Tie Dye Cheesecake

Sitting on a golden Oreo crust is a delectable tie-dye cheesecake beautifully swirled in deep pastel shades and coated with a sour cream topping before being decorated with whipped cream and sprinkles. It’s the perfect showstopper of a dessert for summer, birthdays, or any festive celebration!

This made-from-scratch tie dye cheesecake is not only delicious but also a delight. Once you slice it, you’ll hear the oohs and ahhs from friends and family, revealing those beautiful swirls of neon pink, blue, purple, and green that make artwork out of the cheesecake filling. Sweetened creamy toppings provide decoration, and pastel sprinkles finish off this spectacular cheesecake, which will be irresistible at springtime brunches or parties.

You’ll want to start this Tie Dye Cheesecake the day before you expect to serve it since it’s made, baked, chilled, and decorated in stages. It’s a fun project, but you need to plan. Don’t let that stop you from making this fabulous cheesecake dessert! You’ll be glad you did when you receive those rave reviews for this beauty!

Ingredients Needed

For The Crust
Crushed golden Oreos, melted butter, and pastel-colored sprinkles

For The Cheesecake Filling
Cream Cheese – softened and full fat so that it bakes up creamy and rich
Sugar – white granulated to sweeten the filling
Eggs – to add structure and leavening to the filling
Vanilla Extract – to flavor the filling
Salt – for seasoning
Sour Cream – use full fat for a rich taste
Heavy Whipping Cream – to help the filling retain fat and creaminess as it bakes
Gel Food Coloring – neon pink, neon blue, neon purple, and neon green to create the pastel swirl-filling shades.

For The Sour Cream Topping
Sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract

For The Whipped Cream Topping
Heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract

How To Make This Tie Dye Cheesecake Recipe

Note: This is a summary of the steps involved. For complete instructions, see the recipe card down below.

STEP 1: Make the crust by combining the crushed golden Oreos with the melted butter and sprinkles into a sand-like mixture. Press it into the bottom and up the sides of an oiled and foil-wrapped springform pan and bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 350-degree F oven. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before adding the filling.
STEP 2: Using a stand mixer, make the cheesecake filling by creaming together the softened cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and heavy whipping cream
STEP 3: Divide the cheesecake batter between 4 bowls. Mix in a few drops of each gel food coloring into their bowl. Thoroughly stir together each color to mix it completely.
STEP 4: Starting with one color, add dollops of the different-colored cheesecake batter to the cheesecake crust.
STEP 5: After you have added all the cheesecake batter dollops, take a butter knife and swirl the batter around just a few times to create swirls.
STEP 6: Place the foil-wrapped springform pan into a larger pan and fill the larger pan about halfway up the springform pan with boiling water.
STEP 7: Bake in the oven for 90 minutes. Once the timer goes off, turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour.
STEP 8: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it in the fridge overnight.
STEP 9: The next day, make the sour cream topping by whisking the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread it evenly on the top of the chilled cheesecake and place it in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 10 minutes.
STEP 10: Remove and cool for 30 minutes before placing in the fridge for 3 hours.
STEP 11: Make the whipped cream in a large bowl that’s been chilled. Mix the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat together until stiff peaks form.
STEP 12: Scoop the whipped cream into a piping bag with a star tip. Release the cheesecake from the springform pan before piping dollops of the whipped cream around the top edge of the cheesecake. Garnish with sprinkles and serve.

Do I Need To Bake This In A Water Bath?

Yes! It’s super easy to place your foil-wrapped springform pan in a larger pan and then add hot water to the larger pan. The foil ensures water from the larger pan doesn’t seep into the cheesecake. You’ll be amazed at the difference when baking the cheesecake in a water bath.

It will bake evenly and stay moist. The last thing you want is a fully baked but dry cheesecake. If you’re not a fan of submerging the springform pan in water, you can use a modified water bath by placing a pan of hot water on the lowest oven rack directly below the cheesecake. The steam from the water will help keep the cheesecake moist.

Cheesecake Baking Tips

Plan! You’ll need a day’s head start on this recipe before you serve it. It requires baking, cooling, overnight chilling, and more before you decorate, present, and serve it!

How Do I Make The Swirls?

You’ll add dollops of the four shades of the cheesecake filling into the bottom of the springform pan that holds the baked crust. Use all the filling for each shade. Then, take a butter knife and gently swirl it through the batter dollops to create swirls. Don’t over-swirl, though! You’ll be delighted by how just a few swirls to combine the shades will bake into a beautiful cheesecake design!

Variations

• Food coloring: If you want to make the same cheesecake for a different season or occasion, you can always use various shades for the filling swirls.
• Flavor: While this cheesecake recipe uses the classic vanilla flavor, using vanilla and lemon extract would be a tasty variation for spring, as would using coconut extract with vanilla.

Is This Cheesecake Freeze-Friendly?

Yes. Bake the cheesecake and chill it completely, but don’t decorate it. Wrap it tightly for the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before decorating it with the whipped cream and sprinkles.

Storage

Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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