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Eggnog Cheesecake is thick, creamy and full of eggnog! This easy cheesecake recipe is perfect for the holidays and a delicious way to enjoy one of my favorite drinks of the season.
Looking for an eggnog drink? Try my old-fashioned homemade eggnog recipe.
This post is sponsored by The American Dairy Association Mideast, but all opinions are my own.
Easy Eggnog Cheesecake
One of the best things about the holiday season is giving back. One thing I love is that every year our church gives back to so many organizations in our area and around the world. Between collecting donations, giving time by volunteering at organizations in the area and donating to food kitchens in the areas, it’s a wonderful thing they do every year.
So I’m also excited to be partnering with the ADA Mideast for their holiday campaign. They’re donating 25 cents, the average cost of 1 glass of milk, to the Great American Milk Drive for every new follower on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram through Wednesday, Dec. 13. Milk is the number one nutritious product requested by food banks, but it is rarely donated. The Great American Milk Drive is delivering thousands of gallons of milk to families who would otherwise go without. How great is that? Nutritionists recommend 3 servings of milk a day, which is about a gallon each week, but 46 million Americans – including 12 million children – only get on average 1 gallon of milk ALL year. Of course if you’d like to give separately, you can do that at milklife.com/give too. A $5 donation gives a gallon of milk to a family in-need.
What You’ll Love About this Eggnog Cheesecake
- Tons of Eggnog Flavor: One of my favorite ways to enjoy milk this time of year is in the form of eggnog! I could probably drink my weight in the stuff. I love it! And there’s more than 1 full cup of it in this cheesecake.
- Classic Graham Cracker Crust: To start, there’s the classic graham cracker crust – with a little twist. To give it a touch of holiday fun, there’s some nutmeg. It gives the crust a little more flavor and goes perfectly with the eggnog.
- Creamy Cheesecake Filling: Next up is the cheesecake filling. It’s my classic thick and creamy cheesecake with a full cup of eggnog and a bit of nutmeg. One thing to keep in mind when baking the cheesecake is that it does bake a little longer than some. The eggnog thins out the batter a good bit, so the baking time is increased. Although baking takes a while, it’s totally worth it in the end!
How To Decorate An Eggnog Cheesecake
On top of the cheesecake is some eggnog whipped cream, because is there such a thing as too much eggnog? I think not! I piped the whipped cream onto the cheesecake with an Ateco 844 frosting tip, but you could also use the Wilton 1M or 2D to get a similar look. Sprinkle on a touch more nutmeg and a few pearl sprinkles and you’re all done and ready to dig in!
I shared this cheesecake with lots of family and friends and it was such a HUGE hit! Some were getting a little protective over it and I thought perhaps someone might throw down over the last piece. 🙂 I hope you love it as much as we all did!
Watch How To Make It
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Eggnog Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours, plus cooling time
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy Eggnog Cheesecake recipe is thick, creamy and full of eggnog! A perfect dessert recipe for the holidays, it’s a delicious way to enjoy one of my favorite drinks of the season.
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 ¼ cups (302g) graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup (112g) salted butter, melted
- 3 tbsp (39g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
FILLING
- 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (230g) eggnog
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 3 tbsp (45ml) eggnog
- 10 tbsp (72g) powdered sugar
- Nutmeg, for sprinkling
- Pearl sprinkles, optional
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. See how I set up my pans. 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 eggnog and nutmeg 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 30-40 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. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, eggnog and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
16. Remove the cheesecake from the pan, then pipe the whipped cream onto the cheesecake. I made little rosettes with Ateco tip 844, but feel free to decorate as you like. Sprinkle with a little nutmeg and pearl sprinkles, if desired.
17. Refrigerate the cheesecake until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 432
- Sugar: 32.6 g
- Sodium: 399.2 mg
- Fat: 23.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.2 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 128.7 mg
Enjoy!
I accidentally used 16 ounces of cream cheese instead of 24. I have been baking over 25 years, I feel dumb. I realizes what I did 10 minutes into baking and figured it is to late to fix.
Should I keep baking of just scrap it ?
Hmmm, not sure. It would probably bake, just be a little different and not as thick of a cheesecake.
Can i make this gluten free by substituting corn starch for the flour? Looks yummy!
Thanks
You could just leave the flour out. The cheesecake will be a touch denser, but it’ll be fine.
Do you take the cake out of the pan before or after you put the whipped cream on? Also can the whipped topping go on a day or two before or should it be right before serving?
Thankyou
Take it out of the pan before adding the whipped cream. It can be added a day or two in advance, just be sure to use the full amount of powdered sugar in the whipped cream. It stabilizes it.
This was the first time I tried the water bath method but never again. The water found its way through the foil and now the bottom of my cheesecake is soggy.
It’s definitely frustrating when springform pans leak. I’ve only ever found one that didn’t. I have a tutorial here for helping solve that problem. As for this particular cheesecake, the crust should dry out and be just fine.
Oh please try it again?! This was my first time trying it and I’m 53 years old (I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks) Use heavy duty foil that is larger than the spring form pan. and I promise you’ll love the way this bakes up and never make it the old way ever again –
Do you think the filling would be okay using gluten free flour?
Yes, I think that’d be fine.
Hello, Lindsay!
