Gingerbread Cheesecake is here just in time to make your holiday season much more scrumptious! A buttery gingersnap cookie crust serves as the base to this creamy, decadent, and richly flavored twist on a classic cheesecake.
Spiced Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe
There’s no doubt about it – gingerbread is one of the all-time BEST Christmas flavors! There’s something so classic, comforting, and warm about the flavor of gingerbread. It always puts me in the holiday spirit, no matter what form it’s in!
With that being said, this easy-to-make gingerbread cheesecake might just be my newest favorite way to enjoy one of my favorite festive flavors. The crust itself is sugary, buttery, and made with gingersnap cookies. Then, the cheesecake is made flavorful with ingredients like warm cinnamon, ginger, and various other spices.
Why You’ll Love this Christmas Cheesecake Recipe:
- Festive: If you’re looking for the perfect dessert to act as the centerpiece to your holiday spread, this festive cheesecake is it!
- Perfectly Baked: Baking a cheesecake can sometimes be a bit nerve-wracking. However, all of the easy-to-follow steps I’ve listed will make sure you have a perfectly baked cheesecake every time.
- Decadent: This homemade cheesecake recipe is tried and true! Each luscious bite of this creamy cheesecake is rich, thick, and oh so decadent.
How to Make Gingerbread Cheesecake
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Preheat your oven and prepare a springform pan.
- Combine the ingredients for the crust, then press it into the pan and bake it. Cool afterwards.
- Combine the cream cheese and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add all of the wet ingredients until incorporated, followed by the dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter evenly over the crust and smooth it out.
- Wrap the springform pan with foil and create a water bath.
- Bake for an hour.
- Remove the tin foil and cool on a wire rack.
- Cover with foil again and chill in the refrigerator.
- Remove the tin foil and springform pan.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
You can, but it won’t have the same gingerbread quality to it that a gingersnap crust does.
One box should do the trick! You just need about 2 cups of the crumbled cookies, so make sure to measure the crumbs, not the cookies themselves. With that being said, you’ll likely have a few cookies left over to snack on or use as a garnish for the cheesecake.
Any brand will do the trick. Just use a cookie brand you already know and love, that way you know you’ll enjoy the final product.
Yes! It’s actually best to make a cheesecake a day ahead of scheduled serving time, that way it has time to really settle and chill in the fridge.
You can use little gingerbread men, piped frosting, whipped cream, and so much more!
Gingerbread Cheesecake Ingredients & Notes
- Gingersnap Cookie Crumbs: For a more traditional crust, use the same amount of graham cracker crumbs for a graham cracker cheesecake crust.
- Brown Sugar: Granulated sugar can be used in place of the brown sugar in both the crust and cheesecake, although this substitution will alter the flavor.
- Sour Cream: In the cheesecake batter, plain yogurt (Greek or regular) can be used in place of sour cream.
- Flour: In the cheesecake batter, 1¾ tablespoons of cornstarch may be used in place of 3½ tablespoons of flour.
This stunning gingerbread cheesecake is perfect for serving on Christmas to all your loved ones. Leave a little slice for Santa, too – he’ll like this cheesecake even more than his usual cookies!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- 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.
- Do not over mix the cheesecake batter, as it will add air and result in uneven baking and can cause the top of the cheesecake to crack at the end of baking.
- Be sure to leave the cheesecake in the oven for the hour after baking to rest. This allows the cheesecake to set, thus preventing or at least lowering the chances that the cheesecake top cracks.
Follow these simple steps to make the most decadent, festive, gingerbread-flavored cheesecake ever!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2⅓ cups gingersnap cookie crumbs 199 grams
- ⅔ cup brown sugar 142 grams
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter 99 grams, melted
For the Cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese 681 grams, softened (3 bricks)
- 1 cup brown sugar 213 grams
- ⅔ cup heavy cream 151 grams
- ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses 113 grams
- ¼ cup sour cream 57 grams
- 3 large eggs 150 grams
- 2 egg yolks 28 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 3½ tablespoons all-purpose flour 26 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger 6 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6 grams
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt 2 grams
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and gently spray the sides of the pan with nonstick spray.
For the Crust
- In a medium bowl, whisk the gingersnap crumbs and brown sugar together. Add the melted butter and mix well until the mixture resembles wet sand.2⅓ cups gingersnap cookie crumbs, ⅔ cup brown sugar, 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Press the gingersnap mixture into the bottom and partially up the sides of the springform pan. Place into the preheated oven to bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack for a few minutes.
For the Cheesecake
- While the crust is baking, make the cheesecake. Start by adding the cream cheese and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy and no clumps are visible.24 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar
- Add the heavy cream, molasses, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, or until fully incorporated and smooth.⅔ cup heavy cream, ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses, ¼ cup sour cream, 3 large eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves over the surface of the batter. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute to incorporate. Pour the batter into the baked crust and smooth out.3½ tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Create a water bath. Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with foil to prevent water from seeping into the cheesecake. Place the springform pan into a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough water to come 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan to create a water bath. Place into the oven and bake for exactly 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Once baked, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake undisturbed in the oven for an additional hour without opening the door. Once the cheesecake has set, remove from the oven and unwrap the tinfoil.
- Place the cheesecake onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cover with foil and place into the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
- Once the cheesecake has chilled, remove the foil. To remove the springform pan, carefully run a butter knife along the inside edge of the springform pan to release the cheesecake. Release the spring and remove the side panel.
- You can slice and serve the cheesecake at this point or you can carefully run a knife underneath the cheesecake and slide it onto a cake stand or serving platter to serve.
Notes
- 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.
- Do not over mix the cheesecake batter, as it will add air and result in uneven baking and can cause the top of the cheesecake to crack at the end of baking.
- Be sure to leave the cheesecake in the oven for the hour after baking to rest. This allows the cheesecake to set, thus preventing or at least lowering the chances that the cheesecake top cracks.
- For ease of serving, I like to slice the entire cheesecake into individual slices and then wrap each slice in plastic wrap really well. This makes for easy freezing and for quick serving later on.
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