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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust and Caramel Sauce

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This pumpkin cheesecake is the ultimate sweet ending to your Thanksgiving feast — and no one will miss the pumpkin pie.

Slice of pumpkin cheesecake dripping with caramel sauce.

Pumpkin pie is always expected at Thanksgiving, but pumpkin cheesecake is just as festive and, honestly, so much more delicious. I promise no one will miss the pie! Instead of the traditional cheesecake graham cracker crust, I use a gingersnap crust to echo the spices in the filling and bring out the pumpkin flavor. I also borrow a genius technique from Rose Levy Beranbaum to cook down the pumpkin purée to intensify the flavor. The homemade caramel sauce comes from Cook’s Illustrated. It’s optional but 100% worth making, and you’ll be happy to know that it takes less than 10 minutes in the microwave.

Making cheesecake is not hard—there are very few ingredients—but it can be a little intimidating because cheesecakes need to baked in a water bath so they cook evenly and don’t crack. This seems fussy but it’s really not a big deal; all you do is set the cake pan in another larger pan and fill the larger pan with water. I walk you through the whole process below. Let’s get started!

What you’ll need to make pumpkin cheesecake

Cheesecake ingredients including pumpkin puree, ginger snaps, and cream cheese.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by wrapping a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with a double layer of aluminum foil. It’s important to use heavy-duty foil because it comes in wider sheets and does a better job of preventing water from seeping into the pan. (If you’d like to try another technique that doesn’t require wrapping the pan in foil, get more guidance here.) Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Springform pan wrapped in aluminum foil.

Next, make the crust: combine the gingersnaps, sugar, and melted butter in a food processor.

Food processor full of ginger snaps and sugar. Pulse until the crumbs are fine.

Ginger snap crumbs in a food processor.

Transfer the crumbs to the prepared pan. Press the crumbs into an even layer, then bake for 15 minutes.

 

Foil-wrapped pan with a ginger snap crust.

Set the crust aside to cool, and move on to the filling. Combine the pumpkin, sugar and spices in a medium saucepan.

Pumpkin, sugar, and spices in a pan. Stir over medium heat until shiny, bronze, and thickened. This step, borrowed from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe, both intensifies the pumpkin flavor and dries the pumpkin out.

Wooden spoon mixing filling ingredients in a pan.

Next, transfer the pumpkin mixture to a food processor and run for one minute to smooth and cool the mixture.

Pumpkin mixture in a food processor.

With the motor running, add the cold heavy cream. The mixture will look like this.

Burnt orange mixture in a food processor.

Add the cream cheese in large chunks.

Chunks of cream cheese in a food processor.

Process until smooth.

Light orange mixture in a food processor.

Finally, add the eggs.

Eggs on a light orange mixture in a food processor.Pulse until just combined. It’s important not to over-mix — if you incorporate too much air into the filling, it will rise and crack or fall when it bakes.

Light orange mixture in a food processor.

Set the cake pan in a large roasting pan, then pour the filling into the cooled crust.

Light pumpkin mixture in a foil-wrapped pan set in a roasting pan.

Next, pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the side of the springform pan.

Foil-wrapped pan in a roasting pan with water.

Bake in a 325°F-oven until just set, about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. A properly cooked cheesecake will jiggle a bit when you nudge the pan, but if the center still seems liquidy, it’s not done.

Pumpkin cheesecake in a foil-wrapped pan.

Let the cheesecake cool in the water bath, then leave it out on a rack to cool completely. Finally, cover and refrigerate until chilled — at least four hours or overnight. On that note, it’s a good idea to bake this cake a day ahead of time or early in the morning on the day you plan to serve it.

Pumpkin cheesecake on an elevated glass dish.

For the homemade caramel sauce — which is optional yet oh so good — I recommend a very simple recipe from Cooks Illustrated, which takes less than 10 minutes to make in the microwave and requires no fancy equipment or candy thermometers.

Begin by combining the sugar with the corn syrup, water and lemon juice in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Be sure it holds at least 2 cups of liquid so the mixture doesn’t boil over.

