Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Gingerbread Cheesecake 4.2 (104) Sugar, spice, and everything nice go into this festive holiday cheesecake. Close Credit: Kelsey Hansen Servings: 10 Jump to recipe Much as we love gingerbread cutout cookies and elaborate gingerbread houses, this gingerbread cheesecake is our new favorite holiday dessert. Its creamy filling is sweetened with molasses and spiced with ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Its crust is made with crushed gingerbread cookies—and to take it to the next level, you can decorate it with gingerbread people cookies. It's everything you know and love about cheesecake but with the most cozy, festive flavor possible. 27 Cheesecake Recipes for Every Skill Level Why Gingerbread Cheesecake Is So Special Crumbly crust? Check. Luscious, silky smooth cream cheese filling check? So what sets this holiday cheesecake apart? There are a few key ingredients that make the flavor perfect for the season. Sweetened with molasses: In addition to regular sugar, the filling is sweetened with syrupy molasses, which is a surefire way to signal that this is a holiday dessert. The combination of the two sweeteners packs a flavorful punch and keeps the cheesecake soft and fluffy. Perfect mix of warming spices: This is what really makes this cheesecake special. There’s an ideal ratio of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. When they work together, they create a lovely aroma. Lemon zest brightens up the filling: With all of those warm spices, all you need is half a teaspoon of grated lemon zest to really bring the filling to life. The zest adds a bright, lively flavor without adding too much acidity. Gingerbread cookie crust: There had to be some actual gingerbread if we were going to call this gingerbread cheesecake, right? Gingerbread men are used to decorate the finished dessert, but they also form the base of the crust. Blitz them in a food processor with some melted butter and sugar before pressing them into the springform pan. Other Ingredients to Use for the Crust Need a quick shortcut to gingerbread cheesecake? Simply swap the homemade gingerbread crust with store-bought cookies: Biscoff cookies: These crumbly cookies are often used as the base for key lime pie, but since they're spiced, they’re perfect for this cheesecake recipe. Gingersnap cookies: Store-bought gingersnaps are as close as you’ll come to gingerbread cutouts. They’re a perfect swap if you’re looking for a similar flavor. Shortbread cookies: Shortbread cookies are just as crumbly as gingerbread, so they’re a great option. If you still want that spiced flavor, add a few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg when you blend them in the food processor. Cinnamon graham crackers: Revert to a classic and use a buttery graham cracker crust. Plain crackers are great, but cinnamon-flavored ones up the ante a bit. How to get the crust even: The easiest way to get the crust nice and even is to use the flat bottom of a dry measuring cup. Glide it across the surface of the crust while applying firm and even pressure. 3 Ways to Decorate Gingerbread Cheesecake During the holidays, we like to go above and beyond to make each part of the meal special. That includes dessert! This cheesecake is a sight to behold on its own, but some simple decoration goes a long way. Gingerbread cutouts: When you make the gingerbread cookie dough to use for the crust, go ahead and set a few of your best-looking ones aside for decoration. Line up a row of edible gingerbread friends or use any other festive shapes you like, such as stars, stockings, or candy canes. Leave them plain, decorate them with piped royal icing and candies like mini gumdrops and cinnamon buttons, or just crush them to sprinkle over the top. Whipped cream: Plain, lightly sweetened whipped cream is always a hit, but whipped cream spiced with a touch of ground cinnamon or swirled with zesty lemon curd is also great for this recipe. Apple compote: Play up the warming spice element by adding a pool of sweet apple compote to the top of the cheesecake. Directions Credit: Kelsey Hansen Preheat oven and prep pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil. Roll out cookie dough and bake: On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a 13-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Cool, break into pieces, and pulse into crumbs: Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Break into large pieces, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Make crumb crust, press into pan, and bake: Combine butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 cups cookie crumbs in a bowl. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and one-third of the way up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on rack. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Beat cream cheese and add sugar and vanilla for filling: Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and the vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Add eggs, one at a time, then molasses, spices, and zest: Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in molasses, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Pour filling into crust, move to a bain marie, and transfer cheesecake to oven: Pour filling into cooled crust. Place cheesecake in a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven, and carefully add enough hot water to roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Credit: Kelsey Hansen Bake, cool completely, then refrigerate: Bake until cheesecake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes. Carefully remove springform pan from roasting pan, and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight). Credit: Kelsey Hansen For serving: Before serving, run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, and remove sides of pan. Arrange gingerbread cookies in center of cake in a circle (with heads facing inward and arms touching, alternating light and dark). Storage Firstly, let the cheesecake cool to room temperature completely before refrigerating it. Once it has chilled (preferably overnight), you can keep it uncovered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Covering the cheesecake can cause some condensation to form, which can both leave the top with a film and cause the crust to become soggy. Since this is a dairy-heavy dessert, freezing is not recommended. More Gingerbread Desserts to Try: Gingerbread Cake Honey-Gingerbread Cookies Gingerbread Snowflakes Gingerbread-Espresso Crinkle Cookies White Chocolate-Gingerbread Blondies Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to decorvow.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.