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My best Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe features a graham cracker crust topped with a rich, creamy, and warmly-spiced cheesecake filling. Master how to make cheesecake from scratch for Thanksgiving (or any day).
Pumpkin Cheesecake is a spectacular mash-up of the Thanksgiving classic Pumpkin Pie and the beloved American dessert, Vanilla-flavored classic Cheesecake. It’s as good as it sounds (or probably even better than it sounds).
The homemade graham cracker crust is spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and the Pumpkin Cheesecake filling is light yet custardy, cool and creamy, and not too sweet. It’s a fun alternative (or addition!) to your usual Thanksgiving dessert lineup.
I wrote a water bath into the instructions, too, because it’s the best way to ensure your Pumpkin Cheesecake bakes evenly without any cracks. By the way, my other secret for cracked cheesecake is: whipped cream. And a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar topping isn’t bad, either!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Equipment and ingredient notes
- Springform pan: I used a 9-inch, 10-cup capacity springform pan with a removable bottom for this cheesecake recipe.
- Graham crackers: If you’re feeling ambitious, start with a batch of Homemade Graham Crackers. Store-bought honey-flavored or cinnamon graham crackers also work well. If graham crackers aren’t sold in your part of the world, substitute 1 ½ cups crushed digestive biscuits (9 sheets of graham crackers yields about 1 ½ cups of crumbs).
- Pumpkin purée: Canned pumpkin pureé (not pumpkin pie filling) is convenient for this recipe. If you want to make your own Fresh Pumpkin Pureé, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut your pumpkin in half and remove all seeds and fibrous strings. Cut each half into 2 or 3 pieces, then roast until tender, 60 to 90 minutes. Cool completely, then scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Finally, drain over cheesecloth or paper towels to remove excess water.
- Cream cheese: Plain full-fat cream cheese is ideal for homemade cheesecake. Slice into cubes to speed up their softening time; room temperature is best for a clump-free Pumpkin Cheesecake filling.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap a 9-inch springform pan in two layers of aluminum foil. Arrange a dish towel in the bottom of a large roasting pan.
- In a food processor, or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, finely crush graham crackers. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Pour into the springform pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs evenly on the bottom.
- Bake until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set on top of dish towel in roasting pan and bring a kettle or saucepan of water to boil. Pat the pumpkin puree dry with several layers of paper towel. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, beat cream cheese in a large bowl on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 to 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl and beaters as necessary. Add the sugar mixture in two batches, beating after each addition until incorporated, about 1 to 3 minutes.
- Add pumpkin, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until combined. Add in eggs one at a time until incorporated, about 1 to 3 minutes. Beat in heavy cream until incorporated, 1 to 3 minutes.
- Brush the inside of the springform pan with melted butter (being careful not to disturb the graham cracker crust). Carefully pour the filling into the springform pan. With the cheesecake inside of it, set the roasting pan on an oven rack. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the pan.
- Bake until the cheesecake reaches 150 degrees at the center when tested with an internal thermometer, about 1 ½ hours (do not open the oven door). Remove from oven. Let cheesecake cool in the roasting pan for 45 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool until barely warm, about 2 ½ to 3 hours longer. Run a knife around the inside edge of the springform pan about once per hour to loosen the cake.
- Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. To unmold the cheesecake, wrap a kitchen towel wet with hot water around the cake pan for 1 minute. Remove the sides of the pan and carefully slide the cake onto a cake platter. Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipes makes 14 slices of decadent Pumpkin Cheesecake (or more like 10 to 12 if you’re sharing it with my family!).
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Water bath 101: It’s not necessarily mandatory to use a water bath, also known as a bain marie, when making cheesecake from scratch. But without one, a cheesecake tends to brown more around the edges, end up a little drier, may fall in the center while cooling, and could crack. It’s worth the extra step to get the picture perfect masterpiece, so the method for a water bath is built right into this recipe.
- Take it over the top: Garnish slices of Pumpkin Cheesecake with a dollop of Whipped Cream and dusting of Cinnamon and Sugar Topping or toasted, chopped pecans. I wouldn’t be mad about a drizzle of Caramel Sauce or Chocolate Sauce, either.
- Spices: Substitute 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the individual spices listed if desired.
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake: An even easier pumpkin cheesecake made without ever firing up your oven. It needs to chill, so this is a dream dessert if you want to get ahead on your menu.
- Classic Pumpkin Pie: The Best Pumpkin Pie just so happens to be an ultra-easy dessert recipe. Start with a store-bought crust, whisk together a tasty filling, and bake.
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie: Firm, sliceable, and indistinguishable from a classic pumpkin pie, this No Bake Pumpkin Pie is made with just 6 ingredients, no baking required, and is easily made ahead of time.
- Mini Pumpkin Pies: Tiny and irresistible, these Mini Pumpkin Pies come in handy for smaller gatherings or sharing with friends and family. They’re easy, creamy, and perfectly spiced, just smaller and cuter.
