This amazing Christmas cheesecake is the perfect festive dessert this holiday season. A creamy filling adorned with red and green sprinkles is not only delicious, but it will fill you up with Christmas cheer!
Cheesecake for Christmas
There are a lot of Christmas cheesecake recipes out there, but this one is the winner! Graham cracker crust, rich vanilla cheesecake filling, and festive candies on top make this the ultimate Christmas dessert.
This homemade cheesecake may take some time and patience, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to make! The ingredients are simple, and the steps are easy to follow. After one bite, everyone will be begging you to make this cake a new family tradition!
Why You’ll Love this Christmas Cheesecake Recipe:
- Holiday Favorite: This cheesecake was destined to be the best Christmas dinner dessert at the table. Even the kids will love it!
- Rich & Creamy: Our creamy cheesecake filling contains ingredients like cream cheese, sour cream, heavy whipping cream, and sugar for a top-notch taste.
How to Make Christmas Cheesecake
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- For the Crust: Combine ingredients to make the graham cracker mixture, and press it into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake briefly then let it cool.
- For the Cheesecake: Combine ingredients to make the cheesecake mixture, then fold in the sprinkles.
- To Bake: Pour the cheesecake on top of the crust, make a water bath around the pan, and bake. Then let it cool with the oven propped open. Once it’s cooled, wrap it and place in the fridge to chill overnight.
- For Assembly: Make the chocolate ganache. Place the cheesecake on a stand, and pour the ganache on top. Then place candies on top, and finish decorating as you please.
Christmas cheesecake is a smooth, creamy, rich, velvety, and sweet cheesecake with red and green sprinkles throughout. It is baked on a buttery and sweet graham cracker crust, topped with a creamy and smooth white chocolate ganache, and finished off with Christmas candies for a very festive finish.
Cheesecakes require the use of a springform pan. This type of pan allows for even baking, easy release, and less mess. If you don’t have one, you should be able to pick one up at most stores in the aisle with other baking pans.
I do not recommend using fat-free ingredients to make this cheesecake, as it just won’t taste as rich and delicious. However, you can use light cream cheese or Neufchatel for a lower-fat alternative. This will change the flavor slightly.
Yes! This cheesecake contains raw eggs and requires baking to fully come together.
If you want to keep the cheesecake from cracking, turn the oven off, and let it cool with the door closed for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 3 hours.
Cheesecake should come out of the oven with a slightly jiggly center. It will take a few hours to cool and set properly, so don’t worry! If after baking, you press gently in the center of the cheesecake and runny batter comes off on your finger, it needs a bit longer to bake.
Decorative Ideas
We used ribbon candy, white chocolate chips, green and red candies, sprinkles, peppermint pieces, and unwrapped Rolos to decorate the top of our cheesecake, but you can use any festive toppings you wish!
Here are some more ideas for inspiration:
- Caramel sauce
- Candied cranberries
- Candy canes
- Gingerbread
- Red and green M&Ms
- Peppermint bark
- Truffles
- Hershey Kisses
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make Christmas cheesecake up to 2 days in advance and store, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover Christmas cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy cold.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze Christmas cheesecake whole or in individual slices in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Allow cheesecake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. I recommend freezing this cheesecake without any candy on top.
Substitutions
- Graham Crackers: For a slightly different flavor, use vanilla wafers, digestive biscuits, or Biscoff cookies for the crust.
- Salted Butter: Unsalted butter may be used instead. If used, add ½ teaspoon of salt to the crust recipe.
- Sour Cream: Plain or Greek yogurt may be used instead.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: Vanilla extract may be used instead.
- Cornstarch: All-purpose flour can be used in place of the cornstarch; simply increase the amount used to 2½ tablespoons.
Tips for the Best Christmas Cheesecake
- When making the cheesecake, be sure to beat the cream cheese well at the beginning to ensure that it is smooth. If, when the cheesecake batter is complete, you still have lumps, simply press them against the side of the bowl using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Use room temperature ingredients for best results.
- It is very important to use good quality white chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli. You can use a cheaper brand, but it will affect the smoothness and flavor of the topping and you may very likely have issues with the white chocolate seizing when melting.
- It is imperative that you do not skip the water bath. This is a vital step and will help to prevent cracks in the cheesecake. If you do not have a pan large enough to hold the springform pan, simply use a baking sheet or something with enough of a lip on it to hold a little bit of water. Refill with water halfway through the bake time or when all of the water has evaporated.
