Pumpkin Cheesecake
A smooth and creamy pumpkin cheesecake with an easy homemade gingersnap cookie crust. The perfect dessert for fall!
When it comes to the holidays, the one thing I always look forward to are the pumpkin desserts. Or more specifically, pumpkin pie. But this year I wanted to change things up so I decided to create a pumpkin cheesecake recipe.
The filling for this pumpkin cheesecake is smooth, creamy, and full of spices that really accentuate the flavor. It’s also topped on a simple homemade gingersnap crust that really takes this cheesecake over the top. Plus, how gorgeous would this be on the dessert table at your next holiday gathering?
I also topped this cheesecake with some homemade whipped cream, but you could leave it plain or top it with some homemade salted caramel sauce or chocolate ganache.
Recipe Ingredients
This easy pumpkin cheesecake uses fairly simple ingredients. I wanted to go over just a few of them to ensure that this cheesecake turns out right for you. Because let’s be honest, nothing is more frustrating than spending the time making a cheesecake and it doesn’t turn out quite right!
- Gingersnap Cookies: I used store-bought gingersnap cookies, you just want them to be nice and crispy so the crust holds up well for the cheesecake.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure to use bricks or blocks of cream cheese and not cream cheese spread in a tub. Cream cheese spread has ingredients added to it to make spreadable, which will result in a cheesecake that’s not as thick and creamy.
- Pumpkin Puree: Not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and has spices already added to it, so make sure to stick with pumpkin puree.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: To keep things simple, I use pumpkin pie spice in this recipe. Don’t have any on hand? You can use my pumpkin pie spice substitute.
How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake
To make this cheesecake, start by adjusting your oven rack to the lower-middle position, this will ensure that the top of your cheesecake doesn’t get too dark. Then, preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Don’t worry – I’ll explain why you need the boiling water in just a bit!
Next, make your gingersnap cookie crust. Add the gingersnap cookies to a food processor or blender and process until you have fine crumbs. Once the gingersnaps are crushed, mix the crumbs together with some sugar and melted butter until well combined.
Then, press the mixture down into a springform pan and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Pre-baking the crust will help ensure that it’s solid and firm and can hold up to the cheesecake filling. Once it’s baked, set it aside to cool while you mix up the filling.
For the filling, start by beating your cream cheese until it’s nice and smooth. Then, scrape down the sides of your bowl and mix in some granulated sugar and pure vanilla extract. Once they are well combined, add your pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and continue mixing until everything is well combined.
The final step for the filling is to beat in four room temperature eggs. When it comes to the eggs, you want to make sure to beat each one in on low speed until just combined. Avoid over-mixing the eggs into the cheesecake batter because it can incorporate more air and potentially cause your cheesecake to crack.
Speaking of cracks, it’s also best to bake your cheesecake in a water bath. A water bath helps to ensure that your cheesecake bakes evenly in the oven and adds humidity to your oven as well.
To make a water bath, you’ll need a roasting pan, an oven bag (or aluminum foil), and boiling water. Most people like to wrap their springform pan with foil before they put it in the roasting pan and fill it with water, which is fine, but I find an oven bag works really well.
Once you’ve placed the cheesecake in the bag or wrapped it with foil, place it in your roasting pan, and fill the pan with about 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches of the boiling water you placed on the stove earlier.
The cheesecake will need to bake for about one hour or until the center is almost set. Once you’ve reached that point, turn the oven off, slightly crack the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for one more hour.
Why the extra step? Sudden temperature changes can cause cheesecakes to crack. By letting the temperature of the cheesecake slowly decrease in the oven, you’re less likely to get a crack in the top. I know it’s an extra step, but you don’t have to do anything but set a timer and wait.
After the hour is up, you can remove the cheesecake, let it cool completely, and then refrigerate it. The cheesecake will need to cool and chill for several hours so I actually prefer to make it the day before and then just let it chill overnight.
How To Store & Freeze Your Cheesecake
The wonderful thing about cheesecakes is that they are a fantastic dessert that you can make ahead of time! Once this cheesecake has cooled completely, you can cover it tightly, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you need to prepare this cheesecake further in advance, then I recommend freezing it. To freeze it, let it cool completely, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in a large freezer bag in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. To thaw the cheesecake, place it in the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. If you’re adding whipped cream on top, I recommend adding it right before serving. You can also freeze and thaw individual slices the exact same way!
Baking Tips
- Be sure to set a large pot of water to boil for the water bath while you’re making the cheesecake.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before getting started. This will ensure a much smoother cheesecake filling.
- If you forget to set your eggs out ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, then use them as directed in the recipe.
- Once the center of the cheesecake is almost set, turn the oven off, slightly crack the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for one hour. This will help prevent any sudden temperature changes with the cheesecake and reduce the chances of it cracking.
- Slide a knife between the outside of the cheesecake and your springform pan once it comes out of the oven. This will help ensure that it doesn’t stick to the pan when you are trying to remove it.
Video Tutorial
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the gingersnap crust:
- 1 and 1/2 cups (200 grams) gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter melted
For the pumpkin cheesecake:
- 24 ounces (680 grams) brick-style cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
To make the gingersnap crust:
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil.
- Add the gingersnap cookies to a blender or food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Scoop the crumbs into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and melted butter and mix until fully combined.
- Scoop the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, making sure to press it down firmly into one even layer. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep the oven temperature at 325°F while you make the filling.
To make the pumpkin cheesecake filling:
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the sugar and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon and mix until fully combined, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time and mix on low speed until each one is just combined.
