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Sugar Cookie Cheesecake is baked up with a sugar cookie crust and uses a secret ingredient in the cheesecake filling. This cheesecake is sweet and fun, and super unique to serve up for the holidays!
I’m pretty sure it’s officially winter here in Ohio considering we got about 10 inches of snow yesterday and the temps are downright frigid.
However, that didn’t stop Eric from snow-blowing for no less than 4 hours, or Elle from sledding down a ramp our neighbors made well into the evening hours.
As for me, I stayed inside, organized my kitchen cupboards and planned all the yummy festive desserts that I’ll be sharing with you this month – starting with this Sugar Cookie Cheesecake.
WHAT MAKES THIS A SUGAR COOKIE CHEESECAKE?
You know what the holiday season brings to mind for me almost every year? Endless sugar cookies.
From soft frosted sugar cookies to decorated sugar cookies, I just love ’em. They’re entirely too poppable, too. That’s why usually, when I whip them up for cookie exchanges, I bake only enough for the cookie exchange.
Otherwise we’d have a real problem around here.
A few years ago I discovered the magic that is sugar cookie-flavored coffee creamer. Oh boy, you guys. I was instantly smitten.
I’ve used flavored coffee creamer in my Hot Cocoa Cheesecake, so I knew that using my beloved sugar cookie creamer would make for an amazing cheesecake, too.
But coffee creamer in the filling isn’t the only thing giving this cheesecake it’s sugar cookie flavor. We’re going to use sugar cookies in the crust, too!
I know a graham cracker crust is traditional, but you’ve got to go with crunchy sugar cookies as a cheesecake crust at least once in your life.
And for one last shot of sugar cookie flavor, I whipped up a mix of heavy cream and the sugar cookie creamer and used that in place of homemade whipped cream on the top of the cheesecake.
Top it all off with some colorful sprinkles and you’ve got a cheesecake that’s fun, festive, and so delicious.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Start by mixing together sugar cookie crumbs and melted butter for the crust. Press this into the bottom of a springform pan and bake it for about 8 minutes.
Once the crust is ready, grab the ingredients for your Sugar Cookie Cheesecake filling:
- 32 ounces (4 8-oz blocks) cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar cookie-flavored coffee creamer
Making the filling will be very similar to making a Vanilla Cheesecake. We’re just leaving out the vanilla extract and using the flavored coffee creamer in place of the heavy cream!
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and mix until combined.
Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to use room temperature eggs and scrape down the bowl between each egg.
Finally, add the coffee creamer and mix until smooth.
Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake the cheesecake in a water bath for 55-60 minutes. When it’s done, the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it.
At this point, turn off the oven, but leave the door cracked and allow the cheesecake to rest in the cooling oven for one hour.
Once one hour has passed, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before placing it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
DO I HAVE TO BAKE THIS IN A WATER BATH?
I know, I know. Baking cheesecake in a water bath is intimidating.
But I promise it’s not as hard as it looks! I wrote up a handy guide to teach you how to bake cheesecake in a water bath.
But if you still aren’t sure about it, you can always skip the water bath. The top of your cheesecake might crack, but use some of the sugar cookie whipped cream to cover it up.
After all, I don’t think anyone would be mad about extra whipped cream on top of their slice of Sugar Cookie Cheesecake!
Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 8 ounces crispy sugar cookies* crushed in a food processor until they form fine crumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 32 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sugar cookie-flavored coffee creamer
For the sugar cookie whipped cream:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sugar cookie-flavored coffee creamer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Tightly wrap a 9 inch springform pan in heavy duty foil. This step prevents leaks when using a water bath. I also take the extra step by placing the foil wrapped spring form pan inside an oven bag while baking, but this is optional.
- Mix together the crust ingredients and press into the bottom of your pan. Bake for 8 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Begin to boil a pot or kettle of water for the water bath.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with your paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add coffee creamer and mix until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared crust. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.
- Bake 55-60 minutes, the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. At this point, turn off the oven, but leave the door cracked and allow the cheesecake to rest in the cooling oven for one hour.
- After one hour has passed, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled, place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
- Before serving, whip together heavy cream and coffee creamer until stiff peaks are formed. Serve whipped cream alongside the cheesecake or pipe on top and add festive sprinkles.
Notes
- *I used about 18 Pepperidge Farm Sugar Cookies (a little less than 2 5.25-ounce bags)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
When did u take the cheese cake out of the pan ? After it sits for an hour in the oven or after it sits in the fridge for 8 hrs?
I remove it from the pan once it has been refrigerated. Hope this helps!
-Jamie
I can’t wait to try this recipe! One question, though…. Could you add some unflavored gelatin to whipped cream to stabilize? Or would that mess it up?
Hi Lyndz-
I haven’t tried that, so I am not sure how it’ll work. If you give it a go, please let me know.
-Jamie
When doing the water bath, I use 3 pans, the springform pan inside a bigger cake pan and lastly a disposable tinfoil roasting pan. I pour the cheesecake into the springform pan put that into the cake pan and lastly the tinfoil pan. Put all 3 in the oven add the boiling water to the tinfoil pan. No need to worry about a soggy crust.
Great tip, Lisa! Thanks for sharing!
This was delicious…thank you. My family enjoyed it too. However, the whipped cream did not come out. I don’t know if you used liquid coffee creamer, but it did not work for me. I was in the store about a week later and saw powdered coffee creamer. I was thinking I should’ve done that.
Hi Barb –
Yes, I used liquid creamer. Glad the cheesecake turned out well for you.
Happy New Year!
-Jamie