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This pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect fall dessert! It’s a rich and creamy cheesecake made with pureed pumpkins and pumpkin spice mix. Serve with caramel sauce and whipped cream for the best homemade pumpkin cheesecake!
Pumpkin cheesecake is a delicious fall dessert that tastes like a cross between pumpkin pie and cheesecake. It’s smooth, creamy, and rich from the cream cheese and has tons of pumpkin flavor from the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice mix.
It makes a fantastic dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Halloween and is great for the holidays because it can be made ahead up to 2 days in advance. Serve with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a dusting of cinnamon to celebrate the fall season!
Ingredients
- Cream cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor.
- Pumpkin puree – Use 100% pure pumpkin. Not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling which already contains sugar and spices.
- Pumpkin spice mix – A blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Graham crackers – Use a food processor to get the finest crumbs or crush with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet. Ginger snap cookies make a great substitution and taste great with the pumpkin filling.
- Eggs and flour – These ingredients help set the cheesecake and give it structure.
Step by Step Photos
- Add the graham crackers or ginger snap cookies to a food processor to get even crumbs. Alternatively, place the crackers in a resealable bag and use a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to make crumbs. Mix with sugar, melted butter, salt, and pumpkin spice mix. It should resemble wet sand and hold its shape.
- Use a flat-bottomed cup or measuring cup to press the crumb mixture into a springform pan wrapped in a double layer of foil.
- Beat together the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice mix, eggs, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt until it’s smooth and creamy. To remove air bubbles, beat on the lowest speed for 2 minutes.
- Pour the pumpkin cheesecake batter into the springform pan and place it into a larger roasting pan. Pour hot water halfway up the side to create a water bath. This will help prevent any cracks and help with consistent cooking.
- Bake the cheesecake for 75 minutes and then turn off the oven, while leaving the cheesecake inside for one hour. Insert a wooden spoon into the oven door to crack it open slightly. This will slowly reduce the temperature and prevent the cheesecake from cracking or collapsing.
- Allow the pumpkin cheesecake to come to room temperature and then loosely cover it to prevent condensation. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours to overnight.
If all goes right, you should end up with a rich and creamy pumpkin cheesecake with no cracks! The key is to make sure to pop any air bubbles before baking and avoid opening the oven door during the baking and resting time.
But if you do see cracks, no worries! It will taste just as delicious and there are plenty of toppings you can use to cover it up.
To Serve
This recipe will yield a 7-inch cheesecake which is about 8 to 10 servings. If you’re serving a large crowd for Thanksgiving, I recommend doubling the recipe and using two cheesecake pans.
You can serve this pumpkin cheesecake as is or decorate it with whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin spice mix.
If you’re serving this for a special occasion like Thanksgiving dessert, I suggest topping it with caramel sauce and flakey salt, chocolate ganache, praline, or spiced nuts. It’s sure to impress your friends and family!
Tips
- Once the batter is smooth and creamy, mix the batter on the lowest speed for 2 minutes to push out any large air bubbles.
- Bang the pan on the kitchen counter several times and pop any air bubbles.
- Double-wrap the springform pan in foil to prevent leakage.
- Use a water bath to avoid extreme temperatures overheating the cheesecake and avoid opening the oven during baking to keep the temperature consistent.
- Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree and avoid pumpkin pie filling.
I hope you enjoy this pumpkin cheesecake! It’s the perfect Thanksgiving dessert that your guests will love!
More recipes
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, See Note 1
- 2½ Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin spice powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Batter
- 2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened, see Note 2
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, See Note 3
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ Tablespoon pumpkin spice powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Toppings
- whipped cream, See Note 4
- caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of your springform pan with a parchment paper round for easy removal. Then, double wrap the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Crust
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter, sugar, pumpkin spice powder, and salt. It should resemble wet sand and hold its shape when pressed. Add the crumbs to the pan and firmly pat down to get an even layer on the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2½ Tablespoons butter, 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin spice powder
Cheesecake Filling
- Make the batter: Reduce the oven to 325°F. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, eggs plus extra yolk, pumpkin puree, sugar, flour, pumpkin spice powder, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy on medium-high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom halfway through. Lastly, remove large air bubbles by reducing the speed to the lowest setting for 1 to 2 minutes.2 8oz packages cream cheese, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ⅔ cup sugar, 1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ Tablespoon pumpkin spice powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Water bath: Pour the batter into the springform pan and remove any air bubbles by banging the pan onto the kitchen counter lined with a kitchen towel. Put the springform pan into a larger roasting pan and add hot water halfway up the side to create a water bath.