Spoon in a measuring cup with a sugar mixture.

Microwave the mixture for 4-8 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow in color. Check it frequently after four minutes; if it gets too dark, the caramel sauce will burn. It should look like this.

Pale yellow mixture in a measuring cup.

Let the caramel sit undisturbed for about five minutes and it will gradually darken to a rich amber color.

Amber mixture in a measuring cup.

At this point, stir in the hot heavy cream little by little. It will bubble up vigorously but shouldn’t overflow.

Spoon in a measuring cup with heavy cream.

Finally, stir in the butter.

Butter melting into a measuring cup with amber liquid.

When you’re ready to serve the cheesecake, warm up the caramel sauce (it stiffens as it sits) and thin it with more heavy cream if necessary. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the each piece of cheesecake and top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon if desired. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Slice of pumpkin cheesecake topped with caramel.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust and Caramel Sauce

This pumpkin cheesecake is the ultimate sweet ending to your Thanksgiving feast — and no one will miss the pumpkin pie.

Servings: Makes one 9- or 10-inch cake, serving 12
Total Time: 2 Hours

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 7½ ounces gingersnaps (or 1½ cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling

  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin (such as Libby's)
  • 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream, cold
  • 1½ pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • Special equipment: 9- or 10-inch springform pan; 18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil

For the Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ⅛ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup heavy cream, plus more if necessary
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

For the Crust

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees and set a rack in the lower middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pulse the gingersnaps, sugar, and melted butter in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until finely ground. Transfer the moistened crumbs into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake until fragrant and set, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.

For the Filling

  1. Set a kettle of water to boil (this will be used for the water bath). In a small, heavy saucepan, stir together the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a sputter, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, until thick, bronzed and shiny. Scrape the mixture into a large food processor fitted with the metal blade and process for 1 minute with the feed tube open.
  2. With the motor running, add the cold cream. Add the cream cheese (cut into chunks) and process for about 30 seconds, scraping the sides if necessary, or until smoothly incorporated. Add the eggs and process for about 5 seconds or just until incorporated (do not overmix!).
  3. Set the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter into the cooled crust, and then pour enough boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about halfway up side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1½ to 1¾ hours. A properly cooked cheesecake will jiggle a bit when you nudge the pan, but if the center seems at all liquidy, it's not done. CAREFULLY remove the roasting pan from the oven and set on a wire rack. Run a sharp paring knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Cool until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard the foil and set on a wire rack. Continue to cool at room temperature until barely warm, about 3 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

For the Caramel Sauce

  1. Stir the sugar, corn syrup, water and lemon juice together in a 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup or medium glass bowl. Microwave until the caramel is pale yellow, or just barely starting to take on some color, 4-8 minutes (depending on the strength of your microwave). It's fine to stop and open the microwave to check often; just don't let it get too dark or it will burn. Let the caramel sit for 5 minutes -- it will gradually turn a rich amber color. (If after five minutes, it's not dark enough, place it back in the microwave for thirty seconds or so, then let it darken again. If it gets too dark, start over.)
  2. In the meantime, heat the cream in the microwave until hot. Once the caramel reaches the right color, immediately stir in the hot cream a few tablespoons at a time. It will bubble up intensely, but it won't overflow. After you've added all the cream, stir to incorporate then add the butter. Add more cream if the mixture seems too thick. Once the caramel cools, you can store it in your fridge.

For Serving

  1. Remove the outer ring from the springform pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide the cheesecake onto a serving platter. (Alternatively, you can keep it on the pan bottom.) If there is condensation on the top of the cheesecake, blot it gently with a flat paper towel. Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then cut it into wedges. Warm up the caramel sauce in the microwave (it stiffens in the fridge). If it's too thick, add more heavy cream to thin it out. Drizzle the caramel sauce over each piece of cheesecake and top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream if desired.
  2. Note: You'll need a large food processor -- preferably with a 14-cup capacity -- to make the filling (you can also use an 11-cup, but you may have a bit of leakage). If you don't have one, it's fine to use a Kitchenaid Mixer or electric beaters for the filling and a small food processor for the crust.
  3. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze: place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (12 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 643
  • Fat: 40g
  • Saturated fat: 23g
  • Carbohydrates: 66g
  • Sugar: 54g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 8g
  • Sodium: 397mg
  • Cholesterol: 196mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Bye-bye pumpkin pie!
    This is one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever made. With the exception of using 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice instead of the varied spices, I made this exactly as written. It’s a bit of work (I made the crust the night before) but it was well worth the effort. My first attempt at using a water bath, too.
    Thanks as always for making us all look so good in the kitchen, Jenn.

