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This Gingerbread Cheesecake recipe is made with a delicious shortbread crust, gingerbread cheesecake filling and a molasses mousse topping! It’s the perfect easy dessert recipe for the holidays!
If you need some other great dessert recipes that are perfect for family holiday gatherings, take a look at this Eggnog Cheesecake, my Cranberry Fudge Swirl Cheesecake, and my Classic Cheesecake Recipe. They are sure to please!
This post is sponsored by Walkers Shortbread, but all opinions are my own.
November is in full swing and I feel like the end of the year is moving quickly! We had a baby shower this past weekend in Charlotte with family and friends and it was wonderful. It was not only beautifully done, it was also very special. We celebrated with a group of people that I’ve known most of my life and are very familiar with our journey to getting pregnant and it was so wonderful to feel everyone’s excitement and be able to celebrate with them.
But now things really feel like they are moving! We’ve been busy getting ready to move into our new house, our current house is under contract and the holidays are fast approaching. Before we know it, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us. It’s such a fun time of year and a great time for baking – I can’t wait!
A Fun, Festive and Easy Gingerbread Cheesecake
Gingerbread is one of my favorite flavors of the season. All the spices are just what this time of year is about. And this cheesecake has three great components that make it especially delicious – the shortbread crust, the thick and creamy cheesecake filling and the smooth mousse topping. So fun!
How to Make Shortbread Crust for a Cheesecake
To get started with the crust, you’ll want to get your hands on a couple boxes of Walkers Shortbread. I used the shortbread fingers, but feel free to use one of the other varieties. If you’ve never tried their shortbread before, you really should. It’s the best! So buttery and delicious – it’s hard to stop eating. And it makes a delicious crust. Pop the shortbread into a food processor to grind it into crumbs. It’s combined with a little sugar, cinnamon and butter and then pressed into a springform pan and pre-baked.
How to Make the Gingerbread Cheesecake Filling
The filling is flavored with brown sugar, molasses and lots of tasty spices! Of course ginger is the star of the show here, but there’s also a good bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as some cloves. All the spices are what makes gingerbread so darn tasty! Be sure not to mix the filling at too high of a speed, as it can add extra air to the filling and can cause cracks during the baking and cooling process.
Once the cheesecake is baked and cooled, you’ll want to add the mousse. It’s a molasses mousse with some cinnamon and nutmeg. You’ll add the mousse topping to the cheesecake while it’s still in the springform pan, then allow it firm up a bit before removing the sides. The cheesecake is then finished off with some swirls of whipped cream and a few gingerbread men.
The final cheesecake is fun, festive and delicious! It was a big hit with all my taste testers and is perfect for the holidays – whether for a party or for your dinner table. I can’t wait for you to try it!
More Great Gingerbread and Christmas Recipes:
Best Gingerbread Cookies (Soft and Chewy Cutouts)
Moist Gingerbread Layer Cake
Gingerbread Cookies with Eggnog Icing
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cookie Cups
Watch How To Make It
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Gingerbread Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 1 Hr. 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 2 Hrs. 30 Minutes, Plus Cooling
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Gingerbread Cheesecake recipe is made with a delicious shortbread crust, gingerbread cheesecake filling and a molasses mousse topping! It’s the perfect easy dessert recipe for the holidays!
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 3/4 cups (255g) Walkers shortbread crumbs (two 5.3 oz packages)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (28g) butter, melted
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (225g) packed light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp (25g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream
- 1/4 cup (60ml) molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 4 eggs
MOUSSE TOPPING
- 1 1/4 cup (300ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp (45ml) molasses
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
WHIPPED CREAM
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream
- 6 tbsp (44g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set prepared pan aside.
CHEESECAKE FILLING AND TOPPING
5. Reduce oven to 300°F (148°C).
6. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until well combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
7. Add the sour cream, molasses, vanilla extract and spices and mix on low speed until well combined.
8. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
9. Pour the cheesecake filling into crust and spread evenly.
10. Place springform pan (covered with aluminum foil) inside another larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
11. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
12. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
13. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
14. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.
15. When cheesecake has chilled and is firm, make the mousse topping. Add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, molasses and spices to a large mixer bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
16. Set the whipped cream aside and in another bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
17. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese until well combined.
18. With the cheesecake still in the springform pan, pour the mousse on top and spread into an even layer.
19. Set in the fridge for another 1-2 hours, until mousse is firm, then remove from the springform pan.
20. Add the ingredients for the whipped cream to a large mixer bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
21. Pipe whipped cream around the edges of the cheesecake and decorate with gingerbread men.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 483
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 333.4 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.6 g
- Protein: 9.6 g
- Cholesterol: 130.9 mg
Enjoy!
