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This Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake has frosted circus animal cookies in the crust and throughout the cheesecake! It’s thick, creamy and topped with fun pink-colored white chocolate and sprinkles – much like the animal cookies!
I love cookies and cheesecake together. If you do too, you’ll want to try this Best Oreo Cheesecake recipe and this Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust Cheesecake. You’ll be in cookie heaven!
An Easy Birthday Cake Idea
I am a natural born sweets lover. If loving dessert can be in your blood, it’s in mine. This cheesecake kind of reminds me of that because these frosted animal cookies have been a favorite cookie of mine for as long as I can remember. On many occasions I have picked up a bag from the store, only for it to last 48 hours in my house – at the most. It’s dangerous for me to even buy them and that was the case when making this cheesecake.
Often when buying ingredients, I get plenty extra. Of course there are always endless bags of flour, sugar and packages of butter. But when I need things like animal cookies, I also have to buy several bags. I’m not a fan of running to the store over and over again. And I still had to make a couple trips to replenish these cookies as I was testing out this recipe.
Working with these cookies over a few days and not eating all the cookies was SO HARD! I probably snacked on a few more than I should have, but I couldn’t resist! I feel the same way about the cheesecake – so good!
To start, there’s the frosted animal cookie crust. This took several attempts before I was happy with it. Because of all the frosted cookies, you really barely need any butter to hold things together. The icing on the cookies kind of melts together and holds it all in place. I added a touch, just to be safe.
For the filling, there’s more animal crackers. About 3/4 cup go right into the bottom of the crust, then another 1 1/4 cups in the batter. The cookies soften up as the cheesecake bake, but still retain just enough crunch. It gives the cheesecake plenty of frosted animal cookie flavor – and color! I tried one version where I added some sprinkles to the cheesecake batter, but because nonpareil sprinkles bleed so easily, it actually messed up the fun pink and white color.
Homemade Ganache
On top of the cheesecake is a white chocolate ganache that is colored to a light shade of pink, similar to the pink cookies. You could leave it white, but the pink is just so cute! Finish off the cheesecake with some sprinkles and animal cookies and you’re good to go!
I really loved the final version of this cheesecake. Between the crust and all the cookies in the cheesecake, it’s delicious! The cheesecake filling is thick, creamy and full of vanilla flavor. The white chocolate finishes it off beautifully! I love all the flavors and every bite is a little bite of pink and white cookie cheesecake heaven!
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”7MyJnVOs” upload-date=”Tue Apr 25 2017 05:51:36 GMT+0000 (UTC)” name=”Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake” description=”This Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake has frosted animal cookies in the crust and throughout the cheesecake! Such a fun and delicious treat!”]
Read transcript
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake has frosted circus animal cookies in the crust and throughout the cheesecake! It’s thick, creamy, yummy and so fun!
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 1/4 cups (302g) frosted animal cookie crumbs
- 2 tbsp (28g) salted butter, melted
FILLING
- 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (230g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (208g) chopped frosted animal cookies, divided
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 6 oz (169g) white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream
- Pink gel icing color
- Sprinkles
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 4 tbsp (29g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil (I also use a plastic crock pot liner – see method for preventing your water bath from leaking here) so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set prepared pan aside.
CHEESECAKE FILLING
5. Reduce oven to 300°F (148°C).
6. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until well combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
7. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, mixing on low speed until well combined.
8. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
9. Stir in about 1 1/4 cups of chopped animal cookies. Stir just until mixed, so the colors from the sprinkles don’t mix into the batter too much.
10. Pour a small amount of batter into the bottom of the crust in an even layer, then add the remaining 3/4 cup of chopped animal cookies.
11. Pour the remaining cheesecake filling into crust, over the cookies, and spread into an even layer.
12. Place springform pan (covered with aluminum foil) inside another larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
13. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes.
14. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
15. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
16.Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.
TO FINISH OFF THE CHEESECAKE
17. When the cheesecake is cool and firm, remove from the springform pan and set on a serving plate.
18. To make the white chocolate ganache. Put the white chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
19. Microwave the heavy whipping cream until it just begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. If it doesn’t melt completely, microwave for 10-20 seconds, then whisk until smooth.
