I love pumpkin spice but I’m an avid supporter of the spices that go into chai. (I’m also that jerk that’s irked by people saying chai tea since chai means TEA itself, but that’s another post)

I also insist that chai spice is better than pumpkin and we should all swap over immediately. Give this a go, I think you’ll love it!

Make sure ALL of your cheesecake ingredients are room temperature. Anything cold or straight from the fridge will make the cheese seize/harden and impossible to combine.

You can also divide this into 9 lined muffin cups for easy single servings if you wish!

What you need:

• 2 8 oz bricks of regular cream cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup regular sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground clove
• pinch of salt

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 sleeve honey graham crackers, crushed (approx 1 heaping cup)
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• pinch salt

1. Preheat your oven to 325 and begin by preparing an 8×8 square pan. Line your pan with nonstick parchment paper (NOT WAX), leaving a few inches excess on the sides. We’ll use this to easily lift the cheesecake from the pan once it’s cooled.
2. In a large bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt. Mix until combined. Pour into lined baking pan and gently press to cover bottom. I find it’s easiest to use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to evenly apply pressure. Set aside for now.
3. In a stand mixer or large bowl add cream cheese, sour cream and sugar and mix until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, spices and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour cheesecake mixture on top of graham crust and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the middle is just set.
5. Allow this to cool completely before using the parchment to gently lift the entire cheesecake out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice and serve!