Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin cheesecake is a rich, decadent dessert that most definitely deserves a place on the table alongside its close holiday dessert cousins apple pie and pumpkin pie.

 

Why Is This Different?

• This creamy cheesecake uses a gingersnap crust instead of a graham cracker crust. Just slightly more pizazz in the crunchies.
• Although the original jumping-off point recipe was done in a slow cooker, I realized that virtually no one has a slow cooker that accommodates a 9-inch springform pan, so I adapted it for a good old oven recipe.
• Instead of grabbing a can of whipped cream (totally acceptable!) I made a homemade whipped cream blended with pumpkin pie spice. I love the little flecks, but it is just another element providing holiday cheer.
• You know I have a love affair with salted caramel, so of course I drizzled the whole cheesecake with my homemade caramel sauce. Also, feel free to use a bourbon sauce or even caramel praline.

Ingredients

All of these simple ingredients come together to make the most delicious fall-flavored cheesecake.

• Gingersnap Cookies- These are thin, crispy cookies made with ginger and candied ginger. Very similar to the flavor of molasses cookies, but instead of being soft, they are crispy. Save yourself a tiny bit of time and grab a package at the store. Graham crackers are more traditional and be swapped, as can nearly any crispy cookie or sweet cracker.
• Unsalted Butter– Using unsalted allows you to control the saltiness. Differing brands also contain a wide range of salt that can intentionally dry out your baked goods. Aim for high-quality butter too. Many lower-quality store brands have more water and less dairy, which can impact the richness of your final product.
• Fine Sea Salt- You heard right- not coarse kosher salt, LOL. For the crust, I needed something that would dissolve fast and evenly distribute. Make sure it isn’t table salt which can leave a metallic aftertaste.
• Cream Cheese- This isn’t the time to make a light cheesecake — grab the full-fat version and call it a creamy, rich, and delightful day.
• Light brown sugar– You can also use dark brown sugar, which just adds a tad more molasses, a complementary taste to the other natural flavors in this homemade cheesecake recipe.
• Pumpkin Puree– I will not fault you if you grab a can, but try to make your own puree at least once in your life using a pie pumpkin (they are sweeter and have more pumpkin flavor). Pay attention to the can and don’t get pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened.
• Pure Vanilla Extract– For flavor! Another ingredient that begs for good quality; avoid imitation vanilla. If you happen to have vanilla bean paste, swap it for that.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice– I’m sure you have a jar in the pantry… but how old is it? Ground spices like these tend to start losing potency at around 6 months after being opened. Do a taste test to see if yours has any flavor left at all. If not, chances are you have all the ingredients to make a new homemade batch. Apple pie spice is only slightly different and can also work.
• Eggs- Always assume recipes call for large eggs and don’t swap them out for extra large. Even that small difference can make or break a baked good. Remember, baking is chemistry.
• Heavy cream & Powdered Sugar– Both are used for making homemade whipped cream. If you want to skip this part, grab a package of real whipped cream and gently fold it with pumpkin spice or apple pie spice.
• Garnish– Lots of options for garnishing this amazing pumpkin cheesecake. Also, consider chocolate shavings or salted pepitas (small green pumpkin seeds).

Variations

We love this cheesecake just the way it is, but there are some ways to switch it up, too.

• Spices – Use your own blend of spices for the cheesecake. Ground ginger, ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg are all great choices.
• Chocolate – Add some chocolatey flavor by folding mini chocolate chips into the batter for the filling.
• Graham Crackers – Substitute graham cracker crumbs for the gingersnaps.

How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake

If this is your first time, take a deep breath, maybe pour a glass of wine, and read all of the instructions at least once before starting. Also, know that it is hard to get a crack-free cheesecake — small cracks are fine and the cake will still be delicious, creamy, and smooth. A small crack can be covered up with garnish.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Crust

1. Prep the pan. Preheat the oven line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and then coat with cooking spray. This will make it super easy to get out of the pan for serving.
2. Make the crumbs. Place the cookies into a food processor and give them a few blitzes or put them in an airtight plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin until they are fine crumbs.
3. Make the crust. Using a medium bowl, mix the gingersnap crumbs, salt, and melted butter until everything is moist. Then press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan, pressing down hard with the back of a spoon. No need to bring it up the sides, just focus on the bottom.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Bake, then remove and reduce the oven temperature to prep for the cheesecake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

