Sweet Potato Cheesecake

This irresistibly creamy sweet potato cheesecake features a spiced gingersnap crust and a cloud-like filling packed with freshly roasted sweet potatoes. If you love baking with sweet potatoes, this dreamy dessert will become your new fall favorite. Perfect for holiday gatherings or anytime you’re craving something special!

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Cheesecake

• Light and fluffy, almost mousse-like texture
• Made with real roasted sweet potatoes (no canned filling!)
• Warmly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom
• Gingersnap crust adds the perfect spicy crunch
• Easier to source ingredients than pumpkin cheesecake
• Perfect make-ahead dessert for holidays
• Customizable toppings like salted caramel and whipped cream

I’ll let you in on a little secret – I’ve never been the biggest cheesecake fan. But this sweet potato version? It completely changed my mind! The magic happens when you combine over a pound of roasted sweet potatoes with cream cheese and warm fall spices. The result is incredibly light and fluffy, like biting into a spiced autumn cloud.

What makes this cheesecake extra special is roasting the sweet potatoes low and slow. This natural process allows the starches to convert to sugars, creating an amazingly rich, caramelized flavor that you just can’t get from quick-cooking methods. Trust me, it’s worth the extra time!

Ingredients Overview

Let’s walk through everything you’ll need to create this velvety sweet potato cheesecake that’s perfect for fall baking!

• Sweet Potatoes: The star of our show! You’ll need about 2 pounds of raw sweet potatoes to yield 2 cups of puree. Look for deep orange ones – they’re typically sweeter and more flavorful. Just like in my favorite classic pudding recipes, the natural sweetness really shines through.
• Cream Cheese: Four 8-ounce blocks at room temperature – this is non-negotiable! Cold cream cheese leads to lumps, and nobody wants that. I always use full-fat for the richest texture.
• Gingersnap Cookies: These create our perfectly spiced crust. If you can’t find them, graham crackers plus our spice blend work beautifully too.
• Fall Spices: My signature blend includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a touch of cardamom. This combination makes the cheesecake taste like autumn in every bite!

Success Tips & Tricks

Want to make this cheesecake absolutely perfect? Here are my tried-and-true tips that make this recipe shine every time – just like my cheesecake cookies!

1. Roast Those Sweet Potatoes Right: Place them in a cold oven, then set to 350°F. This slow warm-up activates those amazing amylase enzymes that transform starch into natural sugars. Trust me, it’s worth the extra time!
2. Master the Water Bath: Don’t skip this step! It prevents cracks and ensures that silky-smooth texture. My pan-in-pan method eliminates the need for foil wrapping – simply nest your 9-inch springform pan inside a 10-inch cake pan.
3. Room Temperature Is Key: Every single cold ingredient needs to come to room temperature – eggs, cream cheese, even the sweet potato puree if you made it ahead. This ensures everything blends together like a dream.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s break down how to make this dreamy sweet potato cheesecake! The process is simpler than you might think, especially when we tackle it in stages.

1. Prepare the Crust:
   – Pulse 2 cups gingersnap cookies until finely ground
   – Mix with 1/4 cup melted butter and press into springform pan
   – Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then cool completely
2. Roast Sweet Potatoes:
   – Place whole sweet potatoes in cold oven
   – Heat to 350°F and roast for 1.5-2 hours until fork-tender
   – Let cool, then peel and puree until smooth
3. Make the Filling:
   – Beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy
   – Mix in sugar and spices until just combined
   – Add sweet potato puree and vanilla
   – Gently incorporate eggs one at a time
4. Assemble and Bake:
   – Pour filling into cooled crust
   – Place pan in water bath
   – Bake at 325°F for 75-85 minutes until edges are set but center jiggles slightly
   – Cool in oven with door cracked for 1 hour

Just like my favorite strawberry swirl cheesecake, this recipe needs time to set properly. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Recipe Variations

While this sweet potato cheesecake is perfect as-is, there are so many fun ways to customize it! If you love experimenting like I do with my cheesecake brownies, here are some delicious variations:

• Crust Options:
  – Use graham crackers with added fall spices
  – Try a pecan crust for extra nutty flavor
  – Make an oatmeal cookie crust
• Topping Ideas:
  – Crown with maple-whipped cream
  – Drizzle with bourbon caramel sauce
  – Sprinkle with candied pecans
  – Add a layer of cheesecake swirl on top
• Flavor Twists:
  – Add 1/4 cup bourbon to the filling
  – Incorporate maple extract
  – Swirl in crushed pecans
  – Mix in crystallized ginger pieces

Remember to store your cheesecake in the refrigerator, where it’ll keep beautifully for up to 5 days. You can also freeze individual slices for up to 2 months – perfect for when those cheesecake cravings hit!

