Lea recipes

Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes (including 1 hour cooling and 4 hours chilling) | Servings: 16 bars

I love eggnog in a glass, but I love it even more like this — baked into a smooth, gently spiced cheesecake, on a dark gingersnap crust that snaps when you bite it. These bars have everything the drink promises (the rum-kissed warmth, the nutmeg, the richness) in a form you can slice, stack on a plate, and hand to somebody at a party. They are make-ahead by nature, which in December is the highest praise I have.

They are the sweet half of today’s holiday pair — the main is my Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Glaze, and between the cider glaze at dinner and the nutmeg on these bars, the whole meal tastes like one long, warm holiday note. On a dessert tray, they are lovely next to yesterday’s Peppermint Brownies — cool mint chocolate on one side, warm spiced cream on the other. And when the dessert table needs a true centerpiece, my Christmas Red Velvet Layer Cake is the one I bake — deep-red layers under snowy cream cheese frosting and a sparkle of sugared cranberries.

Ingredients

• For the gingersnap crust:
• 2 cups gingersnap crumbs (about 40 crisp gingersnap cookies)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• For the eggnog filling:
• 24 ounces cream cheese (three 8-ounce blocks), at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup full-fat eggnog, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (or 1 tablespoon dark rum)
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a 9×13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides so the slab lifts out cleanly later, and lightly grease the exposed ends.
2. Make the crust: stir the gingersnap crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt together until the crumbs look like wet sand and hold together when squeezed. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of the pan — use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to really pack it down, edges included.
3. Bake the crust at 325°F (165°C) for 10 minutes, until it smells warm and spicy and looks set. Set it aside on a wire rack while you make the filling; leave the oven on.
4. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until completely smooth and fluffy, scraping the bowl down once. Any lump left at this stage will still be there in the finished bars, so take the full 2 minutes.
5. Mix in the eggnog, vanilla, rum extract, nutmeg and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low after each only until the yolk disappears, then mix in the flour the same way. Low and slow from here on — beating air into cheesecake is what makes it puff, crack and sink.
6. Pour the filling over the warm crust and smooth the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter twice to pop any large air bubbles.
7. Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 38 to 42 minutes. The bars are done when the edges look set and matte and the center still has a gentle, even jiggle when the pan is nudged — like set gelatin, not like liquid. The center will look slightly underdone; that is exactly right, it finishes as it cools.
8. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and overnight if you can. This chill is not optional waiting time — it is when the filling sets into that dense, silky cheesecake texture. The total time on this recipe includes the full cooling and chilling, because cutting early gives you pudding bars, not cheesecake bars.
9. Lift the slab out with the parchment overhang, dust the top lightly with freshly grated nutmeg, and cut into 16 bars with a large sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts. Serve cold, straight from the fridge.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Real eggnog flavor: a full 3/4 cup of eggnog in the filling, backed up with fresh nutmeg and a whisper of rum — it tastes like the drink, not like a rumor of it.
• That gingersnap crust: dark, snappy and spiced, it does the work a plain graham crust cannot — every bite has a warm spiced edge.
• Bars, not a whole cheesecake: no water bath, no springform, no cracked top to hide — a 9×13 pan, clean slices, 16 servings.
• Born to be made ahead: the mandatory chill means dessert is simply done a day early, and the flavor deepens overnight.

Tips from Lea Bennett

• Room temperature everything is the crack insurance: cold cream cheese makes lumps, and cold eggs and eggnog make the batter seize and need overmixing, which makes cracks. Leave the blocks, eggs and eggnog on the counter for 45 minutes before you start — it is the easiest crack insurance there is.
• Judge doneness by the jiggle, not the clock: at 325°F (165°C) my oven lands at 40 minutes. You want set, matte edges and a center that wobbles gently as one piece when the pan is nudged. If the center ripples like liquid, give it 3 more minutes; if nothing moves at all, it has gone a touch too far — still delicious, just firmer.
• Grate the nutmeg fresh if you possibly can: pre-ground nutmeg loses its warmth within weeks of opening, and nutmeg is the headline spice here. A whole nutmeg grated over the finished bars smells like Christmas the second it lands — and that dusting goes on after chilling, never before baking, so it stays fragrant.
• Pack the crust like you mean it: a loosely pressed crumb crust crumbles under the slice. Press with the flat bottom of a measuring cup until the surface feels hard and even, and push a little extra into the corners, where bars break first.
• Wipe the knife between every cut: cheesecake drags. A clean, warm blade is the entire difference between bakery bars and smeared ones — run the knife under hot water, wipe it dry, cut, repeat. Sixteen bars take about three extra minutes this way and look twice as good.

