With a name like Grandbaby Cakes, it kinda goes without saying I’m usually in charge of dessert when the holidays roll around. And I ain’t mad about it! I love when I get to make something like this sweet potato cheesecake for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. It’s got the soul of a classic sweet potato pie, baked up into a sweet potato cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. Get into it boos.
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How to Make This Sweet Potato Cheesecake
These step-by-step photos show how to make a sweet potato pie cheesecake, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Sweet Potato Cheesecake Recipe
1. Press the gingersnap crust into your pan
Mix the gingersnap crumbs, sugar, and melted butter, press into the bottom of your prepared springform pan, and bake until set.
2. Mix the sweet potato cheesecake filling
Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and sugars until smooth, then mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the sweet potatoes, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
PRO TIP: Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs into an even layer, getting all the way to the edges so the crust holds together when sliced.
3. Pour the filling over the baked crust
Scrape the filling into your springform pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
4. Bake, chill, and garnish your cheesecake
Bake the cheesecake, then turn off the oven and let it sit inside with the door closed until mostly cooled. Transfer to the fridge and chill overnight. Once fully chilled, garnish with caramel sauce, nuts, and whipped cream!
Full Sweet Potato Cheesecake Recipe
Sweet Potato Cheesecake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ½ cups crushed biscoff cookies or gingersnaps
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
For the Cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 3 blocks
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- ⅓-⅔ cup granulated sugar See tip below!
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes See tip below!
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon McCormick pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon McCormick ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon McCormick ground nutmeg
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with non-stick baking spray. Make sure it is completely secure.
- Whisk together gingersnaps, sugar, and butter.
- Press gingersnap crust into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes then set aside.
For the Cheesecake
- Add cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, brown sugar and granulated sugar to the mixing bowl and mix for about 4-5 minutes on high speed until well mixed.
- Mix in four eggs in one at a time until well incorporated then add in sweet potatoes and blend well.
- Slow mixer down to medium low and add flour, vanilla, ground cinnamon and nutmeg then add mixture into the springform pan.
- Bake for 1 hour then turn off oven and leave cheesecake in the oven with door closed for 4 hours. Remove cheesecake from oven and refrigerate overnight.
- Serve with melted Biscoff cookie butter or caramel sauce, nuts and whipped cream if desired.
Notes
How to Store
- Fridge: Keep your cheesecake in the fridge, wrapped tight or stored in an airtight container. If you’re using plastic wrap, stick a few toothpicks on top to keep it from messing up the surface. Hold off on the caramel and pecans until the day you serve it so it stays looking fresh. It’ll last up to a week if stored right.
- Freezer: Let it chill on a parchment-lined sheet first (whole or sliced), then move it to an airtight container. It’ll keep for about a month. Just thaw in the fridge whenever you wanna enjoy it.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Start with room temp dairy. Let your cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream sit out so everything mixes smoothly.
- Bake your sweet potatoes, don’t boil them. You’ll get a deeper flavor and a natural sweetness that really sets off the whole cheesecake.
- Plan ahead and don’t rush it. This sweet potato cheesecake needs time to bake, cool, and chill overnight so it sets up right.
- Take your time with the springform pan. Once the cheesecake is fully chilled, run a knife around the edge gently before releasing the latch. Keep the bottom of the pan under the cheesecake to help you move it without any mess.
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Recipe Help
You can, but I prefer the flavor of freshly baked sweet potatoes. If you’re short on time, use thick, plain, unsweetened sweet potato puree. Drain any separated liquid and skip sweet potatoes packed in syrup.
The edges should be set, and the center should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan. It shouldn’t look liquid or slosh around. Start checking around the one-hour mark.
Cold cream cheese or chunky sweet potatoes can leave lumps in the filling. Let your cream cheese soften fully and mash the sweet potatoes until smooth before mixing.
Overmixing, overbaking, or cooling too quickly can cause cracks, boo. Mix on medium once the flour goes in, and stop baking when the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. If your cheesecake is already cracked, cover it with the toppings!
It could be underbaked or have too much moisture from the sweet potatoes. Use thick, smooth mash and check that the edges are set before turning off the oven. More fridge time won’t fix an underbaked filling, y’all.
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Does it need to place in a waterbath?
Nope, you don’t need a water bath for this sweet potato cheesecake! Just follow the baking and cooling instructions in the recipe. Letting it cool gradually helps keep the cheesecake from cracking.
What is the recipe for the top filling of the cheesecake that’s displayed in the photo?
That topping is whipped cream, caramel sauce, and chopped nuts. The whipped cream is spread over the fully chilled cheesecake, then drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with the nuts. If you’re asking for the exact whipped cream recipe used here, let me know and I can help with that!
I would love to make mini ones. How long should I bake and is the process the same with leaving them in the oven? Thank you.
I haven’t tested this recipe as mini cheesecakes, so I can’t give exact bake times or conversions. You would still want to use a water bath to keep the texture smooth and prevent cracking, but the cook time will definitely be shorter. If you try it, just keep a close eye on them and look for set edges with a slight jiggle in the center.
Hi! This recipe yielded to be about 2 cheesecakes. How can I cut the ingredients to equal one cheesecake?
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying the recipe. It should actually make one 9-inch cheesecake as written, so if yours filled two pans, it sounds like something may have been measured a little differently (sweet potato volume or cream cheese size can change total batter volume quite a bit).
If you’d like to scale it down to half, divide each ingredient by 2 and bake in one 9-inch pan. Hope that helps, and so glad you enjoyed it!