Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Sweet potato cheesecake is smooth, creamy cross between sweet potato pie and your favorite cheesecake. The buttery gingersnap crust makes it irresistible.

I haven’t always been a sweet potato lover. I remember my Nana making canned sweet potatoes every Thanksgiving and I’d just pick the toasted marshmallows off the top when she wasn’t looking.

In fact, I wasn’t fond of them at all until I was in my late 20’s and my stepmom introduced me to the real deal: A perfectly baked sweet potato drenched in cinnamon butter. 

I can’t remember if she made it, or we ordered it at a restaurant, but I’ve been hooked ever since.

Ten years later, I’m the only person in my house that loves all things sweet potato. I had high hopes for Elle because she loved them in pureed form when she was a babe, but her three-year-old self isn’t having anything to do with them in any form.

Who knows, maybe she’ll figure out what’s up when she’s 28 and will finally like my sweet potato casserole.

If you’ve been reading My Baking Addiction for any length of time, you know that I am seriously obsessed with cheesecake.

Since cheesecake is pretty much my go-to dessert for any holiday, I simply couldn’t resist putting a fun spin on a classic holiday dessert.

Sweet Potato Pie Turned Into Cheesecake

If you love my pumpkin cheesecake and you love sweet potato pie, I can promise that you will adore this sweet potato cheesecake.

That’s because this recipe is totally a cross between the two!

You get the same rich, creamy filling that you expect from pumpkin cheesecake, but with the flavor of sweet potato in place of the pumpkin. 

Because sweet potatoes pair well with the same warm spices that pumpkin does, I included plenty of pumpkin pie spice for all of those classic fall flavors. 

Oh, and we can’t forget about the crust. I took a page from my eggnog cheesecake recipe and used gingersnap cookies for the crust of this cheesecake. It has just the right amount of sweetness and spice to compliment the velvety-smooth sweet potato filling.

How to Make Sweet Potato Cheesecake

I find that so many of my readers are intimidated by cheesecake because they think they’re overly fussy, or that they’ll just end up cracking. To be honest, making a cheesecake is pretty easy and once you make one or two, you’ll be a pro.

And not to toot my own horn or anything, but my cheesecakes always come out pretty flawless thanks to a fool-proof baking method that I’ll outline below.

Ingredients you’ll need

For this sweet potato cheesecake, you will need:

• 8 ounces gingersnap cookies, crushed 
• 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 24 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

I find that 8 ounces of gingersnap cookies typically equals about 25 cookies. But since the size of cookies varies by brand, going by weight is the most accurate way to go.

Make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature before you start the filling. If you forget to set them out ahead of time, check out my guides on softening cream cheese and bringing eggs to room temperature.

I always use my homemade pumpkin pie spice. But you can find jars of it pre-made in the spice aisle at most grocery stores.

Preparing your pan

To start, prepare your springform pan for the water bath. You can do a traditional water bath by wrapping the outside of the pan tightly with foil. For extra leak protection, place the pan inside a roasting bag while baking.

But my favorite trick is this: Set your 9-inch springform inside of a regular 10-inch cake pan. Both pans go into the roasting pan, then the boiling water will go outside of the cake pan. 

It’s the most foolproof way to avoid leaks, and it’s so easy!

Spray the springform pan with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.

Making sweet potato cheesecake

To make the crust, stir together the gingersnap crumbs with the melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of your springform pan.

Bake at 350°F for about 8 minutes, then set the pan aside to let the crust cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F for baking the sweet potatoes.

Place the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan. Pierce them all over with the tines of a fork, then bake them for about 50 minutes or until tender.

Let the sweet potatoes cool completely, then peel and puree them. I like to use a food processor for this, but a blender will also work.

Return the oven to 350°F to finish the cheesecake.

Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the sugar and mix until well combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each one before adding the next. I also recommend scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula between each egg.

Add the pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, heavy cream, and pureed sweet potatoes. Mix until smooth.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Place the springform pan (or the springform pan and cake pan) into a roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the cake pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 55-60 minutes. The sweet potato cheesecake is done when the edges appear to be set, but the center still has a bit of a jiggle.

Now, turn off the oven. Leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked open for 1 hour.

After an hour, move the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool completely, then let it chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours before slicing and serving.

Serving Suggestions

I don’t think there is any wrong way to enjoy this sweet potato cheesecake, but I do have a few favorite toppings.

I love topping mine with some homemade whipped cream, a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, and some chopped toasted pecans.

Storage and Freezing

Store your sweet potato cheesecake covered (or in an airtight container) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I typically leave my cheesecakes in the springform pan until I am ready to cut and serve it. The pan protects the cheesecake and I can simply cover the top tightly with foil.

Just like with vanilla cheesecake and caramel apple cheesecake, you can freeze sweet potato cheesecake if you want to make it more than a couple days ahead of time.

If you’re freezing the cheesecake whole, place the cooled cheesecake on a cardboard round and cover it tightly with plastic wrap.

Alternatively, you can freeze individual slices of the cheesecake – slice and wrap each piece with plastic wrap.

Next, wrap the cheesecake or individual slices with foil. 

Just to be extra safe, I often place the double-wrapped cheesecake in a freezer-safe zip-top bag, although that’s not totally necessary.

Freeze the sweet potato cheesecake for up to 1 month for best flavor. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours or in the refrigerator overnight. 

FAQs

I don’t like gingersnaps, is there another crust I could use?

You can definitely use a classic graham cracker crust for this cheesecake in place of the gingersnap crust. 

I have also used speculoos (or Biscoff) cookies in place of gingersnaps. They have a similar flavor profile that works well with the sweet potato.

Can I use canned sweet potatoes in this recipe?

I do not recommend using canned yams or sweet potatoes in this cheesecake. Canned yams are suspended in a sugar syrup, and we don’t want that extra sweetness in this cheesecake.

Can I bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time?

Yes! You can bake the sweet potatoes up to a day ahead of time. Let them cool, puree them, and store the puree in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

I do recommend letting the puree come to room temperature before adding it to the cheesecake filling. 

Do you have to have a mixer to make this cheesecake?

A mixer is the most common way to make cheesecake filling, but it’s not the only way!

One of my favorite tricks is making the filling in the bowl of my food processor. Since you have to use a food processor to puree the sweet potatoes anyway, it’s a great option for this recipe in particular.

Help! My water baths always leak. What can I do to prevent this?

Here’s my favorite water-bath hack to prevent leaks:

Place a 9-inch springform pan into a 10-inch regular cake pan. Both pans can now go into your roasting pan.

Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, outside of the 10-inch cake pan. You will get all of the benefits of baking with a water bath without the risk of leaks.

When should I take the sweet potato cheesecake out of the springform pan?

I always leave my cheesecakes in the springform pan until just before I’m ready to serve them. That means that they are still in the pan while chilling in the refrigerator.

This serves a couple of purposes:

1. It ensures the cheesecake is fully set before taking it out of the pan.
2. The sides of the pan help protect the cheesecake while in the refrigerator. Simply wrap plastic wrap over the top of the pan – the plastic won’t even have to touch the top of the cheesecake!

How do you get such clean slices of your cheesecakes?

Grab a large kitchen knife. Run it under very hot water for a few seconds, then immediately wipe it dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.

Now use the hot knife to slice into the sweet potato cheesecake. Make sure to wipe the blade clean after each cut, and run it back under the hot water as often as necessary. 

You can use this method to slice just about any cheesecake, as well as recipes such as pistachio pudding dessert or banana cream bars.