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This Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake has frosted circus animal cookies in the crust and throughout the cheesecake! It’s thick, creamy and topped with fun pink-colored white chocolate and sprinkles – much like the animal cookies!
I love cookies and cheesecake together. If you do too, you’ll want to try this Best Oreo Cheesecake recipe and this Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust Cheesecake. You’ll be in cookie heaven!
An Easy Birthday Cake Idea
I am a natural born sweets lover. If loving dessert can be in your blood, it’s in mine. This cheesecake kind of reminds me of that because these frosted animal cookies have been a favorite cookie of mine for as long as I can remember. On many occasions I have picked up a bag from the store, only for it to last 48 hours in my house – at the most. It’s dangerous for me to even buy them and that was the case when making this cheesecake.
Often when buying ingredients, I get plenty extra. Of course there are always endless bags of flour, sugar and packages of butter. But when I need things like animal cookies, I also have to buy several bags. I’m not a fan of running to the store over and over again. And I still had to make a couple trips to replenish these cookies as I was testing out this recipe.
Working with these cookies over a few days and not eating all the cookies was SO HARD! I probably snacked on a few more than I should have, but I couldn’t resist! I feel the same way about the cheesecake – so good!
To start, there’s the frosted animal cookie crust. This took several attempts before I was happy with it. Because of all the frosted cookies, you really barely need any butter to hold things together. The icing on the cookies kind of melts together and holds it all in place. I added a touch, just to be safe.
For the filling, there’s more animal crackers. About 3/4 cup go right into the bottom of the crust, then another 1 1/4 cups in the batter. The cookies soften up as the cheesecake bake, but still retain just enough crunch. It gives the cheesecake plenty of frosted animal cookie flavor – and color! I tried one version where I added some sprinkles to the cheesecake batter, but because nonpareil sprinkles bleed so easily, it actually messed up the fun pink and white color.
Homemade Ganache
On top of the cheesecake is a white chocolate ganache that is colored to a light shade of pink, similar to the pink cookies. You could leave it white, but the pink is just so cute! Finish off the cheesecake with some sprinkles and animal cookies and you’re good to go!
I really loved the final version of this cheesecake. Between the crust and all the cookies in the cheesecake, it’s delicious! The cheesecake filling is thick, creamy and full of vanilla flavor. The white chocolate finishes it off beautifully! I love all the flavors and every bite is a little bite of pink and white cookie cheesecake heaven!
Watch How To Make It
Print
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake has frosted circus animal cookies in the crust and throughout the cheesecake! It’s thick, creamy, yummy and so fun!
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 1/4 cups (302g) frosted animal cookie crumbs
- 2 tbsp (28g) salted butter, melted
FILLING
- 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (230g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (208g) chopped frosted animal cookies, divided
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 6 oz (169g) white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream
- Pink gel icing color
- Sprinkles
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 4 tbsp (29g) powdered sugar
- 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 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 (I also use a plastic crock pot liner – see method for preventing your water bath from leaking here) so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set prepared pan aside.
CHEESECAKE FILLING
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 and vanilla extract, mixing 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. Stir in about 1 1/4 cups of chopped animal cookies. Stir just until mixed, so the colors from the sprinkles don’t mix into the batter too much.
10. Pour a small amount of batter into the bottom of the crust in an even layer, then add the remaining 3/4 cup of chopped animal cookies.
11. Pour the remaining cheesecake filling into crust, over the cookies, and spread into an even layer.
12. 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.
13. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes.
14. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
15. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
16.Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.
TO FINISH OFF THE CHEESECAKE
17. When the cheesecake is cool and firm, remove from the springform pan and set on a serving plate.
18. To make the white chocolate ganache. Put the white chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
19. Microwave the heavy whipping cream until it just begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. If it doesn’t melt completely, microwave for 10-20 seconds, then whisk until smooth.
20. Color the ganache with a little pink gel coloring, if desired.
21. Pour the ganache onto the cheesecake and spread into an even layer.
22. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
23. Pipe dollops of the whipped cream on top of the white chocolate ganache.
24. Top the cheesecake with frosted animal cookies and some sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 529
- Sugar: 42.2 g
- Sodium: 327.6 mg
- Fat: 30.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 56.4 g
- Protein: 9.1 g
- Cholesterol: 106.4 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
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If 2 cups of crushed cookies are 208 grams, how can 2 1/4 cups be 302 g? I am asking, because I use grams when baking.
