Description
This Sugar Cookie Cheesecake recipe combines a buttery sugar cookie crust with creamy cheesecake and festive cookie dough balls mixed into the batter and sprinkled on top. Finished with a luscious white chocolate ganache, this dessert is perfect for holiday celebrations or any special occasion.
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 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 TBSP Milk
- 1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles, jimmies
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
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
- 4 Large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cookie dough balls (from above)
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
White Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup White chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup Heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare the crust base: Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking nonstick spray. Line the bottom with a 9-inch parchment paper circle and spray again. Set aside.
- Bake flour for dough balls: Place 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes to toast slightly. Let it cool.
- Mix dry ingredients for crust: In a medium bowl, combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar for crust: Using a mixer, beat 3/4 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup white granulated sugar on high speed for 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients to crust: Add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 large egg, and 1 egg yolk to the butter mixture. Mix on medium until fully combined.
- Combine dry and sprinkles for crust: Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Then fold in 1/3 cup Christmas sprinkles.
- Press crust in pan: Pour the cookie dough into the springform pan and use your hands to press it evenly across the bottom; it does not need to extend up the sides.
- Bake crust: Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden on top. Remove from oven.
- Prepare dough balls dry mix: While crust bakes, mix 1 1/2 cups baked flour with 1/2 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar for dough balls: Beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup white granulated sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Then add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 3 TBSP milk. Mix on medium until combined.
- Combine dry ingredients and sprinkles for dough balls: Add dry ingredient mix to wet and mix on low until just combined. Fold in 1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles.
- Form cookie dough balls: Spread wax paper on a cookie sheet with sides. Roll the dough into small balls roughly the diameter of a dime to a nickel. Place the balls on the sheet.
- Freeze dough balls: Freeze the dough balls until cold and firm before using in cheesecake.
- Preheat oven for cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 325℉ and prepare a hot water bath for baking.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar: Using a mixer, beat 24 oz cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl halfway through for smoothness.
- Add sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla: Mix in 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 1 tsp vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth with no lumps.
- Add eggs and cookie dough balls: Add 4 large eggs and mix on low speed until just combined. Remove from mixer and fold in 3/4 of the cookie dough balls with a spatula.
- Pour batter onto crust: Pour cheesecake batter evenly over the baked crust in the springform pan.
- Prepare and place water bath: Use a large roasting pan with hot water halfway up the cake pan to create a water bath to prevent cracking. Either place the springform pan in a cake pan inside the roasting pan or wrap the springform pan twice in foil and place directly in the roasting pan.
- Bake cheesecake: Bake for 90 minutes until edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
- Cool cheesecake in oven: Turn off oven, crack open the door, and let cheesecake cool inside for 30 minutes to prevent cracks.
- Cool completely and chill: Remove from oven and place on cooling rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Make white chocolate ganache: Place 1 cup white chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat 1/3 cup heavy cream until hot and steaming. Pour hot cream over the chips. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Reheat in 20-second microwave intervals if needed to melt all chunks.
- Cover cheesecake with ganache: Remove cheesecake from fridge, remove pan and parchment, pour ganache evenly over the top.
- Freeze and decorate: Place cheesecake in freezer for 10 minutes to set ganache. Then top with remaining cookie dough balls and Christmas sprinkles.
Notes
- Pull out all dairy ingredients 2 hours before baking to bring them to room temperature for smoother batter.
- Use room temperature eggs and cream cheese to avoid lumps in the cheesecake batter.
- Freezing the cookie dough balls before baking or using them in the cheesecake prevents them from melting into the batter.
- Wrap the springform pan tightly with aluminum foil for the water bath to avoid water leaking into the crust.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool gradually in the oven to prevent cracks on the surface.
- For easier slicing, chill the cheesecake overnight to fully set.
