Christmas Cheesecake Recipe

Impress your friends and family with this gorgeous Christmas Cheesecake. You will delight your taste buds when you serve this dressed-up classic sour cream cheesecake recipe for the holidays. The beautiful swirls of color add a dash of magical wonder to match the holiday season and form a perfect holiday dessert.

Ahhhh, the holidays are just around the corner, and there is joy in the air. My favorite way to get the most out of the holidays is to bake or create as many festive creations as possible.

Christmas Cheesecake Recipe

Baking is one of the activities I look forward to most when the holiday season comes around. I always wish I had more time to make all my favorite recipes. This terrific cheesecake started with some tweaks to my classic sour cream cheesecake recipe and a few other cheesecake recipes (below) and also used the sugared cranberries recipe for garnish. Isn’t it wonderful how just a few changes to a favorite recipe can update it for a specific season?

How to Make Christmas Cheesecake

1. Make the crust – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the walnuts, graham crackers, and sugar. Add the melted butter. Stir until a sand consistency. Press into the prepared pan.
2. Make the filling – In a large bowl, beat together all the ingredients except the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Add in the eggs and beat until incorporated. Stir in the sour cream.
3. Separate batter – Take half the batter and put it in another bowl. Add green food coloring. Starting with the white, pour small portions of each color into the middle, on top of each other, letting it spread on its own. Do this until the batter is depleted.
4. Bake – Bake for 90 minutes or until the center is set. Cool for 10 minutes. Loosen pan sides with a knife. Cool for another 30 minutes. Remove sides. Let rest another 2 hours.
5. Chill – Chill in the fridge until set. Decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary springs. Serve and enjoy!

Tips and variations for making this Christmas cheesecake recipe:

● Place a drip pan on the oven shelf beneath the springform pan – it will help catch any leaks.
● Other crust options – You can always use flavored cereals, various cookies, vanilla wafers, etc., for other crust options. Just be sure to use the same amount as the recipe calls for with the graham crackers. Also, it is important to note that the crust adjustment will also change the flavor of the cheesecake in general.
● Other color options – You can make this one color swirl (just green, just red, just blue, etc.) if you do not want multiple colors in this cheesecake. Any festive color will do. I sometimes like to go for red or pink to match the cranberries. This is totally up to you.
● Other flavor options – You can always add flavoring to the cheesecake batters. For example, make white cranberry and green rosemary. Simply add a bit of the flavored extract you prefer to their proper batters once the cheesecake filling has been separated out.
● Garnishing options – If you do not have time to make them, you can skip them or just use normal cranberries. You could also decorate with whipped cream or dabs of frosting.
● Storage – Store, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
● Reheating – Do not forcibly heat this cheesecake recipe. If pulling from the fridge, you can serve this dessert immediately. If pulling from the freezer, let it sit for 30-60 minutes before serving.

Common Questions About Christmas Cheesecake

What is the Difference Between Cheesecake and Baked Cheesecake?

Cheesecake signifies a specific type of dessert, which can cover a wide variety of cheesecake recipes. Not all cheesecake recipes are baked. Some are no-bake, which involves no oven, just chilling. Baked cheesecake just refers to a cheesecake that has to be placed in the oven for one of the creation steps. Basically, a broad term for your average cheesecake recipe.

Can You Make Cheesecake Without a Springform Pan?

You can definitely make cheesecake without a springform pan. However, it is important to note that it usually does not turn out uniform. In other words, it will not be as pretty as it would be if you were using a springform pan. You can use a round cake pan, deep pie dish, or similar dish.

Do You Need a Water Bath for Cheesecake?

Not all cheesecakes need a water bath. Some cheesecakes, if thicker or with a bit thinner ingredients, will do better with a water bath. This is because the ingredients will cook more thoroughly and evenly if a water bath is used. You can get away with no water bath, but with some cheesecake recipes, a water bath is necessary for a better texture.

If you like holiday cheesecake recipes, you will want to try these:

● Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe
● Candy Cane Cheesecake Recipe
● Cranberry Sauce Cheesecake Recipe

Christmas Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients:

Cheesecake Crust
● 1½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
● ¼ cup Pecans
● ¼ cup White Sugar
● 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
● ¼ cup Butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
● 16 oz Cream Cheese, softened
● ¼ cup All-purpose Flour
● 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
● 1 cup Sugar
● 3 large Eggs
● 16 oz Sour Cream
● Few drops of Red Gel Food Color
● Few drops of Green Gel Food Color
Cheesecake Topping
● 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into small pieces for garnish
● Sugared Cranberries for garnish

Christmas Cheesecake Mise en Place:

● 9″ Springform Pan
● Spatula
● Food Processor
● Stand Mixer (bowl, beater, etc)
● Measuring Spoons
● Measuring Cup
● Bowls
● Pan with sides (for water bath)

Christmas Cheesecake Recipe Directions:

Cheesecake Crust
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.

