Easy baked Almond Cheesecake featuring an almond vanilla wafer crust, and a creamy and tangy almond flavored cheesecake filling. It's then decorated with a luscious almond whipped cream, fresh blackberries and edible flowers for a truly special dessert!
Almond desserts are one of my favorite flavors of all time, as it's perfect all year round! These almond croissant cinnamon rolls and raspberry almond cake are always on repeat in our kitchen and now we can add this amazing almond cheesecake to the rotation.
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♡ Why You Will Love this Almond Cheesecake
- Flavor. The crust is buttery and nutty thanks to the addition of roasted almonds, and the filling is tangy and flavored with almond and a touch of vanilla.
- Texture. The perfectly crisp cookie crust paired with the creamy and slightly dense filling, makes for the most irresistible bite.
- Easy to make. Cheesecake is very easy to make and has very few simple ingredients. The key is to make sure your ingredients are at room temperature and to mix on low speed. I know the thought of baking cheesecake in a water bath can sound complicated, but it's really not. A water bath helps the cheesecake to bake more evenly and prevents cracks.
If you're looking for no-bake cheesecake recipes, you may like this funfetti cheesecake or strawberry shortcake cheesecake.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about all the ingredients used in this almond cheesecake. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!
Crust
- Vanilla Wafers - I used Nila Wafers, but you can also use graham cracker crumbs.
- Roasted Almonds - Adds nuttiness.
- Brown Sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar. This will lightly sweeten the crust and help it bind.
- Melted Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter.
Almond Cheesecake Filling
- Cream Cheese Brick - Make sure you're using full-fat cream cheese brick and to soften it at room temperature. This will prevent a lumpy cheesecake and will keep you from overmixing.
- White Sugar - Lightly sweetens the cheesecake.
- Full-Fat Sour Cream - Makes the cheesecake creamy. You'll also want the sour cream to be at room temp. You can speed things up by microwaving it in 8 second intervals, making sure to stir in between. Usually 16 seconds is enough.
- Pure Almond Extract + Vanilla Extract - Make sure to use pure almond extract for the best flavor.
- Whole Eggs - Adds richness and structure. You can quickly bring eggs to temp by submerging it in a bowl of hot tap water for 15 minutes. Replace the water with fresh hot tap water half way through.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make this Almond Cheesecake! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Make Crust - In a medium bowl, mix together vanilla wafer crumbs, ground almonds, brown sugar and melted butter until combined.
Step 2. The mixture should hold when squeezed together. You can add more butter if needed.
Step 3. Firmly press the crust into the bottom and up the sides your prepared pan.
Step 4. Bake the crust in a preheated oven at 350ºF (176ºF) for 8 minutes, then place in the freezer to cool down.
Step 5. Make Cheesecake Filling - In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, whisk together softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Step 6. On low, whisk in the sour cream, almond extract and vanilla extract until combined.
Step 7. On low, mix in the eggs, one at a time until combined. Scrape down the bowl after each addition. Do not mix.
Step 9. Remove crust from the freezer and wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with 3 to 4 pieces of foil.
Step 10. Pour cheesecake filling into the prepared crust, smoothing the top with an a spatula. Place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan and transfer the whole pan into your oven.
Step 11. Bake - Carefully fill the roasting pan with 1 inch of very hot water. Quickly close the oven door and bake at 325ºF (162ºC) for 50 minutes. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are slightly puffed and set, and the center jiggles similar to jello.
Step 12. Cool - Turn the oven off and crack the oven door with a wooden spoon. Leave the cheesecake to cool inside the oven for 1 hour.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath, and carefully remove the foil. Transfer to a wire rack to cool at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Then cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
💡 Tip
For clean slices, wipe your knife clean in between each cut. Run the knife's blade under hot tap water or you can fill a tall container with hot tap water, and dip the knife's blade in. This will make it easier to slice though.
Substitutions & Variations
- Vanilla Wafer Cookies - Feel free to use graham crackers, Biscoff cookies, golden Oreos, ladyfinger cookies, or pretzels as seen in this Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie.
- Almonds - I used roasted almonds, but you can use almond flour or omit it completely if you don't have any on hand.
- Sour Cream - You can substitute with full-fat Greek yogurt.
Key Equipment
- Electric Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- 8-Inch (20cm) Springform Pan
- Rubber Spatula
- Foil or a Pan slightly larger than your Springform Pan
Storage
- Refrigerator - Almond cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up 5 days.
- Freezer - Freeze cheesecake slices on a baking sheet, uncovered until firm. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then store in freeze bags. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
⭐️ Tips for the Perfect Cheesecake
Use room temperature ingredients. This helps prevent lumps in the batter and prevents you from overmixing. Cream cheese is difficult to smooth out when it is cold, so I like to cut it into small cubes to help it soften faster. If you are making cheesecake during the colder months, it may be hard to soften, so I like to pop it in the microwave in 10 second intervals.
