Last Updated on March 2, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
A slice of maple cheesecake is rich and indulgent and so fitting for the holidays.The pure maple flavor intertwined with cream cheese and sour cream make for a knock-out dessert.
This recipe uses homemade grain-free graham crackers, but you can also substitute with any kind of grain-free or gluten-free cookie that you’d like.
And, this cheesecake freezes well, so you can make it a week or even a month in advance! I recommend that you freeze it without the chocolate drizzle on top. Then, the day before you want to serve the cheesecake, place it in the fridge so it has plenty of time to thaw and just before serving, drizzle with the chocolate.
I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Maple Cheesecake
Cheesecake freezes very well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil and it will keep in the freezer for 2 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before serving.
Adapted from Bon Appetit
- Prep Time: 37 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 7 minutes
- Yield: 1 cheesecake
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
- 17 5 x 21/2-inch grain free graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup maple sugar
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Pour maple syrup into a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Place graham crackers, sugar and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground. Add melted butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of a buttered 9-inch diameter spring form pan with 2 3/4-inch sides. Bake 10 minutes, until crust darkens slightly. Cool completely. Reduce oven to 300ºF.
- Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment until smooth. Add maple sugar, arrowroot and salt. Beat on medium until blended and smooth. Add 1 cup reduced maple syrup, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until just blended. Add eggs, 2 at a time, and beat just until blended after each addition. Tap bowl on counter to release any air bubbles. Pour filling into cooled crust and pop any bubbles on top with the tip of a paring knife. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, until cake is slightly puffed around the edges (the center will jiggle slightly when pan is gently shaken). Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready to serve, drizzle melted chocolate over top. (If you choose to freeze the cheesecake, then drizzle with chocolate after thawing.) The cake keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
Carrie, I am so happy that we can both create awareness about childhood hunger this holiday season. I have made my pledge & contributed to this virtual dinner party.
Your maple cheesecake looks festive & oh so tasty too 🙂 XO
This cheesecake looks so amazing! Though this might sound silly, last year my husband and I started a tradition of saving all of our change throughout the year and then donating it at the end of the year. I hope that eventually we will be able to make larger financial contributions, but all that change does add up. This year, just like last year, we plan to donate it to an organization helping to alleviate hunger (probably share our strength) Thanks for reminding us that it is always important to think of those in need, and I will definitely look for ways to get involved locally.
I love being a part of this wonderful cause for share our strength, with all of you whom I admire and adore. We may want to think about what we can do all year around and not just at holiday time. The holidays makes it very easy for us to want to give to those around us. I think we are all starting a trend…let’s keep this alive.
Your cheesecake is beautiful. I love the photos. Happy Holidays, Carrie! xx
Carrie, what a thoughtful post. Thank you so much for mentioning me in your post, it’s an honor to be able to tell my story in hopes of empowering people to action. Even better, this wonderful recipe is the perfect gift this holiday! Thank you for sharing such great ideas on how to give back.
I bet that is just amazing. Love the pics and the flavors!
Carrie, I love the combination of maple with any kind of dairy, even simply mixed with warm milk as a drink. This cheesecake must taste fantastic! Thanks for promoting a great cause in this post!
I LOVE everything about this!!! What a wonderful way to bring light on the reality of hunger. Bless you!
I love the chocolate drizzle on top! Great photos too!
Happy to be participating w/ you for such a wonderful cause! This looks absolutely amazing!
What a wonderful cause to contribute a recipe towards. Beautiful photos!
That is a stunning cheesecake! I really liked your comment about looking around at your neighbors and offering help to those close by as well. The No Kid Hungry ad running on FoodNetwork makes the point that hunger is invisible and can be as close as someone living next door without anyone noticing.
I happen to have a soft spot for maple to begin with, and after looking over your photos, there’s just no resisting it.
I love your comment about keeping an eye out for your neighbors. Sometimes the people who are in need the most are right in front of our eyes and we don’t even notice them. Thank you for the reminder!
I’m so honored to have participated in this event. It is such an important cause.
Can I use raw cream cheese to make this? It doesnt have the gums and additives in it so its more runny than say the Philadelphia brand from the store…
I would use an extra egg to help bind the filling if you’re going to use homemade cream cheese.
This looks so good! If I wanted to change up the flavor and just use this as a base recipe for the cheesecake, would it be alright to leave out the maple syrup? Would that affect the way the filling turns out?
The filling won’t turn out properly without the maple syrup.
Is there an alternative to the maple SUGAR? I don’t have time to order it from amazon. Help?
This looks like an absolutely delicious recipe that I am hoping to take to our family Easter gathering. If I were going to make these as individual cheesecakes in either a regular or mini muffin tins, how long would the cooking time be?
I haven’t tested it in smaller sizes, so I’m not sure. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!