The 10 Best Liquors To Add To Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a favorite among dessert lovers. It hits all the sweet, creamy, tangy, and rich notes that you crave. It's also a pretty easy dessert to make at home, so it's no wonder why most people can't get enough of it. Plus, it's super customizable; you can do a baked or no-bake cheesecake and pretty much flavor it however you want to. For those who like a more adult version of this treat, this includes flavoring it with liquors. Adding alcohol to cake can be a very low-effort, high-reward way to make it taste impressive.

I, a gourmet dessert business owner, can attest to how popular boozy cheesecakes are and how fun it is to play around with different liquors in its recipe. The right one can enhance the flavor of your cheesecake, while even mellowing out the sweetness. The sharpness of alcohol can also cut right through the richness and give you a bite that tastes perfectly balanced. It may sound intimidating to make a liquor-infused cheesecake, but it's really not that complicated. You can add liquor into the cheese filling, or into a glaze, sauce, gel, whipped cream topping, or even soak fruit in it. The possibilities are endless. Here are the best liquors to add to cheesecake.

If you're a fan of piña coladas, you already know rum goes nicely with creamy ingredients. This concept applies here too, which is why rum is one of my favorite liquors to add to cheesecake. Rum already has a slight sweetness to it, and it's really easy to pour a splash into your cheese filling for either a baked or no-bake cheesecake. Just make sure you don't go overboard with the amount — start with a tablespoon, as less is often more when adding straight liquor into your recipe. 

Rum gives you the opportunity to play with flavors. You could even do a piña colada cheesecake by adding rum and coconut cream into your filling, then top it with pineapple wedges. Or, soak some fresh pineapple in a bit of rum for a few hours and use that as the topping. You could also make a mojito cheesecake with white rum or Bacardi and some lime juice and zest. Or, if you're craving festive holiday flavors, why not give this eggnog cheesecake recipe a try, and use rum in place of the rum extract?

If you're just learning how to add liquors to cheesecake, turn to the dessert spirits you already know and love. Something like Kahlúa is a no-brainer because the coffee liqueur is already sweet, and coffee lends itself well to creamy desserts. 

I can attest to the fact that Kahlúa cheesecake is utterly delicious. It's as simple as splashing a few tablespoons into the cheese filling, or you could make Kahlúa syrup to pour over the top. Coffee and chocolate are a natural pairing, so top your cake with some shaved chocolate shards or make a chocolate cookie crust with Oreos.

Always add the Kahlúa as the final ingredient. In my experience, it's always a good idea to add the liquor, in general, last, whether that's in the filling, whipped cream mixture, or syrup. You'll get a better idea of the final flavor and can adjust it accordingly. 

There's something so satisfying about amaretto; it's warming and has a delicate almond flavor that can elevate any recipe. Since amaretto is meant to be served as an after-dinner digestif, it makes sense to use it in a dessert, too.

Amaretto makes a very sophisticated-tasting cheesecake, with an almondy nuttiness at the forefront.  Pour this almond liqueur into your creamy batter and let the aromas fill the air. Amaretto also has  notes of cherry and vanilla, both of which are common in cheesecakes. Plus, coffee and chocolate also suit the almond liqueur beautifully. 

There are other ways to bolster the almond flavor in this dessert besides just adding amaretto. Add some ground almonds to your crust or top your cheesecake with slivered or chopped almonds. Amaretto also has plenty of other uses, so it's always a good idea to keep a bottle in your pantry. 

Bailey's is another obvious choice to add to cheesecake. It's a dessert liqueur, and Bailey's Original Irish cream has notes of cream, whiskey, and cocoa, so it's perfect for all kinds of baked (and no-bake) goods. It's absolutely moreish, and you may just want to swig some from the bottle — and might find yourself sipping a little too much while you're making your cheesecake. Add it straight into the cheese filling, and it will easily blend into the creaminess. You can make a plain cheesecake filling and flavor it with Bailey's or add it to a chocolate-flavored cheesecake for extra edge and to highlight the chocolate flavor even more.

You can be a little more generous with Bailey's in your cheesecake than with other strong liquors. I've found that its flavor can be too subtle if you don't add enough, especially if you're baking your cheesecake, since some of the alcohol will bake away anyway.

