Description
This Sugar Cookie Cheesecake blends the delightful flavors of festive sugar cookies and creamy cheesecake. Featuring a sugar cookie crust, cookie dough balls baked into the cheesecake, and finished with a luscious white chocolate ganache topped with sprinkles, it's a perfect celebratory dessert for holidays or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Sugar Cookie Crust
- 1 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 Large egg, room temperature
- 1 Egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/3 cup Christmas sprinkles, jimmies
Cookie Dough Balls
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 3 TBSP Milk
- 1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles, jimmies
Cheesecake
- 24 oz Cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Sour cream, room temperature or Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 4 Large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 Cookie dough balls
White Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup White chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup Heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare Sugar Cookie Crust: Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a 9-inch parchment paper circle, spraying it again. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Add vanilla, egg, and egg yolk; mix on medium until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in Christmas sprinkles. Press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan, not up the sides. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden on top.
- Make Cookie Dough Balls: While crust bakes, pre-bake 1 1/2 cups flour on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes and let cool. In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and milk; mix on medium until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in Christmas sprinkles. Roll dough into dime-to-nickel-sized balls on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Freeze in the freezer until firm.
- Prepare Cheesecake Batter: Preheat oven to 325℉. Start hot water bath preparation. Beat cream cheese and sugar on high for 2 minutes, scraping bowl halfway. Add sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla; mix on medium until smooth with no lumps. Add eggs; mix on low until just combined. Fold in 3/4 of cookie dough balls gently with a spatula.
- Assemble and Bake Cheesecake: Pour batter over cooled crust. Prepare water bath by either placing the springform pan into a 10-inch cake pan inside a roasting pan filled halfway with hot water, or wrapping the springform pan in foil and placing it in a roasting pan with hot water halfway up the pan. Bake cheesecake for 90 minutes until edges are set and center jiggles slightly. Turn off oven, crack door open, and let cheesecake cool inside for 30 minutes to prevent cracking.
- Cool and Chill: Remove cheesecake from oven, place on cooling rack, and cool completely. Wrap pan in foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight for best results.
- Make White Chocolate Ganache: Place white chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat heavy cream over medium heat until hot and steaming. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit 2 minutes. Stir until smooth, reheating in microwave for 20-second intervals if needed.
- Finish Cheesecake: Remove chilled cheesecake from pan and parchment. Pour white chocolate ganache over the top. Place cheesecake in freezer for 10 minutes to set ganache. Garnish with remaining cookie dough balls and Christmas sprinkles before serving.
Notes
- Pull out all dairy ingredients at least 2 hours before baking to ensure they are at room temperature for better mixing.
- Pre-baking the flour for the cookie dough balls ensures the cookie browning and flavor.
- Using a water bath prevents cracking and promotes even baking of the cheesecake.
- Make sure the cookie dough balls are frozen firm before folding into the batter to avoid melting.
- Allow the cheesecake to chill overnight for best texture and flavor development.
- Wrap the springform pan very tightly in foil to prevent water from leaking into the cake during the water bath.
- If white chocolate ganache is grainy, gently reheat and stir until smooth for the perfect finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