    • — John M. on March 11, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hey, I made this and it was incredible! Do you think this would work as cheesecake bars like your lemon cheesecake bars? If so, how long to bake? Any other adjustments to the recipe? Thanks!

    • — Laurie I on January 8, 2024
    • Reply
    • Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I think it would work in bar form. I’d follow the baking instructions for the cheesecake bars, using foil and pressing the crust up the sides. The cook time/temp should be the same as the cheesecake bars. Please LMK how they come out if you try it!

      • — Jenn on January 9, 2024
      • Reply
  • Hey Jenn! If I don’t have a food processor can I use my kitchenaid stand mixer?

    • — Marc Paul on December 24, 2023
    • Reply
    • Yep 🙂

      • — Jenn on December 26, 2023
      • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious. I cut the recipe in half and made 4 mini cheesecakes with 4 inch pans. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as written. Wow! This was my very first cheesecake and it was perfect. Smooth and consistent from center to edge. Thank you sooooo much. My confidence is at a 100! I’m going to try your New York cheesecake next.

    • — Laikeshia Abrams on November 21, 2023
    • Reply
  • I’m excited to try this Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving but would prefer not to use the water bath. I don’t have access to the Cooks Illustrated article you mentioned.. Is it possible to just put a pan of hot water on the lowest shelf of the oven? P.S. I made your Brussels sprouts with Balsamic and Honey and they were delicious! Thank you, Barbara

    • — Barbara Waldorf on November 21, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Barbara, Unfortunately, that won’t quite do the trick. You can bake without a water bath but the cheesecake will likely crack — you can always cover with whipped cream and no one will be the wiser!

      • — Jenn on November 21, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn
    Is the timing and temperature in this recipe for conventional or convection oven?
    I normally bake in convection but have often wondered for many of your recipes if you do as well.
    Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

    • — Jan on November 19, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Jan, I always develop and publish my recipes using the regular setting on my oven (because many people don’t have convection settings on their ovens). Happy Thanksgiving!

      • — Jenn on November 20, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jen! We’ve made this every year and I love it as our family Thanksgiving dessert. This year I want to try individual cheesecakes because we won’t have many of us in the house. Any ideas for doing smaller ones or individual ones? Thanks so much!

    • — Elise on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
    • Glad you like it! I think these would work as minis if you make them in a muffin tin. Just keep in mind that they will be more challenging to remove from the tin.

      • — Jenn on November 20, 2023
      • Reply
  • I have never baked a cheesecake so I have been reading recipes. Thank you for stating how much water to put in the water bath pan, yours is the only one that has given that information.
    I really like the idea of the Ginger Snap crust.

    • — Elizabeth Stockwell on November 17, 2023
    • Reply
  • I have made this delicious recipe before, thanks to your inspiring website & wonderful instructions. This year we have to travel for Thanksgiving & when we arrive at our destination it will be 3 days before the holiday. I am cooking many items ahead of time to bring to the feast so that I can enjoy free time with family. I want to make as many recipes as possible beforehand.
    I plan to make & bake the Pumpkin Cheesecake crust ahead of time, & also prepare the caramel sauce ahead. I’m hoping to blend & refrigerate all the cheesecake ingredients (minus the eggs), bringing them in a refrigerated container to keep until Thanksgiving morning when I will add the eggs, mix it all together & pour the mixture into the spring-form pan to bake. Is this a workable plan? I truly appreciate your advice. Thank you very much!

    • — Toni on November 16, 2023
    • Reply
    • So glad you like the recipes! ❣️ I think what you’re planning for the cheesecake will work. Happy Thanksgiving!

