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Sweet Potato Pie Cheesecake with Spiced Crust

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Chill Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 478kcal
Creamy cheesecake filled with roasted sweet potato and surrounded by a spiced crust
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Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer or hand mixer or food processor
  • 1 9-inch springform pan
  • 3 aluminum foil sheets
  • 1 silicon spatula
  • 1 large baking or roasting pan for water bath

Ingredients

For the Sweet Potato Cheesecake Filling

  • 24 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 ¾ cup sweet potato puree about 1 large sweet potato roasted, peeled, and mashed
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

For the Spiced Graham Cracker Crust

  • 13.5 sheets graham crackers
  • ¾ cup butter melted
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap bottom of springform pan with three sheet of aluminum foil. Set aside.
  • Crush graham cracker sheets into crumbs by hand or in a food processor or blender.
  • Combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and sea salt then press mixture into bottom of prepared springform pan.
  • Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth (about 4 minutes).
  • Add in sweet potato puree, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt. Mix until uniform and smooth and uniform, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl, as necessary. There may be some small pieces of sweet potato in the batter but no dry pockets of flour should remain.
  • Gently pour batter into prepared crust. Gently tap the pan on countertop to settle the batter and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Place pan in oven and bake for about one hour. See recipe notes for tips on doneness.
  • Place the springform pan flat into the middle of a larger pan. Pour one inch of boiling water into the large pan. Place pan onto center rack of oven and bake for about one hour. (See recipe notes for gauging doneness).
  • Remove cheesecake from oven and allow it to come to room temperature on countertop then cover and transfer to fridge to chill and set for at least four hours.

Notes

Preparation
Make quick work of crushing graham crackers by running them through a food processor. All it takes is a few pulses! Alternatively, you can add the graham crackers to a large zipper-sealed bag and work our your stress on them with a rolling pin or a heavy kitchen spoon.
Baking the graham cracker crust is optional and I typically skip it because it's easy to burn. When making graham cracker crust, you want it to turn out uniform, fine, and buttery. It should not crumble away from your cheesecake when you slice and eat it and, ideally, the light crispness of the crust complements the dense creamy cheesecake filling.
Raise then tap the pan of cheesecake a few times against the counter top to settle the filling and remove any air bubbles.
You can make cheesecake up to three days in advance for the best results. Since cheesecake is served cold, it's a great Thanksgiving make-ahead dessert. Just let it chill in the fridge until dinnertime.
Troubleshooting
How to know when cheesecake is done? Cheesecake is finished baking when the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. The top will be just a little bit jiggly but it should not ripple or appear to still be liquified beneath the top layer. After chilling for a few hours, the cheesecake should be fully set, where the top is firm to the touch and a bit glossy.
I'm not a fan of sticking a thermometer into the perfectly smooth top of cheesecake so I stick to a consistent bake time and use Better Homes & Gardens jiggle test.
How to keep cheesecake from splitting? Firstly, do not over-bake the cheesecake. Cracking and splitting can occur when the cheesecake contracts inward from the pan (which a normal part of the cooling process) and the edges stick to the pan. This is also why you want your crust to be buttery and should use a nonstick springform pan. Baking cheesecake in a water bath also helps it to heat evenly and makes over-baking less likely.
Storage
Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil. It will keep for up to seven days.
To freeze cheesecake, first make sure that it is chilled then wrap it in plastic cling wrap then again in aluminum foil. It will keep for up two two months this way. If freezing leftovers, I recommend cutting into slices first and wrapping separately for easier thawing later. Thaw the cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator overnight or within about two hours at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 565mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 8937IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 2mg