This delicious small batch Christmas Cheesecake with Orange & Cinnamon is filled with iconic flavours of the season and is the ideal make-ahead dessert for any festive occasion. With a no-bake creamy cheesecake layer spiked with orange and chocolate orange Lindor Truffles on a buttery shortbread base, it even makes a showstopping lighter alternative to Christmas pudding!
Orange and cinnamon is a favourite flavour combination of mine. I was desperate to incorporate them into a cheesecake as I love how citrus flavours can work with the cream so well. And when I tried it, I was not disappointed. In fact, it was even more delicious than I’d imagined.
This is a simple and beautiful cheesecake perfect to grace the table of any Christmas party or event. It’s a certain Christmas showstopper which is easy to make and takes just an hour to set in the fridge.
This spiced orange cheesecake is perfect to make beforehand too. You can make it earlier in the day or even the day before.
Cinnamon is a beautiful flavour to add to a no-bake cheesecake. You can add a little which works so well with the simple cream cheese layer. If you want to up the flavour you can add more cinnamon and make it truly rich with the classic Christmas cinnamon flavour.
To make this holiday cheesecake extra special, I’ve included Lindt milk chocolate orange truffles. They’re chopped up and added to the cheesecake layer to add an extra texture.
What other flavours could I use for a Christmas cheesecake?
To make this cinnamon and orange cheesecake extra flavoursome, you could add more spices to give it an extra special touch. Allspice, cloves, nutmeg and ginger along with the cinnamon is a classic mix.
You might be more familiar with that combination as “pumpkin spice”. The good news is that I’ve made this recipe switch even easier for you by publishing that recipe too. Check out my Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake recipe!
For lots more recipes which are perfect for the holiday period, make sure to have a look at my Christmas recipe collection.
How many people does a 6″ cheesecake serve?
This recipe uses a 6″/15cm tin to make a fairly small cheesecake. I often find that cheesecake recipes can involve large and often expensive quantities of ingredients to make really large cheesecakes.
Making a smaller cheesecake with 8 portions means that it can be a more regular treat for a smaller family and doesn’t need to be saved for a special occasion.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t easily scale up the recipe to make a bigger version. If you want to make this to feed a lot more people then double or triple the recipe.
To make an 8″/20cm cheesecake, you should double the recipe. This will serve 12 to 16.
To make a 12″/30cm cheesecake you should triple the recipe. This will serve 16 to 20.
If you want to make little portions but a lot of them, try using a square tin and cutting the cheesecake into nice little squares. A little square of cheesecake is rather lovely.
Why make a no-bake cheesecake?
Simple – they’re really easy as well as being creamy and delicious.
A traditional baked cheesecake is a thing of beauty but simply by their nature, they do take longer to make. They can also be trickier to master and they can crack or curdle. So I am a huge fan of the no-bake version – in fact I have developed lots of delicious varieties.
Many no-bake cheesecakes use gelatin to help set the cheesecake but I do not find this necessary. This means that this cheesecake recipe is suitable for vegetarians.
You can find my whole range in this handy roundup post – The Best No Bake Cheesecake Recipes. There is everything from fruity and boozy favourites to halloween and christmas themed cheesecakes.
What do you need for this Orange & Cinnamon Christmas cheesecake?
You will need:
- 45 g Unsalted butter
- 150 g Shortbread biscuits
- 300 g Soft cream cheese
- 60 g Caster sugar
- 150 ml Double cream / heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Orange extract (fresh orange juice if you can't find the extract)
- 8 Lindt Orange Truffles
What cream cheese is best for no-bake cheesecake?
Most cream cheeses are best for cheesecake. The full fat versions are great and do give a great taste. Unlike in baked cheesecakes, the reduced fat varieties can still work.
In both cases if there is any water on top remove it before adding the cheese to the mix. Water can make the final cheesecake not set as well.
Branded cream cheese vs own brands
There are so many different types of cream cheese available and having tried a few different ones I think they all work pretty well.
Philadelphia is probably the most well known brand in the UK and US and this is obviously great to use. But I mostly use supermarket own brand varieties and they are just as good.
I would however recommend that you avoid using super savers versions as sometimes they can be a bit bitty and not have the nicest flavour. I would also recommend that you avoid any flavoured varieties.
LINDT LINDOR TRUFFLES
Lindt is a Swiss company who make delicious chocolate and are especially famous for their Lindor truffles. The classic version is milk chocolate and comes in distinctive red wrappers.
They now make many other varieties and the chocolate orange version is simply a classic. A real grownups version of Terry’s Chocolate Orange.
The orange flavour is the perfect bedfellow for cinnamon and the chocolate adds a welcome texture to the cheesecake layer.
You could substitute any other milk or dark chocolate orange chocolate if you can’t get hold of the Lindt version. If you are tempted by the chocolate orange but don’t fancy the cinnamon element, why not try my No Bake Chocolate Orange Cheesecake.
I love Lindor truffles so much that I use the strawberry flavoured variety in my Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake and the white chocolate truffles in my Baileys and White Chocolate Cheesecake. Both are also super simple no bake recipes.
How to make Christmas Cheesecake
This cheesecake is so easy to make that I know you’ll love it and make it time and time again.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe, ingredient quantities, instructions and printable recipe card.
