My easy Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe yields a perfectly spiced, creamy cheesecake nestled in a buttery homemade crust. It’s a fan-favorite that looks impressive on a plate, but it is easy to make (no water baths here!).
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Helpful Reader Review
“Hands down the best cheesecake recipe. I will use any excuse, any holiday as an occasion to make this. Everyone in my family loves it.” – Alex ★★★★★
Pumpkin Cheesecake Video
Pumpkin Cheesecake has been one of the most popular recipes on my blog for years (the reviews speak for themselves!) I added a video tutorial and added some great tips to prevent cracks without using a water bath.
Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe mixes Cheesecake (the creamy filling and crunchy buttery crust) with Pumpkin Pie (the iconic pumpkin and fall spices) for the ultimate dessert.
This pumpkin cheesecake is so easy and delicious by itself, but it is just over-the-top impressive when you add some of my easy Butterscotch Sauce or Caramel and rum-infused Whipped Cream. Make this velvety-smooth pumpkin cheesecake up to 5 days ahead for easy holiday entertaining.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cheesecake Crust
- Crackers – You can buy graham cracker crumbs, or crush 13 whole graham crackers for 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. You can substitute with gingersnap cookies, Vanilla wafers (Nilla Wafers), Shortbread cookies, or Biscoff (speculoos) cookies.
- Add-Ins – unsalted butter, sugar, and cinnamon
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ingredients
For consistent results, use room-temperature ingredients to get that velvety pumpkin cheesecake texture.
- Cream cheese – room temperature – to warm it up quickly, cut the cream cheese into small cubes, place them on a plate, and let sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes
- Brown sugar – Use packed light brown sugar. “Packed” is when it holds its shape as it comes out of the measuring cup
- Pumpkin puree – I prefer Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin because (see why below). A well-drained homemade pumpkin puree will work. I’ve also tested this with canned pumpkin pie mix with great results.
- Eggs – To quickly bring to room temperature, set eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Sour cream – cuts the heaviness of the cream cheese, while giving a creamy texture
- Flour – acts as a stabilizer to give the cheesecake strength and prevent cracking, measure correctly
- Flavorings – Use store-bought or make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice and Vanilla Extract.
Pro Tip:
The best pumpkin filling for my cheesecake recipe is Libby’s brand because other brands tend to be too watery and lighter in color. This is the brand I recommend for all of my pumpkin recipes, from my Pumpkin Roll to Pumpkin Pancakes.
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
- Prep – Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. You could also put graham crackers in a large zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.
- Bake – mix the crust ingredients together in a bowl, and then press into a 9-inch springform pan. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch butter drips), and bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Reduce the oven temp to 325˚F.
How to Make a Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar for 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed (Now it’s similar to a yummy frosting!)
- Make Pumpkin Filling – Whisk together the remaining filling ingredients, and add them to the cream cheese mixture on low speed until just combined.
- Bake – Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust, then tap it several times on the counter to release any bubbles. Place a loaf pan half-filled with water next to the cheesecake on the center rack and bake for 50-60 minutes. When the edges are set, but the center 3 inches is still wobbly, turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon to let the cheesecake cool for 30 minutes. Note: If you have a gas oven, you can leave the door closed and turn the oven off since gas ovens cool much faster.
- Chill – Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges to release tension and cool to room temperature on a rack, then cover and chill for 4 hours, or overnight.
- Serve – Remove the springform pan and slice the cake. The cheesecake itself is not too sweet, so the toppings complement it nicely. I start with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce or Butterscotch Sauce on each slice, pipe on Whipped Cream, and dust with pumpkin spice.
Pro Tip:
I love serving pumpkin cheesecake with festive Rum-infused Whipped Cream (1 cup cream, 2 Tbsp sugar, & 1 tsp of rum instead of vanilla).
How to Prevent Cracks in Pumpkin Cheesecake?
- Reduce bubbles – Avoid overmixing or mixing on high speed, which creates air bubbles, and tap the filled pan on the counter to release air.
- Add water – Adding steam will keep the cheesecake moist to prevent cracks.
- Keep the oven closed – If you open the oven too early or too often, it creates temperature swings, which contribute to cracking.
- Avoid overbaking! This is HUGE – bake until the cheesecake is still wobbly in the center 3″. Since not all ovens are created equal, check for doneness in the last 10 minutes.
