This baked white chocolate cheesecake is incredibly creamy and rich, with a delicious subtle white chocolate flavour that will win over even white chocolate sceptics. It’s super easy to make – it’s a no water bath cheesecake that still comes out of the oven with a perfectly smooth top, no cracking in sight. Guaranteed to blow you away with its luxurious texture and decadent flavour.
Yes, I’m back with another cheesecake recipe – and it’s a really good one. Ever since I developed what is now my go-to cheesecake baking method that doesn’t require a water bath (yet still prevents cracking), I’ve been on a huge cheesecake kick. I just can’t stop making them!
Today’s offering is a baked white chocolate cheesecake. It’s incredibly creamy and rich, with a delicious subtle white chocolate flavour that pairs beautifully with the vanilla bean paste in the cheesecake filling.
Unlike my triple chocolate cheesecake recipe, the chocolate flavour in this one isn’t quite as prominent. White chocolate is naturally more mellow and gentle in flavour than its dark counterparts – this does mean, however, that this cheesecake will win over even white chocolate sceptics.
While the white chocolate aspect of this cheesecake might not be very “in your face”, it does give it a more refined flavour profile and makes it even creamier. In combination with the vanilla bean paste, the result is an elegant dessert that truly couldn’t be more luxuriously decadent.
And it’s also incredibly easy to make! Like most of my other cheesecake recipes, you don’t need any special equipment to make it. That’s right: no stand or hand mixer needed, and you most certainly don’t need to fuss about with a water bath.
So, without further ado – let’s have a look at how you can make the most wonderful white chocolate cheesecake.
Before we get to the bits and bobs of making this wonderful cheesecake – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
How do you make baked white chocolate cheesecake from scratch?
Making this white chocolate cheesecake from scratch is actually super easy. You don’t need any special equipment – no stand or hand mixers, no water bath. Just a large bowl, a balloon whisk, a few other kitchen essentials, and that’s it.
(Of course, if you want to use a stand mixer, that’s perfectly fine. You’ll need the paddle attachment, and always use the lowest speed setting to avoid whipping too much air into the mixture. I also don’t recommend using a hand mixer – but more on that below!)
First, prepare the cheesecake crust:
- Crush up digestive biscuits or graham crackers (or a gluten free alternative if you want the cheesecake to be gluten free – by the way, I have an AMAZING recipe for gluten free digestive biscuits in my book, Baked to Perfection!!) until you get fine crumbs. I used a food processor but you could easily put them into a plastic bag and bash them up with a rolling pin.
- Add the melted butter and mix well until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Transfer into a lined 8 inch (20cm) springform pan and, using the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup, compress them into an even layer with an approximately 1 1/2 inch (4cm) rim around the edge.
- Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 10 minutes, then allow to cool until warm.
Next up, prepare the white chocolate cheesecake filling:
- To a large bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and yoghurt.
- Use a balloon whisk to mix them together until smooth. Note that I said MIX and not whisk – don’t aerate the mixture and stop mixing the moment they’re evenly combined and smooth. Introducing air into your cheesecake filling can cause it to crack during baking and cooling.
- Mix together caster/superfine sugar and cornstarch, and add them to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well until combined and smooth.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and mix well.
- Add the room temperature eggs, one at a time,
- mixing well after each addition until combined and smooth.
- Pour in the melted white chocolate,
- and mix well until combined. The final cheesecake filling will be velvety-smooth and super creamy.
Assembling and baking the white chocolate cheesecake:
- Transfer the cheesecake filling into the slightly cooled cheesecake base,
- and use a small offset spatula to smooth out the top.
- And then: bake!
- The baking method outlined below doesn’t require a water bath, but it still produces a perfectly creamy cheesecake without any cracking in sight – just a lovely smooth top. Once baked and cooled to room temperature, you need to chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
Do you really need a water bath to bake a cheesecake?
NO!!! I know that using a water bath is highly popular in cheesecake baking, but I’m personally not a fan – for two reasons. First up, it’s fussy and messing about with boiling hot water is just not fun. And if you’ve been round these parts before, you know that I’m all about no-fuss baking.
Secondly, I don’t like the texture of cheesecakes prepared using a water bath. This is very much a personal preference, but to me it’s much too smooth – almost like eating a mouthful of straight-up cream cheese.
The good news is that I’ve developed an incredibly simple method for reliably preparing crack-free cheesecakes (and cheesecake bars) without using a water bath. Read on to learn all about it!
How do you prevent your cheesecake from cracking without a water bath?
I actually developed what is now my go-to cheesecake baking method while I was writing my debut cookbook, Baked to Perfection – which you can read more about and order here.
So, to prevent your cheesecake from cracking WITHOUT a water bath:
- Make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature – this is particularly important for the cream cheese, yoghurt and eggs (or other add-ins if you’re making another type of cheesecake).