FAQs & Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Oh my goodness, friends – this sweet potato cheesecake is pure magic! Every time I make it, people can’t believe the secret ingredient is sweet potatoes. The texture is like biting into a cloud, and those warm fall spices make it absolutely perfect for holiday gatherings.

Whether you’re a cheesecake pro or trying your first one, don’t be nervous! Just take it step by step, and remember – even if it’s not picture-perfect, it’ll still taste amazing. Trust me, once you try this recipe, it’ll become your new fall favorite. Pop a photo on Instagram and tag me – I absolutely love seeing your creations in the kitchen!

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

A gingersnap crust and classic warming fall spices make this Sweet Potato Cheesecake deliciously light and fluffy, full of freshly-roasted sweet potatoes.

Prep Time: 2 hours hours

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

6 days days

Total Time: 9 hours hours

Servings: 12

Pin Recipe Print Recipe Rate Recipe

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 1/4 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (312 grams)
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (85 grams)
• ▢ 2 pounds sweet potatoes approx. (907 grams)
• ▢ 24 ounces cream cheese (681 grams), room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar (99 grams)
• ▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar (106 grams)
• ▢ 2/3 cup sour cream (151 grams)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ whipped cream
• ▢ salted caramel sauce

Instructions

• Use a fork or a knife to puncture several deep slits in the sweet potatoes. Place on a baking sheet and set on the middle rack of a cold oven. Set the temperature to 350 °F and roast the sweet potatoes until fork-tender, 90 to 120 minutes. Once soft, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, slice them open, and scoop the flesh from inside the skin. Using a food processor or blender, puree the sweet potato flesh until completely smooth. Set aside to cool (this step can be done up to two days in advance; refrigerate the sweet potato puree once cooled.)
  2 pounds sweet potatoes
• Combine the finely-crushed gingersnap crumbs and melted butter until thoroughly mixed. Press this mixture into a 9-inch springform pan across the bottom and extending 1 to 2-inches up the sides. Bake at 350 °F for 12 minutes, then set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 °F.
  2 1/4 cups crushed gingersnap cookies, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and both sugars until creamy and well combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the sour cream, 2 cups (565 grams) of mashed sweet potatoes, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, stirring until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each in and scraping down the sides and along the bottom of the bowl. Do not over-mix the cheesecake – this makes it more likely to crack.
  24 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2/3 cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3 large eggs
• Wrap the springform pan in 3 layers of aluminum foil, or create a pan-in-pan water bath by placing the 9-inch springform pan inside a 10-inch cake pan (both pans together will be placed inside the water bath). Pour the cheesecake batter into the gingersnap cookie crust.
• Place the springform pan or larger 10-inch cake pan inside a larger roasting pan and add hot water until the water level comes approximately halfway up the sides of the springform pan (or the outer cake pan). Bake at 325 °F for 75 minutes, or until the edges have set but a 3 to 4-inch diameter circle in the center of the cheesecake still jiggles. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; cool in the warm oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before placing it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight before unmolding from the springform pan.
• If desired, top slices of the cheesecake with whipped cream and salted caramel sauce.
  whipped cream, salted caramel sauce

Notes

1. If you can’t find gingersnap cookies, use this graham cracker crust recipe and add in 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
2. If the salted caramel is too thick to drizzle, microwave the sauce for 15-20 seconds before drizzling it over the cheesecake.
3. The sweet potatoes can be roasted, pureed, and refrigerated for up to two days before making the cheesecake. Allow the sweet potatoes to come to room temperature before adding them to the cheesecake batter.
4. Sweet potato cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.