Gingerbread Caramel Cheesecake
This Gingerbread Caramel Cheesecake is rich, cozy, and full of warm spice. It has a buttery Biscoff cookie crust, a gingerbread-spiced cheesecake filling swirled with caramel, and an extra drizzle of caramel on top because that part is non-negotiable. It’s festive without being fussy and perfect for the holidays – or any cold winter weekend.
Ingredient notes & substitutions
See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient list & quantities.
- Biscoff cookies make such a great base to this cheesecake. They already contain sugar & salt, so there’s no added sugar or salt needed in the crust. You can also use graham crackers!
- Unsalted butter is used in the crust to bind the crushed cookies and adds the best flavor.
- My homemade salted caramel is used in this recipe, but store-bought works as well. It’s swirled in the cheesecake filling before baked and, of course, doused on top when finished baking 🙂
- Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese for the filling. Do not use whipped or tub cream cheese, we want block-style.
- Granulated sugar adds just the right sweetness to the filling.
- Sour cream is used for the creamiest cheesecake filling, full-fat sour cream is preferable for moisture & richness. This can be replaced with full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Spices likes cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg add the best flavor to the cheesecake filling.
Step by step instructions
See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full recipe instructions.
STEP 1: Make the homemade salted caramel per the recipe instructions. Store-bought also works!
STEP 2: Prepare the crust. Crush the Biscoff cookies into a fine crumb using a food processor, or crush them in a plastic bag. Mix with melted butter until combined.
STEP 3: Pre-bake the crust. Press the mixture up the sides & into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Pre-bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F.
STEP 4: Make the cheesecake filling. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and mix until combined.
STEP 5: Swirl with caramel. Pour half of the filling on top of the pre-baked crust and drizzle roughly 3 tablespoons on top. Swirl into the batter with a knife. Add the remaining filling and repeat with an additional 3 tablespoons.
STEP 6: Bake! Place the pan on the center rack directly above the water bath & bake at 325F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn the oven off & leave the cheesecake to cool in the warm oven with the door cracked open for 45 minutes. Store in the fridge for 4-5 hours, but preferably overnight, until set. Spoon the rest of the caramel on top of the cheesecake. Slice & enjoy!
Expert baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a kitchen scale is more accurate than cup measurements, and it’s easier cleanup!
- Room temperature ingredients. Using room temperature ingredients (especially the cream cheese!) is KEY for a creamy cheesecake filling with no lumps. If the ingredients are too cold, it will be difficult to achieve a completely smooth & combined mixture.
- Don’t skip the water bath. A water bath helps prevent sinkage, cracking, etc. It’s one extra step that will make the world of a difference!
- Cooling the cheesecake is a crucial step. The cheesecake should be left in the oven (turned off) to cool with the door cracked open. This will allow the cheesecake to continue to bake while it deflates and cools in a warm environment, preventing any cracks.
Recipe FAQ
A water bath helps a cheesecake bake gently and evenly. It prevents the edges from overbaking while the center finishes setting, reduces the chances of cracking, and keeps the texture smooth and creamy instead of dry or dense.
Preferably the cheesecake is made the day/night before serving, giving the cheesecake time to set in the fridge. The salted caramel can certainly be made in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
Swirling salted caramel into the top of a cheesecake can make cracking more likely because it changes how the surface bakes. Caramel is denser than cheesecake batter and tends to set more quickly, which can create tension as the cheesecake continues baking and cooling. That said, any cracks are purely cosmetic – and since this cheesecake gets another generous drizzle of caramel on top before serving, no one will ever know 🙂
The cheesecake is done when the edges have puffed up and the center still gives a little jiggle.
Baking in grams
I rely on gram measurements when testing recipes because they offer the highest level of accuracy (and less cleanup!). Unlike volume measurements, which can vary, grams provide a reliable and consistent standard. I carefully test all of my recipes using this kitchen scale, therefore I cannot guarantee the outcome when using volume measurements. However, volume measurements are available in the recipe card.
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Gingerbread Caramel Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 300 grams Biscoff cookie crumbs, about 30-32 cookies
- 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 pounds full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 160 grams (2/3 cup) sour cream, room temperature
Instructions
- Make the linked salted caramel recipe.homemade salted caramel
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the cookies until they turn into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix until combined.300 grams Biscoff cookie crumbs, 85 grams unsalted butter
- Press the mixture up the sides and into the bottom of the pan. I usually work my way around the sides first, then pack down the bottom.
- Smooth the crust with the bottom of a measuring cup, back of a spoon, etc. Pre-bake for 10-12 minutes or once it looks golden brown. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the cheesecake filling.
- Lower the oven temperature to 325F & place a roasting pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Place a pot of water over medium-high heat on the stove, cover, and bring to a boil. This will be for the water bath.
- Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined. Scrape down the bowl.2 pounds full fat cream cheese, 200 grams granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream. Fold the batter to ensure the ingredients have fully incorporated.4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 160 grams sour cream
- At this point, the water should be boiling. Carefully pour the water into the roasting pan inside the oven.
- Pour half the mixture into the pre-baked crust & top with approximately 3 tablespoons of salted caramel. Swirl into the cake with a knife. Add the remaining batter and repeat with another 3 tablespoons of caramel. Bake on the center rack directly above the water bath for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the edges have puffed up and the center still gives a little jiggle.
- Turn the oven off & leave the cheesecake to cool in the warm oven with the door cracked open for 45 minutes.
- Store the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours but ideally overnight until set. Once ready to serve, top with the remaining salted caramel. Enjoy!