Mix on low. Overmixing will incorporate too much air in the batter, which can cause the cheesecake to deflate and crack as it cools.
If your cheesecake filling is lumpy, you can press it through a fine mesh sieve.
Bake cheesecake in a water bath. A water baths helps the cheesecakes bake gently and more evenly. The steam from the hot water creates a humid environment for baking, which will help prevent cracks. Although I haven't tried this technique, instead of a water bath, you can also place the roaster with hot water in the oven rack beneath your cheesecake.
Wrap your pan in foil with at least 3 pieces of foil. I actually used 4 pieces of foil for assurance. Position the foil pieces in a criss cross formation to prevent water from leaking in. Alternatively, in place of foil, you can also place your springform pan into a slightly larger baking pan then place the whole thing in your roasting pan.
Gradually cool the cheesecake. Once the cheesecake is done, let it cool in the oven for an hour with the door slightly ajar. I like to wedge a wooden spoon in between the oven door. Any extreme temperature changes can also cause the cheesecake to crack.
FAQ
You could, but your cheesecake will be much flatter and your baking time will be shorter. If you'd like to bake in a 9-inch pan, increase the cream cheese to 4 blocks, increase the sugar to 1 cup, increase the sour cream to 1 cup and increase the eggs to 4. Your baking time will also increase to 60 to 65 minutes.
About 5 days.
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📖 Recipe
Almond Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
Crust
- 1 ½ Cups (150g) Vanilla Wafer Crumbs
- ⅓ Cup (36g) Roasted Almonds finely ground
- ¼ Cup (50g) Light Brown Sugar packed
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) Unsalted Butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 Ounces (681g | 3 Blocks) Full-Fat Cream Cheese room temp
- ¾ Cup (150g) White Sugar
- ¾ Cup (170g) Full-Fat Sour Cream room temp
- 1 Tablespoon Almond Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 Large Eggs room temp
Almond Whipped Cream
- 1 Cup (227g) Heavy Cream cold
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven & Prep Pan - Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease and line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.
- Make Crust - In a medium bowl, mix together vanilla wafer crumbs, ground almonds, brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Firmly press the crust into the bottom and up the sides your prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes, then place in the freezer to cool down. 1 ½ Cups (150g) Vanilla Wafer Crumbs⅓ Cup (36g) Roasted Almonds¼ Cup (50g) Light Brown Sugar6 Tablespoons (85g) Unsalted Butter
- Lower Oven Temp - Lower the oven temp to 325ºF. Boil water in a kettle. Then grab a large roasting pan and have it nearby.
- Make Filling - In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, whisk together softened cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Then on low, mix in the sour cream, almond extract and vanilla extract until combined. Again on low, mix in the eggs, one at a time until combined. Scrape down the bowl after each addition. Do not overmix.24 Ounces (681g | 3 Blocks) Full-Fat Cream Cheese¾ Cup (150g) White Sugar¾ Cup (170g) Full-Fat Sour Cream1 Tablespoon Almond Extract1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract3 Large Eggs
- Wrap Pan - Remove the crust from the freezer and wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with 3 to 4 pieces of heavy duty foil. If you do not have any foil, you can place the whole springform pan in a larger cake pan.
- Fill Pan - Pour cheesecake filling into the crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Lift the pan a few inches off the counter and drop it a few times to knock out any air bubbles. Place the cheesecake into the roasting pan and transfer the whole pan into your oven. Fill the roasting pan with 1 inch of very hot water.
- Bake - Quickly close the oven door and bake for 55 minutes. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are slightly puffed and set, and the center jiggles similar to jello.
- Cool in Oven - Turn the oven off and crack the oven door with a wooden spoon. Leave the cheesecake to cool inside the oven for 1 hour.
- Chill in Fridge - Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath and transfer to a wire rack to cool at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Make Almond Cream - When you are ready to serve, make almond whipped cream. Add cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and almond extract in a large bowl, and with a hand mixer, whisk until firm peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag or you can spoon on top of the cheesecake.1 Cup (227g) Heavy Cream2 to 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- Serve - Remove cheesecake by running a paring knife or thin metal spatula around the sides of the pan and remove the outer ring. Transfer the cheesecake onto a serving plate. Decorate with whipped cream and fresh blackberries if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Wendee says
Absolutely delicious. Creamy, rich but not too sweet. Highly recommend!
Lisa Flinn says
Hi Wendee, thanks so much for trying the recipe and for your review! It's one of my favorites! Happy baking! 😊
Em says
My family would not shut up about this cheesecake- DELISH!
Lisa Flinn says
Haha, that makes me so happy to hear! It's one of my all-time favorite cheesecakes! Thank you for trying the recipe, Em! 😊