Pumpkin Cheesecake

Classic pumpkin cheesecake is a tangy, rich alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie. With a spiced graham cracker crust and an ultra-creamy pumpkin filling, all you need is a dollop of whipped cream to finish off this indulgent Thanksgiving dessert. Make it up to 2 days in advance for even easier holiday prep!

Subscribe to My Baking Addiction!

Get updates on the latest posts and more from My Baking Addiction straight to your inbox.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

Email Consent Name

Email *

Consent *

• I consent to receiving emails.

Subscribe

I love a good pumpkin pie, whether it be a classic recipe or something less traditional like my mini pumpkin pies and pumpkin marshmallow pie. But over the years, this pumpkin cheesecake has taken the role of the most-requested Thanksgiving dessert for our family, right alongside my nana’s pumpkin roll recipe.

My family requests this cheesecake year after year, thanks to the lightly spiced crust and the unbelievably rich and creamy filling. It makes one 9-inch cheesecake, which can be cut into small slices to feed as many people as you want—at least 12!

Make this pumpkin cheesecake up to two days in advance so all you have to do before serving is slice it and top it with a dollop of whipped cream. It even freezes beautifully!

Ingredient notes

• Graham cracker crumbs: For the base of the crust. You can buy graham cracker crumbs or crush whole graham crackers. Since the filling is already gluten-free, use gluten-free graham crackers if you are serving this to someone with dietary restrictions.
• Unsalted butter: Melted, for the crust.
• Cream cheese: Make sure this has softened to room temperature for the smoothest cheesecake filling. If you forget to set your cream cheese out ahead of time, check out my post on how to soften cream cheese for some tips on how to speed up the process.
• Granulated sugar: Used in the crust and the filling.
• Brown sugar: Used in the filling. If your brown sugar has hardened in the pantry, don’t panic. I have some tips on how to soften brown sugar. You can also save yourself a trip to the store by making a simple brown sugar substitute.
• Large eggs: Let these come to room temperature if you can; using room temperature ingredients will give you a much smoother, creamier cheesecake. Learn how to bring eggs to room temperature.
• Pure pumpkin puree: This recipe uses a whole can of pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie filling—it has extra ingredients that will throw off the ratios in this recipe.
• Heavy cream: Brings the filling to the perfect consistency.
• Vanilla: You can use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Used in the crust and the filling to complement the flavor of the pumpkin. I like to use my homemade pumpkin pie spice. You can use ground cinnamon, but note that the cheesecake will lack some of the nuanced flavors that you get from the ginger, nutmeg, and other spices in the blend.

Water bath tips

Cheesecakes are often baked in a water bath. This helps cook the filling gently, allowing it to bake through more evenly and without cracking on top.

Traditional water baths are done by wrapping the outside of the springform pan with foil, then setting it into a roasting pan and pouring hot water around the cheesecake. Learn more about how to bake cheesecake in a water bath with this traditional method.

The downside of that method? It’s easy for water to leak through the foil and get into the cheesecake.

Instead, try this: Set your 9-inch springform pan into a 10-inch round cake pan. Both pans will go into a large roasting pan, with the water going outside of the 10-inch pan for the water bath.

You still get the benefits of the water bath, but without the risk of leaks.

Make ahead and storage

Pumpkin cheesecake can be made up to 2 days before serving. Keep it in the springform pan and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated until it’s time to serve, then remove the ring from the pan, slice, and enjoy.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze the cheesecake whole or sliced for up to a month:

• If you’re freezing the cheesecake whole, place the cooled cheesecake on a cardboard round and cover it tightly with plastic wrap followed by heavy-duty foil.
• For slices, place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 2-3 hours, until solid. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top freezer bag.

Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email and get it sent to your inbox!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Post Title Name

Name *

Email *

Save Recipe

Pumpkin Cheesecake

By: Jamie

4.47 from 1385 ratings

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Cooling and Chilling Time: 8 hours hrs

Total: 9 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

SaveSaved Pin Print

Add as Google trusted source

This classic Pumpkin Cheesecake is hard to beat! With a spiced graham cracker crust and a creamy pumpkin filling, all you need is a dollop of whipped cream to finish off this perfect Thanksgiving dessert.

Equipment

• KitchenAid stand mixer
• 9-inch Springform Pan
• 10-inch Cake Pan
• Roasting pan

Ingredients

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

For the Crust

• ▢ 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the Cheesecake

• ▢ 32 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature (4 [8-ounce] packages)
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
• ▢ ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Video

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”El4vqFWe” upload-date=”2022-08-03T00:00:00.000Z” name=”Pumpkin Cheesecake” description=”This classic Pumpkin Cheesecake is hard to beat! With a spiced graham cracker crust and a creamy pumpkin filling, all you need is a dollop of whipped cream to finish off this perfect Thanksgiving dessert.”]

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray (1) 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Set side.
• In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of prepared pan. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
  2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  
• Begin to boil a large pot or kettle of water for the water bath.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy; about 3 minutes.
  32 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• Add in eggs, pumpkin and heavy cream, mix until fully incorporated; scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Finally, add in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and mix until well combined.
  3 large eggs, 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  
• Pour batter into prepared crust. Place the 9-inch springform pan into a 10-inch cake pan and place both pans into a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it is halfway up the outside of the cake pan.
• Bake 60 minutes; the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. At this point, crack the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. After one hour has passed, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled, cover and place it into the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours before serving.
• If desired, top with whipped cream and/or drizzle with salted caramel sauce for serving.

Notes

Ingredients

• Use gluten-free graham crackers to make this cheesecake gluten-free.
• Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling in this recipe.

Assembly

• If you don’t have an electric mixer, the filling can be made in a large food processor.

Water bath

• If you don’t have a 10-inch cake pan, make a more traditional water bath by tightly wrapping the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty foil. Place this into the roasting pan and pour the boiling water about halfway up the outside of the springform pan. 
• If you don’t want to mess the water bath or don’t have a roasting pan, don’t worry. You can bake the cheesecake without it. If you end up with a crack, just cover it with whipped cream!

Storage

• Make up to 2 days ahead; store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Store cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month. Refer to the body of the post for more details on freezing the cheesecake whole or in slices. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 526kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 140mg, Sodium: 351mg, Potassium: 233mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 6864IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 114mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

You may also like

Cherry Cheesecake Pretzel Salad

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Other crust options

I love the spiced twist on a classic graham cracker crust for this pumpkin cheesecake recipe, but there are plenty of other ways you can go if you like.

If you love pumpkin paired with chocolate, use chocolate graham crackers or use the Oreo cookie crust from my chocolate cheesecake.

Gingersnap cookies also make a great cheesecake crust, and the flavor of the ginger always pairs well with pumpkin. Try using the crust from my caramel apple cheesecake for that variation. Biscoff or speculoos cookies add a similar spiced flavor and can be used instead of gingersnaps, too.

Frequently asked questions

More pumpkin cheesecake recipes

This classic pumpkin cheesecake is my all-time favorite, but I love the combination of mild pumpkin flavor, tangy cream cheese, and warm spices in other forms, too.

For a more portable dessert, try pumpkin cheesecake cookies, mini pumpkin cheesecakes, or pumpkin cheesecake bars.

Don’t want to turn on the oven? Make no-bake pumpkin cheesecake or no-bake pumpkin cheesecake balls instead!