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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!
How would I make these mini, like in a muffin tin?
I’d refer to this recipe as a guide. You could either half this recipe for 12-14 minis or use the full amount for 24-28.
Could you swap the shortbread cookies for gingersnap cookies in the crust?
Yes, it should work fine.
I like to take my cheesecakes out of the refrigerator for about an hour before serving. Would that amount of time cause the mousse layer to become too soft?
That should be fine.
What is the best way to soften the cream cheese? Thanks.
I leave it on the counter for several hours, until soft.
I would like to make this recipe but half of it and i wonder if you know the size for my cake pan that would fit and the how long it should be in the oven ? Thanks.
I’ve not made a smaller version before, so I’m not real sure of the baking time.
Hi I’m just wondering about the gingerbread men decoration is there a recipe to make them or are they store bought?
They were store bought
Woot! I pulled up cheese cake on Pintrest for my hubby to pick a new one. Oh Batman! So yum! Bad news, Walkers is not available where I am at. Ridiculous right?!? Made due with homemade Walkers copycat recipe. I had no cracks and my kids loved licking the mousse bowl clean. Amazing holiday cheesecake. Served it with French vanilla coffee. It was loved by everyone who ate it. Including my 2 year old. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Kat!
Hi Lindsay, I made this and am concerned that the cheesecake portion is soft, almost a whipped mousse like consistency. Is that how it should be? Thank you
Has is already cooled completely in the fridge? Once completely cooled, it should be nice and firm, not soft.
Hi Lindsay! I want to make this to send home with some dinner guests we’re having this weekend for their Christmas dinner. Will it freeze well without the whipped cream?
I would think it should freeze fine.
I can’t find the shortbread crumbs at my super market, do you think I could just make my own using shortbread cookies?
Yes, that’s what I do. I put the shortbread in a food processor to get the crumbs.
Hi I just made this cheesecake, it tastes delicious but the mousse is tricky. I was wondering what the other commenter that mentioned problems with the mousse had issues with. Mine was very lumpy when you fold the whip cream mixture into the cream cheese. I had to beat it with my mixer and it still has little lumps throughout. It’s fine but not what I’d really like. The cream cheese was quite soft so I think next time I would mix the molasses and spices with the cream cheese and fold whip cream into that. It hopefully would make it easier to fold together. Otherwise a nice recipe.
My guess would be that the lumpiness is from the cream cheese being a little bit cool still. You are right though that you could change up the order of mixing things to thin out the cream cheese and achieve the same result, perhaps without lumps.
Hi Lindsay, I had the same issue with the mousse as Pam. I expect it is probably because of the cream cheese not being fully warmed…but since the mousse doesn’t get (re)pasteurized via baking, I stuck with FDA guidelines–specifically about not letting dairy sit at room temp more than 2 hours.
I can report that mixing the molasses with the cream cheese first did the trick: let the cream cheese sit out for an hour, whip it on low-medium speed for 5-7 minutes, then blend in the molasses for 3-5 minutes. The mousse folded together easily and ended up with much better texture and volume.
I’ve made this cheesecake twice now, and it’s been very well received. 🙂
Hi! Made the cheesecake part already! Looks great! I’m excited…the part I️ keep failing at is the mousse 🙁 Ive already screwed it up twice! Any tips? Thank you!
Can you describe the problem you’re having? Then maybe I can help?
Hi! I’m currently baking this at 300F like the recipe and it’s been in there for an hour and 20 minutes and hasn’t baked at all! Is something wrong?
It would seem like something isn’t right if it truly hasn’t baked at all. However cheesecakes will still look jiggly in the center and be set around the edges when they are baked to that point in the process. When you turn off the oven and let it sit for another 30 minutes, it’ll continue baking and continue to firm as it cools. So it might just seem like it’s not baked, but it might be right on track.
Hi, I’m in Scotland (just down the road from the walkers factory actually!!). When you say molasses, is that what we would call black treacle?
Looks a fab recipe!
How fun that you’re so close to the factory! I hadn’t heard of black treacle, but did some googling. They do appear to be quite similar. It should work fine as a substitute in the cheesecake. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for the recipe! I’m planning on making it for a fundraiser. Do you have any tips on how to remove the cake from the pan onto the cake plate without getting the parchment paper too? Thanks!
I can usually remove the parchment paper if I want to try, but it can be a little tricky to not hurt the cheesecake in the process. I usually use an offset spatula (9 inch) to wiggle between the cheesecake bottom and parchment and then remove the spatula and insert a cake lifter (affiliate link) that will allow the cheesecake to rest on it so it doesn’t break. Push that lifter between them as you remove the parchment and it should come off fine and the cheesecake shouldn’t be damaged. I hope that helps!
Can this be made a head of time and put in the freezer? I love to bake and have a few people who want one. Id like to do them in advance, like a week..
I don’t tend to freeze things much, but I think the cheesecake would be fine. I might suggest adding the mousse topping only after it’s been defrosted though, just to be safe.