This eggnog cheesecake is luscious rich, and packed full of creamy eggnog flavor! It has a gingersnap crust and a gorgeous wreath decoration on top. With a rum infused fluffy whipped cream on top. The ultimate Christmas and holiday cheesecake centerpiece! It's especially convenient that it needs to be made ahead of time - so you can confidently make it the day before. If you love the creamy egg, rum, and nutmeg flavor of eggnog, you're going to love this cheesecake!
Check out my equally festive gingerbread cheesecake. It has a gingerbread swirl and a gingersnap crust! You might also love my chocolate orange cheesecake for the holidays.
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❤️ Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Gingersnap cheesecake crust: The crust is made of crushed English style gingersnap cookies, the perfect gingery addition to pair with creamy eggnog.
- Creamy baked cheesecake: This eggnog cheesecake has the classic baked cheesecake flavor and texture, while still being ultra creamy.
- Make ahead: Cheesecakes are the perfect make ahead dessert because they need plenty of time to chill and set. For the best results, bake at least one or two days ahead.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Tip: For a perfectly smooth cheesecake, bring all of the ingredients to room temperature for 30 minutes! This makes them much easier to smoothly incorporate.
- Eggnog: Eggnog is a fragrant, sweet and thick drink with notes of rum and nutmeg. It's a popular holiday drink and you can find it in grocery stores during the holidays - usually from November through to the beginning of January. I used store bought eggnog in this recipe. You can also use homemade eggnog.
- Cream cheese: Full fat brick style cream cheese works the best in this recipe. I used four 8 oz blocks to get the perfect creamy and firm cheesecake texture. Don't use low fat cream cheese, it will make the cheesecake watery!
- Gingersnap cookies: I used English style gingersnap cookies instead of a classic graham cracker crust for more of a holiday feel. They're so gingery and are the perfect flavor pairing with creamy eggnog.
👩🍳 How to make eggnog cheesecake
Gingersnap crust step by step
Prep: Preheat the oven to 355°F or 180°C. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9" round spring form pan with a piece of cold butter.
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together crushed gingersnap cookies, melted butter, and salt to combine really well. The cookies I used were already very sweet so I didn't add brown sugar, but you can add it if needed.
Step 2: Spread the crust mixture in the prepared baking pan. Pack it in well, making sure to pack it up the sides as well.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden on the edges. While it bakes and cools, work on the cheesecake batter. Don't turn the oven off!
Eggnog cheesecake batter step by step
Prep: Fill a kettle with water and set it to boil.
Step 1: In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Add sugar, salt and vanilla and mix.
Add eggs into the cream cheese one at a time, beating in between each egg to incorporate.
Mix in the eggnog and grated nutmeg into the cheesecake batter until smooth.
Step 2: Pour the cheesecake batter into the baked crust. To knock out any air pockets, tap the pan on a flat surface. Place the cheesecake pan into a slightly larger round pan or oven safe saucepan. Then place that in an even larger baking pan.
See water bath options below.
Step 3: Carefully transfer the pans and the cheesecake into the oven. Carefully pour the boiling hot water into the largest baking pan. Add water to about almost all the way up the middle pan. You may need a few kettles of water for this.
Bake for 70-80 minutes, until the edges are set, and the middle is puffed and jiggly. When ready, turn the oven off and don't take the cheesecake out yet. Leave the oven door propped open a bit to cool gradually for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove the cheesecake out of the oven, being careful of the hot water.
Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in the chilled mixing bowl. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add the rum and gently fold.
Remove the cheesecake from its pan and top with the whipped cream.
Step 5: Decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary along the border. Sprinkle a bit of grated nutmeg on top.
✔️ Expert cheesecake tips
- Don't overmix the cheesecake batter after the eggs are added: Once the eggs are added, it's easy to overmix the cheesecake and add too much air into the batter. This will cause the cheesecake to puff up and collapse too much after baking. To prevent this from happening, make sure to stop mixing as soon as each egg gets incorporated.
- Use full fat brick style cream cheese: This ensures you get the perfectly firm and rich cheesecake. If the cream cheese is too watery, your cheesecake will be too.
- Use a waterbath: This is super important in achieving a perfectly baked and set texture that's even all through the cheesecake.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
Cheesecake is the ultimate make ahead dessert because it needs to chill overnight or for at least 8 hours. Make it up to 2 days ahead of time - make sure to store it covered in the fridge, I love using a cake carrier for this. If you're topping it with sugared cranberries and rosemary like I did, I recommend doing that when it's ready to serve. The moisture on the cheesecake can melt the sugar on the cranberries and rosemary.
Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Store it in airtight containers or bags if you can! The cheesecake freezes really well.
🌊 Cheesecake water bath method options
The best option (springform pan): To prevent water getting into the springform pan, find a round baking pan that is 1” to 2” larger than the one that the cheesecake is in. Nest the cheesecake into the larger pan and then into the large roasting tray where the hot water will be.
If the cheesecake is in a regular round pan (not springform): The pan can be placed directly into the water bath since water can’t get in through the bottom edge. Line the pan with an extra parchment paper overhang so it is easier to remove the cheesecake out of the pan after chilling.
