This pumpkin pie cheesecake is a dense, creamy baked cheesecake with the flavors of pumpkin pie blended right into the filling: pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves on a cinnamon graham cracker crust. It bakes in a 9 inch springform pan at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes and cuts into 12 slices.
It is not a layered pie with a cheesecake stripe on top. Think of it as cheesecake that tastes like Thanksgiving. The two things that keep the top smooth are a water bath and an hour of rest in the turned off oven, so plan to bake it the day before. If you want the traditional custard version, my pumpkin pie recipe is the one I make next to it.
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- Pan: 9 inch springform, set inside a large roasting pan for the water bath
- Oven: 325°F (163°C), crust 8 to 10 minutes, filling 60 to 70 minutes
- Pumpkin: 1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin puree, from one 15 ounce can
- Cooling: 1 hour in the oven with the door cracked, then to room temperature
- Chilling: at least 6 hours, overnight is better
- Yield: 12 slices
- Keeps: up to 4 days covered in the fridge
The recipe card lists 7 hours 40 minutes in total, but the oven rest and the cooling on the counter add about 2 more hours. Start in the afternoon and slice it the next day.
A Graham Cracker Crust That Holds Its Shape
Stir 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 full crackers) with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and 6 tablespoons melted butter. It should look like wet sand and hold together when you squeeze a handful. Drier than that and the crust crumbles under the knife. Wetter and it turns greasy once chilled.
Press it hard into the bottom of the springform with the flat base of a measuring cup, right out to the edge. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until it smells toasty, and let it cool while you mix the filling. This short bake melts the sugar into the butter and glues the crumbs, so the slices lift out clean instead of leaving the base behind in the pan.
Mixing a Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
Leave the three 8 ounce blocks of full fat cream cheese on the counter for about an hour. Beat them alone for 2 minutes until there are no specks, then add 1 cup granulated sugar and ½ cup packed brown sugar. Any lump still there now will still be there after baking. Scrape the bowl and the beaters twice.
Mix in the pumpkin puree on low speed. Then add the 3 eggs one at a time, low speed, scraping between each. Beating hard at this stage whips in air, the cheesecake puffs in the oven, and it sinks and cracks as it cools.
Add the vanilla, the spices, the salt, and ¼ cup sour cream, then the 2 tablespoons of flour just until it disappears. The clove stays at ¼ teaspoon on purpose, because more of it turns bitter and pushes the pumpkin aside. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times to bring big bubbles up before you pour.
Setting Up a Water Bath That Does Not Leak
Wrap the outside of the springform in two layers of wide heavy duty foil, each one a single sheet pressed up the sides. Small sheets overlapped at the seams let water creep in and the graham crust goes soggy. Even easier: set the springform inside a cake pan just a little wider, then into the roasting pan.
Pour in the batter and smooth the top. Put the roasting pan on the oven rack first, then pour hot water around the springform until it comes halfway up the sides. The water keeps the edges from setting long before the middle, which is what makes a cheesecake dome and split.
How to Tell the Cheesecake Is Done
Start checking at 60 minutes. Give the pan a gentle nudge. The outer 2 inches should look matte and set, and a circle about 3 inches wide in the middle should wobble like set gelatin, not ripple like liquid. If you use a thermometer, the center reads about 150°F. A center that is already firm means it has gone too far, and that is where cracks come from.
Turn off the oven, crack the door, and leave it there for 1 hour. Then lift it out of the water, peel off the foil, and run a thin knife around the edge. Cheesecake shrinks as it cools, and if it is stuck to the pan it tears across the top instead. Cool to room temperature, then chill at least 6 hours.
For neat slices, dip a long thin knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and wipe it again after every cut.
Baking It as a Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
Maybe you want a pumpkin cheesecake pie, baked in a pie plate rather than a springform. This batter is more than one standard 9 inch pie plate can hold. Make the crust twice, press it into two pie plates, and divide the filling between them. You can skip the water bath for a shallow pie. Start checking at about 40 minutes and look for the same wobble in the center. For squares to carry to a party, pumpkin pie bars are the easier route.
Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt in the Filling?
