I’m usually a layer cake girl through and through, but during the holiday hustle and bustle I often reach for easy desserts I can throw together and make ahead of time. Ever since I discovered the no-bake method for cheesecake it’s becoming more and more of a go-to! It’s so easy to whip up a day (or more!) ahead of time and the flavor possibilities are endless. My latest flavor concoction: this no-bake eggnog cheesecake with a biscoff cookie crust. If you love eggnog, drop everything you’re doing and MAKE THIS for your next festive gathering! 

This no-bake eggnog cheesecake is creamy and custard-like, perfectly spiced, packed with eggnog flavor, and couldn’t be easier to make. You’ll basically whip most of the ingredients together to combine them and gently fold in some whipped cream before pouring it into a Biscoff cookie crust. Once refrigerated, the filling sets into a thick mousse-like consistency – rich and creamy yet easily holds its shape when cut into slices. I love the no-bake method because it’s so fail-proof and yields such a delicious result with minimal effort! 

The biscoff cookie crust takes this no-bake eggnog cheesecake one step beyond and adds caramel spice notes that make the whole dessert even more festive! If you’d prefer a more traditional crust, you could substitute the biscoff cookie crumbs in the recipe below for graham cracker crumbs. 

Key Ingredients for No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake 

Let’s talk about the key ingredients involved in this no-bake eggnog cheesecake filling:

• Cream Cheese – essential for adding that classic tangy cheesecake flavor and for creating a thick filling. You must use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in this recipe in order to create the perfect filling consistency. Cream cheese spreads and low fat options contain a lot more water, which will end up turning your filling into eggnog cheesecake soup. 
• Granulated Sugar – this helps break down the cream cheese and adds just the right amount of sweetness. There’s not a ton of sugar in this recipe so that the tangy cheesecake flavor comes through.
• Heavy Whipping Cream – beating the heavy whipping cream (or double cream) into stiff peaks is the key to achieving a thick and custard-like cheesecake filling. Don’t substitute this or settle for soft peaks! You’ll want to whip it with a whisk attachment or hand mixer for about 2-3 minutes. 
• Eggnog – I used traditional store-bought eggnog for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with different types of eggnog! If you have a homemade recipe you love, it should work. 
• Rum Extract – I never have alcohol on hand (I’m straight edge) but feel free to substitute this for actual rum if you want to! If you’d rather use rum extract you should be able to find this in the baking aisle at your local grocery store. 
• Spices – to really amplify the eggnog flavor I added extra cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

How to Decorate No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake

Once the no-bake cheesecake is set (after 8+ hours), you can decorate however you’d like! I removed mine from the springform pan and piped on some homemade whipped cream (that I spiked with a little eggnog!) in a crescent formation using Wilton Tip 1M for the rosettes and Tip 32 for the stars. Then, I garnished the piping with Biscoff cookie crumbs, sugared cranberries, and little sprigs of rosemary. Feel free to get creative and decorate however you’d like! 

Making No-Bake Cheesecake Ahead of Time

One of the greatest things about this no-bake cheesecake is you can make it ahead of time! After you add the filling into your Biscoff cookie crust, you’ll place it in the refrigerator to set up for at least 6-8 hours (but overnight is best). You can make it up to two days in advance, which is a game changer when it comes to planning for holiday hoopla. 

If you want to make it even further in advance you can freeze this no-bake eggnog cheesecake after the filling is set. So basically refrigerate it overnight and then pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to wrap it well – I recommend removing the sides from the springform pan and covering the cheesecake surface and sides with one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil. 

This no-bake eggnog cheesecake is sure to be a hit at your next holiday party! I can’t wait for you to make it.

