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If you love pumpkin pie and cheesecake, you’re going to go crazy over this Creamy Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Recipe! Make-ahead friendly, you can pop it in the fridge then bring to room temp 20 minutes before you’re ready to serve. Perfect post-thanksgiving dinner dessert!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
If you’ve been searching for the BEST pumpkin cheesecake recipe, you’re in luck! Because you’ve found it! This easy pumpkin spice cheesecake is:
- rich and super creamy, while also light fluffy. the texture is heaven!
- loaded with real pumpkin flavor (thanks to an entire 15 oz can of pumpkin puree plus complimentary pumpkin spices!)
- make-ahead friendly AND freezer friendly (in fact, you can freeze it for up to 2 months!)
- so delicious with a dollop of freshly whipped cream on top. but salted caramel sauce is also a delicious addition!
- and the perfect Fall dessert, and always a crowd pleaser for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Fall is just beginning, and for many, that means FALL BAKING! One of my favorite ingredients to incorporate into my Fall baking is PUMPKIN! We usually stock up on it in the Summer, before it’s in demand and hard to find. I’ll grab a can or two every time I’m at the store, and before I know it… my pantry is overrun it! Last week, after discovering we had over 30 cans in our possession, I knew it was time to kick of a mini pumpkin palooza! I invited some friends over and we baked a brown butter pumpkin pie, chewy cinnamon chip pumpkin cookies, and a simple pumpkin pie cheesecake. All of the recipes turned out great! But this cheesecake?! It’s SPECTACULAR!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
I have a weakness for taking classic recipes and kind of turning them upside down… but this holiday season I wanted to finally perfect my very own recipe for a classic pumpkin pie cheesecake. I definitely had to practice some self control during the recipe testing process because it was SO tempting to pull an Ashley and add bourbon… or brown butter… or a layer of caramelized pecans (still dreaming about that twist!). But I made it through! And the results were worth every moment of temptation, frustration, and uncertainty.
This classic pumpkin pie cheesecake is silky smooth, richly spiced, and bursting with real pumpkin flavor in every dreamy bite. Hallelujah!
This gorgeous pumpkin pie cheesecake is made up of 3 parts: the graham cracker crust, the cheesecake filling, and the whipped cream. Since making a cheesecake at home can seem intimidating at first, I’m going to walk you through each step. <—— That’s what friends are for!
How to make Pumpkin Cheesecake
The first step is making the graham cracker crust! And it’s seriously simple. Ingredient wise you’ll need graham crackers, melted butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt – that’s it! You will need to pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they’re fine crumbs. Or – if you want to make things even easier – you can buy already crushed graham cracker crumbs at the store. I typically find them in the baking aisle, somewhere near the pie fillings/ ready-to-bake crusts. To assemble the crust you’ll combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, then fold in the melted butter and stir until it’s well combined. You want all of the crumbs to be moist from the butter. At this point you’re going to dump the crumb mixture into a lightly greased springform pan and press it down firmly, working from the center and slightly up the edges.
BTW! This recipe calls for a water bath.
So if you’re unfamiliar with the water bath process, read on! A water bath is simply the term bakers use when they place a baking pan (in this case, our cheesecake) into a larger pan that’s been filled with hot water. Taking this extra step helps insulate the pan from direct heat on all sides while it bakes. The water bath method helps your cheesecake bake gently, ensuring the finished product doesn’t burn, curdle, or crack. It also helps the cheesecake maintain its silky smooth texture. When it comes to choosing a pan for your water bath, choose one that is as tall as the cheesecake pan and large enough to leave a few inches between the cheesecake pan and the outer rim – you want enough room for the water to circulate easily. When you’re ready to make your water bath, here’s what you do: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to called for temperature. When the oven is preheated, carefully (using an oven mitt) pull out the middle rack and place your large pan on it, fill the pan halfway with hot water, then place the filled cheesecake pan in the center of the water bath. Slowly slide the rack back to its full inserted position, close the door, and bake the cheesecake according to instructions. If you’re using a 9-inch springform pan it’s essential to wrap the pan in heavy-duty tin foil to avoid water seeping in. I wrap my pan from every angle pressing the foil in and around to prevent a soggy crust.