Using strong spirits instead of dessert liquors in cheesecake can often have a higher payoff because their flavor is bolder. Bourbon is especially good because it has warm caramel notes, and depending on the bourbon, it can also have a spicy element. Plus, bourbon is often sweeter than whiskey, so it's always my go-to when I want a whiskey-flavored or spiked cheesecake.

Bourbon is also so versatile. You can play into the warm spice feel and add some cinnamon and nutmeg to your cheesecake, or play on the sweet caramel notes by adding a salted caramel or maple bourbon syrup over your cake. I also find that bourbon plays well with fruit like cherry, citrus, apple, and pear. Try making a bourbon-spiked fruit compote topping with them to accompany your cheesecake.

Unless you've been to South Africa, it's likely that you haven't heard of this one. Amarula is a liqueur that's made from the wild marula fruit found in the region. This truly incredible ingredient deserves to be more well-known globally. It's creamy, silky, and fruity at the same time, making it a dream to pour over ice cream or use in desserts of all kinds. Amarula is a typical cheesecake flavor I make in my gourmet dessert business. The liquor works so well in a tangy cheese filling.

It's hard to describe the flavor of Amarula, but it's sort of citrusy and nutty with a hint of caramel. It pairs well with vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and more, yet I believe it has its own distinct flavor that should be the center of your cheesecake. I recommend making a no-bake Amarula cheesecake so that you can really let the liqueur flavor shine. Pour a splash or two into the cheese filling and give it a taste. You'll probably want to add more just because it's so good — I wouldn't blame you!

You may be surprised to hear that tequila is a good addition to cheesecake. It's already got a base flavor that's sweet, smoky, and zesty, so it works really well with citrus flavors or something like ginger. I take my inspiration from tequila-based cocktails. You can squeeze in some lime juice and zest to give it a margarita-inspired theme, or use both lime and grapefruit for a paloma flavor. For a tequila sunset cheesecake, add some grenadine and orange juice to the cake. Those will not only give you great flavor but also a pretty pink or orange hue.

An easy way to add tequila is to pour it into your cheese mixture. If you want to give it a bit more flair, you can make a tequila and fruit jelly layer on top of your cheesecake using a setting ingredient like gelatin or agar agar.

Vodka is another surprising choice, but if you use it in the right way, it can really work well in a cheesecake. Think of sweet, vodka-based cocktails to get some ideas. A White Russian-inspired cheesecake would be delicious, especially since the cream component is already here, so you'd just need to add vodka and coffee (or coffee liqueur). Add these ingredients to the cheese filling, or try a coffee filling and a vodka whipped cream.

I like to use vodka in a strawberry cheesecake. Strawberries taste even fruitier when soaked in it, and the plump fruit adds a pleasant, boozy pop of freshness to your plain cheesecake. Regardless of how you plan to use your vodka, keep in mind that when used in large amounts, it can be pretty harsh. Use it sparingly, and add more if you want more punch.

Lemon and cheesecake are a classic pairing that you can never really go wrong with. There's a reason that it's timeless. Most people love how the sourness and sharpness of lemon cut through the creamy sweetness of cheesecake. Still, it's not the most innovative cheesecake you could make. 

If you want to take it up a notch but maintain the classic flavor, then try adding some limoncello to your cheesecake. This Italian lemon liqueur gives cheesecake an immediate elegance, and will make it much fancier.

Limoncello is quite potent, with a strong lemon bitterness and sweetness, making it a great addition to cheesecake. The cheesy filling mellows out its harshness, and in return, the liqueur adds plenty of flavor to the cream. You can emphasize the lemon notes by including fresh lemon juice and zest.

Berries are great both in and on cheesecakes. To find that same berry-forward flavor in a liquor, look no further than crème de cassis. You may only know it from the Kir Royale, a cocktail made with it and sparkling wine, but it's a versatile spirit that can be used in other ways, too.

Crème de cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur with a sweet and slightly tart blackberry-like flavor. Although it has the word "crème" in its name, it's not actually creamy. Instead, it has a concentrated berry flavor that can add a lot of depth to the cheesecake filling. I also love making a berry compote with it for a plain or lemon cheesecake. You can also make a thin layer of crème de cassis jelly on top of the cake. The taste will wow you and your guests, and it's likely you'll want to make it again and again. Whichever way you intend to use it, don't take its beautiful purple color for granted and make sure it's part of your thinking when you're planning how to use it in a cheesecake. It's part of the appeal.