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This easy Cranberry Fudge Swirl Cheesecake recipe is a thick and creamy cheesecake with cranberry filling and chocolate fudge swirled throughout! It’s a delicious and fun dessert recipe that’s perfect for the holidays!
If your family loves cheesecake during the holidays, be sure to check out this creamy Eggnog Cheesecake and my Classic Cheesecake Recipe. Both are perfect for sharing during family gatherings!
This post is sponsored by ALDI, but all opinions are my own.
Easy Holiday Dessert Recipe
Can you believe Thanksgiving is just over a week away?! I can’t wait! Best meal of the year! It’s hard to decide what the best part of a Thanksgiving meal is. Naturally I am a fan of sweet potato casserole. It’s like having an excuse to eat dessert as part of a meal. And then of course we usually have about 3 kinds of potatoes. I love them all. And then there’s dessert. Dessert is always something to look forward to. Always. Normally I like to try and get in on the cooking action, but with my growing belly this year I think I’ll mostly likely sit most of the cooking out. Hopefully I can make dessert though. 🙂
Normally I’d also look forward to the holiday cocktails, but I won’t be able to indulge this year. That’s ok, because ALDI has me covered with their Nature’s Nectar Sparkling Pumpkin Cider. It’s nonalcoholic (though you could spike it) and totally delicious. I’ve been drinking it for years and I always look forward to seeing it in their stores this time of year. For those that aren’t pregnant, they also have wonderfully priced and delicious wines and champagne.
ALDI also has a wonderful selection of baking items for this time of year. I used their dark chocolate morsels in this cheesecake, along with their fresh cranberries. Their low prices are a welcome sight this time of year, when there’s so much going on and so much food to buy.
How To Make This Cheesecake Recipe
So let’s talk a bit about this cheesecake. The combination of chocolate and cranberries is spot on! So darn good together! Every bite left me wanting more.
To start, there’s the cranberry filling. The cranberries are cooked right over the stove along with some sugar, cornstarch and a touch of water. Cranberries are naturally pretty tart, so they are sweetened in the filling. Of course if you prefer some of that tartness, you could always reduce the sugar a bit.
Once the cranberries start to pop, the mixture is pureed in a food processor until smooth and then strained to remove the skins. Set that mixture aside to cool.
Next up is the crust, which naturally is chocolate to complement the chocolate fudge in the cheesecake.
The fudge filling itself is really more of a chocolate ganache, but when baked into the cheesecake and cooled in the thick and creamy cheesecake, it’s much like eating fudge filling. SO good!
The cranberry and fudge fillings are layered into the cheesecake in three layers, the final one being on top for decor. With each layer, the fillings are swirled into the cheesecake. As the cranberry filling and chocolate filling sit prior to adding to the cheesecake, they can start to thicken. Just give them a good stir before dropping by the spoonfuls into the cheesecake filling and it’ll make them a little easier to swirl around.
Once the cheesecake is baked and cooled, it’s ready to go! One of the great things about this cheesecake is there’s nothing fancy you need to do to it once it’s done. The swirl on top is decoration enough and a nice little preview of the deliciousness on the inside.
The final combination of thick and creamy cheesecake with the cranberry and fudge swirl is really heavenly! It’s even better than you’d expect! So, so delicious and such perfect flavors to finish off that Thanksgiving meal or celebrate any time over the holidays.
Also, to help bring more food to more people this month, ALDI is teaming up with Venmo and Feeding America® to encourage people to add a new tradition of giving to their Friendsgiving celebrations. Every time the custom Friendsgiving Turkey Hand emoji is shared on Venmo this November, ALDI will donate 10 meals to be provided to people in need, up to one million meals!
To find an ALDI store near you, use the locator included on their site.