20. Color the ganache with a little pink gel coloring, if desired.
21. Pour the ganache onto the cheesecake and spread into an even layer.
22. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
23. Pipe dollops of the whipped cream on top of the white chocolate ganache.
24. Top the cheesecake with frosted animal cookies and some sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 529
- Sugar: 42.2 g
- Sodium: 327.6 mg
- Fat: 30.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 56.4 g
- Protein: 9.1 g
- Cholesterol: 106.4 mg
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
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Is there a specific type of color gel you need to use for coloring the ganache? I know you have to use an oil based gel like Colormill for chocolate but I wasn’t sure if it’s the same for ganache.
I typically use Wilton gel icing color and Americolor, but any gel icing color should be fine.
Has anyone noticed that in the How to comments it says 3/4 cup animal cookies go into the crust, but in the recipe it says 2 1/4? Did I read it wrong or misinterpret? I’m guessing the 2 1/4 cup amount is correct….
So the part about 3/4 of a cup actually refers to the amount that goes into the filling, not in the crust. There’s two full cups of chopped animal crackers in the filling, and they’re divided into two parts. I hope that helps!
How big should chopped Cookie piece be for the filling?
It’s kind of hard to describe, I guess. If you watch the video, you can see how big the pieces are when I add them.
Do you put the whipped cream on all at once and does it last for 3-4 days? Making it for a friends birthday and don’t want drippy whipped cream. Thanks!
The powdered sugar in the whipped cream makes it stable. It won’t wilt, so you can add it whenever you like.
I have another question! How far ahead can I make the ganache? I’m bringing this to a color-themed girl’s night (my color is pink!), but the cake won’t be cold enough to put together before I go, I’ll have to assemble it there. Can I bring the topping separately?
You could easily make the ganache a couple days ahead of time. You can certainly add it later, but you will likely need to warm it up just a touch so that it’s spreadable.
Hi! Can someone tell me if this recipe is super sickly sweet? Obviously cheesecake needs to have some sweetness. And these are iced cookies, so obviously it’s gonna be sweet. But i don’t like a mouth-puckering, cloyingly sweet cheesecake.
That is going to be very subjective. I certainly don’t think it’s too sweet. But for someone who may not be used to eating sweet desserts, it may seem very sweet. It highly depends on the person.
Fair enough. I rolled the dice and made it, it’s in the oven now. I was pleasantly surprised by the batter, it wasn’t too sweet. So I’m anticipating/hoping for a good sweetness balance!
I hope you enjoy it!
I don’t have a pot to use for the water bath. How should I adjust the cooking time!
You could try putting a large pan of water on the rack under the cheesecake. It’s not quite as good as a water bath, but it’s better than no water bath. I’m not sure of the exact time without a water bath. You’ll want to make sure the cheesecake is fully baked without over baking it. You may only need to bake it for a little more than an hour.
I didn’t have one either. Then I discovered by accident that the bottom portion of my broiler pan has an indentation that perfectly fits a 9” springform. The springform doesn’t slide around and the pan holds just enough water. I’ve been baking for years, and I finally have a water bath pan!
Can you make these into mini cheesecakes like in a muffin pan and if so how would I go about doing that. Thanks
Yes, you can. You can cut the recipe in half to make 12. I’d look at the instructions for my mini cheesecakes. It’ll be similar.
Can I use half/half instead of heavy whipping cream? All the stores are out!
Half and half won’t whip properly for the whipped cream. You could try it in the ganache, but it will likely make it thinner. I’m so sorry you’re having trouble finding it!
Usually I don’t put my spring form pan in water. I just use the pan on the bottom rack with the water. I followed the recipe fully but water ended up in my springform pan. Will it still be ok??
Yes, it should still be fine.
Made this and absolutely loved it! My fiancé saw it on Pinterest and wanted me to make it so bad!
Glad you both enjoyed it!
Best cheesecake I’ve ever had. Xoxo
So glad you enjoyed it!
Best recipe ever. So far the only one where i didnt have to modify it.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Would not adding sour cream make a huge difference to the recipe? I think I’ve made this in the past without the sour cream, so just wanted to see what you thought…
If you don’t want to use sour cream, you could replace it with yogurt or heavy cream. I wouldn’t leave it out entirely, but you could try it.
Curiosity here… my BF loves cheesecake buuuuuut he’s also a big fitness guy. Makes sense right?! LOL would subbing out fat free cream cheese and light sour cream alter the outcome of the recipe?
So generally the lower fat cream cheeses are softer, so your cheesecake ends up with a softer texture.
This was such a hit. I made this for my family and we are obsessed with this, highly recommend making this 😍
This was the first cheesecake I ever made, and with your recipe it came out perfect! It was extremely yummy! Thank you for the great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this tonight for my boyfriends birthday, delicious! I had to bake slightly longer (it’s a gas oven and just seems to cook slow) and definitely need the parchment paper, I didn’t have any and the crust stuck to the pan a bit. But it was cute and tasty, thanks!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Is the crust supposed to be cooked all the way after baking for 10 minutes? mine is still soft.
That’s fine. I wouldn’t over bake it.
Hi! If I make this ahead of time and need to freeze, do i freeze it BEFORE i put the ganache?
I haven’t tried it, but I’m thinking it’d be ok either way.
I made this for my birthday this weekend and OH MY GOODNESS. It’s seriously the most delicious cheesecake I’ve ever had. We usually have quite a bit of cake left after parties but it was completely devoured and now I have family members requesting I make it for them! The cooking method was perfect and my cheesecake was crack free!
Followed this exactly and it came out beautiful and delicious!!
This recipe is amazing. I made it for Easter. For starters it couldn’t be cuter or more festive. None of that matters if it doesn’t taste good though. I can honestly say this is probably one of the best tasting cheesecakes I have ever had. Winner for sure. Thank you for sharing this. I love the other readers idea of a cadbury egg cheesecake!
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Sure! Just wrap it well and thaw in the fridge.
I’d love to try this in mini mason jars using Sous Vide. Do you think it would work? I’m going to test it out but looking to see if anyone else has tried this method and come across any conversions needed, besides perhaps making a smaller batch.
Thank you,
Perrie
It should be fine. A little like making mini cheesecakes.
it’s normally just my husband and me, and he’s not always helpful in eating cheesecake. I just bought a little 6″ pan so I can make “personal” cheesecake. I was wondering if you would have a guess at how long to bake this recipe, cut in half, and baked in a 6″ pan.
I’m sorry, I’m not really sure. My instant pot cheesecake uses a 7 inch pan, so you could try those measurements. I’m just not sure about baking time.
I plan on making this for my son’s bday (doing a blue and white version instead of pink!). Do I need to use gel food coloring or can I use liquid? Thank you!!
I haven’t tried liquid coloring in ganache, so I can’t say for sure.
I just finished a slice of this, started it last night and finished it up this morning, so I had a piece for breakfast (shhh..) I followed your directions exactly, no substitutes. Thank you so much, my 6 year old daughter fell in LOVE the minute she saw it.
A good cake and my 9 year old loved it for her birthday today. It gets 4 stars because even after following the directions to use a slow cooker liner and foil, the crust was very soggy but the flavor was good. I would probably cook it 10 minutes less than called for but that’s probably our oven requirement.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! For the record though – a leaky cheesecake pan is a problem with the pan, not the recipe. I can’t fix your leaky pan for you. I can only make suggestions for how to help.
Hi!
This is probably a silly question but do you recommend measuring by weight with a scale or with measuring cups?
I always measure my dry ingredients with a scale.
I’ve had this recipe pinned for several years and finally had an occasion to bake it! It’s only the second time I’ve made a cheesecake, but it turned out incredible!! The only thing I noticed was that my animal cookies were much pinker than your picture. I read the comments and saw that you used Keebler brand and I used Mother. I’ll try that brand next time. It was a huge hit at the party!!
A few people said that they liked the fact that it wasn’t too sweet…can that be such a thing?!
Can’t wait to try another of your cheesecake recipes 🙂 Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I have noticed the difference in the shade of pink between the two brands too. Either is fine.
I’ve been dying to make this for ages, but the link I have to the recipe always results in an error and says the page no longer exists? I’m so sorry to bother you, but is there any way you could provide and updated link to the recipe? Thank you in advance, I truly cannot wait to make this gorgeous cheesecake!!!
I’m so sorry for the trouble! There was an issue today that affected thousands of sites – mine included. It looks like it’s been resolved, so you should be able to access it here now. Sorry about that!
