Soulitinerary

This Eggnog Cheesecake is rich, creamy, and warmly spiced with classic holiday flavor!

An Eggnog Cheesecake is what happens when the most indulgent holiday drink meets the most luxurious dessert!

Ingredients For The Eggnog Cheesecake

The Toasty Crust

• Graham Cracker Crumbs – 2 cups (about 14 full sheets, crushed fine)
• Crushed fine means sand-like, not gravel. Gravel makes a crust that crumbles like a bad promise.
• Brown Sugar – 3 tbsp (packed). This adds caramel depth that plays beautifully with eggnog spice.
• Ground Cinnamon – ½ tsp
• Fine Salt – ¼ tsp
• Unsalted Butter – 7 tbsp, melted and still warm. Warm butter binds better. Cold butter clumps and leaves dry pockets.

Optional But Brilliant:

• Fresh Nutmeg – ⅛ tsp, finely grated into the crumbs. This is the little whisper that makes people go, “What is that?”

The Cheesecake Filling

• Full-Fat Cream Cheese – 32 oz (4 blocks), softened to room temp. Room temp means your finger presses in easily without resistance. Cold cream cheese equals lumpy batter.
• Granulated Sugar – 1 cup
• All-Purpose Flour – 2 tbsp. This stabilizes the filling and gives you that creamy-set texture.
• Sour Cream – ¾ cup, room temp. Tangy balance. Also helps prevent cracking.
• Eggnog – 1 cup, room temp. Use a good store-bought eggnog you enjoy drinking. If you hate the taste, don’t trap it in cheesecake.
• Large Eggs – 3, room temp
• Egg Yolks – 2, room temp. Yolks add richness and that custardy mouthfeel that screams “holiday.”
• Pure Vanilla Extract – 2 tsp
• Ground Nutmeg – 1¼ tsp (plus extra for dusting)
• Ground Cinnamon – ½ tsp
• Fine Salt – ¼ tsp
• Optional Rum Extract – ½ tsp. This gives classic eggnog “spirit” flavor without alcohol.

The Creamy Snowcap Topping

• Heavy Cream – 1 cup, cold
• Powdered Sugar – 2 tbsp
• Vanilla Extract – ½ tsp
• Pinch Of Nutmeg – tiny pinch, for perfume

Optional: White Chocolate Shavings Or Cinnamon Dust – for garnish

Before You Start, Set Yourself Up For A Flawless Cheesecake

Bring Everything To Room Temperature

Take out cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, yolks, and eggnog at least 1 hour before mixing. This is the difference between silky cheesecake and batter that looks like it’s holding grudges.

Crust Instructions: Build A Base That Holds Its Own

1) Crush The Crackers Like You Mean It

You want fine crumbs. Use a food processor for 20–30 seconds, or put crackers in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin until they look like sandy beach territory.

2) Mix The Dry Ingredients First

In a bowl, combine:

• Graham cracker crumbs
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Optional nutmeg

Stir until the color looks even. If you see streaks of brown sugar clumps, keep stirring.

3) Add Melted Butter And Press Like A Pro

• Pour in the warm melted butter and mix until every crumb looks lightly glossy. Grab a handful and squeeze—if it holds together, you’re golden.
• Press into the bottom of the pan, then press slightly up the sides (about ½ inch). Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it down firmly. Loose crust equals crumbling slices. Firm crust equals confidence.

4) Bake The Crust

• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove and cool while you make the filling.

The Filling: The “Silky Custard, No Drama” Method

1) Beat Cream Cheese Until It’s Smooth, Not Fluffy

• In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese on medium-low for 2 full minutes.
• You’re not whipping air into it like frosting. You’re smoothing it into velvet. Scrape the bowl and beaters halfway through. This is where lumps die.

2) Add Sugar And Flour Slowly

• Add the sugar and flour, then mix on low for 1 minute.
• Scrape the bowl again. If you skip scraping, your batter holds little cream cheese surprises, and nobody wants that in a “best on the internet” cheesecake.

3) Add Sour Cream, Vanilla, Spices, Salt

Add:

• Sour cream
• Vanilla
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Optional rum extract
• Mix on low for 30–40 seconds, just until smooth.

Pause. Smell it. This is the holiday part. It should smell like warm vanilla spice, not like raw flour or a spice rack fight.

4) Add Eggnog In A Thin Stream

• With the mixer on low, pour eggnog in slowly. Mix just until combined.
• You’re building a custard, not a milkshake. Slow and steady keeps the texture tight and creamy.

5) Add Eggs And Yolks One At A Time

• Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low for 10 seconds each.
• Then add yolks, one at a time, mixing briefly.
• Stop mixing the moment the batter looks uniform. Overmixing eggs whips in air, and air expands in the oven, and then your cheesecake cracks like it’s under stress.

Optional Luxury Move: Strain The Batter

Pour the batter through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl. This removes any tiny lumps and makes the texture absurdly smooth. If you want “bakery slice,” do it.

1) Wrap The Pan Like You’re Protecting A Secret

Wrap the outside of your springform pan in two layers of foil, covering the bottom and sides tightly. This blocks water from sneaking in and ruining your crust.

2) Place In Roasting Pan

Set the foil-wrapped springform in a large roasting pan.

3) Pour Batter Into Crust

Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Tap the pan gently on the counter 2–3 times to release trapped air bubbles.

4) Add Hot Water

Place the roasting pan on the oven rack first (so you don’t spill boiling water on yourself like a holiday tragedy), then carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake Time: The Exact Doneness Cues

Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 70–80 minutes.

Here’s what “done” looks like:

• The edges are set and slightly puffed.
• The center (about 3 inches wide) jiggles like a calm belly laugh, not like soup.
• If you have a thermometer, the center reads 150°F (66°C).
• If it looks completely firm in the center while still in the oven, it’s overbaked and will taste dry. You want a gentle wobble.

Cooling: The Part Most People Rush And Regret

1) Turn Off Oven, Crack The Door

When bake time is done:

• Turn off the oven.
• Crack the oven door open 2–3 inches.
• Let the cheesecake sit inside for 60 minutes.

This prevents sudden temperature shock—the number one reason cheesecakes crack like they’ve been through something.

2) Cool At Room Temperature

• Remove from oven and water bath. Peel off foil carefully.
• Let it cool at room temp for 1 more hour.

3) Chill Overnight For The Best Texture

• Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight.
• Cheesecake is like a good story: it needs time to set, deepen, and become unforgettable.

Whipped Topping: A Creamy Snowcap That Doesn’t Collapse

1) Whip Cold Cream

In a cold bowl, whip heavy cream on medium-high until it starts to thicken.

2) Add Sugar And Flavor

Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and the tiniest pinch of nutmeg. Continue whipping until you get stiff peaks—meaning when you lift the whisk, the peak stands tall without drooping.

3) Spread Or Pipe

Spread over the chilled cheesecake in a thick, swoopy layer, or pipe decorative swirls if you’re feeling festive and slightly dramatic.

Finish with:

• A dusting of nutmeg
• Optional white chocolate shavings
• Or a soft cinnamon sprinkle

If you want the kind of dessert that turns a holiday gathering into a quiet, reverent chewing session, Eggnog Cheesecake is the move. You’ve got a toasty crust, a silky spiced filling, a crack-proof bake method, and a topping that looks like winter landed gently on your table.

Make it once, and every December after that, someone will ask for your Eggnog Cheesecake like it’s tradition—because at that point, it is.