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White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake

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White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake

It’s been a long time since I have made a really special dessert. When my husband and I were first married, I use to surprise him with all sorts of sweets that took a good amount of time in the kitchen to make. Now, don’t get me wrong, I make homemade cookies, brownies, cupcakes and those type of things, but I am talking about an indulgent dessert that isn’t on the menu everyday.  After being married for almost 12 years having four beautiful children, I can honestly say that baking my husband and I a special dessert to share hasn’t been a priority of mine in a very long time.

In preparation for Valentine’s Day this year, I decided I was going to surprise my husband with a great dessert. A few years ago, on one of our “date nights in” we ordered dinner from our favorite local Italian restaurant and shared a slice of their cheesecake for dessert. It was an Amaretto Cheesecake and boy was it delicious! It wasn’t a standing item on their menu, so we haven’t had anything like it since. I have thought about preparing a similar cheesecake probably a dozen times since then, but I just never made the time. Now was the time.

I am not a professional baker and baking cheesecakes scare me a little.  First of all, Springform pans aren’t my favorite thing to bake in. The latch on my pan has to be just so, so I worry about leakage. For the whole hour the cheesecake is in the oven I worry if it will be too brown on the top, over done or cracked. Will it be under cooked? Ugh, then I have anxiety when I cut into the cheesecake. Did I chill it long enough or is it going to look like someone manhandled every slice? I finally set all of my cheesecake fears aside and just got to work. I figured, as long as I gave it my all and it tasted good, I could go for the rustic look if it didn’t look perfect! 🙂

White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake Crust

This White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake turned out to be simply delightful! Amaretto and white chocolate are swirled into every bite of this creamy cheesecake and baked in a buttery graham cracker and almond crust. A delicate almond flavored sour cream layer tops this cheesecake along with beautiful sliced almonds. This indulgent, special dessert, was just what I was hoping for. And guess what? I found that it really didn’t take me that long either!

White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake Filling

I love this cheesecake because any minor imperfections can be covered with the sour cream and almond topped layer. Slicing any cheesecake can be tricky, but I find that running a long knife under hot water in between each cut, you pieces will turn out just fine.

White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake Sour Cream Layer

Since cheesecake freezes very well, I sliced all of my pieces, placed a small piece of parchment paper between the slices and stored them in the freezer. This way I can take a few slices out on Valentine’s Day or even on this week’s date night in and serve up a special dessert made from scratch and with love.

Whole White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake

If you love cheesecake, I hope you’ll give this wonderful treat a try in your kitchen!

Sliced White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake

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White Chocolate & Almond Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • For The Crust:
  • 2 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (roughly 2 bags from a box)
  • 1/4 cup plain almonds, chopped very fine in food processor
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp. Amaretto
  • For The Filling:
  • 2 (8 oz.) packages Cream cheese, softened
  • 2 (8 oz.) packages Neufchâtel cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 Tbsp. Amaretto
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup almonds, chopped very fine in food processor
  • 2 oz. Baker's Premium White Chocolate, finely chopped
  • For Topping:
  • 1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds for garnish

Instructions

  1. Grease a 9 inch Springform Pan and set aside.
  2. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
  3. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, almonds, sugar and Amaretto for the crust.
  4. Spread the crust into your pan evenly and half way up the sides, while pressing down firmly.
  5. Set aside.
  6. In your Kitchen Aid Mixer, cream the cheeses with the sugar.
  7. Add the eggs, one at at time, beating until just combined after each addition.
  8. Add the almonds, the Amaretto, almond extract, vanilla extract, pinch of salt and combine.
  9. Stir in the white chocolate.
  10. Pour the filling into the crust.
  11. Place your Springform pan on top of a baking sheet and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the cheesecake is almost set.
  12. Meanwhile, mix together the topping in a small bowl.
  13. When the cheesecake is almost set, remove it from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
  14. Spread the sour cream topping evenly over the cheesecake and bake another 5 minutes.
  15. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
  16. Carefully, take a knife and go around the edges of the pan to loosen, and leaving the cheesecake still in the Spring form pan, move to a cooling rack.
  17. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
  18. After about an hour of cooling, place the cheesecake on a plate, still in the Spring form pan and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
  19. The next day,remove the sides of the pan and slice.
  20. You can use a long knife dipped in very hot water to slice the cheesecake.
  21. You can serve the next day, or freeze individual slices, separated with small pieces of parchment paper in a freezer friendly container for your convenience.
  22. Makes (1) 9 inch cheesecake, about 12 servings.
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Comments

  1. Brenda says

    I made this cheese cake for a retirement party. One week later and I’m making 2 more. Thanks for this delicious recipe.

  2. Hot Strawberry says

    This cheesecake is BOMB! I love baking with booze, and Amaretto is one of my favorites. I ran out of sour cream, so I substituted 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt for the topping. I added an 1/8 cup of Amaretto to it and it tastes great.

    • Shannon says

      Hi Suri! You can use toasted or untoasted slivered almonds for this recipe. If you do toast them, just make sure the almonds are completely cooled before adding them to the top of the cheesecake. 🙂

    • Verny says

      Hi. Neufchatel cheese that we have here in Europe can not be used as an ingredient in the cheese cake. I have found on the internet that there is something else in the United States. May I use 16 Oz regular cream cheese instead.
      Sencerely Verny

  4. Judy says

    I’m thinking of using dark chocolate instead of white and Kahlua instead of the Amaretto. What do you think?

    • Shannon says

      Hi Judy! I think it would be tasty! Have you tried it yet? I would love to know how it turned out if you did… I’m always looking for different flavor combinations. Have a great week:)

  5. Heidi says

    I just finished cooking this cheesecake. I’m dying to taste it!! The batter was delicious! I did have to use all cream cheese. And I’ve never had amaretto before. Boy is it yummy!!

    • Shannon says

      Hi Heidi! I love amaretto & this cheesecake is my favorite:) I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment! Have a great weekend!

      • heidi says

        It was a HUGE HIT! My mother in law said it looked professional. 🙂 You have a wonderful weekend as well! Thank you for a delicious recipe!

  6. Tierra says

    Wish I could post a picture. I made it for my mother in laws birthday. It was a hit and the best cheesecake I’ve ever made. I was a little hesitant with the sour cream topping. Forgot all about it until I ate the whole slice. I did use a water bath just because I’m paranoid when it comes to cheesecake. It turned out perfect.

    • Shannon says

      Hi Tierra! I’m so glad you liked this cheesecake! Thinking about it makes me wish I had a slice right now:) Thanks so much for your kind words & have a great weekend!

      • Nataly says

        I’m happy to report that the greek yogurt worked out perfect. I used a regular one with full fat. The cheesecake was a hit with my family! Thank you for the recipe 🙂

  9. Leslie Muller says

    Hi! I was wondering if I have to melt the white chocolate before I add it to the cheesecake. I’ve made white chocolate cheesecakes before and had to melt it first.

  10. Robin says

    I made this dessert for Christmas dinner. Not only is it a beautiful dessert to see but tastes great. Such subtle flavors! Was a perfect ending to our meal.

    • Shannon says

      Hi Robin! I’m so glad you enjoyed the dessert! This is most definitely one of my favorites! I hope you had a wonderful holiday & best wishes for the New Year!

  11. Vinitha says

    Hey shannon, I was wondering if I cant find Neufchâtel cheese could i just use the cream cheese alone? Also what else could i use as a substitute for amaretto? planning to make this for easter, so would be great if you could help. Thanks!

    • Shannon says

      Hi Vinitha!
      Cream cheese will work just as well! I think you could substitute the amaretto with almond extract. Substitute 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for 2 tablespoons Amaretto. I hope that works out for you. We absolutely love this cheesecake at our house, I hope you like it as well. Happy Easter!

  12. Tammy L. says

    I made this for a group of friends yesterday. Big hit. Since I am Gluten Free, I did use all almond meal for the crust and left out the flour. I have been making cheesecakes for a while now and I never use a water bath, the wide tin foil is just to expensive for the number of cheesecakes I make. I lower the temp to 300 f. and 3/4 fill my 13×9 glass dish with very hot water, sometimes boiling. It takes longer but works great. The cake raises evenly so I never have the edges rise first and so high they burn and they are always nice and flat on top. Thank you for sharing Love this one. This is the first time I ever bought liquor just to bake with and it was worth it. I would not sub just almond extract since it is too strong

    • Tammy L. says

      I should have added that the pan of water goes on the bottom rack of the oven and the cheesecake next rack up.

    • Shannon says

      Hi Tammy! I’m so happy you liked the cheesecake! I love that you made it gluten free too. That’s helpful for others who may be looking for gluten free ideas of how they to can have this tasty treat! Thanks so much for sharing that! 🙂

  15. Abraham G says

    This is such a spectacular cheesecake! You made a 44 year old not-a-cook-by-a-long-shot look like the consummate professional chef! I am being asked to make dessert. Uh-oh! Did I bite more than I can chew? But seriously, thank you for a very enjoyable dessert!

  16. Gale says

    I would use SANDIES PEACAN COOKIES for the crust instead of the graham crachers.
    It would give it much more flavor.

