Pumpkin Cheesecake
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Pumpkin Cheesecake is creamy and indulgent, made with cream cheese, pumpkin, spices, and vanilla in a graham cracker crust, perfect for a holiday party!
Pumpkin Cheesecake is the perfect dessert to bring to a holiday get-together, or serve during a special dinner. I love serving this topped with my Mascarpone Frosting, which won’t melt like the store-bought whipped cream. This is one of my favorite recipes, and will soon be one of yours, too!
Cheesecakes are a labor of love, so plan on making this the day before. You have prep time, cook time, cool down time, and then it has to be refrigerator for a few hours. There’s a reason this is everyone’s favorite dessert!
If you’re looking for another cheesecake, try my White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake! For a quick and easy version, try my No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Perfect for Holidays: This homemade pumpkin cheesecake is perfect for the holiday season! I’ve made this for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It’s a definite crowd pleaser!
Gluten Free: I’m making my graham cracker crust from scratch, and this works perfectly with gluten free graham crackers or cookies. Check out more tips for my homemade crust over at my Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crust recipe!
Indulgent: This recipe tastes like a more indulgent version of pumpkin pie filling. Instead of just pumpkin, you also get the creamy rich texture and flavor of a cheesecake!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Graham Crackers. I use gluten free graham crackers for this recipe, but gluten free gingersnaps or chocolate chip cookies would also work. Just pulse them in the food processor a few times to make crumbs. Gingersnap crumbs will be the closest to graham crackers.
If you’re not gluten free, regular graham crackers will also work.
Cream Cheese. This is one of the main ingredients to make this really indulgent. Cream cheese has a tangy flavor that compliments the sweetness from the sugar perfectly. It’s important to have the bricks of cream cheese at room temperature just before starting, or it will create lumps in the batter.
You can also use Neufchatel cheese. I use about 3 8oz blocks of cream cheese for this recipe.
Pumpkin Puree. I use regular canned pumpkin puree. Just make sure it’s 100% pumpkin with no other added ingredients. We want the pumpkin flavor, but not any added spices or sweetener.
Eggs. These act as a binding agent that holds everything together.
Sugar. I use regular granulated sugar, but you can also use a few tablespoons of brown sugar to add a deeper flavor to the cheesecake. I would use a mix of white and brown sugar for the best flavor impact.
You can also use brown sugar for the graham cracker crust.
Butter. I always use unsalted butter, because I like to add a pinch of salt if I feel like I need it later.
Spices. For this recipe, you’ll need pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Check out my recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Spice, which is my secret to a really flavorful crust.
If your cheesecake filling is overly sweet, you can add a pinch of salt to balance everything out.
Kitchen Tools
For this pumpkin cheesecake recipe, you’ll need a 9-inch springform pan, a medium to large sized food processor, and either a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake
Time needed: 6 hours and 25 minutes
- Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with butter and set aside. Add the graham crackers to the food processor and pulse until there’s just graham cracker crumbs.
- Add all other ingredients.
Add the sugar, spices, and melted butter. Pulse the food processor until everything is mixed together and the graham cracker crumbs look wet.
- Add to the springform pan.
Press the graham cracker crust mixture into the bottom of the pan, also pressing the crust a little bit up the side. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.
- Mix the filling.
Using a stand mixer (or an electric hand mixer and a medium bowl), cream together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth. Check to make sure there are no lumps.
Reduce mixer to medium-low speed and add one egg at a time, waiting for the egg to mix into the batter before adding the next one.
Once all eggs are mixed in, add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, mixing until well-combined. Stop the mixer and use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, making sure everything is mixed in. - Bake the cheesecake.
Pour the pumpkin cream cheese mixture into the pre-baked crust. Tap the pan lightly on the counter a few times to help remove air bubbles from the batter.
Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges of the cheesecake are set and golden brown, and the middle still moves slightly when you gently move the pan. - Cool the cheesecake.
Turn the oven completely off, crack the door open a few inches, and let the cake cool slowly for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and give it another 20 minutes or so to come to room temperature, then cover the cheesecake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan and gently remove the springform pan sides before serving.
Recipe Variations
- You can use almost any gluten free cookie for the crust, as long as the flavor goes with pumpkin pie. If you use a gluten free oreo-type cookie, you need to reduce the butter to compensate for the cream in the middle of the cookie.
