Eggnog cheesecake made with a gingersnap crust, fresh nutmeg & your favorite eggnog! Smooth & creamy cheesecake recipe blends the best holiday flavors for a delightful, festive eggnog dessert.
We use actual eggnog in this recipe as well as some other ingredients to help capture the essence and flavor of this holiday drink in this pie. You’re going to love how easy it is to make this festive cheesecake recipe.
Eggnog cheesecake with gingersnap crust
This cheesecake is an incredibly soft and decadent dessert that is filled with the perfect amount of eggnog flavor and set in a gingersnap crust. The crust is crunchy and well-spiced while the filling is a perfect blend of rich, creamy, tangy cheesecake and rum. The fresh nutmeg is like a star on top making the dessert really shine.
Eggnog cheesecake ingredients
For the crust, you will need:
-Gingersnap crumbs: You will need 2 cups of gingersnap crumbs for the base of the crust or you can use a regular graham cracker crust if preferred.
-Brown sugar: Adding in ¼ cup of brown sugar will make the crust sweeter and give it a depth of flavor that works nicely.
-Butter: Use 5 ½ tablespoons of melted butter to help bind the crust ingredients together and to give it a richer taste.
For the cheesecake filling, you will need:
-Cream cheese: You will need 32 ounces of cream cheese, this is 4 of the 8 ounce blocks.
-Sugar: Use 1 ⅔ cups of granulated sugar for a sweet filling.
-Eggs: Using 3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks will help to find the filling together and make it taste perfectly rich.
–Eggnog: Use 1 cup of your favorite brand of eggnog for added flavor and creaminess.
-Yogurt: To make the filling ultra creamy and perfectly tangy adding in 1/4 cup of plain unsweetened Greek yogurt works well. You can also use sour cream in its place if desired.
-Flour: This will help to thicken up the cheesecake batter. You will need 2 ¾ tablespoons of flour but cornstarch could also be used in its place.
-Cinnamon: To help give the pie a little more spiced flavor and warmth add in 2 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
-Rum extract: Use 1 ½ teaspoons of rum extract to make the pie taste more like traditional eggnog. You can also use real rum instead if you prefer.
-Nutmeg: Use fresh ground nutmeg (or whatever you have on hand) to spice the pie. Nutmeg is a very commonly used spice for eggnog so getting more nutmeg flavor will make your cheesecake taste even better.
How to make eggnog cheesecake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and then lighty spray it with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Make the Gingersnap Crust
In a medium sized bowl combine the gingersnap crumbs and brown sugar. Add in the melted butter and then mix until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press into the bottom of the cheesecake pan in a nice and even layer.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven and place onto a cooling rack.
Make the Eggnog Cheesecake Filling
While the crust bakes, prepare the cheesecake filling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the cream cheese and sugar using the paddle attachment. Beat it on medium speed for one minute or until the mixture is nice and smooth.
Add in the whole eggs and then beat again for 30 seconds to combine.
Add in the egg yolks, and then beat for an additional 30 seconds.
Next, add in the eggnog and yogurt. Beat again for another 30 seconds to incorporate.
Lastly, add in your flour, cinnamon, rum extract, and nutmeg. Beat for 30 seconds.
Once the filling has been made and is smooth, pour it into the cooled crust.
Prepare a water bath for the cheesecake
Wrap the bottom of and the top of the springform pan with tin foil to keep water from seeping in.
Place the springform pan into a larger pan and then fill the larger pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan to create a water bath.
Bake the Cheesecake
Place the water and cheesecake filled pans into the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Once baked, turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for another hour undisturbed and with the oven door closed.
After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and remove the tinfoil from the pan.
Place the cheesecake onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Chill the Cheesecake
Once completely cooled down, cover with tinfoil and place into the fridge to chill for at least 8 more hours, possibly up to overnight.
After the cheesecake has been chilled, run a butter knife along the outside of the pan to release the cheesecake from the sides.
Gently release the springform pan and remove the sides from the bottom piece.
Carefully slide a butter knife under the cheesecake crust to help remove it from the base and then slide onto a cake stand or serving platter.
Slice and serve or keep chilled until serving time. Top with clean holiday decor & enjoy!
Eggnog Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups gingersnap crumbs
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 5 ½ TBSP melted butter
Cheesecake:
- 32 oz cream cheese
- 1 ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup eggnog
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 2 ¾ Tbsp flour
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp rum extract
- ½ tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the sides of the pan with baking spray.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs and brown sugar. Add in the butter and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Place into the preheated oven to bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack.
- While the crust bakes, make the cheesecake batter. Add the cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium high speed for 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth. Add in the whole eggs and beat for 30 seconds. Add in the egg yolks and beat for another 30 seconds. Next, add in the eggnog and yogurt. Beat for 30 seconds to incorporate. Lastly, add in the flour, cinnamon, rum extract and freshly grated nutmeg. Beat for 30 seconds.
- Once the cheesecake batter is complete and smooth, pour into the baked crust. Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with tinfoil to keep water from seeping in. Place into a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan to create a water bath. Place into the hot oven to bake for an hour and a half. Once baked, turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in, undisturbed, for an additional hour. Keep the oven door closed.
- Once the cheesecake has set for an hour, remove from the oven and unwrap the tinfoil. Place the cheesecake onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Once it is completely cooled, cover with tinfoil and place into the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours and up to overnight. Once chilled, carefully run a butter knife around the edge of the springform pan to release the cheesecake. Gently release the springform and remove the sides from the cheesecake. To remove the cheesecake from the springform pan base, carefully slide a butter knife underneath the crust and run it around all of the sides to release it from the base. Carefully slide it off onto a cake stand or serving platter. It is now ready to serve. Keep the cheesecake chilled until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Do I have to let the cheesecake rest in the oven after baking?
Yes, this is what allows the cheesecake to be set up and helps to prevent any cracks from forming on the top of the cheesecake. It’s a little bit of patience that is well worth the wait.
Can I freeze eggnog cheesecake?
Yes, this cheesecake freezes really well. 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 it easier to freeze and quicker to serve later on.
More cheesecake recipes you’ll want to try soon
- BANANA CREAM CHEESECAKES
- NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
- PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE BARS
- EASY LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS
- CARAMEL NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE
- ORANGE CREAMSICLE CHEESECAKE
- COCONUT CHEESECAKE BARS
- MINI EGGNOG CHEESECAKES
- PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS
- S’MORES CHEESECAKE
- EASY SHEETPAN CHEESECAKES
This easy eggnog cheesecake recipe is one you’ll want to repeat every holiday season. Packed with flavor and taking very little prep work, this pie is one everyone will enjoy at the Christmas table.
Carlene says
I have an Instant Pot that I use to make cheesecakes. Since the cheesecake pan I use is a 6″x3″ push pan, would I half the recipe?
Nicole says
Yes, you will need to reduce the recipe to use a smaller pan and adjust the baking instructions to accommodate the instant pot based on the user manual instructions.
wilhelmina says
This is such a festive cheesecake! The flavor of the eggnog really shines without being over powering, delicious!
Katherine S Hackworthy says
What a tasty way to enjoy the flavor of eggnog! Love this.
Jessica says
THanks Katherine!