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
I made the cheesecake pumpkin. The recipe said bake in 1 hour after that turn off the oven. open the open put a wooden spoon and leave the cheesecake inside the oven for 45 mins. But when I bake it for one hour the middle still runny. So I add more 45 mins to bake. It turns good.
Thank you for the amazing cheesecake recipe Natasha! I made this for a family get-together this past week, and it turned out great, and that flavour – oh my 😋
I have made quite a few of your recipes, and am grateful to have found your blog. Whenever I’m looking for a recipe for something, I will check your website first before I check other sites or even Pinterest. Thanks so much for sharing 😃
Hello Brenda, thank you for sharing that with us. I’m happy to know that my recipes are always a bit hit for you and your family.
Just a quick question…could regular white sugar be substituted for the brown and does this change the flavor?
Hi Shawn, the brown sugar adds some molasses, and I think it gives it a better color, so I think it’s best to use brown sugar.
I have this in the oven right now and it’s been an hour. Doesn’t look like it’s quite ready. I’ll leave it in for about 10 min more. Fingers crossed.
I hope you love this recipe, Chiara!
Hi Natasha!
Thank you so much to this recipe pumpkin cheesecake. I used butternuts Squash instead. It turned really good and looks very yummy. I cannot wait to try them it’s cooling down in the oven right now.
I hope you love this cheesecake! I bet your home smells so good right now!
Hi Natasha, I currently have this cheesecake in the oven with my fingers crossed…I misread the recipe and used a can of plain pumpkin vs pumpkin pie mix. Do you think its going to come out ok? Thanks!
Hi Susan, it will still work with the pumpkin pie mix.
Made this today as a fall dessert for my family and everybody loved it! Perfect mix of pumpkin and cheesecake 🙂
I’m glad to hear that the recipe was a huge hit!
Hello – I cannot tell you how much my Thanksgiving guests loved this dessert!! This was by far the best ever pumpkin cheesecake ever tasted let alone made by me. I made the caramel sauce and whipped topping with rum. Baked as mini cheesecakes using a springform pan that makes 12 minis at a time. Thank you so much for the recipe. I am making it again less than a week later!! This will be my go to fall dessert recipe.
You are very welcome, Antonella. I’m happy to hear that this was a huge hit! You have shared some lovely feedback with us and we appreciate it.
Hi there, I love all your recipes.
I made your pumpkin cheesecake for the Canadian thanksgiving this weekend. It was amazing!!! One question how do I make it not crack open on top at the end of baking. I covered it with the whip cream this time. Just want to know for future.
Violet
Hi Violet, Happy Thanksgiving! 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.
Mine cracked as well. I’m going to try a water bath next time. I also found an hour was not enough baking time. I baked my last one for 80 minutes and it was much better
Hi there!
Your recipe was a big hit at our Canadian Thanksgiving table! Everyone ooohed and aaaahed over it! Followed your advice on keeping the oven door open to cool and not a single crack appeared. Very creamy, full of flavor and a great marriage of pumpkin and cheesecake.
Thanks for your awesome feedback, Audrey. So great to hear that the Pumpkin Cheesecake was a huge hit! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us.
hi all. I just made this and did the water bath. No cracks, but the bottom of my spring form pan looked a bit wet when I took the tin foil off…there was a gloopy butterish looking stuff on it. Do you think water got in there and wrecked the crust? What should I do?
Hi Andrea, It should still be ok. That could just be butter that separated from the crust a little bit and shouldn’t harm the crust. It should be ok after refrigerating and giving the cheesecake time to cool and set.
Did you change the temp/cooking time since giving it a water bath?
I have a can of 100% pure pumpkin and its 14oz can, would I be able to use that?
Hi Angie, I think that will work. If you try that, please share with us how it goes.
How long will this last in the fridge? I want to make it Fri and serve on Sun. Will that still work?
Hi Tasha, yes that would work great, just keep the pan covered with plastic wrap (making sure it’s not touching the surface of the cheesecake), and wait to add your whipped cream and toppings until you are ready to serve.
I could not find my go to recipe for pumkin cheesecake so have tried yours; it is in the oven and will be eaten tomorrow for Cdn. Thankgiving; will let you know how it goes over with my wifes family (but I am sure it will be great)!
I hope you love it, Glenn!
Excellent! I was impressed and I received a lot of compliments. One of my friends said it was the best cheesecake he had.
I strongly recommend to top it with roasted pecans (that hide potential cracks and give some crunchiness) and the delicious homemade caramel sauce suggested. Whipped cream is nice but not a must as the other two toppings.
Hi Marco, that’s fantastic feedback! Great to hear that the cheesecake was a hit, thank you for sharing this review with us.
Can we use plain pumpkin or does the recipe call for the flavoured pie filling? I’m in Canada so I don’t have Libby’s. Thanksgiving is this weekend for us and I was hoping to make this ☺️
HI Jodie, you can use plain pumpkin puree to substitute and it will still work. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Suggesting to use a waterbath which usually prevents cracking. Just made the cheesecake and it’s baking. The batter tastes great and this was easy to make!
Thanks for sharing. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I was wondering if this recipe would work in the form of mini cheesecakes? The ones in cupcake forms.
Hi Lidiya, I haven’t tested this as minis, but we do have regular mini cheesecakes posted which might be a good reference if you experiment.
Considering ur using pumpkin pie MIX, which has 76 to 90 grams of sugar in it, why in the world would u add another 1-1/2 cups of sugar to the recipe? That’s a LOT of sugar. Dolores
Hi Dolores, the cake itself is not overly sweet. We also don’t love desserts that are too sweet. Keep in mind the amount of cream cheese and it would be pretty bland without adding the extra sugar.
I baked this cheesecake recipe last night. After baking, the cheesecake cracked. How to dress it up without showing the cracks? How to prevent cracking?
Hi Melissa! Whipped cream works great!
Bake it in a water bath next time.
Hello. How are you? You…we recipes are delicious. May I ask if I could use a 9 inch square pan with 3 inch tall walls instead of round.
Thank you for your time and delicious food.
Hi Pam! I bet that would work! I hope you love this recipe!
This recipe sounds great! Can you make this cheesecake in advance and freeze it
Hi Ellen, cheesecakes freeze well; however, I haven’t tested that with this recipe. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe!
Can you make the whipped cream the day before or will it be best the day of?
Hi Natalie, we just keep the cheesecake covered and refrigerated until ready to serve and wait to add any whipped cream or toppings until it’s time to serve. If you make the whipped cream the day before, you will need to re-whip it before pipping on.
I would stabilize the whipped cream with corm starch or powdered sugar if you plan to use the next day. Whipped cream tends to deflate over time and doesn’t keep its shape. Try one tbsp of corn starch per cup of heavy cream, or replace the granulated sugar with 3 tbsp of powdered sugar (a bit sweeter, admittedly). 3 tbsp of powdered milk per cup also works but I have never tried it. Unflavoured gelatin works best, but since you are not decorating and just using a dollop, gelatin might be overkill 🙂