- Scoop the cheesecake filling on top of the pre-baked gingersnap crust and spread it around into one even layer.
- Place the springform pan in an oven bag (you may cut the bag or tie it so it's not covering the top of the cheesecake) or wrap it well with aluminum foil and place in a roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan until you have about 1 to 1 and 1/2-inches of water surrounding the springform pan.
- Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven with the cheesecake. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 55 to 65 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is almost set. Turn off the oven, slightly crack the door, and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for one hour.
- Carefully remove the roasting pan with the cheesecake from the oven. Remove the cheesecake from the oven bag or foil and place it on a wire rack, slide a knife around the sides of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely at room temperature, about 2 hours, then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours (or overnight) or until the cheesecake is thoroughly chilled.
- Once chilled, release the cheesecake from the springform pan, slice into pieces, and enjoy!
That sounds sooo good I will definitely make it!
Thank you, Audrey! Hope you enjoy the cheesecake!
I love the idea of using the oven bag instead of foil. Ingenious! I’m making this as a birthday cake for a cheesecake fanatic. Great recipe, I know it will be delicious! Thank you!
It works much better than foil! Hope you enjoy the cheesecake, Lisa!
I made this recipe – I’m not sure where you got your measurements from, as this made WAY more filling than for a 9″ pan. I ended up making two pans/cakes with this recipe, and I followed every step of the recipe.
The measurements are correct. I use a 9-inch springform pan, it’s 2.5 inches deep so it holds all of the cheesecake filling.
Any tips for subbing in unrefined sugars such as maple or coconut palm sugar or perhaps some of each?
You could probably use coconut sugar. It will likely change the color of the cheesecake but should work fine. I wouldn’t suggest using a liquid sweetener like maple syrup though.
WOULD A 10 INCH SPRINGFORM PAN, 2 INCHES DEEP WPRK WELL?
That should be fine, you may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
Hi – Quick question – what is the difference between the bricks of cream cheese and the tubs? I live in your Europe and the stores only carry the tubs of cream cheese. Just wondering what difference this could make in the finished product? Thanks!
The tubs of cream cheese are usually a spread and have ingredients added to them to thin it out so it’s spreadable. I’m not familiar with the tubs in Europe though, they may be more like a brick of cream cheese. If it doesn’t specify that it’s a spread/spreadable it may be okay to use.
Hi! Currently making this recipe as we speak. I have followed the recipe exactly, however it’s been 75 minutes in the oven and the cheesecake is still completely runny in the middle. Any ideas on why this might be the case? I know to take it out when it’s almost set in the center, but after all this time it doesn’t even look close.
Sorry to hear that, Alex. It definitely shouldn’t be runny after that long in the oven. Have you checked your oven temperature with an oven thermometer?
What size cheesecake pan
It’s listed in the recipe, I use a 9-inch springform pan.
any suggestions if i dont have a springform pan?
You could use a cake pan that’s deep enough, but it won’t be quite as easy to cut or remove from the pan.
Is it really 24oz of cream cheese? That is 3 bricks. I just want to make sure before I start.
Yes, that’s correct.
I love this recipe! For the water bath, I use a 10″ silicone cake pan that fits the 9″ springform pan perfectly. I could never get the foil to work properly. My house smells amazing right now lol.
Can you tell me the plate brand? Love it!
It’s from Pier 1 🙂
24 oz = 680 g not 340. Can you please confirm which is correct.
680 is correct, just fixed it!
I made this recipe yesterday. It tasted great but even though I cooked it for 15 minutes longer than the recipe said, the center still isn’t done. I sed a 9 inch springform pan as called for in the recipe and the filling almost overflowed. Next time, I will try using my 10 inch spring form pan. I like the gingersnap cookie crust. I also had a crack in the top of the cheesecake in spite of using the water bath and leaving it in the oven (which had been turned off) for an hour after cooking. What did I do wrong?
Hi, Priscilla! It’s likely that the cheesecake cracked because it was over baked. You only want to bake the cheesecake until the center is almost set. As it cools in the oven it will continue to cook the cheesecake, but slowly so that it doesn’t crack. If you make it again, I’d recommend following the baking time in the recipe.
Hi! Can i use light cream cheese?
Reduced fat would be fine, but I don’t recommend using fat-free cream cheese.
I made this Pumpkin Cheesecake yesterday for a Friendsgiving dinner and it was SO GOOD! Everyone loved it. I was a bit nervous since it was my first attempt at making a proper cheesecake with a water-bath method, but it came out great. After reading some reviews I baked it for 70 minutes and it was perfect. Thanks Danielle for another great recipe!
Hello. Should I lay a circle of parchment paper over the bottom of my springform pan before pushing the crumb crust into place? I have made cheesecakes in these pans before, and the crust always gets stuck to the bottom of them. Would parchment paper solve this problem? Thanks.
Yes! I do this with my cheesecakes sometimes, it will prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
I followed the recipe exactly as you posted and it fit my 9″ springform pan perfectly. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to look at the cheesecake when the time was up due to holding a newborn, so I had my daughter turn off the temp and crack the door. I just now pulled it out of the oven, but the center isn’t cooked to set, so I put it back in the oven and turned the temp to 325. I’ll check it on 15 minutes. I pray this doesn’t ruin my cheesecake. It’s still in the water bath. Wish me luck!!
I hope the cheesecake still turned out okay, Stacy!
I’ve been making this recipe the last couple of years for thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s so good. Me and my family all love it. I changed the ginger snap crust to just plain gram cracker crust. Im making two this year for thanksgiving. 🌹