OK! Time to talk about the filling. You can make it in a food processor or a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer. You’re going to need room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, pumpkin pie spices, and a spot of flour. Make sure your cream cheese is nice and soft, otherwise when you try to beat the cream cheese it’ll clump up. Also add those eggs one at a time, and don’t over beat.
The whipped cream is a simple and straightforward method that calls for heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and a dash of vanilla. You’re also going to need either a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer. You’ll beat heavy cream and sugar until stiff, then add in the vanilla and beat a few more seconds.
Rich spices, smooth pumpkin, and decadent cream cheese combined in just the right way. This dessert is bursting with simple, decadent flavor. That, my friends, is what makes this classic pumpkin pie cheesecake the best around. Bonus: You can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipes
I hope you bake this cheesecake and savor each silky smooth bite. It’s pure perfection on a crisp Fall day.
Classic Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese very soft
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream at room temperature
- 3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks at room temperatue
- 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 1/2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick baking spray. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with heavy duty extra wide aluminum foil. I recommend doing several diligent layers here to ensure no water creeps through when you place the pan in the water bath. Set the pan aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix well.
- Press the crust into the prepared pan, pressing the crust down firmly and slightly up the sides. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place partially baked crust on a cooling rack and set aside while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven to 325 degrees (F).
Make the filling:
- In a very large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream until completely smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add in the eggs, egg yolks, pumpkin puree, sugars, and spices, and beat on low speed until just combined. Don’t over mix here or the batter will rise and fall in the oven! Add flour and vanilla and beat on low for another 30 seconds, or until flour has completely disappeared into the batter. Don't over mix!
- Pour the filling into the crust, and spread evenly, smoothing the top. Place the springform pan into a large baking pan (with high sides) and fill the pan with 3 inches of hot water; this is your water bath.
- Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking for another 55 minutes. Then turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit, undisturbed, for 45 minutes, inside the oven with the door shut. The cheesecake should still be slightly wiggly.
- Remove cheesecake from the oven, and run a knife very gently around the edge of the cake. Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack and cool completely, then loosely cover the pan with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- In a large chilled bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed, adding in the confectioners’ sugar a tablespoon at a time, until medium stiff peaks form. Add in the vanilla and beat for another minute or so. Swirl or dollops on top of cheesecake slices right before serving.
Your photography skills are amazing. I come to your site all the time. I think you put a lot of attention to detail. Thx
Thank you so much, Iram. Your sweet comment just made my night 🙂 xoxo
What a gorgeous cheesecake! I bet this would be perfect with a big mug of hot coffee. It’s the ideal dessert for fall!
This looks delicious! I’m going to attempt it for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing.
Yay! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out 🙂
Im attempting to make this for Thanksgiving!!!
Yay! Good luck! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
This cheesecake is amazing. Thank you for sharing this with us. Remember to wrap your pan in HEAVY DUTY FOIL. She emphasizes do so. I didn’t listen, used normal foil, didn’t wrap the pan very well, and my crust got water on the edges. Please wrap the pan well. Thanks again. My family is in lobe with this cheesecake.
Hi Sean! So happy you loved this pumpkin cheesecake as much as we do 🙂 Happy holidays!
A little trick I’ve learned for cheesecakes is to wrap the spring form pan in 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, ensuring you do not go above the level of the pan, AND wrap a crockpot liner around the foil. This ensures that NO WATER gets in. I have a perfect cheesecake every time. Just place the foiled spring form pan inside an open liner, scootch it all the way back, grab the excess in front, twist it while pulling up, and then tuck it in on itself. Then you can place the whole thing in your water bath and poof! Perfect cheesecake.
Instead of wrapping the pan with the foil, can you put the water bath a rack below the cheesecake?
Yes, but it’s not a sure thing it won’t crack a little this way.
