Pumpkin Cheesecake
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This pumpkin cheesecake is the ultimate sweet ending to your Thanksgiving feast—and no one will miss the pumpkin pie!
Pumpkin pie is a classic Thanksgiving dessert, but pumpkin cheesecake is just as festive and, honestly, even more delicious. This recipe combines the rich creaminess of classic cheesecake with the warm spices of pumpkin pie. Instead of a graham cracker crust, I use gingersnaps, which complement the spiced filling and really bring out the pumpkin flavor. The homemade caramel sauce is optional, but absolutely worth making—and it takes less than 10 minutes in the microwave.
Cheesecake might sound intimidating, but it’s actually very straightforward and uses just a handful of ingredients. The key is baking it in a water bath, which ensures even cooking and prevents cracks. It may sound fussy, but it’s not: just set the cake pan inside a larger pan and pour hot water around it. I’ll walk you through each step below. Let’s get started!
“I love pumpkin, but not pumpkin pie. This cheesecake was the perfect answer! It was delicious and everyone enjoyed it.”
What You’ll Need to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep your pan. Begin by wrapping a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. (Heavy-duty is key—it’s wider and does a much better job of keeping water from sneaking into the pan during the water bath.) Once wrapped, spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. (If you’d like to try another technique that doesn’t require wrapping the pan in foil, get more guidance here.)
Step 2: Make the crust. In a food processor, combine the gingersnaps, sugar, and melted butter. Pulse until the mixture forms fine, sandy crumbs.
Step 3: Form and bake the crust. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press it into an even layer—your fingers work well, or use the bottom of a measuring cup to really pack it in. Bake for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool while you make the filling.
Step 4: Cook the pumpkin mixture. In a medium saucepan, stir together the pumpkin, sugar, and spices. Cook over medium heat until the mixture turns shiny, deepens to a bronze color, and thickens slightly. This step—borrowed from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe—really intensifies the pumpkin flavor and helps dry the pumpkin out so the cheesecake sets beautifully.
Step 5: Purée the pumpkin mixture. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a food processor and run it for one minute to smooth and cool it. With the motor running, add the cold heavy cream.
Step 6: Mix in the cream cheese and eggs. Add the cream cheese in large chunks and process until the batter is smooth. Finally, add the eggs and 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.
Step 7: Get ready to bake. Set the cake pan in a large roasting pan, then pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the cooled crust. Next, pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Step 8: Bake. Bake in a 325°F-oven until just set, about 1½ to 1¾ 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.
Step 9: Cool and serve. Let the cheesecake cool right in the water bath, then transfer it to a rack to cool completely. Once it reaches room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better). This is definitely a “make it ahead” kind of dessert. When you’re ready to serve, warm the caramel sauce, drizzle it over each slice, and add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream plus a light dusting of cinnamon, if you like.
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 7½ oz gingersnaps (or 1½ cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 1 (15-oz) 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 lb (three 8-oz packages) cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- Caramel sauce, for serving
- Special equipment: 9- or 10-in springform pan; 18-in heavy-duty aluminum foil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set a rack in the lower-middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-in springform pan 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.
- Make the crust: 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.
- Prepare the filling: 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.
- 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!).
- Bake: 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.
- Finish cooling and chill: 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.
- To Serve: 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.
Notes
- You'll need a large food processor— preferably with a 14-cup (3.3L) capacity—to make the filling (you can also use an 11-cup (2.6L) capacity, 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.
- Freezing 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
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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What is the best way to slice a cheesecake? Many years ago I read a suggestion to use dental floss.
Hi Phyllis, I like to slice it with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. (I’ve never tried it with dental floss so I can’t compare.)
Hi Jenn,
I love your website and have your cookbook, you are definitely my go to for entertaining! I was wondering if I can make the cheesecake 2 days in advance, will I risk the crust becoming moist?
Thank you
Diane
Hi Diane, thanks for your sweet words about the recipes – so glad you like then! If made ahead, this should keep nicely in the fridge for a few days, but the crust does get a little soft after about 24 hours. That said, many cheesecakes have soft crusts, so it will still be tasty. Hope that helps!
What temperature do you bake this?
Hi Pam, it gets baked at 325°F/165°C. Hope you enjoy!
Made this last Thanksgiving. Very good. Highly recommend. I made no changes to recipe.
So I recommend not trying this recipe in college dorms… almost burned them down because the ovens are old and I tried it without a water bath. Overall the recipe is good but because I wasn’t able to actually make the complete cheesecake I can’t leave a proper review. Three stars because 1) you can’t do it in dorms lol 2) you can’t do it with a very old oven and springform pan and 3) you can’t do it without a water bath (in my experience)
This is my family’s favourite dessert and I make it once a year on (Canadian) Thanksgiving. What a great recipe!
I really want to try this recipe, but I want the cheesecake to have a marbled look as opposed to being a solid color. Would it work just as well if I combine the cream cheese, cream, and eggs, and then just swirl in the pumpkin mixture?
Hi Jess, I’d mix half of the cheesecake batter with the pumpkin mixture and leave the other half plain, then swirl the two together. I’d love to know how it turns out!
This is an excellent recipe as is, but after many years of experience baking cheesecakes, here are my changes. For the crust, I cut the sugar and the butter in half. For the filling, I use 3 packages of cream cheese, cut down to about 1 cup of sugar, and add about another half cup of pumpkin since I increase the cheese. I have tried the water baths and followed others suggestions for the baking with some success and some failures. What always works perfect for me is to preheat the oven to 400 and cook for 10 minutes. Next, I shut off the oven leaving the cake in with the door closed (no peeking) for 1 hour. Then, I crack the oven door and leave it in the oven for one more hour. Next, I cool completely on the counter top and then transfer with a cover to the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. I rarely have even a hint of a crack in the cake and it’s cooked just perfect every time!
Agree. I do likewise; have never used a water bath. Don’t have cracked cheesecakes. With a cheesecake, the eggs need to slowly cook; also, too much beating incorporating air makes the cake crack and sink. It is best to stir with a whisk. Good recipe; always enjoy all the once upon a chef recipes. Just reading the web page, gets me in the kitchen. Thanks, Jenn
This Cheesecake I’d delicious. I made my own puree as we have a pumpkin glut on the allotment. As a UK based cook I used fresh double cream and I think next time would use extra thick double cream. All in all it is a success.
I made this cheesecake for thanksgiving a couple years ago and now my family won’t stop begging me to make it every year lol. It’s that good! A new holiday staple.
Jennifer Segal you have a true talent and I’m grateful that you have shared your talent with us!
💗
This is perfect as is. I followed the recipe to a T and though it was a bit time consuming overall, it was worth it in the end. It was a hit at our family Christmas gathering!
Making this today. Do I have to use corn syrup? I don’t really use it for any other recipes so don’t want to get it and waste the rest.
Yes, Samia – you do need the corn syrup. Sorry!