This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
Anyone who loves the distinctive and classic flavour of gingerbread, with its warm spices and wonderful sweetness, will love these gingerbread cheesecake jars. They are unusual desserts which blend a ginger cookie crust with a creamy, spiced filling, along with your choice of whole spices, cookies, whipped cream, and so on for the garnish.
No bake Christmas cheesecake jars are a great option not only for the festive period, but anytime you want to savor the unmistakable flavor of gingerbread cheesecake.
More festive sweet treats include gingerbread apple cake, 3D gingerbread tree cookies, gingerbread trifle, and pumpkin s’mores cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
Simple to prepare: Making this gingerbread cheesecake recipe is straightforward. You just need to combine the crust mixture and the filling mixture, put them in serving glasses and decorate with your chosen garnishes. You can even make them ahead of time (apart from the whipped cream topping and decorations) and keep them refrigerated.
Gorgeous to look at: There is no denying these cappuccino cheesecake jars are super-cute, which makes them ideal for a special occasion. And if you like to get creative in the kitchen, you can have fun picking out your decorations.
Easy to eat: Any gingerbread cheesecake fan is going to love this gingerbread cheesecake recipe. The subtle spices, sweet molasses, cream cheese, whipped cream, and other ingredients combine harmoniously to make one of the most delicious desserts you ever tried.
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cheesecakes
The crust of this no bake Christmas cheesecake is a blend of gingersnap cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter. And the filling is rich cream cheese with heavy whipping cream, sour cream, sugar, spices, molasses, and vanilla extract.
You can use anything you want to garnish this creamy cheesecake dish, although whipped cream, homemade caramel sauce, spices like cinnamon sticks or star anise, sprinkles (here) and gingerbread cookies work especially well.
How to Make Gingerbread Cheesecakes
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the crust: Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted unsalted butter and sugar, and add some to each jar (or glass serving dish).
Beat the cream: Make whipped cream by beating the heavy cream until you get stiff peaks.
Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sour cream, and then add the spices and sugar, and beat some more, before adding the vanilla extract and molasses, and adding 2/3 of the whipped cream.
Assemble the gingerbread cheesecake recipe: Divide the cream cheese mixture between the jars or custard cups and chill for 2 hours.
The finishing touches: Top with the remaining whipped cream when you’re ready to serve, and add any decorations on top.
Substitutions and Variations
Use any kind of gingersnap cookie crumbs or crumbled gingerbread for the crust. Even graham crackers would work. It’s quick and easy to pulse some cookies (ginger-flavoured or otherwise) in a food processor for the crumbs.
You can also use any type of cream cheese, although full fat cream cheese definitely yields the best and richest results from this no bake cheesecake dessert.
The garnishes are completely up to you. Whipped cream is always good on the best no bake cheesecake, and then you can decorate with mini cookies, mini gingerbread men, candies, light brown sugar, powdered sugar, white chocolate crumbles, or anything else that takes your fancy.
How to Serve Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes
These gorgeous little desserts are perfect for the holiday season or pretty much any occasion, but remember not to add the whipped cream and garnishes until just before serving.
You might like to save this recipe for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menu. It’s absolutely delicious and works for any season or occasion, and once you try it you’ll fall in love with its fluffy texture and maybe even prefer it over regular cheesecake!
Paired with a coffee or even an after-dinner drink like a butterscotch white Russian, these make an incredible dessert that everyone at the table will love. These 3D Gingerbread Tree Cookies would be perfect, too!
Serve them in individual jars or dessert glasses, or make one large one (that can be cut into portions) in a prepared springform pan.
How to Store this No Bake Dessert
Store: Leftovers should be fine for up to 3 days if refrigerated. Don’t leave them sitting at room temperature because they’re dairy-heavy and will spoil.
Freeze: If you want to freeze these, do so before you add the whipped cream and garnishes. Cover them with plastic wrap and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before use. They should be fine for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Gingerbread Cheesecake FAQs
Any kind of glass container works for these, and glass is best because then you can see the beautiful dessert layers – the gingersnap crust, creamy texture of the gingerbread filling, and your chosen toppings. You might like to invest in a set of cute mini mason jars (these are so versatile!), custard cups or these unusual curvy dessert glasses.
The recipe ingredients list calls for fancy molasses, but what exactly is that? Use regular or fancy molasses here, and not the blackstrap kind which is very rich and will overwhelm the other flavours in the cheesecake filling. “Fancy molasses” is the sweetest, lightest molasses type, since it’s made from pure sugar cane juice, and it’s unsulfured so it’s milder. If you can find it, use it, otherwise use regular but not blackstrap molasses!
Gingerbread Cheesecake Jars Recipe
Gingerbread Cheesecake Jars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 Cups gingerbread, or gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 Cup salted butter, melted
Filling
- 1.5 Cups heavy cream, cold
- 3 Cups cream cheese, brick
- 1/4 Cup sour cream
- 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 Cup molasses, fancy
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Toppings and Decoration
- whipped cream
- gingerbread cookies
- star anise
- cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix thoroughly the cookie crumbs, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and melted butter until it resembles course, damp sand.
- Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cookie crumb mixture into each jar or cup and lightly press with the back of a spoon. The amount will depend on the size of dish you are using.
- In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form, about 5-6 minutes. Remove a third of the whipped cream to a separate bowl to use for topping. Set aside the remaining two thirds for now.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese with the sour cream until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Add the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and ground nutmeg and continue beating on high until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add the molasses and vanilla extract and continue beating until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the whipped cream to the bowl and fold in using a rubber spatula.
- Divide the cheesecake mixture evenly between the jars and spoon the mixture over the cookie crumb base.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Top with the set aside whipped cream, gingerbread cookies, star anise and cinnamon sticks and enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
Looking for a delicious holiday dessert? This recipe makes individual gingerbread cheesecake treats which are layered and so tasty. If you already love gingersnap cookies and cheesecake bars, these are going to seriously impress you. The gingerbread cheesecakes boast a crisp ginger crust along with an indulgent, decadent cream cheese based filling, and then you can have fun adding whatever toppings and garnishes you like.
Other Recipes to Try
- This Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake Recipe is a classic dessert that’s perfect for cozy gatherings.
- This Gingerbread Latte Dessert Rum Cocktail is going to be one of the stars of your holidays!
- Treat yourself to the comforting goodness of the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Graham Crust.
- This Gingerbread Cheesecake is so perfect for the holidays too.
- Serve up these Mini Caramel Apple Cheesecakes with Streusel Topping and lap up the praise!
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.
The spiced filling was rich and creamy. Everyone was obsessed with them!
This one exceeded my expectations! So flavorful! 🙂
OMG! That gingerbread flavor is such a treat to my taste buds.