Try Grandma’s famous cheesecake with a holiday twist—gingerbread cheesecake! This dessert perfectly blends gingerbread cookie flavors with creamy cheesecake, all on a delicious Biscoff cookie crust.
Baking Tips for Gingerbread Cheesecake
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature for a smooth batter and even baking.
- Gently Incorporate Air: Avoid overmixing after adding the eggs to prevent cracks on the cheesecake surface.
- Water Bath: Use a water bath to keep the oven moist and prevent cracks.
Gingerbread Cheesecake
Ingredients
#### Cheesecake Filling
- – 5 packages 8 oz each cream cheese, at room temperature
- – ¼ cup heavy cream
- – 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- – 1 cup granulated sugar
- – ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- – ¼ cup molasses
- – 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon if using Morton
- – 5 eggs + 2 egg yolks
- – 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- – 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- – ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- – 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
#### Crust
- – 1 stick butter melted
- – 9 oz Biscoff cookie crumbs about 2 ½ cups
- – ½ teaspoon salt
- – 1 teaspoon cinnamon
#### Optional Topping
- – Whipped cream
Instructions
#### Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grind Biscoff cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or by crushing in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
- Mix the cookie crumbs with melted butter, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
- Press the mixture into a springform pan to form a compact layer. Use a measuring cup or flat surface to help.
- Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
#### Filling
- Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Beat the room temperature cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the sugars and beat until smooth.
- Mix in the remaining filling ingredients until just combined, about 1 minute. Avoid overmixing to prevent a fluffy mixture.
#### Water Bath
- Wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil, double wrapping to ensure no leaks.
- Butter the sides of the springform pan above the crust.
- Place a large roasting pan in the oven. The pan should be big enough to fit the springform pan and tall enough for a water bath.
- Boil a medium pot of water.
#### Baking
- Pour the filling into the prepared, cooled, foiled springform pan.
- Place the cheesecake in the center of the roasting pan in the oven.
- Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Let the cheesecake cool on a cooling rack. Once cooled, run a knife along the edges and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
- Optional: Top with whipped cream before serving.