- Bake: Bake at 325°F for 75 minutes. Turn off the oven and use a wooden spoon to crack open the oven door. Let the cheesecake slowly reduce in temperature for one hour then remove it from the oven.
- Chill: Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and remove the foil. Once it reaches room temperature, loosely cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours to overnight.
Serve
- Carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Cut slices using a thin knife that's been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice. Top with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and a dusting of the pumpkin spice mix. Enjoy!
Notes
- Graham cracker crust – Reduce the amount by half if you only want a bottom crust with no sides. Ginger snaps make a great substitute.
- Cream cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese for best results. To soften, leave at room temperature or microwave for 20 seconds at a time until soft (my preferred method).
- Pumpkin puree – Make sure you use 100% pure pumpkin puree. Not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices.
- Whipped cream – Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy.
Tips:
- Crust: Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup with straight sides to easily press down the graham cracker crumbs.
- Crack-free cheesecake: Cracks can form in cheesecakes due to air bubbles, over-mixing, and improper temperature. Once the batter is smooth and creamy, mix the batter on the lowest speed for 2 minutes to push out any large air bubbles. Bang the pan on the kitchen counter several times. Avoid opening the oven during baking to keep the temperature consistent. This prevents the cheesecake from collapsing and cracking.
- Once the cheesecake comes to room temperature, cover it loosely to prevent any condensation from dripping onto the cheesecake.
- Chill overnight for best results.
- Make ahead for the holidays – Pumpkin cheesecake can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Store leftover pumpkin cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. I recommend pre-slicing the cheesecake before freezing. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Yes! Pumpkin cheesecake can be made 2 days ahead for the holidays. It also freezes beautifully for up to one month. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and decorate with whipped cream right before serving.
Here in Italy, we don’t use pumpkin much in sweet recipes but I love cheesecake and this pumpkin one looks and sounds really good. On my to make list.
Cheesecake is my absolute favorite, but I’ve never been a huge pumpkin fan until I tried this dessert. It had just the right amount of creaminess and pumpkin combined.
I made this pumpkin cheesecake yesterday during my daughter’s birthday! They said it was delicious and was asking for the recipe!
I was surprised how easy is was to make this recipe and it came out so delicious! Going to make it again next weekend for a big family gathering.
I decided to make cheesecake this year instead of buying it and WOW am I glad I did. It’s so much better than buying it at the store. The texture was like pumpkin pie but better. It worked beautifully. Thank you!
Can I make this with homemade pumpkin puree?
A must try recipe! I’ve only made cheesecake once before so wasn’t sure how this would turn out but it ended up perfect! My husband absolutely LOVED it and said it’s the best dessert I’ve ever made. I’m thrilled with the results. Thank you!!
This is the only recipe that didn’t crack and I got to serve a beautiful cheesecake. Everyone was so impressed and said it was so good. Thank you so much. I’ll be making this every Thanksgiving now.
Brought this to a harvest feast at my kids school and it was everyone’s favorite! All the kids and teachers LOVED it! I wish I had made doubled the recipe. Hands down the BEST pumpkin cheesecake recipe I’ve tried. Thank you!
This cheesecake was so creamy and rich! We all want to have it again soon for the holidays. 🙂
I love your idea of serving this with caramel sauce and flakey salt! I couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy pumpkin cheesecake!
Added it to my thanksgiving menu. Excellent recipe.
Everyone loved the pumpkin spice flavor of this cheesecake! Very helpful and really easy to follow. Perfect for any occasion, highly recommended!
What a sweet and tasty cheesecake! The combination of pumpkin spice and caramel is divine, and this will definitely have a place at our holiday table from now on. Another winning recipe from Drive Me Hungry!
This was absolutely amazing and perfect for a fall dessert. I doubled the pumpkin spice powder and sprinkled some sea salt on the caramel sauce. So YUMMY!!
This looks so glorious and tall! I love it!
I am ready for all of the pumpkin desserts!! This looks so incredibly delicious.
As someone who is obsessed with fall this was such a perfect recipe for me! Cheesecake and pumpkin? This is my new favorite dessert. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
It is Winter here in Australia, and I had some homemade pumpkin puree to use up and came across this recipe. My husband dubbed it the “best cheesecake ever”.
It was simple to prepare and had the perfect cheesecake texture I crave. I followed the recipe exactly other than the pumpkin spice – I haven’t been able to find it here, so I made my own mixture up. So good!
I love cheesecake, and adding pumpkin makes this the perfect fall dessert. I’m bookmarking this recipe for my next Thanksgiving feast.