Tried this recipe and came out perfect!! Inwas asked to make it for a childs birthday and I wanted to make it in a 11.5 inch springform pan not sure how to adjust the recipe and baking time any suggestions?
I haven’t made a cheesecake that size before, so I’m not sure. You could try adding a little more batter – maybe do 1 1/2 recipes worth?
This was delicious!!! Thank-you for the idea and for perfecting the recipe!!! I used my favorite Cook’s Illustrated cheesecake as the base and didn’t use the pink gel icing color, but otherwise followed the recipe. It was great to have the crust figured out, and to know how many cookies to add to the cheesecake. I didn’t think the ganache added anything flavorwise and that’s my top priority, plus mine was pretty solid which made the cake harder to slice, so I’ll probably omit it next time, but it’s really cool to have as an option if I’m making this for someone else – yours is so pretty! I’m so excited that I found this recipe, because I LOVE frosted animal cookies, and finding another dessert to bake with them was great. This is very yummy! Definitely a keeper!!
I love frosted animal cookies too! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I’m SO excited to try this in a few weeks!!! Thank-you for creating this!
Thinking of doing with out ganache because I haven’t been the biggest fan of ganache (can’t believe I’m even saying that considering I have a huge sweet tooth). I know it won’t be as pretty but do you think it absolutely needs it?
It’s more about look than anything, so if that doesn’t bother you it should be fine.
Where can I get these Pink frosted animal crackers?
They can usually be found at grocery stores or Walmart. You can also find them on Amazon.
How do you take the wax paper off the pan once you bake the crust? Also I made this for the first time and my cheesecake itself was kinda runny. I baked it exactly like the recipe says? Help
I’m usually able to peel the paper off gently. The cheesecake should be firm enough to hold it for that. It’s hard to say from a distance why it wasn’t firm for you. Perhaps your oven is a little different than mine and you needed a little more baking time?
I apologize if this has already been answered. I got lazy and didn’t read all of the comments. Can I make this a few days ahead or does it not hold well?
It should be fine for 3-4 days, maybe even ok for 5.
Hello, if I use a 10 inch springform pan instead of a 9 in do I need to adjust anything? Thank you.
You’d want to adjust the baking time. It shouldn’t take as long to bake. I haven’t made a 10 inch before though, so I’m not sure what the time would be.
I’ve made this twice once to make sure it worked before I made it for my daughter’s birthday. Love it so good was worried was going to be to sweet but wasn’t. Just wanted to let people know I never use a water bath but do put a pan of water below it. Works every time
I’m so glad you enjoy the cheesecake! And glad to hear that water bath alternative works! Thanks!
Hi..could you tell me the particular brand of cookie you used in this recipe?
Thanks!
I use the Keebler brand of frosted animal cookies.
Out of curiosity, is it possible to pour the white chocolate ganache over the cheesecake while it’s still in the springform pan? I’m a bit worried doing this might cause cracks once set, but I am also worried removing it from the pan would allow the ganache to drip down the sides.
If you wait until the cheesecake is completely cool first, you should be able to add the ganache and not worry about it cracking.
I’ve made this cake twice. I couldn’t get the animal cookies to sit up very long before the whipped cream deflated. 2nd try, I topped it with marzipan trolls and laid the cookies flat. It worked better that way. You can see it #trollscake on Instagram.
Hi! How do you remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cheesecake?!
I often just leave it. You could try to slide it off carefully though.
DO NOT JUST USE FOIL TO SEAL THE PAN. USE A PLASTIC COOKING LINER.
It’s a really cool recipe but I’m very disappointed at your method for sealing the pan with Foil. I spent a bit of money and a lot of time on this cake for my Wife’s birthday and the crust turned out totally soaked and soggy because I followed your directions exactly. Very disappointing. It wasn’t until looking through the comments that I found your link to how to ACTUALLY do this, where you say that you use a plastic cooking liner. Why wouldn’t you say that in the recipe? This oversight ruined my wife’s birthday cake and wasted my time and money. Kind of an important detail to just leave out.
How much fun!!! I just finished making this and I can’t wait to serve it to my family! My husband loves circus animal cookies and cheesecake! A double win!!
Awesome! So glad you’re happy with it!
