Silky, smooth and absolutely tasty, this Vanilla Bean Cheesecake is is simple yet elegant and perfect for any occasion.

A slice of the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake on white plate with raspberries and full cheesecake in background.

I absolutely adore anything cheesecake, especially this Vanilla Bean Cheesecake. The flavors of the vanilla bean and white chocolate work so well together.

Vanilla bean has to be one of my favorite flavors ever in a cheesecake. It really just puts it over the top.

While vanilla beans can be expensive, if you are going to splurge on one dessert, it has to be this one.

The white chocolate mousse topping really puts this over the top. With the flavor of the cheesecake and the topping – it is the dynamic duo.

We make this Vanilla Cheesecake anytime that we can, especially for holidays and gatherings.

If you are looking for something that is really going to have everyone fall in love, this is the dessert that is it!

Some of my other favorite cheesecake and cheesecake style recipes we have on our site include: No Bake Cheesecake Bites, Reese’s Cheesecake Dip and Pecan Pie Cheesecake.

Overhead of finished Cheesecake topped with raspberries and mint with a slice cut out.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

The flavors in this recipe work so well together.
This is smooth, silky and creamy at the same time.
You can make this for any occasion and it is always a hit.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):

Graham crackers
Brown sugar
Unsalted butter
Cream cheese
Granulated sugar
All-purpose flour
Vanilla extract
Greek yogurt or sour cream
Vanilla beans
Eggs
Powdered sugar
White chocolate baking bars
Heavy whipping cream

Ingredients needed to make Vanilla Bean Cheesecake.

HOW TO MAKE A VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE, STEP BY STEP:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter or shortening and wrap the outside bottom and sides tightly with two layers of foil (heavy-duty works best).
To make the crust, in a food processor add the graham crackers and brown sugar and crush into fine crumbs.
Gradually pour in the butter until the crumbs are coated. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan, then bake it for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and place the crust in a large roasting pan, set aside.
To make the cheesecake filling, lower the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, yogurt, and vanilla beans until the cream cheese is smooth and lump-free.
Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until they are just combined making sure to not over-mix. Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan. Boil 5-6 cups of water, then pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it is halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour or until it is just slightly jiggly in the middle, then turn the oven off but leave the cheesecake in the oven without opening the oven door for another 1 hour or until it is set.
After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature (about 1 hour).
Then cover spring-form pan with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Before serving make the white chocolate topping. Once the cheesecake is firm, combine the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar with an electric mixer in a medium or large bowl until smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and blend until combined.
Slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream and continue blending until the mousse is thick and smooth. Spread the topping over the cheesecake, smooth out the top and if desired run a cake scraper with wide teeth in a circle around the top to create a patter, and place it back in the refrigerator for 1 more hour or until you are ready to serve.
Run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake, and carefully release the outer spring. Transfer the cheesecake to a platter or large plate and serve chilled.

Step by step photos on how to make Vanilla Bean Cheesecake.

DO I HAVE TO USE VANILLA BEANS IN THIS RECIPE?

While we love love love the vanilla bean flavor in this recipe, we do realize they can be hard to get or can be expensive.

The best substitute that you can use is Vanilla Bean Paste. You can substitute 2 vanilla beans with 2 Tablespoons vanilla bean paste.

You can also use vanilla extract as well, again it would be 2 Tablespoons to equate to 2 vanilla beans.

HOW DO YOU CUT AND USE A VANILLA BEAN?

If you’ve never worked with vanilla beans before, they are super easy to cut and use.

What you will want to do is with a sharp knife slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, making sure to not cut through the whole bean.

Open the vanilla bean pod and hold the top against your cutting surface. Use the side of the knife scrape the black seeds from the top of the pod to the bottom and then add it to your recipe.

DO I NEED TO DO THE WATER BATH?

We highly suggest that you use the water bath. This helps the cheesecake from not cracking as it keeps letting moisture into the oven while baking.

If you do not have a large roasting pan, you can place a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake.

CAN I TOP THIS VANILLA CHEESECAKE WITH ANYTHING ELSE?

If you are not a fan of the white chocolate mousse topping you can absolutely top it with something else or nothing at all. Some of our favorite toppings include:

Chocolate Ganache
Chocolate Syrup
Cherry Pie Filling
Dulce de Leche
Lemon Curd
Strawberry Sauce
Salted Caramel

There is SO many things that you can top a cheesecake with, so if you do not like the topping we have you can choose your own.

Cake server holding up a slice of the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake showing the layers.

HOW TO STORE:

This can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for 3-4 days.

You can also freeze this, wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap and then foil and it will keep in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight until thawed and then serve.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

You can use sour cream in place of the greek yogurt.
Make sure that you let the cheesecake chill on the countertop until it comes to room temperature.
You can top this with other toppings if desired, see above for some options.
You can replace the vanilla bean with vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, see above on how to do that.
This needs to chill for at least 6-8 hours or overnight is best before topping and serving.
After topping with the white chocolate mousse, make sure you refrigerate for at least another hour.
Decorating the top is optional, we like to create the swirls for an eye catching design. We use this cake scraper to do that and use the wide tooth one.
I highly suggest using the water bath to let this bake properly and make sure your cheesecake doesn’t crack.
This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.

Fork in front of a piece of cheesecake on white plate with a bite of the cheesecake on fork.

Want that perfect show stopping cheesecake by looks and more flavor? Then whip up this Vanilla Bean Cheesecake fo any of your favorite occasions.

If you like this recipe you might also like:

If you’ve tried this VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake