Fireball Cheesecake is sweet, creamy, and infused with the fiery essence of Fireball whiskey. A bit of booze adds a sweet heat flavor to the batter inside a graham cracker crust.
Easy Fireball Cheesecake Recipe
Our baked Fireball Whiskey Cheesecake recipe takes only 20 minutes to prepare. It has the perfect balance of crunchy crust as the base, sweet and spicy creamy cheesecake filling, and pretty pillows of whipped cream rosettes, cinnamon, and red hot candies piled on each piece.
Don’t worry about the springform pan or cooking the cake in a water bath because I will walk you through the simple steps to create the best-tasting cake with an added boozy beverage baked right into the batter.
Why We Love Fireball Cheesecake Recipes
- Easy to make with my step-by-step instructions.
- Uses a handful of simple kitchen staple ingredients.
- Fireball desserts are a great way to serve Fireball whiskey shots as slices when you need to feed a crowd.
- Chewing your booze by turning a traditional cheesecake into a spiked slice is always fun.
- A water bath creates the creamiest cheesecake and reduces the chance of cracking.
- Perfect dessert for dinner parties, holidays, potlucks, or simply when you crave a shot.
Fireball Cheesecake Ingredients
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Heavy cream
- Fireball cinnamon whisky
- Cornstarch
Substitutions and Additions
- Create Your Crust: You can replace the graham crackers with Nilla Wafers, shortbread cookies, or Golden Oreos.
- Create Without Cream Cheese: If you don’t have cream cheese, you could try using a similar type of cheese, such as Neufchâtel cheese, which has a slightly lower fat content. Be aware that this may affect baking time and final texture.
- Decorate Your Dessert: You can garnish your cheesecake with whipped topping, a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, and Hot Tamales cinnamon candies or red hot candies.
Recommended Tools
- 9-inch springform pan
- Baker’s spray
- Parchment paper
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Handheld mixer
- Large roasting pan
- Piping bag fitted with a large decorative tip
How to Make Fireball Cheesecake
- Prepare The Pan: Wrap the outside of the springform pan in 2 oversized pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
- Create The Crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and ¾ of the way up the sides. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Cool on the counter while you prepare the cheesecake batter.
Pro Tip: You can gently and evenly press the crumbs to form a tightly packed crust with a flat-bottomed dry measuring cup. - Form The Cheesecake Filling: Mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, then mix in the sour cream, heavy cream, Fireball cinnamon whisky, and cornstarch to the bowl until smooth.
Pro Tip: You may need to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that the cheesecake batter is getting evenly mixed. Do not overmix this batter; you want as few air bubbles as possible in the cheesecake. - Prepare The Water Bath: Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the baked crust and smooth the top. Place the cheesecake into the center of a roasting pan and pour very hot water into the bottom until it comes up about ½ inch on the side of the springform pan.
- Bake: Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center of your cheesecake just barely jiggles when moved. Turn the oven off and crack the oven door open 1 inch, leaving the cheesecake inside the oven, and allow the cheesecake to cool for 1 hour.
- Chill: Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan, release the side spring of the pan, and place the cheesecake into the refrigerator to chill and set for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
Pro Tip: Ensure the Fireball cheesecake is fully set before garnishing and slicing. - Slice And Serve: Pipe decorative rosettes on top of the cake and top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and red hot cinnamon candies. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Pro Tip: Do not add your garnish until you are ready to slice and serve your cheesecake.
What is a Water Bath for Cheesecakes
A water bath, also known as a bain marie, is a method for baking delicate desserts. It helps create a humid environment while your cheesecake is cooking and adds extra insurance against cracking. The process involves boiling the springform pan with boiling water in a larger pan. This will help the cheesecake bake more evenly and will also keep the cake from drying out.
While you can make a cheesecake without a water bath, you won’t get the same results.
How To Remove Fireball Cheesecake from the Springform Pan
To remove your cheesecake from the springform pan, you must first make sure the cheesecake has been properly cooled. Then, unbuckle the springform pan and remove the circular band. If it sticks, you can run a small knife around the inside edge of the pan, starting at the top and working your way down.
Baked Vs No Bake Cheesecake
Baked cheesecakes most often contain eggs and are baked low and slow. The texture is generally dense, rich, creamy, and smooth.
No-bake cheesecakes usually contain gelatin, which acts as a natural thickening agent. The texture is generally more light and fluffy than its baked counterpart. In my no-bake cheesecakes, I use a whipped topping in my filling; it sets up firm in the fridge and has a soft and silky smooth texture.
Tips For Making The Best Fireball Cheesecake
- Try to keep the mixer speed at or below medium to low speed. Air is not your friend when making cheesecake.
- Using parchment paper circles at the bottom of the springform is helpful. This will help your graham cracker crust release from the bottom of the pan when transferring the cheesecake to a serving plate.
- It is very important to be patient while you are baking the cheesecake. The lower temperature and longer baking time will help keep the cheesecake from cracking.
- Ensure your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature. This will make blending the cream cheese and sour cream much easier. The longer you must blend the cream cheese, and sour cream means more air in the cheesecake filling.
- Be sure to use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for this recipe. The lower fat versions do not bake and set up, as well.
- To get clean cheesecake slices, make sure that you are using a serrated knife. I find it best to dip my knife into hot water before cutting, and once the knife heats up, wipe off the excess water, and slice the cheesecake. Heat and wipe the knife in between each slice.