    • Shannon says

      That sounds good! I’ll have to try that too:) I love those type of cookies, I’m actually baking some today, it’s so funny that you mentioned them!

  17. Faye Robinson says

    What is the total amount of cheeses needed? Is it 8oz of each or 2 times 8 oz of each. Thanks

  19. Donna says

    What kind of amaretto and where do you get it? I love all things amaretto flavored but have never made anything my own so I have no idea what to get as far as the amaretto goes. I’ve seen on some recipes amaretto liquor, amaretto cream, amaretto oil flavor. Just not sure what to use on this recipe. Thanks
    Donna recently posted…Blackberry & Lemon MuffinsMy Profile

  20. Donna says

    Shannon I am a huge amaretto flavor fan but have never made anything myself. So I decided to search for amaretto flavored desserts and this looks amazing!! I do have a question. When you say amaretto in the recipe is this the liquor or cream. I’m not sure I’ve never bought or cooked with amaretto and need some guidance on what to buy. Thanks

    • Shannon says

      Hi Donna! I used Amaretto liquor. I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as my husband and I do! It’s one of our absolute favorites:)

    • Barbara Gilpin says

      Some liquor stores have small sample bottles of liquors when you don’t need the large bottles and it is much more economical, especially when you only need a small amount,

  21. Christina says

    Just whipped this up! Pulled it out of the oven and it’s cooling now. Thanks for sharing your recipe, gonna bring this to Sunday dinner tomorrow 🙂

  22. Stephanie says

    This cheesecake looks so delicious but to be honest I’m a little nervous to make it. I’ve never used sour cream in my baking before and I was wondering if someone could kindly explain what it tastes like before I make it. Thank you 🙂

    • Shannon says

      Hi Stephanie! The sour cream layer is a thin, delicate, creamy topping and it’s not overpowering. I hope you’ll give this a try:)

  23. Elizabeth says

    Shannon, this looks absolutely spectacular! Pinned it and will definitely be making it soon! Quick question, I am having a hard time finding some neufchatel cheese, any substitutes you can recommend?

    • Shannon says

      Hi Elizabeth! Actually any cream cheese will do. Just not fat free:) You are going to want that fat in there for this recipe. I hope you like it!

  24. Marcelina Contreras says

    So I usually like to try recipes that others have tried, and refer to the comments to make sure that there isn’t anything strange or off about the end result… And I noticed, that a lot of folks are commenting on how delicious this cheese cake “looks” and not “is”…..

    Well I am here to say, that it IS Delicious! I made one last night for the heck of it (no occasion) and am having a slice now with my coffee. And it’s a keeper! I will definitely be making this again! Hopefully for a party or something. Thank you so much, it really is an awesome cheese cake and one for the books!

    • Shannon says

      Thank you so much Marcelina! What a pretty name by the way:) I am SO happy you enjoyed this cheesecake! This is my favorite decadent dessert to make:) It’s always a hit! Have a wonderful weekend and thanks again for your sweet comments!

  25. Kathi says

    Every family and work function this is what I am requested to bring. Everyone loves it. Especially the crust, putting the amaretto in it makes a huge difference!

  26. Kathi says

    Every family or work function this is what I am requested to make. It is so light and delicious.

  31. Kari@SourdoughNative says

    Hi Shannon, following you on Google+! I totally want to face plant into this cheesecake and that way I won’t have to share with anyone else…
    That’s bad, I know but that’s how yummy this looks!
    Hugs-Kari/SourdoughNative

    • Shannon says

      Thanks Kari! This is one of my favorite cheesecakes! I just love the Amaretto flavor. Following you along as well 🙂 Have a wonderful rest of the week!

    • Shannon says

      Thank you Sherri! I love freezing things ahead of time, it’s so nice when things are busy to just have something made already. 🙂

  47. Gloria @ Simply Gloria says

    Shannon, I love date nights in. Especially when you just don’t feel like hanging at home… but making it special. That’s usually what we do every Vday. You are so pro with making this special cheesecake. I love making things like this…pinning. (=
    Gloria @ Simply Gloria recently posted…Twisted Cinnamon SticksMy Profile

    • Shannon says

      Thanks Gloria! We always stay in on Valentine’s Day. We just like to be cozy at home I guess 🙂 Hey, that way I can eat my dessert in my pajamas if I want to! Lol!

  49. Sonja Denney says

    Shannon, this sounds so delicious. I have used almond extract as a substitute for amaretto before and wondered if you think I could do that in this recipe and have it turn out just as yummy? I really have such little use for a whole bottle of amaretto.
    Thanks for the recipe!

  50. Shannon says

    Hi Sonja!
    I’m sure it would be really good with the almond extract! I’ve never tried it that way, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for a yummy cheesecake:)

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