New Take on Gingerbread Cheesecake

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplendaHoliday #CollectiveBias Come read about my new take on gingerbread cheesecake. 

Oh I am so happy for this time of year. The food. The baking. I think you all know that the baking is my favorite part. When I bake I impart part of me into the dish, it is my way of showing people I care by giving them my time to make yummy goodies. There are some people who love my goodies, but need the sugar content to be lower. So I took on the task of using SPLENDA® Brown Sugar blend and did a new take on Gingerbread Cheesecake.

The SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend that I was able to pick up at Walmart does still have regular brown sugar, but it is mixed with SPLENDA® so that you can get the sweetness you want, but without the calories and sugar amount that you would with full on brown sugar. The reason I went with the brown sugar blend is because brown sugar lends a deeper flavor that works well with gingerbread flavor. This cheesecake adds the molasses and spice blend of gingerbread with a classic cheesecake recipe.

New Take on Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe Steps:

• Start by having all of your ingredients at room temperature. Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and whip for a minute or so. Add in 1/2 cup of the SPLENDA® Brown Sugar blend. You use less amount than you would of regular brown sugar because it has the SPLENDA® combined inside. If you remember from my Orange Cheesecake Recipe I used a cup of sugar.
• Once the sugar and cream cheese have been well blended, add in eggs one at a time, sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, molasses, and spices.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times so that you make sure all ingredients are well blended.

• In a food processor, place one bag of ginger snap cookies inside and pulse until the cookies are made into crumbs. Mix in 1/2 stick of melted butter.

• One little trick I have is to take the spring form pan and outline the shape onto parchment or wax paper. Cut a circle out going just inside the trace marks. This will allow you to place it inside the pan and so that your cheesecake will release from the bottom of the pan easier. Once the paper is in place, pat down the ginger snap crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan.

• Pour the cheesecake mixture over the top of the crust, place pan on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven on 375 degrees for 1 hour or until center of the cheesecake is set and slightly wiggles.
• While the cheesecake is baking, I took some gingerbread cookie dough and cut out some mini gingerbread men. Baked them while the cheesecake was baking as directed on the package. You will use these as decorations for the top of the cheesecake.
• Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, then place in the fridge until completely cool. To dress up the top of the cheesecake in case yours turn out with an ugly top like mine did, mix 1/2 cup sour cream with a teaspoon of the SPLENDA® with Sugar Blend, spread a thin layer of the sour cream mixture over the cheesecake, then place the gingerbread men around the outside.

This cheesecake would be great as little individual ones as well if you want to hand out as gifts as well. SPLENDA® can be substituted in a lot of recipes, just check the package to see the ratio that you should use. It is nice to know I can make treats for those people who can’t have regular sugar, but still want a treat. You could take this recipe farther down in the calorie count by using light cream cheese and sour cream. Just by switching one cup of regular sugar with one cup of SPLENDA®, you can save 600 calories!! Wow. It is nice that I can pick up all the ingredients that I need for this recipe at Walmart when I am picking up my other household items and Christmas gifts.

For some more fun and inspiration…How about a giveaway. Just enter below:
J&J Holiday Baking with Splenda

Check out the SPLENDA® Sweet Swaps™ Recipes website for more recipe inspiration. What would recipe would you like to make? What do you think of my new take on gingerbread cheesecake?