My Cinnamon Cheesecake is a creamy New York-Style Cheesecake flecked with warm spices. I top it with a gooey pear topping that makes this dessert so comforting, yet unique. Go one step farther and add even more decadence by drizzling my Spiced Toffee Sauce over it. You can even eat this dessert plain without the pear topping, and it will still make your eyes roll with delight.
*This recipe was published in October 2017. I changed the recipe title, included metric measurements, and made the recipe more user-friendly.*
What is a Cinnamon Cheesecake?
Cheesecake is a dessert consisting of a custard of cream cheese and eggs, sweetened with sugar and baked in a cookie crust. There are multiple layers in a cheesecake: the crust, the cake itself, and the topping (if there is one).
Most cheesecakes have a graham cracker crust, but you can make them with any cookie that has a similar texture. A cheesecake batter can include any number of ingredients to switch up the flavors. It can even include cheeses that aren’t cream cheese. Finally, the toppings can range from nothing to multiple fruits, nutty glazes, or dessert sauces.
This cinnamon cheesecake adds ground spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to a traditional NY-style cheesecake to give it a spicy (not hot though) kick and baked in a graham cracker crust.
Where do Cheesecakes come from?
Cheesecakes are European, but the best cheesecakes come from New York City. I won’t argue with anyone.
The difference between regular cheesecakes and New York-style cheesecakes is the density of the baked cake. In New York style, the cheesecake is dense, whereas other cheesecakes are more light and airy.
What do I need to make the Cinnamon Cheesecake crust?
As always, start your cheesecake by baking the crust. You need graham cracker crumbs, unsalted butter, and sugar if you prefer a sweet crust. I’m okay with the sweetness of the graham crumbs, so I usually skip the added sugar.
Melt the butter and stir it into the graham cracker crumbs. Grab a handful of the crumbs and squeeze them in your fist. The mix is ready for the pan if the crumbs hold together.
Add more butter if the mixture falls apart when you release pressure. On the flip side, add more graham cracker crumbs if the butter from the mixture oozes through your clenched fist.
How long do I bake the crust?
Use the bottom of your measuring cup to form the crust in a 9-inch springform pan. Make sure the crust is even across the bottom and push it about 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan to form the edges.
Bake the crust in a 350° (180°C) oven for 10 minutes or until you smell its aroma. Once done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool while you prepare the cinnamon cheesecake batter.
Don’t turn off the oven! You’re going to need it later. Wrap the bottom and sides of the cheesecake pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. This keeps water from seeping into the cracks in the pan later while the cheesecake bakes.
Can I make the crust for the Cinnamon Cheesecake out of something besides graham crumbs?
You can absolutely swap the graham crumbs for something else. To switch things up, consider using:
- zwieback crackers
- Biscoff cookies
- vanilla wafers
- animal crackers
When using a different cracker for your cheesecake crust, the key thing to remember is to make sure they are crisp and crunchy. You can’t use soft cookies to make cheesecake crusts, or they’ll end up soggy from soaking up the batter during that long baking time.
You can make your cheesecake crust a day ahead and store it covered at room temperature.
What are the ingredients for the Cinnamon Cheesecake?
To make the cinnamon cheesecake, you need cream cheese, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon extract. The cinnamon extract is optional, but I like that it adds more cinnamon flavor without making the cheesecake taste chalky.
You need an electric mixer and a rubber spatula as well.
Before beginning, set 6 cups of water on the stove to boil on medium-high heat. This is the water for the bain-marie, or water bath, in which you bake the cheesecake later. A bain-marie gives the cheesecake a baking environment with a consistent temperature, which reduces the chances of your cheesecake developing a crack.
Grab a wide, shallow pan, and set the wrapped cheesecake pan inside of it. You want at least two inches of clearance all around the cheesecake pan, so anything bigger than 12-inches is great.
Can I use something besides pumpkin spice blend?
Blend the cream cheese for 1 minute on low speed until it is smooth using an electric hand mixer or your stand mixer. It’s important to use room-temperature cream cheese. Cream cheese with even the slightest chill on it will make your cheesecake batter lumpy. Scrape down the bowl and beaters after creaming the cheese.
