Gingerbread Cheesecake
I may receive compensation in the form of payment or products to supplement my posts, but all opinions remain my own. Read our disclosure policy.
This gingerbread cheesecake is deliciously creamy with warm spices and a hint of molasses. It has a gingersnap crust and is topped with whipped cream and butterscotch sauce. It tastes like Christmas in cheesecake form, and makes for a unique holiday dessert.
**This recipe was updated December 2024 with new photos and to include a recipe for butterscotch sauce**
Gingerbread is a quintessential Christmas flavor – whether you’re making a traditional warm gingerbread cake or gingerbread cookies. This gingerbread cheesecake recipe has the perfect gingerbread flavor in a creamy, luxurious cheesecake form. This recipe uses a gingersnap crust to really take the flavor to the next level. Then I like to top it with whipped cream, an extra gingerbread cookie, and a drizzle of butterscotch sauce.
While the gingerbread flavor is classic Christmas – the turning it into a cheesecake makes this dessert unique and extra special.
Making the Perfect Gingerbread Cheesecake
Below are recipe tips and step-by-step photos of the recipe. I recommend going through the details below before getting straig
Because I decided to go all out with this recipe – we’re making a gingersnap crust in addition to the gingerbread filling. You don’t need to make any gingersnap cookies, you can simply use a store-bought version. You want to choose something that’s dry and crunchy for the crust – in Australia, I used ginger nuts.
- Crush the cookies in a food processor (or freezer bag) until they’re fine crumbs.
- Mix together with a little brown sugar and melted butter.
- Note that the amount of butter needed may be a little more or a little less, depending on how crunchy your gingersnap cookies are. After mixing the ingredients together, it should feel like damp sand and stick together when squeezing in your palm.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, making a slight lip around the edges.
- The crust will bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
Then it’s time to making the gingerbread cheesecake filling. The filling is based off of my favorite New York cheesecake recipe. It’s made with full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for a texture that’s thick, creamy and velvety smooth. For the gingerbread flavor we’re adding in brown sugar, molasses and warm spices.
- In a very large bowl, you’ll beat together the cream cheese, brown sugar, granulated sugar, spices, and cornstarch (AKA cornflour in the UK). You will need to beat together until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- The cornstach helps to minimize cracks.
- Then you’ll mix in the sour cream and molasses.
- I do not recommend using blackstrap molasses. The flavor is too bitter for baking with.
- Then you’ll mix in the whisked eggs until the batter is smooth and creamy.
- It’s very important not to overmix the cheesecake batter once the eggs are added. Only mix until just combined.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust and place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Then pour about 1/2 to 1 inch of boiling water into the roasting pan.
- The roasting pan filled with water is our water bath for baking the cheesecake. It helps to keep moisture in the oven and reduces swings in temperature. These two things minimize cracks and keep your cheesecake velvety smooth.
- The cheesecake will bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the top looks almost set and when you give the pan a gentle nudge it wobbles like jello, but not a glass of milk.
Recipe Tip
With a water bath, it’s really important that your springform pan has a tight seal so that water doesn’t seep in. I recommend first wrapping the outside of the pan with an oven bag that has a key lock tie. Then wrap the outside with aluminum foil at least 3 times so that the bottom and sides are covered and all the seams are covered.
Serving Tips
The cheesecake will need to cool fully and then chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving for it to set properly. I typically make the cheesecake the night before I plan to serve it, then let it chill in the fridge overnight. Right before serving, I decorated the top with a few swirls of whipped cream. A drizzle of butterscotch sauce or caramel sauce really takes the flavor to the next level.
And for more Christmas cheesecake recipes, be sure to try my favorite:
Gingerbread Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan
- large roasting pan (big enough to fit the springform pan inside)
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
Ginger Snap Crust
- 2 cups gingersnap crumbs, use a dry, crispy cookie
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (85 grams), melted
Gingerbread Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces full-fat, brick-style cream cheese (680 grams), softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (105 grams), I used dark
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar sugar (100 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, AKA cornflour in the UK, or flour
- 1/4 cup molasses (60 ml), do not use blackstrap molasses
- 2/3 cup sour cream (160 ml), use full fat
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, whisked
- boiling water, for the water bath
Butterscotch Sauce
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter (75 grams), cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (105 grams), packed, I used dark
- 1/2 cup whipping cream (120 ml), or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup whipping cream (120 ml)
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F degrees and lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with an oven bag (the type used to cook a turkey) and tie around the sides of the pan with the key lock tie included. Then wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil at least 4 times so that the bottom and sides are covered and each seam is covered.
Gingersnap Crust
- Crush the cookies in a food processor or place in a freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Stir together the cookie crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter. You may need a little more or a little less butter, depending on how dry your gingersnap cookies are. It should feel like damp sand and hold together when you squeeze it in your palms.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and keep the oven turned on.
Gingerbread Cheesecake Filling
- In a very large bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Occasionally turn off the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Mix in the molasses, sour cream and vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low speed, mix in the whisked eggs a little at a time until you no longer see pieces of egg.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust. Place the springform pan (still wrapped in foil) in the middle of a large roasting pan. Pour about 1/2 to 1 inch of boiling water into the roasting pan.
- Place the whole thing in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top looks just set and if you give the pan a gentle nudge there's a slight wobble in the cheesecake, but it doesn't wobble like a glass of milk.
- Turn off the oven and open the oven door. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven (with the door open) for about 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and continue cooling until it reaches room temperature.
- Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan (keeping it in the springform pan) cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Butterscotch Sauce
- Add the butter cut into cubes and brown sugar to a saucepan over low heat. Melt together while gently stirring. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil for about 1 minute while stirring.
- Carefully add in the cream and continue stirring. Bring to a gentle boil for 3-4 minutes while constantly stirring.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt
Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl beat the cold whipped cream and powdered sugar until peaks form.
Serving
- Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and trace around the outside edges of the pan with a sharp knife. Unclamp the outer ring of the springform. If there's condensation on top of the cheesecake, gently blot with a paper towel.
- Optionally, pipe whipped cream rosettes around the edges with a piping bag (I used a 1M tip), and decorate with small gingerbread cookies.
- Slice the cheesecake with a sharp knife making sure to go all the way through the crust. Optionally, top each slice with butterscotch sauce.
Notes
- Gingersnap Cookies: I used Ginger Nut cookies for my crust. You want to choose a ginger cookie that’s crunchy as opposed to soft and chewy for the crust. Alternatively, you could substitute gingersnap crumbs with graham crumbs.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs are room temperature before getting started.
- Molasses: I do not recommend using blackstrap molasses. Molasses labelled cooking molasses or fancy molasses works well.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition: Nutrition information is an estimate only and based on one slice without whipped cream or butterscotch sauce, assuming the cheesecake is sliced into 14 uniform pieces.
Nutrition
