the side or at the bottom. Add the sugar slowly and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs one at a time (this is very important) beating well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla extract and beat again just until the extract is well mixed. Do not over mix at this point.
• Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. The cake may brown on the edges and may even crack on the middle but that’s perfectly fine. If you don’t like the appearance of cracks, try to bake the cheesecake using a water bath. I don’t worry much about this as the cheesecake (or each slice) would be covered on top with the sauce anyway. Besides, the browning, sinking or cracking won’t affect the cheesecake’s taste one bit. When done, transfer the cake to a rack and cool completely. Refrigerate. The cake can be done two days ahead. 

For the Cranberry Sauce

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the orange juice and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to boil then immediately add the cranberries and ground cinnamon. Give a quick stir. Lower the heat then allow the berries to pop.  Add the cornstarch (mixed with a little water) and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down and sits. Remove from the heat and cool completely. This can be made a day ahead. Spoon some sauce on top of each sliced cake when you serve it. 

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Last updated on November 28th, 2020 at 03:21 pm