Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
This vanilla bean white chocolate mousse cheesecake is one of the most incredible cheesecakes ever. The cheesecake batter is egg free and all the layers are luxuriously rich and smooth.
Not all cheesecakes are created equal, and this amazing vanilla bean cheesecake is proof of that.
It sails above other cheesecakes in flavor, texture, and overall deliciousness!

First: The Crust
The crust for this cheesecake is unique in that it includes an egg yolk. This lends a richness to the crust that is absent from other more traditional graham cracker crusts.
However, since the cheesecake batter itself is egg-free, if you need the whole cheesecake to be egg-free as well, simply omit the egg yolk from the crust ingredients.
Second: The Cheesecake Batter
The batter for this cheesecake includes:
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- cornstarch
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract + vanilla bean seeds OR vanilla bean paste
You can scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean pod for the cheesecake batter, but more often than not, I grab vanilla bean paste instead and use it in place of the extract and the scraped seeds.
I usually buy vanilla bean paste online. I’ve used these brands with good results: Heilala, Nielsen-Massey, and McCormick {aff. links}.
The key to this cheesecake is not to over bake it. It should be soft set and still slightly jiggly in the center when removing from the oven.
I don’t use a water bath when baking it. It rarely cracks. But if it does, it’s not a big deal because it will be covered up with decadent layers of white chocolate mousse and sweetened whipped cream.
Third: White Chocolate Mousse
Once the cheesecake has baked and cooled, it’s time for the white chocolate mousse.
- heavy cream
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- vanilla
- melted white chocolate
A note about white chocolate: white chocolate chips do not melt well! For this recipe (and any other recipe that calls for melted white chocolate), you want to use actual white chocolate that comes in bars, often found above the chocolate chips. Ghirardelli is my favorite brand. Don’t confuse it with almond bark or white candy coating. You want real deal white chocolate here.
Fourth: Sweetened Whipped Cream
No secrets here. The final layer is simply lightly sweetened whipped cream with more vanilla bean seeds to really maximize that vanilla flavor.
You can use plain vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste in place of the vanilla bean seeds.
Once all the layers are assembled, make sure to refrigerate the cheesecake for several hours so it is fully setup and chilled.
The Best Cheesecake
These four layers make up one of the most delicious cheesecakes in the history of ever.
- Buttery graham crust
- Vanilla bean cheesecake
- White chocolate mousse
- Vanilla bean whipped cream
The texture of the cheesecake is unique and unlike any other cheesecake I’ve had. It’s decadent and ultra-smooth and creamy.
The light and luxurious mousse and whipped cream layers are the perfect compliment to the rich cheesecake!
A Fan Favorite
Hundreds have fallen in love with this cheesecake – and for good reason! It is incredible! I love hearing how you guys feel about this recipe. 💗
Sarah writes: Just made this for my husband and I will never use another cheesecake recipe again, if I need a taller cheesecake then I will just double the filling and accommodate the baking. This was so easy to make and so freaking delicious❤️
Lisa says: I’ve made this recipe a couple of times. It’s fantastic and turns out beautifully. Use quality ingredients and you’ll be rewarded. And make a plan to share or you’ll be standing in front of your fridge in the middle of the night with a fork and no shame.
Mona writes: I made this for my family on Valentine’s Day and it was the best cheesecake I’ve made in my life! My husband keeps asking how soon before I make it again! Seriously so good, Mel!
One Year Ago: Confetti Chicken Bake with Cheddar Biscuit Topping
Two Years Ago: Classic Orange Julius
Three Years Ago: Mulligatawny Soup
Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) finely crushed graham crackers
- ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, melted
Cheesecake:
- 16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (227 g) sour cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- vanilla bean seeds scraped from one pod OR 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
White Chocolate Mousse:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces (113 g) white chocolate baking squares (NOT almond bark or white chocolate chips), melted
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- vanilla bean seeds scraped from one pod OR 1-2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- For the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix; then stir in the melted butter. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and just barely up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan (could also use a 10-inch pan although all the layers will be slightly thinner). Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- For the cheesecake layer, in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with an electric handheld mixer (or stand mixer) until soft and creamy. Add the sour cream, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Mix in the vanilla bean seeds or vanilla bean paste until well mixed.