You might also like:
Cranberry Fudge Layer Cake
Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cake
Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Bundt Cake
White Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Cranberry Fudge Swirl Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 1 Hr. 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 2 Hrs. 20 Minutes, Plus Cooling
- Total Time: 3 Hrs. 30 Minutes, Plus Cooling
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy Cranberry Fudge Swirl Cheesecake recipe is a thick and creamy cheesecake with cranberry filling and chocolate fudge swirled throughout! It’s a delicious and fun dessert recipe that’s perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
CRANBERRY FILLING
- 2 cups (215g) fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup (155g) Baker’s Corner Sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Baker’s Corner Cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
CRUST
- 2 ¼ cups (302g) Benton’s Chocolate Sandwich Cookie crumbs
- 5 tbsp (70g) Countryside Creamery Salted Butter, melted
CHOCOLATE FUDGE FILLING
- 6 oz (169g | 1 cup) Baker’s Corner Dark Chocolate Morsels
- 1/2 tsp Stonemill Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) Countryside Creamery Heavy Whipping Cream
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 24 ounces (678g) Happy Farms Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) Baker’s Corner Sugar
- 3 tbsp (25g) Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup (230g) Friendly Farms Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp Stonemill Vanilla Extract
- 4 Goldhen Large Eggs, room temperature
Instructions
1. To make the cranberry filling, add the cranberries, sugar, cornstarch and water to a medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until cranberries soften and pop, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the cranberry mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Press and strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove the skins.
5. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
CRUST
6. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides. Check out my tutorial to see how I set up my pan and prevent it from leaking.
7. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
8. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
9. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set prepared pan aside.
FUDGE AND CHEESECAKE FILLING
10. To make the fudge filling, add the chocolate morsels and vanilla extract to a medium bowl.
11. Heat the heavy whipping cream until it begins to boil, then pour over the chocolate chips.
12. Allow the cream to sit for roughly 5 minutes, then whisk until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
13. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C).
14. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until well combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
15. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until well combined.
16. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
17. Fill the crust with about 1/3 of the cheesecake filling.
18. Drop small spoonfuls of the cranberry filling and chocolate fudge filling onto the cheesecake filling, using about 1/3 of each. Use a toothpick to run through the spoonfuls and swirl them around.
19. Repeat with another layer of cheesecake filling and cranberry and fudge filling.
20. Add a final layer of cheesecake filling and the remaining cranberry and fudge filling, again swirling to create a swirled pattern on top.
21. Place the springform pan (covered with aluminum foil) inside another larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
22. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
23. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
24. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
25.Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.
26. Once firm, remove the cheesecake from the pan and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 477
- Sugar: 34.8 g
- Sodium: 320.2 mg
- Fat: 25.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.9 g
- Protein: 9.1 g
- Cholesterol: 95.6 mg
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
This was a really good cheesecake – everyone loved it! It wasn’t too bad to put together. I couldn’t find the Benton chocolate sandwich cookies; I used Oreos and crust tasted really good. I will make this again for next year’s Holiday Season!
WOW! This cheesecake is slap-yo-momma amazing. There are several steps in the process, but all are well worth the effort. The cookies were offensively over-priced (many things are these days), so I used Chocolate Teddy Grahams instead, and they worked just fine. My husband and I devoured this cheesecake. I will definitely be making this again… very soon! Thanks a million for this recipe!
Lol!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for NYE and it was delicious. Nice balance between the tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness of the fudge. I was scared to put the full chocolate fudge amount in the cheesecake but it could have taken it. I love your recipes, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi, how tall is the pan you used?
Made this for my wife’s office Christmas party, and it was a huge hit! It’s fantastic—so rich and creamy, and the flavors go great together. Followed the recipe and didn’t change a thing, though I might make a little more cranberry filling next time. Will definitely make again!
I’m so glad to hear everyone enjoyed it!
Hi! How can I modify this recipe to make them into mini cheesecakes?
Thank you!
That’s tough to say without trying it. You could need different amounts of the different ingredients so that you don’t end up with too much or too little of something. But you could certainly make all the elements and layer them together into mini cheesecakes and see how many you get. I would check out some of my other mini cheesecakes to get an idea on baking and cooling times. It should be similar.
I’ve had this recipe pinned for a looong time and I’ve just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to give it a try.. which finally happened for this Christmas, and it was a HUGE success! Not only is it super easy to make, but the flavor combinations are perfect. The sweet chocolate with the bitter cranberry was such a pleasing balance, not to mention the dreamy creaminess of the cheesecake itself. I even had someone who doesn’t like cheesecake rave about it! This recipe is definitely a keeper 🙂
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake!
This looks amazing! Can it be made a few days before serving?