      • — Jenn on November 17, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn. I’m planning to make this for Thanksgiving dinner this year but wanted to get your input on the sauce. If I were to add salt to the caramel, how much would you suggest (if at all)? I thought it would be a nice complement, as we love salted caramel but didn’t want to overwhelm it. Thanks in advance and happy holidays to you and yours!

    • — Candice on November 15, 2023
    • Reply
    • I think it will work and I’d add just a pinch. Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!

      • — Jenn on November 17, 2023
      • Reply
  • I don’t know when this recipe was published, but it feels like it’s been on my list to make for at least two fall seasons. I finally made it yesterday. It is excellent. I am disappointed I waited so long to make it. Don’t make my mistake. Make the cake.

    • — LL on November 5, 2023
    • Reply
  • If freezing it, do you refrigerate it overnight before freezing?

    • — Susan on October 25, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Susan, I wouldn’t make it any less than 4 hours, but it doesn’t have to be overnight. It just needs to be completely cool before freezing.

      • — Jenn on October 26, 2023
      • Reply
    • Hi Jen, can I sub in half & half for heavy cream in the filling? (My spouse is lactose free, and I can find lactose free cream cheese and half & half, but not heavy cream.) Thanks!

      • — Stephanie on November 12, 2023
      • Reply
      • Hi Stephanie, Cheesecake is pretty finicky and I haven’t tried it before so I can’t say for sure, but I think it should work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

        • — Jenn on November 14, 2023
        • Reply
  • It’s the best pumpkin cheesecake – or pumpkin Anything – we have ever tasted. And I’m a terrible baker.

    • — Angela on October 20, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn, I made the cheese cake for Canadian Thanksgiving after visiting a pumpkin patch and getting a sweet baking pumpkin.
    It was Fantastic! (I Thought about trying cupcakes but went for the impressive looking cake)
    I was nervous about the water bath and although I wrapped my cake, a bit of water got in.
    ( I think the water was too high up the sides) I read your reviews and saw your suggestion for drying the cake in the fridge – worked perfectly!!
    My “Never eat cheese cake because he hates it” husband even liked it!!!
    I used gluten free ginger snaps with no problem and was able to enjoy Every Eyes Closed, Delicious moment!

    • — Nors on October 18, 2023
    • Reply
  • Do yourself a favor and make this Pumpkin Cheesecake – ASAP!
    Full disclosure, I didn’t make the crust because I am not a fan of cheesecake with a crust.
    This cheesecake is silky smooth lusciousness! I am DEFINATELY making this for Thanksgiving! I think cooking down the pumpkin is genius and it makes all the difference.
    This website is my Go-to when I want a recipe that I KNOW will be amazing!
    Thank you Jenn for sharing all your knowledge with the rest of us!

    • — Maria in the ADK's on October 5, 2023
    • Reply
  • I really love this caramel sauce recipe. Making it in the microwave is so simple. Can I double the recipe? Thanks.

    • — Deb Clono on December 18, 2022
    • Reply
    • Deb, so glad you like it! Yes, you can double the caramel sauce, but because I don’t know what the timing would be, I’d suggest doing it in two separate batches. Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on December 21, 2022
      • Reply
  • Wonderful Pumpkin Cheese cake! I made this recipe exactly as written except into 12 individual cheesecakes using wide mouth 1 cup mason canning jars. Baked for about 30-35 mins and they came out perfect and everyone enjoyed them! Thank you Jennifer for the recipe!

    • — Dolly on December 17, 2022
    • Reply
    • Great idea! Did you remove the cheesecake from the canning jars prior to serving or did you serve them while they were still in the canning jar? How long did you bake the crust for before you added the filling?

      • — Laurie I on December 18, 2022
      • Reply
      • Hi
        I served the cheese cakes in the jars topped with whipped cream and the caramel sauce. Baked the crusts for 15 minutes as stated in recipe.