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No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake with Biscoff Cookie Crust

A deliciously festive eggnog cheesecake made without any baking! Rich and creamy no-bake cheesecake filling infused with spiced eggnog on a beautiful Biscoff cookie crust.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Refrigeration 8 hours

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

Biscoff Cookie Crust

• 1 package (250g) Biscoff cookies
• 1/3 Cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted

Eggnog Cheesecake Filling

• 2 Cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 16 Oz (452g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temperature NOT the spread
• 1 Cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) eggnog
• 1 tsp rum extract or rum
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Eggnog Whipped Cream

• 1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/4 Cup (60ml) eggnog
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/3 Cup (40g) powdered sugar

Additional Garnish

• fresh rosemary sprigs
• sugared cranberries* recipe link in notes
• Biscoff cookie crumbs

Instructions

Make the Biscoff Cookie Crust

• Using a food processor, grind the Biscoff cookies into a fine crumb. You can alternatively place the Biscoff cookies in a large Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs.
• Add the Biscoff cookie crumbs into a medium bowl and pour the melted butter on top. Mix until uniform, then press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan or 10-inch springform pan. Use a round glass or jar to pack the crust as tightly as possible (this helps keep it together when you cut the cheesecake slices later). Freeze the Biscoff cookie crust in the pan for 10-20 minutes while you prepare the eggnog cheesecake filling.

Make the Eggnog Cheesecake Filling

• Using a hand mixer with a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
• In another large bowl (either with a hand mixer or stand mixer), beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium until creamy. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggnog, rum extract (or actual rum), nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined (no lumps), about 2–3 minutes.
• Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined.
• Remove the Biscoff crust from the freezer and add the eggnog cheesecake filling into it. Spread the filling to the edges of the crust and smooth the top using an angled spatula, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, chill the cheesecake overnight. This will yield the most set filling.

Make the Eggnog Whipped Cream

• Place the metal bowl from your stand mixer and the whisk attachment (or a medium metal bowl and hand mixer attachments) into the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
• Add all of the eggnog whipped cream ingredients into the chilled bowl. mix together on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes.

Assembly

• When you’re ready to serve the no-bake eggnog cheesecake, remove the rim from the springform pan. Divide the eggnog whipped cream between two piping bags, one fitted with Wilton Tip 1M and one fitted with Wilton Tip 32. Pipe rosettes with Tip 1M and stars with Tip 32 in a crescent formation. Garnish with sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary sprigs.

Notes

*Find my recipe for sugared cranberries in this blog post. 

Make Ahead Tips:

1. After making and freezing the Biscoff cookie crust, it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator until you add the filling (1-2 days ahead is best for the freshest flavor).
2. You can make and assemble the no-bake eggnog cheesecake up to 2 days in advance, stored in the refrigerator and covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can alternatively freeze the cheesecake for up to 3 months after it’s set in the refrigerator. Be sure to cover well if freezing. I recommend one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil. 

Leftovers: Store leftovers (covered well) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

This no-bake eggnog cheesecake is sure to be a hit for the holiday season! I hope you love it as much as I do. Let me know what you think in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram if you post a pic! I love to see what you create.

The post No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake with Biscoff Cookie Crust appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

You can feel free to make just one of these designs, but the variety of textures and colors look so great together that it’s worth making all three designs! The full tutorial is over on The Cake Blog, so be sure to head over there for all the details. In the meantime, here are some pretty shots of these Christmas wreath cupcakes to inspire you:

These Christmas Wreath Cupcakes are guaranteed to add some merriment to your Holiday dessert table. Head over to The Cake Blog to learn how to make them, then be sure to tag @sugarandsparrowco and @thecakeblog to show us your wreath designs. Merry Christmas to you all and hope you’re having so much fun with your Holiday bakes this year!

The post Festive Christmas Wreath Cupcakes Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Decorating gingerbread houses is such a fun Holiday tradition and these kits come with everything you need: gingerbread house pieces that are perfectly baked, royal icing mix that you can whip up with just a few tablespoons of water, the ideal holiday sprinkle mixes, and they even include piping bags and tips for flawless decorating. The sprinkles that come inside the kit are the ultra-colorful Fahoo Fores and the super-pretty Winter Wonderland sprinkles. You can use both on your gingerbread house to create the design pictured, mix it up by adding some extra holiday candy, or just be creative and do your own thing. The (Winter) sky’s the limit with these Sprinkle Gingerbread House Kits.

The best part about these kits is that they make gingerbread house assembly incredibly easy. The pieces are held together with the royal icing mix that comes with the kit, and it’s super pipeable and sturdy – aka the perfect glue! You end up with a strong gingerbread house that won’t collapse on you, and the decorating process is a whole lot more fun when you’re not worried about the house falling apart.

