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Celebrate the holiday season with the classic flavor pairing of cranberry + orange in this deliciously creamy Orange Cranberry Cheesecake recipe. The perfect cheesecake with fresh orange flavor from orange juice and orange zest, whole cranberry sauce, and a buttery graham cracker crust.
Orange Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe
Are you looking for the perfect holiday desert? Wether it’s for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, this homemade orange cranberry cheesecake is always the right choice.
Similar to a creamy and thick Classic Cheesecake paired with festive cranberry and fresh citrus orange flavors thanks to orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice. I share lots of tips and tricks so that you can bake the perfect cheesecake at home with no cracks! Let’s learn how to make it with detailed instructions and a printable recipe card below.
Crust and Creamy Cranberry Cheesecake Filling Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients
- Whole Graham Cracker Sheets : I use original honey graham crackers but the cinnamon graham crackers would be a nice change if wanted.
- Light Brown Sugar : A little sweetener for the buttery cracker crust.
- Melted Butter
Creamy Cheesecake Ingredients
- Cream Cheese : II highly recommend using full-fat, name brand cream cheese. It’s thicker, has a much better flavor, and provides more of a rich and creamy taste to the cream cheese mixture. I love the Philadelphia brand cream cheese.
- Granulated Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour : Helps the cheesecake thicken and set while baking.
- Fresh Orange Zest : Use a citrus zester to zest just the outer layer of the orange peel.
- Fresh Orange Juice : Use the same fresh oranges that you zested and squeeze the juice out.
- Large Eggs : Make sure the eggs are room temperature, along with the cream cheese, before using them in the recipe. Place the cream cheese and eggs out at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to starting.
- Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce : This is canned cranberry sauce with the whole berries. The tangy cranberry sauce pairs perfectly with the fresh and bright citrus from the orange.
How To Make This Creamy Cranberry Orange Cheesecake Recipe
Crust : Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with softened butter or shortening. Wrap the bottom and up the sides with a piece of aluminum foil. Heavy duty foil is preferred. Wrap the outside of the spring form pan with the foil like a bowl. Set the pan aside.
Break the graham crackers apart and place them in a food processor along with the brown sugar. Run the food processor at high speed until the cracker become finely ground crumbs. Slowly pour in the melted butter while running the food processor on low speed until the crumbs are well-coated and start to clump up.
Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan, and bake for 15 minutes. Let the crust cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Cheesecake Filling : Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until smooth and lump-free. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and one egg and beat until the egg is fully incorporated. Continue mixing in the eggs (the 2 remaining eggs) one at a time until they are just mixed in. Don’t overmix the cheesecake filling or else it can crack while baking. Just mix in each egg until it’s incorporated and nothing more.
Pour half of the cheesecake filling into the springform pan on top of the crust.
Dump the whole berry cranberry sauce into a small bowl and stir with a spoon just to loosen it up. Spoon half of the cranberry sauce evenly over the cheesecake filling. Pour the remaining cheesecake filling over top. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cranberry sauce over top the cheesecake and use a toothpick to swirl the cranberry sauce into the cheesecake.
Baking The Cheesecake : Place the cheesecake in the middle of a large roasting pan, or any large pan that will fit it along with the water. Pour 5-6 cups of boiling hot water into the roasting pan around the sides of the spring form pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the cheesecake starts to brown around the edges and the middle is still slightly jiggly. The edges should be set while the center should still have a slight jiggle.
When done baking, turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake inside the oven for 1 hour.
Take the cheesecake out of the oven and remove it from the water-filled roasting pan. Allow the cheesecake to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour at room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight is the best, so the cheesecake can fully set.
When you’re ready to serve run a table knife around the outer edges of the cheesecake and remove the springform pan’s outer ring. Carefully transfer it to a round platter or large plate. Top with whipped cream and/or sugared cranberries (or fresh cranberries), slice, and serve chilled.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator : Cover the cheesecake well with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer : Cover the cheesecake in both plastic wrap and then foil to prevent freezer burn. Store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Tips For Making Cheesecake
- Water Bath – The hot water bath is so important as it keeps the cheesecake from over-baking and it makes the hot baking environment very moist which not only prevents over baking, but it will also help prevent the top of the cheesecake from forming deep cracks in it.
