Baker by Nature

A Baking Blog by Ashley Manila

Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream - we make this every Fall!!! So amazing. This cheesecake was born 100% out of my love and longing for rich, creamy, pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin pie is one of those foods that just makes me so happy. Are you with me on this? I feel like pumpkin pie is just essential Fall food. And it’s one that we should all try falling in love with at least once a year.

Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream - we make this every Fall!!! So amazing. I started dreaming up some crazy pumpkin pie recipes last week, but by the time I hit the grocery store this weekend my brain had zoomed in and locked down on the idea of a pumpkin cheesecake. And of course, not just any pumpkin cheesecake! But one with a brown butter graham cracker crust! One made extra creamy by the addition of fresh, homemade ricotta cheese. One that gets topped with grand marnier whipped cream! And lemme tell ya, the grand marnier whip is not to be missed! That stuff is da-da-daaaaaangerous!

Cheesecake is one of those things that is always a little nerve wracking, but this recipe is actually very simple – most of it comes together in your blender(awesome!!!) – and totally pays off! I highly suggest sticking to the recipe – or at least very, very close to it –  if this is your first rodeo with cheesecake, since playing around with ingredients/ratios really can make or break things with this one. And nobody wants a broken cheesecake!

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Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream - we make this every Fall!!! So amazing. Look at that slice! I wish you could take a bite right now. Mainly because I want you to taste how creamy and rich and not-too-sweet but wonderfully pumpkin-y each bite is, but also because I need some help eating this thang! A girl can only eat so many pieces before… eating more pieces? That’s the logic I’m sticking with until reinforcements get here!

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Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream - we make this every Fall!!! So amazing.

First ones to Brooklyn get dibs on the last 3 slices 😉

See you guys tomorrow for the LAST day of pumpkin week! Bring your spoons (hint hint!).

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Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

Prep

Cook

Total

Rich and creamy Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake made with a Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream!

Ingredients

  • For the Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake Filling:
  • (2) 8 oz packages of cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
  • (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
  • 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • For the Brown Butter Graham Cracker Crust:
  • 2 cups graham crackers, pulsed into crumbs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 7 tablespoons butter, browned
  • For the Grand Marnier Whipped Cream:
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar (plus more if a sweeter cream is desired)
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons grand marnier
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
  2. Make the crust:
  3. In the body of a blender combine graham crackers, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and sugar. pulse until the crackers have been completely pulsed to crumbs. Add melted browned butter; stir well to combine. Press down into a 9-inch springform pan, pressing the crust down firmly and up the sides. Wrap the pan VERY well in layers of tin foil; set aside.
  4. Make the filling:
  5. Beat cream cheese and ricotta in a blender until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sugars and spices, pulse until well combined. Add flour and vanilla and pulse for another 30 seconds, or until flour has completely disappeared into the batter. Don't over mix! Pour filling into crust, and spread evenly. Place the springform pan in a large baking pan (with high sides) and fill the pan halfway with hot water; this is your water bath. Place the cheesecake in the oven and cook cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn oven off and let the cheesecake sit for 45 minutes inside the oven with the door shut. The cheesecake should be still slightly wiggly. Remove cake from oven, run a knife very gently around the edge of the cake, and let it sit in the pan for 15 more minutes before covering loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerating for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, top with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy!
  6. Make the Whipped Cream:
  7. Place the cream in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on high until stiff peaks begin to form. Add sugar, grand marnier, orange zest, and vanilla, and beat for another 2 minutes. Dollop on top of cheesecake slices, or place in the refrigerator until needed. Keeps for 48 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Slice of Cheesecake

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Ashley, this look ah-mazing from top to bottom! I love the sound of it all, and I’m with you on the love for pumpkin pie. I can’t wait for my first slice — I wish it was this!

    Reply

  9. HOLY CRAP!! I do not even love cheesecake and this is calling my name! The brown butter crust, the ricotta and the Grand Marnier whipped cream!! It all just screams amazing!! LOVE this!

    Reply

  15. Are. you. kidding. me?!!! This thing is perfect!! I’ve never used ricotta in a cheesecake and now I’m anxious to try it out. This looks amazing. Grand marnier whipped cream? BEST use for GM ever!!

    Reply

  16. I’m so glad to have found your blog this morning through Kristen at Dine and Dish. What a generous gesture for her to feature bloggers on her Facebook page. And what a delicious sounding cheesecake! It’s definitely on my must-make list.

