How to Make Amaretto Cheesecake Recipes

I want to teach you how to make my amaretto cheesecake recipes. While working on organizing my recipes, I have become overwhelmed with the many hundreds of delicious cheesecake recipes on little scraps of paper. These include sugar free recipes as well as ones made with sugar that I have collected over the years. I never dreamed I had tried so many in my years!

how to make an amaretto cheesecake recipeHow to Make a Chocolate Cookie Crust Amaretto Cheesecake

These cheesecakes include many made with amaretto liqueur. I find it so interesting that this dessert is so popular all over the world. I also find that the story about amaretto liqueur is quite interesting.

Learn more about how to make amaretto cheesecake recipes! Do these recipes all contain almonds? I use to consider amaretto being a by-product of the almond therefore anything called amaretto had to include almonds. What I did not realize was that there are many forms of the almond. The almond is not really a nut but is a “drupe”. A “drupe” is any fruit with a soft fleshy part around an inner stone that contains a seed like those in the peach family. The pits of these fruits would be almonds also.


When learning how to make amaretto cheesecake recipes, you will find they are flavored with amaretto liqueur and often almonds in some form are added. Amaretto liqueur is a sweet flavored Italian liqueur. It is often associated with the area of Saronno because that was the origination of the liqueur. (Some debate this origination but do say this area is ONE of the first.) Now this brings me to the amaretto and almond connection. As the story goes this original brand was actually made with apricot pits. Apricots being of the same family as the peach have a pit in the center of the fruit like the peach. This pit is an almond which produces a delicious sweet liqueur.


Other brands of amaretto to use in amaretto cheesecake recipes might be made with almond pits, apricot pits or a combination of both with varying degrees of sweetness or tartness. By combining a variety of fruits, an almond flavor is achieved. This Italian liqueur is not only used as a flavoring in Amaretto cheesecake recipes but is also very popular for drinks; both as a mixer and served over ice. It is used a lot in cooking all types of recipes but especially desserts. It can be added to strawberry recipes or other fruit desserts; I think it is especially good when combined with chocolate or coconut.


Does this mean that you can substitute amaretto with apricot liqueur in your amaretto cheesecake recipes? Well, you could but it will not give you the same results. The apricot liqueur is made from the juice of the sun ripened fruit rather than from the pit or almond. After cooking the flesh of the apricots with sugar, the juice is combined with your choice of alcohol like white wine or apricot snaps depending on the brand you choose or how you make your own.

NOTE: I use Disaronno Amaretto; I think it is the best. If I go to all the trouble to make an amaretto cheesecake recipe I like to use the best alcohol possible. This gives a very delicious flavor!

PEACHES AND CREAM CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Peaches and Cream Amaretto Cheesecake RecipePeaches and Cream Amaretto Cheesecake Recipe
Peaches and Cream Amaretto Cheesecake Recipe PiecePeaches and Cream Amaretto Cheesecake Recipe Piece

After learning a little about what is amaretto liqueur, you can see it and peaches make a perfect pair in amaretto cheesecake recipes.

Crust

  • 3 Tablespoons softened butter
  • 1/3 Cup sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • ¾ Cup flour

Combine and beat butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy; blend in 1 egg.

Slowly add ¾ cup flour and blend well; spread dough onto bottom of 9 inch spring form pan.

Bake in preheated oven at 450F degrees for 10 minutes; set aside.

Filling

  • 3 Packages (8 ounces each) softened cream cheese
  • ¾ Cup sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 Can (16 ounces) peach halves drained and pureed
  • ¼ Cup amaretto liqueur

Combine cream cheese, ¾ cup sugar and 3 tablespoons flour in large mixing bowl.

Beat on medium speed until well blended; add eggs one at a time beating well after each.

Add pureed peaches and liqueur and mix well; pour over crust.

Bake at 450F degrees for 10 minutes.

REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 250F degrees.

Continue baking 65 minutes; loosen cake with knife from rim of pan and cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Optional: To finish garnish with peach slices and sliced almonds.

Peaches and Cream Amaretto Cheesecake RecipePeaches and Cream Amaretto Cheesecake Recipe
chocolate cookie crust amaretto cheesecakeChocolate Cookie Crust Amaretto Cheesecake

CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST CHEESECAKE

This is one of the best amaretto cheesecake recipes; the combination of the dark brown sugar and amaretto is fabulous on this chocolate cookie crust. This is one of the more expensive cheesecake recipes to make because of the amaretto liqueur. It cost me about $27.00 for all the ingredients but the combination of the brown sugar, amaretto and the sour cream topping makes it so heavenly delicious.

Crust

  • 2 Cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies
  • ¼ Teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ Teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ Cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

amaretto cheesecake recipe

Wrap bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan securely with aluminum foil

Combine all crust ingredients and blend until moistened like wet sand.

Press into foil wrapped pan; set aside.

Cake

  • 4 Packages (8 ounces each) softened cream cheese
  • 7 Egg yolks
  • 2 Whole eggs
  • ¾ Cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ¾ Cup amaretto liqueur

Beat cream cheese on medium speed until creamy; beat in brown sugar.

Add egg yolks and whole eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Blend in Amaretto Liqueur after adding eggs.

Pour batter into prepared pan; place pan in a larger baking pan.

Pour hot water in larger pan to come up 1/3 the sides of foil wrapped spring form pan.

amaretto cheesecake recipe

Bake for 1 hour or until cake is just set.

Turn oven off and allow cake to set in oven with door closed for another 30 minutes.

