Raspberry Cheesecake
Raspberry cheesecake is a delightful dessert that combines a buttery graham cracker crust with a rich and creamy cream cheese filling. The smooth, tangy filling is lightened with whipped cream or whipped topping, giving it a luscious texture. Fresh raspberries add a burst of juicy, sweet-tart flavour that contrasts beautifully with the richness of the cheesecake. Often finished with a drizzle of chocolate or a scattering of berries, this cheesecake is a perfect balance of flavours and textures, making it a refreshing yet indulgent treat.
In this blog post you will learn how to make a beautiful, raspberry cheesecake.
What are Graham Crackers?
Graham crackers are a type of slightly sweet, whole-wheat cookie or biscuit. They are made from graham flour, which is a type of coarse-ground whole wheat flour, giving them a distinctively wholesome and slightly nutty flavour.
What if I Cannot Find Graham Crackers?
Now this will not be a problem for people in North America; however, for people who live in Europe this can be an issue. I have found that using tea biscuits as a straight swap for Graham crackers hardly changes the taste. They do not have to be the expensive tea biscuits either. You can use the really cheap ones from your local grocery store, and it should not affect the taste.
How to Make the Graham Cracker Base
Combine the crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl, mixing until the crumbs are evenly coated and the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of your 9”x13” dish, ensuring an even thickness. Place into the refrigerator and let cool completely before using, approximately 1 hour.
If you want to baked the Graham cracker crust try my Homemade Graham Cracker Crust here.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Filling
To make the cream cheese filling, leave your cream cheese on the counter for a little while so that it softens. Take the heavy cream and beat it with your handheld mixer until it forms stiff peaks. Then add the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. With your handheld mixed, beat it all together on medium speed until you have a smooth cream cheese filling. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
How to Put the Raspberry Cheesecake Together
Remove the Graham cracker base from the fridge ensuring that it is cooled throughout. Pour the cream cheese filling on top and spread evenly. Lastly, sprinkle the raspberries over the top of the cream cheese and grate either a white or dark chocolate bar over the raspberries. Keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it!
Best Raspberry Alternatives
If you’re looking for alternatives to raspberries in a recipe, here are some great options that offer similar flavours or textures:
- Strawberries: Sweet and slightly tart, strawberries can be sliced or diced to replace raspberries in most desserts.
- Blackberries: Similar in size and juiciness, blackberries offer a deep, sweet-tart flavour that pairs well with creamy fillings.
- Blueberries: Sweeter and milder than raspberries, blueberries still provide that juicy burst and vibrant colour.
- Red Currants: These small berries are tart like raspberries and work well in baked goods or as a topping.
- Cherries: Pitted and chopped cherries offer a juicy, sweet-tart alternative that complements creamy desserts.
- Cranberries: For a more tart flavour, cranberries (cooked or sweetened) can be used in place of raspberries, especially in sauces or compotes.
These alternatives offer similar fruity notes while bringing unique flavours to your dish!
Do You Love Cheesecake? Well try making these other cheesecake recipes! Just click on the links below.
- Homemade Graham Cracker Crust
- Apple Crumble Cheesecake No-Bake
- Cherry Cheesecake No-Bake
- Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Crackers: graham crackers provide a crunchy texture and a mildly sweet, slightly nutty flavour that is characteristic of graham crackers.
Sugar: sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the graham crackers and helps bind the crumbs together.
Butter: butter melts and coats the graham cracker crumbs, allowing them to stick together when pressed into the pan. Provides richness and a cohesive structure to the crust.
Whipped Cream: whipped cream adds lightness and creaminess to the filling, making it soft and airy. It balances the richness of the cream cheese while contributing to a smooth, velvety texture.
Cream Cheese: cream cheese is the primary ingredient, providing the filling with its rich, creamy texture and signature tangy flavour. It serves as the base, giving the filling a thick and luxurious consistency that’s perfect for cheesecakes.
Vanilla Extract: vanilla extract adds a warm, aromatic sweetness that enhances the overall flavour of the cheesecake.
Fresh Raspberries: fresh raspberries provide a burst of juicy, tangy-sweet flavour and vibrant colour. They balance the richness of the cheesecake and add a fresh, fruity contrast.
Chocolate: chocolate adds a rich, bittersweet flavour that pairs beautifully with the tartness of the raspberries and the creaminess of the filling. It can be drizzled or shaved over the cheesecake for a touch of elegance and indulgence.
Tips
- Make sure to remove your cream cheese from the fridge and let it soften before beginning.
- The Graham cracker base must be cooled or else it will melt the cream cheese filling.
Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Base
- 1 1/2 c. Graham crackers crumbs/tea biscuits crumbs
- 1/8 c. sugar granulated
- 1/2 c. 100g butter, unsalted
Cream Cheese Filling
- 2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese softened
- 1/4 c. sugar granulated
- 2 c. heavy cream whipped
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Raspberry Topping
- 1 lb. of fresh raspberries
- White or dark chocolate grated
Instructions
Graham Cracker Base
- Measure out your graham cracker crumbs and place them into a 9”x13” dish. If using whole graham crackers or tea biscuits, place them into a bag and crush them up then pour them into the dish (I use the back of a spoon to hit and crush them).
- Add the sugar and mix together.
- Melt your butter either on the stove or in the microwave. Pour the butter on top of graham cracker crumbs and mix it together so that all of the crumbs are moistened.
- Spread and form the crumbs into the dish shape making a nice even coating on the bottom of the pan.
- Place into the fridge and let cool completely before using roughly about an hour.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Pour the heavy cream into a medium bowl and beat with your handheld mixer until stiff peaks are formed approximately 5 minutes.
- Add your softened cream cheese, vanilla, and the 1/4 c. of granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until the sugar and cream cheese are mixed together with the whipped cream. Keep in the fridge until needed.
Putting it all together
- Remove your Graham cracker crust from the refrigerator making sure that it is completely cool.
- Spoon the cream cheese filling on the crust and smooth it out evenly across the crust.
- Take your washed and dried raspberries and sprinkle them across the top of the cheesecake. Then take the bar or either white or dark chocolate and grate it over the top of the cheesecake.
- Keep in the fridge until ready to serve!
Notes
In this blog post, you learned how to make a homemade, raspberry cheesecake.