- Room Temperature Dairy – To prevent cracks use only room temperature cream cheese and room temperature eggs. This helps the dairy mix in smoother when making the cheesecake filling.
- Foil – The foil wrapped around the springform pan will keep the water from seeping into the bottom of the pan.
- Texture & Flavor Notes – This is a dense but creamy cheesecake with swirls of cranberry sauce with whole berries and a buttery crumbly crust. The fresh orange paired with tangy cream cheese and tart cranberry sauce pairs perfectly with the buttery and sweet crust.
- Don’t Overmix – Once you add the eggs into the cheesecake filling it’s so important to not over mix at all. Just mix until the egg is incorporated and nothing more.
- Swirl Tips – Don’t push the toothpick deep into the cheesecake when swirling. Just keep it more shallow on the surface level of the cheesecake. Remember there is a middle layer of cranberry sauce so you don’t need to swirl it deep.
- Oven Door : Do not open the oven door while the cheesecake if baking, and only open it briefly (like when checking for doneness of the cheesecake) when it’s finished baking to prevent the hot air from escaping while it rests for an hour.
More Cranberry Recipes You’ll Love
- Crockpot Cranberry Turkey Breast
- Citrus Cranberry Punch
- Cranberry Fluff
- No Bake Cranberry Cream Pie
- Cranberry Cider Sparkling Punch
Orange Cranberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 9 whole graham cracker sheets
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
Orange Cranberry Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 can (14 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce (divided)
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with softened butter or shortening. Wrap the bottom and up the sides with a piece of aluminum foil. Heavy duty foil is preferred.*Wrap the outside of the spring form pan with the foil like a bowl. Set the pan aside.
- Break the graham crackers apart and place them in a food processor along with the brown sugar. Run the food processor at high speed until the cracker become finely ground crumbs. Slowly pour in the melted butter while running the food processor on low speed until the crumbs are well-coated and start to clump up.9 whole graham cracker sheets, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 6 tablespoons butter
- Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan, and bake for 15 minutes. Let the crust cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Cheesecake Filling
- Lower the oven temperature to 325℉. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until smooth and lump-free. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and one egg and beat until the egg is fully incorporated. Continue mixing in the eggs (the 2 remaining eggs) one at a time until they are just mixed in. Don't overmix the cheesecake filling or else it can crack while baking. Just mix in each egg until it's incorporated and nothing more.24 ounces full-fat cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, 3 large eggs
- Pour half of the cheesecake filling into the springform pan on top of the crust.
- Dump the whole berry cranberry sauce into a small bowl and stir with a spoon just to loosen it up. Spoon half of the cranberry sauce evenly over the cheesecake filling. Pour the remaining cheesecake filling over top. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cranberry sauce over top the cheesecake and use a toothpick to swirl the cranberry sauce into the cheesecake.1 can (14 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce
Baking The Cheesecake
- Place the cheesecake in the middle of a large roasting pan, or any large pan that will fit it along with the water. Pour 5-6 cups of boiling hot water into the roasting pan around the sides of the spring form pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the cheesecake starts to brown around the edges and the middle is still slightly jiggly. The edges should be set while the center should still have a slight jiggle.
- When done baking, turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake inside the oven for 1 hour.
- Take the cheesecake out of the oven and remove it from the water-filled roasting pan. Allow the cheesecake to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour at room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight is the best, so the cheesecake can fully set.
- When you're ready to serve run a table knife around the outer edges of the cheesecake and remove the springform pan's outer ring. Carefully transfer it to a round platter or large plate. Top with whipped cream and/or sugared cranberries (or fresh cranberries), slice, and serve chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
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