3. Place the graham crackers and the pecans into a food processor and process it until powdered.

4. Add the sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter and pulse for 30 seconds until it resembles wet sand.

5. Press the graham cracker mixture onto the bottom of the prepared springform pan.

6. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.
7. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool to room temperature.

Cheesecake Filling
8. Reduce the heat of the oven to 325°F.
9. Using a stand mixer, in a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and lump-free.

10. Add the all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, and sugar to the cream cheese and beat for another minute.

11. Next, add the eggs and beat on the lowest setting until all the eggs are incorporated. Do not overbeat.

12. Fold in the sour cream by hand.

13. Divide the batter in half. Then further divide one half into two equal halves (you should have one bowl with half the batter and two smaller bowls that contain one-quarter of the batter in each bowl).

14. Tint one small bowl with red gel food coloring and the other small bowl of batter with green gel food coloring. Mix well to get a vibrant color. The larger bowl will remain white.

15. To make the striped effect: Add a little white batter to the center of the prepared crust. Next, add a dollop of green batter, followed by the white batter, and then the red batter. Repeat this pattern until all the batter is used up.

16. As you keep layering, the batter should spread and make concentric circles. In case the batter will not spread out the previous layer, gently shake the pan to make it spread.
17. Wrap the outside of the springform pan tightly with foil.
18. Place the springform pan inside a rimmed baking pan.
19. Pour hot water into the baking pan until it reaches halfway up the springform pan.
20. Bake for 90 minutes.

21. Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.

22. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

23. Before serving, top the cheesecake with sugared cranberries and decorate the edges with rosemary sprigs and more sugared cranberries.

Yield: 1

Christmas Cheesecake Recipe

Print

Christmas Cheesecake Recipe. Impress your friends and family with this gorgeous Christmas Cheesecake. You will delight your taste buds when you serve this dressed-up classic sour cream cheesecake recipe for the holidays. The beautiful swirls of color add a dash of magical wonder to match the holiday season and form a perfect holiday dessert.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

Cheesecake Crust

• 1½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
• ¼ cup Pecans
• ¼ cup White Sugar
• 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
• ¼ cup Butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling

• 16 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• ¼ cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 large Eggs
• 16 oz Sour Cream
• A few drops of Red Gel Food Color
• A few drops of Green Gel Food Color

Cheesecake Topping

• 3 sprigs fresh Rosemary, cut into small pieces, for garnish
• Sugared Cranberries, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cheesecake Crust
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Lightly grease a 9-inch spring-form pan.
4. Place the graham crackers and the pecans into a food processor and process them until powdered.
5. Add the sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter and pulse for 30 seconds until it resembles wet sand.
6. Press the graham cracker mixture onto the bottom of the prepared spring-form pan.
7. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.
8. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool to room temperature.
9. Cheesecake Filling
10. Reduce the heat of the oven to 325°F.
11. Using a stand mixer, in a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and lump-free.
12. Add the all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, and sugar to the cream cheese and beat for another minute.
13. Next, add the eggs and beat on the lowest setting until all the eggs are incorporated. Do not overbeat.
14. Fold in the sour cream by hand.
15. Divide the batter in half. Then further divide one half into two equal halves (you should have one bowl with half the batter, and two smaller bowls that contain one-quarter of the batter in each bowl).
16. Tint one small bowl with red gel food coloring and the other small bowl of batter with green gel food coloring. Mix well to get a vibrant color. The larger bowl will remain white.
17. To make the striped effect: Add a little white batter to the center of the prepared crust. Next, add a dollop of green batter, followed by the white batter and then the red batter. Repeat this pattern until all the batter is used up.
18. As you keep layering, the batter should spread and make concentric circles. In case the batter does not spread out the previous layer, gently shake the pan to make it spread.
19. Wrap the outside of the springform pan tightly with foil.
20. Place the springform pan inside a rimmed baking pan.
21. Pour hot water into the baking pan until it reaches halfway up the springform pan.
22. Bake for 90 minutes.
23. Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
24. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
25. Before serving, top cheesecake with sugared cranberries and decorate the edges with rosemary sprigs and more sugared cranberries.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Spode Christmas Tree Peppermint Dessert Tray
• 
  Godinger Dublin Crystal Rectangular Serving Tray, Clear
• 
  Cookie and Cake Carrier Container with Handle and Lid 4 Trays Cupcake Storage Transport Holder Box 2 Devil Eggs Trays Included

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 515Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 364mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 8g

Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.

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