Get ready for the holiday season with this no bake gingerbread cheesecake. With a buttery gingerbread crust it's perfect for any festive occasion.
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This gingerbread crust cheesecake takes this classic festive flavor and turns into to indulgent gingerbread dessert.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Warming flavors of gingerbread in a creamy no bake cheesecake.
- Make ahead for a stress-free dessert on Christmas day.
- Simple no-bake recipe, no need to turn on the oven.
Looking for more festive Christmas dessert recipes? Why not try making my cute gingerbread men, elegant snowflake cookies, easy candy cane hearts or warming gingerbread ice cream. Delicious!
Ingredients
Gingerbread cookies: this recipe was made with my homemade gingerbread cookies. If you don't want to make your own you can try using store bought but I have not tested this variation.
Ground ginger: gives the classic gingerbread taste to this recipe.
Ground allspice: a delicious spice that tastes a bit like a combination of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. If you can't get allspice you can try using ground cinnamon instead.
Vanilla extract: sometimes also called vanilla essence, depending on where you live. You can use either, or imitation vanilla essence, depending on your preference and budget.
Granulated sugar: also known as white sugar, it adds some sweetness to the cheesecake filling. You could also use castor sugar.
Unsalted butter: because butter makes most things taste better. In this case it binds and sets the base.
Cream cheese: full-fat cream cheese is best for this recipe for that classic creamy cheesecake taste. If you use light cream cheese it may not set properly.
Cream: I use thickened cream with a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is similar.
Extra gingerbread cookies: to decorate. I made my own mini gingerbread stars to use as decorations.
How to make gingerbread cheesecake
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
To make the gingerbread crust for the cheesecake
Grease and line your springform cheesecake tin. Break the gingerbread cookies into pieces, then blitz them into breadcrumbs in a food processor.
Melt the butter in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. Add the melted butter to the gingerbread cookie crumbs and mix well. Tip the mix into the lined tin and press down with the back of a spoon or cup. You need to press down firmly enough so your base will hold together, but not so firmly that the base sets too hard. Chill the base in the fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight before filling.
Hot tip: do not skip chilling the base. If it's too hot when you add the filling it can make the filling weep, resulting in a soggy cheesecake base. If you are pressed for time on the day you can make the base the day before and store it in the fridge.
How to make the gingerbread filling
Beat the cream cheese briefly to soften it. Add the granulated sugar and mix on low to medium until all the sugar is mixed in and fully dissolved. Add the ground ginger, ground allspice and vanilla extract and mix well.
Hot tip: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. This can take anywhere from thirty minutes to one hour depending on where you live. If your cream cheese is too cold it won't mix in properly and is one of the main causes of lumpy or grainy cheesecake.
In a separate bowl whip the cream until firm peaks form. Add the whipped cream to the rest of the cheesecake mix and gently fold in until well combined, taking care not to knock any air out of the mix.
Add the cheesecake filling to the chilled base and smooth down, taking care to smooth out any air bubbles. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, ideally overnight.
To decorate remove from the springform tin, pop it onto a plate and carefully smooth down the edges with a spatula.
Whip the cream and add the cinnamon. Pipe swirls onto the top of the cake (I used a 2D tip). Place some gingerbread stars between the swirls just before serving and you're done!
How to serve
To serve this Christmas gingerbread cheesecake pop it onto a serving board, slice and enjoy! Perfect for Christmas dessert or to take to a Christmas party. The gingerbread decorations on top will go soft over time, so I recommend adding them just before serving.
How to store
This gingerbread flavored cheesecake will store well in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days, but the gingerbread decorations on top will start to go soft within a few hours.
Recipe tips and frequently asked questions
What sort of gingerbread should I use?
I used my homemade gingerbread cookies in this recipe, including some cute mini gingerbread stars to decorate the top of the cheesecake. You could also try making the crust and decorating with store-bought gingerbread, but I haven't tested it with this variation.
If you find it's just too much gingerbread (never!) you can replace the gingerbread crust with a graham cracker crust instead.
Can I make this ahead of Christmas Day?
Absolutely. To save time on the big day you can make the base up to two days ahead of adding the filling. Once you have added the cheesecake filling you can let it set for up to two days. Simply remove from the tin and within a few hours of serving. Add the gingerbread decorations right before serving to stop them from going soft.
