Creamy Valentine’s Day Cheesecake Recipe for Two

Heart-shaped swirls top this Valentine’s Day Cheesecake, creating a simple yet stunning dessert. Creamy cheesecake, a chocolate graham crust, and bright strawberry purée combine for an impressive treat.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This Valentine’s Day Cheesecake is adorable, silky, fruity, and slightly chocolatey. The combination of chocolate crust and strawberry purée is a classic that tastes as good as it looks. It’s a great dessert to make for a loved one, the kids, or simply for yourself—no judgment if you keep most of it.

Valentines Cheesecake Components

There are three main parts to this heart-swirl cheesecake:

• Chocolate graham cracker crust
• Creamy vanilla cheesecake filling
• Strawberry purée hearts

Below are clear steps to assemble each component and finish the cheesecake.

Make the Chocolate Crust

*Full ingredient amounts and the printable recipe card are at the bottom of the post.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pulse chocolate graham crackers in a food processor until they form fine crumbs.
2. Combine the crumbs with sugar and melted butter in an 8-inch springform pan. Press the mixture onto the bottom and about 1½ inches up the sides.
3. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Lower the oven temperature to 280°F.

Note: If chocolate graham crackers are hard to find, chocolate wafer crumbs make a fine substitute.

Make the Strawberry Puree

While the crust cools, prepare the strawberry purée for the heart swirls.

1. In a medium saucepan, combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to boil, the berries are soft, and the sugar has dissolved.
2. Blend the mixture until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pot.
3. Return the strained purée to medium heat. Mix cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry. When the purée reaches a boil, stir in the slurry and continue boiling until thickened.
4. Remove from heat and cool the purée in the refrigerator until it is cool to the touch.

Note: This purée is also excellent on cakes, in drinks, or as a sauce for other desserts.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

While the purée chills, prepare the cheesecake batter.

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat room-temperature cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Scrape the bowl as needed.
2. Add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix until combined and smooth.
3. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.

Assemble the Valentine’s Day Cheesecake

The heart swirl is what makes this cheesecake festive. It’s a simple technique that creates a striking pattern.

1. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with two layers of heavy-duty foil to prepare for a water bath.
2. Spread the cheesecake filling evenly into the cooled chocolate crust, tapping gently to release air bubbles.
3. Pour the cooled strawberry purée into a squeeze bottle with a small tip. Pipe small dots in a spiral across the top, using larger dots at the outside and smaller dots toward the center. Reserve any extra purée for serving.
4. Drag a toothpick or sharp knife through the center of each dot in the same spiral direction without lifting it until you reach the center—this pulls the dots into heart shapes.

Hearts complete!

• Set the springform pan inside a larger roasting pan and carefully pour hot water into the outer pan so it reaches about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake at 280°F for 55–60 minutes, until the top looks matte and is slightly puffed. Do not open the oven. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for 2 hours to finish gently cooking.
• Remove from the oven, unwrap the foil, and chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serving and Storing

• For clean slices, use a hot, dry knife when cutting the chilled cheesecake.
• Serve with reserved strawberry purée on the plate rather than covering the heart pattern.
• Store loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
• To freeze, double-wrap the cheesecake on a cardboard round or freezer-safe plate with plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Note that the strawberry hearts may crack after freezing and thawing.

Cracked Cheesecake Hearts?

An early version of this technique placed the fruit sauce under the filling, but that made the crust soggy and sometimes caused cracks when removing the cheesecake from the pan. This updated method keeps the purée on top to avoid soggy bottoms and reduce cracking.

More Cheesecake Recipes

• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
• Classic Cheesecake
• Tangy Lemon Cheesecake Bars
• Mini Red Velvet Cheesecakes
• Fruit Cheesecake Bars
• Mint Oreo Cheesecake Bars
• Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Valentine’s Day Cheesecake

Heart-shaped swirls in this Valentine’s Day Cheesecake are easy to make and beautiful to look at. This delicious Valentine’s dessert will impress your special someone.

Prep: 40 mins · Cook: 1 hr 20 mins · Inactive: 4 hrs · Total: 6 hrs

Yields 12 servings

Ingredients

Crust

• 9 sheets (about 140 g) chocolate graham crackers (about 1 1/3 cups crumbs)
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 8 Tbsp (113 g) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling

• 12 oz (339 g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, room temperature

Strawberry Purée

• 10 oz (280 g) frozen whole strawberries (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp cold water

Equipment

• Food processor
• 8-inch springform pan
• Silicone spatula
• Blender
• Fine mesh strainer
• Stand mixer

Instructions

For the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse chocolate graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs. Empty crumbs into an 8-inch springform pan, add sugar and melted butter, and mix until moist. Press onto the bottom and 1½ inches up the sides.
2. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Lower oven to 280°F.

For the Strawberry Purée

1. Cook strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat until starting to boil and the berries are soft. Blend until smooth and strain back into the pot.
2. Make a cornstarch slurry with cold water. When the purée boils, stir in the slurry and boil until thickened. Cool in the refrigerator until no longer warm.

For the Cheesecake Filling

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla; mix until combined. Add the egg and mix until incorporated.

Assembly

1. Wrap the springform pan in two layers of heavy-duty foil for a water bath. Spread the batter into the crust and tap to remove air bubbles.
2. Pipe dots of chilled strawberry purée in a spiral, larger on the outside and smaller toward the center. Drag a toothpick or knife through the centers of the dots in one continuous spiral to form heart shapes.
3. Place the wrapped pan in a larger roasting pan and carefully add hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
4. Bake at 280°F for 55–60 minutes until the top is matte and slightly puffed. Do not open the oven. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for 2 hours.
5. Remove, unwrap, and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Slice with a hot, dry knife and serve with extra strawberry purée.

Notes

• Store lightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
• To freeze, double-wrap on a cardboard round or freezer-safe plate with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Strawberry hearts may crack after freezing and thawing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 370 kcal | Carbohydrates: 43 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 21 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 70 mg | Sodium: 168 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 36 g

Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates.

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*Originally published 2/6/2014. Post updated December 2023.