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting: These easy Pumpkin Bars are moist, delicious, and loaded with cream cheese frosting. They are perfectly spiced without being too sweet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pumpkin Cheesecake batter is basically a rich custard, and it performs best with treated delicately. This recipe is written with a water bath included because it helps prevent cracks in the filling. The moist heat of a water bath, also known as a bain marie, helps the custard bake slowly and evenly without browning or cracking on top. Here’s how to make a water bath for cheesecake.
No-bake cheesecakes usually have a lighter flavor and texture than traditionally-baked cheesecakes. My no-bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe is made with gelatin, so the texture is as close to the real deal as possible.
1. Scrub a pie pumpkin well and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds by combing through the fibrous strings with your fingers.
2. Scrape out and discard fibrous strings. If you want to save and roast the pumpkin seeds, rinse them in cold water and dry on a kitchen towel.
Cut pumpkin into quarters (5 or 6 inches wide each). Place pieces skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet and roast uncovered until tender, about 1 to 1-½ hours.
3. Remove from oven and cool completely. Scrape pumpkin pulp off the skin, discarding the skin. Add the pulp to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place pumpkin puree into a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and allow to drain for 60 minutes. Discard liquid.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan (see note 1)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 graham crackers (see note 2)
- 5 tablespoons butter melted, plus more for brushing the pan
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
For the filling:
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin purée (see note 3)
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese cut into chunks and softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap a 9-inch springform pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Arrange a dish towel in the bottom of a heavy roasting pan.
- In a food processor, or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, finely crush graham crackers. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Pour into the springform pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs evenly on the bottom.
- Bake until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set on top of dish towel in roasting pan and bring a kettle or saucepan of water to boil.
To make the filling:
- Pat the pumpkin puree dry with several layers of paper towel. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, beat cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 to 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl and beaters as necessary.
- Add the sugar mixture in two batches, beating after each addition until incorporated, about 1 to 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add in eggs one at a time until incorporated, about 1 to 3 minutes. Beat in heavy cream until incorporated, 1 to 3 minutes.
To bake the cheesecake:
- Brush the inside of the springform pan with melted butter (being careful not to disturb the graham cracker crust). Carefully pour the filling into the springform pan.
- With the cheesecake inside of it, set the roasting pan on an oven rack. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the pan.
- Bake until the cheesecake reaches 150 degrees at the center when tested with an internal thermometer, about 1 ½ hours (do not open the oven door). Remove from oven.
- Let cheesecake cool in the roasting pan for 45 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool until barely warm, about 2 ½ to 3 hours longer. Run a knife around the inside edge of the springform pan about once per hour to loosen the cake.
- Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.
- To unmold the cheesecake, wrap a kitchen towel wet with hot water around the cake pan for 1 minute. Remove the sides of the pan and carefully slide the cake onto a cake platter. Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Springform pan: I used a 9-inch, 10-cup capacity springform pan with a removable bottom for this cheesecake recipe.
- Graham crackers: Store-bought honey-flavored or cinnamon graham crackers also work well. If graham crackers aren’t sold in your part of the world, substitute 1 ½ cups crushed digestive biscuits (9 sheets of graham crackers yields about 1 ½ cups of crumbs).
- Pumpkin purée: Canned pumpkin pureé (not pumpkin pie filling) is convenient for this recipe. If you want to make your own Fresh Pumpkin Pureé, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut your pumpkin in half and remove all seeds and fibrous strings. Cut each half into 2 or 3 pieces, then roast until tender, 60 to 90 minutes. Cool completely, then scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Blend in a food processor blender until smooth. Finally, drain over cheesecloth or paper towels to remove excess water.
- Yield: This recipes makes 14 slices of decadent Pumpkin Cheesecake (or more like 10 to 12 if you’re sharing it with my family!).
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
What size springform pan for the pumpkin cheesecake????
Hi Sue, I use a 9-inch springform pan. Take care! – Meggan
Great recipe and explained really well! I did however add a pinch more salt and 1/8 teaspoon cardamom and drizzled a little molasses in the crumbs to make the graham richer in flavor! Thanks for not having 5 million pop up’s! 5 ⭐️
Hello, you just updated this recipe and removed the ginger snap crust. Can you send me that recipe too. I just bought everything and now can’t find everything with your update.
Thanks.
Hi Nstaerkel, sorry about that! Here’s the recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust:
– 7-1/2 ounces gingersnaps (or 1-1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs)
– 1/4 cup granulated sugar
– 5 tablespoons melted butter
1. Pulse the crackers (or crumbs) and sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until finely ground.
2. Add the butter and pulse a few times to combine.
PS- Is the butter for the crust UNsalted or salted butter ? 🙂
Hi Jenn, it is up to you. I’ve made the crust both ways and they turn out the same. I prefer salted. 🙂 – Meggan