- Spread the cheesecake over the cooled crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- For the white chocolate mousse, in a medium bowl, beat the cream and vanilla with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined and the peaks are slightly stiffer.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the white chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream, and mix gently with a rubber spatula, lifting and turning the cream, until the mousse is combined and creamy.
- Spread the white chocolate mousse over the cooled cheesecake.
- For the sweetened whipped cream, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar together until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla bean seeds or vanilla bean paste and mix until slightly stiffer peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the white chocolate mousse. Refrigerate at least 1-2 hours before serving (or up to overnight).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: lightly adapted from this recipe from food.com sent to me by my friend, Lien (thank you!)
This was the best cheesecake ever! So amazing! Great for special occasions since it took a little more time with four layers, but my family loved it.
Hi! How far in advance can I make this and still have it be awesome!
Probably 1-2 days.
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit (as expected)! I’m thinking about making mini versions of it and going to try baking it in a muffin tin. Do you think that would work/do you have any suggestions for adjusted bake time/temperature?
Thanks!!
I’d keep the temperature the same but probably check the time after about 12-14 mins.
Hi Mel! I am planning Christmas dinner and in the past I have made your Red Velvet Cheesecake which is delicious. I noticed it isn’t in your “Best” cheesecake selection. I have my eye on this vanilla bean cheesecake as I love anything with real vanilla beans. Could I use this recipe for the cheesecake and follow the rest of the recipe for the red velvet cheesecake or would the two flavors not mesh together? Thanks for your help!
Hi Kelli – yes, I think you could use this cheesecake recipe as a base for the red velvet one – but if you love the original red velvet cheesecake recipe, I’d probably just stick with it! I think it’s delicious, too!
This cake was delicious! My son said it was the best cake I had ever made! However, my crust seemed hard, like took a ton of effort to get the fork through it. Any ideas why this would happen? Did I over cook it or maybe undercook it? Maybe over beat the egg in it? Since I’ll be making it again just trying to perfect it! Thanks!
Hmmm, I think it could be from over cooking it or if your oven bakes hot, maybe reduce the oven temperature by 15-25 degrees?
Oh no! I bought everything but I don’t have a springform pan. Is that crucial? I have the thin aluminum disposable cake pans and I have a pie tin and a tart pan. Will any of those work?
The springform pan is important because they usually have higher sides but you might be able to split the cheesecake into a couple disposable pans.
Thank you for such a quick response!! You saved me and it turned out. I don’t think my mousse blended as evenly as it could have. Maybe the chocolate wasn’t melted enough or the cream cheese was still too cold, but I think it’ll be good!
This is absolutely the best cheesecake recipe EVER.
Hi Mel,
Whenever I have any gathering, I always make your vanilla bean chocolate mousse cheesecake. It became my families favorite years ago and we enjoy it very very much at almost every gathering.
Please never ever remove this recipe from your site, as I would probably die. No matter how many times I have printed or saved this recipe, it always sprouts legs and walks off. It is comforting to know, that I can find it here.
Thank you again for such a great recipe!
Haha, no worries! I don’t plan to ever remove the recipe! 🙂
Best cheesecake ever! Made this for Easter and everyone (including myself) LOVED it. Delicious, light and fluffy. Will be making this again and again. Thank you so much for sharing this!
I made this for a family birthday party and it was so delicious that I received text messages later asking about the cheesecake from family members who hadn’t been there to taste the yumminess! I did nix the vanilla beans in favor of vanilla extract to make it a more budget-friendly dessert. Thanks for the winner of a recipe!
I absolutely love this cheesecake, but I’m wondering where to buy decent priced vanilla beans. They are so so expensive.
Yes, vanilla beans are outrageously expensive right now! Apparently it’s due to a vanilla bean shortage in the countries where they are grown. To my knowledge, they are expensive no matter where you buy them.
What would happen if I left them out? It would just change the flavor a bit right?
You could sub vanilla extract for the vanilla beans – probably a tablespoon of extract.
Vanilla Bean Paste is a cheaper alternative when wanting the vanilla bean speck in your recipes, and a little goes a long way! Heilala is one of the best brands and the only brand I use in my cooking.
You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HJHSVG6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hi Mel,
I’m making this cheesecake tomorrow for my husband’s birthday. He loves the vanilla bean cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory, so I’m excited to make this for him! Quick question – when do you remove the cheesecake from the springform pan? Before or after adding the white chocolate mousse and whipped cream? Thanks!