Stay with full fat sour cream here. Greek yogurt is tangier and leaner, and in a pumpkin filling that sharpness sits on top of the spices instead of letting them lead. Sour cream softens the sweetness and keeps the texture creamy. If yogurt is all you have, use full fat and expect a slightly tangier slice. Low fat versions of either make the filling looser.
If Your Cheesecake Cracked or Sank
- Crack across the top: baked past the wobble, or stuck to the pan while cooling. Next time pull it earlier and loosen the edge after the oven hour. This time, cover it with a ring of whipped cream.
- Sunken middle: too much air from beating after the eggs went in. Keep the mixer on low from the pumpkin onward.
- Tiny white lumps: the cream cheese was cold. They cannot be fixed after baking, but they do not change the flavor.
- Soggy crust: water got through the foil. Use one wide sheet, or the cake pan trick above.
Making It Ahead for Thanksgiving
This is a cheesecake that wants to be made early. Bake it one or two days before the holiday, keep it covered in the fridge, and add toppings just before serving: a swirl of whipped cream frosting, a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce, or a handful of toasted pecans. It keeps up to 4 days in the fridge.
To freeze, chill it overnight first, then wrap slices in parchment and seal them in a freezer bag. They keep about a month. Thaw in the fridge, still wrapped, so condensation does not spot the top.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, Answered Briefly
Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of puree?
No. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices, so the cheesecake turns too sweet and too spicy. Use plain puree, or make your own with this homemade pumpkin puree.
What do I do with the leftover pumpkin from the can?
A 15 ounce can holds a little more than the 1 ¼ cups you need. Stir the rest into oatmeal or simmer it into pumpkin butter.
Can I bake it without a water bath?
Yes, but expect more browning at the edges and a higher chance of cracks. Set a pan of hot water on the rack below the cheesecake to keep the oven humid.
Is there a no bake version?
This one needs the oven to set the eggs. For something with no baking at all, try these no bake pumpkin cheesecake balls, or make individual mini pumpkin cheesecakes for a shorter bake.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Recipe
This pumpkin pie cheesecake is a dense, creamy baked cheesecake made with cream cheese, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sour cream, and pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves) on a cinnamon graham cracker crust. It bakes in a 9 inch springform pan at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes, chills at least 6 hours, and cuts into 12 slices. A water bath and an hour in the turned off oven keep the top smooth and crack free. Serve this pumpkin cheesecake pie at Thanksgiving with whipped cream, caramel sauce, or toasted pecans, or bake it in two pie plates. Use plain puree, not pumpkin pie filling, and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
- FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 full crackers)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- FOR THE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 3 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- PREPARE THE CRUST: Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- FORM THE CRUST: Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan using the bottom of a measuring cup to compact it evenly. Bake for 8–10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- BEAT THE CREAM CHEESE: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- ADD SUGARS: Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to the cream cheese and beat again until well combined and fluffy.
- MIX IN PUMPKIN AND EGGS: Add the pumpkin puree and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low and scraping the bowl between additions.
- ADD FLAVORINGS: Mix in the vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and sour cream. Blend until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
- FINISH WITH FLOUR: Add the flour and mix just until combined. Avoid overbeating at this stage to keep the texture smooth.
- PREPARE WATER BATH: Wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent leaks. Place the pan inside a large roasting pan.
- ADD BATTER: Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
- BAKE IN WATER BATH: Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Carefully place in the oven and bake for 60–70 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly.
- COOL IN OVEN: Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let the cheesecake rest inside for 1 hour to prevent sudden temperature changes.
- CHILL COMPLETELY: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before slicing and serving.
Notes
Use full fat cream cheese at room temperature and beat it smooth before the pumpkin goes in; lumps do not bake out. Mix on low after adding the eggs so the filling does not puff and crack. Wrap the springform in two wide sheets of heavy duty foil (or set it inside a slightly larger cake pan) so the water bath cannot soak the crust. It is done when the edges are set and a 3 inch circle in the center still wobbles, about 150°F. After the hour in the oven, run a knife around the edge before cooling. Bake a day ahead; keeps 4 days in the fridge. Freeze wrapped slices for about a month. Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 359Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 77mgSodium 225mgCarbohydrates 51gFiber 2gSugar 34gProtein 4g
