Who doesn’t love a decadent, spiced pumpkin cheesecake recipe?
A rich pumpkin infused cheesecake is nestled in an easy graham cracker crust and baked until set (no waterbathneeded).
This recipe has just a few easy steps and can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Top with whipped cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Homemade Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin makes all fall recipes taste cozy from chili to overnight french toast or even pudding cake! This rich cheesecake is packed with pumpkin flavor.
- It’s so easy to make this pumpkin cheesecake recipe.
- No water bath is needed, and everything mixes up together in one bowl. Cleanup is a breeze!
- Why buy expensive pumpkin cheesecake, when it’s so simple (and less expensive) to make cheesecake at home?
- This is the perfect freezer recipe, to help get a jump on holiday baking tasks.
Ingredients in Pumpkin Cheesecake
Cheesecake Batter – For the best flavor and texture, use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream.
Canned sweet potatoes can be substituted for pumpkin, but they are much sweeter, so hold back on some of the sugar and adjust to taste.
Pumpkin Spice – Nothing signals the holidays better than the festive fragrance of pumpkin pie spice. It has cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Crust – A graham cracker crust is a cheesecake classic, but crushed vanilla, chocolate, and ginger snap crumbs can be substituted. Pulse cookies in a food processor to make your own crumbs.
Mix-Ins & Toppings – Swirl some chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter for some crunch. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg for the perfect Thanksgiving dessert.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake
Low and slow baking, (and patience!) are critical to perfect pumpkin cheesecake every time!
- Beat softened cream cheese and sugar with a mixer per the recipe below. Then, one by one add the remaining ingredients to the mixture.
- Pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling into a graham crust and bake in a low (275°F) oven.
- Turn off the heat and leave it in the oven for one hour. Remove, cool, and refrigerate.
How to Tell If Cheesecake is Done
To tell if cheesecake is done baking, gently jiggle the pan. The outer edges should be set while the very center should be just slightly jiggly.
Cheesecake Tips & Tricks
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing. Don’t overmix the batter.
- For a crisp crust, pre-bake the crust before adding the filling. For a soft crust, skip this step.
- Don’t rush the process! Baked low and slow and cool slowly too. This will ensure it doesn’t crack.
- Let it sit in the oven for an hour after turning off the heat (you can prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon). A slow cool keeps it from cracking.
- Cool on a wire rack on the counter before refrigerating.
- To cut cheesecake dip a knife in hot water and wipe the blade between each slice.
How to store
- Cover tightly and store whole, or wrap slices separately for freezing.
- Cheesecake will keep up to 6 days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
More Fall Desserts
Homemade Pecan Pie Recipe
Homemade Apple Pie Recipe
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Did your family love this Pumpkin Cheesecake? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces cream cheese room temperature, 3 blocks
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- whipped cream sweetened, for serving
Instructions
Crust
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9" Springform pan with parchment paper. Wrap a large piece of tin foil around the bottom and part way up the sides of the pan.
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In a medium bowl, stir together graham crumbs and melted butter. Press into the prepared pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes or until no longer moist.*
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Remove crust from the oven and reduce the oven heat to 275°F.
Filling
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Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
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Add sugar and beat until combined.
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Add pumpkin and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
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Add sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice and beat on low until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Don't incorporate too much air into the cheesecake.
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Pour into prepared crust and smooth the top.
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Bake at 275°F for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the outer 2 inches are set but the center is still slightly jiggly (you will be able to see when you look at it – the center will be slightly glossy except for the outer two inches).
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Turn off the oven and let cheesecake sit in the warm oven for 1 hour.
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Remove from the oven and carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Let cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge overnight or at least 8 hours, then remove from the pan and serve with whipped cream.
Video
Notes
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing. Don’t overmix the batter.
- For a crisp crust, pre-bake the crust before adding the filling. For a soft crust, skip this step.
- Don’t rush the process! Baked low and slow and cool slowly too. This will ensure it doesn’t crack.
- Let it sit in the oven for an hour after turning off the heat (you can prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon). A slow cool keeps it from cracking.
- Cool on a wire rack on the counter before refrigerating.
- To cut cheesecake dip a knife in hot water and wipe the blade between each slice.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
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Hello Holly,
My cheesecake is still in the oven after the baking time of 1 hr 15min to 1 hr and 30min. I followed the exact baking time to a tee.
What do you think?
Hi Donna, to tell if your cheesecake is done baking, gently jiggle the pan. The outer edges should be set while the very center should be just slightly jiggly. I hope that helps!
This was delicious with a nice creamy texture!
