Gingerbread Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
Gingerbread cheesecake recipe combines the rich creaminess of cheesecake with the warm, comforting flavors of gingerbread for a perfect holiday dessert.
Gingerbread cheesecake is the perfect combination of warm spices and cool and creamy cheesecake all in a buttery gingersnap crust. It is the perfect dessert for the holiday season. Like our Apple Crisp Cheesecake, this seasonal cheesecake looks like it came from a bakery but is actually deceptively easy to make!
Ingredients
- gingersnap cookies
- sugars – both granulated and brown sugar
- dairy – butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy whipping cream
- spices – ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- molasses
- caramel sauce and additional crushed gingersnaps for topping (optional)
Step by step
- Preheat the oven and line a springform pan (affiliate link) with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a blender (affiliate link) or food processor, crush the gingersnaps until they have a uniformly fine crumb.
- In a medium bowl combine the crushed gingersnaps, brown sugar, and melted butter. Mix together and blended then press into the springform pan (affiliate link) firmly.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the crust is cooling, prepare the filling. Add cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer (affiliate link) or a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy and there are no more lumps. Add sugar, brown sugar, and mix to combine.
- Add spices and continue to mix. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between eggs and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add vanilla, sour cream, heavy cream, and molasses. Mix on low speed until smooth.
- Place the cooled crust on a baking sheet. Pour the gingerbread cheesecake filling into the cooled crust and spread evenly and smooth with the back of a spoon if necessary. Place the cheesecake along with a baking in the oven. Place a baking dish with hot water below the cheesecake.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes. Turn off oven and open the oven door slightly and allow the cheesecake to remain in the oven an additional hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and cool at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Top with caramel sauce and crushed gingersnaps if desired.
Variations
I don’t play with the ingredients in the filling of the cheesecake but you could experiment with different flavors instead of the gingerbread crust. A traditional graham cracker crust would taste good but also trying biscoff cookies or shortbread cookies would be delicious as well!
You could also leave off the caramel topping and top the cheesecake with whipped cream and gingerbread cookies or gingerbread men.
Tips for best results
- Use full-fat brick style cream cheese, lighter versions or whipped varieties will not perform well in this recipe.
- Placing the springform cake tin on a baking sheet makes transferring it to the oven easier. It also saves a lot of cleanup if the cheesecake filling happens to bubble over.
- The baking dish of hot water in the oven helps keep the top of the cheesecake from cracking. While I usually top this gingerbread cheesecake with caramel sauce, this is especially important for presentation if you aren’t planning on topping the cheesecake.
- For extra clean slices, place the cheesecake in the freezer for an hour before cutting. Run a large chef’s knife under hot water, wipe dry with a paper towel then slice. Repeat the process for each slice.
Storage
Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze the cheesecake by wrapping it first in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I love to freeze individual slices to enjoy later! Thaw overnight in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
Gingerbread Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- (3) 8–ounce packages of cream cheese
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup molasses
Topping
- Caramel Sauce
- Extra crushed ginger snaps
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a spring-form pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, add the crushed ginger snaps, brown sugar, and melted butter. Mix together with a fork until combined. Pour the mixture into the springform pan (affiliate link) and press firmly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake crust 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the crust is cooling, add cream cheese to a separate large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until creamy and lump-free. Add the sugar and brown sugar and mix into the cream cheese.
- Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Blend together until combined
- Add each egg, one at a time, mixing in between each addition.
- Add molasses, heavy cream, sour cream, and vanilla extract, mixing once more until everything is smooth.
- Place the springform pan (affiliate link) on a baking sheet. Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan and spread evenly, smoothing with the back of a spoon if necessary.
- Bake for 60 minutes. The cheesecake will be slightly wobbly in the middle after this hour has passed.
- Turn off the oven off and open the door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven foe an additional 60 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
- Top with an optional layer of caramel sauce and additional gingersnap crumbs.
Keywords: gingerbread cheesecake
