Eggnog Cheesecake
Eggnog Cheesecake is a gorgeous holiday dessert that’s got the best silky consistency and rich eggnog flavor! A spiced graham cracker crust serves as the base to a thick homemade eggnog cheesecake and to top it all off is fluffy eggnog whipped cream.
Serve more desserts this holiday season like my Christmas Cheesecake and Eggnog Poke Cake.
Table of Contents
There are a few treats that make us feel the spirit of the holidays and eggnog is definitely one of them! Whether you enjoy some eggnog with rum at night or a cup of eggnog with (or in) your pancakes, it tastes like Christmas.
In this cheesecake, I used nutmeg and rum extract in every layer of the cheesecake to carry the flavor throughout each bite. On the bottom is the sweet, buttery graham cracker crust flavored with nutmeg and rum for better compliment to the eggnog.
The cheesecake filling is absolutely perfect too. The consistency is so smooth and creamy with a generous amount of eggnog in it. It’s so soft, it melts in your mouth!
Eggnog whipped cream is a perfect topping for this cheesecake and for many other desserts as well. My husband even added some of this whipped cream to his Hot Cocoa.
Ingredient Notes
Graham Cracker Crumbs – Use plain graham crackers that have no other flavors. If you can’t find graham cracker crumbs at the store, you can get regular graham crackers and pulse them in a food processor until they blend into crumbs.
Rum Extract – This is used in the crust, cheesecake filling and whipped cream to really enhance that signature eggnog flavor in every bite.
Nutmeg – This is another ingredient that’s used in every element of the cheesecake to seal the deal on that spiced eggnog flavor we all know and love.
Cream Cheese – don’t try to make the cheesecake “lighter” by using lower fat kind, use full fat cream cheese. Use full fat, original cream cheese and make sure to take it out of the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before starting to bake.
Eggnog – Use your favorite brand so you know you’ll like the flavor.
Eggs – take the eggs out of the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before cooking to let them warm up to room temperature.
Heavy Whipping Cream – Don’t try to substitute this ingredient with any other dairy product! It’s essential for making the very best whipped cream and cheesecake filling.
Powdered Sugar – This is another one that can’t be swapped. Powdered sugar creates the best sweetness and consistency in the whipped cream.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Eggnog Cheesecake
Prepare. Before you really get started, preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a 9 inch springform pan. Note that you’ll also need a large roasting pan to place the springform pan into to create the water bath.
Use foil. This is optional, but recommended. Wrap the pan in aluminum foil to help further prevent water from entering the springform pan.
PRO TIP: If a small amount of water leaks into the springform pan, that’s okay! It won’t ruin the cheesecake.
Make the crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, nutmeg, melted butter, rum extract and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix to combine. Spread this mixture all over the bottom of the springform pan and a little bit up the sides as well.
Start making the cheesecake filling. Use an electric mixer for this process! Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy. Pour in the sugar while beating. Add the eggs one at a time and keep beating until smooth. Stop and scrape as needed. Add the eggnog and rum extract and keep beating until mixed very well.
Thicken the filling. Lower the speed. Beat in the cornstarch and nutmeg. Stop and scrape the bowl and mix a few more times so it’s all combined.
Add it to the pan. Spread the cheesecake batter all over the crust layer in the springform pan.
Baking The Cheesecake
Prepare the water bath. Place the large roasting pan in the oven. Place the springform pan inside of the larger pan. Add hot water to the pan – it should reach about halfway up the side of the springform.
Bake. Bake for 85 minutes. Then, turn off the oven and open the door halfway. Allow the cheesecake to rest for just 10-15 minutes before removing it from the oven. Take the foil off of the pan.
Rest again, then cool. Let the cheesecake rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Gently run a butter knife along the sides of the cheesecake and the pan to separate it. Feel free to still leave it in the pan, though, until you’re ready to serve it. Cool the cheesecake for 1 hour, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
How to Make Eggnog Whipped Cream
Beat together the ingredients. Beat cold heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed. Slowly pour in the eggnog and rum extract while mixing until stiff peaks form.
Decorate the cheesecake. Transfer some of the whipped cream into a piping bag with a decorative attachment. Pipe rosettes on the top of your cheesecake.
PRO TIP: Make sure the bowl and the whisk attachment are clean and dry. Chill the bowl of the electric mixer in the refrigerator for a few minutes and don’t take the heavy whipping cream and eggnog out until ready to whip.
Recipe FAQs
Using the water bath technique while baking is called “bain-marie.” This technique is used to make desserts like crème brûlée, custards, and cheesecakes. The primary reason for using a water bath for these recipes is to keep direct heat away from baking dish.
Because these desserts are heavy on the eggs and cream, if not baked slowly and evenly and exposed to direct heat, it would not be baked properly. The outside will be overcooked and the inside will still be gooey. A water bath guarantees even baking throughout the whole dessert by keeping layer of protection between the baking dish and heat from the oven.
Without a water bath, cheesecake will be uncooked in the center, is more likely to crack, and most importantly, it’ll be overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside.
Yes! The only part of this recipe that has gluten is the graham cracker crust. Simply use gluten-free graham crackers and pulse them into crumbs to create gluten-free crust. All of the other ingredients should already be gluten-free, but always double check your labels and nutritional information to be sure.