Whether you want to replicate this exact sprinkle gingerbread house design or do your own thing decorating-wise, here’s a quick video to show you how to build and dress up a gingerbread house using the SprinklePop Sprinkle Gingerbread House Kits:

You Will Need

• A SprinklePop Sprinkle Gingerbread House Kit
• A hand mixer or stand mixer 
• 2 Tbsp water 
• Color gels of your choice
• Wilton Tips 4B, 199, and 2 (all tips are optional)

Step 1: Mix Up The Royal Icing

Place the royal icing mix into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (alternatively you can use a hand mixer). Add 2 Tbsp of water, then turn the mixer on high and let it whip up for about 7 minutes, until peaks form.

From here, you can divide the royal icing up into separate bowls for color mixing. I chose to color about 3 Tbsp of the royal icing with Americolor Electric Pink to create the colorful front door for my gingerbread house. Then, I colored a few more Tbsp with Americolor Mint Green to pipe a wreath on top of the front door. For the pink royal icing, I also mixed in a few more drops of water to thin it out just a little bit.

Place your royal icing into the piping bags. The Sprinkle Gingerbread House Kit comes with piping bags and tips, but I used Wilton Tip 2 for my pink icing and some of the white icing, Wilton Tip 199 for my green icing, and Wilton Tip 4B for some more of my white icing. For the rest of the white icing, I placed it into a piping bag with a tiny opening snipped off, just for the assembly process.

Step 2: Decorate The Gingerbread House Pieces

One by one, decorate the gingerbread house pieces with your piping bags and sprinkles. For the front of the house, I created a pink front door, then piped some white dots around it before placing some of the smaller sprinkles from the Fahoo Fores mix. Then, I piped a green wreath with Wilton Tip 199 onto the front door and continued piping and decorating with more of the sprinkles. I used the Winter Wonderland sprinkles toward the bottom of the house to make it look like sparkly snow drifts.

For the roof pieces, I piped some white royal icing in a drip pattern and then filled it all in with Winter Wonderland sprinkles.

And for the side pieces, I continued with the Winter Wonderland snow drifts along the bottom edges, then filled in the windows with piped dots using Wilton Tip 2.

When you’re finished decorating, allow the pieces to dry for a few hours until they’re firm enough to the touch for assembly.

Be sure to store the remaining royal icing in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry up on you. In the meantime, you can pop on a Holiday movie and snuggle up with some cocoa! 

Step 3: Assemble The Base of the Gingerbread House

Once your gingerbread house pieces are dry, it’s time for assembly. Add some royal icing into a piping bag with about ⅛ inch opening snipped off the end, then add a line of royal icing along the edge of the side piece that connects with the front of the house. Add another line of royal icing along the side of the front piece of the house that will connect with the side, then press them together at a 90 degree angle. 

Pipe royal icing along the edges of the other side pieces that connect, then press them all together to form the base of your house.

Let the pieces dry together for about 12 hours before moving on to the next step. In the meantime, be sure to store your extra royal icing in an airtight container.

Step 4: Attach The Roof

Now that the base of your house is nice and sturdy, it’s time to add the roof and make it a home. Pipe royal icing along the top edges of your house, then along the places of your roof that the house will connect with.

Press each piece of the roof onto the house gently. The royal icing should hold it in place perfectly.

Step 5: Decorate Even More

With your gingerbread house assembly complete, all that’s left to do is keep adding those festive touches. I piped some white royal icing with Wilton Tip 4B all along the roof lines, then added the larger sprinkle balls from the Fahoo Fores mix to make it look like Christmas lights.

Next, I decided to create an entire Wintery scene by piping a walkway up to the house and covering it with more Fahoo Fores sprinkles. Then, I used Wilton Tip 4B to pipe little mounds of snow all around the front yard and sprinkled Winter Wonderland all over it. This part is totally optional, but I just couldn’t help myself.

And just like that, you’ve got the best gingerbread house on the block! Be sure to pick up a Sprinkle Gingerbread House this Holiday season for some festive (and sprinkley!) fun. Happy Holidays! 

