Eggnog Cheesecake + Snickerdoodle Crust
Who doesn't love fresh snickerdoodle cookies with a nice glass of eggnog? Instead of leaving regular cookies and nog out for Santa this year, try my Eggnog Cheesecake + Snickerdoodle Cookie Crust instead! Real snickerdoodle cookies are blended with butter to make a decadent crust, while the cheesecake filling is full of eggnog and spices. This is your new favorite holiday dessert!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 415kcal
Ingredients
SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE CRUST:
- 3-4 cups crushed snickerdoodle cookies (That's about 1 box of cookies)
- 3 Tbsps organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
CHEESECAKE FILLING:
- 16 ozs. organic cream cheese, softened at room temp. (That's 2 packs!)
- ¾ cup organic cane sugar
- 3 Tbsps organic all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 2 large organic eggs, at room temp.
- 3 Tbsps full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup high-quality eggnog
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
TOPPINGS:
- Whipped cream
- Snickerdoodle cookies, crumbled
Instructions
SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE CRUST:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 7 or 8-inch cheesecake pan by lightly greasing it with butter.
- Grind the snickerdoodle cookies until almost finely ground (it’s OK to leave a few medium chunks, if your’e a lover a little crunch!). Combine the snickerdoodle, cinnamon, brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.
- Add the mixture into the prepared pan and press down into the bottom with your fingers (focusing on the middle) to ensure that it’s perfectly covering the bottom and sides (like a deep well).
- Bake the crust for about 5 minutes and then remove from oven and allow it to cool until you’re ready to use.
BEAT TOGETHER THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together on low speed: the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed.
- Next, add the vanilla extract and the first egg and beat slowly until mostly combined. Then add the remaining egg and mix until well combined, still mixing everything on low speed. Now, add the eggnog, yogurt and spices and continue mixing until combined.
- Change mixer attachment to a whisk and beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes or so until completely smooth and lump-free. NOTE: DO NOT OVER-MIX. Be sure to stop once the batter becomes smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan until ¾ filled. NOTE: Leaving a bit of room at the top prevents the cheesecake from spilling over while baking.
- Bake the cheesecake for 35-40 minutes (until center comes out mostly clean when tested with a toothpick or knife), then turn off the oven and allow it to sit in the oven for another 5 minutes with the oven door halfway open to avoid cheesecake from deflating. NOTE: When baking, I always prepare a medium pot with water and add it to the oven as well, to keep cheesecake temperature even and to add moisture.
- Bon Appetit!
Notes
- STORAGE: Leftover Cheesecake can be stored (tightly wrapped) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, keep cheesecake in the freezer until the night before you’re ready to serve. Defrost by refrigerating.
- CHEESECAKE BITES: If you turn this recipe into cheesecake bites, you’ll make about 2 dozen bites.
- YOGURT: If you don't want to use yogurt for this recipe, you can substitute with low-fat sour cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 631mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 2mg