    Reply

  19. OMG I share the same love for rich, creamy, pumpkin pie!!! This looks beyond amazing, Ashley! I’d do anything if I can even get a bite of this. I’ll be thinking about this all day, seriously.

    Reply

  23. I was wondering how much moisture you leave in your ricotta for this cheesecake recipe. I do make homemade ricotta, and there can be quite a lot of whey left in the cheese for a wet ricotta or very little for a dry one. I don’t want the cheesecake to be a flop.

    Reply

    • Hi there! I used the ricotta I linked to in the post, which is a whole milk homemade version. It certainly isn’t overly wet, but also not at all dry; you could perhaps use the photos in the post as a reference? I suppose I would lean toward a drier ricotta – or one resembling the same amount of moisture found in a store bought container. Please let me know if you have more questions, and good luck! xo Ashley

      Reply

  24. That truly is a beautiful slice of cheesecake. I have to admit, I’m not a huge lover of pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake, but because it’s such a big Fall tradition, and because I adore Fall SO much, I always eat at least one slice of the stuff at Thanksgiving. However, with the addition of a brown butter graham crust and grand marnier whipped cream, I might be changing my tune! Oh how I wish I could make it to Brooklyn!

    Reply

  25. Ashley, LOVE that you used part ricotta and part cream cheese in your version of pumpkin cheesecake! I admire how you put your Italian twist into all you do. Grand Marnier makes everything better, doesn’t it? Beautiful photography, too. Love that first shot. It sold me! Thanks for sharing, girl. Pinning!

    Reply

  28. Looking forward to making this and I want to get it right right down to the presentation. Would you tell me what is drizzled on the plate? Thanks!

    Reply

  29. Would it be ok to mix the pumpkin cheesecake in a 12 cup Food Processor instead of a blender? Can’t wait to make this looks so YUMMY!!!! an I love cheesecake and pumpkin whats not to love

    Reply

  30. Do you think that there could be a gluten free version of this? Do you think Almond flour could be substituted instead of regular flour and the graham crackers? We have some gluten intolerant people in our household.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Caylie! I think just leaving the flour out of the batter, or substituting it with a GF all-purpose flour would work. As for the crust, I think hunting down some GF graham crackers may do the job? Let me know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply

  31. Looks delicious! I’m planning on making it for Thanksgiving, but…we’ll be traveling across the state. Would it keep in a cooler with ice for, say, 3 hours in a car? Or should I just make it when I get to my destination…in your opinion?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Sarah! I would definitely recommend making if once you’ve reached your destination. Cheesecakes are so temperamental as it is, you don’t want to take any chances 😉 happy baking!

      Reply

  33. No Grand Marnier when I made it, but Amaretto worked very nicely. As I had used half almond meal with the graham crackers, the flavors were very complimentary.

    The cheese cake came out so light and fluffy! It was fantastic. But I had to cook it quite a bit longer than the recipe. Had to have a trial run which I did a couple weeks ago. Definite go for Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  34. 1. You should tell people to use room temp ingredients
    2. It does not work blending cream chz and ricotta alone in a blender, it should be a mixer
    3. You ALWAYS need a water bath with cheesecake

    Reply

    • Hi! Thank you for your input. However I did in fact bake this cheesecake with no water bath and it turned out perfectly. Also, the ricotta and cream cheese came together in my blender just fine.

      Have a great week!

      Reply

  35. I have made this cheesecake twice and each time the middle was still liquid after the recommended cook time. Do you have any recommendations as to what I may be doing incorrectly or a new cook time? I’m not the best at guessing on time and I think I’ve over-cooked it both times (although it was still DELICIOUS!!).

    Reply

    • Hi Sarah! Do you let the cheesecake stand in the hot oven with the door closed for the instructed time? I would add no more than 30 minutes of baking time. The cheesecake will be wiggly in the middle, but after the cooling (at least 4 hours in the fridge) it will firm up but remain creamy. Since every oven is different, I can’t say for sure that will work, but I think it will. Add the 30 minutes and let me know how it comes out 🙂 happy thanksgiving!

      Reply

  37. made this for thanksgiving and everyone loved it! It made so much that i was able to split it in two pie crust. I bought the pre-made pie crust and they worked out great! will make again next year!

    Reply

  39. Hi!

    Just want to confirm the tin foil wrapping is for the exterior of the spring form pan to protect against the water bath?

    Thanks!

    Reply

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