Disclaimer: I was compensated by SprinklePop for my work of creating this project, styling, filming, photographing, and writing about their products. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Sugar & Sparrow.

The post Sprinkle Gingerbread House Kits + Decorating Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

You can customize the toppings any way you’d like, but here are some of my absolute faves to inspire you (all pictured in that loaded cup of cocoa!): candy cane bits, brownie chunks, Belgian Boy Stroopwafels, mini marshmallows, and Oh Snow Cute sprinkles by SprinklePop for some added flavor and fun. You can use any sprinkles in your hot cocoa bar setup, but I love this Wintery mix. The color scheme is so much fun and the tiny snowmen and snowflakes are perfect for celebrating the Holiday season. Plus, the larger spherical sprinkles are made of chocolate (they’re Sixlets!), so they’re great for adding a little crunch and sweetness. 

After coming up with my ideal list of toppings, I displayed them all in mason jars and added some touches of Holiday decor. I basically borrowed a few sprigs from my Christmas tree and some faux holly, berries, and pine cones. Easy as can be! 

Here’s a little video to show you how I made my ideal cup of hot cocoa, so be sure to give it a watch for inspiration before you read all about how to replicate my hot cocoa bar setup below:

You Will Need

• 6 medium sized Mason jars 
• Brownies cut into ½ inch squares
• Candy Cane bits
• Belgian Boy Stroopwafels, quartered
• 2 8oz bottles of Oh Snow Cute sprinkles
• Mini marshmallows 
• Canned Whipped Cream
• Melted white chocolate in a piping bag (optional)
• Instant hot cocoa mix 
• Boiled milk 
• Cups and mugs for your guests 

Hot Cocoa Bar Setup 

Note that the list above is all suggested. You can tailor this hot cocoa bar to any topping list you want! Once you figure out the number of toppings you’ll have, add each one to a separate mason jar or container of your choice. I went with mason jars because they’re so easy to find and I love being able to see the toppings through the clear glass. 

To create this fun display, I divided my topping-filled mason jars full into two rows and slightly elevated the back row with a couple pieces of white wood I had leftover from a house project. Then, I decorated around the jars with sprigs of holly and pine. So festive and pretty! 

Prior to your guests arriving, all that’s left to do is make sure that you have hot water or milk readily available, or pre-mix the hot cocoa and keep it in a thermos at the hot cocoa bar for an even easier experience. Set out some mugs for your guests and let them go crazy adding all the toppings they want! 

The Tastiest Hot Cocoa Recipe

To inspire you with topping and decorating ideas, here’s how I chose to create my loaded cup of cocoa:

Create a White Chocolate Peppermint Rim (Optional)

First, I melted some white chocolate and waited for it to cool to about 80 degrees before piping it onto the rim of my cup with a piping bag.

I waited about five minutes for the chocolate to set slightly and then dipped it into some candy cane bits. 

You can use any type of chocolate you want for this part and can also create the peppermint rim on all of the guest mugs ahead of time if you’re into the look! The white chocolate peppermint adds such a fun texture and flavor to the whole cocoa experience. 

Add the Hot Cocoa

Next, I added a few tablespoons of instant hot cocoa to the mug, poured boiling hot milk over the top, and stirred it all together. 

Like I mentioned before, if you have a lot of guests it might be worth pre-mixing the hot cocoa and keeping it in a thermos for easy access.

Add the Toppings

After adding the hot cocoa, the fun of getting creative with toppings can begin! I added a layer of mini marshmallows and swirled some whipped cream on top.

Then, I stuck some brownie bits into the whipped cream and added a generous amount of Oh Snow Cute Sprinkles.

Finally, top the cocoa creation with a piece of Belgian Boy Stroopwafel. Boom. Best cocoa ever! 

Your hot cocoa bar can be as customized as you want. Other suggestions for your topping list: caramel sauce, whole candy canes, bite sized cookies, flavored syrups, cinnamon, mini chocolate chips, and any SprinklePop sprinkle mix that you’re drawn to!

What would you top your hot cocoa with? Let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer: I was compensated by SprinklePop for my work of creating this project, styling, filming, photographing, and writing about their products. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Sugar & Sparrow.

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