Holiday Eggnog Cheesecake

A no-bake cheesecake that tastes like eggnog in dessert form. Cream cheese beaten with sugar and real eggnog, set with unflavored gelatin, lightened with folded whipped cream, and poured over a nutmeg-spiked graham cracker crust. All it needs is time in the fridge.

The gelatin is what makes a no-bake cheesecake possible. Dissolved in water and stirred into the cream cheese base, it sets the filling into a sliceable, creamy texture as it chills. Without it, you’d have a very delicious cream cheese soup.

Chilling until the mixture is slightly thickened before folding in the whipped cream is the step that matters. Too thin and the cream won’t hold. Just right and you get a mousse-like filling that’s light and airy.

Kitchen Tips

• Soften the cream cheese fully before mixing. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps that gelatin won’t dissolve.
• Dissolve the gelatin completely over low heat. Grainy gelatin means gritty cheesecake.
• Fold the whipped cream gently with a spatula. Stirring deflates the air and gives you a dense, heavy filling instead of light and mousse-like.
• Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the cleanest slices.

Variations

• Garnish with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg or a dollop of whipped cream and a cinnamon stick.
• For an off-season version without eggnog: use milk, extra sugar, vanilla, and rum extract as noted in the recipe.
• Add a drizzle of caramel sauce over each slice for a holiday indulgence.