Carrot Cheesecake with Crumb Crust

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and butter together in a bowl until well blended.
3. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, mix together the grated carrots, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until smooth.
6. Pour filling into the prepared crust.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
8. Allow cheesecake to cool completely before serving.

Interesting Facts

• Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A and beta carotene.
• Cheesecakes are believed to have originated in ancient Greece.
• Graham crackers were invented in the early 1800s by a Presbyterian minister.