Baking

Pumpkin Cheesecake: Fall on a Fork. Creamy. Spiced. Perfect.

2 min

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until they're genuinely smooth before anything else goes in, because once the pumpkin and eggs join, you can't undo lumps. Add the three eggs one at a time and stop mixing the second they disappear. Overbeaten batter pulls in air, and air is what cracks the top. The center should still wobble when you pull it, like loose jelly under a set edge.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

Pumpkin and cream cheese both have deep American roots, but pairing them in a cheesecake is a fairly modern fall ritual that took off once canned pumpkin made the puree foolproof. The story goes that this is really Thanksgiving pumpkin pie wearing a richer coat, and you can taste the family resemblance in the pumpkin pie spice doing the heavy lifting.

Pumpkin pie is fine. Pumpkin cheesecake is unforgettable.

Silky, creamy, spiced pumpkin filling. Buttery graham cracker crust. No cracks. No water bath drama. 1 hour bake. Overnight chill. Worth the wait.

Serves 10-12.

1 1

Make the Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Mix graham crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into a 9-inch springform pan.

Bake 10 minutes. Cool.

2 2

Make the Filling

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

Add pumpkin, eggs one at a time, sour cream, vanilla, and pumpkin spice. Mix until just combined.

3 3

Bake the Cheesecake

Pour filling over crust. Smooth top.

Bake 50-60 minutes until edges are set but center jiggles slightly.

Turn off oven. Crack door open. Cool in oven 1 hour.

4 4

Chill

Cool completely on counter. Refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours).

5 5

Top and Serve

Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

Spread or pipe onto chilled cheesecake.

Slice. Serve. Accept applause.

Summary

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Chill Time: 6+ hours | Total Time: 7+ hours

Yield: 10-12 servings

Difficulty: Easy (needs patience)

Storage Notes

Fridge:

Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freezer Friendly:

Freeze whole or sliced for 2 months. Thaw in fridge overnight.

Pro Tip:

Room temp ingredients = smooth cheesecake. Cold cream cheese = lumpy.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

1 hour

Total

7+ hours

Yield

10-12 servings

For the Crust:

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake Filling:

3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
3 large eggs
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon + ¼ tsp each nutmeg, ginger, cloves)

For Topping:

1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1
Make the Crust. Make the Crust. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Mix graham crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool. 2 2
2
Make the Filling. Make the Filling. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs one at a time, sour cream, vanilla, and pumpkin spice. Mix until just combined. 3 3
3
Bake the Cheesecake. Bake the Cheesecake. Pour filling over crust. Smooth top. Bake 50-60 minutes until edges are set but center jiggles slightly. Turn off oven. Crack door open. Cool in oven 1 hour. 4 4
4
Chill. Chill. Cool completely on counter. Refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours). 5 5
5
Top and Serve. Top and Serve. Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe onto chilled cheesecake. Slice. Serve. Accept applause

Swaps & Substitutions

Graham crackers → swap in crushed gingersnaps or digestive biscuits; gingersnaps lean spicier and pair well with the pumpkin
Gluten-free → use GF graham-style crumbs or GF ginger cookies for the crust; the filling is already gluten-free
Pumpkin pie spice → mix your own with about 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves
Sour cream → full-fat plain Greek yogurt works one-for-one and keeps the tang
Salted butter in the crust → fine to use; just skip any added salt elsewhere, since the crust is the only place butter goes
Pumpkin puree → use canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-sweetened and spiced and will throw off the recipe

Questions & Answers

Why did my cheesecake crack on top?

Usually too much air beaten into the batter or too fast a temperature change. Mix just until combined, and let it cool in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for an hour before moving it to the counter.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes, and it's better for it. The overnight chill is required anyway, so bake it a day or even two ahead and hold the whipped cream topping until just before serving.

How do I know when it's done baking?

The edges should look set and the center should still jiggle slightly when you nudge the pan, around 50 to 60 minutes. It firms up fully as it chills, so pulling it with a wobbly center is correct.

How long will it keep?

Covered in the fridge, about 4 to 5 days. Add the whipped cream only to the slices you're serving, since it weeps and deflates after a day.

Do I need a water bath?

This recipe skips it and relies on the slow oven cool-down instead. If you're prone to cracks, you can wrap the springform in foil and set it in a shallow pan of hot water, but it isn't required here.