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Vanilla Bean Cheesecake {Cheesecake Factory Copycat}

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake – The perfect Cheesecake Factory copycat recipe! Vanilla bean cheesecake topped with white chocolate mousse!

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Cheesecake is the absolute favorite dessert at my house! After I made the Cookie Monster Cheesecake back in December, it not only became one of the top posts on my site but also became an instant favorite at my house.  I knew it was time to experiment with some more cheesecake flavors and this vanilla bean cheesecake did not disappoint! If you love vanilla, this is the perfect dessert for you! The crust is made from vanilla wafers, the cheesecake filling has vanilla bean in it, and it’s all topped with a light and fluffy white chocolate mousse.  Basically, it’s cheesecake perfection!

I was inspired to make this after trying the Cheesecake Factory’s vanilla bean cheesecake a while back.  That was seriously such an amazing dessert! This is the perfect Cheesecake Factory copycat recipe and it’s way more economical too because it makes about 10 slices of cheesecake.  If you love their vanilla bean cheesecake, then you must give this recipe a try!

Common questions about making cheesecake

What is the difference between a New York cheesecake and regular?

A regular cheesecake is made primarily from cream cheese and eggs which creates it’s classic creamy consistency while a New York style cheesecake uses heavy cream or sour cream.

What kinds of cheesecake are there?

There are many types of cheesecakes out there but some of the most popular include:

What are the ingredients for a cheesecake?

A cheesecake normally consists of:

  • cream cheese
  • sugar
  • eggs
  • sour cream or heavy whipping cream
  • graham crackers or a similar cookie
  • butter

Additionally, there are usually ingredients to give the cheesecake different flavors such as the vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract in this recipe.

How do you do a water bath for a cheesecake?

To do a water bath for a cheesecake, you will want to wrap the outside of the pan in a double layer of aluminum foil that goes all the way from the top edge of the pan, under the pan, to the other top edge of the pan.  Place the pan in a larger pan (such as a roasting pan) in about 2 inches of hot water.  The water should go up about half-way up the cheesecake pan.

How do you know when a cheesecake is done?

To check whether your cheesecake is done or not, pull the cheesecake out of the oven and gently jiggle it.  If only a small part in the middle jiggles, then it is done.  That area will firm up during the cooling process.  If more than that has not set, than the cheesecake will need to cook for additional time.

Tips and tricks on this vanilla bean cheesecake recipe

  • Make sure the cheesecake has chilled before putting mousse on top! If it hasn’t, the mousse will melt right off of the cheesecake.
  • This vanilla bean cheesecake is really tasty served with fresh raspberries or strawberries.
  • If you have vanilla beans, you can substitute in one (scraped) for each tablespoon of vanilla bean paste in the recipe.
  • A way to make it look even more elegant when serving the cheesecake is to top each slice with a fresh strawberry and white chocolate shavings.

Can’t get enough of this vanilla bean cheesecake recipe? Try these other recipes!

Yield: 10 slices

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake {Cheesecake Factory Copycat}

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake {Cheesecake Factory Copycat}

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake - The perfect Cheesecake Factory copycat recipe! Vanilla bean cheesecake topped with white chocolate mousse!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups vanilla wafers
  • 6 tbsp butter, melted

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

  • 3 packages cream cheese, 8 oz
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

White Chocolate Mousse

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Crust

  1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Butter and dust a 8" springform pan with flour.
  2. Place wafers in food processor and blend until fine. Transfer to a mixing bowl and pour in melted butter, mixing until well combined.
  3. Transfer to a springform pan.  Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

  1. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.
  2. In a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Add one egg in at a time, mixing thoroughly each time. Once all eggs are mixed in, add in sour cream and heavy whipping cream. Mix until just combined.
  3. Pour cheesecake filling on top of the crust in the springform crust.  Tightly double wrap the bottom of the springform pan with two pieces of foil.
  4. Place the springform pan in a larger baking tray and fill the baking tray with hot water. The water level should be halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 60-70 minutes. The cheesecake should be set but still a bit jiggly in the middle.
  5. Turn off oven and let the cheesecake cool for 15-30 minutes while still inside the oven with the oven door left ajar. This helps finish cooking the cheesecake a bit more.
  6. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature for about 4 hours.
  7. Loosen the cheesecake from pan. Refrigerate over night.

White Chocolate Mousse

  1. Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until white chocolate is melted. Once smooth, let cool until it is lukewarm.
  2. White white chocolate is cooling, whip heavy whipping cream and sugar together until stiff peaks form.
  3. Combine white chocolate and cream cheese, stirring until well combined.  Mix in whipped cream, stir until just barely combined.  Do not over mix.
  4. Pour onto cheesecake and spread evenly.  Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours to chill before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 530Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 282mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 0gSugar: 35gProtein: 6g

This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.

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Lori

Saturday 20th of November 2021

What is the purpose of the white chocolate? Can the icing be omitted without losing the vanilla bean flavor? I really want a pure vanilla flavor.

Madi

Tuesday 23rd of November 2021

The white chocolate is just to turn it into a white chocolate mousse topping but you are totally welcome to skip that whole section if you want to focus on the vanilla flavor!

Debbie

Sunday 11th of November 2018

In the white chocolate mousse recipe it says to add melted white chocolate to cream cheese do you whip the cream cheese or anything before adding to the chocolate? Really want to make this for my grandson, just last night he told me he had this at the cheesecake factory and it was delicious. I love all cheesecakes and this one looks so good.

madi

Saturday 26th of January 2019

I just added the room temp cream cheese right into the cream cheese without whipping it but you can always whip it first!

Pam

Tuesday 6th of February 2018

My husband loves vanilla! I think this would be perfect for Valentine's Day!! So pretty too!

Abeer

Monday 5th of February 2018

Homemade cheesecake is always the BEST!

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