This no bake eggnog cheesecake is spiced with vanilla bean and freshly grated nutmeg, with a buttery, salted graham cracker crust. It’s rich, creamy and smooth, full of delicious eggnog flavor that’s perfect for a Christmas dessert.
Looking for more holiday recipes? You’ll love this eggnog Christmas cake, bourbon eggnog no churn ice cream, and New Year’s Eve champagne cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No Bake Cheesecake Filling. This is a no bake recipe (except for the crust), and the filling is wonderfully light, creamy and mousse-like. It’s already quite rich, and doesn’t need a whipped cream topping. Personally, I felt that a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg on top was all it needed.
Perfect Holiday Dessert. Whether you need to use up some leftover eggnog, or you bought eggnog just to make this cheesecake, you’ll love the festive eggnog flavor for the holidays.
Made with Good Eggnog. The eggnog you use in this eggnog cheesecake is the star, so quality matters. Don’t use an off-brand that just tastes like vanilla-flavored milk or melted ice cream; go for the good stuff that is rich, eggy and heavy on the nutmeg. It can be boozy, if you like, but alcohol isn’t necessary. Now, “good eggnog” is completely subjective. The brand I like may not be one that you like. So try a few, see what tastes the best to you, and make a cheesecake that you’ll love. Personally, I’ve always loved the flavor and consistency of Royal Crest Dairy eggnog, but this year, Sprouts Organic eggnog became my favorite.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Graham Crackers. Cinnamon graham crackers are what I prefer for this recipe.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter, or reduce the added salt in the crust. The melted butter is what moistens the graham cracker crumbs and holds the crust together.
- Heavy Whipping Cream.
- Unflavored Powdered Gelatin. The gelatin helps the cheesecake to set.
- Cream Cheese. Use block cream cheese, preferably full fat, for the best texture and flavor.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens the filling. Don’t use granulated sugar, which will leave a grainy texture.
- Eggnog. Use a good quality eggnog for a rich, flavorful cheesecake.
- Vanilla + Nutmeg.
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and position a rack in the center of the oven. In a bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers and salt. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss with a fork until moistened.
- Press against the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch springform pan with removable sides. Bake for 8 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant; set aside to cool completely.
Cheesecake
- Pour the cream into a microwave-safe dish. Add the gelatin and whisk with a fork to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; it will be thick and clumpy. Microwave on high for 30-60 seconds to completely dissolve the gelatin. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth.
- Gradually beat in the eggnog, then the vanilla bean paste, nutmeg and cream/gelatin mixture.
- Immediately spread over the cooled crust and smooth out the top. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
- Run a sharp knife around the sides before opening the pan to remove the sides. Decorate the top of the cheesecake with crumbled graham crackers or biscoff cookies and more freshly grated nutmeg.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cheesecake should be kept in the refrigerator, covered loosely with plastic wrap, and eaten within 2-3 days.
My personal favorites are Royal Crest Dairy and Sprouts Organic, but Meadow Gold would be my backup choice.
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No Bake Eggnog Cheesecake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
- 8-inch Springform Pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham crackers
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 envelope (1/4 oz or 7 grams) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 lb cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup eggnog
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and position a rack in the center of the oven. In a bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers and salt. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss with a fork until moistened.
- Press against the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch springform pan with removable sides. Bake for 8 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant; set aside to cool completely.
Cheesecake
- Pour the cream into a microwave-safe dish. Add the gelatin and whisk with a fork to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; it will be thick and clumpy. Microwave on high for 30-60 seconds to completely dissolve the gelatin. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth.
- Gradually beat in the eggnog, then the vanilla bean paste, nutmeg and cream/gelatin mixture.
- Immediately spread over the cooled crust and smooth out the top. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
- Run a sharp knife around the sides before opening the pan to remove the sides. Decorate the top of the cheesecake with crumbled graham crackers or biscoff cookies and more freshly grated nutmeg.
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