Next, add the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice blend, and salt to the bowl. You can totally replace the pumpkin spice blend with ground cinnamon, but I like the additional spices in a pumpkin spice blend. Plus, it’s mainly cinnamon anyway.
Blend the sugar and spices into the cream cheese on 2nd speed for 1 1/2 minutes, or until smooth. Scrape down both the bowl and the beaters once again.
What does the cornstarch do in Cheesecake?
Next, add all the eggs to the bowl and blend them with the vanilla and cinnamon extracts on 2nd speed for another 2 minutes.
Finally, after scraping down the bowl, add the cornstarch to the mixture. Blend the cornstarch at low speed for 30-45 seconds. Don’t overmix or beat the cheesecake batter after adding the cornstarch, or the cake will be gummy after baking.
When you add cornstarch to a cheesecake, the moisture in the cheesecake batter plumps up the cornstarch proteins, which gives the cheesecake more body. You can omit the cornstarch if you want a lighter cheesecake.
Scrape the cinnamon cheesecake batter into the prepared cheesecake pan.
How long do I bake the Cinnamon Cheesecake?
Pour the boiling water you started earlier into the outer pan and bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Another way to prevent a crack from forming in your cheesecake is to cool it gradually in the oven. Turn the oven off and prop the door open 2 to 3-inches. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour.
Remove the pan containing the cheesecake pan from the oven after 1 hour. Take the cheesecake pan out of the larger pan and unwrap it. Allow it to cool to room temperature for 30-45 minutes.
Cover the cheesecake pan with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours. Overnight is always best, though.
What do I need to make the Spiced Pear Topping?
I like to make the topping just before serving the cheesecake while it’s nice and gooey. Make the Spiced Pear Topping about 30 minutes before you plan to serve the cheesecake. You can make it ahead, but the butter in the glaze firms up quite a bit, which makes it more jello-like when you eat it.
You need ripe Bosc pears, unsalted butter, brown sugar, kosher salt, pumpkin pie spice blend, cornstarch, water, Calvados (or you can use pear liqueur), and lemon juice.
Calvados is a distilled apple liquor made from small, tannic apples. Some brands of Calvados are made with both apples and pears. I always make this spiced pear topping with Calvados since it’s easy to find in my area, and I always have it in the bar. You can also use pear liqueur if you can’t find Calvados. Much like Calvados is made from apples, pear liqueur is from pear juice that is fermented before distillation and before being mixed with quince juice.
Can I omit the Calvados if I don’t drink alcohol?
You can replace the Calvados in this recipe with apple or pear juice if you abstain from alcohol.
What are the best pears for this topping?
I use bosc pears to make this topping because they are firmer and stand up to the simmering I’m going to put them through. Even after the lengthy simmering, they still hold their shape without turning to mush. They can also hold their own amongst the pumpkin spice blend and sugar, so you will taste a prominent pear flavor.
Anjou or Bartlett pears are good substitutions if you can’t find Bosc.
When shopping for the perfect pears, look for fruits with a cinnamon-brown color. Look for slight wrinkling around their neck (where the stem is). The flesh should also give way a little to slight pressure on the neck. It’s important to use ripe pears for this recipe, or your topping will be crunchy and not tender.
Wash and dry the pears, then cut them in half. Use a melon baller or a spoon to remove the core from the center of the bulbous bottom. Peel away the stem and use the tip of your knife to cut away the calyx at the bottom of the fruit.
Cut the pears into 1-inch cubes.
How long do I cook the Spiced Pear Topping?
Melt the butter over medium heat in a 4-quart skillet or pan.
Once the butter is melted, add the diced pears and cook them over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice blend, and kosher salt to the pan and stir these into the pears. Simmer this mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until juices form in the bottom of the pan.
Add the Calvados to the pan and allow it to come to a simmer. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes to evaporate most of the alcohol from the Calvados.
Make a cornstarch slurry while you’re waiting for the Calvados to simmer. Mix the water and cornstarch together with a whisk until smooth. When the pear mixture is done simmering, stir the cornstarch slurry into the liquids in the bottom of the pan in a slow, steady stream. Cook the topping for 1 minute, constantly stirring, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick syrup.