I love this recipe so much!!! I did it for Xmas dinner with my friends and it was a success!!! I’m still dreaming about it 🤩🤩🤩🤩 THANK YOU. I love how you write your recipes.
Hugs from Italy!!
This was a big hit tonight for Christmas Eve dessert! Thank you for the awesome recipe! Merry Christmas!
So glad to hear that!
Absolutely loved it. For those thinking about it, it’s like a pumpkin cheesecake with a little more ginger. Extra amazing if you give it an extra day for those flavors to marry. I also made your gingerbread man cookies because the store was out of the ginger man Pepperidge Farm cookies.
Hi, would Lorna Doone shortbread cookies work in place of Walkers? Plan on making this next Saturday the 23rd to serve on Christmas Eve. Thank you.
Yes, that should be fine.
I Liked the crust and the filling, not too sweet, however the mouse topping was not as dense as your photo. I think it would have been better to whip the cream until it was stiff then add the other ingredients?
I have tried twice to make the mousse and both times it did not whip and got liquid. I’m just wasting money right now
Are you sure your cream was nice and cold? It needs to be cold to properly hold volume. You could also freeze the bowl and whisk you’re using to make it even more cold. Is it HEAVY whipping cream? The higher fat content gives a better whipped cream. Are you using the powdered sugar or reducing it? What are you using to whip it – hand or stand mixer (I find a hand mixer whips more stiffly)?
I love this recipe but was wondering if it could be used to make mini cheesecakes? I’m hosting a Christmas bake sale at church and would love to use it
I would imagine so, I just haven’t experimented with the two layers to say how to adjust and what amounts.
Outstanding recipe! Made this for Thanksgiving for a group of cheesecake purists…let’s just say that everyone cleaned their plate! Not too sweet, which was the perfect finale to a big meal. Will definitely make again.
I used full fat Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream (as I do for everything). Ended up with leftover whipped cream because I was conservative in the size of the “balls”. Could probably make them ping pong ball sized.
I’m so glad it was a hit!
I’m making this recipe for the 1st time and I’m so excited to taste it! I have a question about making the mousse layer. We’re getting a storm tonight into tomorrow that may knock out our power. I have the cheesecake layer in the oven now.
Do you think I could make the mousse now while I still have power, and keep it in the fridge till the cheesecake layer is baked and cooled (probably overnight)? Or does the mousse need to be put on the 1st layer as soon as it’s made? Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and for your thoughts on my question.
Because of the whipped cream in the mousse layer, it could deflate if you make it ahead. I hate to say it, but I’m make it right before you add it to the cheesecake.
Although this reply is a year late, I always make the mousse and leave it in the fridge just let it warm a bit before spreading, it holds its shape fine (I’m sure the cream cheese helps stabilize), it’s the whipped cream I wouldn’t do early.
I made this cheesecake with a couple changes for our church function along with my tiramisu cheesecake and there were other deserts but there was a line all waiting for my cheesecakes! This one is a keeper! Thanks!
So glad it was a hit!
Can this gingerbread cheesecake be frozen?
Yes, it should do fine frozen. If you’re freezing it with the topping on it, I’d flash freeze it first, then wrap it well and let it freeze fully. Unwrap it when you’re ready to thaw it and then let it thaw in the fridge.
Can this be frozen with the mousse?
How stable is the mousse if just refrigerated?
Yes, it can. It’s very stable.
Just a suggestion. maybe specify the total cooling and chill time on the recipe heading. I looked at the top of the recipe to see how long this would take so I could plan accordingly. I never imagined that “cooling time” would be like 7-8 hours between the oven time and the chilling time. I mean, that’s the purpose of that little summary at the top, right? That said, the batter was delicious and I can’t wait to try the finished product, even if I don’t have time to chill it as long as it needs and it will probably be soft. LOL! 🙂
Hi there! I actually clicked on this recipe on Pinterest because I saw those gingerbread men on top and was immediately reminded of eating those kind in my youth. I thought your post might reference if you made them or bought them but you don’t seem to say? I’m finding it hard to just find “sparkling sugar gingerbread men” when I try to look it up. Did you buy those cookies or make them, if you made them what recipe was used?
Thanks so much, I love your recipes and use them often!
I bought them. I believe they are these ones from Pepperidge farms.
I need your opinion about something rather than a question about the recipe. I’m wanting to make some kind of sauce with this. In your opinion, would a cranberry or strawberry sauce compliment best? Or even a strawberry-cranberry sauce? I’m thinking that the tartness of the cranberries will offset the sweetness of the whole cheesecake. Your thoughts?
Hard for me to give feedback on that because I’m not sure I’d want either on my cheesecake, LOL. I suppose the cranberry one might be best?