That’s my absolute favorite flavor from Cheesecake Factory too, but this is seriously wayyyyyyy better than that. When she says it’s the Best. Cheesecake. Ever. It’s no joke. You put the mousse on before taking it out of the pan. I didn’t do the whipped cream. I didn’t think it needed it. I also waited until we were about to eat it before I took the pan apart. We had friends over and one doesn’t like cheesecake and he devoured it.
I usually add all the layers (mousse and whipped cream) before taking off the sides of the pan. Hope you love it!
I made this for the first time a few years ago and it remains a favourite among everyone, even the non cheesecake lovers. I also made them in jars which freeze well so I always have one at hand.
That’s a great idea!
I’m unsure of how I found this recipe, but I thought I’d try it out, because I had an event that needed a GF and an EF recipe. I used a GF pie crust and pre baked it. Then I baked the cheesecake in the crust and after cooled, I piped the white chocolate mousse on with a piping bag and served it with strawberries. My husband and I are not cheesecake fans, but we both think this recipe is exquisite! It hasn’t changed our kids’ minds about cheesecake disdain, but that’s not a bad thing…. more for us! Thanks for the recipe.
Haha, that’s right – more for you! 🙂 Glad you liked this…thanks for your notes!
We made this for Christmas Eve and it’s a new family favorite. My notoriously picky brother even approved! I made this vanilla bean version as well as the peppermint version and this one was the clear winner.
Hi Mel, I’m serving this at a party at my house and want to make this in advance so I don’t get too frazzled the day of. I was thinking of making the cheesecake and white chocolate mousse layer two days in advance and then doing the whipped cream layer the day of the party. Do you think that will work, or should I do the mousse layer the day of the party as well?
Yes, I definitely think this would be fine made a couple days in advance and adding the whipped cream the day of.
Thanks! I’m also serving the hot chorizo dip and best shrimp cocktail from your site, which is fitting since it’s a Favorite Things party and your website is one of my favorite things!
Thank you. I nailed it. Now it’s family favorite.
I just served this at a little gathering we had with friends and it was a huge hit! It can definitely hold its own next to other, more-decadent-seeming cheesecakes. The crust was really good–the egg yolk is genius! Also, it’s just so pretty with all the white layers. I will definitely be making this one again!
Made this for Christmas and it was SPECTACULAR! Easy to make and so incredibly delicious! I’m not exaggerating when I say this is probably the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. My family was SUPER impressed. Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I made this cheesecake, from your post, LAST Thanksgiving. All of us ladies on my husband’s side of the family bake, usually a pie, the day before Thanksgiving and I chose to do this cheesecake! It was definitely a HIT! There was NONE left and I wanted to take whatever was left over home. That obviously didn’t happen. Thanks for sharing your recipe 🙂
Oh-my-lanta! Was this amazing! I’ve never made cheesecake before, and this was totally worth the time! I love your blog & this recipe. Here is my post on it, if you wanna check it out 🙂
http://heatskitchen.com/2015/08/27/white-chocolate-vanilla-bean-cheesecake/
Hello, if I were to half this recipe would baking times change?
It all depends on what size of baking pan you use but you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on the baking time and cut it down as needed.
I made this over the weekend for my birthday cake, It was AWESOME. It was as delicious as I hoped it would be. Even though there were a few steps involved, they were all easy and worth it! Thank you for the great recipe.
Can I substitute plain yogurt for sour cream? Or do you suggest I make homemade sour cream using heavy cream, milk and vinegar?
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Usually plain yogurt subs pretty well for sour cream. I haven’t subbed it in this recipe but it’s worth a try (also read through the comments as I know others have made substitutions).
I made this cheesecake for my birthday and the only thing I did different was doubling the crust because I like a lot of crust. It was seriously the BEST cheesecake I have ever had and the very first one I have ever made. I am super hard on myself when it comes to cooking/baking anything and I had no complaints about this cheesecake except that it just didn’t last long enough, lol. I have to make another one ASAP. This recipe is amazing!!!
Hi Mel,
I made this best-ever cheesecake for my husband’s birthday last weekend. It was truly divine! Thank you!! Just wondering if you have a specific kind of white chocolate you prefer for the mousse? I used Ghirardelli’s baking squares, which was pretty tasty. Have you ever used the bagged vanilla white chocolate chips — Guitard or Hershey or something— or would they not work? Just wondering. Also, do you let the chocolate cool a bit before adding it to the cream cheese? I did not because I was afraid it would reset too quickly, but I’m afraid it sort of flattened my whipped cream and made the mousse less “fluffy.” Thanks for a great recipe!! We served it with fresh blueberries and it was perfect!
