Sweet Potato Cheesecake

This sweet potato cheesecake recipe has a delectable ginger snap cookie crust and a rich, hearty filling. This works as an alternative for pumpkin pie at a Thanksgiving table, or you can decorate or garnish it different ways to make it seasonally appropriate for any holiday. For more ways to add yams to your holiday table, try these sweet potato recipes. 

Sweet Potatoes? In Cheesecake? It’s More Likely Than You Think 

Maybe the first cheesecake you think of is the New York classic slice, but cheesecake can trace its origins back to ancient Greece, where a form of cheesecake was made with cheese and honey. The Romans later adopted the recipe, spreading it throughout Europe. The combination of sweet potatoes and cheesecake likely emerged in the Southern U.S.. The first recorded recipes began appearing in the ’70s and ’80s. As Southern cuisine gained popularity, particularly in the context of soul food and comfort dishes, sweet potato cheesecake became a favorite dessert, often served during holidays and family gatherings.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

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• Author: Anna Franklin

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Ingredients

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For the crust:

• 8 ounces gingersnap cookies crushed (about 25 cookies)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

For the filling:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 24 ounces cream cheese room temperature (three 8-ounce packages)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Tightly wrap a 9 inch springform pan in heavy duty foil. This step prevents leaks when using a water bath.
3. Lightly spray the springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
4. Blend the ginger snap cookies in a food processor until it has a sand like consistency. 
5. In a medium bowl, stir together crushed gingersnap cookies and melted butter until thoroughly combined.
6. Press the crumbs into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the prepared springform pan.
7. Bake gingersnap crust in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool completely.
8. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
9. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork.
10. Bake until tender, about 50 minutes. Cool sweet potatoes completely. Once sweet potatoes are cool, peel and puree them in a food processor
11. Return oven to 350°F.
12. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with your paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. 
13. Add in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, heavy cream and sweet potato puree and mix until smooth.
14. Pour batter into prepared crust. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until it is halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.
15. Bake 55-60 minutes, the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. At this point, turn off the oven, but leave the door cracked and allow the cheesecake to rest in the cooling oven for one hour.
16. After one hour has passed, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cheesecake is completely cooled, place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
17. Before serving, top with whipped cream, chopped pecans and gingersnap cookies.

Recipe and styling by Anna Franklin / Photography by Dave Bryce

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