I’ve made a few cheesecakes before and have never done the baking the cheesecake with water around it. Is that step necessary? Sorry for a possibly stupid question but I’m making this for my boss’s birthday and want to make sure it comes out great! Thanks in advance!
I personally find them necessary, but you can read more about it here and how I like to set mine up. I hope that helps!
Tell us more about baking the cheesecake in a pan of water. I’m having trouble envisioning this.
You can read more about a water bath for cheesecakes here.
In your recipe for the frosted animal cookie cheesecake you say to cover the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper. How do you remove the paper after the cheesecake has baked? Or do you eat it? Do you have to use the parchment paper at all? This may be a stupid question.
It makes it easier to remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan. It can sometimes stick to the cheesecake when you move it, but comes off easily when it’s sliced. You do not eat it.
Would it be ok if I used pink candy melts instead of a white chocolate with pink icing coloring?
Yes, you can use candy melts. I find it gives a more wax-like consistency, but it definitely works.
Can this cheesecake be frozen?
Do you know about how many cookies total I need to buy?? I’m making this tonight and everyone will be asleep so I don’t want to have to go back to the store lol
I don’t know the total number of cookies. I think I had two bags just to be sure – I may have eaten a few in the process though. 🙂
I made it for Thanksgiving. It was as DELICIOUS as the picture makes it look. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you.
Made this last night for a surprise party this evening…..just made the pink glaze and this is the cutest ever! Can’t wait to taste it. Thank you for the recipe.
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it!
Made this for my sisters 13th birthday and last night I was sleeping in shifts until 3 AM to bake this. I have never made cheesecake before and I’m 15 and pretty new to baking and cooking but it turned out soooo pretty and cute looking. Some of the ganache drizzled over the sides so I purposely made it drop down all the sides to make it look intentional and it still looks great. Haven’t eaten it yet and I’m praying my crust isn’t soggy but at least it’ll hopefully taste great even if it is ????.
That’s dedication! I’m so glad you were happy with the result and I hope you enjoy it!
Do I have to use a 9in pan? Or will it work with the 8in or 10in, with those same measurements. I’m making two of them and I only have 1, 9in, but I have two of both other sizes.
I’m sure it’d work, the cheesecake would just be thinner and need more or less baking time, depending on the size you use.
Hi,
I’m planning on making it for a dinner party and I’m just wondering are the cookies store bought? Or you have a recipe for that too? I thought maybe it’s your own recipe but when I looked at the recipe it wasn’t clear where the cookies recipe was.
The cookies are store-bought.
Thank you so much! This is delicious, and I even managed without any major incidents. I may have boiled over the cream in the microwave twice, burnt the chocolate chips in the microwave once, and thought liquid food coloring was a good idea until it turned out sickly red. However, it was no fault of the recipe, and I got everything straightened out in the end.
Oh no! Well I’m glad it all worked out in the end! 🙂
Had anyone had a problem with the cooking time taking twice as long?
Hi there,
I am thinking about making this in the instant pot. Do you have any advise or modifications that would be helpful?
I haven’t ever used an instant pot, I’m sorry.
Can you make this in cupcakes? If so, how long should it bake & what temperature? I would like to know so I can make them for my daughter’s birthday party. Thanks!
You can. I’d suggest checking out some of my other mini cheesecakes for some guidance. Bake time is probably somewhere around 15-20 minutes, give or take.
I have never made a cheesecake before and I followed the recipe step by step and it came out amazing!!! Even looks similar to the photo!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for a birthday dessert, my bottom became mushy even tho I used foil around pan to make sure no leakage of water would ruin it. Guess I failed, my question is can I make a new bottom crust and set the cheesecake on top of the new crust?! I feel like that might be my only option….
Sometimes foil doesn’t do the best job of keeping water out – especially if the pan itself has a leak. Check out my tutorial to help prevent leaking for the future. As far as the cheesecake you already made, I’d take it out of the pan and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The crust will probably dry out a bit.
This was incredible! I baked it for my coworker’s birthday at her request. I was a little worried that it might be too sweet, but it’s a perfect blend of flavors. It was a huge hit and I’m definitely going to make this again! I wouldn’t change a thing!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Dina!
Is there a way to makeit without the so cream? And would it still taste good. Without it.
You’d want to replace it with something rather than leave it out entirely, such as yogurt.
