I made pumpkin cheesecake for our Thanksgiving dessert this year and it was a huge hit. The fall spices blend beautifully with cheesecake’s signature creamy, dense texture. And while this cake is on-point for Thanksgiving, it also works for Christmas…or any day of the year, really.
Think of this recipe as the love-child of cheesecake and pumpkin pie. The pumpkin-pie fanatics in your friend group will love it, as will your cheesecake lovers.
The graham cracker crust is flavored with cinnamon and brown sugar. This duo provides extra warmth and pairs nicely with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in the filling. The topping is a sour cream and sugar mixture.
If you are looking for an excellent cheesecake recipe for the holidays, this is it.
See also: New York cheesecake recipe — includes prep guide to avoid cracked tops
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Pumpkin cheesecake recipe
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cooling Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours, 55 minutes
- Yield: 14 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven-baked
Description
This is an easy and different kind of cheesecake to make for the holidays.
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 stick salted butter (melted)
Filling-
- 3 8–oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 15–oz. can of pumpkin puree
- 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 2 cups sour cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- pecan halves (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F or 177°C. In a medium bowl, combine the crushed graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter, mix well, and press the mixture firmly onto the bottom and partway up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan.
- Make the filling. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the pumpkin purée, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the flour and vanilla extract, then beat until everything is well combined.
- Bake the cheesecake. Pour the batter over the crust and spread it evenly. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven (leave the oven on).
- Add the sour cream topping. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups sour cream and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Spread the mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
- Cool and chill.Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake sit for about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Top with pecan halves before serving, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 24.3 g
- Sodium: 157 mg
- Fat: 21.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.3 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 77.5 mg