This Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe is among my “favorite dessert recipes ever.”
If you’re a lover of cheesecake- any kind of cheesecake- then you’ll love this one for Thanksgiving or any other special fall event!
I have never been a humongous fan of pumpkin pie. At Thanksgiving, it’s the last dessert I’ll reach for… and if it’s the only option available, I’ll usually pass. But Pumpkin Cheesecake!!! That’s a whole different story.
Cheesecake is my passion. It’s my thing. It’s my forever craving! If it’s on the dessert menu at a restaurant, I can’t resist trying it! So Pumpkin Cheesecake is a big draw for me, for sure. Sometimes I bake my low fat pumpkin cheesecake recipe if I’m really watching the calories!
This pumpkin cheesecake recipe turns out a very creamy and delicious dessert. You’ll find that it’s crazy good, especially if you’re an overly obsessive cheesecake lover like me!! The gingersnap crust is the perfect pairing with the pumpkin cheesecake. If you don’t like (or can’t find) gingersnaps for the crust, it’s okay to use vanilla wafers, shortbread cookies or plain old graham cracker crumbs.
Eating just one piece will never be an acceptable option for the ultimate cheesecake lover. This cheesecake is that good!
I try to only have just one slice of this one. I really, really try. But I totally fail. It’s too good. I keep digging in and sampling until the entire dessert is gone. At least it takes a few days to demolish. And I pay for it by spending extra hours on the treadmill. The truth: it’s worth it!
What do you do if your cheesecake cracks on top?
Here’s a little tip for the cheesecake baker: you can bake this one with a water bath underneath the cheesecake, which will help avoid “cracking” the surface of the cheesecake while baking. But if you’re not into doing that and your cheesecake does develop a crack on top, just spread some homemade whipped cream on top of the cheesecake and you’re all set. No one will know there’s a crack under all of that!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 1¼ cups fine gingersnap cookie crumbs
- ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter, melted
PUMPKIN FILLING:
- Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- One 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs
TOPPING:
- ¾ cup cold whipping cream
Instructions
PREPARE THE CRUST:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and butter; pat the crumb mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
PREPARE THE FILLING:
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves; beat with a hand mixer at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the pumpkin to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the baked crust layer.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the cheesecake tests done (doesn't jiggle in middle when shaken). Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Chill, covered, for 3 hours but no longer than 48 hours. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake and remove the sides.
ADD THE TOPPING:
- In a chilled bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream. If your cheesecake cracked during baking (likely), just spread the whipped cream over the top with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and the crack is hidden!
Notes
- I find that the only way to get really fine gingersnap crumbs is to either use a food processor or a really powerful blender (like a BlendTec).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can 1/3 less fat cream cheese be used in the Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe and still be a success? Thank You
I believe the reduced fat cream cheese should work. Haven’t tried it in this recipe though!
My recipe calls for four cream cheese and it was late found your recipe and it saved the day! My boys loved it! Thank you!
What’s difference between baking with water bath and without?
Risk of cracking if you don’t use a water bath. Doesn’t always happen… but it might. I don’t worry about it too much since I usually cover the top with whipped cream.
Made this last Thanksgiving and it will definitely be on the table again this year!! It was delicious! Everyone raved about it…
Do you bake this in a water bath?
For this, I did not… and I did get a small crack on top- easily fixed with whipped cream topping!
This looks fantastic! I am hoping to make cheesecake bars for my office in a 13×9 pan. Other than baking the cake at 325 instead of 350, do you think I would need to modify anything else in the recipe?
I’m afraid I don’t know… I’ve never baked this in anything other than a cheesecake pan!
Can you use real pumpkin instead of Can ?
sure!
Have it in oven baking now.It was easy to make..smells great baking..Can not wait to taste
Made this today and it came out perfect! It was outrageously delicious!
In the oven right now for Thanksgiving. It was simple to assemble and smells divine! Your recipes never let me down Lori!