This easy raspberry swirl cheesecake is absolutely perfect for summer! It’s a creamy no-bake cheesecake with ribbons of fresh raspberry purée in a buttery graham cracker crust.
This post is sponsored by American Dairy Association Mideast. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
We’re rolling into June with this no-bake raspberry swirl cheesecake! It’s the perfect cheesecake for summer. The base recipe is my favorite no-bake cheesecake, this time with fresh raspberry pureé, a touch of tangy lemon, and the same buttery graham cracker crust. The timing couldn’t be better for this raspberry cheesecake, because June is Dairy Month. It’s no secret that no-bake desserts are pretty much my best friend. Who wants to turn on the oven in the summer? Not this blogger!
A Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake That Doesn’t Need the Oven!
- No baking. No-bake desserts like my no-bake strawberry cheesecake, no-bake lemon cheesecake, and this raspberry cheesecake are made for warmer weather. There’s no need to heat up the kitchen.
- Easier than a traditional cheesecake. Since you won’t bake this cheesecake, there’s no water bath, no gradual cooling, and no cracking.
- Fresh raspberries. The raspberry swirl is made from real, fresh puréed raspberries, similar to my strawberry filling. Laced throughout the creamy, tangy white chocolate cheesecake, it’s the most delicious sweet-tart contrast.
I’m joining my friends over at ADA Mideast (remember my Ohio Farm tour?) to talk dairy and celebrate America’s hardworking dairy farmers. In Ohio and West Virginia, dairy farm families raise more than 275,000 dairy cows on about 2,500 dairy farms. That’s a lot of milk! Actually, it’s about 5.5 billion pounds, or about 645 million gallons of milk, but who’s counting, right?
Luckily for me, dairy comes in lots of different forms. Even though I have about a glass of milk a day in my coffee (8 grams of high-quality protein right there!), I also enjoy dairy-filled desserts, like this cheesecake!
Ingredient Notes
Scroll all the way to the bottom for the printable recipe card with the full ingredients list and instructions.
- Graham Crackers – You can use graham cracker sheets ground up into a fine crumb, or ready-made graham cracker crumbs to combine with melted butter for the graham cracker crust. This cheesecake would also taste great with a vanilla cookie crust or even an Oreo crust for a chocolatey contrast.
- White Chocolate – Melted white chocolate adds stability to the no-bake cheesecake filling for a thick, sliceable texture. I recommend using a chocolate bar and not chocolate chips when melting. Chocolate bars will melt down much more smoothly. Look for bars like Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Bakers.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Full-fat heavy whipping cream is best.
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese – I like the blocks of cream cheese. Do NOT use low-fat cream cheese or your cheesecake may not set properly.
- Lemon Zest – See my tutorial on how to zest a lemon, if needed.
- Raspberries – These can be fresh raspberries or frozen berries that have been thawed and drained. You can also make this dessert with blueberry, strawberry, or even a blackberry purée (like my no-bake blackberry lemon cheesecake).
How to Make Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake (No-Bake)
You’ll start by puréeing the raspberries, then you’ll mix up the filling, and get swirling!
- Make the crust. First, grind the graham cracker into a fine crumb. Stir in the melted butter, then press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. If you need extra guidance, check out my in-depth guide on how to make a no-bake crust in a springform pan.
- Prepare the raspberry purée. Wash the raspberries well, then purée them using a food processor or blender. You can use the purée as is, or strain the seeds for a silky-smooth consistency. To strain out the seeds, pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve. Use a spoon to push the juices from the pulp. Once that’s done, set it aside.
- Melt the chocolate. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate with 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. See how to melt chocolate and my white chocolate ganache recipe for tips.
- Make the whipped cream. Next, beat heavy cream in a cold bowl until it reaches soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Set it aside.
- Make the cheesecake batter. Beat room-temperature cream cheese until smooth (this prevents a lumpy cheesecake), and mix in the sugar. Then, add the melted white chocolate to the cheesecake batter. Lastly, gently fold in the whipped cream and lemon zest.
How to Swirl the Cheesecake
Adding a gorgeous berry swirl to this cheesecake is easy. Follow the steps below.
- Add the batter to the crust. Start by pouring 1/3 of the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust and spreading it evenly.
- Add the purée. Next, dollop about 1/3 of the raspberry purée over the filling. Use a knife or a toothpick to swirl it into the batter. Don’t overdo it on this first layer, as you’re going to add more.
- Repeat. Repeat this two more times, ending with raspberry purée on top, and gently swirl again.
Tips for the Best No-Bake Cheesecake
- Use room temperature cream cheese. Be sure to adequately soften the cream cheese so that you can easily beat all the lumps out of it.
- Melt chocolate bars, not chocolate chips. I find that chocolate bars like Lindt or Ghirardelli meltdown so much smoother than chocolate chips and often times the chocolate is less grainy.
