Not so sure that pumpkin cheesecake is better than pumpkin pie? Test the waters with this classic recipe that has the perfect pumpkin-to-cheesecake ratio.

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This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is easy and has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. It tastes exactly like a cheesecake that crossed paths with a pumpkin pie – the best of both worlds. The only thing difficult about this cheesecake is waiting for it to cool down so you could eat it!

This pumpkin cheesecake is delicious by itself but is just over-the-top impressive when you add some of that caramel sauce and rum-infused whipped cream. This is the perfect holiday dessert. It’s inspired by Fall, makes your home smell incredible, and will have your dinner guests humming with delight.

This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is easy and has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor @natashaskitchen

Pumpkin Cheesecake Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 12 whole graham crackers)
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) melted, unsalted butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8-ounces each) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (about 9 oz by weight) packed light brown sugar
15 oz canned pumpkin pie mix (use half of the 30 oz can)
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour *measured correctly
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or make your own)
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp real vanilla extract

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Optional Pumpkin Cheesecake Toppings:

1 cup of cold heavy cream beat with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla
Pumpkin pie spice to dust
Toasted pecans
Caramel sauce – this 8-minute recipe will rock your cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-2

How to Make a Pie Crust:

Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
1. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 6 Tbsp melted butter. Transfer into a 9-inch springform pan with 3″ tall walls and use a large spoon to press crumbs into the bottom of your springform pan, and going about 1/2″ up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-8

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-3

How to make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
1. In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the 3 packages of softened cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar on med speed until light and fluffy and without lumps (5 min), scraping down the bowl once to make sure you don’t have chunks of cream cheese. Tip: brown sugar is considered “packed” when it holds it’s shape as it comes out of the measuring cup.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-9

Have a taste of this cream cheese frosting. It would make a super yummy frosting actually! Just don’t eat too much. You need it for your cheesecake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-4

2. In a separate bowl, using  a whisk, stir together 15 oz pumpkin pie mix, 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Add this mixture to the cheesecake filling and continue mixing on low speed just until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-10

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-11

3. Transfer filling into pre-baked crust and bake on the middle rack at 350˚F for 1 hour. Turn off heat, prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon and let cheesecake sit in the oven another 45 min. Then remove from the oven and let cool to room temp before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. Serve when fully chilled (at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight).

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-12

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-5

4. Before serving, carefully remove cheesecake from springform pan by running a blunt knife along the sides of the cheesecake to release from the springform mold. Add desired toppings (see list above) and serve

This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is easy and has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor @natashaskitchen

To Make the Whipped Cream:

Tip: Freeze mixing bowl for 10 minutes to get the best whipped cream results.

1. In a cold mixing bowl, add 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla. Beat on high speed until fluffy and spreadable. Don’t over-beat or it will turn buttery. It only takes less than 2 min to make fresh whipped cream.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe-6

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

4.97 from 1052 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Not so sure that pumpkin cheesecake is better than pumpkin pie? Test the waters with this classic recipe that has the perfect pumpkin-to-cheesecake ratio.
This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is easy and has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. It tastes exactly like a cheesecake that crossed paths with a pumpkin pie - the best of both worlds. This pumpkin cheesecake is delicious by itself but is just over-the-top impressive when you add some of that caramel sauce and rum-infused whipped cream. This is the perfect holiday dessert.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 slices

The Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, from about 12 whole graham crackers
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

The Filling:

Optional Toppings:

  • 1 cup cold heavy cream beat with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla
  • Pumpkin pie spice to dust
  • Toasted pecans
  • Caramel sauce

Instructions

How to Make the Crust: Preheat Oven to 350˚F.

  • Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 6 Tbsp melted butter. Transfer into a 9-inch springform pan with 3" tall walls and use a large spoon to press crumbs into the bottom of your springform pan, and going about 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

How to make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling: Preheat Oven to 350˚F.

  • In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the 3 packages of softened cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar on med speed until light and fluffy and without lumps (5 min), scraping down the bowl once to make sure you don't have chunks of cream cheese. Tip: brown sugar is considered "packed" when it holds it's shape as it comes out of the measuring cup.
  • Have a taste of this cream cheese frosting. It would make a super yummy frosting actually! Just don't eat too much. You need it for your cheesecake.
  • In a separate bowl, using a whisk, stir together 15 oz pumpkin pie mix, 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Add this mixture to the cheesecake filling and continue mixing on low speed just until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  • Transfer filling into pre-baked crust and bake on the middle rack at 350˚F for 1 hour or until slightly wobbly in the center. Turn off heat, prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon and let cheesecake sit in the oven another 45 min. Then remove from the oven and let cool to room temp before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. Serve when fully chilled (at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight).
  • Before serving, carefully remove cheesecake from springform pan by running a blunt knife along the sides of the cheesecake to release from the springform mold. Add desired toppings (see list above) and serve.