Variations

• Graham crust classic: swap the gingersnaps for 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the crumbs — milder, more traditional.
• Bourbon eggnog bars: replace the rum extract with 1 tablespoon of bourbon in the filling and a second teaspoon brushed over the chilled slab before cutting — adults-only, and wonderful.
• Whipped top: spread a thin layer of barely sweetened whipped cream over the chilled slab before the nutmeg dusting — softer, prettier, more like a glass of eggnog with its foam.
• Mini bars: bake in two lined 8×8-inch pans at 325°F (165°C) for 30 to 34 minutes, with the same jiggle test, and cut each pan into 9 — handy when half the batch is a gift.

Make Ahead & Storage

Make ahead: These bars are at their best made a full day ahead — the flavors settle, the nutmeg blooms, and the texture turns perfectly dense. Bake, cool and chill the slab uncut, covered, and slice the day you serve.

Fridge: Cut bars keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve them cold; at room temperature the filling softens and the clean cheesecake bite goes slack after about 30 minutes.

Freezer: Freeze cut bars on a tray until firm, then wrap and store in a container with parchment between layers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and dust with fresh nutmeg before serving — the dusting does not survive freezing.

FAQ

Can I use low-fat eggnog or cream cheese?

I do not recommend either here. Low-fat eggnog makes the filling thin and slow to set, and low-fat cream cheese bakes up grainy instead of silky. This is a once-a-year Christmas bar — full-fat is what makes the texture work.

My bars cracked on top. What happened?

Usually too much air beaten in after the eggs went in, or a sudden temperature change. Mix on low once the eggs are in, and let the pan cool on the rack for the full hour before it goes into the fridge. A small crack is purely cosmetic — the nutmeg dusting (or the whipped-top variation) covers it completely.

Is there alcohol in these bars?

Not as written — rum extract gives the flavor without the alcohol. If you use the tablespoon of dark rum instead, most of it bakes off in the oven, leaving the flavor behind. Either way, the bars are family-table friendly.

Can I make these without gingersnaps?

Yes — the graham variation above is the closest swap. Vanilla wafer crumbs (2 cups, same butter) also work and give a gentler, more eggnog-forward bar. Keep the 10-minute crust bake either way; it is what keeps the bottom crisp under the creamy filling.

How far ahead can I make them for a party?

Bake them up to 3 days ahead and keep the slab uncut and covered in the fridge; cut and dust with nutmeg the day of the party. For anything longer, freeze them as described above and thaw the night before.

More Desserts Recipes You’ll Love

• Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Glaze
• Peppermint Brownies
• Gingerbread Cookies

Conclusion

Creamy, spiced and sliceable, with that dark gingersnap snap underneath — these Eggnog Cheesecake Bars are the glass of eggnog that shows up to the party ready to be dessert. Make them a day ahead, dust them with nutmeg, and accept the compliments. Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours! 🎄

Follow along for a new recipe every day: find me on Facebook at Lea Recipes Kitchen, on Pinterest at @learecipes, and on Instagram @lea_recipes1. If you make these bars, I’d love it if you’d leave the recipe a star rating and a comment — it truly helps other home cooks find it. Thank you! 🎄

Lea Bennett

Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Eggnog Cheesecake Bars with a gingersnap crust and warm nutmeg — creamy, spiced and sliceable. All the flavor of eggnog, in a Christmas bar.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 16 bars

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

For the gingersnap crust:

• 2 cups gingersnap crumbs about 40 crisp gingersnap cookies
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 pinch of salt

For the eggnog filling:

• 24 ounces cream cheese three 8-ounce blocks, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup full-fat eggnog at room temperature
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract or 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg plus more for dusting
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking pan

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a 9×13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two long sides so the slab lifts out cleanly later, and lightly grease the exposed ends.
2. Make the crust: stir the gingersnap crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt together until the crumbs look like wet sand and hold together when squeezed. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of the pan — use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to really pack it down, edges included.
3. Bake the crust at 325°F (165°C) for 10 minutes, until it smells warm and spicy and looks set. Set it aside on a wire rack while you make the filling; leave the oven on.
4. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until completely smooth and fluffy, scraping the bowl down once. Any lump left at this stage will still be there in the finished bars, so take the full 2 minutes.
5. Mix in the eggnog, vanilla, rum extract, nutmeg and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low after each only until the yolk disappears, then mix in the flour the same way. Low and slow from here on — beating air into cheesecake is what makes it puff, crack and sink.
6. Pour the filling over the warm crust and smooth the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter twice to pop any large air bubbles.
7. Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 38 to 42 minutes. The bars are done when the edges look set and matte and the center still has a gentle, even jiggle when the pan is nudged — like set gelatin, not like liquid. The center will look slightly underdone; that is exactly right, it finishes as it cools.
8. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and overnight if you can. This chill is not optional waiting time — it is when the filling sets into that dense, silky cheesecake texture. The total time on this recipe includes the full cooling and chilling, because cutting early gives you pudding bars, not cheesecake bars.
9. Lift the slab out with the parchment overhang, dust the top lightly with freshly grated nutmeg, and cut into 16 bars with a large sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts. Serve cold, straight from the fridge.