        • — Dolly on December 20, 2022
        • Reply
  • Hi Jenn
    I just made the pumpkin cheesecake. I can’t taste the REAL CAKE, however, I was tasting the batter. I had to hurry up and get it the oven otherwise I would have demolished the batter. LOL. I had the opportunity to grab some baking pumpkins at the beginning of fall. I baked the pumpkins and removed the flesh and froze it. It used that instead of canned pumpkin. Like I said earlier I would have eaten all the batter it tasted that good.
    I have used many many of your recipes and not one has failed to disappoint.
    My best to you and yours during this holiday season.

    • — Donna Meredith on December 16, 2022
    • Reply
  • Incredibly delicious! Do you think this would work as cupcakes or mini cupcakes with paper liners or do you think the paper would stick to the cheesecake filling? How long would you suggest baking? This was one of those desserts that you want to keep eating because it’s so good so cupcake size might be better portion control. Thanks for yet another amazing recipe! The caramel sauce on its own would take ice cream to a whole ‘nuther level.

    • — Laurie I on December 12, 2022
    • Reply
    • So glad you enjoyed this (and I agree that it’s hard to stop eating)! I think these would work as minis. They will be more challenging to remove from the cupcake tin but I’m not confident about using the liners. If you try them, I’d love to hear how they turn out!

      • — Jenn on December 13, 2022
      • Reply
  • This was my first time making a cheesecake and thanks to the detailed instructions it came out PERFECT! I didn’t make the caramel sauce or whipped cream, it didn’t need it. It was wonderful!

    • — Kara H on December 1, 2022
    • Reply
  • I love pumpkin, but not pumpkin pie. This cheesecake was the perfect answer! It was delicious and everyone enjoyed it. I will definitely make this again.

    • — Cheryl on November 28, 2022
    • Reply
  • I made this and it’s amazing. No photo necessary since mine looks just like the one in the recipe. I did have a caramel fail with my first batch, but the fault was all mine not the recipe’s. Second batch was perfect. Thank you, Jennifer for talking me through this. I have always been intimidated by cheesecake baking. My husband thanks you, too.

    • — Janet Hundley on November 27, 2022
    • Reply
  • This cheesecake recipe was delicious! The caramel sauce was absolutely amazing! Added leftovers to a homemade ice cream cake. I made a homemade whipped cream with homemade vanilla paste. Only issue was I believe I still got water into crust, but didn’t disturb taste. Thank you, thank you for recipe.

    • — Lori Penna on November 26, 2022
    • Reply
  • Help! Water got inside the foil despite the double wrap. Does this mean my cheesecake is ruined?

    • — Jen Rotach on November 23, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Jen, Sorry to hear some water made its way into the foil. I would remove the rim of the springform pan and let it dry out in the fridge for a while. If you make this again, feel free to try this method.

      • — Jenn on November 23, 2022
      • Reply
      • Thanks, for the advice Jenn! And moreso, for the Thanksgiving Eve reply! I removed the rim and placed the cheesecake in the fridge as you suggested. Will the crust remain soggy/soft? I tasted the custard that remained on the rim and the flavor is truly divine! I’ll definitely be making this again in the future. I’m just really bummed about the crust.:(

        • — Jen Rotach on November 23, 2022
        • Reply
        • Hi Jen, I honestly wouldn’t worry! The crust is likely just a bit damp around the edge, and it will dry out some in the fridge. Even if it’s not perfectly crisp, no one will know the difference and it will still be delicious.

          • — Jenn on November 23, 2022
          • Reply
  • I’ve made the New York style cheesecake several times and believe it is one of the best cheesecakes I have ever had. Just took the pumpkin cheesecake out of the oven and it is beautiful!

    • — Nancy on November 22, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,
    One of your replies to a question says you can half this recipe and use an 8″ square pan. Would you follow the procedure in your regular Cheesecake Bars recipe (using foil to line the pan and pressing the crust up the sides)? Does it matter whether a glass or metal pan is used? What would you recommend for baking time and temp for the pumpkin cheesecake bars? Many thanks for all your great recipes… and happy Thanksgiving. – Irene

    • — Irene on November 22, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Irene, I would follow the baking instructions for the regular cheesecake bars, using foil and pressing the crust up the sides. It doesn’t matter what type of pan you use, and the cook time/temp should be the same as the cheesecake bars.

