By R. W. Apple Jr.
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours, plus chilling
- Rating
- 5(674)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This recipe is adapted from a popular dessert served at Galatoire's, a famed New Orleans restaurant founded on Bourbon Street, in 1905. A simple graham cracker crust is filled with cinnamon-spiced sweet potato cheesecake then topped with a lightly-sweetened layer of sour cream. It is to die for.
Featured in: In the Kingdom Of the Sweet Potato
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Ingredients
Yield:12 servings
- 1½ cups (180 g) graham cracker crumbs (from about 12 whole graham crackers)
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1(8-ounce / 225-g) package cream cheese, softened
- 1cup (200 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1¾ cups (270 g) mashed sweet potatoes (see note)
- 2large eggs, slightly beaten
- ⅔ cup (165 ml) evaporated milk
- 2tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2cups (480 ml) sour cream, room temperature (1 16-ounce container)
- ⅓ cup (65 g) sugar
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Crust
For the Cheesecake Filling
For the Topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
439 calories; 25 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 36 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 222 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter until combined. Press evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until set but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool.
Step
See AlsoFennel and Orange-Scented Challah RecipeBlueberry Muffins RecipeBoston Brown Bread RecipeSmoky Red Devil Eggs Recipe2
Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and brown sugar, beating until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add sweet potatoes, eggs, evaporated milk, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg, beating until well combined. Pour into crust. Bake until edge is set, 45 to 55 minutes.
Step
3
Whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla to combine. Spread over warm cheesecake. Return to oven, and bake until just set, 5 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove side of pan, and chill at least 5 hours and preferably overnight.
Tip
- For the mashed sweet potatoes, you’ll need to roast 1 pound (455 g) sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes). Using a fork, pierce the potatoes in several places then roast in a 400°F oven until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half, scoop out the flesh, and mash until smooth.
Ratings
5
out of 5
674
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Cooking Notes
bobsutis
With apologies to Galatoire's, I tinkered with the recipe. I used triple ginger thins with butter but no sugar for the crust, and added the zest of an orange and a splash of vanilla to the sweet potato filling. Turned out great!
Ronnie
I found this in The New York Times Dessert Cookbook a couple of years ago and have made it several times. Delicious and easy to make. My only hint: don't go overboard on the crust, keep it thin. I'm a novice baker and made mine too thick on my last try.
Michelle
I followed this recipe exactly as written and I wouldn't want to change a single ingredient. This cheesecake was light, delicately sweet and simply heavenly. Will be making it again for the fourth time this year.
Sara Horton
This looks delicious. I have a pumpkin cheesecake recipe, and with that I often make a gingersnap crust. I think that would work nicely here.
Bella
I am a very avid baker but have never been moved to write a review on a recipe- until now. This is hands down the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. The sweet potato cheesecake filling is beautifully smooth and perfectly sweet (I did half the sugar because the potatoes were already naturally sweet). And the sour cream topping... that tangy addition takes it over the top! It’s a dangerous thing to make- I’m already on my second serving :)
Stephanie
What is your pumpkin cheesecake recipe?
Reuben
Hey...went step by step and it was a hit.... I'm a baker but this recipe is on point
Frances
So good, delicately spiced, and every bite makes you want to eat more. I was quite alarmed because the cheesecake batter seemed too thin, but it set nicely.
Mrs Castille
Followed this recipe exactly, came out beautiful and delicious. I wish i could post a picture, my husband can not get enough.
Deb
Made exactly as written, chilled overnight, and was rewarded with an incredible dessert. Huge hit at a Thanksgiving table filled with picky chefs.
Es
This was so good! Virtually inhaled at the Thanksgiving table. Made 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until a few hours prior to serving. It cut easily. I loved it: not too sweet, subtle flavor, beautiful to look at, and relatively easy to make. The crust was made the old-fashioned way, crushing Graham crackers, mixing them with the butter and sugar, and then pressing them against the pan. The spring-form upper slid right off and I kept it on the bottom piece to just before slicing.
Liz
Wonderful! Prepared exactly as written, this was perhaps the best dessert I've ever made. From now on, this will be joining my standard Thanksgiving repertoire.
Karen
To answer my own question: It works!