You can always tell the cheesecake is fully baked when the edges are set and the center is slightly soft and jiggly. As it cools in the oven and on the countertop, the center will continue to set more and firm up. DO NOT insert a knife or toothpick into the center, as that may cause the cheesecake to crack!
How to Freeze Eggnog Cheesecake
Make sure to freeze your eggnog cheesecake WITHOUT any whipped cream or other toppings! Do not add the whipped cream until ready to serve.
You can freeze eggnog cheesecake right on the bottom of the springform pan, or you can take it off the pan and transfer it onto a piece of foil covered cardboard.
Once cheesecake has fully cooled to room temperature, gently run a butter knife along the inside of the springform pan to separate the cheesecake from the pan. Carefully place the pan with the cheesecake into the freezer and freeze for about an hour.
Next, take off the side portion of the springform. At this point, you can choose to either keep the bottom of the springform with the cheesecake on it, or transfer it onto a piece of thick cardboard cake holder covered with aluminum foil.
Wrap the cheesecake and the bottom of the pan with plastic wrap. Use about 2-3 layers. Then, wrap the entire thing with foil. As another added protection from air, you can place the whole things in a large, zip-top freezer bag, but that’s optional.
Make sure to date and label the plastic wrap (or bag) before placing cheesecake back in the freezer. Cheesecake will stay good in the freezer for approximately 2-3 months.
To thaw a frozen cheesecake, make sure to do so slowly in the fridge! Take the cheesecake out of the freezer, take off the zip-top bag, place it into the refrigerator and allow it to slowly thaw overnight.
More of the Best Eggnog Recipes
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Eggnog Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp rum extract
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Eggnog Cheesecake Filling:
- 32 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup eggnog
- 1 tsp rum extract
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
Eggnog Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup eggnog
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp rum extract
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° and grease a 9 inch springform pan.You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (You can even use the aluminum foil disposable ones).If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. Try to use a wide kind of foil so you would only need to use 1 solid sheet. (I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.)
- Although, there is a chance that a small amount of water will leak in, this will NOT ruin the cheesecake.
Graham Cracker Crust:
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, ground nutmeg, melted butter, rum extract, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and mix very well.
- Grease the inside of the springform pan with some cooking spray and spread crumb mixture in the bottom on the prepared springform.
- Press the graham cracker mixture all over the bottom and a little up the sides.
Eggnog Cheesecake Filling:
- In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed for about a minute, until smooth and fluffy. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for another minute.
- Pour in sugar while beating and add eggs, one at a time. Beat it until smooth. Stop to scrape bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add eggnog and rum extract and beat, still on medium-high speed, until all mixed very well.
- Lower the speed and beat in corn starch and nutmeg. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for a few more seconds to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
- Transfer batter into the springform and spread in evenly.
Baking the Cheesecake:
- Place a large roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform inside the roasting pan. Carefully add hot water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.
- Bake for 85 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10-15 minutes and take it out of the oven. Take off the foil wrap off the pan.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don’t actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)
- Cool cheesecake for an hour and then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Eggnog Whipped Cream:
- TIPS: Make sure the bowl and the whisk attachment are clean and dry. Chill the bowl of the electric mixer in the refrigerator for a few minutes and don’t take the heavy whipping cream and eggnog out until ready to whip.
- Beat cold heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed. Slowly pour in eggnog and rum extract while mixing and keep mixing until stiff peeks form.
- Transfer 2/3 of eggnog whipped cream into a piping bag with a decorative attachment and spread remaining whipped cream on top of the cheesecake. Pipe rosettes on top of the cheesecake to decorate it.
Video
Notes
- Gluten free: The only part of this recipe that contains gluten is the graham cracker crust. Simply use gluten-free graham crackers and pulse them into crumbs to create gluten-free crust. All of the other ingredients should already be gluten-free, but always double check your labels and nutritional information to be sure.
- Storing: Make sure to store the cheesecake in the refrigerator and covered air-tight. Properly stored, cheesecake should last up to 5 days.
I recommend simply storing it in the very same pan it was baked in, covered tightly with plastic wrap or another air-tight wrap you use. Remember to cover it tightly every single time after you take out a slice!
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in December, 2019.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Wow! I made this for Christmas dessert and everyone flipped over it! I usually make Lindy’s cheesecake and anyone who’s had it knows its delicious but very heavy and filling. This cheesecake was lighter and smooth and just fabulous! I did use real rum instead of extract and had no issues with the change. I find the rum extract to be too strong in some recipes. Thank you for what is now our traditional Christmas dessert. Absolutely delicious. I can’t say it enough LOL.
I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know about the rum, I will have to give it a try!
I am sorry to hear that, Nancy!
Can I use rum instead of rum extract?
I did when I made it and it worked great.
Good to know. Thanks for sharing, Karen!
I am picky about my eggnog so I plan on making my own to use in this recipe. My question is if my eggnog alrwady has booze in it will that effect the cooking? Will the alcohol bake off?
Hi Kelsey,
The alcohol is fine but if it is thinner then a store bought because of the alcohol you will need to add a little less or the batter will be to thin.
What size pan?
I made this cheesecake for my family Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit!
So glad they liked it, Maggie!