White chocolate chips are notoriously problematic for melting (in fact, they usually seize up and don’t melt at all) so the baking squares is the way to go (not the almond bark, though, that’s a completely different animal). I let the chocolate cool only if it is overly warm. If it’s just slightly room temp-warm than I don’t.
I made this cheesecake today for my husband’s birthday. We were practically speechless. A blubbering mess, as one might say, incapable of saying anything other than “wow” and “So, so, so GOOD!”. Our daughter, who is 3, kept staring at us like we were a little nuts-o…and maybe I am because I can’t stop thinking about this cheesecake! I’ll probably dream about it tonight. Thank you for another amazing recipe Mel!
I have made this a couple times, and I have to say, it’s my favorite cheesecake. It’s so light and creamy and vanilla-y! Everyone that I shared it with absolutely raved about it, with one friend commenting that this cheesecake “changed his life.” I took it to a dinner group and it was so well-liked that my friends requested I bring it to our next get together. Thanks for sharing!
Anyone ever make this with only vanilla extract (pure of course). How much would I use?
I know this comment is too late for Shoby but maybe it will help someone else. I tried making this with vanilla extract and it didn’t turn out nearly as well. I used 1 Tbsp extract for each vanilla bean. It was okay but the large amount of vanilla extract gave the cheesecake a bitter aftertaste, probably from all the alcohol in the vanilla. If I were to try it again (I’d only do it in a pinch) I’d try 1 tsp for each vanilla bean. I’ve made this cheesecake many times and now instead of vanilla beans I sub 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste for each bean pod. The paste has a wonderful vanilla bean flavor without the bitter aftertaste. I buy it by the quart on Amazon. It makes the most wonderful whipped cream.
Yum! Could I use the white chocolate mousse as a filling for a cake?
I haven’t tried it myself but you could definitely experiment – sounds delicious!
I made this tonight and it browned kinda fast and seems to jiggly. I have to let it set in fridge I hope it firms up. I am a little nervous about it 🙁
I made this back when you first posted it. I made it exactly as written and it was so luscious! Thank you for your time testing and perfecting all these fantastic recipes.
I made this today (Dec 4) and it is awesome. I don’t know where in Minnesota you live but if you’re by Minneapolis .. swing by and i’ll give you like half the cheesecake. (since no one but me eats cake in the family)
Awesome! We recently moved to Idaho; good thing or I might have really ended up on your doorstep!
My cheesecake began to brown mid way through baking 🙁 luckily I was able to tent it with foil just before it browned too much. Thankfully the mousse evened out and covered any imperfections. The cake was a HUGE hit! Thank you so much for sharing!
P.s I used 1tbsp of vanilla bean paste for every vanilla bean , worked out great!
Hi Mel, I was searching for a TGIF White chocolate vanilla bean cheesecake copycat recipe and found one that listed softened butter in the cheesecake filling and then I found yours which doesn’t. Your description won me over to choose the one on this site but the idea of butter in the cheesecake does seem appealing because I love that buttery flavor but in your opinion, do you think it’ll alter the taste that you described or do you think the addition of butter won’t make a bit of difference? It calls for 2 tbsp of butter btw.
Actually the recipe I got from my friend did include 2 tablespoons butter but I left it out because I forgot. I’m sure it would be lovely with it added to the batter but it is so divine without that I haven’t added it since making it the first time.
I am wanting to make this for my brother this weekend. He loves raspberry topping. Would the topping go well with this cheesecake? It looks amazing!!
Jen – Sure, raspberries would be delicious with this, I think.
For all of those who posted that they are waiting for a special occasion to make this – don’t! Made this for my husband’s birthday party. While people have been known to make a hasty retreat with my brownies, they are now faced with a dilema — brownies or this vanilla bean white chocolate mousse cheesecake? But the question never needed to be asked because there was not a shred of this cheesecake left. People said it melted in their mouths. They were surprised that one of the layers was white chocolate. For the person who asked about freezing this cheesecake, you won’t have to worry about that — there won’t be any left to freeze!! Thank you Mel for the most amazing recipe!!!