NOTE: I remove cake and pan of water from over, set on top of stove and lay a piece of foil over top. Then I turn the oven back on and preheat to 375F degrees. Prepare topping while oven is reheating.

Topping

  • ¼ Cup dark brown sugar
  • 3 Egg yolks
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 Ounces amaretto liqueur
  • 8 Ounces sour cream

Beat sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and amaretto until fluffy; beat in sour cream.

Pour topping over cake and bake at 375F degrees for 10 minutes.

NOTE: This time put spring form pan in without water pan.

Turn oven off and allow cake to cool in oven for at least 30 minutes.

Open oven door a little and let amaretto cheesecake recipe set on oven shelf until cooled.

Remove cake from oven, remove foil from outside of pan and chill overnight.

chocolate cookie crust amaretto cheesecakeChocolate Cookie Crust Amaretto Cheesecake

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE AMARETTO CHEESECAKE RECIPE

chocolate amaretto cheesecake recipeChocolate Amaretto Cheesecake Recipe
  • 1 Teaspoon butter
  • 1 Cup ground almonds
  • 1 Pound chopped milk chocolate
  • 4 Packages (8 ounces each) softened cream cheese
  • ½ Cup softened butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup amaretto liqueur
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • OPTIONAL FOR GARNISH: Chocolate leaves, sifted powdered sugar, sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and fresh berries

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Grease bottom of 10 inch spring form pan with 1 teaspoon butter.

Press ground almonds into bottom of buttered pan.

Melt 1 pound chocolate in heavy saucepan over very low heat stirring constantly until melted; cool.

Beat melted chocolate, cream cheese, ½ cup butter, sugar and amaretto in large mixing bowl on medium speed until blended.

Add whole eggs and egg yolk all at once and beat just until blended; pour into nut lined pan.

Place spring form pan on shallow baking pan in oven; bake 55 minutes or until center appears nearly set.

Remove spring form pan from oven and shallow pan; set on rack to cool for 15 minutes.

Run knife around sides of pan to loosen sides of pan; cool 30 minutes longer.

Remove sides of pan; cool another hour.

Chill for at least 4 hours

If desired garnish with chocolate leaves, sifted powdered sugar, sifted cocoa powder or berries or all of these.

chocolate amaretto cheesecake recipeChocolate Amaretto Cheesecake Recipe

CHOCOLATE AMARETTO CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Crust

  • 1 ¼ Cups Chocolate wafer crumbs
  • ¼ Cup melted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar

Filling

  • 2 Packages (8 ounces each) softened cream cheese
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips (Melted)
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup amaretto
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ Teaspoon almond extract

Topping

  • ½ Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • Garnish: Whipped cream/ toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 300F degrees.

Grease bottom of 8 inch spring form pan; set aside.

TO MAKE CRUST combine crumbs sugar and butter.

Press crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan; chill.

TO MAKE FILLING beat cream cheese on high speed of mixer until creamy.

Gradually add sugar to cheese while beating well.

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Add melted chocolate, sour cream, amaretto, vanilla and almond.

Beat mixture until smooth; pour into prepared chilled crust.

Bake cheesecake for 1 hour; turn oven OFF and partially open oven door.

Let cheesecake set in oven for 1 hour; remove from oven to rack.

Let cheesecake cool to room temperature; cover and chill for 8 hours.

Run knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan.

TO MAKE TOPPING combine chocolate chips and butter in small saucepan.

Cook over low heat stirring constantly until chocolate melts.

Cool slightly and spread over the cheesecake; garnish.

Serves 10.

AMARETTO CHEESECAKE RECIPE with warm apricot sauce

Crust

  • Non stick spray
  • 4 Whole graham crackers 
  • ½ Cup (packed) dried apricots
  • 2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

Filling

  • 1 ½ Packages (10 ounces each) reduced fat firm silken tofu (Drained)
  • 1 Package (8 ounces) reduced fat cream cheese (NOT non fat)
  • ¼ Cup reduced fat sour cream (NOT non fat)
  • 2/3 Cup sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • ¼ Cup amaretto
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt

Apricot Sauce

  • 1 Jar (10 ounces) apricot preserves
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons amaretto
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Garnishes

  • 1 Cup fresh blackberries
  • 4 Ripe peaches (Peel, pit, slice thinly)
  • 3 Tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
  • Fresh mint leaves

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Lightly coat 9 inch spring form pan with non stick spray.

Wrap bottom of pan with double thickness of foil to keep water out while baking.

TO MAKE CRUST combine graham crackers, apricots and almonds in food processor.

Process mixture until finely ground; press over bottom of prepared pan; set aside.

Wipe processor bowl clean.

Combine in processor bowl tofu, cream cheese, sour cream and sugar.

Add the eggs, amaretto and salt; process until completely smooth.

Pour mixture into the prepared crust; place pan in larger shallow baking pan. 

Pour boiling water in larger pan1/2 inch up the sides of spring form pan.

Place both pans in oven; bake 50 minutes or until sides are set but center still giggles.

Cool on wire rack 15 minutes; run knife around edge to loosen.

Remove foil and let set on rack to reach room temperature.

Cover and refrigerate until cold (Up to 2 days).

TO MAKE SAUCE combine in small pan preserves, water, amaretto, and lemon juice.

Cook and stir over low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

TO SERVE remove sides of pan; cut slices.

Spoon sauce over serving plate and place cheesecake slice on top.

Garnish with fresh berries, peaches, sliced almonds and mint leaves

Serves 10.