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slice of sweet potato cheesecake on small white scalloped plate

Best Roasted Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

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  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Desserts & Sweets
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Southern

Description

This Sweet Potato Cheesecake is insanely delicious! It starts with sweet potatoes that caramelize during the roasting process; and then are pureed into a nice consistency to blend with the likes of cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, maple, warm spices, and more. Top with caramel sauce and a dollop of honey vanilla bean whipped cream for an extra razzle dazzle, mmm. This cheesecake recipe is beyond flavorful and a stunning dessert to whip up for the holidays or any other occasion!

Ingredients

For the gingersnap crust:

  • 14 ounces gingersnap cookies
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the sweet potato cheesecake batter:

  • 3 medium sweet potatoes, roasted, peeled & pureed in a food processor or blender- (about 2 cups)
  • 32 ounces full-fat cream cheese (block-style), room temperature
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 1 teaspoon maple flavor (or maple extract)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or all-purpose flour)

For the cheesecake topping (honey vanilla bean whipped cream & caramel sauce)- optional:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • Homemade or store-bought caramel sauce

Instructions

  1. Prep work before you begin this recipe: Start with roasting your sweet potatoes then puree them, and set aside until cooled and ready for use in the recipe. Make sure your cream cheese bricks, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature- I like to set these out about 1-2 hours before making the recipe.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9×3-inch springform pan with nonstick spray, and lay a sheet of parchment paper so it adheres to the bottom of the pan. Then fasten/buckle the springform pan mechanism and spray the entire bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  3. Make the gingersnap crust. Place the gingersnap cookies into the body of a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Then place the gingersnap crumbs into a large bowl and stir in the granulated sugar and melted butter, stirring the mixture until well combined with a sand-like consistency. Empty the crumbs into the prepared pan and use a measuring cup or glass to help you tightly pack the crumbs on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
  4. Bake the crust for 12 minutes at 350°F until lightly toasted and fragrant, and then set aside to cool while you prepare the cheesecake batter. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
  5. Make the sweet potato cheesecake batter. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and granulated and continue beating until well combined and lightly fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then add the roasted sweet potato puree and continue beating until fully combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated before adding in the next egg. Then add the sour cream, vanilla essence, maple essence, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, salt, and cornstarch and mix until everything is just incorporated. Note: Be careful not to over-mix the cheesecake batter as it may contribute to a cheesecake that cracks/collapses after baking. The key is to mix until the ingredients are just combined and then stop!
  6. Carefully empty the sweet potato cheesecake batter over the baked crust. Use an offset spatula or spoon to smooth the top of the cheesecake if needed. The next step involves cheesecake water bath prep, if you would like to skip this step, simply move on to the step below. Water bath prep: Tightly wrap the bottom of the springform pan in a good amount of foil (to prevent water from seeping in). Then place the assembled cheesecake into a large roasting pan or deep baking pan. Slowly pour enough boiling water into the larger pan (being careful not to splash any water onto the cheesecake) until the water reaches almost halfway up the springform pan. Then, very carefully, place the cheesecake in the oven.
  7. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 325°F or until the cheesecake edges are set and the center has the slightest jiggle when nudged. When done baking, turn off the oven, and remove the cheesecake from the water bath and discard the foil (if used), take the water bath pan out. Return the cheesecake to the oven by itself and leave the cheesecake in the oven for at least 1 hour. Then remove the cheesecake from the oven and set it on a cooling rack to continue cooling down to room temperature. Once the cheesecake is at room temperature, cover the top with foil and refrigerate overnight (ideally 8-10 hours).
  8. Make the cheesecake toppings, if desired. For the honey vanilla bean whipped cream: The whipped cream is best made fresh (not made ahead of time), ideally right before serving! Add the heavy cream, honey, and vanilla bean paste into a medium bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until the cream thickens and has a smooth, fluffy consistency. 
  9. Serving cheesecake. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer the cheesecake onto a serving platter or cake plate. You can pour the caramel sauce over the top of the cheesecake (enough so that it drips down the sides of the cheesecake) or feel free to drizzle the caramel sauce over cheesecake servings. You can garnish the cheesecake with spoonfuls of whipped cream or transfer it into a piping bag (I use an Ateco #849 closed-star piping tip) to pipe on the cheesecake if you’re feeling extra fancy. Slice cheesecake into wedges and serve. Enjoy!
  10. Storing cheesecake. First, always keep cheesecake chilled in the fridge! This cheesecake can be baked, cooled, assembled with toppings, and chilled in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before serving.

Notes

  1. Freezing cheesecake: You can freeze this sweet potato cheesecake if you’d like. However, I recommend freezing it with no toppings (caramel sauce + whipped cream) for the best texture. Wrap the chilled cheesecake well in plastic wrap and then wrap it in foil for good measure. The cheesecake will be good in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and serve chilled with caramel sauce and whipped cream garnishes, if desired.
  2. Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

Find it online: https://www.butterbeready.com/sweet-potato-cheesecake-with-gingersnap-crust/