Coleen Lawlor
Made as written twice was enjoyed by all most people has seconds. Several guests asked for the recipe. This cake is lovely looking and easy to serve. My pan is an eight inch not nine and it worked out beautifully. The added height was dramatic. I found pushing the crust up higher on pan made it thinner and worked well. I did cook the cake the maximum time. I cooled it one and a half hours at room temp and then chilled for 6 hours before serving. For the response this is an easy cake to make.
cadiejill
Amazing! I roasted my sweet potatoes the night before I planned to make the cheesecake, made the cheese cake the following evening and then served the next day. I sifted a little cinnamon on top and it made for a lovely presentation. My fellow diners thought it was a store bought cheesecake. It looked so perfect. It tasted better than it looked. This will be my new go-to Thanksgiving dessert. It was so easy to make!
k
This was a terrific recipe- I used gluten free graham crackers no sugar in crust and added ground pecans and added orange juice and zest to sweet potatoes as well as orange liqueur. Substituted Greek yogurt for sour cream on top. Excellent!
hard crust
I love this recipe but often the crust comes out quite hard, almost cement-like. Anyone else experience this or have any tips to avoid?
jmack
I baked this once following the recipe and again with changes: gingersnap crust with @50g of butter; added a couple T of goat cheese that I had hanging around;@290g sw potatoes, 3/4 c sugar, 1/2 cup cream, no evap milk; no cornstarch; 2 egg yolks; added ground ginger and vanilla. I riced the sw potatoes and used a food processor to blend with cheese, milk. Beat egg whites separately and folded in. The second version was taller with a silkier texture and tasted more like sweet potatoes.
Maria
Delicious! I recommend you serve chilled rather than warmed to room temperature. The topping gets too tangy when it's warm.
Montgomery
Made this with canned pumpkin instead of sweet potato and it was DELICIOUS. So many compliments - everyone loved it!
jmack
Made this as a test for T.Day. Used gingersnaps for crust. Only needed one large sw potato to easily make 270 g. Couple of T skyr yogurt to make up shortage of sour cream, worked fine. All else was the same. Agree with Elizabeth with lack of cheesecake flavor. I'll do a 50/50 crust if this is the one that makes the cut. I'm also going to try this (left overs) ringed with cranberry relish. Trying Cranberry Cheesecake Tart next!
denise
Nov 2023 for book group. Great! Made crust one day - added some ginger cookies to graham crackers. Baked sweet potatoes another day- 3 medium ones. Put together and cooked a day ahead and then put on refrigerator.
mc
Call me a heathen all you want, I quartered the recipe because I had 1/2 a sweet potato I wanted to use. Ran out of graham crackers so mixed with pretzels. Made these in mini muffin tins and got like 20 mini cheesecakes. Baked for 16 minutes then added topping and baked for 4 minutes more. Add a dash of salt to your crust. Super light and tasty and I think I’m going to add candied pecans as a garnish for a little texture.
Elizabeth
Great! I didn’t make as written because I was out of ingredients I thought I had. I subbed arrowroot for the cornstarch, and ran out of white sugar, so used more brown in the batter. I boiled the sweet potatoes before seeing the note about roasting them. Oops! Despite all these mistakes it was delicious. Didn’t have a ton of cheesecake flavor, but was excellent.
Patricia Loves Shakespeare
This is simple and delicious and, surprisingly for a cheesecake, light. So glad I came across it—it will replace our Costco pumpkin cheesecake. Which is delicious, too, but not quite as light.
Patricia Loves Shakespeare
Thank you for this light and delicious cheesecake recipe. It definitely will see duty in the coming holidays.
Michelle
Used GF graham crackers without additional sugar in the crust and it was perfect! Added only 1/4 cup coconut sugar & 1/4 brown sugar as sweet potatoes added plenty. Turned a pretty mocha color, prettied up with out of season strawberries-a rich and satisfying treat.
Sheena E.
I did a double recipe because I wasn’t totally sure about the sour cream layer—so one cheesecake with and one without. They were both delicious but the one with the sour cream layer was INSANELY better. I couldn’t believe how different it was. Absolute perfection and looked so impressive for how simple it was. Also, I had canned yams in my cupboard that I was never going to use and successfully substituted these strained for the fresh cooked.
KC
Anyone try this in miniature? I'd love to make it in mini muffin tins.
LA Reader
Used 50/50 graham crackers and ginger snaps as someone recommended. Doubled the cinnamon because I love it, skipped the nutmeg because I don't, added ginger, vanilla, and orange zest (again as someone recommended). There was not a bite of this left, truly a five-star recipe.
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