Description
This raspberry crunch cheesecake delivers silky-smooth creamy filling with tart-sweet raspberry ribbons, nestled on buttery pistachio crust, topped with crunchy pistachio brittle. Using proper water bath technique, room temperature ingredients, and perfect balance of tangy cream cheese with bright raspberry flavor creates bakery-quality results. Make-ahead friendly and actually improves after 24 hours.
Ingredients
FOR THE PISTACHIO CRUST:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup finely ground pistachios
⅓ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt
FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
32 oz (4 packages, 8 oz each) cream cheese, room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
FOR THE RASPBERRY SWIRL:
2 cups fresh raspberries (or frozen, thawed and drained)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
FOR THE PISTACHIO CRUNCH TOPPING:
1 cup chopped pistachios
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
FOR GARNISH:
Fresh raspberries
Whole pistachios
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
1. Bring cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature 2-3 hours ahead. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Wrap outside with double layer heavy-duty foil.
2. MAKE CRUST: Combine graham cracker crumbs, ground pistachios, sugar, melted butter, and pinch salt. Press firmly into bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely.
3. MAKE RASPBERRY SAUCE: Combine raspberries, ¼ cup sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain to remove seeds. Cool completely.
4. MAKE FILLING: Beat room-temperature cream cheese 3-4 minutes until completely smooth. Add sugar and flour, beat 2 minutes. Scrape bowl.
5. Add eggs one at a time on low speed, just until incorporated. Don’t overmix. Scrape between additions.
6. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and salt on low just until smooth.
7. Pour half filling into cooled crust. Drizzle half raspberry sauce. Pour remaining filling, drizzle remaining sauce. Swirl gently with knife—don’t over-swirl.
8. Place springform in large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into roasting pan until halfway up sides of springform.
9. Bake 70-80 minutes until center jiggles slightly. Don’t overbake.
10. Turn off oven, crack door, let sit 1 hour. This prevents cracks.
11. Remove from oven and water bath. Remove foil. Run knife around edges. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate minimum 8 hours or overnight.
12. MAKE PISTACHIO CRUNCH: Melt butter with sugar in skillet over medium heat. Add pistachios and salt. Stir constantly 5-7 minutes until golden. Spread on parchment to cool. Break into pieces.
13. Before serving, top with pistachio crunch, fresh raspberries, whole pistachios, and powdered sugar. Slice with hot, dry knife.
Notes
Room temperature ingredients are CRUCIAL—leave out 2-3 hours. Cold ingredients cause lumps.
Don’t overmix after adding eggs—causes cracks. Mix just until incorporated.
Water bath provides moist heat that prevents cracks. Don’t skip this step.
Center should jiggle slightly when done—continues cooking as it cools.
Cool gradually in oven 1 hour to prevent cracks from temperature shock.
Refrigerate minimum 8 hours—overnight is better. Flavors improve after 24 hours.
Wrap springform tightly with double layer foil to prevent water bath leaks.
Use hot, dry knife for clean slices. Wipe between cuts.
Add pistachio crunch just before serving for maximum crispness.
Cheesecake keeps refrigerated up to 5 days covered.
Freeze un-topped up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in fridge, add fresh toppings.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert/Cheesecake
- Method: Baking/Water Bath
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cheesecake)
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 125mg
Keywords: raspberry cheesecake, pistachio cheesecake, elegant dessert, special occasion cake, fruit cheesecake, no-crack cheesecake