      • — Jenn on November 22, 2022
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn! I’m making this cheesecake for Thanksgiving. I just started working on the crust today. I’ve made a few cheesecakes in the past with a water bath, I usually use a cake pan instead of wrapping the sides in foil. Do you have a YouTube channel? It would be so awesome to see some videos! Thanks!

    • — Kristin on November 21, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Kristin, Hope you enjoy the cheesecake! I don’t have a YouTube channel…maybe one day. 🙂

      • — Jenn on November 22, 2022
      • Reply
  • How far in advance would you recommend making this? I wanted to make early, but is 6 days too much? Would you recommend freezing or should be fine?

    • — Jennifer on November 21, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Jennifer, I think 6 days is pushing it, but you could definitely make it 3 days ahead.

      • — Jenn on November 21, 2022
      • Reply
      • Thank you! Freezing it now- turned out great! Love this recipe!

        • — Jennifer on November 22, 2022
        • Reply
  • I made this a few days ago and it’s a winner! I used my Norpro mini cheesecake pans and the recipe made 34 perfectly delicious treats with no cracking or sinking. With a whipped cream swirl on top and caramel drizzled over that and on the plate, 2 were an impressive dessert, and one is an ideal holiday small bite for a dessert spread! (And what an easy way to make caramel, I’d always done the sugar method on the stovetop and this was way easier.) Happy Thanksgiving Jenn!

    • — Emilie on November 20, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hello! I’ve made this so many times and it always turns out so delicious! I recently had a request to make this vegan and I’m wondering if you can just substitute the non-vegan ingredients with vegan substitutes (i.e. vegan butter, vegan cream cheese & vegan eggs)? Do I need to make any adjustments on the measurements or baking times? If anyone has done this, would love some tips! Thanks in advance 🙂

    • — Laura on November 18, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Laura, I have never made a vegan cheesecake—I’d be wary as it’s so many substitutions—but maybe others could weigh in.

      • — Jenn on November 19, 2022
      • Reply
  • It’s me again….cheese cake still in oven….my oven temp is accurate. I’m up to 2.5 hours plus and it’s still jiggling. Why is this cake not baking?

    I took care and I added all ingredients in the order of the recipe. The batter, when mixed was not thick. It was a thinner consistency after 5 eggs added and mixed in.

    I used an all clad roasting pan, had my cake pan covered with foil up to the top edge. I had the pan filled half way up the cheese cake pan with boiling water.

    Even with following the directions, I am at such a loss as to what happened here. All y ingredients were room temp except the cold heavy cream. I used my cuisinart food processor as directed throughout the recipe.

    • — Sally Fumich on November 7, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Sally, I’m so sorry that you had a problem with the recipe. That’s a huge bummer as I know this is pretty time-consuming! This recipe is pretty predictable so I’m wondering if perhaps you may have mismeasured something? Also, you mentioned that your oven temp is accurate – you may want to double-check it to be sure. Here are some tips to help. Regardless, so sorry that this was a failure for you!

      • — Jenn on November 8, 2022
      • Reply
  • Coming up on 2 hrs. Bake time. Hoping and praying will be ok when cake appears to be properly done. Baked at 325, hot water around foil covered cheesecake pan.

    I made about 3 yrs ago and, as I recall, had no issues. I might have added too much hot water to my roasting pan?

    🙏🙏🙏

    • — Sally Fumich on November 7, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Sally, how did it come out?

