The crunchy nut crust and creamy orange filling in this Orange Cream Cheesecake will satisfy all your fruity cheesecake desires. It is the perfect citrus recipe to add to your spring or summer picnics or parties. If you loved this Orange Creamsicle Poke Cake, then this is a must make dessert.
You guys. I have a confession to make. On my phone I have a list of ideas for 15 full sized cheesecakes that has been there for at least 2 years. True story.
That’s just crazy! No, not the fact that I have so many recipe ideas, but that those ideas have just been sitting there doing nothing. That’s got to change.
It's time to get out the springform pans and get to work.
Now to be fair, part of the reason I have been putting off making these cheesecakes is because I was waiting until my cookbook Cheesecake Love was published and on bookshelves.
That and things like these Banana Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes and these Blueberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bars are easier and faster to make. Sometimes I'm lazy in the kitchen and just want to take the easy way out when I bake desserts.
But the book came out in September 2017, so I really can’t use that reason anymore. It’s time to pull out all those ideas and work my way through the big cheesecake ideas. One by one.
Recently, I had someone ask why I didn’t have any recipes that had macadamia nuts in them. So, I decided to make the Orange Cream Cheesecake that was on my list using those particular nuts in the crust.
And a few weeks ago my sister and her family came to visit us, so I wanted to test this recipe while they were here because I didn’t want to eat it all myself. They happily agreed to be cheesecake guinea pigs for the week.
Then our oldest son agreed to devour the second one I made for pictures the following week! Both times this Orange Cream Cheesecake got rave reviews! Two thumbs up for a citrus summer dessert that everyone will love.

Things to keep in mind when making this Orange Cream Cheesecake recipe:
- Make sure you set your cream cheese out ahead of time. It’s so much easier to beat it when it is softened.
- Toast the macadamia nuts in a skillet for a few minutes, then let them cool before pulsing them in a food processor. Just do not over pulse the nuts, or you will end up with macadamia butter.
- Place a large baking sheet on the very bottom rack in your oven. Fill it halfway with water and let it heat up. This creates a steam effect as the cheesecake bakes. No water baths ever happen in my kitchen!
- Do not over mix the cheesecake batter because it will add air bubbles into the batter which could cause cracks as it bakes.
- When the cheesecake comes out of the oven the second time, let it cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge. This loosens the cheesecake from the pan, so it doesn’t crack as it cools.
Tools used to make this Orange Cream Cheesecake:
More delicious orange dessert recipes you could make this spring:
- This Pineapple Orange Cake from Shugary Sweets sounds like perfect recipe to save for upcoming picnics.
- Relax on a hot day with these Raspberry Orange Slushies from Inside BruCrew Life.
- A batch of these Orange Blueberry Muffins from Grandbaby Cakes would be perfect for breakfast or after school snacks.
- These Orange Scones from The View from Great Island look like an awesome treat to share for brunch or coffee chats.
Recipe

Orange Cream Cheesecake
Orange Cream Cheesecake: the crunchy nut crust and creamy orange cheesecake will satisfy all your fruity cheesecake desires. It's the perfect recipe to add to your spring or summer picnics or parties.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ½ cups chopped macadamia nuts
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup melted butter
For the Cheesecake
- 1 - 10 ounce can mandarin oranges
- 3 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 eggs, beaten slightly
- Zest of 1 large navel orange
For the Topping
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed navel orange juice (from orange that was zested)
- 1 - 8 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
- maraschino cherries with stems, patted dry
- 1 navel orange cut into small segments
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
- Place the macadamia nuts in a skillet and toast over medium heat for a few minutes. Remove and dump the nuts onto a tray to cool completely. Once cool place the nuts in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Do not over pulse and create butter.
- Mix together the chopped nuts, crumbs, and butter. Press firmly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool.
- Place a large baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it halfway with water. Let the oven reheat to 350 degrees.
- Drain the can of mandarin oranges very well. Place the orange segments onto paper towels to drain even more. Cut each segment in half and press with a paper towel. Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the sour cream, orange juice concentrate, vanilla, and flour and beat again.
- Add the eggs and beat again until mixed in. Do not over beat the mixture. Gently stir in the orange zest and mandarin orange pieces.
- Pour the batter onto the prepared crust. Place the pan on the oven rack directly above the pan of water. Bake for 55 minutes.
- While the cheesecake is baking, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and orange juice. Place in refrigerator.
- When the cheesecake is finished baking, remove from the oven and spread the sour cream mixture evenly on the top of the cheesecake. Bake another 5 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack.
- Let the cheesecake cool 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen the sides from the pan. Let the cheesecake cool for 2 hours on the wire rack, then place it in the refrigerator to chill completely.
- Loosen and remove the springform pan sides. Gently lift up the cheesecake and remove the parchment paper. Place the cheesecake on a serving plate.
- Use a piping bag and icing tip 1M to swirl Cool Whip around the top of the cheesecake. Top each swirl with a maraschino cherry or orange piece.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 629Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 302mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 3gSugar: 35gProtein: 8g
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Ruth
All I can say is wow! my dream come true! Looks easy too!
Bernadette Rogers
You used to have a recipe on here for easy tiramisu I had it but I lost it can you please send me the recipe
Jocelyn
It's still on the site. Here is the link to it: https://insidebrucrewlife.com/easy-tiramisu/ I hope you enjoy it!
shawnna
hey girl- this looks oh so delish!