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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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Can it be baked in a water bath? Same temperature? Any adjustments
I assume it would work, but without testing it myself, I can’t really recommend any adjustments. I’d probably test it at the same temp and time, but you’ll have to jiggle the pan to test if it’s done. It should be ready when it just barely jiggles in the center.
Smells great! (: is there a way you prefer to test the cheesecake and make sure it’s done and cooked all the way?
Bailee, you know that it’s cooked all the way when cheesecake doesn’t jiggle in the center or barely jiggles. Hope this helps, enjoy :).
Hi Natasha,
Can I use a 10″ spring form pan instead… How would the height of the cake be affected? Do I have to adjust the recipe and if so how?
The cheesecake won’t be quite as tall. I’d keep all of the ingredients the same. Without testing any modifications for a 10″ pan, I can’t really guess as to what you might change. If I were making it in a 10″, I’d leave everything else the same.
can you decorate with the whipped topping and keep in fridge until served the next day?
Yes that sounds just fine. The whipped cream will hold up well as long as your piping over at cooled cake.
I’m so excited to make this for Christmas.. But can it be frozen? I don’t want to be baking Christmas eve or day. And was going to make it today.
To be honest, I haven’t tried freezing it, but it does refrigerate really well. You can make it today and it will still be great for Christmas 🙂
Hello! Do you know how I can adjust this recipe for a 9 1/2 in spring form pan? Thanks.
You can make it the same way. My springform pan is a 9″ and that is very close.
Hi Natasha,
I just wanted to thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I’ve tried many of your recipes and this has to be my favorite dessert by far. I made it for Thanksgiving dinner and we devoured it. I’ll admit, I had two pieces myself. It’s got me thinking, can I get away with pumpkin cheesecake year-round? 😉 Anyways, I know it’s nearly Christmas, but while in search for a new cake recipe, I came across this cheesecake and had to thank you and let know you know that I LOVED it.
I’m so happy you’re loving this recipe! Thank you Alina for the awesome review! I think you could definitely get away with it! 😉
hi natasha,
i have tried many recipes from your site and enjoyed most of them. I always look forward to seeing what you will post next. I made this pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t sweet enough. I didn’t notice that you used a pie mix, not just canned pumpkin. I used plain canned pumpkin-the resulting cheesecake could have definitely used an extra 1/2 cup of sugar or so. The only thing that (in my opinion) saved the cheesecake was that I made the caramel sauce to go with it, which is quite sweet(and delicious)so it added a kick of sweetness. Otherwise a delicious combination of pumpkin and cheesecake.
I guess everyone has a different affinity for sweetness :). I agree the caramel sauce and the whipped cream make it perfectly sweet without over-doing it, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt to add more sugar if you like a sweeter cheesecake. Thanks for writing in and sharing your results 🙂
Does anyone know how long and what temp I would bake in a ceramic pie dish? I can’t find my springform pan and I have to make today!!! THANKS!!!
I would bake at the same temp and for the same amount of time. I hope it all works out! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hey Natasha I made this cheesecake but mine has cracks all over and it looks really soft inside, is that fine or should I put it in the oven to bake a little more? Thanks
It should look very soft on the inside; not watery or runny, but soft is expected. It will firm up as it sets.
Can i use cornstarch instead of flour?? Need it to be gluten free. :/
I haven’t tried that substitution so I can’t really recommend it, sorry :(. It might work but I don’t know how much you would need to replace the flour. It would probably still taste good even if you omitted the flour.
This looks so delicious! I’m going to attempt to make it for Thanksgiving, but I have 2 questions.
1) There is a can of pumpkin pie mix in the picture, but the recipe says to use pumpkin puree. Which one do you recommend?
2) Do you use a water bath with the springform pan/cover the bottom with aluminum foil?
The last one that we made was with pumpkin pie mix and it turned out really good, but they both work. I don’t use the water bath method, but you can if you are more comfortable doing that to prevent cracks. Mine hasn’t cracked yet, but I have had a reader report a crack. Not all ovens are created equal :).
Wow! I’m drooling over here. This looks incredible.
Thank you so much Maryea 🙂
This is the first time I’ve ever attempted cheesecake. I’m so excited to see how it turns oit! One quick question, should I have wrapped the pan in foil or used a baking sheet underneath? I see that on a lot of cheesecake recipes. I wasn’t sure….
Jamie, there is no need to place anything under in this recipe. I hope you’ll like it :).
Hi I am sorry but I am kin dof confused…You say to use pumpkin puree, but in the picture you’re using pie filling. Are those two different things or the same thing?
You can use either one. I purchased the wrong can for the recipe, but either one will work.
Thank you 🙂 Did the pie filling come out tasting any different?
It still had great flavor. The last one we made, was with the pie filling.
Came out great! Love that it’s not overly cream cheese-y like most cheesecakes.
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂 Thank you for the great review!
Natash, do you bake the cheesecake on the top or middle rack?
p.s.: Really love your recipes; very easy to read and follow, and this pumpkin cheesecake is just amazing!!
I bake it in the middle of the oven. 🙂 I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes! 🙂
So I want to make this and I’ve made the pumpkin puree using your recipe (thank you by the way) BUT how do I drain it? (Since the recipe calls for “well-drained homemade puree”.
You can squeeze out the juice using a fine mesh strainer, a cheese cloth, or set it on a few paper towels and let the towels soak up the excess moisture. You just don’t want it to be really wet looking; no pooling of juice when you put it in a bowl.
Great, thank you!
So I’ve made this twice already and it cracked both times. 🙁 What am i doing wrong? I followed the directions exactly and it’s fine while the oven is on but cracks during the 45mins it’s propped open. Help?
What level do you have it on in the oven? It works best on the middle rack. Also, what kind of pumpkin puree did you use? Sometimes a homemade one that is too wet might cause cracking. Finally, did you follow the instructions to mix on low speed once the egg mixture is added in? Whipping on higher speed can cause air bubbles to enter the cheesecake batter and create cracks later. I hope that helps!
Very nice, and I think delicious. Thanks for the recipe
Thank you Tamilla 🙂
Made this and it was sooooooo good! Also I love the caramel recipe it’s delicious! Your the best cook ever!
You’re so sweet. Thank you Julie! 🙂