      • — Jenn on November 8, 2022
      • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious and worth the extra effort! It’s not a difficult recipe, but it does take some patience. I double wrapped my springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and made sure that it came up the sides enough so that the water would not leech in. I made 1 and 1/2 recipes of the gingersnap crust so that it would go up to the sides of the pan, and had no issues with the cheesecake sticking or coming out messy. I also didn’t have a food processor big enough for all the batter so used a KitchenAid mixer. My first whir, I ended up wearing a bunch of the batter (as did my kitchen floor), so I probably didn’t mix it as much as I should have and ended up with some small white lumps of cream cheese, but it did not affect the flavor at all (just the appearance a bit). I LOVE pumpkin pie, but I would eat this instead of that any day, even Thanksgiving Day, and I am very much a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving Dinner. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

    • — Elle on October 15, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hello, can ground up graham crackers be combined with ground ginger to create a facsimile of gingersnaps, maybe with a bit of molasses or brown sugar added for flavour? Also, can this recipe be scale down easily and if so what size pan should be used? Would a straight halving to 4.5-5″ pan work? Thanks.

    • — Jess on October 6, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Jess, I think you can use the ingredients you’ve mentioned to create a makeshift ginger snap crust. And for a 4 1/2 to 5-inch pan, I would halve the recipe. Keep in mind that the cheesecake will be pretty tall and the bake time may be longer (although I don’t know by how much so you’ll need to keep a close eye on it). You could also halve the recipe and use an 8-inch square pan to make pumpkin cheesecake bars. Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on October 7, 2022
      • Reply
  • Hello, I absolutely love your recipes. I was wondering what your thoughts on using the crust from the Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Torte recipe instead of the gingersnap crust.
    Val

    • — Val on September 9, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Val, It is a cakier crust, but it should work; it will just be softer.

      • — Jenn on September 13, 2022
      • Reply
  • Made 2 last year at Christmas loved them but I don’t have a food processor and feel it have worked better with one what size would I need ? I used my Kitchen Aid mixer and couldn’t get the cream cheese to dissolve completely so I want to get a food processor to use. I also made your New York Cheesecake it was out of this world. Thank you so much

    • — Marilouise Bunker on September 4, 2022
    • Reply
    • Glad you’ve enjoyed the cheesecakes! : I highly recommend this one from Cuisinart. It has a 14-cup capacity, which I think is ideal, but you could get away with an 11-cup bowl if need be (I wouldn’t go any smaller). Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on September 6, 2022
      • Reply
      • My big cuisinart processor died after 20+ years of service and I haven’t replaced it yet, but I used my ninja blender for this recipe and it came out absolutely incredible! I a)so used monkfruit in place of sugar. Can’t wait to do again! This is a keeper!!

        • — Tami on November 25, 2022
        • Reply
  • Is there a way to fix the caramel sauce if it didn’t get dark enough after all the ingredients have been added? Thank you in advance for your help. The cheesecake was amazing!! It was just the caramel that I struggled with. I have never made caramel in the microwave before just on the cooktop and my microwave should be retired!

    • Glad you like the cheesecake. Yes, you can put the caramel sauce back in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then let it sit for about 5 minutes; during that time it should continue to darken. If it doesn’t you can nuke it for another 30 seconds and repeat the process (just be careful not to burn it).

  • Loved it ! My 1st attempt at water bath cooking and it worked well! I just prefer graham crackers 🙂 Thank you!

  • I made this for Thanksgiving and it was fantastic! I’ll be making this again.

  • Hi Jenn, I am going to try and halve recipe to make a 6-inch size cheesecake. Any suggestion for baking time? Also, did you test adding vanilla extract to cheesecake when you were creating recipe? If so, did it detract from the flavor? If I wanted to add some vanilla to a halved recipe, how much would you suggest I try? Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you have shared. I just purchased your second book and am looking forward to reading and using it. All the best, Anne

    • Hi Anne, I haven’t added vanilla to this but I think you could, I’d suggest 1/2 teaspoon and for a halved recipe, the baking time will be less, but not certain how much less so just keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!

  • Hi Jenn! I was in charge of desserts for Thanksgiving, and so I made this cheesecake along with your Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan Pie. I provided garnish options of fresh whipped cream and homemade Bourbon Caramel Sauce. Both desserts were out of this world DELICIOUS! I have always been leery of trying cheesecakes that require a water bath, but your step by step directions and photos made everything so easy. Thank you! I would give more than 5 stars if I could 😁. Your recipes are always top notch, so I am looking forward to spending many hours exploring down the “Onceuponachef” rabbit hole…..

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