Thank you for the perfect recipe! Very beautiful cheesecake.
Milen
Can this recipe be used to make it into mini cheesecakes (i.e. cupcake sized)?
Yes, it’d be fine as minis.
I’m considering using your recipe as a bite sized version for one of our Holiday desserts. If using a mini muffin pan, what would you suggest as the baking time? Also would a water bath apply as well? Your recipe is the best I’ve seen so I’m excited for the end result!
I would suggest cupcake sized ones, not minis. I’m not sure of exact bake time, but it should be similar to other minis like these, with the baking and cooling time. You wouldn’t need a water bath. I hope you enjoy them!
Can u use a Graham cracker crust instead of making one. Would it change cooking instructions.
A store-bought crust should be fine. You’d just need to look at the instructions to see if you need to pre-bake it before adding the filling. Also, if it’s a pie crust, there could be more filling than you need.
I use the premade crusts for my pumpkin cheesecakes. The filling is normally more than I need for one crust so I buy the mini ones as well and use the extra filing in those and give them out.
I made it with ginger snaps instead of graham crackers for an extra holiday touch. I also used your tip of reducing the eggnog on the stove to make the nog more concentrated which i think is a must. Very yummy recipe!
Can I make this in a pie dish and not cook with the water around it?
I wouldn’t suggest a pie dish, only because I think there’d be too much filling and it’d might overflow. The water bath is important, in my opinion. Without it the cheesecake usually browns around the edges, falls in the center when cooling and often cracks.
When you say remove it from the oven and chill it, do you mean just sit it out or chill it in the refrigerator?
It should be chilled in the refrigerator.
Will the eggnog taste be noticable? Will the taste of the cream cheese overpower the taste of the eggnog?
Yes, it’s definitely more than noticeable. However, it you want a really strong eggnog flavor, you can increase the eggnog to 1 1/2 or even 2 cups and then cook it down on the stove to 1 cup and add it that way. Then you’ll have the same amount of liquid being added to cheesecake (so baking time and such shouldn’t change), but the flavor of the eggnog will be more concentrated.
Your recipes are the best. Your directions and suggestions make cooking simple with fantastic results. Your recipes have made me a better cook with greater understanding. Everyone loves what I bake from your site. I cannot say enough good comments. You made a believer and pasty chef out of me!! Thank you for sharing and caring enough to share your talented gift.
Thanks so much Kathleen! I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the site and recipes! 🙂
Wondering if spiked eggnog is used, does that change the bake time or impact the cheesecake itself.
It shouldn’t change anything.
IF adding RUM or BRANDY (how I like eggnog drink) to the C–cake, would you suggest decreasing some EGGNOG and ADDING the liquor to equal ONE CUP (eggnog) liquid ? Also…I care NOT for Graham Cracker crusts…and would use “pulverized ” flavored cookies, dust the pan ith that after lightlt buttering the pan interior, before adding the cake batter. worth a try !! New York Style Cheesecake is like that. Or, crumbles the cookies and follow directions same as Graham cracker instruction.
You could certainly decrease the eggnog a bit, but you wouldn’t want to decrease it too much or you’ll lose some of that flavor. You can add a little more liquid to the cheesecake for the rum or brandy, you just might need to bake it a touch longer.
I’ve used 1/2 teaspoon rum extract in a no-bake eggnog pie, and it worked quite well. Was thinking about trying that in this recipe.
Can you freeze this cheesecake
I haven’t tried it, but usually cheesecakes are fine when frozen.
This looks fantastic! I love eggnog, and especially the light flavor it lends to baking. I hope you are well and you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I also love eggnog and this recipe is amazing!
i know this is going to sound anal but ,,,,, i have never used a spring form pan in my life …when and how do i get this yummmmy sounding cheesecake out of this pan ,lol? someone help ! she never said a word about getting cake out of pan.would like to make this for christmas
You take it out after chilling, before adding the whipped cream. Sorry that was unclear. I’ve updated the instructions. To remove it, you unhook the latch on the side of the pan and pull the sides off. I usually rest the cheesecake on my hand and lift the cheesecake up and pull the sides down. I hope that helps.
I have a spring form pan and but the bottom part is missing. I. Can’t find it and I don’t know what happened to it. Can I make this in a normal Wilton deep 9 inch cake pan? Will it still slice ok?
It might be a little hard to remove from the pan, but otherwise it should be fine.
Tried this for the first time, unfortunately your secret trick Lindsay only became clear after reading the review and replies. Using a slow cooker plastic bag before foil should be posted as a part of the recipe instructions. Unfortunately, my cheesecake came out soggy. It was an expensive experiment leaving me feeling unhappy with the result. Please include your secret plastic bag trick in the instructions. Also it might be clearer to indicate baking time as 90 – 100 minutes rather than 1 hour and 30 – 40 min. followed by 30 min with the oven off and an additional 30 minutes with the oven door opened a crack. Thank you
I did not notice the plastic bag until after I put it in the oven. I hope it’s not soggy. I taste the filling before adding the eggs and its delicious. Currently in the oven with heat off. 10 minutes left. Can’t wait! Thanks for this recipe.
Agree with Cindy. Followed 90 to 100 minutes in active oven. Came out like a key lime pie creamy. Still great flavor. Extra 20 minutes or more would have set it up more.