Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (2024)

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This Gingerbread Cheesecake recipe is made with a delicious shortbread crust, gingerbread cheesecake filling and a molasses mousse topping! It’s the perfect easy dessert recipe for the holidays!

If you need some other great dessert recipes that are perfect for family holiday gatherings, take a look at this Eggnog Cheesecake, my Cranberry Fudge Swirl Cheesecake, and my Classic Cheesecake Recipe. They are sure to please!

This post is sponsored by Walkers Shortbread, but all opinions are my own.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (1)

Table of Contents

  • A Fun, Festive and Easy Gingerbread Cheesecake
  • How to Make Shortbread Crust for a Cheesecake
  • How to Make the Gingerbread Cheesecake Filling
  • Get the Recipe

Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (2)

November is in full swing and I feel like the end of the year is moving quickly! We had a baby shower this past weekend in Charlotte with family and friends and it was wonderful. It was not only beautifully done, it was also very special. We celebrated with a group of people that I’ve known most of my life and are very familiar with our journey to getting pregnant and it was so wonderful to feel everyone’s excitement and be able to celebrate with them.

But now things really feel like they are moving! We’ve been busy getting ready to move into our new house, our current house is under contract and the holidays are fast approaching. Before we know it, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us. It’s such a fun time of year and a great time for baking – I can’t wait!

A Fun, Festive and Easy Gingerbread Cheesecake

Gingerbread is one of my favorite flavors of the season. All the spices are just what this time of year is about. And this cheesecake has three great components that make it especially delicious – the shortbread crust, the thick and creamy cheesecake filling and the smooth mousse topping. So fun!

Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (3)Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (4)

How to Make Shortbread Crust for a Cheesecake

To get started with the crust, you’ll want to get your hands on a couple boxes of Walkers Shortbread. I used the shortbread fingers, but feel free to use one of the other varieties. If you’ve never tried their shortbread before, you really should. It’s the best! So buttery and delicious – it’s hard to stop eating. And it makes a delicious crust. Pop the shortbread into a food processor to grind it into crumbs. It’s combined with a little sugar, cinnamon and butter and then pressed into a springform pan and pre-baked.

How to Make the Gingerbread Cheesecake Filling

The filling is flavored with brown sugar, molasses and lots of tasty spices! Of course ginger is the star of the show here, but there’s also a good bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as some cloves. All the spices are what makes gingerbread so darn tasty! Be sure not to mix the filling at too high of a speed, as it can add extra air to the filling and can cause cracks during the baking and cooling process.

Once the cheesecake is baked and cooled, you’ll want to add the mousse. It’s a molasses mousse with some cinnamon and nutmeg. You’ll add the mousse topping to the cheesecake while it’s still in the springform pan, then allow it firm up a bit before removing the sides. The cheesecake is then finished off with some swirls of whipped cream and a few gingerbread men.

The final cheesecake is fun, festive and delicious! It was a big hit with all my taste testers and is perfect for the holidays – whether for a party or for your dinner table. I can’t wait for you to try it!

Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (5)Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (6)

More Great Gingerbread and Christmas Recipes:

Best Gingerbread Cookies (Soft and Chewy Cutouts)
Moist Gingerbread Layer Cake
Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookie Cups
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”H658Vfhk” upload-date=”Tue Nov 21 2017 04:30:29 GMT+0000 (UTC)” name=”Gingerbread Cheesecake” description=”This Gingerbread Cheesecake is made with a delicious shortbread crust, gingerbread cheesecake filling and a molasses mousse topping!”]
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Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (7)

Recipe

Gingerbread Cheesecake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 11 reviews

  • Author: Life, Love and Sugar
  • Prep Time: 1 Hr. 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 Hrs. 30 Minutes, Plus Cooling
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 12-14 Slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Gingerbread Cheesecake recipe is made with a delicious shortbread crust, gingerbread cheesecake filling and a molasses mousse topping! It’s the perfect easy dessert recipe for the holidays!

Ingredients

CRUST

CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (225g) packed light brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp (25g) all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) molasses
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 4 eggs

MOUSSE TOPPING

  • 1 1/4 cup (300ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp (45ml) molasses
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened

WHIPPED CREAM

  • 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 6 tbsp (44g) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

CRUST

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set prepared pan aside.

CHEESECAKE FILLING AND TOPPING

5. Reduce oven to 300°F (148°C).
6. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until well combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
7. Add the sour cream, molasses, vanilla extract and spices and mix on low speed until well combined.
8. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
9. Pour the cheesecake filling into crust and spread evenly.
10. Place springform pan (covered with aluminum foil) inside another larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
11. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
12. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
13. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
14. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.
15. When cheesecake has chilled and is firm, make the mousse topping. Add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, molasses and spices to a large mixer bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
16. Set the whipped cream aside and in another bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
17. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese until well combined.
18. With the cheesecake still in the springform pan, pour the mousse on top and spread into an even layer.
19. Set in the fridge for another 1-2 hours, until mousse is firm, then remove from the springform pan.
20. Add the ingredients for the whipped cream to a large mixer bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
21. Pipe whipped cream around the edges of the cheesecake and decorate with gingerbread men.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 483
  • Sugar: 38 g
  • Sodium: 333.4 mg
  • Fat: 29 g
  • Carbohydrates: 47.6 g
  • Protein: 9.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 130.9 mg

Filed Under:

  • Cheesecakes
  • Christmas
  • Holidays
  • Recipes
  • Recipes with video
  • Sweets and Treats
  • Thanksgiving

Enjoy!

Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe With Shortbread Crust | Holiday Dessert (2024)

FAQs

Why pre bake cheesecake crust? ›

Pre-baking keeps the rising steam from puffing up the layers of crust during baking.

How do you cool a cheesecake crust? ›

Many recipes say to let the cheesecake sit in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for about an hour, then let it cool completely on the counter. It also needs to spend four hours, or ideally overnight, in the fridge before slicing and eating to ensure the perfect velvety smooth texture.

Should you bake a store-bought graham cracker crust before filling? ›

Conventional wisdom holds that you need to prebake a pie crust that will have a no-bake filling added later. But with graham cracker and other cookie crusts, you really don't need to, as the unbaked crust holds together well after simply chilling or freezing.

What can you use instead of graham cracker crust for cheesecake? ›

Go with speculoos or crisp ginger snaps for a spicy kick that works well with cheesecake or cream pies, vanilla wafers or animal crackers if you want something more subtle, or chocolate wafers or even Oreo cookies for something dark and chocolate-y.

What happens if you don't chill cheesecake overnight? ›

While we wish we had better news, if you accidentally went to bed and left your cheesecake cooling on the counter, it's best to not risk illness by consuming it. When you have cheesecake that's already baked and chilled, the absolute max time you could let it sit out to avoid the USDA's "danger zone" is two hours.

Do you need to pre bake crust? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

Should you bake the crust of a no bake cheesecake? ›

Baking the crust.

baked crust (even one with less butter) means your filling will ooze into the crust and make it soggy. Try this instead: Most importantly, you should make sure to chill the crumb crust at least 10 minutes before filling it, but even longer is better.

How do you keep cheesecake crust from getting soggy in a water bath? ›

Prevent Soggy Crust

Wrapping the springform pan in foil is known to help, but take it a step further and use plastic wrap (which will not melt!) or slow cooker liner bags as an additional seal.

How do you keep a cheesecake crust crisp? ›

Tip: To get more crispness in the cheesecake base, brush some lightly beaten egg white over the surface of the biscuit layer before you bake it. The egg wash will form a layer between the cheesecake base and filling, and this will help to reduce the amount of moisture penetrating the biscuit base.

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