Looking for a festive patriotic dessert? This White Chocolate Cheesecake is topped with berries and whipped cream to form a delicious American flag — an ideal centerpiece for your 4th of July celebration.
Happy July! With the 4th of July right around the corner, here’s a quick and festive recipe you can make ahead: an American Flag White Chocolate Cheesecake. It’s simple to prepare, rich and creamy, and decorated with berries and stabilized whipped cream to create a classic flag design. Bake it, chill it, and finish with the topping when it’s time to serve.
I love seasonal desserts — they’re fun to make and always pleasing to the eye. This version of white chocolate cheesecake is dense and velvety with white chocolate pieces mixed into the filling. The chocolate graham crust provides a nice contrast in texture and flavor. I baked this in a tart pan for a pretty presentation, but you can use a standard springform pan if you prefer.
For the topping I used stabilized whipped cream so it holds up well on a warm day. A handy trick is to add powdered milk when whipping heavy cream — it helps stabilize the cream while keeping the texture light. Beat the heavy cream to soft peaks, then add a spoonful of powdered milk, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Continue whipping to stiff peaks and you’ll have a fluffy, stable topping that won’t melt quickly.
This cheesecake is great for potlucks and holiday gatherings because you can prepare it in advance. Chill it overnight for the best texture, then decorate with blueberries and halved cherries (or strawberries) to create the flag pattern just before serving. I hope this becomes part of your holiday spread — enjoy and happy baking!
Print Recipe
American flag white chocolate cheesecake
Ingredients
- for the crust
- 10 chocolate graham cookies
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- for the filling
- 16 oz {2 packages} cream cheese
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- for the topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered milk
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup blueberries
- ½ cup cherries
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Pulse the chocolate graham cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter and the ¼ cup granulated sugar, pulse until combined.
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Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ tart pan to form the crust.
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Bake the crust about 5 minutes, then remove and let cool.
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For the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
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Add ½ cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
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Mix in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
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Chop the white chocolate chips finely (pulse in a food processor or chop by hand) and fold into the cheesecake mixture.
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Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes. The cheesecake should rise slightly and turn lightly golden without browning. It will still have a small jiggle in the center; it will set more as it cools.
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Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is best).
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To make the topping, beat the heavy cream to soft peaks. Add powdered milk, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, then continue beating until stiff peaks form.
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Wash the blueberries. Wash, pit, and halve the cherries (or use halved strawberries) for the stripes.
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Spread or pipe the stabilized whipped cream on the chilled cheesecake, arrange blueberries in the top-left corner for the blue field, and create red and white stripes with halved cherries and cream. Serve immediately and store leftovers in the refrigerator.
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