Eggnog Cheesecake Recipe
Christmas means eggnog! Lots and lots of eggnog. I bought eggnog as soon as it first graced the grocery store shelves back in November and have been buying it ever since because after all, 2 months out of the year is all we get for this creamy indulgence. Aside from drinking it straight up, there is no better way, in my humble opinion, to devour eggnog than in this Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake WITH Gingersnap Crust! Basically, this cheesecake boasts all of your favorite festive flavors in one out-of-this -world elegant, divine Christmas dessert. But before I start talking different aspects of this cheesecake, let me first say that if you have never made a cheesecake, YOU CAN DO IT! It is not hard, just patiently follow the detailed instructions and you will have a winning Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake. The crust is a healthy layer of gingersnap cookie crumbs mixed with brown sugar and plenty of butter. No crumbly, fall-apart crust here. After you press your gingersnap crumbs into the bottom of your springform pan and bake for 10 minutes, it becomes a giant gingersnap cookie. Yes please. The filling is your traditional velvety cream cheese/sugar mixture made magical by infusing it with 1 whole cup of eggnog, a healthy dose of vanilla and cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. The Eggnog Cream Topping is the icing on the cheesecake. Its tastes like eggnog whipped cream. AKA – it tastes like heaven. Finally, the Cranberry Topping is an easy reduction of cranberries, cranberry juice, sugar and cornstarch that you can make the day before and will want to eat the day before. Its tart sweetness is the crowning glory that balances the silky sweetness of the cheesecake. AND its gorgeous! Merry Christmas with Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake!
Eggnog Cheesecake Ingredients
To make this stunning holiday cheesecake recipe, you’ll need the following:
Gingersnap cookies: Need to be pulverized into a fine crumb. Use your food processor for best results. Sugar: Brown sugar and granulated sugar sweeten the crust and cheesecake filling. Butter: Melted butter gets mixed into the cookie crumbs to make a delectable crust. Cream cheese: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese for the best texture and flavor.All-purpose flour: Helps stabilize the cheesecake filling. Eggs: You’ll be using a mixture of whole eggs and egg yolks.Eggnog: Should be at room temperature before being mixed into the filling. Vanilla extract: Adds lots of flavor! Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg amp up the holiday flavor. Eggnog topping: A mixture of heavy cream, powdered sugar, eggnog, and sour cream. Cranberry topping: A mixture of sugar, cornstarch, cranberry juice, and fresh cranberries.
How to Make Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake
I’ve given extremely detailed instructions in the recipe card below on how to make this eggnog cheesecake with gingersnap crust. Below is an overview of the directions so you know what to expect from the recipe:
Tips for Making This Christmas Cheesecake
There are two things people are generally afraid of when it comes to cheesecakes: 1) the water bath leaking and 2) cracks. But I have a full proof method for each!
What is a Water Bath?
A water bath is simply placing the springform cheesecake pan inside a roasting pan and filling the roasting pan up with water until it reaches about half way up the springform pan. The hot water insulates the outer edges of the cheesecake, so the edges don’t bake faster than the middle. This ensures even baking throughout and lessens the likelihood of the cheesecake cracking.
How to Prevent Your Springform Pan From Leaking
The typical way to waterproof a springform pan involves wrapping it foil but this is not fool proof. Instead, to double protect against leaking, wrap your springform pan first in a slow cooker liner and tie any excess to the side then proceed to wrap in foil. Your cheesecake will be 100% leak free and you will be very very happy!
How to Prevent a Cheesecake From Cracking
We have already 99% eliminated the chance of cracks by using a water bath, not peaking on our cheesecake during cooking as sudden changes in temperature often cause cracking, and our slow cooling method (explained in instructions) but for that 1% chance you do experience a crack or two, this recipe boasts both Eggnog Cream Topping and Cranberry Topping which means any possible cracks now don’t exist 😉
CAN I PREP THIS Eggnog Cheesecake IN ADVANCE?
Yes! In fact, I recommend chilling your holiday cheesecake for at least 24 hours before serving.
HOW TO STORE Eggnog CHEESECAKE
Store this Christmas cheesecake in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
CAN I FREEZE CHEESECAKE?
Yes! Cheesecake freezes very well but you will want to freeze the cheesecake WITHOUT the topping.
HOW TO FREEZE Eggnog Cheesecake:
Cool cheesecake completely and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.Place chilled cheesecake on a baking pan and place, uncovered, in the freezer. Freeze until firm.Remove from the freezer, then wrap cheesecake in plastic wrap followed by heavy duty aluminum foil and finally in a large heavy duty freezer bag.Homemade cheesecake can be frozen for 2-3 months.To thaw, remove cheesecake from freezer to the refrigerator. Let thaw overnight.Top with eggnog topping and cranberry topping and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.
Looking for more Cheesecake Recipes?
Layered Pumpkin CheesecakeGerman Chocolate Cheesecake Key Lime Cheesecake Sugar Cookie CupsRaspberry Chocolate CheesecakeGerman Chocolate CheesecakeBlueberry CheesecakeStrawberry CheesecakeCookie Dough Cheesecake BarsCaramel Apple Cheesecake BarsCherry Cheesecake Dip
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