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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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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
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

Ingredients
The Crust:
The Filling:
- 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 15 oz can pumpkin pie mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
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
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I’ll be making this cheesecake for Thanksgiving 2020. However, be careful there is a difference between a can of plain pumpkin and a can of pumpkin pie mix. Don’t be like me and get the wrong one. I did the New York style cheesecake and it was amazing, nobody believed that I baked it. I hope the pumpkin one turns just as good. Thank you Natasha
I hope you absolutely love it and thanks for sharing that with us.
I sure got the pumpkin puree instead of mix and already have cake in oven.🤦♀️ What should I expect to he different? Thank you, Natasha!
Hi will the cheesecake be ok if I make it today, Tuesday for Thursday.
Hi Kathy, yes that will work great, just keep it covered and refrigerated until ready to serve and wait to add any whipped cream or toppings until it’s time to serve.
How difficult would it be to make the filling by hand? I don’t have a mixer but I want to make this for thanksgiving because it sounds so good! Thanks!
Hi Jackie, it could be done but would need more time and quite a bit more elbow grease/ effort.
I’m making it right now and it smells delicious. I also tasted the batter… so yeah it’s really good. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate that you put the measurements of the ingredients in the directions! I have never seen it in any other recipe. It makes things a lot easier for me so I don’t have to scroll up and down the whole time on my phone. Thank you. This is my first recipe I have tried of yours but for sure won’t be my last.
Thanks for your appreciation! I hope this recipe becomes your favorite.
Hi Natasha, during the 45 minutes cooling period in the open oven, the cheesecake had a huge crack in the center. Is there a way to avoid it? It’s pretty deep (about halfway down the cake) and it was not cracked after the 1 hour baking period.
Hi Inga, There could be several reasons why it could have cracked, but it’s definitely ok even if it did crack. It will not affect the flavor of the cheesecake.
Did you place it in boiling water in another larger pan when you went to bake it? Also was your cream cheese room temp when you started? Also spraying the pan with pam so it does not stick will also help.
Can I add parchment paper to the bottom of the pan to remove pie from pan bottom?
Hi April, yes that would be a good idea too.
Hi Natasha,
This cheesecake doesn’t need to be cooked in a water bath?
Hi Eve, I don’t do the water bath for this one and haven’t had any issues. If you prefer to have some moisture in the oven, you can add a metal pan (like a bread pan half full with hot water) and place it on a rack while the cake is baking.
Has anyone had problems with jiggly middles? I baked it for an hour at 350 like the recipe states but my middle is still raw. Oven is usually spot on and I don’t see any other comments with the same issue? Advice?
Hi Bethany, usually if the center is too wobbly, baking a little longer will do the trick. Using a smaller springform pan can make the cake taller and make it take longer to bake also.
Hello Natasha.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I made this without the caramel sauce or whipped cream and it was fantastic. I had to use a pie pan (no springform) so I have enough left for another one.
Again, thank you. It is wonderful.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Matt! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I want to make this pumpkin cheesecake next week for Thanksgiving. I went to buy the needed ingredients and they only carried canned ‘pumpkin’ and had no ‘pumpkin pie mix’. What can I add to the recipe to make just the pumpkin work? It’s my understanding that the mix has sweeteners and spices along with the pumpkin. Any guidance on what I could do?
Hi Ron, we have made this with pumpkin puree and it still works. You can add a little extra spice to compensate.
Hi Natasha my question is how do I stop the pumpkin cheesecake from sticking to the springform circle every time I release it the pumpkin cheesecake is sticking to the circle
Hi, one trick is to line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper to make it easier to transfer.
When ever I do a cheesecake I use 2 tbsp of cornstarch. It makes the world of difference in texture and no cracking on the surface. Nothing tops pumpkin!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Just a quick question. The recipe call for pumpkin pie mix. Is that the equivalent of pumpkin pie filling or is it pumpkin puree? Canadian asking.
Hi Les, It should be the equivalent of pumpkin pie filling. If you are not able to find that, you can use pumpkin puree.
Hello! If using canned pumpkin purée instead of pumpkin pie mix, how much pumpkin pie seasoning would you recommend to add? Seems like it would need more than the original recipe calls for. Thank you!
Hi Allyssa, I have tried this with equal parts of regular pumpkin puree from a can and it still worked well. I recommend for you to check out the comments section too below the recipe for more tips.
How would it affect the recipe if I use a 10 inch pan?
Hi Peggy, I haven’t tested that in a 10-inch pan, but I would watch it closely since it will be a thinner cake and may bake quicker.
Every recipe I loved I tried the most recipes is very tasty
Thank you Natasha for your delicious food recipes.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes!
Hi Natasha,
Can’t wait to taste this cheesecake! The recipe calls for 1 Tbsp. vanilla. Is that a typo? Seems like a lot of vanilla.
Hi Loretta, that is correct. You can use less if you prefer but it does not overwhelm the cake to use the amount listed in the recipe.
I made this for my sons Halloween birthday. It came out delicious now i will always use this recipe.
Hello there, thanks for sharing your great feedback with us. I’m glad you loved this recipe!
Hi I did this with a water bath and it was a bit undercooked in the middle I figured it was my fault for not following the recipe exactly as it should be then I did it how you said and there is a gigantic crack on the top
Hi Pamela, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to see where the process may have changed or the product started to look different.
I can’t find any video related to the pumpkin cheesecake . Only the regular . Please share.
Hello Natalia, there’s no video for this yet, just this recipe. Hopefully, in the future, we can do a video on this.
Video tutorial ?
Hi Natalia, we do not have a video tutorial for pumpkin cheesecake yet. We have an amazing pumpkin pie though that we just posted.
Making this today as a trial run for Thanksgiving. Looks amazing! Do you think I could use Captain Morgan spiced rum for the whipped cream?
Hello Candace, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
I made this today, and it risen really high over my springform pan, is there a reason that it done this
Hi Joshua, a cheesecake will do that – rise and then settle back down as it cools. The result will be a lovely souffle/cheesecake consistency.