- Break up the biscuits either in a kitchen food processor, or in a bag and bash into crumbs with a rolling pin.
- Mix together the broken up shortbread and butter together.
- Press the mix into the cake tin to form the base.
- Pop in the fridge until hard.
- Mix together the cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth.
- In a new bowl whisk up the double cream until it is thick.
- Mix the double cream into the cream cheese and add the orange juice or flavouring along with the dried cinnamon.
- Chop up the Lindt Lindor chocolate orange truffles and mix in.
- Add the mix to the tin and pop back in the fridge until set.
- After an hour in the fridge remove from the tin and pop it on a plate.
How to Make this christmas cheesecake in advance
You can make the cheesecake up to 2 days in advance if properly stored and kept in the fridge.
Do make sure to take the cheesecake out of the tin after an hour of setting time as otherwise it can be difficult to get it out neatly.
If you do leave it in the tin for longer than this, remove the cheesecake from the fridge an hour or so before you need it. The cheesecake can warm up a little which will make it easier to remove from the tin. Pop it back in the fridge to set again if needed.
How to decorate Christmas Cheesecake
If you wanted to, you could pipe on whipped cream, add more Lindor truffles as decoration and/or dust the top with a little extra cinnamon.
But I like to keep this cheesecake really simple with a few dried orange slices for decoration.
How to make dried orange slices
Making dried orange slices is really easy and all you need oranges and an oven. Slice the oranges into the same width slices and place in an oven on a low temperature for a few hours to dry out.
Head over to my Dried Orange Slices post for all my tips and tricks for perfect dried oranges.
They are so simple and can be used so many ways around the holidays. And they smell absolutely divine too!
How to store no-bake Cinnamon Chocolate Cheesecake
You will need to store your cheesecake in the fridge. It is a good idea to cover it if you can to prevent it from absorbing other flavours from the fridge.
A well stored cheesecake will keep for up to 3 days. This means that you can make it up to several days in advance.
You can serve and eat the cheesecake chilled straight from the fridge.
Freezing no-bake cheesecake
No bake cheesecakes are ideal to freeze. You should remove the cheesecake from the tin and wrap it in clingfilm (saran wrap) then freeze. Storing it in an airtight container will add an extra layer of protection if you have room in the freezer.
To thaw the cheesecake, take it out of the freezer the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight to defrost.
Pin this Orange and Cinnamon Christmas Cheesecake for later
Orange & Cinnamon Christmas Cheesecake – No Bake Recipe
Equipment
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 45 g (1.59 oz) Unsalted butter
- 150 g (5.29 oz) Shortbread biscuits
- 300 g (10.58 oz) Soft cream cheese
- 60 g (2.12 oz) Caster sugar
- 150 ml (150 ml) Double cream / heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Orange extract (fresh orange juice if you can’t find the extract)
- 8 (8) Lindt Orange Truffles
Instructions
- Lightly grease an 6 inch loose base cake tin. (I also added a greaseproof paper circle at the bottom to help it off the base later)
- Melt the butter gently in the microwave or in a pan and then take off the heat.
- Crush the shortbread biscuits in a food processor, or put the shortbread in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to break them up.
- Put the biscuit crumbs in a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir until all the biscuits are coated in the butter.
- Scoop the crumbs into the tin and push down to make a hard layer. Put in the fridge for 20-30minutes to set.
- In a bowl cream together the cream cheese and caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved and is well distributed.
- In a new bowl lightly whip the double cream until it starts to thicken.
- Stir in the double cream and cream cheese mixture together.
- Add the cinnamon and orange extract and stir in.
- Chop the truffles and mix into the cream cheese mixture.
- Remove the cake tin from the fridge and add the cream cheese to the base and put back into the fridge to set. It takes roughly about 45-60 minutes.
- When it is set remove from the fridge and remove from the tin. Decorate with dried orange slices and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Other Cheesecake Recipes you might enjoy:
Black Forest Cheesecake – Easy No Bake Recipe
Baileys and White Chocolate Cheesecake
Cranberry Cheesecake – No Bake
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake – No Bake Recipe
No Bake Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
This makes me so excited for Christmas! Beautiful flavours.
Thank you 🙂 That is so nice of your to say.
This looks like a fun dessert to make! Is it a family tradition for you to make this for the holidays?
It wasn’t before but I think it will be now!
As an avid cheesecake and cinnamon lover I give this recipe huge thumbs up! 🙂 Love the orange vibe with extract and the orange truffles. Super festive, super delicious and super easy to make! All the right boxes ticked! Will be trying it! 🙂
Thank you Jo <3 I'm glad there are more cinnamon lovers out there.
Love the flavours in this cheesecake and also really like your photos 🙂
Thank you that is such a nice thing to say xx
Mmm that looks mouth watering! Love the idea of making a Christmassy cheesecake.
Thank you that is so kind to say. I can confirm it tasted incredible too.
Absoloutely delicious looking!
Doesn’t the orange juice, or tangerine juice curdle the cream mixture? Every article I read says it will and I can’t get any more orange essence before christmas.
I’ve never found it causes an issue and I’ve made in multiple times now. If you are worried you can take a little of the mixture and stir in the orange juice to see if it works there first.