If 2 cups of crushed cookies are 208 grams, how can 2 1/4 cups be 302 g? I am asking, because I use grams when baking.
Because one is crumbs and one is chopped cookies. You end up with more crumbs in 2 1/4 cups than chopped cookies in 2 cups.
I love this cake. I just finished making mine it’s in the fridge and i can’t wait to taste it. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Good day, I want to bake the cheesecake according to your recipe, but we have not sold pink cookies, share a recipe if you have one, thanks
Hello, I’m going to make this cheesecake tomorrow for my friends birthday. When the recipe says 2 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, is that 2 1/4 cups measured whole then put in the food processor, or is it 2 1/4 cups after being in the food processor? Thanks in advance!
It’s 2 1/4 cups of the crumbs, after being put in the food processor.
no wonder my crust looked so measly, i only used 2 1/4 cup whole cookies not 2 1/4 cup of crumbs!! maybe consider specifying that in the recipe for us cheesecake baking newbs. my husband saw this recipe and i’ve slaved away all day making this for his birthday. hope it turns out ok despite my rookie mistake.
Wonderful recipe and can’t wait to try! I think you need to edit #10. on the directions however. The video shows putting an amount of the cheesecake batter on the bottom crust, then a layer of chopped cookies and then more batter. I think the instructions skip the part where you first put a layer of batter before adding the chopped cookies and remainder of the batter. I may be all wrong on this, but I think a step is missed in the instructions.
Thanks for your great creativity!
I edited the instructions to include that – thank you! I think when testing it, that was one of the ways I tried. 🙂
Would I need to modify the recipe if I wanted to make little individual cheesecakes in cupcake liners? I am a little scared of baking my first real cheesecake.
Yes, you would. Specifically the baking time. Try checking out these mini cheesecakes to get an idea of instructions and baking time. It’ll be similar.
Last week l entered a little baking competition at a work party and they were a hit. Today I am making them for my 16 year old daughters birthday party. Love love love this recipe!
Awesome! Thanks so much Robin!
When do u take the foil off?
I would recommend taking the foil off once the cheesecake has baked and you remove from the oven to chill until firm.
Don’t be afraid! Her directions were absolutely spot on. Mine turned out absolutely perfect. 🙂
Would the recipe turn out fine if I didn’t use the water bath? I don’t have much luck with them, they always make my cheesecakes turn out soggy,
I’d suggest you give this post about water baths a look. It should be helpful.
This is so cute, and looks yummy. I’m a sucker for pink animal cookies. Making it soon.
Where is the video for Frosted animal cookie cheesecake, PLEASE?????? I go to the recipe page and other videos play but this one. Anybody
Hmm, I’m not sure what happened to it, but it’s there now. Just above the pink recipe card.
Making this cake right now for my daughters 13th birthday as a surprise. She saw the recipe and wanted it. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. I have never baked a cheesecake.
Awesome! I hope she enjoyed it!
Made this!
Loved it!
Did it exactly like it said and it turned out exactly like the picture!!
Super success. Recipe is brilliant and so cute. Family so impressed. I have always been afraid of making cheesecake but not anymore. Thanks
Wonderful! So glad it helped you get over your fear of cheesecake! 🙂
When i made this everything was great except the crust idk if I did something wrong but the crust was wet and soggy when it was done..I did everything according to directions..so I’d what happened
How did you set up your pan for the water bath? If water got into the pan, it could’ve made a soggy crust. Here’s a tutorial on how I like to set up my pan so I don’t get leaking.
I use a silicone cake pan and set my spring form into that when placing it in the water bath. Perfect every time!
How well do you think it would work if I were to make this into cupcake sized cheesecakes? And how long would you suggest I bake them?
I think it’d work well. When I make mini cheesecakes in a cupcake pan, I usually bake them around 15-22 minutes, depending on the cheesecake, then proceed with cooling. Here’s a mini cheesecake recipe for reference on times. It should be similar.
I am making this now it is one of the most difficult cake I have made (time consuming ) but it will work out beautiful I made the cheesecake and also at the same time make a regular cake made the same way for the ones that don’t like cheesecake one under glass on bottom smaller one and top of the cake stand is the large cheesecake gorgeous
If you are what you eat, I want to be this dessert.
