Red Velvet Cheesecake
This Red Velvet Cheesecake recipe is for an easy from-scratch cheesecake that is velvety smooth and loaded with rich red velvet flavor. It has a thick chocolate oreo crust and is topped with a cream cheese whipped cream. This is the perfect Valentine’s Day cheesecake to celebrate the holiday. Take a peek at the other baked cheesecake recipes too.
Red velvet is perfect for Valentine’s Day, but it is also a flavor that we eat all year round. I love the deep red, unique flavor that is so incredible.
Red Velvet Cheesecake
Everyone loves red velvet and cream cheese together! This cream cheese whipped cream topping is the final touch to this baked cheesecake. It throws the whole cheesecake to a complete. Slice and serve this cheesecake up today, and see how your family and friends like it.
How to Make Red Velvet Cheesecake
You will start by using a food processor to break up the Oreos to make an Oreo crust. Then adding butter so that the Oreo crumbs stick together.
Next is the red velvet cheesecake filling. You’ll be using the typical classic cheesecake ingredients such as cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Then you’ll need a few additional ingredients. Those are cocoa powder, buttermilk, vinegar, and red gel food color. Once you follow the instructions below and have created a creamy cheesecake batter, pour it into the prepared pan, and bake accordingly.
Once your cheesecake is cooled you will the refrigerate to allow the cheesecake to set up. Once you are close to serving, whip up the cream cheese whipped cream topping and pipe onto the cheesecake.
Oreo Cheesecake Crust
Now, I opted for Oreos as the crust for this cheesecake. If you prefer you could use a classic graham cracker crust, or step out and do a Golden Oreo instead of chocolate. I loved the rich chocolate sandwich cookie crust, but feel free to get creative.
Looking for More Cheesecake Recipes
- Blood Orange Cheesecake | Rich, creamy, and loaded with fresh citrus flavor. This blood orange cheesecake is incredible and so easy to make.
- Instant Pot Caramel Apple Cheesecake | This caramel apple cheesecake is made right in your Instant Pot. If you are looking for a velvety smooth cheesecake that has rich spiced apples, this recipe is a must.
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake | Love peanut butter? If you said yes, this recipe is going to rock your world. There’s a peanut butter flavor in every single bite of this indulgent cheesecake.
- Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake | Valentine’s day is right around the corner and this strawberries and cream cheesecake is the perfect dessert! It has a layer of strawberry cheesecake with a vanilla cheesecake layer on top.
Can You Freeze Red Velvet Cheesecake
You can freeze this cheesecake if you would like. Place in an airtight container or wrap well in plastic wrap followed by two layers of aluminum foil.
Place in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to eat just place in the fridge overnight to thaw.
Red Velvet Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 25 oreo cookies
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
Cheesecake
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1.5 ounces red gel food color
Whipped Cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipped cream
- 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the sides with parchment paper strips.
- Add the oreo cookies in a food processor and pulse until all of the cookies are fine crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, you can place the cookies in a storage bag and crush them with a rolling pin. I prefer not to do this because the cookie filling sticks to the bag instead of getting worked into the crumbs.
- Add the butter to the cookie crumbs and pulse until the crumbs are coated with butter.
- Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Place in the fridge to set up while you work on the cheesecake.
Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add in the cream cheese. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until creamy. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add in the sugar and cocoa powder and continue to beat until incorporated.
- Addin the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time. Beat in each egg until incorporated and then add the next. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add in the sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, and red gel food color. Beat on medium until all of the ingredients are worked into the batter. The batter should be a deep red color.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
- Place the springform pan in a slightly larger pan to prevent water from the water bath leaking into the cheesecake. You can also double wrap the springform pan with heavy-duty tin foil instead.
- Place the two pans or foil-wrapped springform pan in an even larger pan. Fill the largest pan with about 1 inch of hot water.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until done. To test the recipe, gently jiggle the pan. The edges of the cheesecake shouldn't move and the center would slightly jiggle like jello.
- Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for about an hour. Remove from the oven and if it's not cooled to room temperature let it continue to cool on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
- Cover the cooled cheesecake and place it in the fridge overnight or for 8 hours until it's set up and chilled.
Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl, add in the cream cheese. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl.
- Pour in the heavy cream and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
- Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat until the whipped cream holds its shape.
- Add the whipped cream to a piping bag with a wilton 1M piping tip and pipe swirls on the chilled cheesecake.
- Cut and serve. Cover and store in the fridge.
Made this for a co-worker’s birthday. I got rave reviews from this cheesecake!
That’s the best news! I’m glad everyone enjoyed it!
Question… can I exclude the cocoa from this recipe?? I don’t like it in my red velvet cake recipe?
I wouldn’t recommend it. The cocoa powder helps thicken the cheesecake as well as flavor it. Leaving it out will also make the cheesecake way sweeter than it should be since it’s balanced out with the unsweetened cocoa powder.