So glad you loved it, Laura!
I prepared this for Thanksgiving and everyone raved about it. Probably the best dessert I have ever made myself.
I did use Crème Fraiche instead of the sour cream since I happened to have it. I also needed to bake it 20 min. longer , but probably because I had to use the toaster oven (with foil on top to prevent burning.)
LOVED this recipe! I used one low-fat cream cheese bar because that’s all that was left at the store but it did not compromise the recipe. It received rave reviews from my guests and will be making this again. Thank you! :)
What can I use to lessen the sugar in the pumpkin cheesecake
Hi Deborah, I have only made this recipe as listed so I can’t say for sure but another reader has made it and reduced the amount of sugar with good results. I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Amazing! Instructions were easy to follow and my cheesecake impressed everyone. I’m saving this recipe for next Thanksgiving! Thanks
That’s wonderful, Jennifer! So glad this recipe was a hit.
Made this cheesecake for Christmas dessert, and it was wonderful. May be the best pumpkin cheesecake I’ve ever eaten. Will be making this again, and again, and again. Thank you for your recipe.
Thank you for this recipe! It’s so yummy and turns out amazing!!! I have made it twice now and have bought store bought graham cracker crusts to make it easier for me. It has filled two crusts both times I’ve made it this week. Thank you!
If using graham crackers for the crust, about how many sheets of crackers make up 2 1/2 cups of crumbs?
Approximately 7 full sheets of graham crackers (14 crackers) per cup so you would need about 18 sheets or 36 graham crackers.
Super easy recipe but way too sweet for my taste! I think it could be reduced by 3/4 cup of sugar and still be sweet enough. I’ll make it again but with less sugar since I otherwise loved the recipe!
Could a store bought graham cracker pie crust work for this recipe? Guess I’m feeling lazy
A store bought graham cracker crust should work just fine in this recipe Kathy! If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
We went to an early Thanksgiving dinner today. I made this and it was a hit. Everyone who had some loved it. I made one change in that I substituted Splenda Baking Blend instead of all sugar. I also made a walnut crust instead of graham cracker crust because of someone’s low carb diabetic diet.
No one could tell that I had used it although I told everyone so they could decide to try it or not. I had searched out Pumpkin Cheesecake recipes from several websites and chose this one because to be honest it looked like the easiest to make and I’ve had great luck with your recipes. This did not disappoint! So if you are reading reviews to see if this one is good, I can safely recommend this one. It’s a keeper – I’ll be making it again!
I am so happy to hear this recipe was a hit Jane!
I tried a recipe for tuna casserole and my husband actually ate it. Have two more of your recipes to go this week. Unfortunately we are both diabetics and I have to do adjustments and there are only two of us in the household. I am trying to cut back on the amount of food we make at one time to help us not over eat or have so many leftovers that often all or part of go to waste. Do you offer recipes for diabetics? I do like the fact that on many recipes I am able to reduce the number of servings.
Thank you.
I don’t follow a diabetic lifestyle so I can’t say for sure what would be suitable for you. You can find my low carb recipes here.
Is a springform pan necessary for this recipe? Or can I use a deep pie dish?
I can’t see any reason it wouldn’t work. A springform pan just makes getting the cheesecake out easier.
this was great
Family loved it
Thanks for sharing
So glad your family loved it!
Everything looks great!
Thank you Nancy! Happy Cooking.
So creamy and rich. Absolutely delicious. My Hubby & my Dad agree. Took me a bit longer to make, but well worth it.
Wish I could show you a picture.
I’m so glad you loved this Deborah! If you have Instagram, tag us at @spendpennies, we would love to see your cheesecake!
Love all your recipes
Thanks
I’m so glad you’ve loved them Dot!
wonderful delicious I love them
Can anyone tell me if this is similar to Costco’s Pumpkin Cheesecake with Sour-Cream Topping? If so, can someone tell me how to create the same topping that Costco has. I love the Costco cheesecake. It is so incredibly good. We buy them every holiday (if we can get one), but Costco sells out earlier in the day … And, I barely can get any when I get there at 8pm — when they close at 8:30pm. So, if anyone can help (or if Holly knows), that’d be awesome. Thank you everybodies …
I haven’t tried the Costco one yet David (although now I feel like I need to!!) so I can’t say for sure. Hopefully another reader can help you out!
The only reason I have only ever bought a cheesecake and never made one is because I can’t understand how to get the timing right!! With all that cooling time, how will I be able to serve this as an after-dinner dessert?? Please help, I can’t keep buying cheesecakes
This can me made a couple of days ahead of time and served chilled on the day of your event or dinner.