Serves: 12

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, melted

Cinnamon Swirl

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter, melted

Filling:

4 pkgs. (8 oz. each), softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Cream cheese frosting, optional

Instructions:

  1. Crust: Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into bottom of a 9″ springform pan.
  2. Bake 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil.
  3. Cinnamon Swirl: In another bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. The mixture will be thick and gooey. Set aside.
  4. Filling: Beat cream cheese on medium 2-3 minutes, until smooth. Add brown sugar and sugar, and continue beating an additional 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add sour cream and beat until incorporated.
  5. Add eggs one at a time and beat on low until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Gently stir in vanilla and salt.
  6. Pour 1/3 of the filling over cooled crust. Gently spread 1/3 of prepared cinnamon swirl over filling. Repeat this process until you have poured all of the filling and top with the last of the swirl.
  7. Place springform pan in a large roasting pan. Add hot water to roasting pan halfway up the side of springform pan to form a water bath. Carefully place in oven and bake 60-70 minutes. At this point, the cheesecake will be slightly jiggly to the touch, but the edges will be set. Turn off oven and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven 30 minutes. Then remove roasting pan from the oven.
  8. Allow to cool completely before removing cheesecake from water bath. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of cheesecake to separate form springform pan, then remove side wall. Place on a cake stand or serving platter.
  9. Top with cream cheese frosting, if desired.