- Don’t aerate or over-mix the cheesecake filling. That means that you shouldn’t intensively whisk the filling if using a balloon whisk and doing it by hand. I also don’t recommend using a hand mixer, as it tends to introduce too much air into the mixture. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and set the mixer to the lowest speed setting – again, you want to mix the cheesecake filling, rather than beat or whisk it.
- Bake your cheesecake at a relatively low temperature of 285ºF (140ºC). This bakes the cheesecake very slowly and prevents the filling from over-baking (which is the most common cause of cracking).
- Turn off the oven while the cheesecake is still wobbly in the middle. For this cheesecake, this is after about 1 hour 10 minutes in the oven. The remaining heat of the oven will fully set the cheesecake without over-baking it.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool until warm or room temperature in the turned-off oven with the oven door ajar. This slow cooling process further ensures that your cheesecake won’t crack during cooling.
That’s it! Now, I know that this might seem like a very long and slightly overwhelming list of ’do’s and ‘don’t’s, but trust me – it’s actually incredibly straightforward, as well as 100% reliable and reproducible! In fact, I’ve used this same method to prepare my Easy Blueberry Cheesecake, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake and Blackberry Cheesecake Bars, and they all tuned out PERFECT.
You need to chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours (or preferably overnight) before removing it out of the springform pan onto the serving plate. Then, you can serve it as is, or decorate it with white chocolate shavings (which is what I’ve done) or fresh fruit (fresh raspberries or strawberries work particularly well).
How long does white chocolate cheesecake last?
The cheesecake keeps well in a closed container or wrapped in cling film in the fridge for about 5 days. But, let’s be honest… it really never lasts that long. Not with how wonderfully creamy and delicious it is.
And that’t is, friends. An incredibly easy recipe for a super creamy baked white chocolate cheesecake that will blow you away with its luxurious texture and decadent flavour. It comes together in no time and seriously couldn’t be more delicious.
I really hope you’ll love it as much as I do.
Happy baking!
If you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
Super Creamy White Chocolate Cheesecake (Gluten Free Option)
Ingredients
For cheesecake crust:
- 225 g (2 ¼ cups) finely crushed digestive biscuits (You can also use graham crackers. If you need the cheesecake to be gluten free, you can use gluten free digestives or rich tea biscuits, or other gluten free cookies/biscuits of choice.)
- 75 g (⅔ stick) unsalted butter, melted (The exact amount of butter you will need will depend on the type of biscuits/cookies/crackers you use.)
For white chocolate cheesecake filling:
- 600 g (2 ⅔ cups) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature (I used Philadelphia cream cheese.)
- 115 g (½ cup) full-fat plain or Greek-style yoghurt, room temperature (You can also use sour cream.)
- 100 g (½ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
- 15 g (2 tbsp) cornflour (UK)/cornstarch (US)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 UK medium/US large eggs, room temperature
- 300 g (10.5 oz) good quality white chocolate, melted and cooled until warm
You will also need:
- white chocolate shavings or fresh fruit (like raspberries or strawberries) for decoration and serving
Instructions
For cheesecake crust:
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line an 8 inch (20cm) springform pan with baking/greaseproof paper (make sure that you line both the bottom and the sides of the pan).
- Mix together the crushed digestive biscuits and melted butter, until you get a mixture resembling wet sand. Transfer the mixture into the lined springform pan and, using the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup, compress them into an even layer with an approximately 1 ½ inch (4cm) rim around the edge.Tip: Depending on the type and brand of cookies/biscuits you use, you might need slightly less or slightly more butter than listed in this recipe. Add the butter slowly, mixing well after each addition, until you reach the consistency of wet sand. You want a mixture that somewhat sticks together or holds its shape when pressed together, but it shouldn't feel/look greasy or oily.
- Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool until warm.
For white chocolate cheesecake filling:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 285ºF (140ºC).Tip: If your springform pan isn't 100% leak-proof, I recommend that you also get a baking sheet ready to place the cheesecake on it before it goes into the oven. This will catch any small leaks of butter from the cheesecake base, and prevent any smoking or burning at the bottom of your oven.
- In a large bowl using a balloon whisk, mix the cream cheese and yoghurt together until smooth. Tip: Make sure to MIX rather than whisk or aerate – you don't want to incorporate too much air into the mixture. If you don't want to do this by hand, use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on the lowest speed setting. (I don't recommend using a hand mixer.)
- Mix the sugar and cornflour/cornstarch together, and add them to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well until combined and smooth.Tip: Mixing the cornflour/cornstarch with the sugar before adding them ensures that the cornflour/cornstarch doesn't clump together in the cheesecake filling.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and mix well until evenly incorporated.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until smooth.
- Add the melted white chocolate and mix well until combined and smooth.
- Transfer the white chocolate cheesecake filling into the slightly cooled cheesecake crust and smooth out the top.
