Sweet Potato Cheesecake
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This Sweet Potato Cheesecake recipe is a delicious spin on a classic dessert. With a graham cracker crust and rich filling, it is the perfect holiday dish.
Replace your holiday pie with this delicious cheesecake
Instead of pumpkin pie or apple pie, this year serve your guests a delicious slice of sweet potato cheesecake. It is so creamy and loaded with flavor and in my opinion, better than a slice of pumpkin pie.
It is made with classic cheesecake ingredients plus cooked and cooled sweet potato. The mashed sweet potato gets blended with the other filling ingredients until its extra smooth.
Then, the whole thing gets poured over a simple graham cracker crust and baked. This sweet potato cheesecake recipe is super easy because you don’t need to cook it in a water bath for it to be nice and fluffy.
Kitchen tools
- Pot for steaming or microwave
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring cups, measuring spoons, liquid measuring cup
- High speed blender
- 9 inch round springform pan
Serving Suggestions
This cheesecake is the perfect thing to serve in place of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving! I am not a huge fan of pie, but this rich and delicious cheesecake is still very festive.
Some of my other favorite Thanksgiving recipes are:
Ingredients
- Cinnamon graham crackers
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Sweet potatoes
- Cream cheese
- Brown sugar
- Sour cream
- Evaporated milk
- Eggs
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Sea salt
Ingredient substitutions
It is very easy to make this sweet potato cheesecake recipe gluten free. Just use gluten free cinnamon graham crackers in places of standard ones.
I love the taste of sweet potato in this cheesecake, but you could also use steamed and pureed butternut squash.
How to make a sweet potato cheesecake
Step 1: Prepare graham cracker crust
To begin, preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 inch round spring form pan.
Then, place graham cracker sheets in a high speed blender and blend on high until you are left with graham cracker crumbs. Or just measure out 2 cups of pre-blended graham cracker crumbs.
Then, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Press mixture into the greased spring form pan using the bottom of a measuring cup to create an even layer and press some up the sides.
Step 2: Prepare cheesecake filling
Place the spring form pan in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Next, place all filling ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Place spring form pan with crust on a baking sheet. This is helpful because some butter can leak out while baking.
Then, pour filling inside pan on crust.
Step 3: Bake, Cool and chill in the fridge
Next, bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is wiggly like jello. You don’t want the center solid, but you also don’t want it to be too wet.
Then, remove from the oven and allow it to cool COMPLETELY at room temperature before transferring to the fridge. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but up to overnight before slicing and serving.
Storage
Allow the cheesecake to cool completely and then transfer to a fridge in an airtight container. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
can i make this ahead of time?
Yes! It is important for this sweet potato cheesecake to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before it is sliced so it is great to make this ahead of time.
I like to make it the day before I want to serve it. That way it can chill in the fridge overnight before it is served. To prevent the cheesecake from sweating, make sure it is completely cool before you place it in the fridge.
Check out these other holiday dessert recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Make a delicious cheesecake for the holiday season using mashed sweet potatoes!
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
- 14 sheets cinnamon graham crackers or 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Filling ingredients
- 2 cups mashed cooked and cooled sweet potatoes (see note**)
- 2 packs (8oz each) full fat cream cheese, room temp
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup full fat sour cream
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt
** to prepare sweet potatoes either peel, cube, steam and mash OR pierce with a fork and microwave whole wrapped in a wet paper towel for 7 minutes or until soft in the middle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 inch round spring form pan.
- Place graham cracker sheets in a high speed blender and blend on high until you are left with graham cracker crumbs OR measure out 2 cups of pre-blended graham cracker crumbs.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Press mixture into the greased spring form pan using the bottom of a measuring cup to create an even layer and press some up the sides. Place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
- Place all filling ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Place spring form pan with crust on a baking sheet (some butter can leak out while baking) pour filling inside pan on crust.
- Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is wiggly like jello – you don’t want the center solid, but you also don’t want it to be too wet.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cool COMPLETELY at room temperature before transferring to the fridge. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but up to overnight before slicing and serving.
jill says
Fantastic! This was super easy and loved by all. Used gluten free Pamela’s cinnamon grahams but no other changes. Will for sure be making again.
★★★★★
Madeline says
Yum! So glad you all enjoyed it, Jill!
Libby says
Made this for a Friendsgiving and it was so so good! I am making it again for our family’s thanksgiving 😊
★★★★★
Madeline says
Great to hear, Libby!