- Be sure to follow the cool down times as instructed. Cooling the cheesecake down slowly will help it to finish setting up properly, giving it that wonderful velvety texture.
We hope this beautiful Christmas cheesecake satisfies your sweet tooth this holiday season! Did you decorate this festive dessert differently? Let us know in the comments below!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Christmas Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2¾ cups crushed graham crackers 391 grams (from about 25 crackers)
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 1 cup salted butter 226 grams, melted (2 sticks)
For the Cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese 680 grams, room temperature (3 bricks)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar 133 grams
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream 151 grams, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream 114 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste 3 grams
- 5 large eggs 250 grams, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch 14 grams
- ¼ cup sprinkles 48 grams, red and green
For the Ganache
- 1 cup white chocolate chips 170 grams
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 43 grams
Candy Toppings (optional)
- Ribbon candy
- White chocolate chips
- Green and red candies
- Sprinkles
- Peppermint pieces
- Unwrapped Rolos
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar.2¾ cups crushed graham crackers, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Mix in the melted butter until well combined and the mixture is a wet crumb texture.1 cup salted butter
- Press the crust evenly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared springform pan.
- Place into the oven on the center rack and bake for 10 minutes.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack to let cool completely.
For the Cheesecake
- Adjust oven temperature to 400°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and sugar and mix together on medium speed until smooth.24 ounces cream cheese, ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- Add in the heavy cream, sour cream, salt, and vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.⅔ cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Add in the eggs and mix for 30 seconds, then add in the cornstarch and mix until just incorporated.5 large eggs, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Gently fold in the sprinkles. Overmixing the sprinkles will cause the batter to turn black.¼ cup sprinkles
- Cover the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the prebaked crust. Place the springform pan into a large baking dish or broiler pan and fill with 1 inch of water.
- Place both pans into the preheated oven on the center rack and bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 250°F and continue baking for an additional hour.
- Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes.
- Open the oven door and leave the cheesecake inside for another 30 minutes to finish setting up.
- Once the cooldown time is up, remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it onto a wire cooling rack to let it cool completely.
- Once the cheesecake has completely cooled, cover it with plastic wrap, then place it into the refrigerator to chill for 8 hours.
For the Ganache
- Towards the end of the chill time for the cheesecake, make the topping: Place the white chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl and set aside.1 cup white chocolate chips
- Pour the heavy cream into a microwave bowl and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Pour the heated cream over the white chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute.
- Stir the mixture, then place the bowl back into the microwave and heat for an additional 45 seconds to make sure the white chocolate is fully melted.
- Remove from the microwave and mix with a spoon until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
For Assembly
- Once the cheesecake has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator, unmold it, and place it onto a cake stand or plate.
- Pour the cooled white chocolate mixture on top.
- Top with Christmas candies before the white chocolate sets.Ribbon candy, White chocolate chips, Green and red candies, Sprinkles, Peppermint pieces, Unwrapped Rolos
- Once the white chocolate has set, cut the cheesecake into slices and serve.
Notes
- For a slightly different flavor, use vanilla wafers, digestive biscuits, or Biscoff cookies for the crust instead of graham crackers.
- Unsalted butter may be used instead of salted in the crust. If used, add ½ teaspoon of salt to the crust recipe.
- Plain or Greek yogurt may be used instead of sour cream
- Vanilla extract may be used instead of vanilla bean paste.
- All-purpose flour can be used in place of the cornstarch; simply increase the amount used to 2½ tablespoons.
- When making the cheesecake, be sure to beat the cream cheese well at the beginning to ensure that it is smooth. If, when the cheesecake batter is complete, you still have lumps, simply press them against the side of the bowl using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Use room temperature ingredients for best results.
- It is very important to use good quality white chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli. You can use a cheaper brand, but it will affect the smoothness and flavor of the topping and you may very likely have issues with the white chocolate seizing when melting.
- It is imperative that you do not skip the water bath. This is a vital step and will help to prevent cracks in the cheesecake. If you do not have a pan large enough to hold the springform pan, simply use a baking sheet or something with enough of a lip on it to hold a little bit of water. Refill with water halfway through the bake time or when all of the water has evaporated.
- Be sure to follow the cool down times as instructed. Cooling the cheesecake down slowly will help it to finish setting up properly, giving it that wonderful velvety texture.
- Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.
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