Pumpkin Cheesecake

If you love pumpkin but are not a fan of the traditional pumpkin pie, or just would like to change your holiday desserts up, try this delicious pumpkin cheesecake. It has a wonderfully mild pumpkin flavor with nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon that taste and smell like the holidays.

This pumpkin cheesecake is perfect for any holiday entertaining. I love to serve this on Thanksgiving, instead of a pumpkin pie. My husband is the only one in our family who loves pumpkin pie, but he only ever eats one piece of it. I know that this cheesecake will not be around for long. Even though our children are not fans of pumpkin, they all love this cheesecake.

This cheesecake is not difficult to make, but it does require some patience. Once removed from the oven, the cheesecake needs to cool completely to room temperature before being refrigerated. You can make your cheesecake up to a week in advance. I usually make mine the weekend before Thanksgiving. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator until you need it. Take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to serve dessert to allow it to warm up a little.

For more delicious gluten free ideas for holiday recipes, please visit our recipe page.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake
A beautiful cheesecake for the holidays that can be made well in advance of your celebration.
pumpkin cheesecake
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 70 minutes
Passive Time 8-24 hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
Crust
Cheesecake
Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 70 minutes
Passive Time 8-24 hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
Crust
Cheesecake
pumpkin cheesecake
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Cheesecake Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare a 9" springform pan. Form an X with two pieces of aluminum foil, placing the springform pan in the center. Tightly wrap the aluminum foil up the sides of the pan. The foil must be long enough to completely cover the sides of the pan. This will prevent any water leaking into the cheesecake while it is baking in a water bath.
  3. Cut out a 9 1/2" circle of parchment paper. Spray bottom of springform pan with cooking spray and then place parchment paper on it. This will enable you to remove the cheesecake from the pan and place on a plate. The extra 1/2" will allow you to get a finger hold on the parchment to remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan. If it does not matter if the cheesecake sits on the bottom of your springform pan while serving, then you can skip this step.
  4. Process cookies or crackers in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. If you do not have a food processor, place the cookies in a plastic bag and crush with a kitchen mallet.
  5. Combine cookie crumbs, cinnamon and sugar. Whisk until well combined.
  6. Add melted butter to cookie mix. Stir until well incorporated.
  7. Pat crumb mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the sides about one inch of the prepared springform pan.
  8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Cheesecake Batter
  1. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar and the cornstarch. Blend until well combined.
  2. Add one package of room temperature cream cheese that has been cut into small pieces to the mixer. Mix on low until well blended.
  3. Scrape the mixer bowl.
  4. Repeat with the remaining cream cheese packages, adding cream cheese in small pieces and scraping the bowl in between each package until all the cream cheese has been incorporated.
  5. Blend on medium high for one minute. Scrape bowl.
  6. Add canned pumpkin and vanilla, blending on low until just combined.
  7. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to cheesecake mix, blending on low until well combined. Scrape bowl.
  8. One at a time, add eggs to the mixer bowl, blending on low just until each egg is just added. Do not over mix. Scrape bowl.
  9. Gently spoon into prepared crust. Smooth out top of batter.
  10. Place pan in a water bath (see note below) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes until the edges have set and the middle has just a slight jiggle.
  11. Very carefully remove the pan from the oven. The water will be very hot, so use caution.
  12. Place springform pan on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely to room temperature.
  13. Once the cake is at room temperature, while still in pan, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator, 8 -24 hours. If making your cheesecake ahead of time, leave it well wrapped in the pan until an hour before serving.
  14. When chilled completely, run a knife around the edge, if needed, to loosen cheesecake from pan. Remove pan sides and place cheesecake on serving plate.
  15. If removing from the springform bottom plate, grab an edge of the parchment and using a spatula, carefully transfer cheesecake to serving plate.
  16. Decorate as desired.
Recipe Notes

A water bath provides an even and gentle heat for cheesecakes and custards. It also adds moisture to the oven which helps cheesecakes keep from cracking.

A water bath is created with a baking pan. I use my roasting pan. It is deep enough for the cheesecake and water and it also has handles which makes it easier for me to lift it out of the oven. Place your cheesecake into a pan and add very hot water so that it surrounds that springform pan. The water should reach about one inch up the sides of the springform pan. Carefully place the pan into the oven without splashing water onto the cheesecake. After baking, the water will be very hot, so use caution when removing it from the oven.

This cheesecake can be made up to a week in advance. Leave the cheesecake in the springform pan and keep refrigerated until needed. Make sure to wrap the cheesecake well with plastic wrap so it does not absorb any other flavors from the refrigerator.

This Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe is gluten free and vegetarian

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