Finally, add the lemon juice to brighten the flavor of the sauce. If the mixture is too thick, you can thin it to your liking with a tablespoon or two of water or apple juice.
How far ahead can I make this topping?
You can remove the cheesecake pan’s collar and top the cake with the spiced pear topping once it’s is done. I, personally, love topping my cold cheesecake with the slightly warm pear topping. It adds the warmth of flavor and feeling.
You can also make this spiced pear topping a week ahead and store it in the fridge in a covered container. You probably need to heat it in the microwave for a minute or two to get it nice and gooey again, though. This spiced pear topping freezes well, too. Just allow it to cool completely and store it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Use this spiced pear topping to top pound cakes, ice cream, or stir it into your morning bowl of oatmeal.
How do I serve the Cinnamon Cheesecake?
Cheesecakes are served cold. You can slice and serve it after you top the cheesecake with the spiced pear topping. But, I highly encourage you to go even further and drizzle one of these dessert sauces over it:
Cajeta (Goat’s Milk Caramel Sauce)
My go-to sauce is the Spiced Toffee Sauce which adds a buttery-sweet flavor to this cheesecake.
Do I have to top it, or can I serve it plain?
You can also skip the dessert sauce and the spiced pear topping altogether and enjoy the cheesecake on its own.
How do I store leftover Cinnamon Cheesecake?
To keep cheesecakes from getting gummy or hard, press a piece of parchment paper or wax paper against any exposed sides. This protects the cheesecake from drying out in the fridge. You can also wrap cheesecake in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze it?
You can freeze cheesecake for up to 2 months. I would freeze it before topping it with the spiced pear topping. It just gets messy after it thaws, and the consistency isn’t the best. Simply wrap cheesecake in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil before freezing it for up to 2 months. Thaw the unwrapped, frozen cheesecake in the fridge overnight, then slice and serve.
You’re going to love this Cinnamon Cheesecake with Spiced Pear Topping. I love its creamy, spicy flavors, but that pear topping is wonderful. Don’t miss it. Be sure to let me know what you think of it in the comments below, and don’t forget to share it far and wide.
Cinnamon Cheesecake topped with Spiced Pear Topping
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- 9 or 10-inch springform pan
- electric mixer
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 3 cups (397 grams graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar optional
For the Cinnamon Cheesecake
- 4 8-ounce packages (904 grams) cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup, packed (245 grams) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (6 grams) pumpkin pie spice blend or ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) cinnamon extract optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (50 grams) cornstarch
Spice Pear Topping (can be made 1 week ahead)
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 large (650 grams) Bosc pears cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup, packed (65 grams) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (2 grams) pumpkin pie spice blend or ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) calvados or pear liqueur
- 2 tablespoons (18 grams) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) cold water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
Optional Topping
- Spiced Toffee Sauce as desired
Instructions
Prepare the Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).In a mixing bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter (and sugar if you're adding it) with a rubber spatula or your hands. Grab a handful of the crumbs and squeeze them in your fist. The mix should stay clumped together. Add more butter if the mixture falls apart. If the mixture oozes butter through your fingers, add more graham cracker crumbs.
- Use the bottom of your measuring cup to firmly press the crust into the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
Make the Cinnamon Cheesecake Batter
- Grab a wide, shallow pan, and set the wrapped cheesecake pan inside of it. You want at least two inches of clearance all around the cheesecake pan, so anything bigger than 12-inches is great.Put a pot with 6 cups of water on the stove. Bring it to a gentle boil on medium-high heat while you mix the cheesecake batter.
- In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese on low speed until it is smooth or for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down both the bowl and the beaters.
- Add the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice blend, and salt to the bowl and blend them into the cream cheese on 2nd speed for 1 1/2 minutes, or until smooth. Scrape down both the bowl and the beaters once again.