Because one is crumbs and one is chopped cookies. You end up with more crumbs in 2 1/4 cups than chopped cookies in 2 cups.
I love this cake. I just finished making mine it’s in the fridge and i can’t wait to taste it. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Good day, I want to bake the cheesecake according to your recipe, but we have not sold pink cookies, share a recipe if you have one, thanks
Hello, I’m going to make this cheesecake tomorrow for my friends birthday. When the recipe says 2 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, is that 2 1/4 cups measured whole then put in the food processor, or is it 2 1/4 cups after being in the food processor? Thanks in advance!
It’s 2 1/4 cups of the crumbs, after being put in the food processor.
no wonder my crust looked so measly, i only used 2 1/4 cup whole cookies not 2 1/4 cup of crumbs!! maybe consider specifying that in the recipe for us cheesecake baking newbs. my husband saw this recipe and i’ve slaved away all day making this for his birthday. hope it turns out ok despite my rookie mistake.
Wonderful recipe and can’t wait to try! I think you need to edit #10. on the directions however. The video shows putting an amount of the cheesecake batter on the bottom crust, then a layer of chopped cookies and then more batter. I think the instructions skip the part where you first put a layer of batter before adding the chopped cookies and remainder of the batter. I may be all wrong on this, but I think a step is missed in the instructions.
Thanks for your great creativity!
I edited the instructions to include that – thank you! I think when testing it, that was one of the ways I tried. 🙂
Would I need to modify the recipe if I wanted to make little individual cheesecakes in cupcake liners? I am a little scared of baking my first real cheesecake.
Yes, you would. Specifically the baking time. Try checking out these mini cheesecakes to get an idea of instructions and baking time. It’ll be similar.
Last week l entered a little baking competition at a work party and they were a hit. Today I am making them for my 16 year old daughters birthday party. Love love love this recipe!
Awesome! Thanks so much Robin!
When do u take the foil off?
I would recommend taking the foil off once the cheesecake has baked and you remove from the oven to chill until firm.
Don’t be afraid! Her directions were absolutely spot on. Mine turned out absolutely perfect. 🙂
Would the recipe turn out fine if I didn’t use the water bath? I don’t have much luck with them, they always make my cheesecakes turn out soggy,
I’d suggest you give this post about water baths a look. It should be helpful.
This is so cute, and looks yummy. I’m a sucker for pink animal cookies. Making it soon.
Where is the video for Frosted animal cookie cheesecake, PLEASE?????? I go to the recipe page and other videos play but this one. Anybody
Hmm, I’m not sure what happened to it, but it’s there now. Just above the pink recipe card.
Making this cake right now for my daughters 13th birthday as a surprise. She saw the recipe and wanted it. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. I have never baked a cheesecake.
Awesome! I hope she enjoyed it!
Made this!
Loved it!
Did it exactly like it said and it turned out exactly like the picture!!
Super success. Recipe is brilliant and so cute. Family so impressed. I have always been afraid of making cheesecake but not anymore. Thanks
Wonderful! So glad it helped you get over your fear of cheesecake! 🙂
When i made this everything was great except the crust idk if I did something wrong but the crust was wet and soggy when it was done..I did everything according to directions..so I’d what happened
How did you set up your pan for the water bath? If water got into the pan, it could’ve made a soggy crust. Here’s a tutorial on how I like to set up my pan so I don’t get leaking.
I use a silicone cake pan and set my spring form into that when placing it in the water bath. Perfect every time!
How well do you think it would work if I were to make this into cupcake sized cheesecakes? And how long would you suggest I bake them?
I think it’d work well. When I make mini cheesecakes in a cupcake pan, I usually bake them around 15-22 minutes, depending on the cheesecake, then proceed with cooling. Here’s a mini cheesecake recipe for reference on times. It should be similar.
I am making this now it is one of the most difficult cake I have made (time consuming ) but it will work out beautiful I made the cheesecake and also at the same time make a regular cake made the same way for the ones that don’t like cheesecake one under glass on bottom smaller one and top of the cake stand is the large cheesecake gorgeous
If you are what you eat, I want to be this dessert.
OMG looks so delicious … not sure if I`m capable of making it exactly like this but I can`t wait to give it a try. Thank you so much.