- You can use apple pie spice if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice for the crust.
Recipe Tip! Bring your ingredients to room temperature before starting. If your cream cheese is too cold, it won’t blend easily with the sugar, and can result in lumpy cheesecake. If you notice lumps in the batter later, use a silicone spatula to press the cheesecake batter through a fine mesh sieve. This will make sure that you have a really creamy cheesecake in the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is really common for cheesecakes to crack on top, and this is usually due to temperature changing too rapidly.
First, check that your oven is cooking at the temperature you’re setting it for with an oven thermometer. Make sure it’s not too hot.
Next, let the cheesecake cool slowly by leaving it in the oven, turning the heat off, and cracking the door open for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This lets the oven temperature reduce slowly instead of the rapid change.
Last, it may be a moisture issue. Depending on the climate and altitude you live at, you may need to place your cheesecake in a water bath during the baking process to prevent cracks.
Technically you don’t, so if you forgot this step, don’t worry too much, it will still be a delicious cheesecake. The reason we’re pre-baking the graham cracker crust is to prevent the crust from becoming soggy. Besides for the flavor difference, having a crust with a little crisp in it adds to the overall texture experience of the cheesecake.
Recipe Tip! Run a butterknife around the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating the pumpkin cheesecake. This will help you remove the springform pan more easily later.
My Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
- Easy Pumpkin Pie Dip
- Streusel Pumpkin Muffins
- Breakfast Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Streusel Topping
Storage
Refrigerate your leftover pumpkin cheesecake for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze pumpkin cheesecake for up to a month, wrapped tightly.
Cooking Tips
- Don’t pull your pumpkin cheesecake out of the oven right away. Turn the oven off, and crack the door open to bring the heat down gradually. This prevents cracks on the top of the cheesecake.
- When cracking the oven door after baking, set a timer to make sure you take the cheesecake out within one hour. This is a dairy-based cake, and you cannot leave it in the “danger zone” of temperature for too long. It needs to be in the refrigerator after the cool down time for food safety.
- Crack your egg into a small bowl before adding to the batter, to prevent losing eggshells in the filling. If this happens by accident, you can pass the filling through a fine mesh sieve to retrieve the eggshell.
- Don’t open the oven door while the pumpkin cheesecake is cooking to prevent cracks on the top. It’s ready when the sides are set, but the middle still moves a little bit. Wait until time is almost up to check.
- Place a layer of aluminum foil on a baking sheet, and place it on the oven rack below the cheesecake. This will prevent any liquid from dripping onto the bottom of the oven.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free graham crackers, finely ground
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened (3 of the 8oz blocks)
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Equipment
- 1 9-inch springform pan
- 1 Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a springform pan with butter and set aside.
- Add graham crackers to the food processor and pulse until there's just crumbs. Add sugar, spices, and melted butter. Pulse the food processor until everything is mixed together and the crumbs look wet.
- Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan, also pressing the crust a little bit up the side of the pan.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and let cool while you prepare the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Using a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth.
- Reduce mixer to medium-low speed and add one egg at a time, waiting for the egg to mix into the batter before adding the next one. Once all eggs are mixed in, add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, mixing until well-combined.
- Stop the mixer and use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, making sure everything is mixed in.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pre-baked crust. Tap the pan lightly on the counter a few times to help remove air bubbles from the batter.
- Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are set and golden brown, and the middle still moves slightly when you gently move the pan.
- Turn the oven completely off, crack the door open and let the cake cool slowly for 1 hour. When time is up, remove from the oven and give it another 20 minutes to come to room temperature, then cover the cheesecake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Notes
- Don’t pull your cheesecake out of the oven right away. Turn the oven off, and crack the door open to bring the heat down gradually. This prevents cracks on the top of the cheesecake.
- When cracking the oven door after baking, set a timer to make sure you take the cheesecake out within one hour. This is a dairy-based cake, and you cannot leave it in the “danger zone” of temperature for too long. It needs to be in the refrigerator after the cool down time for food safety.
- Crack your egg into a small bowl before adding to the batter, to prevent losing eggshells in the filling. If this happens by accident, you can pass the filling through a fine mesh sieve to retrieve the eggshell.
- Place a layer of aluminum foil on a baking sheet, and place it on the oven rack below the cheesecake. This will prevent any liquid from the springform pan from dripping onto the bottom of the oven.
Nutrition
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