- Next, add all the eggs, the cinnamon and vanilla extracts to the bowl and blend them in on 2nd speed for another 2 minutes. Finally, after scraping down the bowl again, add the cornstarch to the mixture. Blend the cornstarch at low speed for 30-45 seconds. Don't overmix or beat the cheesecake batter after adding the cornstarch, or the cake will be gummy after baking.
Bake, then Cool the Cinnamon Cheesecake
- Scrape the cinnamon cheesecake batter into the prepared cheesecake pan. Pour the boiling water you started earlier into the outer pan and bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and prop the door open 2 to 3-inches. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour. Remove the pan containing the cheesecake pan from the oven after 1 hour. Take the cheesecake pan out of the larger pan and unwrap it. Allow it to cool to room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Cover the cheesecake pan with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours. Overnight is always best, though.
Make the Spiced Pear Topping (at least 30 minutes before serving)
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a 4-quart skillet or pan. Once the butter is melted, add the diced pears and cook them over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice blend, and kosher salt to the pan, stirring them into the pears. Simmer this mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until juices form in the bottom of the pan.
- Add the Calvados to the pan and allow it to come to a simmer. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes to evaporate most of the alcohol from the Calvados.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir the water and cornstarch together with a whisk until smooth. When the pear mixture is done simmering, stir the cornstarch slurry into the liquids in the bottom of the pan in a slow, steady stream. Cook the topping for another minute, constantly stirring, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick syrup. Finally, add the lemon juice to brighten the flavor of the sauce.
Top and Serve the Cinnamon Cheesecake
- Once the spiced pear topping is done, remove the cheesecake pan's collar and top the cake with it. You can also allow the topping to cool completely and top the cheesecake later. Slice and serve the Cinnamon Cheesecake after you top it with the spiced pear topping. Drizzled in Spiced Toffee Sauce or serve it as is.
Notes
Swaps and Substitutions:
- Replace the graham cracker crumbs with zwieback crackers, gingersnap cookies, Biscoff cookies, vanilla wafers, or animal crackers.
- Anjou or Bartlett pears are good substitutions if you can't find Bosc.
- You can replace the Calvados in this recipe with apple or pear juice if you abstain from alcohol.
Tips and Techniques:
- You can make your cheesecake crust a day ahead and store it covered at room temperature.
- A bain-marie gives the cheesecake a baking environment with a consistent temperature, which reduces the chances of your cheesecake developing a crack.
- You can omit the cornstarch if you want a lighter cheesecake.
- Make the Spiced Pear Topping about 30 minutes before you plan to serve the cheesecake. You can make it ahead, but the butter in the glaze firms up quite a bit, which makes it more jello-like when you eat it.
- If the spiced pear mixture is too thick, thin it to your liking with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water or apple juice.
- You can make the spiced pear topping a week ahead and store it in the fridge in a covered container.
- Use the spiced pear topping to top pound cakes, ice cream, or stir it into your morning bowl of oatmeal.
Storage Instructions:
- To keep cheesecakes from getting gummy or hard, press a piece of parchment paper or wax paper against any exposed sides. You can also wrap cheesecake in plastic wrap.
- Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days after slicing.
Freezer Storage Instructions:
- Freeze the cinnamon cheesecake before topping it with the spiced pear topping.
- Wrap cheesecake in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil.
- Freeze it for up to 2 months.
- Thaw the unwrapped, frozen cheesecake in the fridge overnight, then slice and serve.
I would love to make this for a Christmas party we are hosting but one of the attendees is gluten free. Any advice on what I could use for the crust?
Yep! I always use Pamela’s gluten-free graham crackers whenever I’m making this for my gluten-free friends.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Thanks so much for sharing this fool proof cheesecake recipe. It turned out so well and we loved the spiced pear topping a lot. A delicious dessert we prepared on my dad’s birthday!!
I’m happy to hear it was enjoyed in such a great occasion. Thanks for sharing!
You had me at cheesecake BUT that spiced pear topping is amazing . This is such a rich and decadent dessert. This was the perfect dessert to celebrate my husband’s birthday. This recipe is going into my permanent recipe box.
Well, Happy Birthday to your husband!
Loving this cinnamon cheesecake! Total hit for a fun weekend dessert!
You are absolutely correct, Kayla!