If the cheesecake is in a springform pan, and you don't have another larger pan: Tightly wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of aluminum foil. Making sure the foil is wide enough to cover the whole bottom and edges. You can also nestle the springform pan into a heat safe sous vide bag instead of the aluminum foil.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes you can, just just swap out the gingersnap cookies for crushed graham crackers or biscoff cookies.
Yes you can - it should work well! Although I've only tested this recipe with store bought eggnog.
I used my sugared cranberry recipe, and just dipped fresh sprigs of rosemary into the syrup before coating with coarse sparkling sugar.
It will be set and firm on the edges, the center will be puffed up and jiggly. Also, the center of the top of the cheesecake should look matte or almost matte.
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📖 Recipe
Eggnog cheesecake
Equipment
- eight or nine inch springform baking pan
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust
- 3 cups gingersnap cookies or gingerbread cookies, crushed into crumbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed (optional if cookies aren't very sweet)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Cheesecake Batter
- 32 oz cream cheese softened - four 8 oz packs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 1 cup eggnog room temperature
Whipped Cream
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream 35% and chilled
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
- sugared cranberries and rosemary for decorating
Instructions
Gingersnap crust
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9" round spring form pan with a piece of cold butter.
- In a large bowl, combine crushed gingersnap cookies, melted butter, and salt. Mix together really well to combine. If your cookies aren't very sweet, you can add brown sugar. The gingersnap cookies that I used were very sweet so I didn't need to.3 cups gingersnap cookies, ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Add the crust mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread it out to the edges and pack it in. Make sure to pack it up the sides as well.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden on the edges. While it bakes and cools, work on the cheesecake batter. Don't turn the oven off!
Eggnog cheesecake batter
- Add softened cream cheese into a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Scrape down the sides so that it all incorporates smoothly and evenly. Add sugar, salt and vanilla, and mix, scraping down the sides.32 oz cream cheese, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Add eggs into the cream cheese one at a time, beating in between each egg to incorporate. Make sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure that it mixes evenly.4 large eggs
- Pour the eggnog into the cheesecake batter. Add the grated nutmeg. Mix with a spatula until smooth.1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup eggnog
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the baked crust. Tap the pan on a flat surface to knock out any air pockets. Place the cheesecake pan into a slightly larger round pan or oven safe saucepan. Then place that in an even larger baking pan (see notes for water bath options).
- Fill a kettle with water and set it to boil. Carefully transfer the pans and the cheesecake into the oven. Carefully pour the boiling hot water into the largest baking pan. Add water to about almost all the way up the middle pan. You may need a few kettles of water for this.
- Bake for 70-80 minutes, until the edges are set, and the middle is puffed and jiggly. When ready, turn the oven off and don't take the cheesecake out yet. Leave the oven door propped open a bit to cool gradually for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove the cheesecake out of the oven, being careful of the hot water.
- Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Whipped cream
- For the cream to whip up easily, place the bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 5 minutes before starting.
- Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in the chilled mixing bowl. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.½ cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the rum and gently fold until evenly incorporated.1 tablespoon dark rum
- Remove the cheesecake from its pan and top with the whipped cream. Sprinkle a bit of grated nutmeg on top. I also decorated it with sugared cranberries and rosemary along the border of the cheesecake. Enjoy!
Notes
- To prevent water getting into the springform pan, find a round baking pan that is 1” to 2” larger than the one that the cheesecake is in. Nest the cheesecake into the larger pan and then into the large roasting tray where the hot water will be.
- If the cheesecake is in a regular round pan (not springform), the pan can be placed directly into the water bath since water can’t get in through the bottom edge. Line the pan with an extra parchment paper overhang so it is easier to remove the cheesecake out of the pan after chilling.
- If the cheesecake is in a springform pan and you don't have another larger pan, you can tightly wrap the outside it with a double layer of aluminum foil. Making sure the foil is wide enough to cover the whole bottom and edges. You can also nestle the springform pan into a heat safe sous vide bag instead of the aluminum foil.
- Don't overmix the cheesecake batter after the eggs are added
- Use full fat brick style cream cheese
- Use a water bath
Jackie H
I made this for Christmas and it was the second time I’ve ever made a cheesecake. I still can’t get over how gorgeous it turned out! Tasted great too!
Tarrah
This was beautiful and delicious! I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you!
Susi Willis
Smooth taste without it being too much of the eggnog flavor, I used Publix Brand Special Edition Eggnog. The water bath was perfect for making a smooth cheesecake, no cracking. The crust was so complimentary to the eggnog. bravo!
Bethany
Delicious and easy to make, it looked beautiful and perfectly decorated for Christmas! I've never had sugared cranberries before, so yum! I'm used to dense, heavy cheesecake, this was surprisingly light and airy. We made our own eggnog so it wasn't too sweet like some storebought ones can be, and I forgot the rum in the whip cream but all came out so delicious. Thank you, I'll definitely be making this again!
Luann
very yummy cheesecake and turned out great. I missed an important part in the recipe. I had a small leakage of mushy cheesecake in the bottom of the pan. I thought it was from the waterbath. I cut my cheesecake to see. The cheesecake was like custard. After I put the cheesecake overnight in the fridge, the cheesecake set up perfectly.
Pam
This was so good! Beautiful presentation too! I don’t leave comments usually but I had to! I only had a 10 inch springform so it only took 52 minutes at 350 to be cooked