- Cool slowly – propping the door open with a wooden spoon prevents sudden temperature changes and prevents cracks.
- Loosen the cheesecake from the pan as soon as it comes out of the oven to reduce tension.
Sometimes, even if you’ve done everything right, you might get a tiny crack. If it does happen, cover the top with Caramel Sauce, Candied Pecans, Ganache, or whipped cream. It will still taste great!
Make-Ahead and Storage
Once the pumpkin cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, cover and chill until cold and fully set (at least 4 hours or overnight).
- To Refrigerate: Keep leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. It keeps best if stored without toppings.
- Freezing: Tightly wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add your toppings just before serving.
Everyone loves my popular pumpkin cheesecake recipe because the cheesecake is velvety and smooth with a buttery graham cracker crust. Top with caramel sauce and homemade whipped cream for the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, from about 13 whole graham crackers
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 15 oz pumpkin puree, Libby's brand, or well-drained homemade puree*
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, plus more to dust
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
Optional Toppings:
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Prep – Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
- Bake – In a medium bowl, stir together the crust ingredients – graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and 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, going about 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Place on a foil-lined sheet pan to catch any drippings and bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- Beat the cream cheese– Preheat to 325°F. In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese and 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.
- Mix the pumpkin – In a separate bowl, using a whisk, stir together pumpkin puree, eggs, sour cream, flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Add this mixture to the cream cheese filling and continue mixing on low speed just until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Bake – Transfer the filling into the pre-baked and cooled crust, and then tap the pan on the counter 15 times to release air bubbles. Place a loaf pan half filled with hot water (steam helps prevent cracks), and your cheesecake on the center rack and bake at 325˚F for 50-60 minutes* or until the edges are set and there is a slight wobble in the center 3" of the cheesecake when you jolt the pan. Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon for 30 minutes to cool slowly. Note: If you have a gas oven, turn the oven off and leave the door closed since gas ovens cool much faster.
- Chill and Serve – Once the cheesecake is out of the oven, run a knife around the edges of the pan (helps release tension), then cool on a rack until room temperature; about 2 hours. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, carefully remove chilled cheesecake from the springform pan, cut into slices, and add your desired toppings.
Notes
*Bake Times: Not all ovens are created equal so check your cheesecake for doneness before pulling it out of the oven. If your oven doesn’t preheat fully, it may take 60-70 minutes in the oven. Storage and Make-Ahead Tips:
- Make Ahead – bake and cool the cheesecake. Cover tightly and chill for up to 5 days in the fridge. Add toppings when ready to serve.
- Freeze – wrap the chilled cheesecake (I keep it in the mold), or individual slices in plastic wrap and foil, or place in a freezer-safe ziptop bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add toppings just before serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Fall Baking Recipes
Fall always puts me in the mood to bake, so here are a few of my favorite recipes we repeat each year.
- Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Bread
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
- Apple Turnovers
- Baklava
- Carrot Cake
- Apple Crisp
- Baked Apples
- Cinnamon Rolls
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! We all loved it and I’ll be making is again soon.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Virginia!
do u have this version of pumpkin cheesecake in oreo ?
Hi Maria, I do not, but I imagine that may be possible. Have you tried our No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe? You can make it with an oreo crust.
Ive made this cheesecake 3 times now, and each time it comes out beautifully! My father in law said it was the best cheesecake he’s ever had!! I love it so much. Thank you for the recipe!
How would I adapt this recipe to switch from pumpkin to lemon? Any ideas on measurements ?
Hi Cecilia, that is so wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing your good comments with us, I’m glad you are loving this recipe. I haven’t tried that yet to advise of the measurements. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Spring time is here, and I gotta ask if you had any luck with creating a lemon cheesecake?!
Hi Cecilia, none yet but I have a recipe for lemon bars if you would like to try this.
To change to lemon zest 2 lemons, squeeze one lemon into batter 🤗
Something I will not do again on this recipe is leave it in the oven for additional time. The cheesecake was finished after an hour. I should have put it on the rack to cool and then refrigerated it.
Leaving it in the oven for an additional time , made it dry and not moist..
I just had a piece of this pie. It is exquisite! I went right to your website and saved the recipe. I was also impressed with your user-friendly web site. Thank you
Love it! I’m glad you fell in love right away with this recipe, so good to know that, Vena!
Hi Natasha. I got a cookie tin full of thin ginger snaps. Can I use this for the crust instead of graham crackers? Thank you. Happy holidays!
