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Eggnog is a festive treat, but it isn’t just for sipping. This unusual eggnog cheesecake, which features a gingersnap crust and a gently spiced filling, is also perfect as a holiday dessert. A slice of eggnog cheesecake makes a lovely treat after your holiday dinner. The eggnog cheesecake filling is rich, sweet, and creamy, while the homemade crust encases the delicious eggnog flavor filling inside.

A festive cheesecake with cranberries and sprigs of rosemary on a white plate.

Celebrate the holidays in style with only the most delicious food! This tasty eggnog cheesecake makes a change from pumpkin pie and it’s perfect for those who enjoy a rich and creamy dessert.

Also try Italian rainbow cookies, eggnog tres leches cake, key lime pie, cranberry jello salad or creamy chocolate peanut butter pie.

A festive dessert twist on classic cheesecake, featuring cranberries and sprigs of rosemary.

Why You’ll Love It

Easy:  There aren’t many steps involved in making this eggnog cheesecake and there’s nothing difficult about it. Even if you haven’t made a cheesecake before, you shouldn’t have any issues with this recipe.
Festive: Eggnog cheesecake makes a lovely festive dessert if you’re looking for something a little unusual but with special holiday flair.
Delicious: Everything from the gingersnap crumb mixture crust to the sweet and creamy filling is absolutely delicious. You might give your guests a small slice since it’s rich but they’re going to ask for seconds anyway! And if you are an eggnog fan, consider making other eggnog treats like egg-free rum eggnog Puerto Rican style or a spiked bananas foster eggnog cocktail.

A slice of festive cheesecake with cranberries on a plate.

Ingredients for Eggnog Cheesecake

The crust is made with gingersnap cookie crumbs and salted or unsalted butter. The filling is made with softened cream cheese, sugar, eggnog, cornstarch, eggs, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

The ingredients for an eggnog cheesecake are shown on a marble table.

How to Make this Easy Eggnog Cheesecake

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Make the gingersnap crust:  Mix the cookie crumbs and butter together in a large bowl, and press into the bottom and up the sides of a springform pan, then bake and allow to cool.
Start the eggnog filling: Beat cream cheese with sugar, before mixing in the eggnog, cornstarch and spices.
Add the eggs and fill the crust: Beat in the eggs and then pour the mixture into the cooled gingersnap crust.
Cook the eggnog cheesecake: Wrap the springform pan in foil and bake cheesecake in a water bath in a baking pan in a preheated oven.
Let it cool: Crack open the oven door and let the cheesecake cool slowly in there and then finish cooling at room temperature. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.

A festive dessert, this eggnog cheesecake recipe features a gingersnap crust, topped with slices of pumpkin cheesecake adorned with cranberries and sprigs of rosemary.
A festive slice of eggnog cheesecake with cranberries on a plate.

Substitutions and Variations

Instead of making a gingersnap crust, you might prefer to use Biscoff cookie crumbs or graham cracker crumbs for a different flavor. You can also adjust the spices, omitting the nutmeg or cinnamon or adding a pinch of ginger or allspice, or add a splash of rum extract to the filling.

A festive eggnog cheesecake with cranberries and sprigs of rosemary.

How to Serve this Thanksgiving or Christmas Cheesecake

This eggnog cheesecake with gingersnap crust makes a great dessert after a holiday main course, but you might want a pause between your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner main course and this rich tasting cheesecake dessert! If you’d like to pair it with a festive beverage, consider a glass of limoncello or passion fruit martini.

A festive slice of eggnog cheesecake with cranberries on a plate.

How to Store Leftover Eggnog Dessert

Store:  Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freeze:  You can freeze it for up to 3 months.

A festive dessert, eggnog cheesecake, with cranberries on a plate.

Easy Eggnog Cheesecake FAQs

What is the purpose of the cornstarch?

This ingredient helps make sure the cheesecake doesn’t crack during baking. If you don’t have any, you can leave it out and if it does crack you can disguise this with a topping or garnish!

What’s a nice way to garnish this eggnog cheesecake?

Anything from a drizzle of caramel sauce to sugared fresh cranberries, whipped cream flavored with eggnog, mini gingerbread men, or a sprig of fresh rosemary would look pretty as a garnish.

What kind of cream cheese is best to use?

Don’t use the spreadable kind. Make sure you use blocks of cream cheese and also opt for full fat for the richest, fullest flavor.

Do you need to make a water bath to cook this cheesecake?

A water bath is needed for this to cook properly without drying out or cracking but you might prefer to use a springform pan cover made from silicon rather than foil, as one tiny tear in the foil can ruin the cheesecake. If you often make cheesecakes or you plan to, you might want to invest in a silicon springform pan cover (here).

Eggnog Cheesecake Recipe

5 from 48 votes

Eggnog Cheesecake

This easy eggnog cheesecake recipe is so thick and creamy! A perfect dessert recipe for the holidays, it's a holiday classic.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 2 ½ Cups gingersnap crumbs
  • 6 Tablespoons butter

Filling:

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together cookie crumbs and butter.
  • Pack into the bottom and sides of a round spring form pan. Bake for 5 minutes then remove and allow to cool and reduce the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar. Add in eggnog, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth.
  • Beat in one egg at a time until just incorporated and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Pour the mixture into the crust. Wrap the springform pan tightly in tin foil and place in a water bath in the oven. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  • Turn off the oven, open the door a crack and let the cheesecake sit for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to come to room temperature.
  • Move to the fridge and chill for two hours before serving.

Notes

• I highly recommend a silicone spring form pan cover instead of tinfoil for
the water bath. One small leak in your tinfoil can ruin the entire
cheesecake.
• Garnish with sugar cranberries, rosemary, eggnog whipped cream or
mini gingerbread men.
• Using a high quality cream cheese will make a creamier, better tasting
cheesecake. Do not use the spreadable kind, only blocks.
• You can also use graham cracker crumbs or biscoff cookie crumbs if
preferred.

Nutrition

Calories: 608kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 516mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 1316IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 3mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

You’re going to love how easy this eggnog cheesecake recipe is to make, as well as how rich and creamy it tastes. Whether you follow the recipe exactly or use handy shortcuts such as using a premade graham cracker crust, it’s sure to come out tasting wonderful. Everybody at the Thanksgiving or Christmas table is going to enjoy this wonderful and unusual cheesecake.

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.

 

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Recipe Rating




5 from 48 votes (43 ratings without comment)

7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    The eggnog cheesecake with the gingersnap crust was a total hit! Rich, creamy, and perfectly spiced—it’s my new go-to holiday dessert.