How to Store Fireball Cheesecake
- To Store: This Fireball cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a covered container.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked and completely cooled cheesecake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 months. Be sure to thaw the cheesecake in the refrigerator before garnishing and slicing.
More Delicious Cheesecake Recipes
More Recipes with Cheesecake
- Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad
- Cherry Cheesecake Egg Rolls
- Turtle Cheesecake
- Chocolate Layer Cheesecake
- Bailey’s Cheesecake
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cheesecake
- Cheesecake in a Loafpan
- Samoa Cheesecake
Fireball Cheesecake
Serves — 8
Fireball Cheesecake is easy to make with a sweet and spicy boost of booze baked right into the batter!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chill Time 9 hours
Total Time 10 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake batter
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Fireball cinnamon whisky
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional garnish
- 8 ounce tub of extra creamy whipped topping thawed
- Sprinkle of ground cinnamon
- Hot Tamales cinnamon candies or red hot candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with baker’s spray and line the bottom with a piece of 9-inch round parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. This will help to ensure that no liquid from the water bath seeps into the springform pan while baking the cheesecake. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine together the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir together until the crust mixture is evenly combined.2 cups graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Press the graham cracker crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and ¾ of the way up the sides of the pan. You can use a flat-bottomed dry measuring cup to gently and evenly press the crumbs to form a tightly packed crust. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Allow the crust to cool on the counter while you prepare the cheesecake batter.
- While your crust is baking and cooling, you can make your cheesecake filling by adding the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed, using a handheld mixer, for 1-2 minutes or until the cream cheese is smooth and fluffy.24 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar
- With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, being sure to fully incorporate each egg as they are added. You may need to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that the cheesecake batter is getting evenly mixed.2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk
- Add the sour cream, heavy cream, Fireball cinnamon whisky, and cornstarch to the bowl and continue to mix on low just until all the ingredients are fully incorporated and the cheesecake batter is smooth. Do not overmix this batter, as you want as few air bubbles as possible in the cheesecake.½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup Fireball cinnamon whisky, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Pour the batter into the baked graham cracker crust and smooth the top.
- Place the cheesecake into the center of a large roasting pan. Very carefully pour 4-5 cups of very hot water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you will want the water to go up about ½ inch up the side of the springform pan. This will create a water bath for your Fireball cheesecake to gently bake.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until the center of your cheesecake just barely jiggles when moved. Turn off the heat to the oven and crack the oven door open 1 inch while leaving the cheesecake inside the oven, and allow the cheesecake to cool down slowly for 1 hour. This helps to prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking while cooling.
- Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan, release the side spring of the pan, and place the cheesecake into the refrigerator to chill and set for at least 8 hours or up to overnight. You want to be sure that the Fireball cheesecake is fully set before garnishing and slicing.
- You can garnish the cheesecake by placing the thawed extra creamy whipped topping into a large piping bag fitted with a large decorative tip and pipe decorative rosettes that can be topped with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and the red hot cinnamon candies. Do not add your garnish until you are ready to slice and serve your cheesecake.8 ounce tub of extra creamy whipped topping, Sprinkle of ground cinnamon, Hot Tamales cinnamon candies
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: This Fireball cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a covered container.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked and completely cooled cheesecake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 months. Be sure to thaw the cheesecake in the refrigerator before garnishing and slicing.
- Try to keep the mixer speed at or below medium to low speed. Air is not your friend when making cheesecake.
- Using parchment paper circles at the bottom of the springform is helpful. This will help your graham cracker crust release from the bottom of the pan when transferring the cheesecake to a serving plate.
- It is very important to be patient while you are baking the cheesecake. The lower temperature and longer baking time will help keep the cheesecake from cracking.
- Always make sure your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature. This will make blending the cream cheese and sour cream much easier. The longer you have to blend the cream cheese and sour cream means more air in the cheesecake filling.
- Be sure to use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for this recipe. The lower fat versions do not bake and set up, as well.
- To get clean cheesecake slices, make sure that you are using a serrated knife. I find it best to dip my knife into hot water before cutting, and once the knife heats up, wipe off the excess water, and slice the cheesecake. Heat and wipe the knife in between each slice.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 372mg | Iron: 1mg
I made this and it was enjoyed by 6 of us that at a get together. I did do a couple of changes. I used vanilla wafers with cinnamon for the crust and added an extra tbsp of butter. I made real whipped cream (1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 3 oz of fireball and 1 1/2 tbsp of instant vanilla pudding mix to stabilize it. I usually make my cheesecakes in an instant pot but did this in the oven with a water bath. (I hate this method as I have hand issues and afraid of dropping or getting burned with the heavy pan of water). I wish I had the measurements for a 7 inch round pan for the Instant Pot. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Made it for thanksgiving and it was a hit! It’s got the perfect balance of cinnamon flavor, it’s not overpowering at all. So so good and creamy. It was also my first time making cheesecake and the instructions were perfect. Only tweak I made was more butter to the Graham cracker crust so it would stick up the sides.
So glad it was a hit!
Probably THE creamiest cheesecake Ive ever made. The party crowd LOVED it. SO creamy!
love it so many recipes I can’t wait to make a share with my family
I’m going to have to go buy a bigger bottle of Fireball, now. Mmm. This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!
this is the type of recipe that is different and unusual…I Can’t wait to try it….