Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake (6 Inch)

Love red velvet cake? Then you’re going to love this Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake with its decadent red cheesecake filling inside an Oreo crust! Top it with whipped cream and more chocolate cookies.

Red velvet has never been my favorite flavor, but over the years it’s grown on me.

About 10 years ago I had a really bad experience drinking some horrible red velvet coffee, but it wasn’t until I made my Small Red Velvet Cake and Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes that I started to enjoy it.

And since you love my 6 Inch Cheesecake recipe so much, it was only natural for me to make a small Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake.

Now this red velvet cheesecake with Oreo crust is not just my classic cheesecake with red food coloring.

It also has cocoa powder and sour cream for a subtle chocolate flavor, much like real red velvet cake.

Of course it wouldn’t be red velvet without its signature red color, which is perfect for Valentine’s Day and even Christmas.

But don’t let the holidays stop you! Make this any day of the week for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

What is red velvet cake?

Red velvet cake is a subtle chocolate cake flavored with buttermilk and vinegar then enhanced in color with red food coloring.

Nowadays you can find anything red velvet flavored, including my red velvet sugar cookie recipe and red velvet bars.

When turning it into a red velvet cheesecake, I wanted to keep tanginess, color, and cocoa powder.

Instead of buttermilk, I used sour cream because it’s thicker and won’t thin out the batter.

What pan do I need for red velvet oreo cheesecake?

You will need a 6 inch springform pan for this red velvet oreo cheesecake recipe. Cheesecake is delicate, so you cannot invert it out of the pan like you would with a small cake.

You need to remove the sides so the cheesecake retains its shape, hence the springform pan.

This is the pan I bought (Amazon affiliate link), which is a 6 x 2 inch springform pan. This recipe will fill the pan to the top but won’t overflow.

You can also buy a 6 x 3 inch springform pan (Amazon affiliate link). That just means you’ll have slightly more pan room at the top.

This recipe will not work in a 6 inch cake pan because it’ll be too hard to remove.

Can I make this recipe in a 7 inch pan?

Yes! As proven with my 7 inch cheesecake recipe, you can make my 6 inch cheesecake recipe in a 7 inch springform pan without adjustments.

Can I make this red velvet cheesecake in a 9 inch springform pan?

If you don’t have a 6 inch springform pan, you can make it in a 9 inch pan with some adjustments.

Follow the directions for my 9 inch Triple Chocolate Cheesecake. Omit the chocolate then add 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon red food coloring.

You can also cut this recipe in half and follow the directions for my 4 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake.

Ingredients For Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake

To make a red velvet cheesecake with oreo crust, you’ll need the following ingredients:

1. Oreo cookie crumbs: These addicting chocolate sandwich cookies make the best crust for red velvet cheesecake. Leave the frosting inside the cookies then crush in a food processor or by hand.
2. Butter: Needed to bind the crust
3. Cream cheese: It’s not cheesecake without cream cheese! Make sure you’re using blocks of full-fat cream cheese because the low fat and fat free versions may be too watery after baking. You also don’t want a tub of whipped cream cheese because they’re not meant for baking.
4. Granulated sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness to balance out the tanginess of the cream cheese
5. Sour cream: Normally I use all cream cheese in my cheesecake batter, but because this is red velvet flavor, I added sour cream to give it some extra tanginess. Please use full-fat or it may end up too watery.
6. Eggs: As with all baking recipes, use large eggs. It’s important they are at room temperature or the coldness may curdle the batter.
7. Cocoa powder: Another flavor element to red velvet cake is cocoa powder. Wouldn’t be red velvet without it!
8. Red food coloring: This is what gives red velvet its bright red color. I used McCormick liquid red food coloring. After talking with people outside of the US, not all food colorings are made equally so you may need to do research on which brand gives you the best color if you can’t find McCormick.
9. Vanilla: Adds flavor to the batter and makes the flavors pop

How To Make a Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake

First combine the crumbs and butter then pat it into the bottom of your springform pan to form a crust. At this point if you want a crispier crust, you can bake it for 10 minutes before filling it with batter.

Next beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream until super smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Then beat in the eggs one a time, being careful not to overbeat the batter.

It’s important your ingredients are at room temperature. Otherwise, your batter may become lumpy.

Finally, add the cocoa powder, red food coloring, and vanilla.

Transfer the batter to your crust and place inside a water bath. Bake at 325F degrees for 65-75 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150F degrees.

Do I need a water bath for cheesecake?

Yes, you need a water bath for your red velvet oreo cheesecake.

Because a 6 inch cheesecake is thick, you need a water bath to ensure the middle finishes baking before the top is too brown.

First, wrap your springform pan in foil to prevent the water from making a soggy crust. Make sure it’s tight so water doesn’t sneak in.

After filling your cheesecake pan with the batter, place it inside an 8×8 pan or larger.

Next, pour hot water into the outside pan until the springform pan is halfway submerged in the water. Be careful you don’t accidentally splash water into the foil.

Now carefully transfer your pan to the oven and bake until finished.

How to know when cheesecake is done baking

One of the challenges about baking cheesecake is knowing when it’s done baking.

Because cheesecake is a custard, it will jiggle in the middle even after it’s done. If it doesn’t move, you overbaked it.

The edges should be firm and brown. Only the direct middle will still slightly jiggle.

The best way to ensure cheesecake is done baking is with a digital thermometer. The internal temperature of a cheesecake should be 150F degrees.

Of course this’ll leave a hole in your cheesecake, but you can easily cover that up with whipped cream.

How To Decorate Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake

To balance the rich cream cheese filling, I topped it with homemade whipped cream.

Normally red velvet is paired with cream cheese frosting, but I felt that was too heavy. However, you can make my small batch cream cheese frosting if you wanted frosting.

You also go the chocolate route by covering it with ganache.

Why did my cheesecake crack?

Nothing is more frustrating than having your beautiful cheesecake crack! Here are several reasons why your cheesecake may have cracked:

• Overbeating the batter: Overbeating the batter incorporates too much air, which causes the cheesecake to puff higher than it should. As it cools, it continues to sink then crack.Solution: Only beat the batter for as long as it takes to mix everything together. You can try to beat some of the lumps out, but if it’s too lumpy, no amount of beating will fix that.
• Overbaking the cheesecake: I get it. You want to make sure your cheesecake is baked in the middle. However, overbaking will result in a dry top, which then results in cracks.Solution: Use a water bath to ensure even baking then use a digital thermometer to determine the internal temperature reaches 150F.
• Opening the oven door too much: It’s ok to open the oven door when checking for doneness, but don’t do it too early or too much. Every time you open the door, heat escapes and lowers the oven temperature. Too much drastic change in temperature can cause cracking.Solution: Only open the oven door towards the end of baking when you’re checking for doneness.

More Small Cheesecake Recipes

Here are more recipes for 6 inch cheesecake:

• Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Crust
• Small Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Peanut Butter Cheesecake