 Pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap cookie crust, topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Move over pumpkin pie, because this Pumpkin Cheesecake is ready to impress this holiday season!
This has become a new favorite pumpkin recipe and you wont believe how easy it is to make! If you love all things pumpkin, don’t miss my Pumpkin French Toast and Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls!
My first bite of this pumpkin cheesecake was complete heaven! Even with all of the baking I do I still found myself impressed with every bite, impressed that such simple ingredients and a few minutes of my time could make something so delicious and beautiful! I can’t wait for you all to try it!
How to make easy pumpkin cheesecake:
1. Prep the springform pan: Cover the outside bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with foil.
2. Make the gingersnap crust and press the crumb mixture into the bottom and half way up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
2. Make cheesecake filling: Add the filling ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth, but don’t over mix. Pour the batter into the pan.
3. Bake in a water bath (see easy directions below) for 60-70 minutes, or until the sides of the cheesecake have set and the center is just barely jiggly. Remove the tinfoil and allow the cheesecake to cool completely on a wire cooling rack, then refrigerate it for several hours before serving. Store any leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.
To Make a Cheesecake Water Bath:
Don’t be intimidated by cooking this cheesecake in a water bath; it’s the easiest method ever! Place the springform pan in a larger pan with water in it, and place the pans in the oven. The humidity and bubbling of the water while it bakes helps the cheesecake cook more evenly and helps prevent cracks in the surface of the cheesecake.
Once it’s finished cooking, don’t rush the cooling process! Give it plenty of time to cool on your kitchen counter, and then plenty of time to chill in the fridge before you serve it. This will allow it to set up properly, and you’ll be able to make clean, smooth slices when you serve it.
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: This cheesecake can be made one day in advance. See step 6.
To freeze cheesecake: First allow the cheesecake to cool completely!! Then choose whether to freeze the cheesecake on the bottom of the springform pan (removing the sides/rim) or slide the cheesecake onto a cardboard cutout.  Once cool, wrap it with several layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.  Thaw the cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
My TOP 10 Pumpkin Dessert Recipes:
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Skinny Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Classic Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pecan Topping
- Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Bread with Brown Butter Maple Glaze
- Pumpkin Dream Dessert
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
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Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs (about 10 ounces)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
For the Cheesecake
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 8 ounce packages cream cheese , at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (or homemade pumpkin puree)
- 3 eggs , at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Whipped Cream , for topping, optional
- Caramel sauce , for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For the Gingersnap Crust:
- Use a food processor to crush the cookies into fine crumbs. Measure out 2 cups of crumbs and pour them into a mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup sugar and melted butter and stir to combine.
- Cover the outside bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with foil, securing the foil partway up the outer sides of the pan. Press the gingersnap crumb mixture into the bottom and about half way up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake the crust for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside while you make the cheesecake filling.
For the cheesecake:
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg and mix until smooth, but don’t over mix. Pour the filling into the prepared pan.
- Grab a pan that’s larger than the cheesecake pan and fill it with about ½ inch of water, to make a water bath. Place the cheesecake pan inside the dish with the water.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the sides of the cheesecake have just set and the center is just barely jiggly.
- Remove it from the oven (it will continue to bake as it cools). Remove the tinfoil and allow the cheesecake to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Once cooled, cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
- When the cheesecake has chilled in the fridge, remove the pan sides (I like to gently run a dull butter knife along the inner edge of the pan before I release the springform pan sides).
- Serve with caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought) and whipped cream on top, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
The crust was a little chewy, probably because I did something wrong. Otherwise, this was divine! It did cause a bit of a rift when my daughter told me that she preferred the Jello No Bake cheesecake. I nearly called for an exorcism! Turns out she just doesn’t like pumpkin.
I have made this for thanksgiving the last few years and it is absolutely amazing!!!
I wish to make a cheese cake for 4. The recipe adjusted regarding ingredients. However, it is difficult to make regarding
the amounts it adjusts to. It would be much better if the adjustments were shown in ounces, etc. One can then use a
scale to weigh ingredients. Also, when the recipe was adjusted for a smaller cheesecake, the pan size was not adjusted.
Thank you.
This is fantastic! Not too heavy, not too fluffy, just perfect. Love the gingersnap crust.
Such a great holiday addition.
Have you made it as cupcakes? I need to make 35 cupcakes for a wedding and am concerned about the baking time and amount of batter
I havent tested them as cupcakes. The baking time will be greatly reduced so I’d definitely suggest testing them out first!
what size canned pumpkin
You need 1 cup which will be about half of a 15 oz can.
i’m making it rn kids and it looks good fam so make it now and you’ll want to have a lick young man
I love this cheesecake recipe. I’m a beginner so this recipe was very easy to follow. My husband loved it! Making some for Thanksgiving.
DELICIOUS! The whole family raved and we will definitely be making this again for Thanksgiving!
Love this recipe although I changed it up and made a no bake pumpkin cheese cake with ginger snap cookie crust and the Carmel sauce
( the sauce is to die for )