1. Cream the cream cheese. Beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy in a large bowl. This takes a few minutes but will prevent you from having little specks of unblended cream cheese in the cake. Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer is the best way to achieve this. If you don’t have one, use a handheld electric mixer.
2. Add other ingredients to the cream cheese. On a low speed, add the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice and mix until fully combined and smooth.
3. Incorporate eggs. Lastly, add the eggs, one at a time until fully combined and smooth, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
4. Transfer the filling. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cooked crust. Tap the whole pan on the countertop to pull out any tiny air bubbles. Set aside and prepare a water bath.
5. Put the pan in a water bath. Some springform pans aren’t as snug as others, to make sure that no water leaks into the cake, you can wrap the bottom in aluminum foil. Place the springform pan into a large casserole dish or the bottom of a broiler pan. Around the springform pan, fill 1/2 way with water. Cooking in a water bath will keep your cheesecake smooth, and allow you to bake flat because the water keeps an even temperature. The moisture and steam will prevent cracking.
6. Bake. Bake the cheesecake for 45-60 minutes, or until the center has set and the edges are light brown. If the edges start to brown before the center is set (not jiggly), loosely cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil. When the center is set. Turn off the oven and slightly crack the oven door to allow the temperature to reduce slowly for 30 minutes. Slowly reducing the temperature of the cake is yet another way to prevent cracking.
7. Cool. Remove and allow to fully cool on a wire rack so air can circulate all the way around the pan. When it is fully cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the pan) for a minimum of 12 hours, but preferably overnight.
8. Prepare for serving and storage. Carefully remove from the springform pan and remove the parchment paper from the sides of the pan. Depending on the pan, you might need to keep it on the metal pan base.

Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream

1. Whip the cream. Prepare the whipped cream by whipping cold, heavy whipping cream until it becomes thick and will stand on its own. Whip in the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Serve. When ready to serve, top each piece with a generous helping of pumpkin pie spiced whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce and other toppings, if desired.

Water Bath for Cheesecake

The biggest threat to cheesecake is cracking and there are two things you can do to prevent this from happening (although even the most skilled bakers sometimes end up with cracks!). It is using the water bath method.

A water bath, also known as a bain marie, is a French technique that uses a pan of hot water that surrounds the cake offering an even distribution of heat and moisture in the air. This method not only helps the cheesecake not crack on top, but also ensures the cheesecake will come out smooth and creamy because of the humid environment.

But you also need to make sure you don’t shock the cake when removing it from its cozy little environment. Turn off the oven and leave the door cracked so it can come down in temperature and humidity slowly and at a natural pace.

Delicious cheesecake is still possible without a water bath!

How to Serve Pumpkin Cheesecake

Keep the cheesecake in the fridge until it is time to serve. Cheesecakes can be a bit tricky to get nice, clean cuts, but it can be done!

1. Chilled cheesecake. Keep the cake cold until you are ready to serve.
2. Dip a sharp knife into hot water. Fill a tall container, like a pint glass with hot tap water, and dip the knife’s blade in hot water.
3. Cut the cheesecake from the edge. Make your first cut in the cheesecake, cutting from the border to the center of the cheesecake in one rocking motion. You might need a little pressure to get through the crust.
4. Clean the knife. Wipe the blade of your knife with a clean towel between each cut and then repeat the process of dipping the blade in hot water.

Decorate your slices with whipped cream, caramel sauce, candied nuts, chocolate shavings, or pepitas. Some folks even like a dollop of sour cream or vanilla Greek yogurt for tang.

Storage 

Since this dessert contains dairy, be sure to keep it refrigerated or frozen when it’s not being served.

Make Ahead

By definition, this cheesecake needs to be made ahead so it has time to chill. It can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. If it isn’t fully cooled before being chilled, it might develop condensation on the top of the covering, so make sure it is fully room temp before covering.

Refrigerator

The whole cake or individual slices can be stored in the refrigerator either covered or in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freezer

Cheesecakes are excellent candidates for freezing. If freezing the whole cake, place it in the freezer in the pan and wait until it is fully frozen before removing it. Then wrap it well in freezer paper or aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw, remove from the wrapping and allow to thaw in the fridge, covered. When defrosted, cover and store until ready to use.

More Thanksgiving Desserts

I love a good dessert, but baking isn’t what I enjoy the most. Rest assured that all of these are EASY Thanksgiving desserts!