OMG looks so delicious … not sure if I`m capable of making it exactly like this but I can`t wait to give it a try. Thank you so much.
Can you make this in a normal pie pan?
Sure!
Can’t wait to try this! Just FYI you don’t have cocoa in your whipped cream ingredients but it says it in directions. Also it doesn’t say to use food processor for crust. Just thought I’d let you know. Thanks for all you do!!
I don’t see the cocoa written anywhere?
Do you have to use a spring pan to make the cheesecake part or can it just be baked in regular round pan
The springform pan would make it easier to remove the cheesecake from the pan, but you don’t have to do it that way.
How many bags of crackers did you end up using in the final recipe
I think it was a little more than one bag.
Can you get animal crackers in England ? I’ve never heard of them before is there an alternative ?
I’m honestly not sure what’s available there, I’m sorry. If there are some frosted shortbread cookies that look somewhat similar, they may work.
This looks dangerously delicious!!! Can’t wait to try it!
this looks AMAZING,
my sons favorite cookie has always been these ….he showed me this and of course i have to make it for him!! ….hes’s 30 lol 🙂 but he will always be that little boy !
cant wait to try it !!
I am not much of a sweet person but when you staying around sweet tooth people….
Amazing pictures as usual
Thanks indeed Lindsay. It looks delicious, I wish I could make recipe like this, but I don’t have that much skills in cooking, still I love eating 😛 and that’s why I keep trying.
This looks fabulous! They are one of my favorites! Have you ever considered doing a cheesecake with Cadbury creme filled eggs or the regular chocolate Cadbury eggs? I have tried some recipes from other bloggers using them, but none have been fantastic. It would be super cute for Easter, and your touch would make it awesome!
Thanks Sidney! I haven’t considered it, but could certainly keep it in mind for next Easter! 🙂
Hi
I know from reading the ingredient’s list that this cheesecake is not going to be sweet, with just one cup of sugar in it. I made your peach cheesecake from your cookbook with just that 1 cup of sugar and it was not sweet at all. This cheesecake looks good, but I know it won’t be sweet.
The frosting on the crackers would make it plenty sweet, if not too sweet if that’s even a thing
Wow, I’d definitely say both the peach cheesecake and this one are plenty sweet. Normally I’m accused of making things too sweet – you must have a mean sweet tooth! 😉
I just made this cheesecake and i can tell you it is sweet enough. With the cookie crust ganache and whipped cream in it if you added more sugar it would be too sweet. I can honestly say this is one of the best cheesecakes Ive ever had!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Bingeing on animal crackers was one of my favorite pastimes years ago and they are still a weakness. I will give up breakfast, lunch, and dinner to have this cheesecake! It looks fun, delicious and I look forward to trying it. Your styling is perfect and thanks for all the recipe testing so that you could share this with us!
Thanks Sandra! I hope you enjoy it!
Could you bake this cheesecake in a square pan or a 9×13?
Yes, you could.
Hi! I’m in the process of making this beautiful cheesecake but I just realized I don’t have a pan big enough to create a water bath. Would it make a huge difference if I didn’t bake my cheesecake in a water bath?
Oh my gosh.. sprinkles! Not sprinklers.. ha ha ha ha
Hi. Do the sprinklers loose there color in the fridge? I know those little ones do, you can’t mix them into anything. ???? Just wondering with the moisture, my husband loves animal crackers and his B-Day is around the corner.
No, they don’t lose their color on top or anything. You do want to be careful when mixing the cookies into the batter because the color from the sprinkles can incorporate into the filling and make kind of a funny color. Just stir it lightly until combined and it should be fine.
Made this. I followed all instructions and it came out pretty wet inside. Any ideas where I went wrong? (Tastes amazing though)
Hard to say from a distance and not seeing what was done. It could simply be that it needed to bake longer.
Oh. My. Heaven. I’m so excited to try this!
I have a full-on love affair with frosted animal crackers.
Thank you for this and all the other amazing creations you share!
Oh my gosh, I could watch your videos all day. They make me want to get in the kitchen RIGHT NOW!!!
Seriously, I wish I could make cakes like this and then not eat all of it myself! Looks so pretty, I love the photography too. Oh and yes – I’m a natural born sweets lover too! Desserts all the way <3