Hi Susan, I have not tested this with gingersnap crust to advise. We LOVE it with a graham crust, but I’m curious how you like this recipe if you test it out with gingersnap.
Can you use the foil pie pans instead of the spring form pan?
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t tested that but I think it would overflow a small foil pie pan.
I found this recipe before Thanksgiving and have made it for family and friends. They all raved about it. I am making it before for our Christmas gathering. It is wonderful1
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This recipe is a keeper! I live at high altitude (6000 ft. above sea level), where baking can be a challenge. I’ve tried out this recipe twice so far, and both versions of the cheesecake had cracks. Possibly this is due to the high altitude. For my second attempt at the recipe, I made sure both the sour cream and the eggs were at room temperature before adding. I’m not sure whether that made the difference, but the cracks were significantly smaller for that version of the cheesecake. Well, anyhow — cracks or no cracks — the pumpkin cheesecake tastes absolutely divine, and this recipe has earned a coveted spot in my collection of favorite recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Rena! I’m glad the taste was great!
This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is delicious. It was very easy to follow and make. Thank you for that. I also got the crack in the cheesecake, despite trying everything I could think of to avoid it. But I can move past it because the flavor is so incredible. I’ll have to try putting it in a water bath next time. I still love it though. Tomorrow I’ll make your whipped cream recipe for it. If I made it tonight and refrigerated it, would it still be good to use as topping tomorrow? Would it maintain its consistency?
Hi Christine, that should be fine to use it as a topping the next day if it was whipped sufficiently. If it gets loose, you can re-whip until it reaches the desired consistency, but be careful not to overbeat or it can turn buttery especially if it has already been whipped.
I also got the ceack in the cheesecake. I think it doesn’t need the extra oven time. That is what I plan to do next time. Otherwise the caramel sauce was easy and delicious on the pie
Exactly followed the receipt and baking instruction. However, I am getting cracked cheesecake. Very disappointing. Looks like the extra 45 mins sitting in the over makes the mess!
HI RL, I haven’t had that experience but a couple of things could have caused that – make sure to bake on conventional mode and not convection. Also, make sure to mix the mixture at the recommended speed. Whipping on too of speed can incorporate too much air and cause cracks.
I tried this receipt tonight and I loved it. Thank You
I’m glad to hear that, Cynthia. Thank you for sharing that with us.
HI How many days in advance can this be made?
Thank you
Hi Terri, It can definitely be refrigerated for several days. I recommend not adding any toppings until the day of, however.
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Will this work with a glass pie dish or is it better with a springform pan?
Hi Alexa, I haven’t tested this in a pie pan, but this will overwhelm a glass pie dish and is best done in a springform pan. Be sure to also check out our pumpkin pie recipe which is baked in a pie pan.
Wonderful!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Natasha, I have a food processor for the crust, but only a hand held mixer for the filling. Will that work?
Hi Dean, a hand mixer should also work.
This is the first time I have made a cheesecake and it turned out amazing! It literally tastes like an exact mix between a pumpkin pie and a cheesecake, and it was surprisingly easy! All of my friends loved it, and I will definitely make this again. It did crack during cooking, which did not affect the flavor, but I will attempt to cook it with a water bath next time and see how that goes. It was still fantastic and moist even with the cracking.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, Megan!
I made this recipe this week. Excellent! My guests loved it.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
My daughter made your pumpkin cheesecake recipe for Thanksgiving this year. It was so good. We even had it for breakfast the next day.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
WOW this pumpkin cheesecake tastes divine! No more cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory Restaurant for us!
I used regular pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix and also I used 8″ springform pan instead of 9′ but it still came out GREAT! This is definately a must have every Thanksgiving from now on. It had a big X shaped crack after cooling but after filling with fresh whipped cream you could not notice anything even after slicing. Thank you so much Natasha!! Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes…
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite! Thank you for sharing this wonderful review with me!
I made this for Thanksgiving this year but I was disappointed that after I removed it from the oven, it had a huge crack/crevice down the middle. I decided to cover the top with the cream cheese frosting that was recommended. It was a hit and super delicious. I just can’t figure out why it had such a huge crack.
Hi Sheri, thanks for your feedback. The cracks could occur due to many different reasons, from over beating to over baking, but that should not impact the flavor. I’m glad you still enjoyed this recipe!