Red Velvet Cheesecake
A Red Velvet Cheesecake that is absolutely restaurant-worthy, this from-scratch cheesecake is velvety smooth and loaded with rich red velvet flavor. A buttery, chocolate OREO crust on the bottom and dollops of cream cheese whipped cream on the top take this red velvet cheesecake to another level of decadence.
Red Velvet Cheesecake
What’s better than a red velvet cake?
A red velvet cheesecake, of course! All of the flavor of a classic red velvet cake combined with a rich cheesecake, hitting just the right balance of bitter chocolate, tangy cream cheese, buttery crust and sweetness throughout.
One of my main complaints with most red velvet recipes is that they taste like food dye. The reason is that they rely solely on the food dye to achieve the vibrant red color of the cheesecake instead of using it to bring out the natural red color achieved by combined natural cocoa powder, buttermilk and vinegar.
Yes, vinegar. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it in the recipe, but it is necessary to react with the natural cocoa powder. (NOTE: Dutch cocoa powder will not achieve the same results, so check your cocoa powder before beginning this recipe.)
You can skip the red dye completely, just note that your cheesecake will have more of a clay-red hue than the bright red dessert shown in our pictures.
While we opted for an OREO cookie crust to deepen the chocolate flavor of this cheesecake even more, you can opt for a classic graham cracker crust, if desired.
This Red Velvet Cheesecake is the perfect dessert for so many occasions – from Valentine’s Day to Christmas, and any day in between. I can’t think of an occasion that I wouldn’t welcome a generous slice of this rich red velvet cheesecake.
— Jennifer
Take a peek at the other baked cheesecake recipes.
Red Velvet Ingredients
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For the OREO Crust:
- OREO Cookies
- Butter, melted
For the Red Velvet Cheesecake Layer:
- Cream cheese room temperature
- Granulated White Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Large Eggs
- Full-fat Sour Cream
- Buttermilk
- Vinegar
- Red Gel Food Color
For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:
- Cream Cheese, room temperature
- Heavy Whipped Cream
- Powdered Confectioner’s Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: double check your cocoa powder to ensure it is natural and unsweetened (not Dutch process cocoa).
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- 9” Springform Pan
- Slightly larger pan (for waterbath)
- Food Processor
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer
- Piping Bag with 1M Wilton Piping Tip (large star tip)
How to Make Red Velvet Cheesecake
To Prep: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper.
- Make the OREO chocolate crust using a food processor to blitz the OREOs and combine with butter, then press into the bottom of the springform pan;
- Make the red velvet cheesecake filling, using a combination of the reaction of cocoa, buttermilk and vinegar and a small amount of red food dye to achieve a bright red color;
- Bake the cheesecake using a waterbath to prevent cracking, then refrigerate to cool completely;
- Whip up the cream cheese whipped cream and pipe onto the cheesecake.
Red Velvet Cheesecake FAQs
Can You Freeze Red Velvet Cheesecake? You can freeze this cheesecake if you would like. Place in an airtight, freezer 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.
Do I really need to use a water bath? What does it do? The water bath (or bain-marie) helps the cheesecake cook more gently and evenly. By surrounding the springform pan with hot water (while keeping it well sealed), you reduce the risk of cracking, prevent the edges from baking too fast compared to the center, and help maintain a smooth, creamy texture
How do I set up the water bath so I don’t get water leaking into the crust? Wrap the springform pan with 2-3 layers of aluminum foil and be sure to not overfill the outer pan (the water should only reach about halfway up the sides of the springform pan to avoid splashing or water getting over the foil).
Why does my cheesecake crack on top, and how can I avoid that? Common causes include baking at too high a temperature, overmixing the batter (incorporating too much air), or cooling too quickly (a sudden drop in temperature causes the center to sink or crack). Using a water bath, keeping ingredients at room temperature, mixing gently (especially after adding eggs), and cooling gradually (e.g., leaving it in the oven with the door cracked off, then chilling in the fridge) all help prevent cracks.
More Red Velvet Recipes You’ll Love:
- Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake
- Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls from The Soccer Mom Blog
- Red Velvet Crepes with Cream Cheese Filling from Sugar, Spice and Glitter
- Nutella-Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies from In the Kids’ Kitchen
Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
If you tried this recipe and loved it too, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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.
Nutrition
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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.