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Amaretto Cheesecake
Dulce de Leche Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Amaretto Cheesecake

5 reviews
Total Time
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 1 hour + chilling
Creamy, delicious and deceptively easy to put together, this amaretto cheesecake demands more than one slice.

By Kim Bussing

Taste of Home's Editorial Process

Updated: Jun. 30, 2024

I first discovered amaretto in an Italian restaurant in DC, where it was served at the end of the meal, and it immediately became a go-to digestif. Amaretto, an Italian liqueur that tastes like almonds, vanilla and cherry, is sweet enough that it’s like sipping a dessert, and it’s an ideal ingredient in one too.

An amaretto cheesecake with a graham cracker crust is a boozy, beautiful confection that sings with almond flavor. This one looks and tastes like one of those cheesecake recipes that take a lot of work. The secret? Most of the time required in this recipe is while the cheesecake is baking in the oven. Needless to say, we’re a big fan of simplified cheesecake recipes.

Enjoy any leftover amaretto on the rocks or over homemade vanilla ice cream!

Amaretto Cheesecake Ingredients

Crust:

  • Graham cracker crumbs: Graham crackers are the key ingredient for your crust, to make it crumbly and sweet.
  • Butter: Melted butter helps keep the crust intact and provides that rich, buttery flavor.
  • Sugar: In the crust, the sugar helps the ingredients bind together and adds a little more sweetness. You don’t want to overdo the sugar here though, as there will be a lot of sweetness throughout the recipe.

Filling:

  • Cream cheese: This provides the base for the creamy filling. Full-fat cream cheese is preferable here for the optimal texture.
  • Sugar: The sugar makes the filling sweeter (of course) while also helping to smooth it out.
  • Amaretto: The liqueur lends its boozy sweetness to the dish, providing the main source of flavor.
  • Vanilla extract: Delivering warmth and sweetness, the vanilla helps lifts the other flavors, like the almond.
  • Almond extract: The almond extract helps draw out the amaretto’s almond flavors, making it more prominent.
  • Eggs: As binding agents, the eggs keep the cheesecake firm. They coagulate when baked, thickening and making the final product creamier.

Topping:

  • Sour cream: The sour cream provides tanginess that cuts through some of the sweetness; those complementing flavors make the cheesecake even more irresistible.
  • Sugar: Some sugar balances out the sour cream.
  • Almond extract: This provides additional almond flavor, helping connect all the flavors.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the crust

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press the mix onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan.
Editor’s Tip: Crush your graham crackers in the blender or food processor to easily make crumbs.

Step 2: Prepare the filling

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the amaretto, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt. Add the eggs, then beat on low speed until the eggs are just combined. Pour the filling into the crust. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
Editor’s Tip: Bring your ingredients to room temperature before mixing.

Step 3: Bake the cheesecake

Bake until the center is almost set, 55 to 60 minutes. Let it stand for five minutes. Combine the sour cream, sugar and almond extract reserved for the topping, and spread the mix over the top of the cheesecake. Bake for five minutes longer.

Step 4: Let the cake cool

Cool the cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen it, then let the cheesecake cool for one hour longer. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight, then remove the sides of the pan and serve.
Editor’s Tip: Make sure to let the cake cool at room temperature before placing it in the fridge. If it cools too quickly, it can crack.

Amaretto Cheesecake Variations

  • Swap the graham crackers with wafers: For a slightly different flavor and texture, swap in vanilla wafer crumbs for the graham cracker crumbs.
  • Add a cherry on top: To bring out some of the amaretto’s other flavors, top your amaretto cheesecake with Luxardo cherries and sliced almonds.
  • Go full chocoholic: Mix mini chocolate chips into this recipe. Chocolate and amaretto are a pairing that calls for seconds.

How to Store Amaretto Cheesecake

You can store this cheesecake in the fridge for up to three days, as long as it’s well covered.

Can you freeze amaretto cheesecake?

It will store in the freezer for up to two months, either in one piece or in individual slices, depending on how you’re planning to eat it. Wrap it in one layer of plastic and one layer of aluminum foil for the best results, and let it thaw in the fridge.

Can you make this amaretto cheesecake recipe in advance?

Yes, you can make this a day or two in advance. The flavors can actually become stronger and tastier after time in the fridge.

Amaretto Cheesecake Tips

Is there alcohol in a cheesecake with amaretto?

While the baking process should get rid of alcohol, there is a chance that a small amount of alcohol remains. If you want to err on the safer side, don’t serve this to children or those who aren’t drinking.

Why is my cheesecake grainy or lumpy?

Your cream cheese may not have been soft enough before mixing. Your oven may also have been too hot or your cheesecake overcooked—too much heat will negatively impact cheesecake. Make sure you cool it gradually as well; don’t rush it into the refrigerator.

Can I make this recipe without a springform pan?

A springform pan is ideal because the sides are removable. However, you can use a typical cake pan. Put parchment paper along the bottom to make it easier to remove, but be prepared that it may be a little harder to take out the cheesecake.

What’s the difference between amaro and amaretto?

While both are Italian and typically served after dinner, amaretto is sweet and nutty. Amaro is much more bitter—there are many different types with a range of ingredients, but it won’t lend that indulgent sweetness to your cheesecake.

Test Kitchen Approved

Amaretto Cheesecake

5 reviews
Prep Time 30 min
Cook Time 60 min
Yield 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • FILLING:
  • 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Amaretto
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • TOPPING:
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
Text Ingredients

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the Amaretto, extracts and salt. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake at 325° until center is almost set, 55-60 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Combine the sour cream, sugar and almond extract; spread over top of cheesecake. Bake 5 minutes longer.
  4. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 632 calories, 43g fat (27g saturated fat), 199mg cholesterol, 423mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (40g sugars, 0 fiber), 10g protein.

Author
Kim Bussing
Kim is a food and beverage writer and creative consultant with 10 years of experience working with brands from Hilton and Marriott to small cookie bakeries. As a Taste of Home contributor, she loves sharing her wine and cocktail expertise. When she’s not working on her forthcoming novel, she’s on the hunt for the perfect gluten-free cinnamon ro...
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Kim Bussing
Sometimes the best-loved recipes are the most basic. Just ask my family who raves over this classic amaretto cheesecake. It's rich, creamy and versatile to boot! —Barbara Caine, Sussex, New Jersey
Recipe Creator