To Make the Whipped Cream:

  • Tip: Freeze mixing bowl for 10 minutes to get the best whipped cream results.
  • In a cold mixing bowl, add 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla. Beat on high speed until fluffy and spreadable. Don't over-beat or it will turn buttery. It only takes less than 2 min to make fresh whipped cream.

Nutrition Per Serving

565kcal Calories59g Carbs8g Protein34g Fat19g Saturated Fat160mg Cholesterol547mg Sodium255mg Potassium4g Fiber39g Sugar4766IU Vitamin A2mg Vitamin C144mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
565
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
34
g
52
%
Saturated Fat
 
19
g
119
%
Cholesterol
 
160
mg
53
%
Sodium
 
547
mg
24
%
Potassium
 
255
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
 
59
g
20
%
Fiber
 
4
g
17
%
Sugar
 
39
g
43
%
Protein
 
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
 
4766
IU
95
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
144
mg
14
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin Cheesecake
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 565

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This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is easy and has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor @natashaskitchen

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • christine hess
    February 20, 2024

    i have made this twice now and hands down best pumpkin cheesecake

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 20, 2024

      That’s wonderful, Christine! I’m so glad you loved it!

      Reply

  • Cheesecake Fanatic
    January 15, 2024

    I’ve made this recipe twice, and it turned out great both times. I have to bake it a fair bit longer than the recipe calls for, but it works out fine with the extra bake time. I’m not sure how to check for doneness without opening the oven and jiggling the cake a bit, so I do that and it cracks…but who cares because that doesn’t impact the taste of the cake.

    I do wish the recipe included ingredients by weight, as it is easier, faster, and more precise than measuring.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 17, 2024

      Hi, I have added metric measurements so hopefully that is helpful. I’m so glad you enjoy the pumpkin cheesecake!

      Reply

  • Jeremy
    January 2, 2024

    Another awesome recipe … Thank you!!! I had to make this diabetic-friendly so I used a sucralose brown sugar blend and sucralose in place of sugar. I only had 9 cinnamon graham crackers so I cut the butter down to 4.5 T. and the crust still came out perfect at 8 minutes in a convection oven.

    I used pumpkin puree instead of pie filling and added some homemade pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves) and sucralose to make it taste better. The cheesecake did crack pretty bad but it also sank in the middle leaving a little ridge around the edge so I just filled all that in with a sugar free cream cheese filling I use for berries and fruit. I took this to a New Year’s Day dinner with friends and neighbors and they all loved it!

    p.s. I don’t know why some people are so mean. If they’re so worried about what it looks like, why don’t they make it in advance and see what happens in their hands? This is a rock solid recipe that I will be making over and over again. DELICIOUS!!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 2, 2024

      Hi Jeremy! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. We have excellent results with this recipe and I’m so glad you loved it, even with the substitutions. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

  • Rookmin
    December 28, 2023

    I made this twice. Both times.. so delicious… you really need to warn folks about NOT eating the crust before it makes its way to the pan… LOL… so good! BTW, the second time I forgot to buy sour cream and made the decision to sub in plain Greek yogurt in same amount- Just as good in terms of flavor and texture! I also used your recipe for the pumpkin pie seasoning mix, saving some $$ as well. Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 28, 2023

      Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  • Angela
    December 26, 2023

    My family thinks this is the best cheesecake I have ever made and I have to agree! I did bake over a waterbath (old habits die hard) and it was perfect! No cracks! Keeper for sure!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 26, 2023

      That’s wonerful feedback. Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply

  • Julia
    December 24, 2023

    First time making this and it turned out great! I baked my own pumpkin for this. The only thing I changed was using 3/4c of sugar instead of 1 1/2c and it still tastes great!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 24, 2023

      Thank you for sharing, Julia! So glad you loved it.

      Reply

      • Ronnie
        December 25, 2023

        I made this for a holiday desert. I had never made a cheesecake. It was wonderful, even my husband who doesn’t eat pumpkin pie liked it. I had to improvise cooking since. Didn’t have a spring pan. I will make this again, so yummy.

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          December 25, 2023

          Great job, good to hear that you both enjoyed it!

          Reply

      • Ronnie
        December 25, 2023

        I made this for a holiday desert. I had never made a cheesecake. It was wonderful, even my husband who doesn’t eat pumpkin pie liked it. I had to improvise cooking since I Didn’t have a spring pan. I will make this again, so yummy.

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          December 25, 2023

          Great job! Good to know that you both enjoyed the Pumpkin Cheesecake.

