Once you try this Sweet Potato Cheesecake, you will never, ever buy a cheesecake or try another recipe again – that’s how good it is! It’s decadent so if you’re on a diet, make an exception for this cheesecake. You can use low fat cream cheese and replace the brown sugar with monk fruit sweetener, for example, to reduce the fat and sugar, however, there is no substitute for the condensed milk and maple syrup. This recipe is made in two parts: first, the crust, second the filling. 

For the Crust:

Lightly grease a 9-inch spring pan with some butter. Here are the ingredients you will need for the crust:

• 1-1/2 cups of a mixture of grounded graham crackers
• 1/3 cup of melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or monk fruit sweetener)

Mix until you can form a ball and hand-press the mixture into a spring pan – bring it up the sides a bit – see photo below. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Filling:

• 2 cups baked, mashed sweet potatoes (poke a few holes in sweet potato, drizzle with a little vegetable oil, wrap individually in foil, and bake for about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours until soft)
• 3-8 oz. packets of room temperature softened cream cheese (low fat if you wish)
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (or monk fruit sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
• 2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs (add last and one at a time after you mix the ingredients above)

Get a deep bowl and hand mixer ready.  You can use a food processor if you wish. Add the mashed sweet potato and the rest of the ingredients except the eggs in a deep bowl and blend until smooth. Then, add one egg at a time incorporating well into the mixture.  Do not over blend/mix. Over-mixing the batter can cause air bubbles to get trapped inside and are trying to escape. This causes cracks on the top of your cheesecake. To make sure there are no air bubbles, after you pour the mixture over the baked crust, lift the pan and drop it a few times on your kitchen counter. The air bubbles will surface. Keep gently lifting and dropping until they disappear.  I’ve had less air bubbles when I mix the ingredients by hand with a heavy whisk.

You will need to wrap some foil around the spring form pan and place it in a pan that is larger than the pie pan – see photo below.  Fill the outer pan with hot water so it comes halfway up the pie pan – this is to prevent the crust from cracking. Bake for approximately 1 hour – it may take longer depending on your oven.  Your Sweet Potato Cheesecake is done when a wooden skewer, pierced in the center, comes out clean and the top has a light brown color.

Serve this Sweet Potato Cheesecake with whipped cream or ice cream. Delish!