Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingerbread Cookie Crust and Eggnog Whipped Cream
Creamy, silky smooth, and tastes just like eggnog! This delicious Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingerbread Cookie Crust and Eggnog Whipped Cream is the perfect dessert for Christmas. SO GOOD!
Servings: 12
Calories: 492kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 2-3 cups gingerbread cookies
- 1½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2¼ Tablespoons salted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 4 cups cream cheese room temperature
- 1⅛ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- ½ cup eggnog
- 1 Tablespoon bourbon concentrate* or vanilla
Eggnog Whip Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons eggnog
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
- Pinch ground nutmeg optional
Instructions
Crust
- Spray a 10-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place cookies in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process to fine crumbs.
- Pour into a small bowl.
- Add sugar and butter.
- Mix well.
- Press into bottom of prepared pan.
Cheesecake
- With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add nutmeg and bourbon (or vanilla).
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Add eggs to cream cheese mixture in 4 additions, beat well after each.
- Stir in eggnog.
- Pour over prepared crust.
- Place in a large sheet cake pan or roasting pan.
- Place on oven rack.
- Fill sheet cake pan with boiling water half way up the side of the cake pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake in the oven until completely set, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Remove cheesecake from water bath.
- Allow to cool completely at room temperature, about 8 hours.
- Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning, turn out cheesecake.
Eggnog Whip Cream
- In a medium bowl, combine cream, eggnog, nutmeg, and sugar.
- Beat to medium stiff peaks.
- Pipe onto top of cold cheesecake.
Notes
- *See post on how to make bourbon concentrate.
- When making the crust, make sure your cookies are not decorated. Plain gingerbread cookies are needed for this recipe.
- Do not leave large chunks of cookie when grinding. It needs to be about the consistency of sand.
- When packing down the crust, it's best to use a metal measuring cup to ensure a tight and even pack.
- Before beginning this recipe, ensure that the cream cheese is room temperature. If the cream cheese is cold, it will be difficult to mix and more likely to leave lumps.
- Be sure to mix the cream cheese, sugar, nutmeg, and bourbon concentrate VERY well. Scrape down the sides often to ensure no lumps.
- If there is cream cheese getting built up on the wall of the bowl when adding the eggs, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.
- Once the eggs are added, try not to beat or mix too much. Eggs will retain air and give extra (and unwanted) lift to this cheesecake. That causes cracks!
- Don't be afraid of the water bath! Read above for a few tips to help.
- When the cheesecake is baking, DO NOT open the oven door. You will lose all the moisture in the oven and it'll either cause the cheesecake to sink or crack.
- Also, I know it may be tempting to fully set this cheesecake, but do not over bake this cheesecake! Follow the baking times and instructions listed in the recipe card below for best results.
- Once the cheesecake is ready to come out of the oven, take out of the water bath, and let it cool completely at room temperature.
- When the cheesecake is at room temperature (this generally takes about 5-8 hours), cover with aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight.
- Do not try to cut into this cheesecake or turn it out until it's beed refrigerated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1274IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 1mg