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featured gingerbread cheesecake.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Chill Time: 10 hours
Total Time: 13 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 583kcal
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 gingerbread cheesecake.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • 9-inch Springform Pan
  • Stand Mixer

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2⅓ cups gingersnap cookie crumbs 199 grams
  • 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
  • cup heavy cream 151 grams
  • 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
  • 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

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.
    overhead view of ingredients for gingerbread cheesecake.

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
    overhead view of gingersnap crust ingredients for gingerbread cheesecake.
  • 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.
    overhead view of gingersnap crust for gingerbread cheesecake pressed into a springform pan.

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
    cream cheese and brown sugar for gingerbread cheesecake in a stainless mixing bowl.
  • 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
    wet ingredients for gingerbread cheesecake added to cream cheese mixture in a stainless mixing bowl.
  • 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
    gingerbread cheesecake batter in a springform pan surrounded by aluminum foil.
  • 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.
    gingerbread cheesecake batter in a springform pan with aluminum foil wrapped around the sides.
  • 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.
    baked gingerbread cheesecake in a springform pan.
  • 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.
Storage: Store Gingerbread cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 481mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 1294IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 3mg