This pumpkin spice cheesecake recipe has the perfect combination of pumpkin pie and cheesecake - two favourites in one dessert! This will be your favourite go-to dessert this fall!
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I love, love, love cheesecake and have quite a few recipe variations on my site so far - Nanaimo bar cheesecake, lemon meringue, and blood orange cheesecake. Now, just in time for fall - pumpkin cheesecake!
Pumpkin cheesecake has all the spices and pumpkin taste that pumpkin pie has. Mix that with cheesecake, and, you have an amazing dessert! From the buttery graham cracker crust, to the smooth, velvety cheesecake, to the crunch of pecans on top, this recipe is sure to be a hit at your next gathering!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Pecans - buy pecan pieces to save time from chopping up whole pecans.
- Cream cheese - use full fat cream cheese for best taste.
- All purpose flour - a little bit of flour in the filling helps it from cracking.
🔪Instructions
Start by making the graham cracker crust. It is made out of graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Pack this into the bottom and up the sides of the lined springform pan. Bake it for 10 minutes and then let it cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.
The cheesecake filling is next. To the regular cheesecake ingredients, we are adding pumpkin puree and some fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Pour the filling into the springform pan.
The cheesecake is baked in a water bath which helps the cake from developing cracks. Don't skip this step! Cover the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil and wrap a crock pot liner around the whole pan to make ensure water does not get in.
Bake the cheesecake nice and slow and then let it cool slowly too. Cool it in the oven with the oven turned off for 30 minutes. Then crack open the oven door and let it cool for 30 more minutes. Baking it slow and cooling it slowly, makes sure that it bakes evenly and doesn't crack.
Whip heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks. Pipe it onto the cooled cheesecake. I used an Ateco 827 tip. Scatter pecans around the top.
For more step-by-step photos and instructions, see the web story for pumpkin spice cheesecake!
✔️Expert Tips
- When lining the springform pan with parchment paper, make the parchment paper a bit bigger than the base of the springform pan. Push the lid down and clasp it shut. The overhang of parchment paper will make it easy to lift the cheesecake out.
- Make sure you use brick style cream cheese, not the spreadable version.
- Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients will mix together quicker so you don't risk over mixing. Also mixing cold ingredients together would result in a chunky cheesecake batter. We want a smooth cheesecake.
📖Recipe FAQ's
I highly recommend it. Using a water bath helps the cheesecake bake more evenly and it helps against cracks.
Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can bake the cheesecake and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Continue with decorating with the whipped cream and pecans the next day.
You can freeze the cheesecake after it has been baked and cooled and without the chocolate ganache or whipping cream. Wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for no longer then 1 month for best flavour. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature. After it has thawed, decorate and store in the refrigerator.
📋 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 10 tablespoon salted butter melted
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar packed
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 15 oz can pureed pumpkin
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 4 large eggs room temperature
Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 5 tablespoon powdered sugar
Optional
- Chopped pecans
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine the crust ingredients and press into bottom and sides of pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then allow pan to cool at room temperature.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Line the outside of springform pan with aluminum foil and tie crock pot liner around pan.
- In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar and flour together until combined.
- Add pumpkin, sour cream, vanilla extract and spices and mix until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until after each addition.
- Pour mixture into crust. Place springform inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with warm water to go about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Do not fill past the aluminum foil or water will get into the cheesecake.
- Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes.
- Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
- Open oven door slightly and leave cheesecake in oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove cheesecake from the oven and chill in refrigerator overnight.
Whipped Cream
- Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks; chill until ready to use.
To Assemble
- Remove cheesecake from the refrigerator. Remove cheesecake from springform pan and place on serving tray.
- Decorate with whipped cream. I used an Ateco 827 tip.
- Chill cheesecake until ready to serve. Leftovers will keep for 5 days, refrigerated.
Notes
- When lining the springform pan with parchment paper, make the parchment paper a bit bigger than the base of the springform pan. Push the lid down and clasp it shut. The overhang of parchment paper will make it easy to lift the cheesecake out.
- Make sure you use brick style cream cheese, not the spreadable version.
- Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients will mix together quicker so you don't risk over mixing. Also mixing cold ingredients together would result in a chunky cheesecake batter. We want a smooth cheesecake.
Jo Vanderwolf
I'm in love! This looks and sounds amazing. I've never tried cajeta sauce before but I definitely need to soon! Thank you for sharing <3
Nina
Cajeta sauce is very good!