Pumpkin Cheesecake
Move aside pumpkin pie, this pumpkin cheesecake may become your new favorite.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Resting time10 hours hrs
Total Time12 hours hrs
Servings: 10 people
Crust
- 11 full sheets graham crackers
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
Filling
- 4 8- oz bricks cream cheese
- 1 15- oz can pumpkin puree*
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pumpkin spice whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2-4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Prepare the crust
Prehat the oven to 325°F.
Place graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until you have crumbs. Add the butter and sugar and pulse until fully combined. Press the mixture into a 9” springform pan, allowing it to go up the sides of the pan if you wish. Use a measuring cup to compact the mixture further.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Set a pot of water to boil and wrap the outside of the springform pan in a large sheet of aluminum foil.
Prepare the filling
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed* until very smooth.
Add the pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, beating until fully combined.
Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until fully combined between additions. Scrape down the bowl between each egg addition. Add the vanilla.
Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust. Place the springform pan into a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with enough boiling water to submerge the springform pan halfway.
Bake for 75-90 minutes*, or until the edges of the cheesecake are set and the center jiggles just slightly.
Turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake inside. Prop the door open slightly and let sit for an hour. After an hour, let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for another hour or two. Place in fridge and let set overnight.
Make the whipped cream
Beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla. Continue beating the cream until stiff peaks form. Serve with the cheesecake.
Pumpkin puree: Do not use canned pumpkin pie filling.
Beating the cream cheese: resist the urge to turn the mixer to a higher speed. Doing so will whip too much air into the cheesecake.
Bake time: Don’t feel like baking for that long? You can bake the cheesecake at 350F for shorter. Start checking at 55 minutes, and it may need to bake for 75 minutes total. The only tradeoff is that the edges of the cheesecake will have a ridge and may be slightly higher than the center.