This No Bake Sparkling Cranberry Orange Cheesecake is the perfect holiday dessert. Cranberry and orange really do make the perfect flavor combination. The smooth, creamy orange cheesecake with the sweet but tart cranberries is to die for. If you’ve never tried these two flavors before, it’s a must!
Can you believe Thanksgiving is Thursday?! I can’t even. My head is so not in that mode yet.
Between all the baking for the cookbook and for the blog, I have cake on the brain. I was at the grocery store over the weekend getting baking ingredients (as I do most days) when I realized while walking through the meat department that there were turkeys in the section that normally has the ground beef.
Then it hit me.
Thursday! Thanksgiving is Thursday! And I need a turkey – like now. It has to thaw for several days and I need to make sure I’m not showing up Wednesday night to the store when there are no turkeys left.
*facepalm*
So next to my sugar and flour, I tossed a big, frozen turkey into the cart. I kind of wanted to just get all the things I’d need for Thanksgiving, but had no idea if I’d miss something, so that’s tonight’s activity.
I did go ahead and buy a couple cans of sweet potatoes. I KNOW I’ll need those babies. I pretty much need an entire sweet potato casserole to myself and I’d die if the grocery store ran out of those before I could get some. Like, die. Like Thanksgiving would be over.
So while I’m not entirely prepared, I do have sweet potatoes and turkey. If nothing else, those will at least be delicious together. 🙂
And we’ll surely have plenty of cake.
If you are as behind as I am, I’m here to save the day! If you need a last minute dessert, look no further. This cheesecake is no bake and you are welcome. It can also be made a couple days ahead. You are welcome again. In fact, you could totally make it today or tomorrow and it’d be great for Thursday.
It’s also super easy to put together. You’ve got your standard crust to start. I actually use vanilla wafers because I love their added sweetness, but you could go with graham crackers if you have those on hand.
The cheesecake is flavored with orange zest and fresh orange juice. While it might seem kind of like you’re going to end up eating orange juice, it’s totally not true! It’s SO SO good!
The next step (which I’d actually do first) is the sparkling sugar-covered cranberries. These can totally be made ahead. In fact, you’ll want to make them ahead. They soak in simple syrup (a sugar and water mixture) overnight before being covered in sugar. Once covered in sugar, they dry and can stay fresh in the fridge for several days. Once your cheesecake is ready to go, just pile those beauties on top and you’ve got a party.
So now you’re officially ready for Thanksgiving, right? I sure hope so, because it’s coming fast!
You might also like:
Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Layer Cake
Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes
White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge
Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Bundt Cake
Cranberry Fudge Swirl Cheesecake
White Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
No Bake Sparkling Cranberry Orange Cheesecake
- Yield: 14-16 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
Smooth, creamy no bake orange flavored cheesecake with sweet but tart cranberries
Ingredients
CRANBERRIES
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
CRUST
- 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
CHEESECAKE
- 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1/2 tbsp orange zest
- 8 oz Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream*)
Instructions
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 481
- Sugar: 56.7 g
- Sodium: 170.7 mg
- Fat: 25.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 63.2 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
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Hi Lindsay,
You saved the day! Last weekend was our Canadian Thanksgiving and my oven was not acting normally and I was having my family for dinner. So I decided to browse the internet to find a beautiful no-bake desert for my guests. I found your Sparkling Orange Cheesecake!!!!! I must say it was easy to do and it gave me the result I wanted. All my guest had comments like: “WOW this is the best cheesecake I ever had”, “So light and creamy”, “Can I have the recipe” and it went on and on. I did the recipe with real whip cream. What a success, thank you Lindsay. I added my touch to the decoration by adding sugar coated mint leaves and candied orange peel to the decoration. I wish I could send you a picture of the finished product but I am not sure how to proceed. Let me know how to do and I would be glad to send them to you.
Many thanks,
Liane
Hi Liane! It sounds beautiful! I’m so glad it was a hit. 🙂 I’d love to see the photo if you want to send it to lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com
Hi there! Lovely decorated cake, definitely going to try the sugar-coated fruit. Just one query – the cake flour in the mixture is not baked and therefor ‘raw’ – is it OK to eat it like this and can it maybe be omitted or replaced with something else? (I take it that it helps the cake to set).
I don’t have an issue with it, but if you do you could toast the flour in the oven first or leave it out.
Lindsay, cranberry and orange has always been one of my favorite combinations, so this sounds wonderful to me. And it is soooo pretty! Gorgeous photos.
I love the cranberry orange combination this time of year! This is one gorgeous cheesecake!
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Loving this beautiful cheesecake, particularly those sugared cranberries, they are so beautiful. Pinned!
gorgeous as always!
Gosh, this cheesecake is so pretty! And I’m really loving that cake stand too! I can’t believe this is a no-bake cheesecake, it looks just like it was baked in the oven. 🙂 Love the cranberries!
This cheesecake is GORGEOUS! I’d love to have this sitting on my Thanksgiving dessert table. It’s even better that it is no bake!!
That looks marvelous! I love cranberry and orange together.
It’s no wonder that you have way too much going on, writing the book and being fabulous! This cake is yet another breathtaking one. Those frosted cranberries are so gorgeous!