This was a delicious recipe 🙂
I took my own spin on it and grated in some lime zest with that white chocolate to give it an extra zing, and a dark chocolate passion fruit sauce to go with it !
This was the MOST amazing cheesecake. I made it for the first time as one of our 4th of July desserts. Instead of elegantly garnishing with the vanilla beans (which I will do next time), I added some red, white, and blue sprinkles over it for the kids. It was so creamy and sublime. My cheesecake cracked ever so slightly even though I tried not to over mix, but it was no big deal since it was covered with two other layers. It was really a perfect recipe. Thanks so much!!!
Made this for my mother’s birthday and it was delicious. I do have a lot leftover, how long will this last in the fridge? Could it be frozen? Thanks for another great recipe
Hi Kathy – I’ve never frozen it but it stays ok in the fridge for a couple of days.
I made six 3 inch cheesecakes for a romantic dinner with my boyfriend and ended up freezing four of them. The are even better after defrosting so don’t fear freezing them.
Hello Mel, I made this cheesecake and was fantastic. Creamy, soft and fluffy, the best cheesecake for me. Thanks for great recipe.
Tried searching, but not finding it…how do you store the unused beans? I have a bag I ordered from Amazon via the link and am opening it tomorrow:)
Hi Heidi – I keep them in a ziploc bag, sealed, in a cool, dry spot. They keep for a long time if stored well!
Hi, I made this cheesecake for my birthday and it turned out fantastic! Easy to make and I ended up using vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla beans. Delicious!!
I made this for Easter and everyone loved this cheesecake, the cheesecake itself is my new favorite cheesecake, could the recipe for the cheesecake part be used in other cheesecakes like the carrot cake or brownie cheesecake?
Suzanne – That’s definitely worth a try although the texture of this cake is lighter than cheesecake batter with eggs in it so I’m not sure how that would work with the carrot cake batter. You will have to experiment and let me know how it turns out.
Ever since I saw this cheesecake I have been looking for an excuse to make it. It was my husband’s birthday last week so I finally had a reason, and it did not disappoint! He kept telling me how amazing it is and our neighbors even came over to try some and they want the recipe now too. Can’t believe how amazing it is and will be my new go to cheesecake! Thank you!!
I made this for my hubby’s upcoming birthday. I texted him after I finished the mousse layer saying that there may not be any left when he got home. That mousse is ahhhh-maz-zing!! Will be eating a full slice later today but I had to post already. Wonderful addition to my cheesecake recipes!!
Holy Fat Pants! Love, Love this cheesecake.
It is the best cheese cake I have ever made. Shared some with my new boss for her birthday and I definitely have an in with her now. LOL…
I added some fresh strawberries on the side and it added a fruity dimension.
Now to try your Carrot Cheese cake recipe.
Ok yeah. This is an awesome cheesecake. My family is a cheesecake family. We love our cheesecake and we even have a family cookbook dedicated to them. I’ve been putting off making this because I keep forgetting to buy vanilla beans but I finally made this for a family dinner without vanilla beans. I just subbed 2 tsp of real vanilla per vanilla bean. I was worried that it might not be anything special with regular old vanilla, but it was FANTASTIC! My family raved. For a long time. I felt like a celebrity. I always use a water bath for my cheesecakes so I was nervous about making one without but I gave it a try and I was so glad I saved the extra work. It was smooth and creamy and wonderful. Several family members said it was the best cheesecake they’d ever had. My brother said it gave him the shivers and that he would be dreaming about it tonight. EVERYONE requested the recipe. That’s saying a lot from a cheesecake-loving family. There were a lot of bowls involved to make it but it came together quickly and was one of the simpler fancy cheesecakes I’ve made. Next time I’ll make it with vanilla beans. Thank you from the bottom of my cheesecake-loving heart.
Made this for my hubby last week and he is still raving about it!! He has told me this is the only cheesecake recipe I ever need. 🙂 Even my cheesecake hating kids gobbled it up!! So, so good! Thanks!
Do u bake this in a water bath? Also, do u spread the white chocolate mousse on top after chilling in the fridge for 4 hours/overnight? Can’t wait to try this!
Hira – No, I don’t bake it in a water bath. You’ll have to read the directions to see how I state it but it’s in the recipe when to add the mousse. Good luck!
I used chips before without any issues. I agree, those bakin squares taste weird to me 🙂