Yes, you can make a few days before. Cheesecake is best for 3-4 days, keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Found your site while trying to find a cheesecake recipe and your pictures are absolutely amazing! I made the cranberry fudge cheesecake for Thanksgiving and it turned out wonderfully. This was my first cheesecake so I was nervous, but the steps and video made it so easy to follow. I made a practice one a day early and made double the cranberries, so the second time it was much faster to make. Thank you for the tip about wrapping the pan in a roasting bag to keep the water out. I can’t wait to try some other recipes from your site!
I’m so glad the tutorial helped and you enjoyed the cheesecake!
I don’t have a pan big enough to make the water bath. Can I make it without??
I wouldn’t suggest it. Without it the cheesecake is likely to fall in the center and have cracks.
Hi Lindsay! I have made a few of your cheesecakes and love them! I have noticed in your pictures that you are able to get the cheesecake off the bottom if the springform pan because of the parchment paper. Is there a trick to getting it off and onto a serving plate? I normally cut the paper to for right down in the bottom, and it has seemed like it would be hard to slide off. Thanks!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoy them, Sidney! I usually run my 9 inch offset spatula between the parchment paper and the bottom of the pan to loosen it and then I’m able to slowly and carefully push the cheesecake off of the pan bottom. I hope that helps!
HI – Can I substitute strawberries? Would the measurements be the same? I cannot buy cranberries anymore and this cake is lovely. Made it for Christmas and it was a hit. I would like to use either strawberries, raspberries or blueberries?
Thanks…your an amazing baker! God bless you
What a great idea! I imagine it would work well with any of those berries.
Would the measurements be the same as the cranberries? To make the jelly to mix in? I’ve never made a different one. Just your cranberry one. Do you use the same amount of sugar and cornstarch you think?
It’s all your idea, cause you’re awesome….I’m just changing the fruit 🙂
Hmm, I’m not entirely sure. The strawberries may produce a thinner filling than the cranberries so you might want to add some extra cornstarch – maybe another tablespoon?
Hi Lindsay- I’m looking to make this cheesecake tonight 🙂 and I can cannot fresh cranberries. Can I used canned? Help!
If you can find whole canned cranberries and can wash them free of the filling or juices they may be in, they should be fine.
I know not everyone likes dark chocolate….what would happen if I used milk chocolate?
That would be totally fine.
I made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving and everyone raved about it…fantastic! Thank you for this great recipe. I will be making it again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for Thanksgiving. Not only is it beautiful, but It was the creamiest, most wonderful cheesecake. I loved the contrast of the chocolate with the tartness of the cranberry. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Lindsay! This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your blog and I’m happy to report that it turned out perfectly! I made it for this year’s Thanksgiving gathering and I’ve never seen a cake disappear so quickly! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe! I’ll be trying your Gingerbread cheesecake next. 😉
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Lindsay! Help! I just pulled my cheesecake out of the oven and water bath, and there was a small bit of water at the bottom (so the cake was sitting for a bit in the water –eek!). I have no idea how water got in there, as I followed your directions to a T. My cake is chilling in the fridge now. Is it ruined? I have to take it to a family gathering tomorrow.
And btw, do you have to bake this in the water bath??
Sorry for the delay! For future cheesecake baking – here’s my tutorial for how to keep a springform pan from leaking. I find that even when brand new and supposedly “leakproof”, most springform pans leak. I do always suggest the water bath though. Without it, cheesecakes are often a little dry, brown around the edges and fall in the center when cooling. Hopefully it still turned out great – I’ve had leaking happen and usually the cheesecake is still fine. 🙂
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was so darn good! The cranberry and fudge went together perfectly. Although a bit time consuming, this cheesecake was so worth it!
this cake looks scrumptious and heavenly! I love the combination of cranberries and chocolate in a cheesecake. YUM!
I can’t believe how beautiful your baking is! I am absolutely in awe.
Thank you so much Cyndi! I hope you get a chance to try some recipes!
As always, your cheesecake looks absolutely perfect! What a fun combination for the holidays.
Thanks Hannah!
How big is the pan used?
It’s a 9 inch springform pan.
I’ve never had a desire to eat cranberry anything, the juice has sufficed me just fine, but looking at this cheesecake is making me change my mind!
Ooooh my! That looks sooooo good!!????
Excellent. Thank you
This cheesecake looks absolutely amazing! Your pics are beautiful. ????