To make it as far in advance as possible your timing could look like this
- 21st Dec - make the gingerbread crust.
- 23rd Dec - make and add the gingerbread filling to the crust.
- 24th Dec - relax and enjoy Christmas Eve.
- 25th Dec - remove from tin, decorate and add gingerbread decorations just before serving.
How do I transport this?
If you are making this cheesecake to take for Christmas or the holidays I recommend the following:
- Make the cheesecake two days in advance. This will give it even more time to set and reduce the chance of runny cheesecake.
- Transport the cheesecake in the springform tin in an ice chest. Ensure the cheesecake is well wrapped to protect it from the ice or cold packs in the chest. Take the whipped cinnamon cream and gingerbread decorations separately.
- Once at your destination and you are ready to serve remove from the tin, smooth the sides with a spatula, then pipe on the whipped cream and add the gingerbread decorations.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?
Why not try making
- Snowflake Cookies
- Candy Cane Hearts
- Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
Follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for many more delicious recipes.
📋 Recipe
Gingerbread Cheesecake
Equipment
- Spring form cake tin, 7" x 2.5" (18cm x 6.5cm)
- Electric hand held beaters or stand mixer
- food processor
- Parchment paper or acetate
Ingredients
For the cheesecake base
- 9 oz (250gms) gingerbread cookies
- ¾ stick (85gms) unsalted butter
For the gingerbread cheesecake filling
- 2 x 8 ounce tubs (450gms total) full fat cream cheese
- ½ cup (110gms) granulated white sugar
- 2 and ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground all spice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup thickened cream
To decorate
- ½ cup whipped cream
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 10 - 12 small extra gingerbread cookies such as stars
Instructions
To make the gingerbread crust
- Grease and line your springform cheesecake tin. Break the gingerbread cookies into pieces. Blitz the pieces into breadcrumbs in a food processor.
- Melt the butter in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. Add the melted butter to the gingerbread cookie crumbs and mix well. Tip the mix into the lined tin and press down with the back of a spoon or cup.
- Chill the base in the fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight before filling.
To make the gingerbread filling
- Beat the cream cheese briefly to soften it. Add the granulated sugar and mix on low to medium until all the sugar is mixed in and fully dissolved. Add the ground ginger, ground allspice and vanilla extract and mix well.
- In a separate bowl whip the cream until firm peaks form. Add the whipped cream to the rest of the cheesecake mix and gently fold in until well combined, taking care not to knock any air out of the mix.
- Add the cheesecake filling to the chilled base and smooth down, taking care to smooth out any air bubbles. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, ideally overnight.
To decorate the cheesecake
- Remove the cheesecake from the tin, put onto a plate and carefully smooth down the edges.
- Whip the cream to firm peaks and mix in the cinnamon. Put the cream into a piping bag and add swirls of whipped cream around the top of the edge of the cake.
- Add the gingerbread stars between the swirls just before serving and you're done!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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Vanessa says
Oh no !!!! I put 3/4 cup of butter instead of 3/4 of a stick … any way I can save this ?
Sarah Brooks says
Oh no Vanessa! 3/4 cup of butter is approx. 175gms, as apposed to 3/4 stick which is 85gms. So if you put in just under double the amount of gingerbread into the base it will still have the same ratio. You could either make and extra thick base, make two cheesecakes or half the now doubled mix (if that makes sense) and keep the rest in the fridge for another time.
Liz says
Presentation wise it’s really pretty and good in flavor but once we cut into it, it fell apart and was still not set even though we had it set in the fridge overnight. We followed the recipe exactly, not sure what went wrong.
Sarah Brooks says
Hi Liz,
I'm glad you loved the look and taste of this festive cheesecake. There can be a few reasons why no bake cheesecake doesn't set properly:
- Use full fat cream cheese. Light or low fat cream cheese may not set properly.
- Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, light cream again may not set properly.
- Whip your cream to firm peaks before folding it into the cream cheese mix.
- No bake cheesecake usually sets over night, but you can leave it set for two nights to be extra sure it sets properly.
- Ideally use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients - this will give you more accurate, consistent results.
Hopefully one of these tips helps for next time 🙂
JR says
For the cream that is folded in…Is it 1 cup of liquid cream, whipped or measure out one cup of cream once it’s whipped.
Sarah Brooks says
Hi JR, sorry your comment got caught in cyber space. Its one cup of liquid cream before whipping.