- Don’t skip the zest. The lemon zest in the filling balances out the tang and sweetness of the filling. It’s such a great compliment to the raspberries as well.
How to Store
- Keep refrigerated. Store this no-bake raspberry cheesecake in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. I find it best to keep the cheesecake in the pan and remove the springform sides when it’s time to add the toppings and serve. This cheesecake is at its best within 3 days.
More No-Bake Cheesecake Recipes
To meet Ohio and West Virginia dairy farmers, learn more about how farmers care for their cows, and follow milk’s journey from farm to fridge, visit Drink-Milk.com, and follow the American Dairy Association Mideast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Join the conversation #DairyMonth.
Print
No-Bake Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Chill Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 slices
- Category: Cheesecake
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy raspberry swirl cheesecake is a rich, creamy no-bake cheesecake ribboned with fresh raspberry purée in a buttery graham cracker crust.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 ¼ cups (202g) graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 6 ounces (170g) white chocolate bar, roughly chopped
- 3 ounces (85g) raspberries, puréed
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (281ml) heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1/4 cup (32g) powdered sugar
- 16 ounces (452) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (95g) granulated sugar
- zest 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
For the Topping
- ¾ cup (177ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons (16g) powdered sugar
- Raspberries for garnish
Instructions
For the Crust
- Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lightly greasing the edges of the pan with cooking spray and then wiping gently with a paper towel.
- Grind the graham crackers into fine crumbs using a food processor or blender. Pour the melted butter over the graham crackers and stir until the crumbs are well coated.
- Pour the crumbs into your springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up on the sides to create a thick crust. Refrigerate the crust while you are preparing the filling.
For the Filling
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate with 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds. Gently stir and return the microwave for another 30 seconds (50% power). At this point, the chocolate should be melted. Stir until it’s completely smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Pureé the raspberries in a blender or food processor. If desired, you can strain the berries through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
- Prepare the whipped cream. Place a metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until it reaches soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside.
- Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until it’s completely smooth and free of lumps, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until it’s well incorporated.
- Next, add the melted white chocolate and beat into the cream cheese until it’s well combined.
- Finally, add the lemon zest and the prepared whipped cream and fold into the cream cheese, mixing from the bottom to the top until it’s completely smooth. Set aside.
To Assemble
- Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared crust and spread evenly. Then, spoon about 1/3 of the raspberry purée over the cream cheese and use a knife to swirl it into the batter. Repeat this two more times.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the cheesecake to set. Add the toppings before serving.
For the Topping
- Prepare a second batch of whipped cream following the same method as described above. Pipe the whipped cream borders using a large open star tip. Garnish with leftover raspberries.
Notes
- Store the finished cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- To decorate the cheesecake you may want an additional 6oz container of berries.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 298mg
- Fat: 47.6g
- Carbohydrates: 44.7g
- Fiber: 1.8g
- Protein: 6.4g
- Cholesterol: 124mg
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Excellent recipe!!!!
Love it Always use this recipe for special occasions 😀❤️
Awesome Bonnie, thank you so much!!
Do you think I could try this with other fruit puree? I’m thinking either pureed cranberry sauce or cherry pie filling?
Hi Kate, yes I do think you can do this, just be mindful of how much liquid you add. The wetter or more liquid there is, the harder it will be for the cheesecake to set
Excellent cheesecake. Recently I cooked one for my nephews and they really liked it.
thanks for sharing!
Hello! It might be an odd question but could I substitute the white chocolate with something else? We’d love to try this recipe but aren’t fans of white choc. Thanks so much!
Hi Rachel, I’ve done a no-bake chocolate raspberry cheesecake version, but really you won’t taste the white chocolate specifically. It still tastes like a cheesecake, just a little less tangy.
This dessert was perfect for Easter in Georgia since it was a warm day and we didn’t want anything too rich or sweet. Even my “I don’t eat cheesecake”people were inhaling it and asking for more. Looking forward to experimenting with other fruits and toppings. Thanks as always for your amazing recipes!!
Woohoo!! Thank you for sharing Krista! I am SO glad that you loved this!
My family loved this pie but it takes awhile to make it.
Hi Pam, thank you for sharing!
This cheesecake was absolutely delicious and very pretty as well. Only problem with the recipe is that directions to make the raspberry puree were not included. Oh, well, I guess that’s what Google is for. Thanks, my son will love it!
Thank you Connie for the feedback, I can definitely add a quick how-to to puree the raspberries!
How do you make the puree? Thank you!
Puree them in a blender or food processor
I love this pretty cheesecake! Even better that is filled with delicious dairy!
We have a good-sized raspberry patch loaded with blossoms right now. I just printed this off, as we’re always looking for new raspberry dessert recipes. Beautiful pie!
My family loves no bake cheesecakes…I love how easy they are to make! Perfect summer treat!
Perfect dessert for a backyard summer party!