A chocolate cookie crust is filled with Irish cream cheesecake and topped with rich chocolate ganache, Irish whipped cream, and semisweet chocolate curls.
It’s nearly mid-March, which means St. Patrick’s Day is almost upon us! Irish cream flavors abound this time of year, from coffee to cookies to pies to- you guessed it- cheesecakes. This 6-Inch Irish Cream Cheesecake is perfectly balanced with chocolate and Irish cream liquor. Now the liquor neutralizes out during the baking process, but we use pure Irish cream in the whipped topping too. To create a non-alcoholic whipped cream, keep reading for a fabulous sub. Now let’s make it.
What you’ll need to make this 6-inch Irish cream cheesecake:
Chocolate cookie crumbs {like Oreos}
Granulated sugar
Salted butter
Cream cheese
Irish cream {like Baileys or O’Maras}
Heavy cream
Pure vanilla extract
Semisweet chocolate chips
The Crust
This fabulous go to crust is my Easy Oreo Crust. It received its own blog a couple of months back because I wanted to be able to bookmark it for myself and figured others might want to as well!
Begin by removing the fillings and crushing your Oreo cookies, and gluten-free Oreos work here too too. As Oreos contain no dairy or eggs, they are considered vegan and would work for those dietary restrictions as well.
Combine your crush cookie crumbs with the melted butter and granulated sugar, and you should have a texture that is similar to wet sand.
Press this into your 6-inch springform pan that has been lined with a small parchment circle on the bottom, and make sure to pull the crust up the edges and press firmly for a nice tall cheesecake. Use the bottom of a glass to ensure that it is firmly packed, and set this aside while you make the filling.
The Irish Cream Cheesecake
I used real Baileys Irish cream in this recipe. The alcohol will bake out completely while the cheesecake cooks. If you do want to replace the real Irish cream for a non-alcoholic flavoring in the whipped cream portion, that is completely OK. I love this LorAnn Irish Cream flavoring.
Begin by mixing the cream cheese and the sugar until smooth, about two minutes. Add the heavy cream, Irish cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Add your egg, and mix until just combined, ensuring that you do not over mix this part.
Pour the cheesecake batter into your prepared crust. Line the outer bottom of the pan with tinfoil to protect it from the water bath. Place the prepared cheesecake into your larger pan, {I use a 10 inch round cake pan}, and fill the larger pan with about an inch of water.
Bake at 350° for 75 to 85 minutes, or until golden on top and slightly jiggly in the center. It will set up fully as it cools. Allowed it to cool on the counter for about 20 minutes, and then refrigerate it until it is chilled, 2-3 hours or overnight.
The Ganache + Irish Whipped Cream
Begin by making the ganache, as that will need to cool on the cheesecake before you add the whipped cream.
Heat the heavy cream in a small bowl on high for 60 seconds in the microwave. Alternatively you can heat it on medium in a pan on the stovetop until it is starting to steam but not boiling. Place the chocolate chips in the bowl and let it sit untouched for five minutes. Ensure all of the chocolate is covered by the cream.
Whisk the ganache until smooth. Pour it over the cooled cheesecake and smooth it out over the top. Place it back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes or until the ganache has set and is cooled.
Place the heavy cream, granulated sugar, Irish cream, and vanilla into a small bowl and whip with a hand mixer or standing mixer for two to three minutes or until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread onto the ganache layer of the cheesecake.
The Chocolate Curls
Now these are purely optional, but I think they add some incredible pizzazz to any dessert! I have an entire blog dedicated to how to make perfect and easy chocolate curls every single time, so head over and grab that recipe if you’d like to add this gorgeous garnish to your cheesecake!
If you do plan to whip up the chocolate curls, simply make them while your cheesecake is cooling and pop them in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to use tkem. They do not hold their shape well at room temperature for very long, so place them on your cheesecake just prior to serving. Since you will store your cheesecake in the refrigerator, they will hold their shape well while being stored.
Serve and store any cheesecake leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five day. It is best stored without the homemade whipped cream, but it should last overnight just fine. By day three it could get a little runny, and if that’s the case, simply scrape it off and enjoy without or make a new batch of whipped cream.
Dietary Substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Oreo makes a gluten free cookie that is also dairy free.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Miyokos also makes a wonderful cream cheese that would be an excellent dairy free base in this recipe.
Enjoy Life makes a dairy free + allergen friendly semi sweet chocolate chip that would work great in this recipe.
Silk Plant Based Half and Half Alternative is a great alternative to dairy based cream.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for both the cheesecake and the whipped topping.
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XO,
Heather
6-Inch Irish Cream Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ¾ Cups Crushed Oreo Cookie Crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, melted
For the Filling:
- 12 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Heavy Cream
- ⅓ Cup Irish Cream (such as Bailey’s or O-Mara’s)
- ½ Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
For the Ganache:
- ½ Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
For the Whipped Cream:
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Irish Cream (or flavoring is a fine substitute here)
- ½ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- To make the crust: To begin, scrape the filling out of 28 Oreos cookies. This will be just about 1 ¾ cups when processed. If you have a medium to large food processor, it is easy to combine all of the ingredients into the professor. If not, you can use a large ziplock bag and a rolling pin to crush the cookies into fine crumbs. Melt the butter either in a microwave safe container on high for 30-45 seconds, or on the stovetop in a small pan on high heat for 5-10 minutes (or until fully melted but not bubbling). Into your bowl of Oreo crumbs (or into your food processor), add the melted butter, and granulated sugar. Gently mix with a fork to combine, or set your food processor on until the mixture if fully combined (about 20 seconds or so). Press the crust into a 6-inch spring-foam pan that has been lined with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom. You can use a tall glass to press the crust into the pan, ensuring that it is set. Make sure to bring the crust a good bit up the sides to hold all the amazing layers well. Set this aside while you make the filling.
- To make the cheesecake filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream, Irish cream, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, about twenty seconds. Add the egg and mix until just combined. Do not overmix this part. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Place foil around the outside bottom and place the pan in a larger baking dish {I used a 10-inch baking pan since I had it easily accessible}. Add about an inch of water to the pan. Bake at 350° for 65-75 minutes. If your cheesecake is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil at the 30 minute mark. Cheesecake should be mostly set and golden on the edges but slightly jiggly in the middle. It will set up further as it cools. Allow it to cool in the pan / water bath for 20 minute. Gently remove it from the water bath and place it on a towel to dry the bottom. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight until chilled and fully set.
- To make the ganache:Place the Heavy cream in a small bowl and warm in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Be cautious as the cream and the bowl could be hot. Alternatively, you can heat it on the stove top in a small pan on medium heat until it becomes hot and almost starts to bubble. Remove the bowl of cream and place the chocolate into the bowl, ensuring that it is completely covered by the cream. Allow this to sit untouched for five minutes. Whisk well until completely smooth. Pour over your chilled cheesecake and allow it to set up in the fridge for an additional 30 minutes.
- While the ganache is setting up, you can make the chocolate curls and the whipped cream. For the chocolate curls, simply follow the instructions on the blog linked above. For the whipped cream, place all ingredients in a small to medium sized bowl, and beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread the whipped cream over the ganache layer of the cheesecake, and top with the chocolate curls. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers uncovered in the fridge for up to four days. Enjoy!
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