This creamy, gluten-free cranberry cheesecake is delicious! It's easy to bake. There is no water bath required, and although I have made it more times than I can count, it has never split on me! It's an often-requested dessert that my family loves, and it brings a perfect pop of color and fresh taste to the holiday table!
In keeping with my mission to bring you gluten-free recipes that turn out well, made in the simplest possible way, this cheesecake is sweetened with raw cane sugar. Coconut sugar would also work, but it will give it a darker color.
This is the recipe that I worked off of when I developed my pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate cheesecake recipes. If you would like a gluten-free crust that is not made from store-bought crackers, use the one in the pumpkin cheesecake recipe.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
This ingredient list may seem lengthy because the cheesecake consists of three distinct parts: crust, filling, and topping. I assure you, though, that it's not difficult to make.
- Cranberries - Use either fresh or frozen cranberries. Frozen ones should not be thawed.
- Raw Cane Sugar - This is my sugar of choice where honey and maple syrup aren't appropriate. Coconut sugar would also work, but it will darken the color and change the flavor a little. There are two amounts of sugar in the recipe: one for the cranberry topping and one for the filling.
- Crackers - I use Schar Honeygrams, the closest gluten-free cracker I can find to Graham crackers. If you prefer, you could make your cheesecake crust from scratch with the honey-sweetened crust in my pumpkin cheesecake recipe.
- Cream Cheese - I recommend the Philadelphia brand of cream cheese. I have used cheaper ones, but they were very soft at room temperature.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Plan ahead. Bring your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs to room temperature before mixing the filling. You can make your crust and topping early, if you wish.
Make the cranberry topping.
Melt the butter for the crust.
Line a springform pan with parchment paper and wrap it in foil to prevent leaks.
Process crackers into fine crumbs for the crust.
Mix melted butter with cracker crumbs in the food processor, running slowly.
Press the crumb mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
Pour half of the filling into the crust.
Add ⅔ cranberry sauce and stir a little.
Add the remaining cream cheese filling.
Bake in a preheated 325°F (163°C) oven.
After following the recipe instructions for slow cooling and overnight chilling, remove the cheesecake from the pan and spread the remaining cranberry sauce over the top.
Cranberry Topping for Cheesecake
The cranberry topping for this cheesecake is very easy to make. It's like my Cranberry Sauce recipe, but with less water.
Hint: For the cheesecake to stay in the oven with the door ajar for a couple of hours after baking, I stick an oven mitt in to hold the door open a little.
Variations
You can use this recipe for a number of cheesecake varieties. I make it with various berry toppings. None of them needs as much sugar as cranberries do.
Meal Prep
Plan to bake your cheesecake the day before you serve it. This allows for an overnight chill, so you're not stressing about whether it's set well enough. It also frees up the oven on the day of serving.
For even more advanced prep, you could make the crust and topping a day ahead. Just keep the crust chilling, covered, in the springform pan and the topping in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Don't forget to set out the filling ingredients in time for them to come to room temperature, an hour or two.
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Equipment
Two small appliances make this cheesecake preparation a breeze! For turning crackers into crumbs, my Cuisinart food processor not only processes the crumbs but also mixes in the melted butter. If you don't have one, you can put the crackers into a very sturdy plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
My Kitchenaid stand mixer takes the work out of mixing the filling. You could do this with a hand mixer.
Storage
Leftover cheesecake keeps nicely, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days.
It also freezes well in an airtight container. If you'll be wanting to remove only a slice or two at a time, freeze them with parchment paper between each one.
Top tip
Don't mix your filling too fast or for longer than necessary. One key to preventing cheesecake cracking is to avoid mixing air into the filling.
What is the secret to making a good cheesecake?
Here are 4 tips for making a good cheesecake:
- Bring cream cheese and sour cream to room temperature.
- Don't overmix your batter or mix it on too high a speed.
- Use a springform pan.
- Don't open the oven while it is baking.
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Recipe
Gluten Free Cranberry Cheesecake
Equipment
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
Graham Crust
- 2 cups gluten-free graham crackers (2 packs Schar Honeygrams: 5.6 oz/160 g each)
- 4 ounces butter melted
Filling
- 32 ounces cream cheese (Philadelphia) softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces full fat sour cream at room temperature
- 1 cup unrefined raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
Cranberry Sauce
- 3 cups cranberries (12 ounces)
- 1 cup raw sugar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
Cranberry Sauce
- In a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the sugar, so it dissolves quickly. Stir in the cranberries.1 cup unrefined raw sugar½ cup water3 cups cranberries
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the berries pop and the sauce gets foamy.
- Allow the sauce to cool while you prepare the pan, crust, and filling.
Pan Preparation
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8" springform pan with parchment paper. (Cut out a circle for the bottom and a strip a for the sides.)Wrap the outside with foil to prevent leaking.
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ (163℃).
Crust
- Melt butter over low heat.4 ounces butter
- Process crackers into crumbs in a food processor. Add liquid butter while the machine is running, and stop the machine when the mixture begins to stick together.2 cups gluten-free graham crackers
- Firmly press this crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the parchment-lined springform pan. Set it into the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
Filling
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. This may take 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sour cream and continue beating until it's all mixed in. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Continue to run the mixer until the filling is smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each one in completely. You may need to stop a time or two to scrape down the sides with a spatula, so everything gets blended in. Avoid overmixing which could cause your cheesecake to crack.32 ounces cream cheese8 ounces full fat sour cream1 cup unrefined raw sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract½ teaspoon fine sea salt5 large eggs
Assembling the Cheesecake
- Pour half of the cream cheese filling carefully into the prepared crust. Spread about two-thirds of the cranberry filling over it. (Save the remaining one-third in the refrigerator until the cake has been baked and chilled.)Top with remaining cream cheese filling.
- You can smooth out each layer with a spatula. This will cause them to mix a little, and that's fine. In fact, if you want to swirl them together a little more, go ahead and do it! Just don't get it overly mixed and messy.
Bake
- Carefully place the cheesecake on the center rack of the preheated oven.Bake it for about 70 - 80 minutes. The top should be slightly puffed, golden brown, and just a little jiggly in the middle, but not runny.
- Leave the cake in the oven to cool with the door partly open, for 2 hours.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for 4 hours or overnight. Then remove it from the pan, spread the remaining cranberry sauce over it, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Avoid overmixing the filling or beating it too fast.
- Let the cranberry topping cool to room temperature before adding it to the filling.
- Turn the oven off when the filling is still a little jiggly in the middle.
- Cool the cheesecake slowly.
- Refrigerate the cake for it to firm up well for slicing and serving.
Cathy Brak says
My family often requests this cheesecake! The cranberry topping is perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas!