Circus Animal Cheesecake Recipe
This Circus Animal Cheesecake features a colorful, fun twist on classic cheesecake by incorporating a crispy circus animal cookie crust and vibrant pink cheesecake filling. Topped with rainbow sprinkles and additional circus animal cookies, this dessert is perfect for celebrations and those who love playful, sweet treats.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 9-ounce bag circus animal cookies
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pink food coloring (to desired shade)
Topping
- Rainbow sprinkles
- Circus animal cookies (for garnish)
Instructions
- Crush Cookies: Pour the circus animal cookies into a large zip-top bag and crush them using a rolling pin, or use a food processor to finely crush the cookies for the crust.
- Mix Crust: In a large bowl, combine the crushed cookies with melted butter and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir well until the mixture starts sticking together like wet sand.
- Form Crust: Grease an 8-inch springform pan, then press the crust mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill and set.
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: While the crust chills, beat together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup sugar, vanilla extract, and pink food coloring in a mixing bowl until smooth and fully combined with a creamy consistency.
- Assemble Cheesecake: Spread the prepared cheesecake filling evenly over the chilled crust. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to allow the cheesecake to fully set and develop flavor.
- Add Toppings and Serve: Just before serving, decorate the cheesecake with rainbow sprinkles. Press one circus animal cookie gently into each slice for a festive garnish that complements the crust.
Notes
- For best results, make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature to avoid lumps in the cheesecake filling.
- You can adjust the amount of pink food coloring depending on your preferred shade.
- The cheesecake must chill for at least 4 hours to set properly, but overnight refrigeration yields the best texture and flavor.
- Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and dried between cuts for cleaner slice edges when serving.
- This recipe can be doubled to make a larger cheesecake using a 9 or 10-inch pan, adjusting chilling times accordingly.
Keywords: circus animal cheesecake, no-bake cheesecake, colorful cheesecake, fun dessert, cookie crust cheesecake
Find it online: https://tastygenius.com/circus-animal-cheesecake-recipe/
