Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cheesecake

I can’t really remember how this one started. It’s been on my list of recipe ideas for quite awhile. I just asked The Witch and apparently Cinnamon Toast Crunch is one of her favorite cereals. This is definitely where this came from. She loves cheesecake too. What better way to win some points than combining those two.

I love a good graham cracker crust with my cheesecake. The first attempt at this was made with cinnamon sugar graham crackers. I also put Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the cheesecake. The crust was great, but the Cinnamon Toast Crunch got soggy after being in the cheesecake for so long. It wasn’t bad, but the loss of the crunch really brought down the whole cheesecake. Round two required some testing. Could I use Cinnamon Toast Crunch in place of the graham crackers in the crust? A few quick google searches showed people using other cereals, but using marshmallows to hold it together. I’m not looking for a rice crispy treat for the crust. I want the buttery goodness. For round two I tried 1 stick of butter to two cups of crushed up cereal. When did I decide to test this? As I was making the filling. I guess we’ll do it live. I had to bake it for a while longer than I wanted and was still unsure if it would work. I had crust up the sides of the springform pan that collapsed down. Less butter should do the trick. For the filling in the second one I added some more sugar and removed the cereal to remove the odd texture. Since I rolled the dice and tested the crust while making the filling, the filling sat out for a bit longer than normal. That actually worked to my advantage. I was able to get the cream cheese to soften even more. This and a few extra spins of the mixer after adding the sugar, and a few extra scrapes down really made it super creamy and smooth. I highly recommend the added scraping of the bowl to ensure it’s as smooth as you can get it. Worth it in the end. For the best crunch I like to add some cereal to the top right when it’s served. This keeps the cereal crispy and provides the extra bit of sweetness.

Lately it’s been hard to bake and create content. Being someone with anxiety and depression, who is high functioning, can be very exhausting. I’m always expecting the worst. I hate to disappoint people. My own expectations are way out of whack. The last few months at this new job have been a struggle to relearn and reset myself. It’s been extremely difficult at times. However it has been so worth it. Just like trial and error with baking I’m learning what works and what doesn’t. I didn’t expect the Cinnamon Toast Crunch to work as a crust. I completely forgot to test it before I made the filling. I was nervous an anxious the entire day and night as it cooked, cooled, and sat in the refrigerator over night. The past few months have helped me gain a hold that’s allowed me to reduce the stress I feel in these situations. I’m proud to say it was a huge success. As you can see I’ve been working on my photography skills as well. I’d like to thank The Witch for her Christmas gifts to me. I’d also like to that the IG people I follow for their unknown guidance. Lastly I’d like to thank Hummingbird High for her trick to cleanly slice cheesecake. You can find it in her book Weeknight Baking. (Hint: run a serrated knife under hot water before each cut).

Here’s to what I’m hoping will be a slightly better 2021.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter - 1/2 Cup butter if you want crust on the sides

• 2 Cups crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch - 2 1/4 cups if you want crust on the sides

• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

Cheesecake

• 24 oz cream cheese

• 1 1/4 Cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 Tablespoon of vanilla

• 4 large eggs

• 1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 Degrees

2. Put the Cinnamon Toast Crunch into a gallon bag and crush with a rolling pin

3. Melt the butter

4. Combine the crushed cereal, salt, and the melted butter until combined

5. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan

6. Bake for 15-17 minutes, set aside to cool while making the filling

Cheesecake:

1. In a medium sized bowl mix the sugar, and cinnamon

2. Whip the cream cheese on medium using the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl at least once

3. Mix in the cinnamon sugar mix

4. Mix in the vanilla

5. Mix in the eggs two at a time

6. Pour mixture on top of the crust in the spingform pan

7. Fill a roasting pan with hot water and put it on the lowest rack in the oven

8. Bake the cheese cake on the rack above the water at 325 for 60 minutes

9. Once baked, turn off the oven, open the oven door slightly, and let the cheesecake cool for an hour

10. Remove from the oven and let cool for another hour

11. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight if possible

12. Before eating sprinkle on some Cinnamon Toast Crunch

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