- Bake at 285ºF (140ºC) for about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the edges are fully set and slightly puffed up, and the middle is still wobbly when you gently shake the baking pan.Tip: This baking time range is merely a guideline – you should always judge the doneness of a cheesecake based on its physical indicators (the wobbliness of the centre, how set the edges are, etc.) rather than on the baking time, especially as each oven behaves slightly differently. You should start checking your cheesecake about 10 minutes before the recommended baking time.
- Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature in the turned-off oven with the oven door ajar.
- Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the cheesecake into the fridge for at least 4 hours (or preferably overnight) before removing it from the baking pan. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to assemble/decorate.
Assembling the white chocolate cheesecake:
- Once the cheesecake is fully chilled, remove it out of the springform pan and onto a serving plate. You can serve it as is, or decorate it with white chocolate shavings or fresh fruit (fresh raspberries or strawberries work particularly well).
- Once decorated, slice and serve.Tip: For extra neat and clean slices, cut the cheesecake with a warm/hot knife. Choose a sharp knife and dip it into very hot water. Wipe it dry, then slice the cheesecake while the knife is still hot/warm. In between slices, dip the knife again in hot water, wipe it off and repeat.
Storage:
- The white chocolate cheesecake keeps well in a closed container or tightly wrapped in cling film in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Looking for more AMAZING cheesecake recipes?
You’re in the right place!
I made this for a colleague’s birthday since she’s big white chocolate fan. I LOVE that I didn’t have to prepare a bain marie (water bath) for this recipe. I haven’t tried this technique before and I will never go back! I tweaked the recipe a little bit by adding a smidge of almond extract and ube extract (Filipino yam extract), which colored it purple and flavored it (she loves purple). I used Biscoff cookies as the crust and it smelled soooo good and buttery. I’m so glad I found this recipe. It’ll be my go-to for future cheesecake recipes.
Hi. I am wondering if there is a substitute for the vanilla paste?
You can use vanilla extract instead. 🙂
Fantastic recipe. Gorgeous texture and flavour, one of those ‘no one will know it’s gluten free’ take-to-a-party recipes. Thank you so much!
I only have a 9″ springform pan. How should I adjust the recipe for the size variant? It looks delicious!
You can make the recipe in a 9″ pan, your cheesecake will just be slightly shorter and it will probably need slightly less time in the oven. I’d start checking it after about 45 minutes, and look at the visual cues listed in the recipe. 🙂
I follow you on Instagram and love your recipes! Can this be made without a springform pan? Is there an alternative pan that would work? Thanks!
The springform pan makes it easy to remove the baked cheesecake from the pan. You could make it in the form of cheesecake bars instead, baking it in a square (or rectangular) baking pan. In that case, line it with parchment paper and leave some overhang so that you can remove it from the pan once it’s baked and chilled.
Thank you! I’m an avid follower of your Instagram account, as I have celiac disease, and you keep posting recipe after recipe that are so easy to make and so delicious.
i made this cheesecake last night but found that the sides of the cheesecake were higher than the middle. the photos online all seem so much flatter. would there be any reason to this?
i didn’t line around the edge of the tin, just the bottom – so would the sides have gotten too hot and caused a rise?
help appreciated!
Hi Samantha, was your cheesecake crust just on the bottom or did you also press it up the sides of the baking tin, so that it formed a 1½ inch (4cm) rim, as per the recipe? If you used the cheesecake crust just on the bottom, so that the cheesecake filling came in direct contact with the sides of the baking tin, then that’s the reason for why your cheesecake rose much more around the edges. The cheesecake crust around the sides essentially acts as an extra layer of insulation against the heat of the oven, and that helps to control the rise of the cheesecake.
The entire house is obsessed with this recipe. It is now our absolute go to recipe for the best cheesecake. We used gluten free butter cookies. It was delicious!!!
Do I have to add the white chocolate? Can I omit it and will it be ok?
I’ve optimised the recipe (the amount of sugar, etc.) to work with the white chocolate – I do have several other cheesecake recipes on the blog, maybe one of the others will work better for you?
This was phenomenal – simple to make and the whole family were raving about it. I can’t recommend it highly enough, it is perfect, thank you!!
Absolutely delicious! Was a big hot at our Office holiday luncheon.
My cheesecake is in the oven now and I am so bummed because I forgot the corn starch!!!!
Please tell me I didn’t completely mess this dreamy looking dessert up too badly?
Waiting anxiously,
Janice
It shouldn’t be a huge problem – it might be a bit softer in texture (as cornstarch acts as a thickener), but it should still be delicious. Hope it turned out OK in the end!
This is the BEST cheesecake recipe! I’ve made this so many times and even if someone says they don’t like white chocolate or don’t like cheesecake (those people are silly) they rave about how delicious it is! The no water bath part is a LIFE SAVER and absolutely fool proof! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!! ❤️