Ive been doing it that way as I had some leakage with the water bath, even though I thought I’d wrapped it well. Putting the water bath on the rack below has worked great for me, twice now. I just made this pumpkin cheesecake and it was fabulous! Baker By Nature is the only place I’m coming for cheesecake recipes! Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Question about the water bath technique: I wrapped my spring form pan with 2 layers of heavy duty foil all the way to the top, no tears or piercings. But when I took off the foil after baking, water stil came out!! I am thinking it got in there from the steam in the oven. Was I suppose to wrap the foil over the top edge of the pan and into the inside a bit to prevent this? But the cake rises to the top, and it might touch the foil if I fold it over like that? I’m making 1 more for the holidays….What to do?
The key to a good water bath is to use the xtra long roll of tin foil.. therefore there are no seams
I put my 9” spring pan in a 12” silicone pan no tin foil because I’ve had same problem also just tried a pan of water on below rack
It is in the oven fingers crossed the co workers love it I had a good time making it
How did go? Eager to hear.
The whole water bath thing was intimidating until my daughter asked me to make 10 cheesecakes (without cracks) for her wedding. No pressure! I did some research and now use a tall sided cake pan just big enough to hold the springform pan. The springform pan sits in the cake pan and the cake pan sits right in the roasting pan that I use for the water bath. It works perfectly and now I make a lot more cheesecakes because I don’t have to wrap the bottom of the springform pan!
yummm! I need to try this recipe,
What is the temperature for the oven when baking it?
Greetings from Spain.
A tip I learned is you wrap the spring form pan in a slow cooker plastic bag!! Then, you wrap in foil. I have made several cheesecakes this way and no leaks. Trying this recipe for Thanksgiving!
Great tip!!
That’s a great tip! Thx for posting it.
Can I substitute the flour for something else (cornstarch) or omit it? Trying to keep it gluten free.
I just finished making this. I cannot wait to enjoy tomorrow for thanksgiving! So creamy and no cracks, yay!
If using pre-made graham cracker crumbs, what is the correct measurement to use?
I baked this yesterday and removed the side of the springform pan. I have a round Tupperware container so I put the cheesecake in that to store. I just checked it this morning and I have cracks. Should I have wrapped the whole cheesecake in plastic wrap to avoid this?
What temperature did you bake at?
Hola! I writing from El Salvador and i like everything you bake, but sometimes is a little hard are your side so i have a question, how can i make a punkin pure? This not a regular vegetable on our diet so, i seem it but i don’t how to cook!?!?
And sorry for my spanglish
Hi Karla. I don’t have a recipe for pumpkin puree, so I would suggest doing a google search and choosing one with good reviews!
What temperature?
I am obsessed with this cheesecake but wanted to know if I were to turn them into the cupcake size cheesecakes like some of your other cupcake size cheesecakes what would the temperature and the time difference be in the oven?? 🙂
I absolutely love this cheesecake. I make it very, very frequently and everyone I’ve ever made it for has also loved it. However, in recent times I’ve become extremely lactose intolerant. I was wondering, is it possible to make this with lactose-free cream cheese & lactose-free sour cream? Is there anything about the recipe I should tweak to make up for the lack of lactose?
I have made a couple of your recipes with much success. Do you know if I can make these into mini pumpkin pie cheesecakes instead? If so what should the temperature of the oven be and how long do I bake them?
if i want to making it sunday, 4 days before thanksgiving, how do i go about freezing it?
Yum, yum! Made this for Thanksgiving and it was perfect. Even my husband, who is very picky said it was delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. God bless!
I want to sub the sour cream w/ either heavy cream, cream cheese, or a combo of both.
Your advice?
Hi Tony. I wouldn’t recommend either. If you can’t find/don’t want to use sour cream, my suggestion would be a full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
Well, the cheesecake came out of the oven looking perfect. But when I went to take the foil off. Water had got in. I had several layers. So going to have a soggy bottom, Next time will use a Turkey bag or a separate tin of water.
Can you substitute the pumpkin puree with sweet potato puree?
You indicate that it can be frozen. What is the process for doing this. Leave it in the pan or what. Thanks.
You advise that this can be frozen. What is the process? Leave in pan or take it out? How long to bring it back to room temp to eat?