          Reply

  • Pam Masterson
    December 23, 2023

    I thought this was an easy quick pumpkin cheesecake. Followed the recipe 98% as I only had an 8″ springform to bake the cake in. I live at 3600′ and usually have to bake everything longer. The cake was jinglely after an hour so I rolled the dice and just followed directions, left it in the oven with the door propped open with a wooden spoon. I just took it out of the oven after the last 45 minutes and it looks delicious although it does have few cracks…who cares. I going to cover it with whipped cream and serve with homemade caramel sauce. Crack/Smack. Because I used an 8″ I had some leftover uncooked batter that I put in cupcake holders and baked for 35 minutes and these were delicious too!! This recipe took 1/2 as long to make as my last cheesecake. If you want to spice it up use ginger snaps for the crust and some nutmeg in the batter.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 23, 2023

      Hi Pam, thank you for sharing the details and tips for adding ginger snaps and nutmeg. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

      Reply

  • Debbie
    December 23, 2023

    I am not sure how it taste but I can say for sure as a mature cook I had a crack in the middle as soon as I took it out and transferred it to another oven. I think in my area of Florida it needed another 20 minutes of cook time, I am upset but will either cut them or fill with Carmel. I still think it’s gonna taste great will make it again but will add twenty minutes and leave the entire rest time in the oven.

    Reply

  • Gwyn
    December 22, 2023

    Can I substitute the 2 tablespoons of flour with cornstarch starch and if so, how and how much? Would love to try this without crust as gluten free for Christmas Eve and daughter can’t have gluten. I have a bunch of pumpkin I cooked then froze and have been eyeing this recipe for awhile 👍

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 22, 2023

      Hi Gwyn, without testing that myself, I can’t really recommend a gluten-free sub like corn starch. Maybe someone else has tried making it gluten free? Thanks in advance!!

      Reply

      • Gwyn
        December 23, 2023

        Thanks!! I’ll just use the 1:1 flour substitute as mentioned in the comment below. 👍 I’ll report back, making it tonight.

        Reply

      • Gwyn
        December 24, 2023

        It was a hit, thank you so much. I used the GF one for one and had the pie crust as a crumble for topping along with the caramel and whipped cream. It cracked big time following your instructions but my cheesecakes always crack 😩

        Reply

  • JW
    December 18, 2023

    I was wondering if I could replace the flour with gluten free flour? My daughter can’t have gluten? Thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 18, 2023

      HI JW, I have had several readers report great results substituting with a 1:1 baking flour and then using a gluten free graham cracker for the crust.

      Reply

  • colleen vermette
    December 9, 2023

    Cracked right down the middle. Should I reduce the cook time?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 9, 2023

      Hi Colleen! Did you make any substitutions or changes to the recipe?
      It’s very important to allow the full cooling time in the oven as mentioned in step 4. Other factors are, the temperature of the ingredients, over mixing the batter, the oven running too hot, or opening the oven while it’s baking. The cheesecake will continue to set as it cools and the texture will change. Every oven bakes different so it may require some adjusting. I highly encourage the use of an Internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to ensure it’s calibrated correctly. I hope that helps troubleshoot for the next time.

      Reply

  • Erin
    December 7, 2023

    My family loved it and are demanding I make more for Christmas. I started first thing in the morning as we were going to need to oven for other stuff and it’s cheesecake so there is usually a 4 hour cool time, I was a bit concerned that it would crack as most cheesecakes call for a water bath but I didn’t see this here so I went with no water bath, and I let it cool near the stove instead of inside it, came out perfectly, no cracks, easy to slice and serve, and not overly sweet like other pumpkin cheesecakes I have tried.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 7, 2023

      That’s wonderful, Erin! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. I’m glad you loved it.

      Reply

  • Noemi H
    November 30, 2023

    This recipe did not disappoint!!!! Delicious and a crowd pleaser. Thank you Natasha for this simple and yummy recipe. Not one crack!!! That oven trick worked. This will be our thanksgiving dessert for years to come.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 30, 2023

      You are so welcome, Naomi. I’m happy to know that you loved it!

      Reply

  • Kristina Papacostas
    November 26, 2023

    I followed the recipe to an exact T and am no where near a novice in the kitchen. The cake was fine after taking it out of the oven, then after it cooled there was a GIANT crack straight down the middle, like almost every single person in the comments have said. So theres obviously something wrong with the recipe and my hypothesis is the sour cream- thought it was an odd ingredient to add. My second complaint is that it had a very mushy/mouse/creamy/custardy texture to it. I even baked it for 1 hour and 45 minutes and still!!!! Since the center wouldn’t stop jiggling. I’m sorry but too much trouble for what its worth. ALSO, YES I used a hot water bath which is why I needed much longer cooking time. I will not be making this again. I’ve tried Ginas Pumpkin Cheesecake from the Food Network and it was great.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 26, 2023

      I’m sorry to hear that Kristina! The water bath changes the texture of the cheesecake also. The drastic change in temperature was likely the culprit of the crack when it was removed from the oven. I provide the recommended cool down method for this recipe in the instructions above to help avoid cracks.
      I’m glad you have another recipe you can rely on though.

      Reply

    • your failure
      December 10, 2023

      I’m sorry but you did not follow the recipe instructions to a T! You used a water bath and that was NOT in the directions!!!

      Reply

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